HI, GUYS! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? TODAY I HAVE 5 THINGS TO SAY! NUMBER 2 AND 4 ARE QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL + NUMBER 3 IS ABOUT ACE!
1. I'M STARTING TO RESPOND TO THE REVIEWS WITH REVIEWS AND NOT HERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAPTER!
2. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ENJOY MY DESCRIPTIONS, ESPECIALLY I AO3 WHERE I HAVE PUBLISHED THIS STORY TOO, THERE ALWAYS IS SOMEONE TO SAY HOW MUCH THEY LIKE MY DESCRIPTIVE WRITING. BUT I STILL WANT TO ASK YOU: DO YOU THINK I'M GOING OVERBOARD WITH MY WEATHER DESCRIPTIONS? ARE THEY TOO MUCH AND REPETITIVE? PLEASE ANSWER ME AFTER YOU'VE READ THIS CHAPTER!
3. MORE ACE CHAPTERS ARE COMING!
4. DO YOU THINK I DID A BETTER WORK WITH THIS CHAPTER THAN THE LAST ONE?
5. I KNOW YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE THIS CHAPTER SO MUCH BECAUSE THERE ISN'T MUCH ACTION IN IT, BUT IT WAS NECESSARY TO BE LIKE THIS, SO THE STORY IS NICELY TIED UP.
The wood-shed was fairly small and ready to collapse at any minute. The whole construction was made from light brown wood. The roof had a slight slant and over it was placed something resembling a galvanized sheet iron, which rather than being put by a professional builder, looked more as if someone had carelessly just thrown it there and hammered a few nails, so they can call it a day.
The wood-house was almost fully enveloped by venomous green ivy, except for two thirds of its the front. The door was pretty small - probably wide enough only for a single person to pass through it. Two spans from it there was a miniature window, covered with a thick layer of dust, making it nearly impossible for someone to see what was inside.
Vivi and Luffy walked to the door, which appeared to be padlocked.
"Now, what?" asked Luffy, his eyes placed on the rust-eaten object.
"They usually put the key under the flowerpot over there," answered the blue-haired girl, pointing at one battered plant pot, near one of the corners of the wood-shed. Luffy looked at it and went to pick up the key.
He knelt in front of it and tried to lift it, but the damn thing was fucking heavy. Plus, it was rounded by the tangled resilient stems and lobed leaves of the ivy that had pretty much grown together with it. The boy narrowed his eyes at it and tried to pull upwards again, but without success.
"Is everything okay?" asked Vivi, appearing behind his back and bending forward curiously to see why Luffy was taking so long. The plant pot was actually pretty huge. It was from those which were for small trees or big bushes, but right now there was nothing more than lots of earth in it.
"I-It's hard to-" started the boy, pulling strenuously the flowerpot a few times, "-l-lift."
"One man you are," said Vivi, teasingly. Luffy pouted and pulled again with more strength. The ivy's stems stretched and the green leaves swayed and rustled slightly. After a few more tugs, the boy could feel how the troublesome and annoying evergreen plant was loosening its grip around the ceramic dirty brown object that probably had been russet years ago.
Stubbornly, Luffy dropped his body heavily on the ground and fixed his heels into the mold. Vivi chuckled quietly in amusement, behind him. The boy gritted his teeth and grabbing the enormous thing by its sides, he pulled with all his might.
A few seconds of vigorous hauling passed and finally the ivy decided to let go of the plant pot. Luffy couldn't apprehend fast enough that the ceramic article was already free from the tangle of leaves and stems and he fell on his back with his head hitting the ground. Hard.
The flowerpot fell on top of the boy, knocking the air out of his lungs and spilling its content all over him.
Vivi burst into laughter next to him, the tuneful sound filling the wood.
Unfortunately, Luffy didn't find the situation funny at all, but he couldn't even bring himself to be mad at his new ghost-friend for her reaction, being to busy to spit out the dirt in his mouth. His black hoodie was filled with soil, which had managed to even get under his T-shirt and was now tickling his bare skin.
His whole neck was covered in dirt too, as well as his face. There was even some in his hair and ears for God's sake. Oh, and in his nose. Let's not forget his nose. The poor thing had been through a lot lately.
The boy drew away the giant object, suffocating him, and let it fall on the ground next to him. He sat up straight and continued coughing and spitting out soil. Thanks God that he at least managed to close his eyes, when the plant pot fell over him. His eyesight was bad enough as it was, he didn't really need anything more to hinder it.
