Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - August 13th, 11:00 pm - 12 midnight

1

“...there’s no one here anymore.”

Naru gave me a small smile as I raised my eyes to stare fixedly at his white face.

“Look closely.”

Saying that, his white hand pointed towards one of the walls. The wall he pointed at became transparent.

I stared intently. Not only the wall, but also the floor and just about everything became transparent. Only the thin outline of the classroom remained within the darkness. Several lights were flying there.

“There are a great deal of will-o’-the-wisps gathering in the first floor waiting room...”

“Yeah. They’re in there right now. Do you see anything else?”

“They’re moving around unsteadily.”

Small, white will-o’-the-wisps were drifting around the first floor corridor. Upon counting the number, there were twenty-one.

“And then?”

After he asked me, I questioned him in return.

“And then?”

“What else?”

I surveyed my surroundings once again. I noticed a few bright lights were visible.

The light that was immediately visible was tinged pink. When I looked more closely, I could see a figure within the light. It was my figure sitting there.

I could see a faint red light in the classroom next door. I could also see a figure within that light.

“...Bou-san.”

Bou-san was in the room next door. He was leaning on the wall and appeared to be contemplating something.

“...he’s alive…?”

The moment I said that, an image passed through my mind. I made my way half-way up the stairs. Even though I looked up the stairs, there was no one there. Even when I searched the second floor, there was no one there.

..hmm.

I looked over at Naru, who was smiling beside me.

“Perhaps, to Bou-san, we’re the ones who disappeared?”

“Right.”

“Well then, is it like that for everyone? John and Masako… everyone?”

“That’s right. Probably.”

Naru’s voice was very gentle.

When I turned my gaze toward the first floor, several figures were visible in the entry hall. John was pacing around while reciting something. Naru was sitting against the wall. Yasuhara-san was sitting next to him. Masako was standing on the opposite side. Each of them was encircled by a faint light. For the most part, it was a white light, however, it was very lightly colored.

I could see Ayako and Lin-san walking in the first floor corridor. Ayako was walking from the back. Lin-san was walking to the back. They nearly collided, quickly overlapped, and passed by each other.

“Huh...”

When I pointed, Naru nodded.

“Everyone is here. However, they’re not aware of each other’s existence.”

“I see...”

I was so happy, I wanted to cry. Everyone was fine. No one was missing.

“What should I do now?”

After I asked, he put a hand on my shoulder.

“It’s about time you learned to do it on your own.”

“Does that mean I shouldn’t ask?”

“No, that’s not it. —Have you calmed down yet?”

“...yeah.”

“This place is still safe for a little while. So don’t worry and try it again.”

“Again?”

Naru nodded.

“Right. Come out by yourself without being drawn out by me.”

...come out without being drawn out…

“Then, you’ve been making me dream this whole time?”

...is that possibly what he’s implying? Is that how it is?

Naru didn’t reply. His beautiful smile returned.

2

“After I send you back to your body, do it again by yourself.”

“...okay.”

“When you get back, become very tense and gather your body together.”

“Become tense?”

“Right. Focus on your whole body, and you should raise both hands. Cross your fingers in front of your chest.”

“Like this?”

When I tried it, he nodded.

“Yeah. Then, breathe slowly and count your breaths. One after the other, release the tension from your fingertips.”

“I don’t quite understand.”

“Focus on your whole body and breathe slowly. As you breathe, turn your consciousness to how you’re breathing. Inhale and exhale repeatedly three times, then, to start, release the tension from your fingers.”

“Three times, huh?”

“However many times you do it is fine. Every three times, gradually release the tension. After the fingers are the wrists, and after the wrists are the elbows. After you release the tension from your shoulders, release it from your legs this time. From the fingers is just like with the arms. Release it from each joint in turn. —Do you understand?”

“Yeah. I understand.”

“After the tension is released from your limbs, release it from your torso in order from your waist this time. Your posture will relax, but don’t worry. If you’re about to fall over, then you can fall over.”

“Okay.”

“Release the tension up to your neck and after it's released from your whole body, think about Kirishima. It only has to be a vague awareness. If you can’t focus on him well, then recall the will-o’-the-wisps in the waiting room. It’s also okay to recall the word ‘Kirishima.’”

“...got it.”

“When it’s time to wake up, remember your body. You have to do this in order to return safely.”

“Okay. I’ll try. —But, how do I persuade him?”

Naru smiled elegantly.

“Imbue him with light.”

“Light?”

“Yeah. —Even I don’t understand it well, but I feel that the idea that there’s a heaven and there’s a hell is correct in a sense. —A person is made up of ‘body’ and ‘spirit’.”

“Yeah.”

