Final Chapter: Why?
I had fallen asleep watching Masumi gaze into the moon-showered garden and finally had a peaceful few minutes, hours, for what it seemed, of rest. I uncurled from the position I was in and yawned. My body was unbelievably stiff from the position and the hard floor. I let my eyes search, looking about the room. I sat up quickly, my muscles cursing at the actions, and scanned the room like my life depended on, which it did. Masumi wasn't here. The shadows had accompanied me instead, along with a single note on a musty cushion.
'Found a critical clue. Might be our way out! Be back soon. I love you, Masumi.'
"No..." I said. My voice still rattled in my sore throat. I stood up and held myself in my arms. "Why?" I said to myself. I felt a void of loneliness crash into me suddenly. I felt like going into hysterics but I had no strength to do so. I felt like thrashing the room to pieces, tearing up every item in my path. Instead, I sat back down on the floor and brought my knees to my chest. Wrapping my arms around them securely, I rocked myself steady, calming every shattered nerve I had left in me. I resisted the effect of being alone in such a place by blanking out every thought I had in mind. I thought that if I sat here any longer in the dark and all by myself, I'd go crazy. I felt a swell of emotions build its' way up to the surface, waiting to explode over the rim. I didn't know what I felt and it made it all the more frustrating.
Was I angry? Angry that Masumi left after promising not to leave again...Or was I sad because it may be last time I see him? I held onto my legs tight with my nails digging into my upper arms. I was alone, scared, angry, sad and didn't know how to deal with it. The aggitation of not knowing how I felt made it harder to cope with. A sob formed in my sore throat and I bit down onto my bottom lip to hold it down. I rocked harder with my back banging against the wall. It began to sting but I ignored it, continuing to rock back and forth, struggling to keep myself intact.
I couldn't take the silence. I couldn't take the feeling of being left alone again. I felt my well of emotions slam into me all at once, nearly knocking me off mental feet like a hit to the body that made me wince. In one quick motion I stood, my hands almost automatically going for my hair. I screamed to the top of my lungs, releasing every bit of air in them, with my fingers tangled in the long black strands. I exhaled all sound until it felt as if my chest was going to compress its self flat too. I inhaled again and let out another scream. It hurt but I didn't care. The sound in such a small space bounced off the walls and rang in my ears. My fingers curled tighter as I screamed out my frustration and pain. Tears of my angst settled on my warm cheeks. I released my hair and hugged myself tight. I took in lungfuls of air this time and screamed it all out. My fingernails raked down the length of my arms leaving trails of fire burning in their paths.
It took everything I had to keep my balance after that. My heart was going wild in my chest, my head was pounding and my ears still rung. I was leaned against the wall, breathing harsh air on my torn, raw throat. It hurt so badly with every breath I took. I slid onto the floor, my back still set against the wall, too exhausted to stand. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and sighed. I only felt a small amount better afterwards but I still paid my price for this bit of relief.
My body felt limp and useless in the dark of the room and I sank into myself, wanting anything, wanting to give anything to be with Masumi again, to feel his presence again. "Where did you go...?" I whimpered to the air. "Why, Masumi?" I allowed my voice to escape from the pain in my throat. I, myself, wanted to escape the pain. My eyelids became heavy, harder to keep up. I blinked and only made them even heavier. I let them fall onto the flashlight that sat on the other side of me, near an old coal braizer. I blinked and my eyelids felt like heavy syrup, streaming slowly downward.
I woke myself from my sleep by taking in a shaky, still-aching, dragging breath, the hardness of the wall on my back helped me recall the times before I fell asleep. I stretched out and searched the room, hoping to see Masumi watching me from afar, waiting for me to awaken. But I didn't. I didn't see any sign of him coming back for anything or even for me. I sighed and blinked away the sleep from my eyes. I stretched my legs out and stood up slowly, not fully trusting my legs for their full support, using the wall to help myself up. The flashlight sat untouched, waiting to be used, on the floor where Masumi was sitting before he left. I wavered a bit on my aching muscles before walking over to it and picking it up.
I flicked on the switch and the beam seemed to spread across the wall and reach toward the ceiling of the dark room. I squinted at the sudden burst of light, waiting for my eyes to get used to its' brightness. It was too quiet in the house, an unnerving silence spilling throughout the rooms of the whole house. I heard the beating of my peaceful heart like something not meant to be heard. A secret revealed. I stood for a while letting my ears tune into the almost tangible hush of the house. My hand tensed into a fist as I ached for a hand to hold, something soothing and comforting. Here, having something like that was a luxury now. I made the first move of my foot, putting so much effort into making my small steps noiseless. I shuffled down a few steps and was facing a door. I reached for the door in tentative movements. The door's scream seemed to rattle the hallway, filling it with such noise. I stepped out into the hall and the door slammed shut behind me. The sound made me gasp.
