Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume4 Chapter3 (section)

=== 4 ===

The darkness of night settled over the school. Thinking carefully about it, a “school” is not a place well suited for night. Such a large and vast emptiness filled with darkness, while said to be dangerous, it makes one feel lonely. 

I, who remained alone in the Meeting Room, was ordered by Naru to retrieve the tape from the LL classroom.

The school, completely devoid of human life; endless corridors; lifeless windows side by side; dim light.

I left this building <!--(tl/n: North Block)-->and walked towards the first floor of the East Block. I progressed through the long corridors depending on the light of a torch. It was the innermost classroom in the East Block, just before the turn into the South Block.

Opening the door, the night vision camera and thermometer were clearly visible. I stood quietly and continued working. I bent down next to the camera’s recorder, and extracted the rectangular tape. No, I planned to extract the tape. 

At that moment, as though it had been sucked out, the light from the torch extinguished.

“What?”

The room was pitch-black. I was terrified, and I thought to retrieve the tape quickly. I pressed the eject button, but the machine did not respond. Had the power source been severed?

“A power outage?”

As the words left my mouth, I decided that was impossible. A torch and a power outage have got nothing to do with each other.

It’s not good…

I stood up hurriedly. I had to leave this place. Just as I straightened, a chill went down my back. Damp, icy cold air caressed my back, and left me shivering.

I could see a blue glow in the distance. That was the light of the emergency exit. From there, there would be a corridor leading back to the North Block.

I ran through long corridors towards that light. My footsteps echoed hollowly through the school compound.

With a final spurt, I used all my strength to open the door and dash onto the terrace. 

There was the narrow space of the corridor. Looking from the window, I could see the field lit by external lighting. It was such a vast and empty space that it felt like there would be a sound the very next second. And it was brighter than inside; perhaps it would be a little better if it was dark. 

I found my unreasonable fear pathetically funny; I leaned against the closed door half panting and half laughing at my own uselessness.

In front of me was the entry to the North Block. The school compound was as dark as pitch. Over there was a tightly closed glass door. There should be an emergency light over the door. It exuded a green glow.

Suddenly my vision was pulled to, and caught at that place.

There was a small silhouette of a person. That – who was that? – that child’s two hands were against the window as he looked towards where I was. There couldn’t possibly be a child in this place, in this school so late at night.

Then, what was that? It was a clear black shadow of a person. That person had both hands on the glass, and was looking here with his forehead plastered to the glass.

Silently lamenting, I ran back to the East Block. Before I shut the door, I clearly saw the door to the North Block at the other end open.

There were stairs next to the door. I dashed up the stairs.

I want to go back. I want to go back to the Meeting Room.

After I reached the second floor I sprinted to the third. I swiveled on the landing and ran on. ‘Hurry back to the Meeting Room.’ I thought as I grabbed the railing of the stairs. I could see the wall of the third floor above and in front of me as I looked up the dark stairwell.

There was a blinking green light that looked like an emergency light. And, there, was the small figure of a person.

My heart thumped loudly.

The figure squatted at the top of the stairs, looking down at me.

Due to the back light I could not clearly see the person’s features. But, it was a child. That was the only thing I could tell clearly.

The child squatted at the top of the stairs, gazing quietly at me. With the light behind him I could see a little of his face. The outline of his face looked like he was smiling.

I maintained eye contact and slowly backed down the stairs. Suddenly I turned and ran as fast as I could down.

I ran down one flight of stairs, and sprinted towards the second floor corridor. Checking the stairs behind me while I planned on opening the door, I suddenly ran into something that set me into instant retreat.

It was very bright outside the door. There, stood the dark figure.

It was about as tall as my waist. It had slender arms and slender legs. It was obviously the figure of a child. But, if it was a child, did it have such a large head?

I retreated one step at a time. The child’s shadow stood there unmoving.

Two steps, three steps backwards. Then the figure moved.

One thin arm rose and settled on the door handle.

Stumbling, I ran to the right, into the dark corridor. Behind me, I heard the heavy sound of the door opening.

It’s catching up…

It was getting difficult to breathe, my legs felt like they were tied up.

Where is everybody?

Is anybody around?

Looking out of the window from the corridor, a pale light lit the corridor from an angle. On both sides were identical rows of windows. Window. Window.

I felt like I could not take another step forward.

I could not help looking behind. As I turned my knee felt like it had been shattered. 

He was there.

The shadow of the child walked slowly from the door.

I wanted to run. Suddenly I saw the emergency light at the very end of the other side.

My heart thumped once loudly.

The green glow of the emergency light. Immediately beneath that there would be somebody there. Who would be there? The child, of course,.  He would be squatting there, hugging his knees. The green light glowed brightly, but it felt darker than black.

I turned my head.

There too… was the silhouette of the child.

He was walking slowly towards me. Deep in my head I could hear the soft sound of a child’s laughter.

What should I do?!

Coincidentally I was standing right in front of a classroom door. I leapt towards the door and rushed into the classroom. As I entered, I noticed the sign “Biology Preparation Room” above the door. 

Were the curtains drawn, or were there no windows at all? I could not tell in the absolute darkness.

I shut the door and collapsed on the floor, and searched with trembling hands. On the inside of the door there was a lock. It was just a very simple latch lock. Even that was better than nothing. Clatter clatter, I locked the door and finally let out a sigh of relief.

It doesn’t matter…

It shouldn’t matter anymore…

As my breathing started to slow my stomach started to hurt <!--(tl/n: cramps)-->. As my heart was beating very fast, I felt my ears ringing. My throat felt like it had be sliced open as I gasped for breath. “I’ll wait here for a while”, I thought as I hugged my shaking knees. 

What should I do? I’m trapped in a corner. Is there anyone nearby?

Once my breath was calm, I tuned my ears to pick up any activity outside. I wanted to see if I could hear anyone’s voice, or if I could feel any activity, etc.

Suddenly the sound “Ka Dong” rang out.

I jumped in shock. It was like something had hit the door, creating that loud noise.

Clatter… Ka Dong.

It was the sound of something hard being moved, very near to where I was, probably right within this very room!

Where was it? My legs were already unable to move. My arms and legs were like they had been tied in dead knots; they didn’t feel like a part of my body.

Clatter… Ka Dong.

It was very near. Just somewhere in this room… somewhere up there… just a distance right in front of me.

I surveyed the darkness before me. Vaguely I could see the outline of the shelves at the 2 ends of the room. And from a shelf, came the noise.

Clatter.

The soft sound continued to resonate; then it became an ear-splitting sound of something shattering.

What?!

It sounded like glass breaking. At the same time a whiff of a saccharine sweet smell wafted over.

This is…

I leapt towards the door.

It was the smell of formalin <!--(tl/n: formalin is the liquid preservative biological specimens are often stored in)-->!

Without care for what was on the outside, I grabbed the door handle and tried to wrestle it open.

Behind me came the sound of more glass shattering. Small droplets of liquid splashed on my feet.

The smell of formalin got stronger.

“Naru! Naru! Help me!” 

Is there no one? Anyone, anyone will do, let me out of this place!

With a crash came the sound of yet more glass shattering.

The sweet smell intensified. I started to feel dizzy…

Is there no one at all?! Save me!

Formalin! The things which are stored in formalin in bottles in the Biology Preparation Room! 

No, No!

Behind me the sound of glass shattering continued, unrelenting. Because of the smell of formalin I could not breathe, my ears started ringing. I was dizzy and nauseous.

The floor suddenly started shaking, and the ground hit my body

No… not like that…

It was me… I fell onto the ground…

I…

… … … …



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