Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter5 (section)

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I parted with John on the way and searched the school grounds alone.  

Somewhere in the school, there must be a hitogata being used for Enmi. I went to look at the campus thoroughly. In the shade of plants and even flower beds. I should recognize it simply by seeing it. At least, Naru’s hitogata should have been buried just recently.  

I walked along the western fence and turned up at the vacant lot on the other side of the sports field.  Although formerly there seemed to be a student center, that’s demolished now and had merely become a vacant lot. The tall weeds had withered. Canada goldenrods clustered around there. At that place was abandoned concrete rubble, and moldered rebars protruded.    

I took a short rest here. Leaning against a fence, I studied the weathered scenery. The wind blew, and the weedy grass made a dry, rattling sound.   

This place is also a part of the school grounds, isn’t it? Should I search on this empty lot? That’s too troublesome.   

After all, there’s a fence to keep anyone out just in case. I wondered if it’s better to search the whole schoolyard.  

The afternoon sun shone. It would be sinking soon. I gazed at the vacant land with that in mind.  

”…?“ I turned my head abruptly. I heard a child’s cries from somewhere. I tried walking along the fence. In the shade of goldenrods, I spotted an abandoned red randoseru. I leaned forward and shouted, "Is someone there!?" 

The cries grew slightly stronger.  

"Hey, what’s wrong!?" 

There was no response. I looked around. There’s no tear on the fence. Ugh. I climbed up the wire mesh that’s taller than I am. Once I forcibly jumped down, I ran to the randoseru.  

"Is someone there!? Where are you!?” When I called out loudly, I heard a faint voice nearby. I stood up and surveyed my surroundings. Right near me, I found a spot where a concrete floor that looks like a building wreck is sprawling over.  

I felt like I heard the voice from that direction, so I sprinted there.  

There was a large crack on the surface of the concrete floor; a crevice about five centimeters wide stretched approximately three meters long.  

I swept my eyes around me again.  

"…Help me…“ 

It’s the feeble voice. 

I brought my ear near the crack. "Is someone there!? Who’s there!?" 

”…“ The weak voice said something, but it was inaudible. Yet, I was certain someone’s in there. Could there be a basement down here?  

As I wondered what to do, I glanced about. There must be a stairway going down to the basement.  

I pushed away the cluster of weeds that are sprouting to cling to the concrete. The stairs should be somewhere… While walking aimlessly, my feet touched something hard. When I looked at it, I saw a manhole.  

How could there be a manhole in this kind of place? Its heavy-looking iron lid got dislodged halfway. 

”…Someone there!?“ I honed in and screamed into the manhole. A small voice replied from inside. 

It’s here!  

Someone had fallen down in here. It’s probably the owner of that randoseru. An elementary school girl. 

"Are you okay!?” While calling, I pushed aside the heavy lid. Light streamed inside.  

The inside of the hole wasn’t so spacious. Its area was about one size bigger than a four-and-a-half-tatami* room. However, it’s deep. I couldn’t see the bottom of it due to the lighting condition. An iron ladder led the way down from the manhole, and a small figure was crouching in a corner of that space. It was gloomy and I couldn’t see that well. But it’s a child.   

“Are you alright!?” When I called out once again, that child raised her face. 

“Help me,” came her small cry. 

Was she hurt that’s why she couldn’t move? Even raising her face was a powerless motion.  

“Why are you in such a place…? Wait for me; I’ll call someone right now! “ 

She screamed to stop me. “Help me, help me, help me! " 

I stumbled a step or two forward. It’s easy to go down because there’s a ladder, but I couldn’t climb up the ladder while carrying that child. “Wait for me! I’ll get some help immediately!”

At my voice, the girl’s wails grew louder.  

What should I do? Should I go down below? It’s pitch black in the hole, and she’s alone in this kind of place. Moreover, she’s hurt so it’s probably unbearable. I should go down and climb up after I cheered her up and calmed her down.  

With those in mind, I sat on the edge of the hole and lowered my foot inside—  

"Mai!?“ a strong voice called out from far away.  

I looked around. Naru’s figure was on the other side of the fence.  

“Stop loafing around. What are you doing?” 

“A child had fallen in here!" 

Naru slanted his head a bit. “…A child?" 

“Yes! That…” I tried to point at the randoseru, and gaped. 

…It’s not there.  

That’s absurd. It was certainly there earlier. There was a red randoseru near the grass over there…  

At that moment, I missed my footing on the iron ladder.  

“Kyaaa!” I immediately braced out my hands. Propping up my elbows on the rim of the manhole, I held out against falling. 

Wait a minute, this isn’t a joke! Falling down to the bottom of a hole and a well once in life is enough!! 

“Mai!” Unnoticed, Naru, who had crossed over the fence, rushed over to me. 

I reached out my hand for help at once. “…Na…!!" 

—I’m so dumb!  

The moment I held up my hand, the strength I supported my body with reduced in half.  

With a jerk, I tilted and hit my back on the edge of the hole. Thereafter, the strength from my arm slipped away the instant pain caught my breath. 

What was supporting my weight suddenly disappeared.

”…Kyaa! “ I frantically grasped for the rim of the manhole. The concrete’s splintered surface scratched my palms. Pebbles fell from close at hand in sprinkles, and I reflexively closed my eyes and turned my face away.   

Abruptly I sensed my balance crumbling. My hands that seized the rim failed to catch what I was relying upon.   

…No way.  

I’m falling. 

Only my surroundings were in slow motion.  The second all color quickly drained from me, I flung against a wall. There was a dull thumping sound. 

…What? 

My arm hurt. Creaking shoulders resounded.  

I wasn’t falling. I was in the air. A force pulled my arm. A hand fastened to it.  

”…Naru!“ 

”…This… idiot…! “ Leaning his body forward almost through the hole, Naru was pulling my arm with both hands. His jacket sleeve loosely slipped out of place. He’s about to fall. The feel of Naru’s hands that are digging into my arm got firmer. "Calm down and search for a foothold,” he said in a hollow voice. 

I seemed heavy. Strangely, I felt calm. I’m heavy, aren’t I? I’m forty *kilograms after all. Naru had been carrying equipment of that weight fairly well on his shoulder, but that’s vastly different from carrying something suspended in the air. Either way, it must be painful for skinny Naru’s slender arms.   

When I pondered that calmly, what vanished rapidly returned. Yet in a flash, I felt bloodless, and all my hair stood on end. "I’m falling, I’m falling, I’m falling!”

"Calm down… Find a foothold!”

A foothold? Foothold? 

I fumbled around the space with my feet. The tips of my toes caught the rough concrete wall surface.   

The shoulder Naru was pulling tight seemed to come loose. Turning my wrist over and gripping Naru’s arm, I desperately stretched out my feet. With a steady curve of my body, my toes touched something hard. I checked it. It looked like an iron rod.  

Oh right, there’s a ladder. 

"There’s a ladder.”

Once I said that Naru lifted his downcast face. “Can you climb on it?" 

”…Yeah,” I said and hoisted my feet on the ladder. I grabbed the ladder’s link with one free arm. Relieved, I put my weight on it, and the rung of the ladder gave away in no time. I was swiftly thrown back into the air again, and then shock went through my unbalanced arm.  

Naru, I’m sorry for having you carry a heavy person like me.  

The second I felt at ease, I started falling magnificently as I clutched Naru’s arm.