Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. Yet...
Author's note: I quit my job. I gave teaching the middle finger (at least for the rest of the year). So...time to write?
A Brand New Place
00
"Dr. Taniyama! This way please!"
Mai glanced around until she could find the source of the voice, her mind still distracted by the many sights and sounds of a foreign airport. While the initial terminal they had landed in had been incredibly nice and open, there had been deterioration as they moved into the obviously older sections of the airport culminating into a mess of construction viewable from the large windows at the passenger greeting area. It didn't help that everything was written in English and she was still groggy from her on-board sleep.
"Jou-chan, over there," Bou-san commented, pointing towards a woman standing to one side with a sign with her name on it.
"Wow, English AND Japanese," Yasu laughed. "I'm impressed."
Mai laughed as she led the small group to the woman. As they got closer, she noted that the woman looked to be in her late thirties, radiating with the sort of aura that only truly obsessed academics seemed to have.
"Taniyama-hakase! It is nice to meet you," the woman greeted them, her Japanese fairly good, if slightly accented.
"You can speak English, if you prefer," Mai smiled.
"If you don't mind," the woman smiled. "I was chosen to be your liaison because of my fluency, but I admit that I read more than I speak. We weren't certain of your level of fluency beyond our area of expertise. We have had quite a few through the years who could talk science all day but couldn't get around town." She glanced at the three of them. "I was told you had four to your party?"
"Ayako will be joining us tomorrow evening. She is attending a medical conference at the Texas Medical Center," Bou-san replied, proudly.
"I do remember there being an international conference on leadership and technology," the woman acknowledged distractedly. At their curious looks, she added, "I don't work far from the Medical Center so I hear things. Houston is quite large so it is pure coincidence, I promise."
"And, if I might ask…?" Yasu asked after a moment of quiet.
"Oh!" the woman blushed. "Where are my manners? I am Dr. Jessica Canino. I am going to be your liaison for this conference and general tour guide. Obviously, I am going to be driving you to the conference hotel and am here to answer any of your questions." She glanced over her shoulder towards where cars were lined up. "We should probably get a move on before they try to tow my car. Strictly speaking, I am supposed to park in the garage, but…I am lazy. So, let's go!"
Mai laughed and followed the chipper woman, hesitating briefly at the sheer onslaught of noise when they exited as the sound of construction, traffic, and pouring rain greeted them. When Bou-san nudged her, she blinked and followed her guide to the van where they packed in their luggage and piled in. Despite being the shortest, Mai claimed the front seat. While she dearly loved her adoptive family, more than half a day of sitting next to them on an airplane made her more than ready to have her own seat.
Conversation lulled as their guide made their way through the complicated traffic of the airport and onto one of the local freeways.
"The rain will slow us down some, but we will basically be taking this freeway all the way to the hotel," Dr. Canino commented once they had merged fully into traffic. "And while it is awful to drive through, it is actually a good thing. This rain is the first cold snap of the year. Yesterday, it was 99F, or, I guess, 37C for you lot."
"In October?!" Bou-san exclaimed.
"Welcome to the armpit of the world," Dr. Canino grumbled. "But, in theory, we should be seeing fair weather for the next few days, which is good because some of the best tour spots are outdoors. One of the local tour companies is offering a walking tour for the convention attendees Thursday evening, too, so the cooler weather will be nice."
"How far away is the hotel?" Yasu asked, eyes focused on the rainy highway.
"It is going to take us about an hour and a half to get there, maybe two with this weather. Houston itself is a massive city – not much different in size from Tokyo actually – and then Galveston is about forty minutes from outside the city."
"Do you go there often?" Mai asked curiously.
"Not as much as I would like," Dr. Canino answered with a sigh. "My family used to have a sad little beach house on the adjacent peninsula, but it was destroyed in a hurricane about a decade back. Now, we will just make the occasional day trip for business or pleasure."
"I have to say that Houston is…different that I imagined," Bou-san commented politely.
Their guide laughed. "I've seen some of the tourist images, so I understand. Yeah, the trek into the city is not the prettiest. However, there are some beautiful places. And some ugly places. It is a city much like any other."
Looking out the window, Mai agreed. While she was sure the rain was not doing the city any favors, the buildings they passed looked old and run down, weary with age and disuse. Strangely, there seemed to be random spots of brand new next to buildings that reminded her of American movies from the 50s.
"I understand that you are not going to be flying out until next Monday. If you wanted to spend a day in the city, I could point out some good places. I have a bias towards the museums since that is where I work, but I am sure I could find some other places."
"Any good music?" Bou-san asked, half-seriously.
"What type?"
"Rock, mostly."
"Hmm…we do have a pretty good rock scene but I don't think there are any large concerts right now. We just had Depeche Mode a week or so ago(1), but if you are really interested I could dig up some local bands."
The conversation faded out of Mai's attention as the other three occupants of the car began debating music tastes. Part of her was interested in hearing about some good tourist spots, but she couldn't bring herself to focus. Something was pressing on her mind, bothering her without being a fully formed idea.
Frustrated, she tried to push it away and ignore her instincts that told her that something was coming. Normally, when they were this disruptive to her mindset, she could tell if it was a good or bad thing, but at the moment, she couldn't tell anything. She tried, unsuccessfully, to convince herself that it was just nerves. She was about to speak to foreigners in a foreign country about a highly debated topic. It was something she never would have dreamed about thirteen years ago after that fateful day when she –
She broke her train of thought. It was useless anyway. Maybe it was because she was tired….
"So, you work for the Museum of Natural Science?" Yasu asked, drawing Mai's attention again.