I practiced taking small dainty steps until I got the hang of walking without making much noise on the old floorboards. I rounded a corner and recognized where I was. Something unfamiliar caught my eye as I passed a hidden staircase. A nook in the wall lit by a standing candle harbored what looked like, to me, another hidden room. I eased up the two steps and searched for a handle. I found one and pulled at it. It took a little more power than I had but I managed to slide the door open from its' jam. I shone the light into the room with quick movements before entering.
The room was a little warmer and a little more comfortable than the rest of the house. There was something about the room that put my heart at ease. I stumbled over books, papers and old scrolls that littered over the floor and made my way over to bureaus with papers spilling from the drawers. I made out characters on the papers and they, from the format, looked like documents of some sort. I set the flashlight pointing upwards on a desk close at hand so I could rumage more freely. I took out the drawers from the bureaus and emptied the papers onto the desk. I fished through them searching for anything that might lead to an escape, or at least to Masumi.
I read over the yellowed papers finding more and more facts, or theories about the village and its' inhabitants. I read about the four chief houses, Kurosawa, Tsuchihara, Tachibana, and Kiryu. The four houses were owned my Ceremony Masters, the most powerful people of the village and how each house participated in a certain type of ritual called a "Crimson Sacrifice". I dug through the papers and found nothing further on the houses or the ritual. I let my hands swim through the papers randomly pulling out different papers with each dive.
I became bored after a few more rounds of digging and stood up, my body releasing a tiresome and relieved sigh. I snatched up the flashlight and scoped the room with it once more before leaving. I slid the door back in place behind me and I stepped out into the hallway. I made my way back to the fireplace room. I stood still and let my ears tune into the silence.
I closed my eyes and made my breathing shallow, softer. The less sound I made, the better I could hear and concentrate on hearing what was around me. Off to the left of me, a small whimper came from behind a wall. The sound made me jump inside and my face flush. I turned and shone the light on the wall. Another hidden room. The whimper turned into a shuffle, small and quick. It was muffled but still could be heard in the thick silence. Was it Masumi?
I inched closer to the wall and let my fingers drift across the rough textured wall until I found an indention in the wall. My fingertips rubbed over the cool smoothness of the wooden handle. I pulled it to one side and the door slid open. I moved inside and was facing a piece of clothing hanging in front of me. I walked around it, careful not to let my steps mingle with the muffled shuffling. The bars on one wall showed me that I was in the room at the entrance of the house. I spun around quickly and feet away from me was a sectioned off part of the small room. The doorway was narrow so it limited my view from the rest of the room.
I listened, my heart now a part of the silence, and heard nothing. I balled my hand up into a fist, my other hand that gripped the flashlight trembled. I took a step closer and it brough me just a few inches closer to the room. I took small steps until I reached the doorway. I let my beam burn into the wall ahead as my eyes searched the rest of the small space alone. The room looked as if it was used for storage from the amount of boxes that lay stacked in its' corners. One large red box sat closed in front of me, only shy of two feet from where I stood. I sighed with relief and turned to walk away.
A sound, small and muffled, came from the room behind. It was the same cry that had drawn me here. It was a stifled sound like someone whimpered whilst covering their mouth but behind layers of wood and fabric. I tried to ignore it as I inched my way from the door but something about it made me turn back to the large red box.
My heart leaped in my throat as the lid shifted slightly. My breath became shaky as I stood, paralyzed, and watched as the lid gradually moved to one side. I backed away as far as I could go, my back pressed hard against the bars of the room. The lid of the box slid to the floor in a fluid movement and I only gasped as the sound of cries filled my ears. I put my hands over my ears to mute the cries of an infant and a woman. My arms fell back to my sides and was of no use.
Slowly, almost cautiously, a woman emerged from the box, flowing to the floor like liquid in stiff movements. Her hands pulled her dead body from the box like extra legs. Her long ashen hair drifted to the floor as if it had a life of its own and hung like a thick curtain in her face, hiding her dead eyes. My heart acted as if it were struggling to escape the more I stood watching the ghost crawl from the box. My body failed me once more, frozen, almost immobilized from my fear.
