Tally Mai-chan: I think this is going to be my favorite chapter so far! It's a monster! Enjoy!
Warning: Strong Language in this chapter.
Chapter 5: Because he's a jackass
The Collage of Ridgeway was a high end school. With state of the art classrooms and the top teachers in the country. It was a school to rival Harvard. Whether humble or highly selective the school never took more than two thousand students each year. All of whom devoted to the study of languages and the arts of calligraphy.
The school was small and nestled in the valley of two mountains in northern California. All the buildings were made from the same, sandy colored stones and looked like they appeared from a 18th century movie. Extensive and grand gardens with stunningly colorful flowers and large trees filled the campus grounds.
Rebecka, Kat and Nathaniel rode up the cobblestone pathway to DECL's building in the limo from the day before. The hotel they stayed in was five star and the beds the most soft and comfy the two girls had ever slept it. Room service prepared them a feast for breakfast with mountains of pancakes topped in sweet syrup. Fruits and bagels in tasteful arrangements looked like a city.
Kat pigged out till her heart nearly gave way but Rebecka restrained herself. To her it was all some elaborate ploy for their book.
"This building was first built in 1987. Back them it was just used for storage but now well it's the home of DECL." Nathaniel explained, as the limo pulled around, the driver getting out to open their door. He continued to talk about DECL, giving its complete history from humble beginnings to today. The two girl's didn't care much, Kat ignoring him completely and Rebecka listening out of politeness.
"Here we are." Nathaniel proclaimed, opening the two wide front doors of DECL. They immediately found themselves in a spacious room filled with desks and computers. Students and Professors in formal clothing filled the room. All of them working from computer to computer, many of them in groups discussing important matters in hushed tones.
Nathaniel called out to an plump, elderly man with long white hair, the top of his head bald but his face had more than enough hair. A voluminous white mustache dominated his facial features. His blue eyes were pale and very wrinkled.
"Ah, you must be the two girls who sent us the pictures of that amazing book! That is quite the discovery! Might I ask how you came across it?" His voice was very warm and uplifting, and when he smiled he was like every bodies favorite grandfather. "Oh, there I go again. Forgetting to introduce myself. I am Professor Schwartz, the head of DECL."
"Rebecka Thornson." Rebecka said plainly, extending her hand to be shaked. Her words were distant and emotionless but Professor Schwartz grabbed her hand and the smile never left his face as he shook it gently.
"Kathline Reevus." Kat followed Rebecka's lead, though being more gracious about it. The Professor shook her hand as well. "Can we see how you do all that translating stuff?"
Professor Schwartz nodded his head vigorously, reminding Rebecka of a walrus. He babbled on about different things as he guided them through DECL. Oddly he didn't ask about the book again. It was like he forgot all about it.
He took them into a small backroom with various laptops sitting on white tables. "There's a special program on all of these laptops. It's like a special computer translator, it's not perfect but it can correctly translate with up to sixty-eight percent accuracy."
Kat walked over to one of the open laptops, the translator program running on the screen. One of the picture's they sent could be seen in a side window. She pointed it out to Rebecka. The red haired girl looked at the professor and Nathaniel out of the corner of her eyes before walking up beside Kat.
In the right hand corner of the computer screen there was a white box with the translated text in English.
For... against one's ring... death nor... hold love... curse shall be punishment
"Kat" Rebecka breathed, keeping her voice low. "It's about the curse."
Kat gulped. "Y-yeah... But I don't understand. Death, love? The curse is a punishment? Ring? That doesn't sound like what a curse is."
"Is there a problem?" Professor Schwartz put his hand on Kat's shoulder. "Ah, yes. That's one of the pages you sent us. Hmm... One's ring... how do you commit a crime against someone's ring?"
Nathaniel walked over to the other side of Rebecka. "I think it mean's spouse. I don't think I've seen that symbol, the one that's between 'for' and 'against'."
"This is what we live for." Professor Schwartz meet both of the girl's eyes. "Learning of a culture and time far different from our own. It's like a jigsaw puzzle really, only you play with words and not little cut up bits of cardboard. Would you girls like to see are archive? Fascinating place, well if you love the smell of old books. It might bore you guys though-"
"I'd like to see it." Rebecka interrupted.