"Proudly," Dr. Canino laughed. "I am an assistant curator. These days, I spend most of my time curating lessons for field trips, but it is fun to work with kids."
"Then how did you…?" Yasu trailed off.
"How did I become the liaison for the annual International Parapsychology Association conference?" Dr. Canino laughed. "The short story is that I did my master's thesis on the impact of culture on perceptions of the paranormal. The long story involves a couple of haunted houses and being a magnet for hauntings."
"Mai knows something about that," Bou-san guffawed.
Mai met the woman's eyes and felt a sense of commiseration.
"Luckily for me," Dr. Canino commented, "I apparently ward them off simultaneously, so I haven't had to deal with what your group has had to."
"You've heard about us?" Mai asked, curious despite herself.
"I do my research. I would be a bad host if I did not look into the individuals I am supposed to be liaising with. Plus, your case studies make for interesting reads. As does Mr. Yasuhara's vlog."
"I'm famous!" Yasu crowed proudly.
The group chuckled before growing quiet again. Mai glanced out the window again before voicing something that she had begun to notice.
"There are a lot of trees for a city."
"Yes! It is actually a point of pride for the city. We have been trying to expand the amount of green space. Plus, the trees help with shade, which is important when it gets to 38-39C regularly." She spoke the last with a weary sigh.
"Ayako would love it," Mai murmured.
"Ah, yes, she is an exorcist who relies on tree spirits, right?"
"That's our miko," Bou-san grinned. "Though she would probably argue that these trees are all dead spiritually."
"Maybe," Dr. Canino laughed. "We were the pollution capitol for a while. However, many of these trees are very old. We have a lot of new growth obviously, but many of them have been around for centuries, sometimes even replanted from other areas where they weren't growing well. The, ah, unique history of the city means that a lot of trees were kept safe from developers than typical. I imagine your miko would love some of the areas next to where I work. The trees spread out and cross entire roads with their branches. Makes lawn care difficult, but…," she trailed off with a shrug.
"Now that looks more familiar," Yasu commented, looking out the driver-side window at very distinctive building.
"That is Heritage Plaza. It is meant to look like a Mayan temple at the top to celebrate the diversity of our city. My mother used to work down here and always said it looked like an unwrapped chocolate bar to her." Their guide snorted. "To each their own."
The group chuckled and the conversation continued like that for some time. Clearly knowledgeable about the city, their guide never failed to answer a question about a notable building they passed by and continued to depart random tourism information. Mai had a feeling that she was used to guiding foreigners around the city. Working at a major tourism spot probably had that effect. As they continued on, the buildings began to become uglier again, and then grew farther apart.
"When will we be out of the city?" Mai asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Technically, not for a bit longer. In reality, we left it a while ago. The city limits are…absurd."
"Oh! NASA!" Bou-san shouted abruptly startling Mai into turning to look at him in her seat. She found that he and Yasu were looking out of the windows as if they would be able to spot something if they looked hard enough.
Dr. Canino laughed. "Hate to say it, but, despite the road signs, you can't see NASA from the freeway. It is a bit further off the road. It is also the reason that the city limits are so strange. Everything on that side of the road is Houston," she laughed, pointing out her own window. "Everything on that side is Clear Lake, an entirely different city. And I do not mean that in the way that the different parts of Tokyo are called different cities. I mean it has a different mayor, police force, and all of that."
"This is a really strange place," Bou-san commented baldly.
"And you don't know the half of it," their guide laughed. "However, we are getting closer to Galveston. We will be coming up on the bridge in about 25 minutes."
The news came as something of a relief to Mai. While the drive was pleasant enough, she had spent too much time in a crowded small space and was anxious to get out and about again.
"How much longer after we reach the island will we be at the hotel?" Bou-san asked.
"That depends. We can take the quick route or we can take the scenic one. I know that you have all been cramped up for hours so I can understand wanting to get there faster. However, if we go the longer route, you will get to take a look at Broadway and we can drive down the Seawall."
"How much time would the scenic route add?" Mai asked.
"About 10-15 minutes depending on traffic. As the rain is lightening up, I imagine we won't have to deal with much traffic on the island. It is still fairly early in the day," she commented, reminding her passengers that it was not quite midday local time.
"I just realized," Bou-san began with a groan. "It is the same date. We took a flight for twelve and a half hours and landed only two hours later on the same day."
"Boggles the mind, doesn't it?" Dr. Canino laughed. "That is precisely why I suggested flying you in today instead of tomorrow. You can have all of today and tomorrow to adjust your sleep schedule."
Yasu and Bou-san groaned simultaneously at the thought.
"Come on, guys, we've had worse sleep schedules," Mai cajoled. "We just need to make sure to stay up until 7 or 8 tonight and then we will be fine."
"Yes, Boss," Yasu sighed. "But I refuse to be responsible for the consequences of too little sleep."
"As long as you don't burn the hotel down, I am sure you will be fine," Dr. Canino chimed in with a smile.
"Not even I am that talented," Yasu grinned charmingly.
"I have my doubts," Dr. Canino smiled. "However, no one did tell me which route you would like me to take."
"The longer is fine," Mai replied. "It would be nice to see more of the city and it isn't that much longer."
"Alright, then on that note, I should probably start doing my job properly so that I do not have to take up any additional time once we get you checked in."
"Driving us across the state isn't your job?" Bou-san chuckled.
"Not all of it," Dr. Canino smiled before her voice turned more businesslike. "As you know, the conference will last from Thursday morning until Saturday evening. Due to the somewhat niche nature of our field, we will only have three rooms going concurrently, the two large speaking areas and one smaller office area on the 7th floor. The larger room will be where we are hosting the Paper sessions. You will be speaking in the second session on Thursday along with two others who have published works similar to the paper you will be presenting."
