CHAPTER 2 – PARADE OF SOULS

"...And here, you can see that the typhoon's main body appears to be slowly heading towards the region around Yokohama. The area is already being battered by moderate rain and winds..."

Kasumi ate breakfast alone at the wooden dining table, seated on a high-backed dining chair made of the same dark wood as most of the other furniture in her home. Munching on a piece of toast, she stared at the television across from her, hearing but not listening. Aside from the voice of the weatherman on the television, the only sound in Kasumi's home was the ticking of the clock. Even with Yasuhiro around, Kasumi felt so lonely sometimes staying at home. Yet in school it felt like it was too crowded, and that the air was too thick. Finishing up her food, Kasumi dusted off the crumbs that fell on her grey pleated skirt and stood up. As she turned around to head out through the front door, she nearly bumped face first into Yasuhiro, who had somehow materialized behind her. Sighing, Kasumi stepped around him. "Lady Kasumi," Yasuhiro called out as Kasumi was halfway out the door. The girl turned her head and looked at Yasuhiro without a word. For a few brief moments, they locked eyes silently. "Have a good day at school," the man finally said. Kasumi turned around and left, saying nothing.

Putting in her white cabled earphones, Kasumi walked to school at a relaxed pace, homeroom being nearly an hour away. Her short hair was still damp from her shower, and so the breeze felt even colder against her head. Many places were still bathed in shadow, as the sun was just barely over the horizon. Some side roads were still completely dark. Kasumi made sure not to stare into the shadows, for fear of glimpsing a spirit. It was too early in the morning to think about them, though her mind eventually wandered to the thought of them anyway. After a few minutes of walking, Kasumi arrived in front of her best friend's house, where Shin was already waiting. With a nod from Kasumi, they joined each other in walking to school, saying little. With more than half an hour to the start of classes, Kasumi and Shin arrived at their high school, and they both made their way to their classroom on the second floor, room 2-B.

The morning proceeded without incident, and before Kasumi knew it, the bell rang for lunch time. Like earlier, Shin and Kasumi wordlessly joined each other to go to their usual spot for lunch, on the steps leading up to one of the side entrances to school. Together they sat there in silence, eating their food, under cover of a tall cedar. It took Kasumi nearly a minute to notice that Shin was staring at her.

"Something's off with you," Shin said bluntly, breaking the silence. Kasumi looked at him and blinked. "How so?" She asked, even though she had an idea of what he meant. Shin sighed. "You're quiet, even for you," the dark haired boy said. "You didn't even say hello to me earlier this morning. Usually you'd nag me about my homework, I'd say that I didn't do any, and then you'd scold me! Now, you're acting like a total stranger!"

"Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind right now," answered Kasumi, sighing. Looking at Shin's face, she could tell that he wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Yeah, that much is obvious," Shin said. "If you keep it all bottled up, then it'll get worse. Trust me. We should talk about it, even if only for a little while."

Kasumi didn't respond. Her attention was taken away from the conversation by two spirits standing next together by the gate of her school. They were both staring directly forward, towards the main building, and their faces were expressionless. Those two definitely weren't here yesterday, Kasumi thought to herself. Where the hell are they coming from? A hand suddenly grasped her shoulder. Reeling back, Kasumi realized that it was Shin. "Hey!" Shin said in a raised voice. "You're spacing out again. Seriously, what's up with you?"

Once again, Kasumi didn't give Shin a response. Sighing, Shin let go of his friend's shoulder and leaned against the concrete step behind him. "It's about those things you see, isn't it?" Kasumi turned to face him. He wasn't very smart, but he had a sharp intuition. That was one of the very first things Kasumi learned about Shin back when the both of them were younger. "Yeah," Kasumi finally answered. Silence fell between the two of them again, this time weighed with apprehension.

"I thought you were over that already," Shin said, breaking the silence. "Don't you dare tell me I'm just imagining it," Kasumi said, furrowing her eyebrows. "No, no," Shin quickly answered. "I believe you, but you didn't seem to be bothered about it for years. So why's it got you so troubled now?" Putting her head in her hands, Kasumi took a few moments to form a response in her head. "They're more... real now. Like, actual people. Last time I told you about them they were barely more than silhouettes, but now..." Kasumi paused, trying to find the right words. "They have faces, and sometimes they stare at you. It freaks me the hell out."