“I think the ‘spirit’ is made up of two more things. These are ‘soul’ and ‘ego’. There is the word ‘will’, but when you think about it, this is made up of ‘desire’ and ‘aspiration’.”

“Hmm...”

“This ‘ego’ envelops the ‘soul’. I think it’s easy to understand by thinking about the ‘ego’ as a membrane and the ‘soul’ as water. The ‘soul’ is a shapeless substance and the ‘ego’ works to regulate its form. Since the membrane known as the ‘ego’ is transparent, the color of the water known as the ‘soul’, which is inside, can be seen through it. I think that the shape and color produced by the ‘ego’ and the ‘soul’ is the ‘spirit’.”

“Really.”

“Furthermore, the ‘soul’ is made up of particles of ‘feeling’ just like water is made up of oxygen and hydrogen. There are positive and negative particles of ‘feeling’. The positive particles emit light, and the negative particles absorb light.”

“Does that mean the positive ‘feeling’ shines and the negative ‘feeling’ is dark?”

“Right. The positive ‘feeling’ is light and the negative ‘feeling’ is darkness. Through the actions of the ‘soul’, these two particles are constantly produced and emitted outside the membrane known as the ‘ego’. —Do you understand?”

“I feel like… I understand.”

“Since the positive particles are light, they steadily rise and since the negative particles are heavy, they sink. Then, the light and darkness gather together and produce large areas.”

“That’s heaven and hell, right?”

Naru nodded.

“When a person dies, he becomes only ‘spirit.’ At that time, if the ‘soul’ contains a lot of negative particles, the ‘spirit’ is heavy, so it will sink. Conversely, if it contains a lot of positive particles, it can ascend.”

“Both Kirishima-sensei and the children sank down because they had too many negative ‘feelings’, right?”

“Exactly. As the ‘spirit’ steadily sinks, since the positive ‘feelings’ are light, the effort to rise increases and they’re expelled outside the ‘spirit’. As a result, since it will become even heavier and sink, it becomes easier for even more positive particles to be expelled. By doing so… it will eventually become only negative particles.”

“Is that what an evil spirit is?”

“—Yeah.”

Saying that, Naru cast his eyes downward.

“...All of them didn’t want to die. So they’re unable to accept the fact that they died. They were scared and sad. And now they’re lonely and bitter. Like that, even if they remain in this world, they’re unable to be content at all. This world is not theirs anymore. The joy that was in this world can never be obtained again.”

“...poor things...”

Naru made a slightly wistful smile.

“They’ve fully accumulated negative ‘feelings’ and are sinking to the dark bottom. Thus, the thing that’s necessary to save them is to imbue them with light. Imbue them with positive ‘feelings’. As a result, they’ll become lighter and be able to rise, and if they rise, it becomes easier to take in the positive ‘feelings’.”

“But...how?”

“First, you have to turn into light yourself, Mai.”

“Turn into light?”

“Right. The positive ‘feeling’ is a warm, gentle emotion. It can’t be pity. Even sympathy is bad. Feel genuinely gentle and then speak to them. Then the positive particles will be released along with your words.”

“It’s difficult, isn’t it?”

Naru smiled.

“It’s not difficult at all. You only have to remember a moment when you felt very genuinely gentle or a time when you had truly warm thoughts.”

...a warm, gentle memory…

“There are some people who don’t feel like that, but you’re different. —Right?”

“I wonder.”

“Some people sink to the negative area while alive. Actually, life and death aren’t related to the way the ‘spirit’ exists. However, the ‘ego’ of a living person is thick. Therefore, no matter how much they emit positive particles, it doesn’t quite reach the inside of another person. Because of this, it’s difficult for others to save living people.”

“...is the ‘ego’ of a deceased person thin?”

“Very thin. Believe in yourself. You’re absolutely capable.”

“...okay.”

Naru smiled and then gently pushed my shoulder. All of a sudden, Naru’s figure became distant.

Suddenly, I felt the sensation of returning to myself.

My cramped palms twitched.

Darkness spread out before my eyes. Only the front window was faintly bright.

I lifted my body, which had been leaning on the door.

“Naru...”

I somehow understood. If I was able to emerge from my body like that, then it wouldn’t be necessary for Naru to do it. It seemed Naru must have put me in a trance state in order to give me suggestions. Since we’re separated and he’s unable to do it, then…

Surely that’s it.

I’m not dreaming about Naru. I’m really meeting him.

—Ah, I think so.

Masako said that once. It was during that time when she was caught by the spirit. Naru was with her. Surely, Naru went to encourage her.

“...incredible. It’s unimaginable.”

