Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Chapter 4 (section)

===4===

Due to Naru’s resolute idea, everyone dived into the exploration of the school compound.

“Before we begin, it’s better to be a bit more cautious; no one should leave by him/herself.”

– Yeah.

Everyone slowly walked out through the false wall, and then firstly we went to the first floor’s classroom, which was filled with stuff. Tables and chairs were piled in a corner of the disused room, just like a gym storeroom stacked with vaulting boxes. The atmosphere was slightly different in the fourth classroom. The fourth classroom was arranged neatly. Here, the bird cages, enclosures, and water troughs had already ceased operation. Although it was neatly arranged, the thick layer of dust gave one a desolate feeling.

“It really makes one feel uncomfortable.” Ayako glanced at the parched water trough and pulled a face; a black, mud-like substance stuck to its inside, a mild stench of rotting permeated the classroom.

“Shibuya-san,” John called. He was squatting by a small mountain of dust.

“This…”

In the corner of the classroom…

In the corner of the classroom was a mountain of rubbish the size of a chest of oranges. Looking closely, there really was a chest-like something there, it had rotted away so it looked like it was going to fall apart soon. Apparently there was something placed in it; it was covered with a thick pile of rubbish. Furthermore, a chain peeked out from amongst the rubbish.

The rusted chain extended from the chest to the wall of the classroom, engaging a large nail on the wall.

“—What is this?”

When Naru pulled it, a faded, red something was dragged out of the pile of rubbish immediately.

“– This shouldn’t be a ring, should it…?”

“It’s probably a collar for dogs or something.”

I let out a breath.

“Lin, is there any –”

Before Naru finished, Lin had already handed over a ballpoint pen. Naru took it and started searching through the rubbish.

“What are you looking for?”

As I spoke, I realized that the collar looked like it had not been unfastened at all; it was just the size that would fit the neck of a cat or a dog. – But, why wasn’t it unfastened?

This was an abandoned school, so if animals were kept here they should have been brought by somebody. Otherwise, who would bring animals here and leave them alone? Even if someone brought animals here, they couldn’t have left the collar. And the one left behind was still unfastened. Somehow it felt like there was something up here.

Naru picked up a grey fragment from the pile of rubbish.

“—this is –”

“It’s probably something’s bone.”

It shouldn’t be – 

Naru placed the bone into the chest, and clapped his hands to get rid of the dust.

“It looks like the village chief and co are really a bunch of sly foxes.”

“Yes.”

John nodded his head in agreement.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“What with the school ceasing operations – I think the reason shouldn’t be due to the reduction in student numbers. If the school wound up operations following proper procedures, they wouldn’t have left animals on their own like this. Furthermore –” 

The collar we found in the chest – it was like the animal died on the litter with the collar around its neck.

“That chest is a paper chest, it’s a very light item. If an animal found out about this, it would move it. But it quietly stayed in the corner of the classroom; it didn’t even look like it had been toppled before. The cloth sewn at its base is also in good condition. I think this dog died in a condition without hunger or noise.”

“Why?”

“—I don’t know.”

The unpleasant tone of voice and the sound of the rain outside blended into one.

Neatly arranged on the table were 3 water troughs, 4 bird cages, and a cage that was just suited to keeping rabbits or some similar animals. A thick layer of dust covered every item. Beneath that pile of rubbish, small grey bones were buried.

I suddenly felt chilly, but the reason I felt chilly could no longer be due to my wearing wet clothes.