Nevertheless, he tried to remove the dirt from his face and hair, but there was just too much of it.
And just to make things worse it had even began raining more. Again.
Like, how is it even possible? wondered Luffy, while rubbing his nose and cheeks. He had bent his head forward to protect himself from the rain as much as possible. Right now, he could barely see at a 2 meters distance.
There still were raindrops that managed to make it through his two-hoods-barrier and were now running down his face. The raven-haired boy continued rubbing rapidly his skin, hoping that if he was faster than the raindrops, which were mercilessly turning everything, impeding them, into a muddy mess, he might actually be able to clean himself.
After a good half a minute of terrorizing his sensitive skin, he realized that this probably had been a huge mistake. The boy was pretty sure his face was black right now.
Luffy sighed. You win rain.
Sometimes maybe it really wasn't a good idea one to oppose the mother nature.
Oh, well.
The boy lifted his head up and removed both of his hoods, deciding to just let the nice weather clean him. He was completely soaked already, so why not?
He closed his eyes and crossed his slim and covered in bloody scratches legs, placing his hands on top of one of his bare calves.
The heavy raindrops started promptly falling on his face. They were cold, but he enjoyed it. Like a nipping natural massage. It was refreshing. He inhaled deeply, of course, getting some water in his nose, but he didn't really paid much attention to it.
Aside from Vivi's finally dying laughter, just like before this day, he let himself really hear the forest performing its symphony. After all that had happened today, all of those soft rustles, the drumming sounds, the buzzing of the bugs and the wailing of the wind were like tranquilizers to him.
A few seconds passed and he felt how Vivi appeared and sat next to him. Her presence actually made him calm down even more.
Luffy wondered how she was doing it. Maybe it was a good-ghosts thing? Good-ghosts thing? Yeah, smart, snorted the boy in his head.
Or maybe she was practicing it somehow?
Nah, right now he didn't really want to think about it. It was enough that she was how she was.
He took a deep breath again and felt the fresh air filling his lungs. He actually tried to imagine how the oxygen was entering his blood system with all of those annoying steps, he was studying about in his biology classes.
Annoying or not in his everyday life, they were succeeding in fully relaxing him right now.
Luffy opened his eyes, staying still for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the light. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but they were still outside - Vivi sitting at his right side, the spilled flowerpot at his left.
That damn thing probably is still heavy even with half of its content on the ground and in my shirt.
The boy stood up and stretched his back and arms backwards, arching his spine like a cat. At least now he was as fresh as a cucumber and ready to go in the psychiatry at any time. He hoped it wouldn't be more of a breaking in, but even if so - he was ready for it too.
"You ready?"
Luffy blinked and obsidian orbs turned to look at Vivi. She was smiling up at him with her hands drawn tight behind her for support.
The boy couldn't help but to feel jealous of her for being able to not get her clothes and herself in general, covered in dirt. The rain had washed the visible mire from him, but there was still some under his pajama and in his hair.
At least his hoodie and T-shirt were still partly dry, thanks to his loyal raincoat.
"Yeah," answered Luffy and nodded.
"Okay, than let's go," said the girl, cheerfully. Luffy went to grab the notorious key. "By the way, when was the last time someone come here for firewood? This thing had grown together with the hut."
"Last time, hm…" murmured Vivi in thought, placing a hand over her chin. "I think it was like 2 months ago when someone last came here."
"But don't they need, I don't know, for when it's cold. Like now? You sure no one will really come here?"
"Yes. The doctors and the nurses have air-conditioners. They only come to get some for the patients rooms, when it's extremely cold - by this you can understand when it's a matter of life and death and there is a high risk for them."
Luffy shuddered at her words, unlocking the door of the wood-shed.
"That's heartless," said the boy, feeling disgusted by the hospital attendants and the governing bodies.
"It is," agreed Vivi and folded her leather clothed arms in front of her chest. "But no one really cares. They economize funds this way.''
Luffy snorted at this and murmured indignantly under his nose, "People are so leprous."
Vivi heard this and her face softened. "They are."
They went into the wood-shed and the boy closed the door behind them, which was a matter of some difficulty, having in mind exactly how old was this building, but a few shoves did the job.
When they were finally inside and there were no wind and no rain, he shook of the water from his head.
Vivi chuckled quietly at him. "There should be an oil lamp somewhere around."
Luffy nodded and they started searching and ransacking the hut for it.
