This story is not an anime one but it is another story I have brought into to be re-written, so I'm setting it here so it can still be read in original form. Enjoy.
Title: Phantom Tricks: The Eighth Renevant
Category: Games » Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Author: C. . Finalage
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Published: 03-01-11, Updated: 03-26-11
Chapters: 5, Words: 8,120
Chapter 1: Beckoning Night I Prologue I
Hello. First off, let me say to you: I'm a haphazard author, and this may be updated quickly before getting dropped off a cliff at the second to fifth chapter, if it even makes it so far.
I have a lot of things to do besides college, and they eat up my time worse than a wildfire through a dry forest. I managed to finish Ghost Trick a few days ago, over a week ago in reality, but it's been on my mind. So I write.
I'm known to be extensive, but for this, I'm trying something new. Sparse and light, I hope it works.
I own nothing. Not Ghost Trick, not Capcom, and certainly not the platform it's played on. I know the kind of work it takes to make a game, so I can say for certain that all rights well rest with those who deserve them.
Welcome to Phantom Tricks.
Xxx+~-GT-~+xxX
Prologue: Beckoning Night
Xxx+~-PT -~+xxX
The light snaps on quietly, and behind the cover of a cabinet door, a tiny black kitten's eyes glow. The girl next to him hold unto his fur tight, shushing him with a wave of her fingers.
She didn't need to. The cat was more silent then she could ever be.
A tennis ball dropped from its place on the kitchen fan, momentum making it hit against a set of crystal vases, he had never noticed before; but together… they played out the beginnings of a special song, one sung every year as he watched from afar.
A cake box slowly rose as a spinner set off a cupid rising from a box…
Like a ghost from a grave…
The feline shook the thought from his head as he watched, tense. If that angel only turned a simple 180 degrees…
He'd be one of death instead of one of love.
The arrow fired over the cake to hit a party favor, making it explode, covering a young woman in streamers. The girl next to him, his mistress, fired herself out of the cabinet door like a cannon, and the cat, stunned, could only mutely follow.
It didn't happen, it never had. No one remembered…anything. That night…that one night. Never happened.
The night I thought I was a man.
The night I changed all those lives.
The night that I discovered how deep human emotions can lie…
It never happened, I erased it from time.
These past ten years have been a nightmare. No; a dream. Nothing that has happened in this world seemed real to him anymore, not really. His life as a kitten consisted of playing with string and amusing his mistress with antics…maybe pushing something around with his still-present ghost tricks…but it wasn't real.
He didn't age.
He didn't even seem to live.
What happened to trying to read? To understanding how a missle worked? How revenge, fright, love, hate, sorrow, infatuation, evil, good…no one ever expected a cat to understand such things. They expected humans alone to understand complex things…
…What happens though; when a cat has the heart of a man?
He had thought that, today, of all days, would be when his life started again. As if he'd been in the ghost world all the time…time frozen still.
He looked up into the one person who would know him…and he saw…
Confusion, annoyance and bewilderment.
He was still in the moment of her being hit by streamers. Idiot. He had entered the ghost world…for what? She had no core.
He had wanted her too, that's why. Had hoped.
Talk, banter, and then the party. Sissel hid underneath the table for most of it, not that there was much to miss, besides the unbelievable amount of chicken that was disappearing into thin air. Unbidden, his thoughts drift to Yomiel…
That was, of course, until a pair of hands appeared in his vision, from behind. Scooped up like so much dust, the cat nimbly turned around and let his legs fall so that he hung. He stared into the eyes of his captor, Lynne. There was something odd about them…something he had been waiting to see all night.
"Sissel…you in there?"
No indication came from the cat, he couldn't speak to her anyway…but even as he remained motionless, a ball, the same one that had fallen from the fan blades to be kicked around all night, rolled towards the pair, arching around a table leg to get there.
That was all she needed.
"You are, aren't you? I knew it. I knew we'd meet again one day, Sissel…"
…and THAT, well; that was enough for him too. With a flick of his tail and a hearty mewl, Siseel felt as if he had finally left the ghost world…not the one he had just came from, but the one he'd been in for ten long years.
Tonight, his new reality would begin…
Xxx+~-EP-~+xxX
Well! Would you look at that, it's under a thousand words. (At least, it was until Fan Fiction counted it.) That's incredible, but then again, prologues are famous for being short. I tried to cut down the un-needed detail I always put in, but you all try and keep me in check, if you decide to review at all.
If you like it, tell me. No? Go ahead and flame, I appreciate them all the same.
I normally submit things much longer than this, but hey.
I'm talking too much.
~Finalage.
