Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Chapter 6 (section)

===4===

Following behind Masako, who was checking the situation in the classrooms, the row of us searched each classroom. Soon, we found empty bottles in which we placed wood chips and lit to be used as lamps. However, in reality we still depended on touch to search for things.

After the two children heard John’s words, they, too, helped to search.

“Children, listen properly! We are searching for hard objects, ok?!”

“Yes!”

“Got it!”

We classified the props that were in the classroom. I watched Mariko and Takaru, who were enthusiastically helping, closely. They chatted with John while energetically searched with their dust covered hands. From time to time they’d forget their job and start playing; after a mild admonishment from John, they’d immediately start helping again.

This should be a hilarious scenario – it should be such at least, shouldn’t it? – But why – why would it be so –?

“What’s up, Taniyama?”

Yasuhara asked.

“I don’t know; I just feel rather uncomfortable inside –”

“Are you alright? You haven’t caught a cold, have you?”

“It’s not that. It’s not the type of discomfort brought on by sickness. But for some reason my chest feels tight with worry, it’s like there’s something stuck in my throat – it’s extremely uncomfortable…”

Yasuhara’s face was filled with worry.

“Do you feel like this too?”

“Too? Do you feel the same as well?”

“Yeah – for some unknown reason, here – this place, it’s like it is being blocked by something.”

“Yeah…”

Yasuhara lowered his voice, his gaze turning to the the two children by John’s side.

“Do you feel very strange looking at Mariko and Takaru?”

“Do you feel that way too, Yasuhara? Me too – whenever I look at them I feel like there’s some terrible thing about to happen and feel very nervous.”

“Me too. What in the world is going on?!”

“Could it be that because this place is too dangerous, and to have children in this type of circumstances…?”

“Perhaps – it probably is like this.”

I knew it was very dangerous, but besides that there was still something…

I shook my head, dived into the chest and continued sorting the assorted items. 

“It’s annoying – there’re so many of them. I feel like I’m getting a little scared.”

“I’m like this as well…”

Saying that, puzzlement suddenly showed on Yasuhara’s face.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing much – it’s like there’s something not quite right just now—”

He tilted his head in thought. A voice came from behind me.

“Did you find anything?”

John stood up and looked at us. He pulled Takaru and Mariko on either side. Behind him was the lamp; the flickering light made their expressions appear exceptionally dark.

This – I somehow felt that I had seen an extremely unsettling picture.