Fiction
One update that is really, really late. I apologize and hope that once holidays are over, I'll get back on schedule again *sighs*
Anyways, I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I doubt I'll do further revisions. And I'm still not sure how I'm going to survive that 10km run tomorrow, since I not only lack condition, but the roads are nicely frozen over (so there'll probably be a lot of slipping, sliding and falling invovled. <.<)
But now, the promised update:
Title: What Should Have Never Been Found
Part: 7/??
Genre: Suspense
Wordcount: ~3800
Warnings: None, but allusion to the last chapter.
Characters: Tezuka, Fuji,
Summary: Due to circumstances, Tezuka is forced to make an after school trip to a house belonging to friends of his grandfather. Fuji accompanies him and encounters something unexpected.
Disclaimer: PoT is not mine (which is probably for the better)
Prior Parts: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Seven
Ice crawled through Tezuka’s veins. It was as if the temperature in the clubhouse had dropped abruptly and he couldn’t find a single word to say.
Fuji eyed him evenly. “We probably shouldn’t stay here any longer.”
Tezuka’s mind stuttered. Among the fragments of thoughts left in his head forming a logical sentence turned impossible. Only a half-hearted protest fell from his lips. “But...”
“The risk is too high. This spirit is too powerful and I have no way of sensing it approach. As long as you don’t stay too close to me, you should be safe.” Fuji sighed and flexed his fingers to dispel the stiffness that had befallen them.
Tezuka caught a glimpse of white between Fuji’s glove and sleeve. With everything that had happened this morning he had almost forgotten Fuji’s injury. An unfamiliar sensation deep in his heart made him reach out and grasp Fuji’s hand.
“How is the wound?” He asked, carefully pulling off the glove. Plain white bandages greeted him - Fuji had probably changed them last night - and he felt relieved at seeing no new red stains on the cloth.
“Okay.” Fuji replied, looking a little uneasy.
Tezuka kept his eyes on Fuji’s hand. He couldn’t help wondering about everything that had happened - he had never expected things to end up like this when he’d accepted his grandfather’s request to go to the Nakayama’s house.
His grandfather probably hadn’t either, though right now Tezuka couldn’t help the doubt assaulting his thoughts. They were good friends, the Nakayamas and his grandfather - it s wouldn’t surprise had his grandfather known about their collection.
Yet his grandfather had never struck him as somebody to believe in the supernatural.
It didn’t change that this request was what had caused Fuji to stand before him, pale and with one arm wrapped in bandages, telling him they ought to put some distance between them because a mysterious threat was after him.
The logical part of his mind screeched in protest. He did not believe in the supernatural and there had not been any definite proof. Everything might have been chance, unlikely as it was.
“Tezuka?” Fuji asked, slightly confused at Tezuka’s silence coupled with his refusal to let go of his hand.
“Are you sure the spirit won’t attack you as well?” Tezuka asked. “I don’t really understand how this breaking of wards works, but are you certain it has to be me?”
Fuji glanced sideways. “I don’t possess a key. The only way I could help said spirit to break the wards would be if I was inside the house and invited it in. If it had your blood it could just pass through...”
Tezuka pressed his lips together. Fuji’s argumentation was convincing - he merely didn’t like the idea of letting his friend out of his sight when an unknown could attack him any moment. He recalled the cat and an unbidden shudder ran down his spine.
“Couldn’t we just destroy what it is after? Or bring it to another place?” Tezuka suggested.
Fuji blinked. “I’m afraid it isn’t so easy. First of all, I have no idea what the spirit actually is after. And then there’s no telling whether this thing is actually at that house. You mentioned the Nakayamas donated quite a part of their collection to museums.”
“There’s no way to find out?” Tezuka questioned and finally let go of Fuji’s hand. Even held between his own, he had felt how those slim fingers had continuously grown colder.
They ought to be getting back inside the school building. Second period would start every minute and the unheated clubroom posed only a minor improvement to temperatures outside.
“Not really...” Fuji started and hesitated. A frown crossed his face. “Tezuka. It’s just a guess... Mori-san died of natural causes, didn’t she?”