The woman stood, swaying, as if she were trying to figure out where she was. Her body, bent at the waist wasn't as transparent as the other ghosts. She seemed to look solid but I knew that she was dead, no doubts about that. Her movements cotinued that way until she stopped, her whole body stiffening up as if she'd froze in mid-motion. My hands and body quivered tremendously as she remained stiff. I whimpered and she advance closer, a dragging limp on dead feet.
I could only press harder against the bars as she limped, progressing slowly towards me. Her upper body swung like dead weight hanging from her waist, her hair swishing back and forth still showering her face. I felt my knees buckle but I remained on foot, refusing to let my legs fold under me. I found it within myself to move, risking my life, reaching for the door. The woman stopped short of three feet in front of me and swayed. My blood pulsated with waves of adrenaline fierce enough to paralyze me once more. Inside I screamed to run but my body responded negatively in fear of what would happen.
My body answered to my demands but I walked slowly to the door, careful enough not to run like I really wanted to do. I rounded the cloth that hung in front of the doorway and the woman moaned. I paused at the sound and turned. She stood, her lower half still swaying, facing me. I fumbled to look for the handle but seemed to not find it. My hands were too shaky to search properly and the beam of the flashlight shook, too unsteady to use. I held my breath and looked to my right. She was still standing there.
A creak of the floorboard had my attention as I still tried to find the door's handle. I turned my head and resisted looking at the ghost, using every bit of power I had to hold myself steady while searching for the handle. Another creak made me glance over and she was now standing, only feet from me. My breath automatically caught in my throat as the ghost leaned her head to one side as if she were confused. I ran my frantic fingers over the door with my eyes still on the ghost. The movement of her head let her hair fall from her face. She'd exposed her eyes, white and emotionless, and I gasped as her mouth opened in a snarling fashion. I felt my fingers knock against the wooden handle and I pulled and it didn't budge. The woman's mouth widened and she started to run for me, her hands outstretched to grab. Time seemingly slowed for that moment as she came for me. I finally slid the door to the side and slipped through nearly untouched.
The world around me seemed to revert back to normal as I slammed the door shut. I hesitated for a second to stop and catch my breath but I didn't take my chances. I ran back to the room where I'd found the papers and documents and jammed the door, locking it in place. My heart's pace dropped to a fair level and I rested against the door. I had not the strength to move. I'd been afraid for so long and so often that it started to take affect on me by draining life from me. Maybe it was true about being scared to death...
I paced about the open area of the room with my flashlight cut off to save it's power for when Masumi arrives with an escape. I thought about where he could have been and what made him leave so suddenly. I thought about what I'd do when we returned home and all the small things. I sat in the middle of the room with my knees drawn to my chest, my chin resting peacefully on top. The dark seemed more comforting in this room, less to worry about and for the first time for what felt like forever, I felt safe. I felt that nothing could reach me in here, nothing would catch me. I rocked back and forth to occupy myself in the dark. Nothing was left for me to do but to wait. I didn't want to wait, I'd wait for what feels like forever if I were to wait for Masumi's return. Too caught up in his own world to realize that I'm here is a thought that often passed through the light of my mind but would always be shoved back into the shadows.
I sprawled out on the tatami floor of the room facing the ceiling, my hands clasped gently over my stomach. I felt freakishly safe and unnerved by the surprises hidden in the walls of this house and it made me a little worried. Why was I so calm, so collected, and only in this room? The thought of it made me sit up. I took in my surroundings carefully. Old paintings over centuries old hung on the dreary walls, the papers I searched through lay scattered around in a yellowed mess. A small, almost discreet altar sat in one corner against the wall. Ornaments, trinkets, small scrolls sat on the shelf, beckoning to me.
I stood and walked over to the small altar. I touched the trinkets and moved the items around. They all looked like they were used in a ceremony of some sort. "Must be the one that was noted in the papers..." I said aloud. My voice still sounded like a whisper from how sore it still was. I set the trinkets back in place and sat at the edge of the desk near me. My eyes wandered over the top of the desk and found it clear enough to lay on. I sat back on my side and curled up on the desk. "A nap might help me think clearer..."
A slam jerked my body from its' rest and brought me back to reality. I sat up and looked around. The light shining from outside looked darker, grey and scary. I swung my legs over the desk and set my feet on the floor. What was that sound just a minute ago. I recalled it and the sound related to a door slamming. I was hit by realization and I hopped off the table bolting to the door. I paused with my hand setting on the handle. I let out a small laugh to myself, "Masumi, I knew you'd come back." I slid open the door and walked into the hallway. My hand felt bare without my flashlight to grip onto but I didn't care, Masumi was back.