"Not famous enough yet to be the keynote speaker, eh, Jou-chan?"
"Unfortunately, no," their guide agreed. "I have to admit to being one of the people to push for your attendance. We have a lot of Western voices at these conferences, so I, and several others of the Association, wanted to push for more Eastern views. Diversity is central to all scientific investigation."
"Doesn't the conference usually take place in Europe?"
"Yes, which is why I was very excited that they agreed to host it here. A few of us have been pushing for it to be in the US since there is such a large audience here. We were lucky that the conference hotel was willing to cut us a deal in exchange for the good publicity."
"What will be going on in the other two rooms?" Yasu asked, redirecting the conversation.
"One room will be a workshop. We have scheduled your group to have two different time slots for exhibition on Thursday - which will be a concurrent session with the US scholarship since it isn't universally desired - and Friday which will be by itself. The workshop area is largely for people to exchange ideas and understand some of the more practical applications. It is unusual for us to be able to present non-Christian exorcisms so there are already a number of attendees who have been asking about you. We would also like you, Dr. Taniyama and Mr. Yasuhara, to be available to answer some questions on research in the field. I understand that you have approached it in what is the typical manner, but you may have some insights that the others do not."
"I am not standing around dressed up all day," Bou-san grumbled quietly, still unable to hide the excitement latent in his voice. For all that they had been working in the field for over a decade, it was his first chance to speak at an event and more than one of them had been subjected to his fanboy nature.
"That is not a requirement," their guide laughed. "However, you may feel free to bring tools of your trade for demonstration purposes. I assure you that everyone will be very respectful. While we do have a number of skeptics that do attend for curiosity purposes, no one has ever been rude enough to mock anyone's religious abilities."
"We are used to skeptics," Yasu smiled. "My own parents question my job choices on the regular."
"My husband has his jokes as well," Dr. Canino laughed. "Most insensitive non-believer ever. But we can't all be perfect," she allowed, winking at Yasu through the rearview.
"Are there a lot of speakers?" Mai asked.
"We have eleven paper sessions(2), the majority on Thursday and Friday, two panel sessions(3), a few guest speakers, and a keynote session on Saturday before the drunken festivities that pass for closing remarks. Most sessions will have four to five speakers."
"Oh, what is the final room?" Yasu chimed in, suddenly remembering.
"That will be a tech demonstration. One of the associate groups is bringing a bunch of the newest toys to demonstrate and give short lessons on. As the equipment can be quite costly, it is a chance for people to get hands on experience before they make the decision to purchase."
"We definitely should stop by there then," Yasu commented. "Some of our equipment is pretty outdated. With you being an international speaker now, I am sure we could get some grant money to pay for some new toys."
"Perhaps," Mai agreed. "We will have to see what they have on offer."
"Back to the formalities," Dr. Canino continued, "you will be asked to be ready to speak fifteen minutes prior to the beginning of your session. This shouldn't be a problem since you are only the second session and the call time is at the end of the prior session, which I imagine you intend to attend." She sighed. "It's generally the ones after lunch that are problematic. There has been an unfortunate instance or two of speakers wandering off during the longer break."
"Getting drunk at the hotel bar," Yasu murmured.
"Indeed. During the session itself, you will have 15 minutes of dedicated time. Your abstract(4) has been published in the program so most attendees will have some familiarity with your topic. You may choose to spend the entire time speaking or taking questions. It is up to you. Most speakers do a combination of both."
"This is so very organized," Bou-san winced.
"It is. You will find that there is always something scheduled to be going on. In previous years, we did not actually have concurrent rooms to ensure that everyone had a chance to take part in everything. However, the idea was that not everyone would get a lot out of the super niche sessions so during some of those more specific sessions, there will be the workshops and tech demos. Regardless, if you feel at a loss, the schedule is very precise and orderly."
"What about after the sessions?" Yasu asked suggestively. "What is the night life like?"
Their guide laughed. "Typically, we would have night sessions as well. However, we branched out a little this year. While there is a banquet on Friday, Thursday there will be the option of taking the walking tour I mentioned earlier instead of listening to the presidential speech – less of a draw for the one-time speakers. Saturday will have a reception which has a gala feel. That translates to alcohol, socializing, networking, and maybe some dancing from the uninhibited portion of the group. Since the conference officially ends with the reception it tends to get a little wilder."
"So…Bou-san," Mai and Yasu chimed in simultaneously.
"Hey!"
"We also did schedule some tours for tomorrow for anyone who is interested. I will get you the details later."
"Tours of what?"
Their guide laughed. "In truth, they are just historical tours. However, the local tourism group stressed that the three locations are all haunted. Personally, I just think the places look nice, but I never was a particularly gifted medium so who is to say?"
Mai opened her mouth to ask a follow-up question when Bou-san broke her thought. "Is that the bridge?"
"It is!"
"…Why is the water brown?" Yasu asked, his tone slightly apologetic.
Their guide didn't seem to take offense and laughed. "The color depends rather on the day, but it does tend towards brown. Rest assured, it is as clean as any public beach. However, between the shallow waters, the major shipping port, and the proximity to the Mississippi, the water is always being churned up."
"Oh," he answered simply.
The conversation in the car grew quiet as they began to drive through the city. Dr. Canino pointed out that they were technically driving away from their hotel as they drove lengthwise down the island. "However, this is the heart of the island."
