"Obligation and Duty"
Chapter 5.50.2 .oO{I can feel no sense of measure. No illusions as we take. Ato is my property}
#Author screams# Here is a perfect example of controlled insanity run amok. #dies#
{Please don't spit on the carpet
Rei sat in the kitchen as the two boys talked with Suzuki. And as the sound of a hammer kept knocking away at her head.
"That's IT! I'm TIRED of this STUPID house and my STUPID life!!!" Rei practically screamed, holding her hands to her ears. She heard someone trip over something and saw Kurama in the doorway.
"What's wrong?" he asked, looking concerned. Rei pointed to her left at the wall. Hammering sounds came from the other side of it. Kurama went over to the wall and pressed his ear against the wood. He listened for a few minutes before shaking his head and stepping back.
"I don't know what to tell you, Rei," he said with a shrug. Rei was already up and pulling on her light-jacket, though.
Yusuke came in from the living room, "Where are you going?"
"To the library!"
Rei, Yusuke, Kurama and Suzuki trekked off to the library and got there within minutes. Rei sent Yusuke off to look for ghost books and stuck Suzuki with Kurama to look for anything they could think of while she checked the microfilm. She didn't know what she was looking for, exactly, until she came across a short story.
It was about a young girl and her life with men. Rei could definitely relate to the girl, but when she checked the next microfilm for the continuation of the story, she found this:
On last week's short story, we are saddened to announce the writer of the story has died. Check page 4A for more details.
Rei checked the page it said and read the heading as Kurama came up. 'A young woman died last night. The police have taken the evidence and suspected witnesses into custody.'
"What is this?" Kurama asked.
"I.. don't know," Rei said as she read on. "'The woman's name was Ato, and had lived in an old shrine in the woods out of town. Some acquaintances thought she was crazy. One woman remembered when she met Ato: I thought she looked a little odd. Like something was bothering her. Something... unseen... Others said she was a ghost herself.'"
"Great, a nut-case," Suzuki whispered.
Kurama "Shh!"-ed him and Rei kept reading, "'A closer friend of Ato said Ato was an aspiring writer. The friend seemed to know what had happened, and is now in custody for questioning. That is all we have right now.'"
"How does this explain what's happening, though?" Yusuke asked, carrying a stack of books. He set them on the table and Rei looked at the titles as she answered. "I'm not sure really."
"How long ago was this?" Kurama asked, leaning against the back of Rei's chair. She checked the year. "1978. The year I was born."
Yusuke and Kurama exchanged a glance and Yusuke asked, "What's the date?"
Rei looked and gasped, "My birthday."
They all exchanged a glance this time. Yusuke leaned forward and said, "Get the next one. They probably have more on this."
And they did. "'In last week's article, about the dead author, we misquoted the acquaintance. She originally said that Ato WAS odd. She would be talking regularly and all of a sudden start laughing. Very odd. The friend that was in for questioning told everything.
"'Ato was a writer. She would be thinking over story ideas in her mind, and I frankly think that drove her crazy. Look in her room. I bet you'll find the remains of... It. A search was conducted in her house and true enough, the police found the remains of a computer. It looked quite advanced compared to the systems of today. An autopsy of the computer showed it had been beaten with its own keyboard and then broken apart by something solid and heavy. The police still aren't sure what.'"
Suzuki voiced what they all were thinking, "This is bogus."
"'Yep, thought so. She was always threatening it. We both think it had something against her, the friend said, referring to Ato and the computer. The police found Ato laying on her couch; dead with an obvious overdose of Orange soda. The friend and the house are both still under police custody, but the body and the remains of the computer have mysteriously disappeared. Ato was only 14.'"
"Woah," Yusuke said. "That was deep."
He stood up and grabbed his stack of books. "You guys don't really believe that, do you?"
They all turned to him. Rei looked the worst of them and shook her head, "I don't know. It's just too weird. 14, a shrine out of town, the body disappears, and my birthday."