“As far as I know.” Tezuka replied with a raised eyebrow. She had been well into her seventies at least, maybe even older. And while she’d been healthy for her age, her movements had continuously grown slower, stiffer.
The weather had been her undoing, he recalled his grandfather saying.
Fuji’s lips twitched. “The circumstances.... was there anything unusual?”
Tezuka caught Fuji’s eye and abruptly realized what idea his friend entertained. His eyes widened. “You don’t think...?” He asked breathlessly.
“I wouldn’t know.” Fuji answered. “It might have nothing to do with anything, it’s merely an idea.”
A frown crossed Tezuka’s face. He hadn’t paid much attention when his parents had informed him Mori-san had passed away - while the news had been sad, deep down he hadn’t been surprised.
He had never suspected anything unusual at work.
And, his mind cautioned him, maybe he was suspecting too much. Even if he believed Fuji’s explanation, that did not necessarily mean, that Mori-san’s death connected.
“Nobody mentioned anything out of the ordinary.” Tezuka eventually said, remembering the sombre atmosphere at the funeral. Nothing in the atmosphere had even suggested doubting the circumstances of Mori-san’s death.
“As I said, it’s merely an idea. It might not relate to our case at all.” Fuji rubbed his hands together in order to restore circulation to his fingers. “Right now I barely can make sense of what is happening - and maybe I’m wrong.”
He turned back to Tezuka and a strained-smile played on his lips. “But I’m not going to risk your life over that.”
And before Tezuka could think of anything to say, Fuji had left the room and disappeared into the icy white world outside. A cold gust of wind tore into the club room and Tezuka shuddered.
His eyes remained fixed on the plain grey wall opposite of him, even though Fuji was no longer there. No emotion was visible on his face, but a hurricane raced through his mind. The explanation Fuji had given him - regardless of how easy it had been to accept - shattered his picture of reality,
As if the cold was obstructing his mind he only very slowly started to realize the true scope of Fuji’s words. If he was to believe what his friend had said, it meant giving up the world as he knew it. It also meant that logic alone did not suffice to explain anything anymore.
Tezuka clenched his fists as he felt the beginnings of a headache creep up on him.
On one hand everything had been thrown into chaos - wards broken, cats raised from the dead and a malevolent spirit after his blood. Yet on the other hand, classes at school proceeded as they did everyday; people went to work and normality remained undisturbed. He felt caught between two worlds.
Outside the bell rang and with a sigh Tezuka stood up.
He would probably not be able to set his mind at peace on his own. As long as this mysterious threat was out there and Fuji continued to look strained - but as of now, there was nothing he could do.
For the first time in his life Tezuka Kunimitsu had to acknowledge that he was powerless to change the situation.
All he could do for now was go to class and pretend nothing had happened.
He had to blink when he left the clubhouse. The clouds had grown considerably brighter and if his eyes weren’t deceiving him, he could spy patches of blue sky in between. His breath fogged immediately and he could feel air as cold as ice crawling underneath his coat.
Clear skies in winter meant temperatures would drop even further.
And with the day already this cold, he dreaded to think of what the night would bring.
+ + +
School that day proceeded slowly.
A nervous tension had spread through the corridors and classes were unusually silent. More than once Tezuka caught curious glances cast into his direction or noticed conversations abruptly ceased upon his entrance. However he did not mind the silence, especially since he had more important questions on his mind.
Oishi was the one who finally dared to address his distraction, after Tezuka had failed to correct their math teacher even once during fourth period.
“Tezuka.” Oishi said in a hushed voice. The captain of Seigaku’s tennis team glanced up in response.
Oishi pressed his lips together. “Is Fuji alright?”
For a moment Tezuka remembered having seen Oishi shortly after he and Fuji had found the cat’s mutilated body. “As well as possible.” Tezuka replied, even though in the back of his mind he wondered whether he wasn’t lying.
“I know it’s probably not my business.” Oishi continued and Tezuka could see his fingers clench hard enough around his pencil for the knuckles to turn white. “But do you... can you tell me what is going on? I don’t mean to be curious, I just...”