From the inside, it wasn't much different from the outside. It was really cramped and the air was humid. The floorage wasn't probably more than 6x6 meters. Next to every wall was unmindfully heaped firewood that was almost reaching the ceiling.
Over and next to those heaps were placed different rust-eaten woodworking and gardening tools, worn-out, dirty gloves, some strange boxes, made from solid looking material and all types of random things, such as green hose, carving knives, paper-knives and scalpels, carelessly thrown all over the floor, sticks, ax, mousetraps, preparations and small furniture.
There pretty much wasn't even enough space for more than two people if they didn't want to be squished together or to step over everything in here.
While they were searching for the lamp Luffy was still thinking about what Vivi had said about the patients. He was kneeling in front of some cardboard box and was rummaging in it.
His mind couldn't accommodate how someone can be so cruel and obdurate to leave people freeze to death. Didn't they have check-ups here or something? Probably they actually had, but they were bribing up the workers.
It was simply sad. How people would take advantage of those in a weaker position, which couldn't do anything to stop them, what was the case here. If the patients were rarely visited, if not at all, it probably was really easy to pull up this thing. After all who would believe a mental person, assuming that they were even able to say something, because from what he had seen in their website, here were accepting only challenging cases and people who have committed a murder.
But still…
Luffy narrowed his eyes and almost screamed when Vivi appeared behind him, saying she had found the lamp.
"Geez, you scared me," said the boy and pouted. The girl laughed. "Sorry."
Luffy went to get it and after it was lit and placed on the floor, he spoke, "So what're you doing here? I doubt you died in the hospital."
Ghosts tended to return to the places they died at. Usually they weren't able to get further than 20-25 km away from it and it didn't matter if they were demented or not.
They were sitting crossed-leg on the wooden floor with the oil lamp between them, illuminating both of their faces.
"I don't really remember. I know I was driving somewhere in the mountain and it was raining. I tried to pull the car up, but there was something wrong with the brake. The last thing I remember is falling down the side of the mountain with the car. I guess I flied off of the road at one of the turns," said Vivi nonchalantly and shrugged.
It was funny how no one really was becoming uneasy talking about their death, ones they've died. They just liked talking to you pretty much. Many of them were ready to cough up their mother's milk if you wanted, just because you're willing to talk with them.
And, in reality, it didn't really matter, when you're dead.
"Do you remember anything more from your life?" asked Luffy.
It was a common thing for ghosts to not remember anything about their past life. Actually, it was more normal to not remember anything with details than to have clear memories. Of course, their character and everything not personal, they had learned in their lives - such as different languages, all kind of facts and academic things, worldly knowledge and etc. remained.
The majority of the ghosts just remembered blurredly their deaths other more important things, which had caused them strong emotions and things they had deeply cared about. It wasn't even a 'remembering', but more of a feeling.
Of course, there were exceptions. For example many of the demented ghosts remembered at least a third from their life. If not their whole life. There came the phantoms too.
Luffy couldn't help but to shudder. The phantoms were something he really didn't want to think about. Not that he really knew many things about them. Not that, he wanted to, though. He knew enough to know he didn't want them anywhere near him.
The boy had heard from other ghosts that there were different types of phantoms. And those types subdivided in different kinds of abilities characteristic for each one. But this was a really debatable topic between the dead ones.
Some were saying that phantoms didn't even exist - that it was a myth, others - that they were real, but that they were normal ghosts, who only could do little things like blowing in your face or shutting a door behind you + the third ones, who just believed in their existence and in their extraordinary abilities, although they had never seen one.
"Well…" began Vivi, her eyebrows knitted in thought and a hand firmly placed on her delicate chin. "I think I had a father, who I really loved, but we would often argue about something that used to make me nervous and feeling sick. That's all."
Luffy nodded. As expected. "But why do you come here? It sounds as if you do it often."
"Not really often, I just like walking around the town and watching what people are doing," answered Vivi and shrugged again. "What about you?" asked she, eagerly. Luffy blinked at the intrigued glint in her eyes. She inclined forward in interest. "How can you see me? You're the first person I've met with such ability."
"I don't know," said Luffy and felt guilty for not being able to answer the question, when he saw Vivi's disappointed expression.
"Really?"
The boy nodded.
"I expected some long, intricated story and explanations of voodoo rituals or something," said the ghost with a sigh. Luffy laughed resonantly.
