Chapter38: Blast From The Past

I remember an old saying: It was curiosity that killed the cat.

I'm grateful that my curiosity didn't actually get me killed. But as I laid on the ground, unmoving, my head filled to the brim with horrible screams, I wondered to myself "Am I going to die here?"

My answer was the beautiful sensation of a bubble being popped inside my head. The pain went away immediately. As did the screams and flashing streaks of light. I was finally alone. Waiting for Nár to take my soul as I floated peacefully in the darkness (such a drama queen!)

I then suddenly realized that my heart was still beating, and decided to open my eye to see where I was (good idea!)

I couldn't see anything (you get an A for effort!)

"Helooooo?" I called out.

No response.

Except for the sudden flash of sunlight.

Cursing loudly to myself, I shielded my sensitive eye with a hand until it had adjusted to my new surroundings and soon realised I was in a very familiar place. Home.

In front of me was the old wooden fence, which, for so many years, I believed had kept me safe from the dangers of the outside world. Only looking at it now did I realize that it had done very little to stop Kat from snatching Sherwin away.

In fact, all those Monster Girls I had seen pass through here could easily have abducted us in a blink of an eye if they really wanted to. A five-foot-high barrier made of mouldy old wood wouldn't have stopped them. The Gate didn't even have a lock on it! All it really did was stop us from wandering away from home. Something my dumb brother would've done frequently if given the opportunity.

Turning around, I could see the front of our little farm house. Was it always that small and rundown? Probably was. I just didn't notice until now. It hasn't even been a month since I last saw this place. But it's felt like years.

It was at this point that I realised I wasn't alone. Standing right next to me was a little girl with hair and skin that had a similar shade of white as Ren's. She was noticeably smaller than me, and looked to be no older than six. But what got my attention most was her eyes. The iris and sclera were a dull shade of grey with no pupils to be seen. She was like a blank canvass in human form.

"I hope you don't mind." she said in a calm voice. "I thought you'd feel more comfortable in a familiar environment."

"I guess." I responded with a shrug.

I didn't mind being back here. Although, it would have been nice if she wore some….

"Oh, sorry. I knew I forgot something."

The small girl threw her arms into the air. And from out of nowhere, white cottons buds began to congregate around her body. Meshing together into something that reminded me of Amina's nightgown (that was weird.)

"Is this better?"

"Are you another Ghost?"

"No, I'm not."

"You look like one."

"I didn't really know how to introduce myself to you. So I decided to go for a look that matched your personality."

"Should I be offended?"

A faint smile formed on her lips.

"That's up to you."

"Who are you, and what are you?"

Said smile was replaced with an adorable frown.

"Your quite rude, aren't you?"

"Small talks over." I explained bluntly. "I want to know what's happening to me, and why."

Our discussion was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the front door being pulled open, and I suddenly found myself looking at….myself, walking out of the house with a book in my arms.

Sherwin soon followed after me. But seeing that I'm busy reading under the apple tree, decides to entertain himself with a stick. Swinging it about like a sword. And then he began to sing.

"Up on the hill and past the mill, an evil demon I must kill. Mighty monster turn and flee, or else I stab you one two three!"

I quickly turned on my captor with a sudden surge of anger.

"Are you serious!?" I shouted furiously.

The pale girl blinked a few times.

"What's the matter?"

"What's the matter!? I'm trying to have a proper conversation with you, and you've suddenly decided to send me back down memory lane!"

"But….this is the reason you left home. "This is what brought the two of us together."

"So what!? This stuffs private!"

"It wasn't my intention to cause you any offence."

I noticed her voice was beginning to crack. Was I over reacting (maybe a….

"I would say so!" She suddenly shouted (now, that was just rude!)

"Please stop reading my mind."

"I can't just stop reading your mind! My soul has temporarily fused with yours!"

"….What?"

"A visitor!"

I couldn't help but shudder as I watched myself pull myself up from my reading spot and shuffle over to the fence to greet….her.

It was then that my companion began to pull me in their direction with surprising strength.

"Look, just come over here and watch what happens. And then I'll answer some of your questions."

"Only some of them?"

"Just shut up and watch."

With no other options, I watched with silent loathing as Kat walked over to greet the other me and my brother with her horribly sweet voice.

"My name is Kat, nya! (I know it is) I'm looking for a husband! (No shit) Are either of you interested, nya?" (Nár, take my soul!)

The clear embarrassment and discomfort on my younger self's face made me feel sick.

"Oh, um, that's very kind of you to offer. But were both a bit little for that!" This is followed by a horrible attempt to laugh off the tension.