Chapter 2: Powerful Renevant I Chapter I I
Here again, posting the first chapter to the prologue I posted. Once again, I'm trying to cut back my overly detailed works with "dictionary" language. If you ever read the final chapters of "Young Negi: An Applied Approach.", you'll know what I mean. By the way…I own nothing. Not Ghost Trick or Capcom; nothing.
Xxx+~-GT-~+xxX
Chapter One: Powerful Revenant
Xxx+~-PT-~+xxX
The day came far too quickly for Sissel; he stretched and soundlessly yawned as he took a glance around the room. The living room was a mess of streamers and favors, and shrunken balloons littered the corners where they had fallen from the walls. For some reason, this sight comforted the kitten slightly.
Licking around his mouth; the feline twitched its tail once before it remembered the dream that he had. The same one that kept recurring, time and time again.
Sweet Potato, Mino, Lamppost, wait…wait…watch Yomiel suffer, painfully. The meteor fragment, so bright…it misses Yomiel and shoot through Jowd's leg…and a quiet scream, a pitiful mewl, is heard… Quick! The bullet with the sweet potato, now! Nozzle! Where is that nozzle?.! The street lamp, Missile! Missile! Go! Then…Yomiel himself.
Mino claims his victim at last. Cheated of the boy in the park, cheated of Lynne…it would not be cheated of this victim.
… Sissel shook his head slowly. It was never important to him, that tiny little mewl, it hadn't been then, and it still wasn't now. Not even as he knew that the mewl was himself, being snuffed out and denied the light. That was the past. Now…
A sound on the steps interrupted his thoughts.
He arched his back before a flash of light engulfed his vision, a flash only he could see…the world turned stock still around him, red. He looked about, noticing Missile curled up underneath the couch, and inwardly, he shook his head. Now, Miss Kamilla would go nuts crawling under the couch for that dog one day…
Too bad this isn't the Missile I knew. We could have kept each other company in the ghost world for a while.
Jumping form his own body to the couch itself, Sissel pondered what he could do to wake the dog and force him from his usual hiding space. Experimenting, he tried to manipulate the couch itself. Of course, he wasn't powerful enough to move it…but he did manage to make its springs protest loudly from contraction.
No go. Nothing useful near here…but…
His eyes caught on a party favor, un-popped and dejected looking.
Perfect. Sorry buddy, but the little lady needs to focus on other things than what hiding place you've shoved yourself into. Her mother will be cross if she's not ready in time for school…
Contracting himself, he launched off the couch and grabbed the favor in his mouth, shooting into the ghost world just as he aimed and spat it from his mouth. He jumped to the ghost world to detonate the thing and jumped back to himself to scamper away just in time.
The cracks and pops sounded more like booms to the delicate ears of the Pomeranian, and he, predictably, shot out from under the couch barking fit to wake the dead…well, save for Sissel himself of course, he was already awake…
On the steps, a semi-exhausted groan was heard.
"Missile, no! You'll wake mommy! Missile…why are you always causing trouble? You're so cute but…Oh! Hello to you too Sissy... Did Missile wake you up?"
Having come over to perform a trademark rub of the legs, Sissel flicked his tail in a near irate fashion before jumping on front of the offending dog, swiping his tail under his nose in a "chase time" way.
Instantly, the dog sprang at the cat, barking forgotten as he tried to catch the elusive feline. Kamilla couldn't help but laugh at how Missile, fast as he was, always seemed to have something in his way as his prize slipped through cracks.
Oh no, this had nothing to do with Sissel's tricks, nothing at all…right?
Avoided Cross Mother and happy Little Lady, check. Quiet, excited Missile? Check. Sleeping guests and Jowd? Double Check. I think I've done my fair's share of work today.
A bit later, when Kamilla left for school and breakfast was cleared from the table, Sissel jumped from the floor to the counter, a trick he had long practiced before mastering, kitten as he was. He observed the clean sink, dimly wondering what it was like, having a wife to come home from work too, one that did the housework and cared for your children ad Alma did…
Yomiel…he got out yesterday, didn't he? What was she like, the Sissel he was named after, the one Yomiel had loved so dearly? She was alive in this timeline…she must be. She would have waited for him, a man who accepted a ten year sentence for abducting a child and avoiding police capture, armed possession…someone who was innocent of the crime he was originally convicted of, and who saved the life of the very child he had held captive…
"The gods…they are the ones that saved you."
"I'll save you again and again…as many times as it takes."
"It's scary what a girl can get used to, don't you think?"
Lynne. You remembered me. The detective already left for work, but…I think it's time I go and pay the jail a visit. I have a feeling. A feeling… a feeling like being alive. Just like last time, in the midst of my own mystery…I had this feeling.
