GHOST HUNT: THE MISSING ARCHIVES
Hi, everyone. So I am on a roll with the updates. I've been feeling quite inspired. So first of all thank you for reading this. I went back to read my previous cases to jump back into character and I noticed how poorly written season 1 was. Hopefully my writing has improved, but I'll probably have to rewrite S01 at some point.
Also, do you guys have suggestions of games/movies that you'd like to see in the story? let me know!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from Ghost Hunt, or any concept from the games mentioned before.
CASE002: Haunting corridors#3
I sat at the table, repeatedly examining the photos I'd taken with my spirit camera. The haunting images of the shades appeared in every shot, serving as an ominous reminder of the dangers lurking within the school. My gaze finally settled on the set of photos from the southern corridor. The black entity from my dream was there: shapeless, dark, and menacing. I sighed and placed the inside a paper envelope.
"What's up with that sigh?" Kei asked me.
There were currently four people in base. Lin-san, as usual, was monitoring the screens for any activity. Rei was poring over Yasuhara's notes, while Kei busied herself with something related to the shades. And then there was me.
"Huh?" I replied. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little worried and maybe tired, that is all."
Kei gave me a sympathetic look. I was feeling exhausted, and maybe it had to do for my lack of sleep, or maybe it was just the weather. Rainy days tended to make me feel sluggish.
"Yeah, you didn't have a comfortable night, after all."
"I should be used by now."
"Oh, one never get used to it. By the way, Rei said you sort of snapped at those girls back on the stairs to the rooftop," he said. "Not saying they didn't deserve it, but it is rare for you to actually snap."
"Ah, yeah…" I chuckled. "I guess stress is making me grumpy."
"Are you sure you are okay?"
"Yeah, I even feel a little guilty now for taking it out on them."
"To be fair, they probably deserved the scolding," Kei replied, crossing his arms, and I scoffed.
He was right, I was pretty sure they had deserved it.
"Well, in other matters, how are you doing with your dreams?"
"I've only had the one about the girls," I replied with a shrug. "but I haven't seen…you know."
"Oh, so your little spirit guide is missing?"
"Well, the butterfly was there," I replied. "It's always nearby whenever I'm dreaming."
"It might be your spiritual familiar, so that is not odd at all," Kei said with a shrug. "The real question is how you came to have one in the first place."
"Is it hard to get one?"
"Certainly that depends of what kind of familiar spirit, but from the way you've been describing that little butterfly, it definitely sounds like some kind of shiki. However, you're not advanced enough to create one, so I guess this little spirit must like you a lot if it's willing to act as a shiki without a contract."."
"A spirit that likes me," I said. "Wouldn't that be dangerous? Like won't it try eating my sould or something like that, would it?"
"If that spirit wanted to eat your soul, it would have done it already. Why bother protecting you in the first place?" Kei scoffed. "Nah, I guess you just have a friendly ghost watching over you."
"A friendly ghost, huh?" I mused, thinking of the butterfly and Gene. The latter's absence in this case saddened me a bit, but I figured he had his reasons for staying away. Shaking off the melancholy, I decided to change the subject. "What about you? How is that search going?"
"Ah, I don't want to talk about it," Kei said, letting out a frustrated groan. "Almost 10 hours of scrying, and I've got nothing. I keep hitting a wall. It's like every time I think I've caught up with the spirit, it just vanishes. It's becoming a real annoyance."
I chuckled. I knew he was working hard and that he had all rights to be annoyed, but he became pretty amusing when he was frustrated. I took a deep breath and leaned back in my chair.
"Hey, Kei. Do you think the spirit on the rooftop is responsible for the shades?"
"It's highly possible, that is, of there os one at all," Kei nodded. "We'll have to see what Hikaru finds up there. Her senses are more attuned to spirits, so she's the most likely among us to detect even the faintest presence. If she senses anything, then we'll know for sure there's a ghost."
"And then what?"
"Well, we do what we do best," he replied. "We go and cleanse the spirit. With the source dealt, the shades will naturally vanish and end of the case."
