Chapter 6: Not As It Seems
Somewhere else in the school, in another closed space, Ms. Yui stood outside of a classroom, looking around.
Ayumi, Yoshiki, Barnacles, Kwazii, and Peso were waiting inside the classroom, waiting for their teacher to come back in with some news.
Suddenly, Ms. Yui gasped when she heard three voices echo through the school.
"Huh? Was that Naomi, Dashi, and Tweak?" She wondered. "Sounded like they were screaming."
Ms. Yui looked down the hall towards the voices, shaking her head.
"What do I do?" She gasped. "I can't let anything happen to my students... Or the Octonauts."
With that said, Ms. Yui entered the classroom, only to be greeted with the sight of Ayumi on the floor and the boys trying to stop her from hyperventilating.
"Ayumi, it's alright." Ms. Yui comforted. "Everything is going to be fine."
"But you heard it too, didn't you?" Ayumi gasped. "The voices."
"I did." Ms. Yui nodded. "Though it was probably not a real voice. Probably just the building settling. I'll go check it out anyway though, ok."
With that, she stood up, looking at them.
"You guys stay here. Alright." She nodded.
"Wait, Ms. Yui!" Ayumi cried. "Don't leave us, please!"
"Ayumi..." Ms. Yui sighed.
"Don't worry teach," Yoshiki smiled. "The Octonauts and I will keep a good eye on her."
"Yes, Ms. Yui, don't worry." Peso nodded.
"Aye, you can count on us, matey." Kwazii promised.
"In fact, as a leader, why don't you all stay here and I'll go take a look around?" Barnacles offered. "I need to find the rest of my team anyway."
"Not a chance." Ms. Yui denied firmly. "My first concern is your safety. I'll go take a look around, you stay here."
"Alright." The boys nodded while Ayumi screamed.
With that, Ms. Yui left the classroom in search of her students and the other Octonauts. She looked around the school, trying to find anyone that was alive. She even found a key on the staircase that went to classroom 3-A.
"Hmm, now where would that be?" She wondered as she looked at the key.
She continued searching, not only looking for her students and Octonauts now, but also the classroom to which the key goes to. Eventually, she found 3-A. She stuck the key in the lock and it opened with a breeze. She went inside, only to find... Nothing.
"Well, that was a waste of time." She huffed as she looked around. "Guess I better keep looking."
She was about to leave the classroom, when all of a sudden, something knocked her back. She landed on the floor with a hard thump. She looked up, and in front of her, was a will-o wisp.
"Well, if it isn't the teacher." It sneered. "Are you all by yourself? Decided to stop shaking and shivering with the other five back in 1-A, didn't you?"
"I'll have you know I heard three of my other students screaming, and I've set out to find them." Ms. Yui persisted angrily.
"I see... Regrettably," The wisp whispered. "That won't be possible. You see, this is a nexus of multiple dimensions overlapping. Just a single closed space in a sea of spaces. In other words, even though you are in the same school as your screaming students, you and they occupy different dimensions. Which means you can never meet. If one of you should die, perhaps your body, or your spirit, may move from one space to another... Or... Maybe you can find some means of traversing the planes freely, as 'they' do."
Ms. Yui gasped at this. Could what the will-o wisp be saying is true?
"Consider this a fair warning." It continued. "Even if you find the exact spot from which your students screams emanated, they themselves may not be there. And if they're not, then there's not a thing you can do."
"But, I heard their voices!" Ms. Yui persisted.
"It is true other children have been brought here quite recently." The wisp admitted. "Children who in appearances are indeed your students. But as I suggested, time and space does not behave as you would expect here. They're... Fragmented. You say you heard screams. Those screams could've taken place a few minutes ago... Or, perhaps have taken place in another space many hours previous. They could've even been echoes of the future. With this phenomenon as it is, it's possible for two closed spaces to have some sort of small influences of each other, even when out of synch."
"It doesn't matter." Ms. Yui hissed as she stood up. "I can't just ignore those agonizing screams and go on my merry little way. Step aside!"