A feeling that something was about to go down.
The feeling I got every time before I saw that Lynne had died.
Death…stop trying to take away the people around me. You should know by now…
I'm on to you.
…and I'm not about to let anyone die.
+~-1-~+
Sissel slipped between alleyways, relying on the shadows to provide him cover. A black cat wasn't an easy thing to hide in the day, but he managed with the help of his ghost tricks and some luck. Making his way to the station, Sissel's mind began to think about those very same tricks.
Even though it had been ten years since he last used his power to reverse time, he was certain that, like Yomiel's abilities, his had evolved, and become stronger. He knew that had a longer reach now at least. A longer reach and more strength to control heavier objects…of course, if it came to Mino again, he would still fail utterly to move that piece of indomitable stone…but he knew more about ghost tricks than he bet even Ray once knew.
He had heard Jowd say once that to know yourself is to love yourself.
It didn't make Sissel feel any better knowing his own abilities though…until now.
When the feeling of urgency was on him, the feeling of something that needed to be done, that something was…wrong…when that feeling came, and Sissel was able to know completely, what he was capable of…love came then.
No amount of love could prepare him for the sight that met his eyes when he got to the station though…none.
+~-E-~+
Hmm…I still don't like it. I'm still spending too much time on single thoughts and events aren't I? Even if I am making these things incredibly short now…(Normal chapter length for this author here is around 6,000 or more words, and I've done over 18,000 once or twice…)
Well, until someone tells me, I can only guess. Here you are. I don't think I've ever seen a story hit the favorite list so fast before…no reviews yet though, but hey, alert subscriptions and the like tell me people are interested at least.
Tell me how I'm doing here and sorry for the cliff there. I need it, believe me, it will give me a sense of…urgency.
Chapter 3: Jamais Vu I Chapter II I
Happy Birthday to me .I just entered my second decade, and wrote this all today. I do not own Ghost Trick, ehh? Or Capcom, or any kind of copyright I might otherwise infringe by not saying I don't own it. ~Finalage
Xxx+~-GT-~+xxX
Chapter Two: Jamais Vu
Xxx+~-PT-~+xxX
Sissel slowed to a stop near the station, slinking behind the wheel of a police car. There was a large crowd around the place, people with cameras and flashing lights, sticks with puffy ends...oh sorry; that's a microphone, isn't it? In the midst of it all, there was a man clad in red.
No…he got out yesterday…It can't be him…and if it is, why do I feel so…on edge?
Stepping closer, the feline realized why he felt dread. The man was being clutched by a woman, held up as blood seeped from an open blazer. Her hands were shaking, but he… Breathing…no. Sissel dashed from one wheel to another, looking for a better vantage point. His eyes alighted upon the doctor coming up from the crowd, and cringed.
He looked familiar…wrongly familiar.
Sissel's mind raced as he shot from underneath the car to the side of the building. He hadn't even had a good look at the man's face, but he just knew…knew.
Why? What had Yomiel done, besides get out of prison? What was he doing here?
No time to worry about that now! He entered the ghost world with a crash he almost heard, and breathed a sigh of relief. There was a core. Beautiful core! Sissel had been afraid, after ten years, that he would have lost this particular part of his power, the most potent.
Reaching to near his limit, he jumped from his body to a wheel, and then the siren before finally reaching Yomiel. Making his connection, he saw a faceless spirit, unconscious. He "bit" his tongue.
Damn! I had so many questions I wanted to ask him…but I guess I'll have to save that for later. Yomiel! Wake up! Yomiel! ….
YOMIEL!
…No use. I might as well try and see…what happened here.
No use standing here…hmm…how does it go again? I shift my spirit like this and….Wh-hey! Whoa! Wait for me!
~Rewind Time~
Four Minutes Before Death? 9:45 AM, Tuesday
~T~
The sun was bright, so bright the man in his red suit was glad he was the one who would be wearing sunglasses. He was glad for them another reason too. No one would be able to see his eyes. They were the only things that betrayed him. He was nervous, nervous as all hell. Why did he have to do this job?
As Yomiel stood without his sunglasses on, he received the final bits of a short briefing from an officer besides him. He was speaking about official dates and how he should act, etcetera, etcetera…he just wanted this over with already.
Sissel watched, and saw an officer make a move. It was time. The man put his sunglasses on and walked out into the open, where he was mobbed by a mass of people, paparazzi bombarding him with questions. Apparently, a man who had served ten years for a crime he didn't commit, and for running from that false accusation only to save a little girl…was a good story.
Yah think?