As they drove, she pointed out the older houses and a rather large cemetery that had standing mausoleums and ancient looking headstones. Mai found herself liking the island the more she saw of it. It, too, seemed like it had aged and been worn down over time. However, where the previous city felt weary, these buildings whispered that they had stories to tell to those who would listen. Time had weathered them, but they were not broken. Once again, Mai felt that strange sensation wash over her. Frustrated, she tried to pin down exactly what it meant, only to give up again.
"And this, is the Seawall," their guide announced as she turned from the highway at last. Then, suddenly, the ocean was stretching out to one side and the island to the other. Even through the closed windows, Mai could hear the quiet roar of the waves as they came to shore. The rain had slowed to a light drizzle that blew in gusts over the water. As she watched, lightning stretched out over the ocean and thunder rolled over them.
"Nothing quite like a storm at sea," Dr. Canino murmured appreciatively.
"They built this because of the storm, right?" Yasu asked solemnly as he looked over the water.
"You've done your research!"
"It is my job," he agreed.
"Yes, you will hear quite a few stories about the Storm. Most of the ghosts the island claims come from the Hurricane of 1900 in which thousands lost their lives. The most famous story comes from the children of the orphanage. The nuns tried to save them by tying a rope to themselves and the children. In the end, it probably is what killed them all. While I probably shouldn't mention it, the hotel we are staying at claims that some of its haunting comes from those children as they washed ashore where the hotel now stands."
"That is awful," Mai whispered.
"It is. Though, most sightings of the ghost children – because there are more than a few places that claim to have them – say that the children are playing happily. So, perhaps it is not the worst."
"What are the other sightings at the hotel?" Bou-san asked.
Dr. Canino shook her head. "I have been told to not give extra information to any attendee who might be spiritually sensitive. We do not want to contaminate the data if possible. One of the deals we made with the hotel is that we would report any findings in the hotel itself for their tourism brochures. In a haunted city, ghosts stories sell."
Eyes still on the stormy seas, Mai nodded distractedly. She understood perfectly well how important it was to not spoil the sample set. However, she did not relish the idea of having those sorts of dreams. Hopefully, as they were not on an actual case, nothing would trigger.
"And here it is up on the right," their guide pointed out, drawing their collective attention.
Lightning flashed dramatically as they approached the hotel. It had a slightly gothic feel with two wings on either side to make a C shape that faced the ocean. The central section had four small domed towers that look like they had once seated great bells and a taller section to the right threw off the symmetry to the building. In different weather, the coiffured lawn probably did a lot to negate the eerie aura of the building, but in the rain, Mai felt like she had arrived at a horror movie set.
"I refuse to be the one who dies first," Yasu muttered, echoing Mai's thoughts.
"I will keep that in mind," Dr. Canino commented distractedly as she pulled the car up to the valet. "I will check you in at the front lobby then give you a short tour. After that, you will have the rest of the day to yourselves."
"This place makes me feel…broke," Bou-san stage whispered as they stood outside of the hotel, awkwardly watching the valet unload the van and call a concierge to help them.
"You and me both," their guide chuckled. "While the outside may be a bit eerie, the inside is very posh."
"Ayako will feel right at home," Yasu grinned.
"Unlike us peasants," Mai smiled back.
The feeling of poverty only grew as they entered the hotel. Built in an era of class and circumstance and updated to take in modern tastes, the hotel exuded casual wealth. They crossed over a large hand tiled mosaic to get to the sculpted iron, gold, and wood reception desk that inspired images of a gilded bird cage.
"This place reminds me of The Great Gatsby," Yasu commented thoughtfully.
"Wait until you see the elevators," Dr. Canino replied before stepping up to talk to the clerk.
Left with nothing to do, the group cast their eyes around the lobby, taking all of it in. To the right, Mai noticed a closed restaurant area and what looked to be a gift shop. Bou-san tapped her shoulder and pointed behind her towards a bar area.
"I think I know where I am hanging out tonight."
"You are underdressed," Yasu laughed.
"No kidding," Bou-san muttered. "I've never felt the need to dress up for a hotel before."
"It is the conference area, too," Mai commented. "But I agree. I feel like even my pajamas aren't nice enough."
"And who is going to be looking at your pajamas, Jou-chan?" Bou-san commented suggestively.
Mai snorted. "Yasu."
"Fear not, Boss. If you want to bring some unsuspecting man back to the room, I will excuse myself."
"Yasu!" Mai gasped, blushing red despite herself.
"I think we have a new goal for the conference, shounen."
"Don't you start!"
"It has been a while since Mai has dated anyone. A random hook up with a stranger in a different country would be perfect for her."
Groaning, Mai turned away from the troublesome duo. Her love life – or general lack thereof – was one of their favorite topics. She was just glad Ayako wasn't there. She would be hatching plans right along with them. Thankfully, at that moment, Dr. Canino turned around to address them.
"Well, you are all set. Your rooms are on the 5th floor, the one with the most reported hauntings, I am told. Before I set you free, let me give you a quick tour."
The group nodded, accepting the proffered room keys. Gesturing to their left, she escorted them past the bar and to one of the large rooms that made the base for one of the hotel's wings.
"This is the Music Room. It is where we will hold the paper sessions, panel sessions, and keynote speaker." She briefly opened the doors to reveal a large room lined with windows and set up with tables and chairs all facing towards the podium across the space from the doors. "Behind us," she continued, pointing across the hall to a tucked away area, "are the bathrooms for this area."
"Good to know," Yasu commented dryly.