With that, Ms. Yui passed the blue wisp and left it floating there before it completely disappeared. When she was about to exit the classroom again, she was once again knocked back.
The room shook as if another earthquake was happening, and the shelf next to her completely fell on top of her, crushing her to the floor. At that moment, the same will-o wisp appeared in front of her, but it had turned red with anger.
"Step aside?!" It shouted. "Why don't you fuck off you damned corporeal!"
Ms. Yui gasped and coughed as the shelf continued to crush her, a seemingly invisible force pushing it down on top of her.
"In all the world, the most vile, untrustworthy individuals of them all are you schoolteachers!" The wisp hissed. "All you care about is your own well-being! You're not worried for your students. You're just worried about being held responsible if something should happen to them!"
"Ugh... This really... Really hurts." Ms. Yui coughed, sputtering blood on the floor.
"You're all the same. Every last one of you! And I won't be taken in by your lies anymore!" The wisp continued. "When you see a problem amongst your kids, you just keep your distance. Because you sure as hell don't want to get involved! Gotta keep appearances, right! You just pick out the 'problem children' and just chip at them little by little until they either drop out or get expelled! You're not disciplining them, you're just raging at them!"
"That's not..." Ms. Yui started, but the angered wisp cut her off.
"I've never met a teacher who actually cared about their students. Not once!" It cried.
"You're wrong." Ms. Yui coughed.
"All of your students are destined to starve to death in these godforsaken halls." It continued. "If they don't fall into depression and kill themselves first!"
The will-o wisp laughed manically before continuing.
"There's no other possible outcome! They'll all die from meaningless deaths! Just like I did!" It laughed. "And they sure won't be thinking of YOU when they take their final breaths."
Ms. Yui cried and coughed as the shelf pressed on her farther. The wisp floated closer to her, it's red flame warming her face.
"Any last words, bitch?" It asked. "I'll tell them to your students before I end their miserable lives."
"... Spare... M..." Ms. Yui tried to say.
"What was that?" The wisp laughed.
"Spare... My... Students." Ms. Yui coughed. "Please, I don't care what happens to me. Just spare their lives!"
"They're not your children. You're not their mother." The wisp hissed. "Are you still pretending to care about them? Filthy liar. Did you know that when you die in this accursed place you feel the pain of death for all eternity? Ask me to spare YOUR life. It's what you really want, isn't it? Just ask me, and I may consider it."
"Don't you harm a hair on their heads, you hear me!" Ms. Yui shouted, still defending her students.
"... You really are a stubborn little bitch." The wisp hissed before finally crushing the poor teacher into unconsciousness, her own blood pooling around her.
Meanwhile, back in the classroom with Ayumi, Yoshiki, Barnacles, Kwazii, and Peso, Ayumi was starting to get worried about her teacher. Suddenly, the building shook as another earthquake took place.
"Oh no, not another one!" Peso shouted.
"Hold close everybody!" Barnacles ordered as they all huddled together.
When the earthquake finally stopped, they all stood up straight. Suddenly, Ayumi broke away and headed straight for the classroom door.
"Ayumi, where are you going?" Barnacles asked.
"I've just got a really bad feeling." Ayumi sniffed. "We have to go out and find Ms. Yui."
"But, what if Ms. Yui comes back while we're gone and we miss each other along the way?" Yoshiki asked.
"We're going!" Ayumi demanded, startling the boys.
"Alright already!" Yoshiki sighed. "But if we don't have any luck finding her, let's just promise to come right back here."
"I agree." Barnacles nodded.
"I second that." Peso agreed.
"Aye, matey." Kwazii nodded. "Right now, it seems this classroom is the safest place in the school."
"And we don't even know what's out there." Barnacles nodded, looking out into the halls. "Let alone know where we are, or where the others are."
"Alright," Ayumi sniffed.
"How about we leave her a note?" Yoshiki suggested. "Ayumi, do you have anything I can write with?"
"I have a pen." Ayumi offered.
"But no paper. Hmm," Yoshiki thought. "Well, there's always the teacher's desk."