As the feline continued to watch, the focus shifted, showing a man in a window, loading a rifle silently, the scuffle of preparation was the only sound audible. Besides him, another man lay, dead. Taking aim, the sniper paused, double checking his barrel and then wiping his scope to rid it of blood. Taking careful aim again, he grumbled as he heard the hum or vibration from his phone. Irritable, he snatched it from its clip and spoke curtly into it.
"Yeah? …Of course I'm in position you dolt. Don't call me unless you've got an intelligent question to ask, you made me lose my focus."
Tossing the phone aside so it slid, he lifted the rifle again before squinting, taking careful aim. He wiped his brow to rid it from sweat.
(C. wrote this.)
Did it always have to be so hot when he tried to do this kind of thing?
Taking aim a third time, ne narrowed his view and acquired his target. Perfect shot…well mister Yomiel, you refused to work with us while you were in jail…so here's your prize for loving your jailer…
The shot was silent as the bullet buried itself into the man's back, and he fell soundlessly…
Sissel almost smiled in relief…almost.
~Time~
Ugh…what was that?
Surprised, Sissel turned to see that the faceless soul was awake now, and talking to him.
That was your death, replayed for you to see. Do you have any idea who you are?
Sissel turned around to face the man, who had assembled his image into Yomiel's image…kind of. The other would have shaken his head, but he was too busy trying to think how to save this guy. The sniper was really high up., and there was no guarantee he could get a core to transport himself up that high…
Sissel knew this one wouldn't be easy…but he also knew something else…
…
This man wasn't Yomiel.
So…are you Death?
Surprised, Sissel turned back to the man. Death? No, death was what he just experienced…but then a light bulb went off. Death was also the name for a being people used to associate with the act of dying, a specter that would come and reap their souls, leading them to the underworld. It kind of made sense to think Sissel was he…but Sissel wasn't here to lead this man to death. He was here to do the opposite.
…No. I'm here too...stop him. You died, I'm here to find out why, and how I can save you. In exchange…I'd like some answers as to why you were dressed as one of my friends, and why someone wants to kill him. Fair?
Sissel didn't really give the man time to respond, he felt his power mass him, and for the first time, Sissel allowed himself to feel it wash over him. Last time…he had been in such a rush, go here, do this, jump here, NOW! Manipulate, posses, watch, time reach, goal… this time, he simply let it flow.
It felt kind of nice…
Come On…let's go…to four minutes before your death!
+~-1-~+
Sissel found himself outside where he quickly entered the ghost world to take his bearings. He had learned one thing in his practice of this power, and that was the obvious. In the ghost world, time didn't pass, so you had an infinite amount of time to plan your assault.
Within his reach, he had a wheel, a siren, one flashlight, a camera and finally…a microphone. The Microphone was the highest, so he jumped there, and looked around. Nothing. Wait…a banner over the door. If he could get to that…he could jump to the balcony and then that window latch and maybe he could reach the drainage pipe…
He entered back into the world to wait. The reporter holding this thing would have to move closer to the door sooner or later, right? Hopefully…
He waited. A minute…two minutes…the door opened just as he was sure he had picked a dead end. It reminded him of that time when he had tried to save the pigeon guy from the explosion…hey! Jump, now! Sissel reached and just barely grabbed the banner, and just in time too, for the next second, when he came back to the world in the door latch, he saw the reporter holding the microphone stumbled backwards, bowled over by a guard.
Sissel opened the latch, swinging the door open wide and putting him close enough to jump over to the drainage pipe, where he traveled until he reached a place close enough to jump from one building to the fire escape on the other.
It wasn't long before he managed to get to the place the sniper was, in fact, he jumped to the very gun the man held…not that it would help him, the only thing he knew how to do with the gun would be to shoot it…
What could he do?
Sissel's eyes alighted upon the other dead man.
Well, what was stopping him?
Hmm…well, why not? If I can prevent his death, I can prevent this man's death in the process too…and I might be able to get some clues…
He spoke too soon however, for at that moment in time, the phone rang, and the man snatched it form his clip.
On that phone was someone who had ordered this sniper to kill Yomiel. If he went back in time he might not get to trace that call.
But on the floor was a man who had been killed recently…and time was running out.
This could be a problem…
+~-E-~+
Hmm, Sissel seems out of character for this entire chapter to me. I also think this chapter has a whole bunch of typos. Even if it doesn't, I feel that way. Anyway, here we are, I'm famous for being hard on myself, so excuse me while I go and berate myself over a low quality boring chapter. Reviews are appreciated though.