“I understand.” Tezuka interrupted. He felt a number of inquisitive eyes boring into his back and students next to them had fallen silent, intending to listen in on their conversation. Without lowering his voice he carried on: “Though I don’t know either.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Tezuka did not know what was going on - he only knew a theory Fuji had provided. But that was no knowledge he was going to share with the rest of the world. Not even Oishi, since his poor vice-captain already appeared shell-shocked by what had happened without suspecting supernatural involvement.
“... I hope Fuji is going to be okay.” Oishi commented after a second. “I mean, that looked horrid. Whoever did that must have been - seems to be capable of doing terrible things. And I can’t help but wonder whether they’ll actually stop at this or whether there might be more.”
Tezuka sighed. “Oishi, I’m afraid I really don’t know. Though I believe school will tighten up security to make sure there is no repeat of such an incident.”
In the back of his mind, he wondered whether their school’s security posed any kind of obstacle if a spirit was at work. Oishi did not look relieved, either. “You don’t think anybody is specifically going after Fuji, do you? In that case maybe one of us should see him home...”
Tezuka contemplated. Fuji wouldn’t appreciate assigned a bodyguard. His own conscience however would feel much easier if he knew his friend wasn’t alone out there. No matter what he did, he just couldn’t banish the memory of Fuji’s paper-white face after he’d fainted two nights ago. What if it happened again and he wasn’t there?
What if the spirit attacked...?
But would it attack as long as he wasn’t with Fuji? His friend had been certain it would not. Tezuka didn’t understand much of the supernatural and that left him doubting.
“That might be a good idea.” Tezuka eventually said and kept his eyes down. “While I don’t know what the incident was about, it would be better to remain on guard.”
A faint smile crossed Oishi’s lips. “You’re right. I’ll ask Eiji, even though I doubt that will need much asking.”
Tezuka recalled Kikumaru’s pale face and guilt spread through his heart for using his friends’ concern like this. They were honestly worried - willing to put themselves in danger - and he couldn’t even tell them what he knew.
+ + +
The sun was already setting when Fuji left school.
Before the last period had started, a police officer had dropped in and Fuji couldn’t quite keep a frown of his face when he left a class that had fallen into shocked silence. Countless gazes bore into his back, but he kept his head up.
He wanted to sigh in relieve when the door closed behind him, yet the moment the officer began his questioning, he found he wanted to scream.
“I’m very sorry, but I honestly don’t know who could have done it.” He said instead.
“Nobody you got in trouble with? Or somebody who might be jealous? Or just anybody who lately started acting strange around you.” The officer replied. “It might not look like a big deal to you, but please consider well. You never know what that person might do next.”
No, I truly don’t know what that thing will do next, Fuji bitterly thought. Out loud, he said: “I apologize, officer, but I really have no idea.”
“I see. But is there anything else that would give you a clue, perhaps?” The officer continued and Fuji felt his gaze hardening. “Did you ever see the cat before?”
Fuji met the gaze head-on. “I have seen quite a number of black cats until today. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to tell one from the other, much less tell you whether I have ever seen that poor creature before.”
The officer frowned and turned away. “There were some things left with the cadaver. Wait a minute.”
Fuji nodded obediently. In the back of his mind he wondered why the officer had not yet addressed the issue that the cat had been dead for some time already. He would have preferred for them not to notice - yet he doubted they’d miss such a central fact.
Still he wished he had a way to convince them this was a tasteless prank gone too far.
“I hope you don’t mind, but we had to empty your locker.” The officer said, as he sat down at the table again, a tablet with a random assortment of things in hand. “I believe most of the books have been in there before, so I’ll just ask you about the things that might have been added by an outsider.”
Fuji sighed inwardly. With one glance he could tell that the officer had little idea of what kind of objects students kept in their lockers. None of his notebooks or books had made it on what Fuji secretly dubbed the “tablet of suspicious things”, yet two spare pencils, his calculator and a tennis ball had.
The yellow had turned brown where the ball had been smeared with the cat’s blood. Fuji’s stomach twisted - that ball had been a private good luck charm.
“Those.” He pointed at the objects in questions. “Are my belongings. I can assure you those have been in my locker before it was opened.”
“Very well.” The officer nodded. “But what about this collar?”