With that, the five of them approached the teacher's desk and Yoshiki wrote the note.
"Ms. Yui, gone out to find you. If we should miss each other along the way, please wait here. We'll be back."
"How's that?" Yoshiki asked.
"It's blunt and sloppy." Ayumi criticized.
"It's you're fault we gotta leave her a note in the first place." Yoshiki frowned.
"Alright then. Octonauts, humans, let's do this." Barnacles nodded as they left the classroom.
As they walked around, trying to find their teacher, they were on their way to classroom 3-A, but it was blocked with the floor collapsed.
"Dead end." Yoshiki sighed. "Guess we better go back."
With that, they left, unknowing of their teacher being crushed to death on the other side.
They kept walking around, trying to find their missing teacher, calling her name and everything. Eventually, they walked into a classroom.
It was empty, but there was a post on the wall. Peso approached the post and gasped.
"What is it Peso?" Barnacles asked.
"The post on the wall..." Peso shivered. "It says Heavenly Host on it."
"Heavenly Host!" They all gasped.
"Ayumi, isn't that the cursed school you were talking about?" Barnacles asked. "Not that I believe it, but still, it seems kinda suspicious."
"Yes, it is." Ayumi nodded before shivering. "It's cold in here."
"Not to mention dark and scarey." Yoshiki agreed. "Hey, Ayumi. Do you still have those candles on you? The ones you used in the classroom?"
"Yeah, why?" She wondered.
"Do you want to light one of those and take a breather?" Yoshiki suggested. "They give off some heat, don't they?"
"Sure." Ayumi smiled.
With that, she pulled out a candle and placed it on the floor. She took out some matches and lit it, the flame warming up the room. The five of them gathered around the candle, warming themselves up.
"This candle of mine really is kinda warm." Ayumi agreed.
"Yeah, it is." The boys nodded.
After they were done warming themselves, they set back out to find their friends. They walked around, calling out their friends names. Eventually, they crossed through a hall, and they all screamed at what they saw.
Bones. Human bones.
"These are... Human bones!" Yoshiki cried.
"Oh god no!" Ayumi shrieked, collapsing on the floor.
"Hold on!" Barnacles shouted. "Everybody just calm down, alright. Maybe they're not real. You know, like a prop or something."
Peso approached the skeletons and examined them. He gasped and backed away.
"That would be a negative, Captain." He shook. "These are real skeletons."
Captain Barnacles took in a shaky breath, trying to calm himself. He was a leader, he needed to stay strong.
Ayumi covered her mouth and coughed. Peso approached her immediately.
"Are you alright, Ayumi?" He asked, feeling her forehead.
"I'll be... Fine." She nodded. "Let's keep looking."
And so, they left the skeletal remains behind, still trying to find their friends. Eventually, they entered another classroom, but there was something off about it. It was smaller, like only half of the actual normal classroom.
"What the hell kind of classroom is this?" Yoshiki cursed. "It's nothing like I've ever seen!"
Ayumi went to the corner and collapsed, holding her head.
"Ayumi! Are you alright?" Yoshiki asked.
"My head... Is splitting." She cried.
"Here, take these." Peso offered, reaching into his medical bag and handing her two pain pills.
Ayumi took the pills and swallowed them both dry.
"Thanks Peso." She smiled. "I'm feeling a bit better now. But we really shouldn't be in here. I've got a bad feeling."
"Aye, but it looks like there's something in the back." Kwazii protested. "I think we should check it out."
"I don't think so Kwazii." Barnacles shook his head. "I admit, even I'm getting a bad feeling about this room. We should listen to Ayumi, and leave as quick as possible."
But Kwazii was not listening, as usual. He ignored his captain and went to the back.
"Kwazii!" Barnacles growled, until he heard him scream. "KWAZII!"
Concerned, the other four ran right to Kwazii's aid. They found him standing on a type of wooden bridge, a wide eyed frightened expression on his face.
"Kwazii, what is it?" Barnacles tried to get him to talk.