The Professor looked surprised, Rebecka's honestly making him smile warmly. He gestured to the door. Rebecka suddenly tumbled forward, her foot caught on black cords running from an outlet in the wall to the laptops. Rebecka flung her arms out, catching herself before she took an ungraceful plunge. Still not balanced she fell backwards, her hand's smacking onto one of the tables.
"Ah! Becky!" Kat shouted.
"Are you okay?" Professor Schwartz questioned. Nathaniel took a step forward but a side glance from the professor made him stop. "Careful now. Sadly there's always a lose cord laying about here. I've tripped on them myself haha. So has Nathaniel here."
Nathaniel chuckled sheepishly.
"On second thought." Rebecka said suddenly, her face sad. "I'm starting to feel dizzy. Jet Lag..."
The professor and Nathaniel took her quite seriously. Sending for someone to take her to the campus clinic. Nathaniel looked at the bag hanging off of Rebecka. "Ah, but the book. You said that you would bring it."
The professor nodded his head, remembering the book himself. "Is it in that bag Miss Rebecka? I'm concerned for the book. If it's not protected properly then it could be ruined." He spoke deeply.
"We didn't bring the book." Kat blurted and gasped. Rebecka was going to be mad at her! They weren't supposed to say that they didn't have the book yet.
The Professor snorted in laughter. They all stared at him in open shock. "That's excellent! I don't know why Nathaniel here asked for the book. I would never dream of asking you to bring that book all the way from Ohio! I faint at the thought of what could happen to such a book on an airplane! The picture's you girls took were sufficient enough."
"It's my bad Professor Schwartz." Nathaniel said, looking apologetically to Rebecka. "I didn't realize what I asked until after I sent the e-mail. I-I didn't want to look like a fool so I never said anything about it. I'm such a fool."
The campus nurse walked in, her sharp eyes locking onto Rebecka. "Are you the one?" She asked in a clinical tone. She flashed a pocket light in both of Rebecka's eyes. She 'hmm'ed and 'ahh'ed every few seconds as she examined her.
"Let's just go back to our hotel room." Kat suggested. "We can continue this tomorrow."
"Good idea." The Professor agreed. "Nathaniel, once Miss Hills is done looking over Miss Rebecka please take the girls home." He nodded, satisfied that everything was settled and walked out with his his hands placed behind his back.
The nurse, Miss Hills, finished her work with Rebecka, stating that she was okay for travel. "Get a good nights rest tonight." She instructed. She leaned forward, speaking so only the two girls could her. "Jet lag only happens when you cross the international dateline girls. If you're going to fake then know what you're faking. Understand?" They nodded, Rebecka sweating a little under the collar.
Nathaniel made sure they got back to their hotel safely. Even escorting them to their room. When he left them Rebecka let out a great heave. She quickly turned to Kat, a mischievous grin on her face. Kat had never seen her friend like this. It scared her.
"Wh-what did you do?" Kat accused, pointing fingers.
"Well..." Rebecka shrugged, opening her bag and pulling out a CD. "I just... borrowed this CD."
"You what!"
"Hush! I did it on an impulse! I thought that if they were going to take the book then I'd take something of theirs first! I..."
"Do you even know what that is?" Kat questioned, seriously freaked out. They just stole something! It could have been something super important. Now they were really in for it! What was Rebecka thinking! What kind of preemptive game was she playing? If she got in trouble her father would...
"I think it's the translator program they showed us. I don't know, it was the only disk I saw laying about. Seriously Kat, we won't get caught! There were no cameras in the room and no one saw me!"
The phone rang.
Kat jumped, a scream escaping from her mouth. Rebecka shrugged it off as coincidence. It was probably just the collage calling to check up on them. She hoped.
"We have to answer it." Rebecka said when neither of them made a move to the phone. She debated it over it in her head. Just how bad it could be? She thought. It's just the collage, or my mom calling to check up on us. "I guess... I'll get it now."
She reached for the phone, quickly putting it against her ear.
"This is the police." The words that instantly greeted her.
If there was ever a moment in her life where she wanted to cry. It was that moment.
"It's the police." She almost whispered to Kat but quickly shut her mouth.
"Is this Kathline Reevus?" The officer on the line asked.