"On the other end," she continued, escorting them to the other end of the hotel, "we have two spaces in one." As she spoke, she opened the doors into a hallway that mirrored the Music Room. "Through these doors is the Ballroom where the workshops will be held," she pointed out before continuing down the hall to an open windowed area filled with tables clearly set for dining purposes. "And this is where we will be having our provided meals. The conference will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the three days of the conference. You may eat elsewhere if you prefer. There is a restaurant on site," she added, gesturing ahead as they exited the hallway again, "and the local food scene is good."
"Do you have any recommendations for tomorrow?" Mai asked.
"Two of the tours we have scheduled tomorrow, which are in this pamphlet," Dr. Canino replied, handing them a small pamphlet, "are on Broadway and one is on the Strand. I would highly recommend you spend time on the Strand tomorrow. Not only are there good restaurants, but it is a good piece of history. There are some very tourist trap style shops, but there are also some interesting places you won't find elsewhere. And it is within walking distance to the second tour. We will be providing a shuttle to the first tour on the Strand tomorrow at 9AM for those that are interested."
"Sounds great!" Bou-san grinned.
"My number is in the pamphlet so feel free to text or call me if you need anything. If I don't answer, leave a message. I will be involved with set up tomorrow so I cannot guarantee to chauffer you personally, but I can arrange ride services for anywhere else you want to go. I am here to help."
"Thank you," Mai smiled warmly.
With another quick wave, Dr. Canino left them, bringing a phone to her ear, undoubtedly to update the other leaders of the conference on their status. Mai watched her leave before turning to head towards the elevators.
"Ooo, a coffee bar!" Yasu exclaimed. "That'll come in handy tomorrow."
"They also have a hot water station for tea," Mai commented.
"I did read that American hotels are unlikely to have electric kettles in the room," Yasu grumbled stopping when Bou-san openly guffawed at the 20s era figures painted into a lounging position on the elevator doors. "Now we just need pinstripe suits and a flapper dress."
"Some sort of crazy American gun too," Bou-san agreed.
The elevator ride was short and they emptied out into the strangely tropical hallway.
"Is that…cloth on the walls?"
"Ugly cloth."
Navigating to the right, they turned until they were at the end of the hallway. Their rooms had been situated across the hall from each other at the very end. Just touching the doorknob made her feel uneasy and Mai sighed internally from the knowledge that she was unlikely to have restful sleep. She opened the door and rolled her luggage inside before turning to look at the other two.
"So, what is the plan?"
Bou-san sighed and leaned up against the door. "I don't think I am up to going around town, but we do need to do something to keep awake. The rain looks like it is stopping. Why don't we rest and settle in and then in an hour go for a walk? I saw some shops along the seawall that go out over the ocean. They might be interesting."
"Sounds good to me," Yasu agreed. "That will give me time to shower and change. I am done with these clothes."
Plan made, the three of them retreated to their respective rooms. Originally, John had intended to join them and Yasu would have shared a room with him. However, he had been called on unexpectedly to handle things at the church so instead of getting her own room, Mai found herself sharing a room with her sole full-time employee. Again. It was logical enough since neither of them were in a relationship and, in fact, had moved into a two bedroom together a few years prior. (The move had made Bou-san and Ayako feel better about her living arrangements and provided Yasu with a tolerable roommate that just so happened to be his employer.)
Still, Mai was longing for her own room at the moment. Yasu tended to worry over her when dreams might be a factor and she didn't want to bother him. And, to be honest, she wanted a bit of alone time. She would kick him into Bou-san's room for the night if it weren't for the fact that he had a king bed instead of two queens. While Yasu would undoubtedly enjoy making the older man uncomfortable, it was not exactly a fair exchange.
With a sigh, Mai settled onto her bed, waving Yasu into the shower. She closed her eyes for what felt like moments before he was shaking her awake again, the steam from the bathroom wafting out of the opened door along with the smell of shampoo. Yawning, she stood up, gathered a change of clothes, and took a quick shower herself. By the time she emerged, she was feeling much better and was excited to get out to explore the area. She opened the door to find Bou-san doing the same.
"Were you watching me or something?" he joked.
"Always," Yasu winked at him.
Laughing they made their way back down to the lobby, deciding somewhere along the way to grab lunch. As they had three days of hotel food to look forward to, none of them were inclined to eat there. Before they could pull out their phones to search for local restaurants, Mai noticed Dr. Canino discussing something with the front desk. She gave the woman time to finish her conversation before approaching.
"Ah, Dr. Taniyama, was there something you needed?"
"We were actually about to look for somewhere to eat."
The woman thought about it for a moment before her face cleared with a clear idea. "There is actually a restaurant within easy walking distance. I've never been there personally, but my sister always recommends it."
"Why haven't you gone?" Mai pressed curiously.
"The parking lot is always full!" her guide grinned before describing the location and the name of the restaurant. Then her face turned thoughtful. "Is this your first trip to America?"
"Yes…?"
"I feel I should warn you that the American South loves to fry just about everything. Some of the items may have a lot more grease than you are used to. I would look for grilled over fried, at least for your first day here."
"That sounds like good advice," Mai grinned.
"I have to go, but have fun!"
After bidding her goodbye, Mai rejoined the others to explain their new plans as they left the hotel. The walk was pleasant enough, the rain having stopped. The sky did not seem to be clearing up so there was still a certain moodiness to the scene. The wind whipped up from the ocean and made both her and Bou-san's hair dance around their faces causing more than a bit of laughter as they walked.
The restaurant was not too busy and they were able to be seated and order fairly quickly. Some of the food was a bit heavier than Mai was used to, but overall was rather good. They left feeling better and made their way across the street to walk along the seawall. Bou-san pointed at a building in the distance built up on a pier and they slowly made their way over to it, crossing past their hotel as they went.