"Do you know what time it was?" Kurama asked, maneuvering the microfilm before Rei could get to it. "'The suspected time of death was 11:04p.m.' What time, Rei?" Kurama read then asked.
Rei was shaking. "It's too much of a coincidence. I bet it's even down to the second...." she was mumbling.
Yusuke shifted his stack of books and said, "Well, we can't do anything about it sitting here. I say it's time for some Spirit Detecting."
They stopped by the 'Dancing Akebeko' on their way home for something to eat. Kenichi-san greeted Rei with a huge hug and told her they needed her help, so while she was in the kitchen, the guys sat down and discussed what they had learned at the library.
"I dunno," Yusuke said, breaking off a piece of breadstick. "It all sounds so.... corny. Like a bad horror story."
Kurama rubbed his eyes and shrugged, "I have to agree there, but it's all too much of a coincidence for it to NOT be Ato."
Suzuki was flipping the pages of one of the books Yusuke had gotten and said, "Well, we could always ask her."
Before Yusuke and Kurama could ask him what he meant, Rei came over to their table with what they had ordered. "Here you guys go. Kenichi-san's got me serving a few more tables, so I'll be a few minutes," she pointed over her shoulder and walked away.
Suzuki turned to the two, "She works here?"
"Used to. Now what do you mean 'Ask her'?" Yusuke leaned forward. Suzuki turned the page in his book and showed the two, "It says here that ghost are in two different dimensions at once. And we can hear the hammers at the shrine, so she should probably be able to hear and talk to us."
Yusuke stroked his chin as he ate some fries, "You're probably right."
"What else does it say?" Kurama asked, taking the book from Suzuki. He read: "Hauntings usually happen at night, but sometimes you can see evidence of them in the daytime."
Rei came back then and sat down next to Suzuki. Just then Kenichi-san came over to their table with some fortune cookies. "I found these in the back room," he said, setting the on the table. He saw the books they had and said, "Ghosts? You live in the haunted shrine out of town, don't you Rei? Is there some weird things happening? I just LOVE ghost stories!" They all exchanged a quick look and Rei answered, "No. It's not haunted. There's just a really big ghost story craze going on and we decided to see what was so good about it. That's all."
Kenichi-san seemed a little dissappointed, but left them none-the-less. Yusuke leaned forward to grab a cookie and Kurama said, "I wouldn't eat that if I were you."
"What?" Yusuke shrugged. "A stale fortune never hurt anyone."
They all reached for the remaining cookies then and opened them. Each one was a little interesting.
Suzuki got: Your looks will bring you fame.
Yusuke got: Your friends will teach you some valuable lessons.
Kurama got: Do not trust your intelect. Study for a test that is soon to come.
And Rei got: Your life will soon be changed in mysterious ways.
They all looked up slowly and asked at that same time, "What?"
"What did you get?" Kurama leaned forward and tilted Rei's hand so he could read her fortune.
"That is so stupid," Rei said, leaning over to see Suzuki's who was leaned across the table to read Yusuke's.
"These aren't like the usual fortunes... How old ARE these cookies?" Suzuki asked.
"Yeah," Yusuke agreed, "Usually they have some stupid saying like, 'Your love life will take a flying leap' or some crap like that and your lucky numbers."
They all sat back and thought for a few minutes. Finally, Rei said, "I think we should stay away from home for the rest of the day."
"I think you're right," Yusuke agreed as he started munching on his hamburger.
They finished eating and went to the mall to walk around for a few hours. "Oy, I'm so bored," Rei said, falling onto a bench. She let her bag fall at her feet as Kurama sat down on the bench next to her. Yusuke and Suzuki sat on the bench pulled against the back of the one Rei was in.
"Maybe we should go home?" Kurama suggested.
Rei let her head fall back as she whined, "But that ghost!"