Kwazii said nothing. Instead, he pointed straight ahead. They looked up to what he was pointing at, and stood there frozen.
In front of them, was the ghost of a little boy, blood dripping from his mouth as he sat in the corner with his knees up to his chin.
"Please tell me I'm dreaming." Barnacles shivered.
"Not in your life, Captain." Peso shook his head.
"Whatever you do, don't look into his eyes!" Ayumi instructed.
"Right!" The others agreed as they bolted out of the classroom, avoiding the boy's eyes.
When they felt they were a safe distance away from the classroom, they stopped to catch their breath.
"Was that... What I think it was?" Barnacles gasped.
"If you mean a ghost, then yes, I think it was." Yoshiki nodded.
"But that's impossible!" Barnacles shouted. "Ghosts aren't real!"
"Then explain to me what that was in there, captain!" Kwazii hissed.
"I... I don't know! A trick of the light?" Barnacles argued.
"What light, captain!" Now even Peso was getting angry. "There's not a single light on in this godforsaken place! Not one! That was no trick of some imaginary light, and you know it!"
Barnacles was shocked into silence. He couldn't believe what was happening. Now, even his own team was getting angry at him.
"I'm... Sorry." He sighed. "It's just... I've... Never really... Believed in this stuff."
Kwazii and Peso looked at each other, guilt written on their faces.
"We're sorry too." Peso sighed. "It's just that, usually you wouldn't make something up like that."
"Aye, that's usually my job." Kwazii nodded, making the others laugh.
"But we get why you did it." Peso smiled. "It was to protect your reality, right?"
"Right." Barnacles nodded. "I've never believed in this stuff. But I guess with the time pool and the Dark Crystal, I should start believing, shouldn't I?"
"Of course not." Peso laughed. "The Dark Crystal had nothing to do with ghosts. Extraterrestrial creatures, yes. Ghosts, no."
"Right." Barnacles laughed.
"Well, I'm glad we're all calmed down now." Yoshiki nodded. "So let's continue looking for our friends."
"Right." The others nodded.
And so, they continued walking, still in search of the others. They were walking down the hall filled with skeletons when suddenly, Ayumi stopped in her tracks.
"Ayumi, are you alright?" Yoshiki asked her.
Ayumi said nothing. Instead, she made a horrible groaning sound deep in her throat, startling the boys.
"AYUMI!" They shouted as she ran past them into another room.
"After her! She could be in trouble!" Barnacles ordered.
The others nodded and ran after the Japanese girl. They entered the room she went in, and found her standing in the corner, her face turned to the wall.
"Ayumi... Are you alright, matey?" Kwazii asked.
"Guys..." Peso gasped as he took a closer look at their friend. "Her eyes are completely white!"
Suddenly, before any of them could react, Ayumi bursted out in fits of rage and strange sentences.
"NO ONE IS SAYING THAT!" She shouted, but she wasn't done yet. "Today is my daughter's birthday. She's turning seven. We're going out together to celebrate. ... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THAT'S DISGUSTING! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! ... WHY ARE YOU BOTH LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?!"
Afterwards, Ayumi dropped right on the spot, with a Japanese boy and three animals staring at her in horror.
Suddenly, she stood back up and looked at them.
"Hmm? Guys?" She frowned. "What's wrong?"
"You were saying some pretty weird stuff just now." Yoshiki answered truthfully.
"What?" Ayumi frowned further.
"Never mind, it was probably just the school getting to you." Peso shook his head. "You know, like going into shock of all the pressure."
"Maybe." Ayumi agreed.
"Well, enough about that, look where we are." Kwazii smiled.
The others looked around and gasped. They were in the entranceway!
"Yes!" Yoshiki cried. "Now we can get out."
With that, Yoshiki went up to the door and pulled on it, but it wouldn't even budge.
"Should've known it wouldn't be that easy." He sighed.
As they left the entranceway, they gasped at what was in front of them. The ghost from the classroom.
"Shit, it's that ghost again!" Yoshiki cried.
"Don't let it touch you!" Ayumi instructed.
