Chapter 22:The Plan

I wake up earlier than I think, it still 5 in the morning. It still dark outside. But I can't sleep again, I don't know why, but I feel very well rested. So I go to the kitchen. My heart is pounding, maybe I'm too excited to ask Chitose about the road to Sage's Tower. Hope it's not a long journey.

I help Chitose arranging the plates when I hear something from the other room. It likes someone is inside. Or maybe it's just the wind, I think that to myself. But it becomes louder, and I also can hear a very clear ouch from inside the other room.

I jump because I startled. What the heck is that? Is someone inside the house beside us three? But we're in the middle of snowfield, it's impossible for a thief to come to here, in the middle of nowhere.

I take a frying pan to arm me from this 'thief'. Then, I walk to that room, the room that is so mysterious, that I tried to look at what on inside twice, but always failed. I'm approaching the room, just four more steps, I'll be arrive in front of the door.

One step, two steps, three steps, and…

I ready my frying pan and my heart. I hold the doorknob and take a deep breath. When I try to turn the doorknob, I can feel someone turn it and pull it open. The moment I want to let the knob go, it also the moment when the door is being pull.

"WAAAA!" I scream.

"Kyaaa!" The other person is also screaming.

I open my eyes when I feel safe, don't know when I close it though. I can see Chitose behind the door, pressing her hands into her heart.

"A-Atsuma? Wh-what are you doing?" I can see Chitose's feet are shaking.

"I- I thought that there was a thief."

She looks at the frying pan, "So, that's the reason why you are carrying frying pan with you."

I nod. She comes out from behind the door and shuts it down firmly. Then, she pats my head and takes the frying pan from my hand.

"What are you doing so early?" She walks to the kitchen.

"I woke up and I can't sleep again." I follow her from behind.

"Hmm?" She looks at the plates that I arranged a while ago. "So you help me then?"

I nod again. She replies it with her usual smile.

"What do you want for breakfast?" She starts to prepare the kitchen.

"Hmm… a nice warm porridge will do."

"Ok… You wanna help?"

"Sure."

I help Chitose with breakfast. It seems quitter than usual. Chitose doesn't talk much today. I wonder, if she still shocks. I let her be. I still have lots of times to ask her where Sage's Tower is.

Breakfast time, Toya looks startled to see that the breakfast already prepared when he wakes up. Then again, Chitose tells us that she should leave again, because her friend is waiting for her. We just nod, but I feel excited to tell Toya about what happened this morning. So when Chitose leaves with Sebastian, I tell Toya about this morning incident.

"What? So what did you see inside?" Toya's eyes open wide.

"Nothing. There's a second door inside. I couldn't see anything." I shrug.

"I think I might know what the room is." He rubs his chin. "Atsuma, do you still remember that I need your help for our plan?"

"Yes. Do you finish with the plan?"

"Yes, I already plan the mission. I called it 'Mission to Our Dream'." He says it very happily.

"Mission to our dream, huh? Sounds too much."

"What? What? It's our dream to have a better place and better future right?" He protests. "Here is the plan. We go to the warehouse, search for the box that contains a video cam. After we find it, I need time to modify it. Then we will attach it to Chitose's cloth. Brilliant, eh?"

"Huh? It's just that simple, why did you need time to plan it?"

"It's a simple plan, indeed. But I need time to learn how to modify the video cam, alright?" he snarls. "By the way, I've made up my mind to see what is inside that mysterious room. You wanna join me?"

"But, Toya! We have enough of…" I stop my sentence.

"What? Something's wrong?" Ask Toya.

"Ssh! You feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Someone is inside this house. I can sense it."

"Atsuma, how can possibly there is another person besides us?"

I can sense it, really. I can feel it. It's in the warehouse. I stand up and walk to the warehouse.

"Atsuma? Atsuma, where are you going?"

Without answering Toya, I walk forward. He follows me from behind. As I stand in front of the warehouse door, he taps my right shoulder.

"What's wrong with you?" He knits his eyebrows together.

"I feel someone is inside here."

"C-could it be…the ghost?" He grabs my left arm, shaking.

I shrug and say, "Maybe…"

He trembles more than before and his face becomes pale.

"Wanna see what inside?"

"NO!" He shouts.

Nah, I won't hear anything he says now, so I open the door. My eyes search wildly for something. Then I can see a shadow from the end of the warehouse. My heart beats for thinking that it was a ghost.

Toya is whining behind my back, "That's it! That's the ghost!"

'The ghost' hears Toya's whining and disappears as fast as it could. Before Toya collapses, I can hear a click sound.