Rubbing his chin with his thumb and index finger, Shin took a moment to process what his friend just told him. He shivered suddenly. "I'm freaked out just hearing about it," Shin said. "Maybe we should take you to a shrine and get you blessed or something. Or maybe get you looked at by a psychic medium. Or, we can start a television show! Imagine the money we could make! Koike Kasumi the Exorcist, bane of evil spirits-" Shin yelped as Kasumi hit him in the shoulder with the edge of her hand. "Idiot, I'm not gonna be the next Don Kanonji," Kasumi said, smiling. "I can't stand that guy."

"What?" Shin said, surprised. "But he's so cool! He's Karakura Town's ghost-fighting hero!" Crossing his arms across his chest and curling his fingers, Shin replicated Don Kanonji's signature pose, but before he could mimic his laugh, Kasumi punched him. Shin fell over, rubbing his side. "That's more like it," Shin said, strained. Kasumi couldn't help but laugh. Picking himself up and dusting himself off, Shin resumed eating his lunch with Kasumi, the mood lighter. "But seriously," Shin continued. "You got over them once when you were a kid, so you can do it again now. Plus, you're much older. Trust me, it's gonna be like, twice as easy. And besides, not like they're trying to hurt you or anything, right?" Kasumi nodded slowly. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Shin."

Shin nodded in turn. "No problem."


When the bell rang to signal the end of classes for the day, Kasumi packed up and waited by the doorway of her classroom for Shin. As he was getting ready to leave, he received a text which caused him to groan after reading it. "Sorry," he said to Kasumi, raising his voice so that she could hear him from the other side of the room. "But I gotta stay behind for an hour or two. My club president's asking for me." Kasumi smirked. "Sekiguchi bothering you again? For president he's awfully pushy. If there's one thing I don't miss about the Judo club, it's him," she said, leaning on the doorway.

"Yeah, he's still annoying as ever. He's even less tolerable without you around," Shin said, chuckling. With a giggle and a casual wave goodbye, Kasumi turned around and left on her own. It was rare for Kasumi to walk without Shin. It wasn't like she dependent on him, but she was accustomed to his company, and his absence in certain situations felt unusual. Walking home from school was one such situation. The sound of Shin complaining or ranting about school was as part of her walk home as the road beneath her feet and the chirp of the crickets in the summer. Without him around, Karakura Town seemed eerily quiet, even with the clamor typical of populated areas.

Arriving outside, there was hardly a difference in lighting between the dim interior of the school after classes and the dreary outdoors. Weather's even worse than yesterday, Kasumi thought, wishing that the typhoon would come and go already. For the longest time the storm seemed content to hover right by Karakura Town, battering it with its tendrils. Fortunately, the typhoon wasn't nearly as bad as some of the ones Kasumi had weathered prior. Still, its persistence didn't help Kasumi's souring mood. Briskening her pace so that she wouldn't get caught in the rain, Kasumi pushed past the crowd of students leaving the school to get home as quickly as possible.

Not too far from the gate, Kasumi stopped in her tracks as she heard her name being called by someone far behind her. "Kasumi! Kasumi Koike!" The feminine voice called out, nearly drowned out by the bustle of the students. Turning around, Kasumi searched through the small crowd to find the source of the voice. She spotted a girl with her black hair tied into a ponytail, with one of her hands cupped around her mouth and her other raised in the air, waving. Raising a hand in acknowledgment, Kasumi approached the girl. "Hey, you're Kasumi, right?" Asked the girl.

"Yeah, that's me. Why are you asking?" Kasumi replied, raising an eyebrow. She was positive that this girl was in her class, but even as she combed through her memories she could not recall this girl's name. "Well, me and some other people in the class are putting together a team for the quiz bee this month," the girl said enthusiastically. "And we need a few more members before we can qualify. You were pretty high up in the midterm rankings, so do you want to join?"

Kasumi smiled awkwardly and mentally prepared herself to turn the girl down. "Sorry, but I can't," she said apologetically. "I've got other stuff at home to do." Kasumi hated lying, but it was much better than saying that she just had no interest in the quiz bee or the people involved in it. "Oh," the girl said, sounding dejected. "Well, that's okay. Thanks anyway," said the girl as she turned around to leave. Kasumi sighed, and she felt a great deal of anxiety lift off her shoulders. Such interactions still made Kasumi's heart race with dread, even if the incident that permanently soured her to similar conversations was over a year and a half ago.