And so, they ran, with the ghost boy chasing after them. They ran as fast as they could, and eventually escaped from the ghost. They looked around and noticed that they were back by their classroom.
"Let's go inside." Peso suggested. "Maybe Ms. Yui is back now."
The others nodded and went inside the classroom. They were disappointed to see that their teacher was not back yet, the note left for her untouched and unread.
"Guess she's not back yet." Ayumi sighed.
"Can't believe she's still out looking for Naomi." Yoshiki sighed.
They all sighed as they left the classroom to try and search again. They continued walking through the school, occasionally having to run if they ran into the ghost boy again. Eventually, Ayumi stopped, kneeling to the ground.
"What's wrong, Ayumi?" Yoshiki asked. "Need to stop for awhile?"
"Hmm? No," She shook her head. "I just thought that this would be a good spot to place another candle. No objections I assume?"
"Go ahead." Barnacles nodded.
And so, Ayumi brought out another candle and lit it. They gathered around the fire, warming themselves up a bit more before setting off again. They continued walking, eventually finding themselves on the third floor. They were near the restrooms when Ayumi stopped.
Fearing that she would flip out again, the boys stayed near her, ready for anything. But instead, she looked at the girls restroom and ran inside, the boys following her, still keeping an eye on her.
When they went into the restroom, they noticed something odd on the floor.
"What is this?!" Ayumi cried as she approached it.
"Looks like it's been stained." Yoshiki frowned. "But with what?"
"It almost looks like a person." Peso shivered.
"Somebody died here. I can hear her voice." Ayumi gasped. "No! No please, don't!"
"Ayumi, snap out of it!" Barnacles hastily tried to get her to calm down, but with no such luck as she screamed.
Suddenly, the stall door in front of the stain opened all by itself, startling the boys. Ayumi collapsed on the floor, grabbing her hair and gasping for breath.
"SSSEEEEEEEIIIIIIKOOOOOOOOOOOO! NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She screamed at the top of her lungs before bolting out into the hallway.
"AYUMI!" The boys cried, running after her, once again.
When they found her, she was standing, facing the wall once again. Slowly, they approached her.
"Are you alright, Ayumi?" Yoshiki asked.
Ayumi said nothing and groaned again. The boys backed away from her in fear, knowing where this was going.
"Bring me more! You'll do whatever I ask of you!" She demanded. "I don't care if you're innocent, you're listed as 'buried-alive' aren't you?! ... They're mine! I'm sure as hell not sharing with the likes of you! ... Clean up is a real pain in the ass too, you know. Have some pity!"
Yoshiki and the Octonauts stared in horror. Their friend was being possessed, they could tell, but they had no idea of what to do.
"I believed in you!" She continued. "Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?!"
Suddenly, she started to laugh manically, frightening her friends even more.
"What do we do?" Kwazii gulped.
"She's being possessed!" Barnacles pulled at his ears.
"Flappity Flippers, this is too intense!" Peso screamed.
"I wish we had some guidance." Yoshiki added.
Suddenly, a red will-o wisp appeared in front of them as if granting Yoshiki's wish.
"That poor girl." It said. "She's lost her mind, and she'll never get it back. Possession is a frightful thing. To have your thoughts pushed deep into your soul and have someone else's take their place."
With that, the wisp disappeared, leaving the boys even more frightened and confused.
"Well thanks for that, whoever you are." Barnacles growled.
"There must be someway to save her." Peso begged.
"Why the hell are you doing this?!" Ayumi screamed angrily. "Answer me!"
"There's only one thing I can come up with." Yoshiki shook his head.
"Whatever it is, do it!" Kwazii demanded. "Get our friend back!"
Yoshiki nodded and approached Ayumi. When he was close enough, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly.
"Come back to us, Ayumi." He begged. "We're going to find the others and get out of here. There's no reason at all for you to stay like this."
Ayumi stopped and stood there frozen.
"So... Warm." She sighed.
Suddenly, she gasped and looked around. She saw Yoshiki hugging her, and she hugged back.