"N-no..."
"Is she there. We need to talk to her."
Why Kat? Rebecka thought. "She's not here right now, but I can take a message."
"It's urget we talk to her now. In person."
"J-just a second." She placed the phone against her shoulder, looking over to Kat. "It's the police. They want to talk to you. It' urgent."
At first Kat was too scared to speak. Rebecka had to force the phone into her hands, the girl wouldn't have anything to do with it. Kat slowly put it up to her ear, her whole body shaking.
"Th-this is Kathline Reevus... Ah I... I understand... yes... I'll come home right now... goodbye..."
"Kat?"
Tears welled up in Kathline's eyes. "My mom... she's in the hospital. My dad wants me to come home right away... Becky, I-I-I can't go alone. Why do they want me! Becky... I'm scared."
"It had to happen now!"Rebecka exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "We could certainly get back home. There's no way they could stop us... but..." She sighed, pacing around the room like a mad animal. "I think you were right Kat. I don't think they're out to steal the book from us. I don't completely trust them but... after I took that disk and Nathaniel asked about the book. I thought they slipped, that they showed their true intentions but... that Professor. Something about him makes me want to let go and trust him completely. I think we could learn a lot. We could solve this mystery Kat! We could find a way to get rid of your curse."
"Becky!" Kat punched Rebecka in the arm playfully, smiling despite her puffy red eyes. "Now you trust them! After you steal their disk-thingy! But yeah, I know what you mean about the Professor. He reminds me of my grandpa... well when he was still alive."
"What do we do?" Rebecka said. The two girls looked at each other. The same thought occurring to both of them. Tears streamed down Kat's eyes, her fear reaching to Rebecka. "Kat, we can come back, at a later time. It's the beginning of September. The winter Solstice isn't until December. That gives us three months."
"Yeah... we have time." Kat repeated. "Let's call the school and tell them then. They have our tickets."
"I'm afraid that we can't send you girls back tonight. Your return tickets are for the 7th, and today is the 5th." Nathaniel said over the phone.
Rebecka made a face. Kat promptly knocked her elbow into her Rebecka's stomach. The girl gagged.
"I can see if I can find some tickets for you Miss Kathline because of your urgent situation. I'll call you back shortly. I'll kick someone off the plane if I have to." And he hung up.
They sat in silence waiting for him to call back. Rebecka played with the computer disk in her hands. She was going to have to return it. How was she going to return it? She decided that she could quietly slip it back somewhere, then it'd look like someone misplaced it. It was lie but a necessary lie. When she told Kat her plan the other girl was less than thrilled.
"You should just tell the truth Becky!" Kat insisted. "They'll understand. You made a mistake and admitted to it, anyone would forgive you."
"Do you seriously believe that?" Rebecka frowned, Kat rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"I am a believer in humans, so... of course!"
"You abnormal girl."
"Hey!"
Nathaniel called back half an hour later. He managed to get a seat for Kathline on a plane back to Ohio. She had to leave right away, the plane taking off in just an hour, but it was a non stop flight.
Kat got on the plane on time, leaving her bag with Rebecka to bring back. Rebecka didn't go back to the collage the next day. Professor Schwartz came to see her in person, asking why she wouldn't come. Rebecka merely replied that she was just tired. Jet lag was still bothering her. The professor nodded his head. His eyes were distant but his smile never dropped.
Kat arrived home late that night. She didn't want to go directly home but she didn't know what hospital her mother was in. As soon as she walked through the front door she looked down. The sleek, black digital clock was still there on a wooden side table. It was fifteen minutes past twelve.
The smell of alcohol coated everything in that house. The couch was torn in several places and the TV screen was busted. Bills and newspapers littered the floor along with abandoned candy wrappers and plastic cups.
It made Kat appreciate momma Thornson more. At least she cleaned. Hell, even James cleaned up after himself better than her parents did. Kat walked further into the house, wishing that her father was already passed out or absent.
She walked into the cold kitchen, her eyes meeting his. He played with an empty beer bottle, rolling it around on the greasy green kitchen table by the neck. His blood shot eyes connected to her's with a frightful force.
"So you finally come home. What took you." Her father slurred, emphasizing every other word to make himself look smarter. "Where were you?"