"That sure sounds easier said than done, huh?"
"Who said this job was easy?" Kei laughed, and I rolled my eyes at him. "Talking about the job. Hey, why don't you take a nap?"
"What? Oh you're not teasing me with that again, are you? I thought we had gotten over that joke."
"It's highly tempting," Kei laughed. "But no. Seriously, I think you barely slept last night, and you look exhausted. For the record, you tend to make more mistakes when you're tired. So, I'm doing Shibuya-san a favor by sending you to take a nap."
"Gee, thank you…"
"For real. There's really nothing you can help with right now, and who knows, perhaps your little bird might shed some extra lights into this case."
"Fine, I might actually take a nap."
Oooo OOOOO oooO
"Mai…"
I opened my eyes, expecting to find myself lying in some random spot within the high school. To my surprise, my gaze was greeted by sunlight filtering through the leafy tops of trees, swaying gently in the wind and I could feel the grass beneath me. Gene was sitting by my side with his usual gentle smile.
"Gene!" I said with a smile as I got up and looked at my surroundings.
I found myself in the school gardens, or at least, a dream version of them. I hadn't had the chance to explore beyond the area around the haunted stairs, and with the current weather, it wasn't exactly the best time to wander around anyway. Now however, the garden wasn't damp and raining, but fresh and clear, as if in the middle of spring.
"I was wondering why I hadn't seen you so far. You finally made it into my dreams!"
Gene smiled apologetically.
"I am sorry. I've been sleeping a lot lately."
"Oh? Why? Are you okay?"
Gene smiled again, he patted my head, but didn't answer.
"Come. There's something you should see."
Gene stood up and stretched his hand at me to help me get up. I grabbed and soon enough I found myself following Gene through the bushes. We eventually came to the staircase. There I saw a girl wearing Hiromiya's uniform sitting under a tree and reading a book, a woman with brown, wavy hair sat by her side.
"Futaba-san…" I said. "And that is…"
While I was trying to figure out who that woman was, a group of girls, led by a tall,long-haired girl, arrived. They began picking on Futaba-san, snatching her book and taunting her with it. They ripped out pages and threw them into the air amidst their laughter, while Futaba-san could do nothing, but watch helplessly. By her side, the woman held her shoulders, while glaring at the girls with intense fury. The scene abruptly shifted, and we were now in a corridor. I watched as Futaba-san was cornered by the same group. They pushed her and pulled her hair, their bullying becoming more physical. The woman was there, too, but once again, it seemed like she could do anything. Anger surged within me, and I was about to confront the girls when Gene stopped me, shaking his head.
The scene shifted once again. Now we were in the music room, where the group of girls huddled in a corner, their cruel laughter echoing. The woman was there, too. Standing in the opposite corner, looking at the girls with poisonous glares. The next instant, we were in the dance hall. Futaba-san was dancing gracefully, but then she seemed to trip and fall, her legs twisting into an awkward position while her pink ballet shoes became stained in crimson. She cried out, and the woman rushed to her side. The scene changed again, and now we stood in the library. Futaba-san sat in a corner alone, crying and scribbling in what seemed to be a journal. A woman sat by her side, brushing her hair with a hand and whispering comforting words. Who was she?
The image began to blur, and suddenly, we were on the rooftop on a rainy day. Futaba-san was standing in front of us, staring at the sky, under the rain. She stepped onto the ledge of the building, and I wanted to run and pull her back, but Gene held my hand, his eyes filled with sadness as he shook his head. Futaba-san was crying, and then she stepped off the ledge, plummeting over the edge. The woman I had seen earlier ran past us, chasing after her, desperately reaching out to stop the inevitable. But it was too late. Futaba-san had fallen, and the woman cried out in anguish from the edge.
More images flashed by like blurry patches, disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye, yet the overwhelming pain and sadness they conveyed were unmistakable: a hospital room, a crying woman, the group of bullies, and a woman with cold angry images slowly eroded until everything faded away, leaving Gene and me standing alone in a vast, empty white space, the weight of sorrow lingering heavily around us.