The boy standing in front of Kasumi's desk scrunched up his nose, his expression turning into one of disappointment and disbelief. "Seriously? Come on, it's just an outing. It'll be fun, I promise!" The boy said, brushing his brightly dyed hair with his right hand. Stammering for a moment, Kasumi muttered out an apology. "No, sorry... I'm busy after school all the time," she lied. "That's bullcrap! I know you head back home immediately everyday. Why are you lying? Do you think you're too good for us? Or are you hiding something?" The boy accused, staring Kasumi down with narrowed eyes. As Kasumi stared at this boy's face, he seemed to get more and more ugly. Without a response, she broke eye contact and looked down at her desk, staring at her hands.

"What? And now you're too good to even answer me? I swear, this girl," said the boy, laughing. His friends that were surrounding Kasumi's desk laughed with him. "Hey, you just gonna sit there? Hey!" Kasumi nearly jumped out of her chair when the boy grabbed her forearm. Almost immediately, there was the sound of a chair being dragged against the floor. A hand grasped the blonde boy's shoulder. "Leave her alone, man. Don't start anything," Shin said, putting on an uncharacteristically serious face. "What? Get you hand off me, creep!" The boy shouted as he smacked away Shin's hand. He grabbed Shin's shirt, pushing him against a desk. Standing up, Kasumi nearly pulled the boy off Shin before she heard the sound of a door opening behind her. The teacher broke up the situation, and both Shin and the blonde boy had to go to the school counselor. Kasumi joined the Judo club the following week.

Groaning loudly, Kasumi rubbed her face in embarrassment. Goodness, as if rejecting that girl was awkward enough already. Now my brain's dug up some of my most shameful memories, she thought to herself. Having Shin, whom she knew as somewhat of an oaf at times, save her of all things was the peak of shame. Although she appreciated it, she hated relying on him. Maybe it was her surprisingly prominent sense of pride, or maybe it was because she didn't want Shin to get into trouble on her behalf. Whatever it was, it drove Kasumi's desire to better herself. She hated to admit it, but Shin was stronger than her. Sighing, Kasumi turned her gaze to the cloudy sky above for a few moments as she walked, trying to clear her head. She pictured the storm hovering near her home town and likened it to her own thoughts. They were getting more turbulent by the day, and Kasumi didn't know why. As much as she would like to blame it all on the spirits she suddenly had no trouble seeing, that excuse didn't seem right to her.

Dispelling her thoughts with a brisk shake of her head, Kasumi returned her gaze to the road before her and continued home like normal, trying to enter a sense of calm along the way. Reaching into her bag for her earphones, she plugged them into her phone and put them in her ears, attempting to drown out her mind with music. For a while, this worked. The next few minutes were more internally peaceful as Kasumi had something to focus on other than her troubles. Though the weather was far from ideal, the solitary walk home made her feel nostalgic, as they resembled those idyllic days in middle school which now seemed like distant daydreams. Basking in reminiscence, Kasumi made a quick detour to stop by a convenience store she used to frequent, where she purchased a fragrant piece of bread to enjoy during the rest of her walk. Its scent was familiar, like that of home. Taking it out of its plastic wrapper, Kasumi took a bite. She hummed, pleased.

A couple of blocks away from her home, Kasumi decided to take another detour, a much longer one, to a nearby riverbank where she used to sit with Shin after school. Kasumi was disappointed to see that the picnic area that used to be in this place was mostly gone, the only remnants being a few old wooden benches that had begun to rot. Deciding to stay anyway, she took a seat on the rocks by the rushing water and took a moment to absorb the scenery. The weather didn't permit picturesque sightseeing, but Kasumi remembered what afternoons by the river used to be like. Again, she cursed the storm for its prolonged presence. The sight of the orange sun at this hour would've been perfect to put her mind at ease, but the sound of the flowing water had to do for now. Though there was a good chance that it would rain soon, Kasumi almost didn't want to leave. She knew that the halls of her home would force her to return to thinking about her heritage. I could stay at Shin's house, she thought, but she quickly dismissed the idea.

Closing her eyes, Kasumi pictured what this place used to look like a few years ago. One by one, she filled in the details in her head. First and foremost was the vibrant orange sky that once gave everything a warm and reassuring hue. Next were the benches and tables that used to be by the river. Though they were rarely used, they were the perfect place to get away from the bustle of the world. When she was much younger, Kasumi carved her name into one of the tables, convinced that they would remain there forever.