"Sorry to disappoint you," said Luffy with a wide smile. He leaned backwards slightly, supporting himself on his hands. "Long story short - I've always sensed things around me when I was a child and if I wanted to listen, I could hear whispering voices. Sometimes I would even see a ghost for a second or two, but then they would disappear. Or on rare occasions they would stick around for 10-15 minutes and I would play with them. I was always told that those are imaginary friends and that I would grow out this faze. But when I was 7 I nearly drowned and since then I'm really able to hear you, sense you, see you and etc. all the time."
"I guess you have never told anyone about this?" presumed Vivi, playing with her long ponytail.
"No, I haven't. If I did, maybe I was going to be in this psychiatry too."
"Yeah, most likely," said the blue-haired girl in thought. "By the way I was quite surprised at first when I saw you. It was really strange, because I just knew you would be able to see me."
Luffy nodded at this. "Yeah, I know. I don't know why, but it happens with all ghosts. Some don't even need to see me to know I can see them, they just sense me and come to me."
"That's sounds kinda creepy," said Vivi with a laugh.
"It is. Especially if you're showering and an 80 years old lady sticks her head through the curtains of the shower cabin," snorted out Luffy and made a face, recalling the occurrence. The blue-haired girl burst into laughter.
The boy looked at her, feeling a huge grin, making its way on his lips. The infectious sound was reverberating in the air and he soon found himself, succumbing to it. Shortly after his own laugh was ringing around them.
"H-has this r-really happened?" asked Vivi, after a while, between fits of laughter. Her stomach literally hurt, but she couldn't help it. She was sure both of their surprised or more likely shocked expressions had been priceless. She didn't know about the old lady, but she was sure Luffy had been mortified.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"I don't know about you, but I'm sure the woman had been happy to get an eyeful of young flesh," said Vivi, teasingly and had another fit of laughter, when she saw the boy's expression of utter disgust with him wrinkling his button nose.
Vivi could feel tears, streaming down her face and she leaned to one of her sides, putting a hand on the floor, in order not to fall. Luffy smiled at her.
When the girl calmed down and there was only a huge grin remaining on her face, she wiped away her tears and asked, "So, what are you doing here? You asked me, I guess now it's my turn." Vivi smiled playfully and winked at him.
"I wanted to gather some info about one of the ghosts. Maybe you actually saw her before."
"Hm?" Vivi blinked and arched an eyebrow. "Who?"
And Luffy told her. He told her everything about Alvida - what he had discovered and what he had experienced first handedly. Everything that had occurred the past few days. The boy explained her too what were his intentions based on his past experience.
Vivi was listening to him with concentration the whole time, without interrupting him.
Quite some time passed and when Luffy finished, he felt as if his mouth was drier than the dessert Sahara. He didn't realize that so many things needed to be said for him to explain the situation. Or, they weren't many in reality, it was just because he usually didn't talk this much with people.
Or talk with people at all.
He really was pretty antisocial, wasn't he?
"Well, I don't know many things about ghosts in general, because I myself am not one from this much time, but I've met a few demented ones and I know how scary they can be, so what you're intending to do is worth the try," said Vivi after thinking everything over. "The woman I saw matches the description you gave me, so we are safe to say that's Alvida."
Luffy nodded. "Do you think I can just go and ask about her in the hospital?"
Vivi shrugged. "You can try. She's dead and a murderer. I doubt someone will care enough for her to keep privacy." Luffy rolled his eyes at that.
"What? We're both dead. I can say stuff like that. It's not disrespectful," said the girl matter-of-factly.
The raven-haired boy snorted, but didn't say anything to this. If he had to be honest he was pretty tempted to laugh, but didn't want to anger the universe and receive more demented ghosts in return.
Karma was a thing. And he wanted to attract only good one towards himself.
"Plus, if they turn you down and kick you out in the worst case scenario, we can always break in, right?" stated Vivi with a bright smile.
"That's easier said than done." Snorted again Luffy and murmured quietly under his nose, "especially if you are an incorporeal ghost."
"I heard this!" ejaculated Vivi and playfully struck the boy lightly.
Luffy dodged it and they grinned at each other.
"So," began she, "we going or not?"
LOVE YOU, ALL HUNS! PLEASE REVIEW AND SHARE WITH ME YOUR OPINIONS ON THE STORY AND IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SEE IN FUTURE CHAPTERS, FEEL FREE TO INFORM ME! HAVE A NICE DAY, BABES! XOXO