"That's so cruel!" I exclaimed, my voice trembling with outrage and sorrow. The story was painfully clear. I had witnessed fragments of the torment that had driven Futaba-san to such a desperate act, and I could feel the heavy weight of her sadness. "How could they treat her like that?"
"Human beings can be really cruel," Gene replied. "Not all people have a heart as big as yours. She is in a lot of pain, and her sadness blinds her. She's not inherently evil, all she needs is someone who can understand."
I gave Gene a sad look.
"That woman…"
Gene nodded.
"You noticed it, didn't you?"
"She…she was a ghost wasn't she? That's why she couldn't help her."
Gene gave me a sad look, one that spoke volumes. I was certain he could relate to that feeling. How many times had he experienced the same helplessness, watching Naru struggle and knowing he couldn't do anything to help his brother, no matter how much he wanted to?
"You should go now. Noll will want to know."
"Yes, thank you for showing me this, Gene. I'll find a way to help the spirit. I promise!"
The dream faded away, and saw Gene disappear in the distance.
"So Futaba-san is in a coma, and being stalked by a spirit as well?" I heard Bou-san say, as soon as I woke up. "Give that poor girl a break."
I lifted my head and surveyed the room. Everyone had returned to base, and it appeared we were in the midst of a debriefing.
"Did Hara-san identify the ghost?" Naru said, turning to John.
"She said it was a female highschool student," John answered. "But the spirit is so angry that she couldn't figure out her identity. She says that the spirit refuses to talk to her."
"Is that the spirit who created the Shades?" Yasuhara suggested..
"No, I'm sure the spirit haunting Futaba-san is another," Hikaru said. "There is a spirit on the school's rooftop. I feel anger in her, but mostly it is pain and sadness."
"Did you manage to identify it?"Naru said, looking at Hikaru.
"Unfortunately no, but the spirit seems old. I don't think it is the spirit of a student."
"Perhaps what you felt was a wandering spirit?" Aki suggested. "There are several of them running around in the forest after all."
"No, I'm sure the spirit has an attachment to the school, but it isn't direct. Its presence is faint, so if I hadn't purposely gone to the roof looking for it, I would have missed it."
Naru nodded, his gaze then fell on me and I saw him frown.
"Happy that you finally join us, Mai-chan," Yasuhara chuckled. "Did you have a good sleep?"
"I think so," I shrugged. "What were you talking about?"
"Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san visited Futaba-san," Yasuhara explained. "Hara-san said that she seems to be haunted by the ghost of a very angry highschool girl."
"A highschool girl?" I asked.
"Yes, that's what Masako says," Bou-san shrugged. "We were discussing whether that spirit was the one responsible for the shades, but Hikaru-chan says she thinks the spirit in the rooftop is most likely the responsible."
"Yeah. I think Hikaru-chan is right," I said remembering my dream.
Most of my friends looked at me in shock; even Naru seemed a bit taken aback by what I had just said. The only two who didn't appear surprised were Rei and Kei, which made me wonder if having me nap had been part of their plan all along.
"Mai," Naru began. "Did you have a dream?"
I nodded. I immediately began telling them what I'd seen in my dream, leaving out, naturally, Gene's presence. Naru listened attentively, making notes in his little black notebook.
"You say there was a woman with her?" Naru asked.
"Yeah, she was older, probably in her mid twenties. She might have been around Rei and Kei's age."
"Could it be this person?" Naru said, pulling out a photo from his notes and pushing it to me.
I picked up the photograph and examined it closely. It showed two women: a girl I instantly recognized as Futaba-san, and an older woman with a bright smile. Both were beaming with happiness, and side by side, their resemblance was unmistakable.
"It is her!" I said. "That's the woman I saw."
"Futaba Haruna," Naru said quietly. "Futaba-san's older sister. She died in a car accident during Futaba-san's first year at Hiromiya."