"We're not sure it really is a--" Yusuke started to say but realized how pointless it would be to finish. Rei leaned forward and let her shoulders slump, "I guess we should go home then."
Yusuke looked up, "Well, I still have a few things to do here so you all can go on without me."
The other three didn't believe him and he shrugged with an embarrassed grin. Kurama stood up and waved it all away, "Whatever. C'mon, Rei."
"Uhh.. I think I might stay here with Yusuke," Rei started to change her mind. Yusuke rolled his eyes, "Okay fine. I'll come with you guys."
They all walked home and were very surprised to see the addition three-fourths the way done. "Woah...." Rei dropped her bag filled with Yusuke's books.
"Stole the words right out of my mouth," Suzuki commented. Rei checked her watch and shook her head, "This is crazy; it's only 7:30 and this wasn't started till 3!"
"Actually," Yusuke started, "It was started somewhere around noon. You were at school, remember?"
Rei turned her head to look at him. "This is still totally unreal, though."
Yusuke shrugged, "Don't yell at me about it, though."
They continued their little fight as Rei opened the door and walked into the kitchen. Suzuki stood there for a minute before breaking in, "Dude!"
They turned to him and then looked at what he was pointing at. There was a doorway where Kurama had listened earlier.
"She was... she--she," Suzuki was stuttering. Rei started shaking again, "I can't handle this!"
She turned and walked back out the door, onto the porch. Kurama followed and sat down next to her. To take her mind off the ghost, he asked, "Where's Hiei? Shouldn't he be back?"
Rei checked her watch again; thankful for the diversion. "Yeah," she answered, "It's pretty much suppertime. That's about the only time he ever comes around..."
Suzuki stumbled through the doorway and said, "I-- didn't mean to scare you. I thought I saw something, but it was probably just my eyes."
"And the fact that we're really haunted!!" Yusuke laughed hysterically from the kitchen as Hiei walked up. Kurama threw something through the open doorway at Yusuke to shut him up.
"But," Rei started, "I always thought everyone said my house was haunted just because of Hiei, but..."
Hiei looked up as he sat down on the porch, "What do I have to do with this?"
Rei looked over at him, "Remember our first meeting? You were about over... there," she pointed to a spot.
Hiei followed her finger and set his jaw. .oO{That's obviously not one of his favorite memories,} Rei thought. Yusuke came out of the kitchen, "You mean, you knew him before the Artifacts incident?"
Rei shook her head and before she could answer Hiei said, "But what does this have to do with ME?"
"Well," Rei thought again. "I can't remember now."
Kurama reminded her, "The fact that Hiei isn't the one everyone was referring to when they said your house was haunted."
"Oh yeah," Rei said and Hiei commented, "I had only been here a few days, anyways. How could they all have known I was here so soon?"
"See. You're haunted, Rei. Get over it," Yusuke said, going back inside. Rei's eyes followed him with a glare and she said, "I think his being a ghost at one time is making him sympathetic to the GHOST, not me!"
"He was a ghost?!" Suzuki asked, getting slightly wide-eyed. It seemed a little new to Hiei and Kurama also, so Rei told them what she knew. When she finished, her stomach made a loud rumbling noise.
"I guess it's inevitable. I have to go back inside sometime," Rei sighed and stood up. Yusuke came through the NEW doorway where the wall had been and said, "It's not as done as you think."
Rei's jaw dropped, "You actually went in there?"
"Yah," Yusuke gave her a sideways glance. Kurama set his hands on Rei's shoulders before she could launch down the warpath on Yusuke's ass. She clenched her jaw and started on supper and the guys ate as she went to get a shower. Neither showers worked for her so she just changed into her pajamas and went to bed.
She didn't sleep peacefully though.
'Is that the way you wanna play it?! FINE!!' a female voice said. There was a computerized beep and then the sound of plastic against plastic. Another beep sounded and the girl yelled, 'DANG IT!!! Stop dying you frickin thing.'