They spent the rest of the afternoon somewhat aimlessly. It turned out the building Bou-san saw was a rather tourist trap sort of shop with a variety of swim wear and various items with "Galveston, Texas" printed on them. They entertained themselves there for almost an hour, gawking at some of the American style things they had only seen in movies and beach inspired items including intricate sandcastles and beautiful shells. At one point, they even sat in a covered walkway, drinking overpriced beer and staring at the ocean waves.
At some point, Bou-san suggested actually going down to the beach and, after a minute of searching, they found a set of stairs that gave them access. Carrying her shoes in her hand, Mai smiled at the feeling of the cool wet sand under her feet. She crossed the wide beach and gasped at the first touch of the water, laughing at her own reaction.
"Cold, Jou-chan?"
"Just a bit!" she laughed.
"Why don't you check the temperature?" Yasu asked before shoving Bou-san into the surf.
There were muffled curses before Mai spent the next few minutes watching the two run around splashing each other, artfully dodging them as much as she was able. When they settled down, they walked along the water and just chatted about the flight, the conference, and other topics that came to mind. By the time they had made their way back to the hotel, the sun was low in the sky. More exhausted than hungry, they quietly made their way back to their rooms and, not twenty minutes later, Mai was lost to the world.
Where was he? Why hadn't he come? She never wanted him to leave at all and now she was just left…waiting. She spent all day staring out the window, watching the crashing waves, waiting for him to come.
Would she always be left waiting?
Mai sat up with a gasp, tears streaming down her face. Her breath came in pants, heart racing, as she tried to calm herself again.
"Mai?"
"I'm okay. It wasn't a bad one. Just…need a moment."
"If you are sure," Yasu replied softly. "I was just about to wake you up. It is 8am. We need to hurry if we are going to eat before the shuttle leaves."
"I'm not hungry," she nearly whispered, her stomach roiling in the wake of the dream.
"Mai," Yasu scolded softly.
"I'll eat a huge lunch, I promise," she groaned. "I promise."
"Fine. I am going to go down to the lobby to eat then. Bou-san just went down a minute ago. I am going to order you some tea and toast."
Nodding distractedly, Mai dragged her legs out of bed and gave him a small wave as he left the room. For a moment she just stood in the room, dazed, eyes drawn to the same window and nearly identical view that she had seen in her dream. The longer the look, the more she felt herself sinking back into the vision. Finally, she shook herself free and quickly went about getting ready for the day.
She took a moment to consider her outfit. She had a few very professional outfits for the conference – she was still trying to establish herself in the field after all. However, she knew they would be outside quite a bit and walking for most of the day and she wanted nothing more than to be casual. Ayako argued that she still dressed like a high schooler, but she just preferred to be comfortable. With a mental shrug, she decided to split the difference and pulled on her nice knee high boots, a flirty skirt, and a comfortable pullover sweater. If the conference attendees wanted to judge her on her comfort clothes, that would be their problem.
Glancing at her watch as she exited the elevator, she realized that it was nearing 8:30. Surprised as she was not one to loiter when getting ready – and had never developed the habit of makeup, she wondered if she had spent more time staring out the window than she'd thought. Once again, she was struck by the glamor of the lobby as she crossed over to the restaurant area. A quick glance found her two companions sitting amiably over half eaten breakfast. Yasu waved her over while Bou-san spoke on the phone.
"Ayako?"
Yasu nodded, sliding a plate of toast towards her as she sat down. The smile curving his lips might have been gentle, but the stern look in his eyes told her that her normally jovial friend was not going to be swayed.
Rolling her eyes, she ate a piece of toast quickly. When he nodded his approval, she abandoned the food for tea, glad to see that they had found green tea. One of the things she had been relieved when researching the area was to see that tea was well appreciated in the area. Much like her former mentor, she had become quite reliant on the stuff.
She had just taken her first sip when Bou-san hung up the phone.
"How's Ayako?"
"Good. She said that she is going to leave the conference early. Today is mostly for American systems so she doesn't feel like she needs to stick around. She should be checking out of her hotel in just a few minutes and heading down here soon."
"Does she want us to stay here? We can miss the first tour." Mai asked, torn between excitement to be able to experience the city with her friend and a touch of disappointment at missing out on part of the planned day.
Bou-san shook his head as he chewed. "No. She doesn't know how long it will take to get down here and doesn't want to hold us up. She said that she will let us know when she gets in. I am actually going to leave you two now to see if I can hunt down Dr. Canino to arrange transportation for her when she gets in. If we are lucky, she might be able to meet us for lunch."
Mai and Yasu nodded as he shoved the last of his breakfast into his mouth and rushed away from the table. As he left, she noticed his outfit and chuckled.
"He just wants to leave before Ayako makes him change," she giggled.
"I am fairly sure he wore that jacket to the case at my high school," Yasu grinned.
"And that shirt to the case just before it," Mai agreed. "You'd think being in a successful band and married to a rich doctor, he could afford a new wardrobe."
"I don't know. It is almost a thing to be admired that he can take care of clothes for, what, twelve years?"
"Thirteen," Mai corrected, allowing herself to smile nostalgically.
"Thirteen years since all of you met He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named," Yasu remarked wonderingly.
"Don't be melodramatic, Yasu," she grumbled, reluctant to allow her thoughts to continue along that line of conversation. She glanced at her watch. They still had a few minutes until they needed to meet for the shuttle, but years of actively trying to work on her punctuality nudged her to flag the waitress down.