"Her sister?" I repeated. That surely explained many things I'd seen in my dream.
"If I'm not mistaken, I believe Futaba-san was raised mostly by her sister since their mother died when they were young and their father was always busy," Yasuhara said. "I believe both worked really hard so that Futaba-san could come Hiromiya."
"She must have been worried about her sister, unable to move on after death," Hikaru speculated. "That's likely why the link with the school was faint. Haruna-san wasn't directly involved with the school, but she remained connected through her sister."
"I think Haruna-san was angry at how her sister was being treated," I said. "She had to watch helplessly, since as a ghost she really couldn't do anything to protect her from the bullying. Then the accident happened and Futaba-san attempted suicide."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good trigger to become a vengeful spirit," Rei nodded. "By the scene you described, it's a safe bet that the accident was no accident after all."
"What do you mean?" Bou-san asked.
"You said you saw those girls in the music room while doing something, right?" Kei said. "Yasuhara's notes said that Futaba said that someone had placed glass pieces in her pointe shoes and by the time she noticed it was too late. They couldn't find proof, so Futaba-san's words were discredited."
"You think the bullies did it?" John said with wide eyes.
"Honestly I wouldn't be surprised," Rei sighed. "We've seen this story several times before."
Naru seemed thoughtful, he flipped through his notes and then turned to Yasuhara
"Yasuhara-san, do you know the name of the first girl that died?"
"Ah, that was Irie Kumiko," Yasuhara replied. "She was a ballet dancer as well. She jumped off the roof."
Yasuhara placed the photo on the table and I let out a gasp.
"That's her! That's the bully I saw!
Naru's eyes seemed to spark out of sudden. He pulled out more photos from the folder and ordered them on the table.
"What about these?"
"Uhn," I nodded. "They were in the group, too."
"I see," Naru replied, picking up the photos. "These girls all died presumably after attempting the Seven Mysteries ritual. I doubt that's a coincidence."
"The ghost must be Futaba-san's sister," John said.
"Yes, I agree that it is most likely the case," Naru replied. "And I am beginning to suspect that the ghost haunting Futaba-san is Irie Kumiko."
"Well, that's an unexpected twist," Bou-san said. "What do we do?"
"Both spirits need to be cleansed," Naru replied. "Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san should be able to handle Irie's ghost. If not, is there any chance that we can request help from the Abeno Clan?"
"Uhn," Rei nodded. "There should be a group of our people in the area. We can send a word if Ayako-san and Masako-san can't do it."
"Good, in the meantime we will focus on cleansing Haruna-san."
"How are we doing that?" Aki asked. "Hikaru said the spirit sways out of the school. It will complicate things."
"No,it won't if we lure it out by doing the ritual," Naru said.
"Okay, I guess there's no room for debate there." Kei replied. "I suppose it is our best shot."
"Yeah, but we'll have to plan this carefully," Rei said. "If we make a mistake, we might be able to evade the tragic end, but that also means we wont reach the next stage, and we won't see our final ghost if we don't reach the seventh mystery."
"That is true," Naru agreed. "We must reduce any chance of mistake possible by considering the slightest detail."
"Starting with who will play the ritual," Kei nodded.
"What do you mean?" John asked.
"If the Seven Mysteries were created as an act of vengeance against the students of Hiromiya by the spirit, it's safe to say that only students have a chance to 'succeed'," Kei said, adding air quotes with his hands for emphasis. "I'm pretty sure the ghost would want to deal with them herself. The shades are only filters for that matter, so it is safe bet that anyone other than a student of Hiromiya will instantly fail."
"Kei-san is right, and this is also something that I've considered," Naru agreed.
"You can't be suggesting we use children as lures, are you?" Bou-san groaned. "We can't ask these girls to play so that we can cleanse the ghosts! A lot od things go wrong with that."
"Of course we cannot use the girls as lure. I meant that the ghost must believe they are students, I never said they had to be," Kei clarified.
" Oh,I think where this is going," Rei rolled her eyes.
"Yup, time for cosplaying…"