She muttered, 'Stinkin' thing died again. I'll have to talk to these people later,' and then a low beep. There was a minute's pause and then, 'OH NO YOU DON'T!!'
There was the 'thumpbumpkadunk' of wood hitting wood, feet hitting the floor and then a chair soon after. The 'thumpthumpthump' of someone running and then a 'shhkk' of a door closing quickly.
There was that low beep again, but it seemed to be moving. The sound of small things being drug across the floor couldn't be hear until everything was quiet. The door opened up and the voice said, 'Hah! You think you could sneak up on me? THINK AGAIN!!'
There was that same plastic on plastic noise again, but this time it was longer and it sounded like it was breaking apart at the same time.
Rei felt like it was all happening very close to her, but it sounded as if she was listening to it from outside. Rei woke up slightly and looked around her room. She saw a glowing, white cord slinking across the floor-- following something that had just crawled straight through the closed door. Rei breathed in quickly and pulled the blanket around her as she ran from her room.
Without knocking, she went into Kurama's room and curled up on his bed beside him. He woke up and noticed Rei laying beside him.
"What's wrong?"
"The ghost's in my room," she answered. Kurama nodded sleepily and scootched over so Rei could get under the covers. They fell asleep not long after.
"Why....?" Hiei asked the next morning, pointing to Rei when both she and Kurama came out of Kurama's bedroom. Kurama grinned evilly, "Didn't you hear us last night? I thought we were loud..."
Hiei looked instantly sorry he had asked anything before breakfast, but Rei quickly cleared up the misunderstanding. "No. There was a ghost in my room. I got scared, so I went into his room. NOTHING happened," she said, glaring at Kurama, who was smiling innocently. Hiei seemed relieved and asked, "You know it was the ghost? Or were you just scared?"
"I had one of my 'dreams'. And then I woke up a little and saw some glowy, white thing crawling across the floor."
"Halucinating?" Suzuki asked as a yawn when he walked into the room. Rei rolled her eyes and threw up her hands, "Okay, everyone tries to talk me into believing there's a ghost here and when I see it you all think I'm CRAZY!"
The three awake boys blinked at her and she shook her head. She decided a shower would make her feel better so she instantly went to the Main bathroom; knowing hers wouldn't work. She turned on the hot water and the room was soon filled with fog.
"Where do they get the idea it's funny to mess with my mind?" Rei thought aloud as she scrubbed. "I mean, what do I have to do with all this?"
'Absolutely nothing,' a female voice drifted to her ear. 'But quite a bit'
Rei whirled around so quickly that she smacked her elbow against the wall and her hair slapped against her. "Ow.. Who are you?"
'Ohohohoh,' an eerie laugh drifted past.
"You're Ato, aren't you?" Rei called out.
There was a pause and then, 'Ahumidahumidahumida, maybe'
"Ahumida?" Rei raised her eyebrow.
'Bwahahaha! You'll never know'
"Never know what?" Rei asked, getting lost with everything that was being said.
There was another pause and then, 'You tell me'
Rei rubbed the water out of her eyes and wished she could go back to bed. Right then the door flung open and Rei squeaked and tried to cover herself as Hiei walked in.
"Show yourself!" he said. Rei thought he was talking to her and she said, "Yeah right!"
He blushed ever-so-slightly and shot back, "I wasn't talking to you!"
Ato laughed again and the fog seemed to move towards the toilet. She materialized and showed them that she was really a girl younger than Rei-- though a LOT taller. She was wearing black pants, a black Mickey Mouse shirt and a black 60's poofy hat. They guessed her hair was light brown, because only her bangs and a little in the back showed from under the hat. Her eyes were green-orange and her nose was slightly bigger than the normal size.
"Aloha!" she smiled and waved as she sat down on the closed toilet. Her legs were still smoke, though, and she looked paler than she should. "Hmm.. It's tuesday so ya'll can call me Dark Mousy."