For half an hour, Kasumi sat there, doing something similar to meditation. She wanted to stay longer, but she knew that Yasuhiro would eventually start bombarding her with phone calls if she stayed out past dark without prior notice. Picking up her bag and slinging it across her shoulder, Kasumi discarded the wrapper of her snack and walked home, this time intending to actually return there. The clouds overhead were beginning to get darker, so Kasumi went from a casual pace to a brisk one.

Before long, Kasumi was on the street where her house was. Walking past the children that were playing in front of their homes, Kasumi went towards the distinctive building on the opposite street corner, its facade now looking much less welcoming. To Kasumi's immediate right, from an alley between two houses, a pudgy man wearing a navy blue shirt emerged, nearly bumping into Kasumi as she was walking. Quickly stepping out of the way, Kasumi quickly apologized before returning on her course. She cursed inwardly as her music cut out. Looking down, she saw that the cable of her earphones had caught on her elbow when she sidestepped away from the stranger and was pulled out of her phone.

Kasumi froze. In the brief moment that the man was in her field of vision, she glimpsed something silver hanging from his chest. Turning slowly, the sight before her confirmed her fear. In front of Kasumi was a ghost. She could tell from the chain hanging from his chest. What terrified her was that this one was moving. Yet when Kasumi moved in front of it to see its face, she saw that it wore the same blank, mindless expression that all the others did. She stared into its eyes, unsure of what to do. The spirit walked around Kasumi as she stood there, dumbfounded. Of course they can move, she thought. Otherwise they wouldn't come and go like they do. But why only now? Why is it only now that I've seen one moving? This doesn't make sense.

The children down the street were staring at Kasumi with wide, curious eyes. She only noticed after a few seconds, to which she quickly turned on her heel and continued home. That ghost stepped around me. That means he can see me. So is it just that ghosts can't think for themselves? If so, then where was that one going? Kasumi's feet carried her home as she drowned herself in questions, her mind returned to the turmoil that it was in only hours ago. It seemed that once Kasumi found peace of mind, it would be robbed from her by one thing or another. Kasumi was restless, for it seemed that the world afforded her no rest.


After a bath, Kasumi went downstairs to eat dinner, which Yasuhiro had prepared. Taking a seat at the dining table with her food, she began to eat her meal. She ate silently for a few minutes, not bothering to turn on the television since she knew that anything on at this time wouldn't interest her. When Yasuhiro took a seat in front of her, she continued to look down at her food. They sat across from each other for a while, before Kasumi gave in and acknowledged the man's presence by looking up at him. Though Yasuhiro always dressed formally and always maintained a posh appearance, he never seemed distant to Kasumi. His presence remained a comfort despite the tension between them. Still, she didn't want Yasuhiro to think that she had let the matter regarding her past go.

Resting the end of her fork on the edge of her plate, Kasumi straightened her back. "What do you want?" She asked in a low voice. Yasuhiro responded immediately, as if he'd been thinking of what to say in advance. "You look troubled," he said. Scoffing, Kasumi put her elbow on the table and waved a hand. "Am I really so easy to read? You're not the first person to say that today," she answered.

"That is because Shin and I have known you for very long," Yasuhiro said. Kasumi raised an eyebrow. "Lucky guess," she said, falling back into her chair. It did make sense for Yasuhiro to make that deduction, considering Shin is the only friend of hers that he's met. Kasumi thought that it was sad that she practically only had one friend, but it wasn't like she felt the need to make any more, so she quickly pushed that thought out of her head.

"I know you're upset with me for withholding information about your past," Yasuhiro said, sounding sincere yet still stern. "But you must understand that I have to respect your mother's wishes. It's the only thing I'm able to do for her since her passing. She only wants for you to protected in her absence."

Kasumi fell silent. She knew that Yasuhiro was right, and that she was being selfish, but no matter how many times she told herself that, her subconscious wouldn't put the thought to rest. There were too many things that were unusual in her life for the matter to be forgotten. It wasn't just the spirits, it was her home, her school life, the town she lived in, and so much more. Even Yasuhiro, who was like a father to her, she barely knew anything about. She didn't know where he came from, what his relationship with her family was, or even when his birthday is. The more she thought about the oddities in her life, the more any sense of normalcy fell away. It was like she was only just now realizing that there was something fundamentally wrong with her existence, and that the only way to quell her inner turmoil was to seek out answers, so that everything in her life made sense.