"Why do you want me here?" She said quietly, breaking eye contact.
Her father lunged from his chair, his free hand grabbing for her neck. "The hell with your backtalk! asked you where were you!"
"Sleeping under a bridge!" Kat shouted, backing out of the kitchen slowly. Her father was still, his hand still outstretched.
"Your bitch mom wouldn't tell me where she went. She lied to me, but you don't know that. You know better than to lie to me right, Kathline?"
She didn't say anything.
"Well!" Her father's hand griped the neck of the beer bottle tighter. With a snap of his wrist he hit the bottom of the bottle over the table, glass shattering across the floor. With the look of a ravage wolf in his eyes he pointed the broken bottle at her. The jagged glass small blades. "Are you lieing to me?"
Kat didn't scream. She didn't say anything. She ran from that room as fast as she could. He was too drunk, he was out of control. She knew the moment she walked into that kitchen. He'd kill her.
She slammed into the front door, her fingers fumbling to turn the knob. He was right on top of her, swinging the broken bottle at her.
The door opened and she stumbled into the night. The bottle swinging over her head. She had to get away. Her father howled with rage, swearing every obscene word he knew at her. Kat ran into the night her feet pounding against the asphalt road. There was not a single house with it's lights on. No lonely car drove down the road.
It was just her, and a mad man.
Eustass Kid walked into his room. His shoulder bloody from a gun wound. The pain didn't phase him. He had tied it up with some bandages laying about, it was sloppy work but it stopped the blood flow. He figured if it got worse then he'd just find a doctor to fix it.
He glances at his bed, the magic book laying in the center. It shivered.
He stared at the prone book, thinking he was just imagining things. The book trembled, his cover opening lightly, it's pages fluttering. Eustass Kid's hand touched the cover. A burst of electricity ran up his arm, and he recoiled from the shock. His shoulder burned with pain from the sudden movement but he ignored it.
"The hell."
Kathline didn't think. She just ran. Letting her body move by instinct. Her father was drunk, his senses and motor skills were dulled. The only reason she was still alive.
It was a labor to breath. A struggle to keep running. Street lamps lit the roads. They lit up the night world, but they gave her no comfort. Kat veered off the road, running through people's yards. She jumped fences and ducked through bushes, Scratches appearing on her arms and legs.
Her father's heavy breaths were never far. The sound of his steps ringing in her ears, making her heart leap faster with each pace that brings him closer. She was getting tired, but she was so close. She would make it!
She jumped over the low fence. Her father didn't see it in time and flipped right over it. This was her chance! She had but a few precious seconds. Rebecka's house came into sight across the street, the porch light giving her hope.
She dashed around to the back yard. She went to the back door, and couched down, her hand's going under a cloth mat. She pulled out the backdoor key, opening the door and slamming it tight behind her. He was there, the broken bottle still clutched tight in his hands.
His hand was on the latch. She ran for the basement. Pushing kitchen chairs in his way, anything to give her more time.
It was all about time. Time until she could call for help, time for James to notice, time for her father to pass out. Where was James! If anyone had to die tonight then it should be him! Kat slammed the basement door behind her, locking it. It was only a week lock, something easily broken.
She flew down the stairs. Her foot caught on the bottom step and she fell forward, her face connecting with the other door at the end of the stairs. Blood dripped down from a cut on her forehead. Swearing she glanced at the step.
The steps to the basement were carpeted and were stabled down to the stairs. The carpet on the bottom stair wasn't stabled, the edges were jagged and unclean. Kat lifted the carpet and saw the board was gone. She discovered the magic book in it's place.
The locked door at the top of the stairs suddenly broke. A hand protruding from a fresh hole. It groped the door, searching for the handle. Kat grabbed the magic book and opened the basement door. It was a new door and had no lock. She grabbed the computer chair across the room, using it to block the door.
"I'll kill you!" Her father screeched. "I'll kill you and your little, nasty, lieing mouth!"
The purple book given to him by the Shaman glowed bright blue. It's cover trembling from the power leaking from it's pages. Any attempt to touch the book resulted in painful, electric shock. Did that old man trick him? What the hell was going on!
Kid slammed his hand onto the cover, forcing the book open. Electricity shocking his whole arm. The pages went wild, shaking as if they were caught in a wind storm.