The air in the hall breezed around me enveloping me in fresh chill bumps all over my skin. I rubbed my upper arms and stepped out into the main hallway. "Masumi?" I said aloud. The hallway seemed to stretch new heights without my flashlight's beam. It was a whole lot darker too. "Masumi?" I said louder, hoping that he'd hear me this time. I listened and heard nothing. I advanced to the room where I suspected him of being, my arms still held tight against my body. I rounded the corner and the door ahead slammed shut. The sound of it made me jump, too loud of a sound in such silence.
I didn't hesitate to run to the door and grab it's handle, yanking it open with an eager force. I jumpped up the steps and was facing the back of Masumi. "Ma...sumi?" I advanced a step but stopped. My hand almost automatically reached out to him but I drew back. His back was oddly hunched in an alien posture. Across it was slashes of crimson in all sizes up, down, and across. The cuts, no not cuts, slashes, went as deep, past his beige leather jacket and white polo shirt, down the meat of his back. The wounds looked nearly healed but also looked fresh from the redness. My hand came to my mouth in horror of what my brain was registering. His arms that hung by his sides were slashed and red. His shoulders shook and my focus went back on his back. His hands balled up into fists and he said something that I couldn't understand.
I felt my heart sink and tears floated to my eyes. My fingers brushed my dry lips, "Masumi, what...what happened?" I squealed out and it turned into a small cry. His head lifted and he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. My heart stuttered and the breath that was ready to be released seized in my throat as he turned full-body to me. I gulped hard and my fear melted over me again stiffening me all over. "God...Masumi..." I stepped few steps then stopped in front of the coal braizer. The dim silver light spilled over his back and cast a silver halo over his frame. Shadow covered his slashed face but didn't hide the death that leaked from him. His eyes held no color, his hair, skin and body shone ashen in the dim lighting. My knees wanted to give in but I restrained. Tears blurred my sight and I covered my face, holding it in my hands as I sobbed. Masumi didn't stand before me.
"There's...something I have to give to you, Miyako." The voice was real enough. I lifted my face from my hands to see Masumi's ghost standing in my vision. I jumped and he grabbed my shoulders. The touch was almost violent, but was there. I blinked in my confusion but before I could ask, his hands slowly moved from my shoulders to my neck. I closed my eyes and my face rested in the palms of his hands. They were cold as ice but I didn't mind it. They moved slowly heading downward then stopped at the base of my neck.
My eyes fluttered open and I was staring into eyes that held nothing. Emotion waserased from these eyes that locked on mine. He was dead. I knew, but at the same time I didn't. I didn't want to believe the fact that what was touching me was not real. I felt another cry build up in my throat but I didn't push it back this time.
The ghost's fingers closed tight around my neck and I tried to scream but my throat didn't allow it. I reached from it's wrists but my hands only clasped their own. I flailed my arms to chase it's hands away but they only swung at the air. I stumbled and he held me tight in his hands. The blood in my head and neck pulsed hard, my heart working to shootmy lifepast it's hands. He spun me around and my body fell to the floor. My head knocked against a wooden ledge and I felt dizzy. I felt my life draining away with each second that the ghost held onto me. Something other than his body pinned me down to the floor and I still fought. I kicked but I kicked at air. I was gasping and choking now, holding on to my own, trying to survive as I fought against the intangible power. All that ran through my mind was why was he doing this? Why was he attacking me? I saw us together, from the beginning, when we were in classes together all the way to the day we bought our house and now this...
I felt light-headed and my sight was dimming. The ghost still clung tight. "W...hy?" I managed to squeeze out. I couldn't breath but I fought, my arms and legs heaving from the floor with my last ounces of energy. The body, hands, everything was intangible. I weakened and could only stare into those deadly eyes that used to hold life in them.
My eyelids finally fluttered shut and I saw Masumi. He was nearly shreaded throughout his body with the gashes still flowing fresh. His back was slumped, limp against the back of a large closet-like room and he was breathing heavily, almost in rasps. His fingers were curled weakly around a pen as he scribbled something down a a piece of torn paper. The pen fell away from his hand and he used the last bit of strength to ball the note in his bloodied palm and bring it to his lips. The tears mingled with the blood on his face and scent of defeat. He wasn't getting out of here alive. He sighed a last time and relaxed his other hand. Out, rolled a soft twinkling sound as it came to a stop beside Masumi's body.