"It seems silly for you to pay for breakfast when you just ate a piece of toast," Yasu frowned.
"Business expense. We can afford it," she commented, signing the provided receipt with a smile to the waiter who brought it over. "And we are just going to charge everything to the rooms and settle up later. It is easier."
"Yes, Boss."
By the time they got to the shuttle, they had five minutes remaining and found Bou-san staring down at his phone, presumably texting details to Ayako.
"Just sending her Dr. Canino's contact information. She said that as soon as Ayako got in, they would find a way to get her to us. Apparently, it is only about a 10 minute drive regardless of where we are so she will bring her over herself if she needs to."
"That is very kind of her," Mai smiled. Her eyes darted out over the water. The scene was a night and day difference from the day before. Cloudless blue sky stretched endlessly over the water as crisp cool winds caused the ends of her skirt to dance around her thighs. Some of the worry she had felt the day before left in the face of such beautiful weather.
Glancing, she noticed that there was a scattered group standing nearby. She recognized a few faces from some book dust jacket pictures. From the look of it, there were only a dozen or so people joining them on the tour and she wondered idly if more would join them for the afternoon tours. As she watched, one of the group broke off and approached her.
"Dr. Taniyama?"
"Ah, yes!"
"I was hoping to get a chance to speak to you! My schedule is a little tight – I am still teaching courses online in the evenings – so I wasn't sure I would have a chance. Would you mind if I picked your brain a little on the ride over?"
"Of course not," she smiled, moving towards the shuttle with a backwards glance towards her companions. "You are Dr. Adeyamo, right? I was really fascinated by your paper on West African spiritualism."
"I'm honored," he smiled, following her onto the shuttle.
Their lively conversation lasted through everyone else boarding, the trip, and even the waiting period while the group lead checked in with the tour guide. Beyond being interesting, it helped Mai let go of a tension she hadn't realized she was holding onto. Her age and ethnicity did not seem to matter to the group – several of whom had joined in on their conversation. It gave her a boost of confidence she didn't know she needed. She smiled wryly as she rejoined her group as they entered the museum. Almost thirty and she was still seeking validation.
Drawn back to the present, Mai looked around in fascination at the building they were currently in. The tour was a before hours one set up by a local ghost tour company and not the museum itself. The guide was still speaking with the museum hosts giving them a minute to wander around the open area.
"A railroad museum, huh?" Bou-san mused as he stood from taking a selfie with one of the eerie paper mâché figures placed around the place. "Never really thought about it before. It probably is actually a huge draw for ghosts. So many stories." He paused. "Now I am curious about the subways at home."
"Unsettling thought," Yasu agreed. "This station was huge though."
"Wait until you see the railways," their guide commented, coming up behind their group. "You have probably never seen so many tracks." At his comment, the wandering group gathered up. "Hello, my name is Patrick. My job today is to give you a lot of history and a bit of ghost story. We have a few sightings here, but I think many of you may enjoy the history not only of the trains – which are interesting on their own – but of the actual island. Quite a bit of history rests on these tracks. I will be moving somewhat slowly and I will not be insulted at all if you decide to wander off and look at things on your own. So, if we are all ready? Then let's go!"
Over the course of the next half hour, they made their way through an impressively large number of rail cars and heard a great deal of history and, really, only a touch of ghost story. Mai was fine with it, though. She was pleasantly surprised at how interesting she found the tour even if she didn't think she would be inclined to visit again even if she could. Yasu, who had always been more technically minded, had been enraptured with a lot of the details, asking follow up questions frequently.
Bou-san was politely bored. In a strange turn of events, he began to play small pranks on Yasu to entertain himself, sending Mai into frequent suppressed giggles. Part of her just knew that the others were probably questioning their professionalism until one of the older, stiffer looking gentlemen chuckled at their antics. She smiled back at him feeling that maybe they might be okay.
As the tour ended just before 10AM, they broke away from the group waving their goodbyes and followed the given directions to head towards the front of the building. Stretching out away from the museum was The Strand, a street they were told had a number of good shops and restaurants. Bou-san stepped away for a moment to answer his phone leaving Mai and Yasu to peer down the street in interest. The buildings were remnants of a long gone era reminding Mai of old Western movies or the Harlequin Regency mangas. The sidewalks in front of the building were more than a foot up from the street and she wondered aloud why that was and if it were for flooding.
"Carriages," Yasu answered. "I looked up some of the history yesterday after you fell asleep."
"Huh," Mai responded, smiling at how much a man of habit her researcher was. Before she could comment, though, Bou-san rejoined them.
"That was Ayako. She said she should be able to join us in about 30-40 minutes. They are almost to the island."
"So, we should stay around here then?" Yasu surmised. When Bou-san nodded, he asked, "Then which way?"
On a whim, Mai pointed towards the left side of the street. "We can go down that side and then come back up the other. The next tour is at…Moody Mansion? At 3:30PM. So, we have a bit of time to kill even beyond lunch."
"Then let's go!" Bou-san prodded, pushing her slightly in the chosen direction.
With a laugh, Mai led the way down the stairs and across the street. As they wandered down the covered sidewalk, they peered through windows and took note of the various restaurants. Surprisingly, most of them seemed to have their menus posted outside so they took a moment to stop at each and peruse, considering them for their coming lunch plans. Other windows revealed clothing stores and tourist shops that all seemed to sell the same set of shirts, shot glasses, and overpriced beer.
"Oh look, a Haunted House!" Yasu laughed as they reached an open courtyard with a giant chess set. "We've never been in one of those."
"Tell you what, you head on in, shounen, and tell us what it is like."