Of course, this doesn't work as Kat suddenly pulls Sherwin into her filthy little claws.

"That's ok, sweetie! I can wait a few years for this one to grow a little, nya!"

I couldn't help but wonder if things could've happened differently as I watched myself leap over the fence and confront my brothers captor.

"I doubt you could have done anything else to prevent this." The girl next to me said flatly.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." I responded darkly. Flinching as I watched Kat slash my face with one of her claws.

"Ahhhh, shit!"

I was only then, when my past self fell to the floor, holding a hand over his bleeding face, did everything around me turn dark. Floating in nothingness, the two of us were completely alone.

"To be honest, I don't actually have a name." She said to me with a small hint of disappointment.

"And I'm not entirely sure what I am either."

I responded with a snort.

"It's the truth."

"Whatever." I grumbled. "Why are you inside of me?"

"I want to help you."

"To what end?"

"To help save an innocent life."

"I don't believe you?"

The nameless one clasped a hand over her head and groaned.

"You're really something, you know that?"

"I'm a young man, in a world full of Monster Girls. Cut me some slack."

"Look, just trust me on this, okay? You need my help."

"I've got more help than I can handle." I chortled.

It was then that the air around me suddenly got a little toasty. The muscles and bones in my back began to hurt. And a sharp ringing pierced my ears.

Then I began to hear voices in the distance. They were muffled, but recognizable. It appeared as though I was waking up from my slumber.

"Please don't try to hurt yourself in the future." The girl said to me as she began to walk away. Only to stop and turn back with one last thing to say.

"Be careful around your friends. Not everything is what it seems."

"And what's that supposed…."

My eye suddenly flew open, and found myself in a warm, soft bed. No doubt back in one of the hotel….brothels rooms. Reaching up to my forehead, I realized there was a hot water bottle on top of it. Nursing a rather nasty migraine.

My back and neck felt bruised, but otherwise okay. What was really bothering, was my empty stomach (Bain needs food!)

I was just thinking about getting up to get myself some food, when I heard shouting coming from the other side of the door.

"I know you've been talking to him lately!" Came a shout from Amina.

"And this bothers you?" Counters Magenta's.

"Of course it does! I want to know what you two have been talking about behind our backs!"

"Yeah!" Ren's high-pitched voice barely penetrates the wooden door.

I held my breath, and waited for Magenta to spill the beans. It seemed pointless keeping this a secret any longer. Especially now, when I had a vague idea on what was going on.

"….He was asking me about the Ghost's living in this building." (Say what!?)

"What do you mean asking about the Ghost's!?" Amina pressed.

"I'm saying he was getting bored, and wanted to meet some of the buildings previous inhabitants."

The next ten seconds were dead silent. And then Ren said something too quietly for me to make out.

"That's what he's been reading in the library?" Amina said.

This was followed by another silent pause. And then, very slowly, the door began to open.

I quickly closed my eye, and slowed my breathing. A set of footsteps, and the faint fluttering of Fairy wings approached the side of my bed.

I could feel them staring at me. But I could only guess what they were thinking as they stayed with me until maybe an hour later, as I pretended to stir, and opened my eye.

"What happened to me?" I asked Amina in a hoarse voice.

Amina looked as though she was about to yell at me. But instead, took a deep breath before answering.

"You were running around on the roof last night, and fell on your back, you idiot."

"Oh."

"Oh!?" Ren, surprisingly, quoted angrily. "Is that all you have to say!? We were woken up last night by Magenta! Telling us that you'd broken your stupid back!"

That sudden piece of information had caught me off guard. But the anger in Ren's voice, and the tears beginning to well up in her eyes' left me speechless.

"First, you start avoiding us!" Ren continued, "Then you refuse to share our room! And now you've done this to yourself!"

"I…."

"If I hadn't spent the entire night, casting healing spells on your spine, you wouldn't even be able to move right now!"

"Ren, I…."

"Do you even care about us, you ungrateful lout!?"

Amina raises a hand in her direction.

"That's enough, Ren. Let him be."

"FINE!"

"Ren!" I tried to pull myself into a sitting position as Ren flew out of the room in tears. But a huge wave of pain washed over my upper spine. Causing me to fall back down again with a pathetic groan.

"Don't move too much, sweetie." Amina said softly. Taking the water bag off my head as I readjusted myself into a more comfortably position.

"I'm sorry I…"

Amina placed a hand over my mouth.

"We don't want any more apologies from you." She announced.

"When things calm down, your going to give us answers."