Kat desperately flipped through the pages of the magic book. "Please! Anything! Curse him! Kill him! Do something you stupid book! I don't want to be here! Create a portal! Please! Send me somewhere else!"
"Bitch!" Her father screamed. He tripped halfway down the stairs, tumbling into the bottom door. The chair moaned, the wood threatening to break.
Kat crawled backwards, her eyes searching the dark basement. The light switch was next to the door. She didn't want to be near the door. But it was too dark to see anything! She backed into what she though was the wall. She put her hand on it, cold glass pressed back against her fingers.
"The mirror." She breathed, remembering that she and Rebecka brought it downstairs. They were going to see if it could be used to create a portal to the One Piece world. She flipped through the book, the corners of the aged pages tearing right out. She found the page of the alter. "Please." She begged. "Save me. Get me out of here!"
With the roar her father burst through the basement door. His savage eyes instantly finding her. His broken bottle held above his head like a carving knife. "I'll make sure you never lie to me again..."
The mirror shattered in a burst of blue light. Her father howled like a kicked dog, his hands pressed into his eyes.
James ran down into the basement, flipping the light switch on. He saw Kathline's father thrashing around the room, his hands held across his eyes. The man let out a pitiful groan, stopping just short of James, and fell into a heap on the ground.
James saw his sister's magic book on the ground in a pile of glass shards. And there, right beside it was Kathline. He ran to her.
"Hey! Muchkin! Wake up! Come on, you're faking aren't you! Shrimp! Umpa lumpa! Hey listen! Heeeeey!"
Bright, blue light burst from the book like fireworks. Kid stepped back, covering his eyes. It was over in a flash, the book gone and on his bed was her.
The freaking brunette that cursed him.
"What?" Kat looked around sharply. Seeing the dim room she was in was nothing like Rebecka's basement. It was much cleaner and did not shout 'otaku'. She saw that she was on a bed but she didn't feel like she was on a bed. It was like she could fall right through it.
"Hey bitch." Kid smiled wickedly. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."
Kat slipped right through the bed. Literally. Like a ghost she phased through, stopping at the floor.
"What the hell!" She screamed. "What the freaking hell is going on!"
"That's what I want to know bitch!" Kat shouted, reaching under his bed. He grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her right out.
"I hate magic!" Kat screamed. "That stupid book stole my soul! I'm so going to hell for this!"
Kid yanked her into the air, his fingers gripping around her neck. He squeezed with all his strength but his fingers wouldn't tighten enough to choke her. She kicked and punched, her foot hitting his crotch. He cringed, releasing his grip on her.
Kat ran, going right through the walls. She hated ghosts but damned be if they didn't have useful abilities! She was in the One Piece world! She was there! Or, her soul was. She wasn't too sure. She phased through a wall and ran into a storage room. There were crates placed haphazardly throughout the room and two doors on opposite ends.
Simultaneously both doors opened. Killer in one and Kid on the other.
"You...!" Kid growled.
Killer looked from her to Kid. "Who the hell are you? How'd you get on this ship!"
"Just kill her!" Kid ordered.
Killer didn't waste a second, his scythe weapons already pulled onto his hands. He swung forward, the metal sliding through her. Kat screamed, she could see the light already. This was the end. To die in the One Piece world on Captain Kid's ship.
"Wh-what? Just... what are you?" Killer growled.
Kat examined her body. She was perfectly fine. But she saw the scythe blades go through her! There was no way she could have dodged. Killer attacked again, his blades going through her each time. He even tried to grapple her, but he just fell through.
"What is she?" Killer said to Kid.
Kat answered first. "I am the ghost haunting your captaaaaaaaain!"
Kid started at her, a 'what the fuck do you think you're saying. I'll fucking kill you' face. Killer stuttered in astonishment.
"Why?" The first mate asked.
"Because he's a jackaaaaaaaaas!"
Kat regretted saying such the thing, it wasn't true but ironically enough, that's how it ended up being.
Tally Mai-chan: Crap! It took so long to write this chapter! I actually had the last part of this chapter written out way back when I first came up with the story. I'm so glad I got to use it! Finally! Anyways, please review! Pretty, pretty please!
REVIEW!