For him to do such a thing…

But, the Naru I meet when I’m away from my body is very gentle. If it’s the ‘spirit’ that leaves the body and the ‘ego’ becomes thinner without the body, then doesn’t that mean it’s easier to see the truth of another person whose ‘spirit’ is away from the body? If so, it may be that kind of thing. He’s probably gentle to that extent deep inside….

“I...like Naru...”

3

As instructed, I gathered my body together. I focused on my entire body and breathed slowly.

Then, I released the tension in order. First, from the hands. Just as I released the tension from my elbows, my hands, which were folded in front of my chest, fell to my lap. Then, my legs. When I released the tension, my legs fell over sideways. I released the tension from my torso.

When the tension was released from my neck, my head hung down deeply. As I continued to breathe, I felt my body lightly drift upward.

—Then, there was a sudden impact.

“…!”

I was thrown sideways. My whole body was struck so hard that I could barely breathe and when I opened my eyes, the darkness was pitch-black. What happened? I wonder if I failed.

I surveyed the empty darkness. When the beating of my heart calmed slightly, a feeble voice sounded in my ears.

Opening my eyes wide, I listened carefully. As my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, the surrounding scenery gradually became visible. Along with that, I realized the voice was the cry of many feeble voices.

I could see seats lined up in rows. It was the inside of a bus. It was bent here and there, the glass of the windows was completely broken, and it was leaning severely. The bus was filled with feeble screams and crying.

“...Mariko.”

Someone spoke. It was a man’s voice.

“Tsugumi. Takato.”

A man rose to his feet from below the front seat.

“Are you okay? Is everyone okay?”

He stood up and walked towards the back. He picked up a small girl from a seat close by.

“Ai, come on. Are you okay?”

His voice was pleading rather than asking. Within his words, I could hear the heartbreaking wish of him begging her to tell him she was okay.

The girl was exhausted and groaned weakly. His wish was not granted.

“...Mika…Masamii.”

Continuing to hold Ai-chan, he staggered towards the back. I could see the figures of children who had fallen down in both the aisle and seats. He continued to hold Ai-chan and kneeled down near Tsugumi-kun who had fallen into the aisle. Holding Ai-chan securely in one arm, he embraced Tsugumi-kun. After doing so, he looked around at the devastation surrounding him. Within the crushed and leaning bus, eighteen children were now crying out their final voice.

As he called out the children’s names, he gathered their small bodies. Though he tried to hold them all in his arms, it wasn’t possible for him to hug everyone close.

“...why...did this happen?”

Sobbing could be heard. I saw the man weeping for the first time.

“How could this happen?”

A weak voice called out, ‘Sensei.’

“...it hurts...”

“Sensei...”

The area overflowed with the painful cries of the children. After looking around at this, he fell down on the spot and wept bitterly.

“Sensei, I’m scared.”

Mariko-chan pulled at Sensei’s clothing as she cried. Small hands extended one after the other, seeking his help.

“It hurts, Sensei.”

“I’m scared.”

He looked around at the children who gathered around him. One by one, he patted the hands that clung to him.

“It’s okay… it’s okay.”

“Sensei...”

“Don’t worry. Let’s go back to the school. We’ll go back and treat it, then you won’t have anything to worry about.”

“But, it hurts. I can’t move.”

“Don’t worry. Sensei’s going to bring everyone back. So, let’s go back.”

Though he was crying, he smiled at the children nevertheless.

My vision blurred. When I blinked, my tears spilled over and, once my vision was clear once more, I could see his figure leading the children by their hands towards a dark hole, which had opened at the back of the bus.

4

“...wait.”

I called out without thinking.

“Please wait, Kirishima-sensei!”

He looked back.

“It’s no use. Don’t do that.”

He walked towards me in the dark passage. A shadow fell over his face and his expression appeared somewhat cruel. I never would have guessed that he was a gentle teacher until just a moment ago.

“...don’t take them there. Both you and the children are dead.”

He came close to me.

“Please understand. All of you are already dead. Even if you take them there, it will only be painful, you won’t find comfort. They can’t go home and they won’t be able to see their mothers. Only pain remains and it won’t get any better...!”

His hands reached out and caught ahold of my shoulders. He grasped both my shoulders with such force that my bones cracked, then he turned me sideways with all his might.

“Sensei!”

I was forced to turn sideways, and then there was a classroom before me.

I stood in front of the classroom’s blackboard. There were eighteen desks in the classroom and the children were seated at them.

“I’m going to introduce a transfer student.”

As Sensei said this, I looked back at him. A bright, warm smile appeared on his face.

“This is Taniyama Mai-san. Everyone, get along well!”

‘Yes!’ they all replied in unison, then laughed.