It's a bit longer than the usual ones for this story, this chapter is, but still short. ~Finalage
Chapter 4: Marionette I Chapter III I
Can Sissel use a wireless to travel around? I'll leave that one up to you to see, but I suggest looking at the game carefully. You might find something interesting, either way. Truth lies in the pudding after all.
I've been thinking a bit here, about where I really want this to go. I knew where I was taking it from the prologue, but I've been wondering about how to get there. It's not easy being green they say…well, trying being black, a black cat that is…
I own nothing having to do with Ghost Trick or Capcom, and I doubt I ever will. ~Finalage.
+~-PT-~+
Chapter Three: Marionette
+~-TER-~+
Sissel narrowed his "eyes" To jump or not to jump? If he took the call, he could find out about Yomiel, but he would put two lives on the line. True, he could rewind time again, but…the memory of dying remained, and that kind of memory was one he'd rather no inflict on anyone…especially when he had told one of them he would save them…
He made a quick check of his chances and jumped to the dead man's body instead, banking on the hope that he could save him and still catch that call. Sissel was surprised though, when he got into this man's body.
"Where am I?.! Why can't I move? WHERE'S MY SANDWICH?.!"
…Looks like we've got a "live" one here…though why was the last part…you know what, I'm not gonna ask…
"I think your sandwich is the least of your problems right now…do you remember why you're dead?"
"Dead…? Wait, I'm dead? … … …I'm….NOOOOO! WHHHHY!.?.!"
If he were human, the cat swore he would have just up and let his jaw drop, As he was, he could hardly keep his whiskers straight and his eyes in their sockets… This guy…
"…Well, why don't we find out huh? Let's go and see for ourselves how you died…"
Juggling two souls between his paws, Sissel jumped even further back in time, and what awaited him didn't give him many more answers, but instead gave him a whole host more questions…and no…Sissel didn't see any sandwiches around either.
~Rewind Time~
Four Minutes Before Death? 8:32 AM, Tuesday
~T~
Squinting to rid the sun from his sensitive eyes, a man examined his rifle, its case discarded on the side. He quickly assembled the gun after running through some final checks on its barrel, and perked up slightly when his phone decided to vibrate. He answered it quickly and quietly, tense.
"Yeah?...Of course...It's bright outside now. I'd wait about an hour. It'll give for more distraction and a better shot. ...Listen. This thing may have blanks in it, but they can still be fatal. I don't want to miss...this has to look as real as possible. I'm the ops officer here, so please, let me do my job."
Hanging up from the line and tossing the phone, the man hefted his rifle to stare right into its barrel, looking for last ditch dust. A noise made him turn slightly, but he didn't pay it much mind. He didn't see the thin shadow scamper into a corner from the hallway, waiting...
The officer turned his back to the doorway, looking out the window and planning his shot carefully, hefting the rifle to test its weight and aim. He was a large man, so the shadow in the hallway was careful. He pulled his weapon out carefully and aimed. It was only a tranquilizer, no need to make noise...where would he feel it least...?
The shot was silent, and the officer jumped slightly from the hit, snapping his body half around to look behind him. He didn't see anything, but he kept his hands on his gun. His eyes roved the room before he dismissed the pinprick for a mosquito, not even bothering to check where he felt the prick.
He went back to examining his rifle for obstruction in the barrel, but as time passed, he found it was getting harder and harder to focus...he finally collapsed right on top of his gun, his hand slipping just enough to make his attacker cringe and look away.
There was barely a sound.
It was a clean sniper's rifle after all.
~Time~
"I SHOT MYSELF?.! WHHHY?.! That….THAT'S WRONG!"
How did this guy become part of the police?
Wincing, Sissel tried to ignore the fact that this man had no indoor voice and didn't give him a response. Instead, he just let his power do the talking. His first move was to jump to the gun again, and then, to think. Meanwhile, the man who wasn't Yomiel spoke up.
"So, this is your power huh? To possess objects and go back in time huh? I'm guessing you must be pretty special then, because if all ghosts could do that..."
Sissel didn't "turn" to "face him" but he did respond, after a while.
"I suppose...but what I want to know is...why do the police want to kill Yomiel?"
"Oh, I can answer that one."
This time, the cat did turn around, and in this dark ghost world, his soul did indeed show its blaze.
"Mind explaining it to me then?"
"Well...I guess he's important to you, so...we...weren't trying to kill him."
"Huh?"
"Listen, I can't say anything else really, I really don't know myself. All I know is that I was hired to act like him, and I was supposed to be shot...but I don't think I was supposed to be killed..."
"YOU WEREN'T!"
Sissel's fur almost stood on end, and his "tail" certainly was getting a ringing to match his ears.
"W-what?"
"I'm a PROFESSIONAL. I was hired to fire a shot that would only LOOK lethal!"