"There are also pirates!" the younger man grinned, walking determinedly towards the building.
With a shrug and a grin, Mai and Bou-san followed behind. Poking their head into the building, they found a theme park style area with two "rides", one for each theme. By the time they had fully walked in, Yasu had a foam pirate sword that he was energetically swinging around.
"Pirates! And ghosts! Mai, this is amazing!"
"Like a kid," Bou-san grinned before grabbing his own sword to join the battle.
"It is a bit of an odd mix," Mai commented to the amused man behind the counter.
"Not really," he commented. "Galveston was a center for pirates for a long while and, of course, the ghosts are everywhere."
"Have you seen one then?" Mai asked curiously.
"You aren't going to meet anyone who has worked on the Strand for more than a few months who hasn't had some sort of experience. I didn't believe either until I had my own experience."
"Fascinating," Yasu commented, coming up behind them. "Has anyone done an official study or is just the tourist books?" he asked, pointing towards the Ghosts of Galveston book that they had already seen in a few places.
The man shrugged. "Not sure. I don't think we get much attention outside of the area and none of the locals feel the need to prove something they know exists."
Yasu nodded. "Interesting."
Another group came in, distracting the employee and so they left, continuing their trip down the street. As they went, Mai began to trail behind. After the dream last night, she was worried that more might come. It was only for a few nights, but her instincts, and the bit of information they had gained on the island, told her that other dreams might not be as mild as the one she'd already had. Distantly, she recognized that they were getting farther and farther ahead of her, but for some reason, she couldn't clear her mind. She heard them speaking as if through glass, her mouth mechanically curving into a smile when they showed her things through windows. They had traveled for more than a block before Yasu's sudden shout of delight shook her from her stupor.
"Pirates!"
"Again?" she smiled, following him as he dashed somewhat unsafely across the street.
When they entered the shop, they found that the store took the concept far more seriously selling a variety of pirate style clothing and even an assortment of swords, knives, and model guns in the back. Clearly fascinated in spite of himself, Bou-san dragged Mai over to try on a pirate hat which Yasu threatened to buy her. When they started going in on buying both her and Ayako one of the various corsets, Mai put her foot down and dragged them out of the shop, thanking the owner as they left.
"Spoilsport," Yasu muttered.
"Ah, Ayako," Bou-san exclaimed, looking at his phone.
The trio paused to allow him to answer and Mai wandered towards the corner back the way they came. As she reached the intersection, she heard a strange cry, almost as if someone had hurt themselves. Looking down the street, she saw no one. A frown furrowed her brow as she continued to look. She could have sworn she heard something. Maybe it was farther away?
Signaling to Yasu that she was going to look down the road a bit, she walked away from the main street. Once again, she heard a voice cry in pain and she looked around, her eyes landing on a ten or so story building across the next street. Even from her distance, she could tell that was in a state of disrepair despite being much newer than the buildings around it. It had clearly been some sort of office building, now closed. A glance down at the street level told her that it was closed off, makeshift fencing and traffic cones blocking the entrance. Yet, as she approached, the cry got louder.
"Is anyone hurt?" she called out, her confusion making her voice softer than she meant. When no one replied, she glanced up at the building again and thought she saw movement at one of the upper windows.
"Help," she heard the voice cry and, without thinking, she stepped forward to help.
"Mai!"
The voice startled her into awareness and the vicelike grip on her wrist pulled her back just in time to stop her from stepping in front of a large cargo truck. Realization struck her, knees going weak at how close she came to real harm. Seconds passed as her heart rate dropped and she began to feel herself again. Finally, she looked up from where she was still pressed against her savior's chest only for her heart to stop in shock.
"Naru!"
Author's Notes:
(1)True story. When I started writing this back in February (before life got real again) I looked up some bands that would be in town around the time of the story.
(2) A paper session in an academic conference is curated by the organizers of the conference. It typically has a few papers presented by their authors that are all about the same topic or related topics. Sometimes, though, the relation can be a bit of a stretch
(3) A panel session is created by the group within the panel. They got together on their own and decided they wanted to present together. Obviously, they discuss a single larger topic or a joint research project.
(4) An abstract is a long form summary of a larger academic paper. Where the proper paper can take up to a 100+ pages, the abstract typically is shorter than 10 and covers the major arguments covered. It has less of the data and a lot more summary but can frequently be read in lieu of the whole paper.
Additional notes:
This story was inspired by a trip my daughter and I made. She wanted to do a ghost tour of Galveston so we stayed in the hotel the conference takes place at (because I can afford a nice hotel room for one night when its out of season…), toured one of the houses mentioned in the next chapter, a graveyard, and went on a walking ghost tour. (Other places mentioned throughout this story are places we have been before because we try to make a trip down once or twice a year.)
When I realized that the hotel also served as a conference center, this sort of came to life. I have been thinking about doing a ten-years-later type story for a while and this seemed like a fun way of doing it. Plus, a couple of things that happened on our ghost tour (which will be completely used in the story) brought additional inspiration.
Finally, the conference that is being portrayed in this an actual convention that takes place annually. It is the Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association. The conference for this year (2023) took place in Oslo and the one in 2019 (which I used most heavily for reference since it was the first downloadable pdf I could find) was in Paris. If you have any interest in the actual field, they upload the conference guide with abstracts every year. It is interesting to look at.
Anyway, I am not done with this story yet, but my goal is to take my unemployed free time and get it finished within the next week or two. That said, until I am done, I am going to put this on a weekly update schedule. I started today since the time in my head when this chapter takes place is actually tomorrow (October 17th).
As always, feedback is amazing.
Til next time.