“Taniyama-san’s seat is right there. Saori, please look after her.”

‘Yes!’ answered the oldest girl. Sensei nudged my back and I was pushed into the classroom. All the children appeared extremely happy.

“Taniyama-san is much older than everyone, so if you have any troubles, please speak with her. —Taniyama-san also, please take care of everyone.”

I sat in a small chair. Saori-chan grinned beside me.

“...Sensei, this is no use. Something like this, don’t...”

I looked up at a small girl standing beside Kirishima-sensei.

“Sensei, there’s exactly forty people here, right?”

Sensei patted the girl’s head.

“Excellent! You were able to count it properly.”

“Yeah!”

‘Sensei,’ one of the other children called out to Kirishima-sensei.

“If we get anymore, can we have another class?”

“That’s right! We can divide it into two groups soon.”

“Then we can play dodgeball between the classes, right?”

“That’s right!”

“But, what about the teacher? If we have two classes and one teacher, it will be strange.”

“It’s okay.”

Sensei smiled.

“Because there are people who can become teachers.”

“Really?”

“Really. Soon, the teachers will increase. Then we’ll have to make a staff room.”

“Awesome! Wouldn’t it be nice if the school got full soon, Sensei?”

“It would!”

I watched the conversation between Sensei and the students with sadness.

...the sudden tragedy. The lonely school that sad hearts created. Since the school was lonely, it would be good if it became filled with students and because there were no longer any new students, it would at the very least be filled with transfer students. The children were sad and alone, hungry and thirsty. Because I understood these feelings, it was so painful I wanted to cry.

“Kirishima-sensei, please stop this!”

Sensei looked over at me with puzzlement.

“Please stop this already. Even if the school building fills up, the loneliness will never end. The reason everyone’s lonely isn’t because there aren’t enough students. It’s because they’re no longer living.”

“...what are you talking about?”

Sensei smiled. His eyes took on a disquieting hue.

“Everyone is already dead. The bus was in an accident on the way back from the field trip and everyone died. Even if you pretend to forget, everyone remembers. So it will always be painful. No matter how much you increase your friends, no matter how lively the school becomes, it can’t heal the loneliness of not being able to live anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I understand Sensei’s feelings. The sudden death of these small children. Even though their future and dreams should have existed, they were all cut off. They were scared, in pain, dying. I can understand your feelings for wanting to do this, but as long as you do this, it will continue to be painful. Even for the transfer students you bring in, it will be just as painful.”

“Taniyama-san, you’re a bit of a strange child, aren’t you?”

“Please stop this already! Everyone, remember!”

I looked around at all the children, who were staring at me. The students had increased to thirty-nine without me noticing.

“There was a terrible accident. Because of this, everyone died.”

Suddenly, a boy in a seat at the front burst into tears. Then, as if contagious, the other children began to cry as well.

“You’re in pain, right? You’re sad, right? But, the transfer students you took are in pain, too. In order to not be in pain, you have to go to the other side of the bridge. If you cross the river, all the pain and suffering will disappear. Even if you increase your friends, the pain will not go away.”

The inside of the classroom was filled with weeping and voices calling out, ‘It hurts!’ I felt like a bully, but I had to do this in order to alleviate everyone’s pain.

“Is there anyone who’s gone home? Anyone who’s seen their mother and father?”

My arm was grabbed with an intense force.

“You’re a cruel child.”

“It isn’t cruel.”

“It is cruel. Everyone’s crying so much. Don’t you think it’s pitiful!?”

“I think it’s pitiful to forever remain this way without change!”

Even if they want to go home, they can’t go home. Even if they want to see someone, they can’t see that person. It’s because they’re dead. All these children are dead. Therefore, they can’t go home no matter how much they wish to. They can’t see their mother and father.

“My mother and father also died. I’d be very sad if they were trapped somewhere like this. I don’t mind if they forget about me because I want them to cross over the bridge quickly and be at ease. Therefore, I want everyone to be at ease, too.”

The room was filled with crying. See, they could not forget. Like this, it would always be painful.

“It’s a lie!”

Kirishima-sensei loudly raised his voice.

“It’s a lie that we’re died! Don’t believe it!”

“Sensei, stop it!”

Suddenly, something flew at me. I felt it cut my body. There weren’t any injuries, but there was a piercing pain that made my whole body numb.

“Sensei, please understand!”

“Shut up! The students and I are fine like this!!”

Something came flying at me with great force. I was nearly sent flying. I was forced out into the corridor and the moment I hit the wall, I heard Naru’s voice.

“Mai!! Come back!!”

—Go back? Go back where?

“Remember your body!”

Back to Previous Section

Return to Main Page

Forward to Next Section