How does a guy this loud become a sniper anyway?
Sissel hadn't noticed, but in his shock, he had left the ghost world, and the realization of this hit him hard when he heard the officer answer his phone. Without giving it a second thought, he jumped to it to listen in.
"Yeah?"
In the station, Cabanela leaned against the wall, holding his receiver like someone else would hold a rose. Next to him, a nervous looking officer tried to look anywhere but at the lanky detective.
"Are you in position yet, boooy?"
"...Of course..."
"Then give your report, Here you go bright boy."
He handed over the receiver to the nervous man next to him and move over, almost throwing himself against the wall in a kind of half swoop to lean again. Speaking into the phone, the nervous one tried to keep his composure while he waited for a response.
"It's bright outside now. I'd wait about an hour. It'll give for more distraction and a better shot."
"Why can't we do it now? There's a crowd outside, and they're getting restless, I think. I'm afraid they might bust down the door to get to your "target" over here…"
"...Listen. This thing may have blanks in it, but they can still be fatal. I don't want to miss...this has to look as real as possible. I'm the ops officer here, so please, let me do my job."
Hanging up, the officer tossed his phone aside, Sissel still in it. He went skidding across the floor and stopped against a table leg. Sissel took action immediately, jumping back into the ghost world to look around. He reached, just barely jumping to a glass on the table.
Ahh! There's the sandwich He must have been talking about…
"Forget about the sandwich! Aren't you TRYING to STOP that guy from SHOOTING me?.!"
"Well sorry! You're the one who mentioned it to me, and by the way, you just about finished it already."
Sissel jumped to the empty plate and then to a napkin, and reached as best he could before he managed to snag a box, one of many in a stack. From here…he could see the hallway. Back in time, he could see someone coming up the stairs quietly. He wore an unusually clean and well-designed suit, but what Sissel really cared about was his skin.
It was blue.
I really shouldn't jump to conclusions about this, I think it's called being racist…but…I have to admit, that suit up looks familiar, and the situation doesn't call for many other suspects…this guy's the one who will shoot the dart…but…how do I stop him?
Sissel watched as he came closer and crept along in the shadows. When the man came out, Sissel manipulated the box he was in, sending it tumbling down and spilling its contents, a whole bunch of empty glass bottles. The blue skinned man jumped to the side of the hallway quickly, fast enough that the officer didn't see him when he whirled around.
"Who's There?.! Come out now!"
Silence. Sissel, moved from his box to another one that had been underneath it in the stack. The sniper officer looked about a bit before mumbling something under his breath.
Hefting himself off the floor, he leveled his gun and began to walk towards the door slowly.
"HA HA! Look at me go! Officer on the move!"
Sissel just blinked at that comment, jumping to a glass bottle that had gotten near the table and manipulating it to roll when the officer passed. He hit the wall just before the officer reached the door, making him glance down before stopping.
"I know you're behind that wall. Boxes don't just fall over by themselves like that. Show yourself or I shoot."
He's a lot calmer in life than he is in death, isn't he? So the true him is hidden...
In a quick move, the blue man whipped form behind the wall, firing his weapon off to hit the officer in the arm before snapping to the other side of the doorway. He winced as the officer almost roared before pulling the needle out of him and giving chase. Sissel, quick minded jumped to the gun just before the officer got out of range.
"Well, I guess I can say your fate of death has changed, at least a little!"
+~-1-~+
A while later, Sissel managed to catch up with the officer, taking his well-deserved rest after chasing the blue man into the public and the arms of more able police. He wasted little time jumping into the newfound core of the man, and wasn't surprised to find his spirit "awake".
"Wha? Aww not AGAIN! That dream creeps the hell outta me!"
"Dream? I had no idea you thought so little of me." Why don't you just wake up and see me? I wanted to know where the man who isn't Yomiel went. He never got shot in this timeline, and people in a van took him somewhere…he promised me something…"
"WAKE UP? I was just shot with a tranquilizer! I'm not gonna be up for DINNER at this rate, let alone YOU! I didn't wanna go to the doc for something stupid like that, so I'm sleeping it off…and I have no idea about that guy, I don't know him."
"Wh-what? Don't you go to the same building?"
"You mean the police department? Cat, you're looking at a dozen different sections in one chocked building, full of characters going in and out all day and night. You expect me to know the ONE guy you're looking for? Best I can tell, they took him someplace safe for now."
Big help he is…
"Hey! I HEARD that!"
"…It's true though…and my name's Sissel."
"Huh?"
"My name's not cat. It's Sissel."