"I know it's selfish for me to go against my mother," Kasumi finally said. "But I can't live without knowing about where I came from. I tried my hardest to ignore it for years but I know that if I keep bottling up, it'll only get worse. This huge house, the portraits of strangers on the walls, none of it sits right with me. Hell, where do we even get our money? Do you even have a job? There's way too much going on that I don't know about, and all of it being somehow connected to my mother and I just makes it worse. I have the right to know about my past."

Yasuhiro sat and listened. There was a pause before Kasumi spoke again. "And the ghosts that I see. I've told you about them before, but now it's gotten worse-" Yasuhiro suddenly leaned forward. "Worse? How?" He asked, sounding concerned. Kasumi was startled by his sudden shift in tone, but she continued.

"They look more like people now, I guess. They have these chains dangling from their chests. They don't really do anything. They just stand around with no expressions," Kasumi explained, picturing the ghosts she saw the past week. She didn't mention the walking spirit that she saw less than an hour ago. Yasuhiro's eyes widened, and he looked down and began rubbing his chin, like he was thinking about something. "That shouldn't be possible," he said in a low voice. He looked at Kasumi again, his expression now that of concern laced with dread. "When did this start happening?"

Kasumi thought about her answer for a moment. "About a week ago. Why's it got you so worried?" She asked, now feeling more tense herself. There was a pause before Yasuhiro responded. "It's nothing," Yasuhiro said dismissively, his face returning to his usual stoic expression. "How have you been handling it?" He asked. Kasumi shrugged. "They're a lot harder to ignore now, but they don't seem to be malicious or anything."

"I see," said Yasuhiro. "It's nothing to be worried about, really. It just means you're becoming more aware of spiritual entities. I can see them too, but not quite as clearly as you described. Just leave them alone and go about your business every time you see them," he said. Kasumi nodded slowly. "So how come you and I can see them, but no one else can?" She asked, determined to learn at least one thing from this conversation. Yasuhiro's expression softened. "Your mother could see them too. That's all I can say."

"Alright then. I'll take it," she said as she got up from her chair to head back to her room upstairs. It isn't much, Kasumi thought. But it's something.


A flash of lightning and the sound of thunder woke Kasumi. Rolling on her side, she reached for the phone on her nightstand to check the time. Two in the morning. Closing her eyes in an attempt to fall back asleep, she was once again ripped from her slumber by another thunderclap. Kasumi tried to groan, but only a hoarse whisper came out. Her throat was dry. Throwing the sheets off herself and getting out of bed, she walked out of her room to get a glass of water. The sounds of the storm outside were audible in every part of the house. Kasumi's footsteps were drowned out by the constant noise of rain, and every few seconds a flash of lightning illuminated the halls for a brief moment before the place returned to darkness. Being more than familiar with the interior of her own house, Kasumi made her way to the second floor while being practically blind.

Before she could continue down the stairs to the kitchen, there was another flash of lightning. She saw that the door to Yasuhiro's room at the end of the hall was wide open. "Yasuhiro?" Kasumi called out, approaching the room slowly. Upon reaching the doorway and standing under it, she noticed that the window in Yasuhiro's room was open as well, the rain pouring through and landing on the white carpet, which was soaked. The sparse moonlight barely illuminated the windowsill. Rushing to the window, Kasumi poked her head out to see the street below, ignoring the rain that soaked her. She began to call for Yasuhiro again, but the words died in her mouth when she saw that was happening outside.

On the street below were dozens, if not hundreds of people shambling down the street, packed together as close as the narrow street allowed. They walked with a singular purpose, heedless of the rain that was bearing down on them. Though the moonlight didn't provide much illumination, Kasumi could make out that the people in the horde were extremely varied. There were men, women, children, and elderly. It looked like all the people of Karakura Town had come out to join each other in marching under the rain. Looking closer, what Kasumi saw made her want to scream, as if the sight wasn't disturbing enough. Everyone in the crowd had chains dangling from their chests. What Kasumi was looking at was a horde of souls.

And to add to the horror, Kasumi saw what they were all walking towards. In the distance, in the dark storm clouds high above the tallest buildings in Karakura Town was a swirling vortex, at the center of which was a void blacker than the night sky. It was like seeing the eye of the storm up close in all its ferocity, but Kasumi knew what she was witnessing was no natural phenomenon. Massive clouds spun around the mouth of the vortex, as fluid as the waves in the sea. It was like a black hole had opened up above Karakura Town, threatening to devour everything in its wake.