"Wait…you're a girl cat? You sounded like a dude to me…wait…what the heck am I talking about…a cat sounding like a dude…"
"I AM A MALE CAT! I was just named after Yomiel's fiancée."
+-~E~-+
Well, THIS took a whole lot longer than it should have. Would you believe most of it, in fact, all of it save for the last two or three paragraphs, was written in one day? The rest of it was what took so long, as whatever I wrote kept looking shallow, and making the whole chapter look shallow. This thing seems papery to me, but hey, I am trying something odd for me here. I notice these are slowly getting longer a few hundred words at a time. I'll try to limit them to three thousand if they continue that way.
…Now I forgot what I wanted to say, great. I knew it was important too.
Oh! Right. This stories probably not going to die now.
Remember when I said this might fail between the second and fifth chapters? Those are my mile stone checks. If I can get past the fifth, it never stops cropping up if I abandon it. On the second chapter I feel really bad about abandoning a story if I do. Something that makes it to chapter ten, if there is one…if it does it relatively quickly; it's not going to die. I'm going to see it through, or if it falls, be sure it's not going to die still, for the times that a story with over ten chapters has failed on me…I always end up gathering my bearings and then just starting it again.
Well, that was un-needed and long like. Next chapter, I'm thinking of letting loose just a little bit and doing detail again, but I'll still be holding the reigns. I want to see how well I can balance, and where my strength lies.
~Finalage.
Chapter 5: Queries I Chapter IV I
Like I said, this chapter will be me trying to use my old style, but with a limiter placed on it. If I can manage that, then I'll be happy, and, ready for the next step...Okay?
So, in the end, I never did answer the question about Sissel traveling through a wireless, did I? In all honesty, I was sure he could, but more research made me kind of wonder. I was certain I had seen him do it once, but I couldn't remember the chapter.
I did know that he could "bug" a line though. All he's doing is listening in after all.
Remember…I own nothing having to do with Ghost Trick and its legal rights. Nor do I own any part of Capcom. No; not even stocks. ~Finalage.
+~-PT-~+
Chapter Four: Queries
+~-TER-~+
The aroma was so strong, a well baked sweet potato, nearly golden on the outside, just the right amount of juice in it, just right there, hovering over the fire she had prodded into life not too long ago. She saw it now. Then, a shift, she squealed more than screamed, too surprised…she was held by a red arm…then, the music blasted her ears, all of it, so fast, so…muddy clear.
Yeah, that was the word she had for it, clear as mud, muddy clear. She had two lives, two…and sometimes she wasn't sure which one was real. The only thing that she knew was that there were two central figures in this dual life…and they sometimes shared the same face.
She looked up from where she sat, looking across the space that separated her from him. It was so small, but for all she was able to tell, it looked like the entire Pacific Ocean. Trying to talk over that was impossible, right?
It was no wonder she hated sweet potatoes now.
One life, he lifted her, stole her away, only to be killed when he was pierced in the back, but that wasn't possible…he was alive now…still, the image persisted. She saw…a whole life, Jowd in prison, her taking after his daughter…the girl she had just met…! She saw…him. That red man…rises from the dead for revenge.
She remembered…everything; a ghostly overlay of what she knew was real.
She spared a quick peek at him, but she couldn't see anything through those glasses. No emotion…but his body told her he was…uncomfortable. He knew her. He had spent ten years in jail because of her after all. In this life…he had saved her from that boulder, even if he had taken her hostage for a tense moment.
Here, he was a halfway-hero.
"Excuse me…"
What? Wait…why had she said anything?.! Now he would look, now he would know…ahh! To late…
"…Yeah?"
"…Why?'
She couldn't manage anything else. It was such a simple word, and could mean so many things…but with her face, it could really only mean one question. The one in red simply looked down at the floor. They were in a van, and that van was taking him to a rendezvous point. There, he would meet his wife, and they would…disappear. At least, he hoped they would.
"…I don't know. I was…trying to escape. The police wanted something form me that I didn't have. I saw the gun and…I lost it. I didn't plan it. I didn't want it to happen that way, but it did, nothing can change that."
That was his answer. His voice told her he had more to say, but he had turned away. If only she could see his eyes! His…eyes. Her mouth spoke by itself again, and she almost instantly clamped it shut after it made her guilty.
"I…I need to see your eyes!"
His response was to look her way, slowly, really….slowly, almost as if he were one of those stone statues she had seen in horror movies. His face was as blank as always, and he analyzed her with a scrutiny she couldn't measure. She shook her head with her hands still keeping her guilty mouth clamped, but then, incredibly, he just smiled. Lord, she swore, that was the scariest smile she had even laid eyes on…his hand came up, incredibly swiping the glasses from his face in a fluid movement.
"…There."
He was…older than she thought he would be.
Oh no, don't get her wrong, he wasn't an old man. Just…she had always imagined him so young, so…frozen. Time still, he was ageless behind those glasses…but that…that was the other life. Here, he could age…he looked…
In some weird way, he looked like Jowd to her. She couldn't tell why either. He had no beard, he wasn't jolly, and he was still younger in some small way when compared to Jowd…but it was the eyes, the part she couldn't see before.
They were blue. A soft bright sea blue.
He blinked and the moment was gone. Her hands fell.
"So. I suppose you needed to make sure I wasn't some vampire of your nights, huh? Well, I'm human, see? I'm just some guy who saw you at the wrong time…I'm nothing special…Thank God."
It was the way he said that, that very thing there. "Thank God." The detective in her was aroused. "Thank God." "Thank God I'm not special. Being special is a curse, being special…is something I abused last time around." That's what he was saying. Again her mouth betrayed her.
"You remember something different too."
He didn't answer her. He simply put his glasses back on. She knew he heard her though. She knew…and so did he.
Without his glasses, his eyes were the pools to divine upon his soul.
That, for now, was okay too.
+~-1-~+
Hours later...4:56 PM, Tuesday
Sissel returned home in time to meet Jowd leaving his vehicle. He did a ring around his briefcase while the man reached for his coat. As Jowd retrieved the article and bent down to pet Sissel, the cat tried his best to hide the fact he was frustrated. He wished so badly that Jowd had a core, but he had never died in this timeline…sometimes the cat swore the detective remembered him, but like everybody else, there was just no core to tell.
Jowd rose to walk to the door, and Sissel followed him loyally, his mind occupied with something else. Surely, Jowd would know what was going on, and where Yomiel was, what was happening to him…the house was…
Anything but silent. Sissel's fur stood on end when Missile rushed at Jowd; almost bowling the feline over, save for his quick leap to the side. Missile…was still here?.! Wasn't he…Lynne's dog?
Lynne…the one who always seemed to get the short end of the stick, Lynne, the one who remembered him…or at least; remembered his name. Jowd seemed to bristle with the same feelings as Sissel, if for slightly different reasons.
Lynne should have come by to pick up her dog a long time ago; even if she left him here to play after the celebration…the latest she should have been back by would be two…it was five in the afternoon by now.
Sisel's fur bristled. If the dog was still here, it meant the lady hadn't returned for him, which also meant she hadn't returned from her work yet at all…and Jowd being home meant he had checked the department for her before leaving.
He wouldn't leave if he thought his brand new co-worker hadn't gone home after all.
Missile though, seemed to prove otherwise.
Jowd seemed to run of the same mind, though he chose a calmer route, asking his wife, who had come through from the kitchen to greet him, if Lynne had come around yet. She shook her head, commenting on the fact that she had called once, but didn't get an answer…she assumed the girl was too busy at work but…
Her face fell at the sight of Jowd's. No one noticed a tiny kitten's eyes nearly pop out of its head.
Sissel bolted out of the house, and, as his tail brushed by the detective's leg, Jowd's nerve seemed to snap, as he too, turned and bolted from the house, only managing to yell back at his confused wife that he would be back…
At least they both were glad they proved each other astute instead of crazy…hopefully. Jowd's car wasn't made for racing…but it certainly proved its flight worthiness when he pulled out of that driveway.
The bad feeling…it was getting stronger…
…and Sissel was only feeling weaker against it.
It's not like me to feel so...underneath it all. Against adversity…if that is the word…against it…isn't it my job to continue on?
+-~E~-+
Now that was bad. At least, I think so. This is kinda meant to be longer than this, with this kind of style in employ, and I kind of cut it to the quick here. I suppose you can tell I did this chapter mostly in one day, but with a large portion on another, later date. (The second section namely.) I'm sorry about that, but I had a few meetings I had to go too, and had to turn down a few hopeful people who wanted me for some…opportunity or other.
I'm normally a student first, so when I find myself getting just "okay" grades, like I did my first two semesters, I took matters into my own hands… the result? People won't leave me alone now with these meetings.
I like to have meetings that I plan and schedule, not ones that get in the way trying to give me some award. Dean's list turns out to be more trouble than it's worth…
Ranting I am! Well, I can't say they'll be happy with me once this semester's done, eighteen-nineteen credits is equal to setting oneself up for failure, especially with everything else I do. Maybe they'll leave me alone then.
Next chapter should be better than this. I've got to remember once more that when I start a chapter, I can't leave it alone for such a long time before coming back to it. Doesn't work.~Finalage.