Fuji blinked. He barely recalled having seen the object in question and the thick layer of crusted blood made it even harder to recognize.
“I haven’t seen this before.” Fuji said, suppressing a shudder.
Tezuka had recognized Mori-san’s cat due to this collar - he himself had seen it on the picture - and chances were good that the police would be able to identify the cat. Fuji pressed his lips together.
Meanwhile the officer had pulled out a plastic glove and set another object on the tablet.
Fuji’s eyes widened.
Metal glittered under the cold neon light. The name tag was covered by dried blood, but the characters had remained legible.
Mori.
Fuji swallowed and his thoughts started racing. He tried his best to keep his voice even and his fingers from shaking. “Those aren’t mine. And I don’t think they belong to anybody I know either.”
The officer nodded. “The name doesn’t ring a bell?”
A bell that screeched louder than hell, Fuji conceded to himself, but certainly not the kind of bell the young officer in front of him meant. He needed to look things up - many things; some, he even wasn’t sure he would find an answer to.
He needed to call Yumiko.
“Well... “Fuji set out. “ While I do actually know two or three persons named Mori, none of them is a close acquaintance.”
An unhappy frown crossed the officer’s face. Muttering something about the country having too many black cats and too many people sharing the same surname, he took the tablet away.
Fuji’s palms were wet with sweat.
Had the spirit managed to turn him into a key holder? Or did he need to touch the key for this? Was this feat even possible?
+ + +
When Fuji reached home, the sun was a small red ball disappearing behind the horizon. His mother’s china in the living room gleamed gold and the snow outside glowed orange - but the in spite of the colours the air was icy.
His breath fogged even after he had closed the door behind him and helplessly Fuji turned the heater up - though he knew it would take hours for the room to become comfortably warm. Instead of waiting, he took the phone as well as one of his mother’s blankets upstairs, plugged in the kotatsu and waited until his teeth had stopped shattering before he dialled Yumiko’s number.
She picked up after the fourth ring. “Hello?”
“Am I disturbing you?” Fuji asked, not bothering with formalities.
He could practically see her raising one well-shaped eyebrow and heard cheerful voices in the background. “Not particularly.” She replied. “What is the matter?”
Fuji drew a deep breath. “Do you remember when I asked you about spirits in the vicinity of Nikko?”
“Yes.” Her tone grew concerned. “Did something happen?”
He didn’t particularly want to tell his sister. She would worry even more than Tezuka did - but she was also the only person capable of answering his questions.
“Nothing too bad.” He replied. “Yesterday I went out there again with Tezuka and we were attacked by a cat.”
“So?”
“...I have reason to believe said cat wanted to gain entry to the house. I don’t know why or what for, but as far as I remember the only way to gain entry would be either by invitation or through blood.”
Yumiko’s voice was tense. “Generally, yes. There are other ways, but those are guaranteed to work.”
Fuji swallowed. “The cat ended up scratching me - and today I found a set of keys for the house in my school locker.”
“And now you’re wondering whether this little trick would turn you into a key-holder whose blood could be used to break the wards.” His sister could probably guess he wasn’t telling her the entire story. Yet thankfully she refrained from asking further questions.
After a moment she continued. “Well, I don’t know the particulars, but it depends on who gave you the keys. If they were given to you by a legitimate key-holder the wards might be affected. But do you actually know what that thing you’re dealing with is? The situation might be different if a ghost of somebody who used to be key-holder is concerned.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Fuji answered and pressed his lips together. “But I don’t believe it is a ghost.”
Surprise coloured his sister’s voice. “How come?”
“I can’t sense it. Or rather, it can hide its presence very well. One moment it’s there and in the next it has vanished.” A shiver ran down Fuji’s spine.
His sister fell silent and when she spoke next, her voice was grave. “Syusuke, that really doesn’t sound like a ghost. At least not like a normal one. Though it’s rare for a spirit to seek entry to a house...”
“The owners are collectors of items associated with the supernatural.” Fuji admitted.
“It might be a spirit searching for something that was accidentally taken away from it.” Yumiko guessed. “But then again, it might be something else entirely.”
Fuji glanced down at his bandaged arm. After he had seen the cat’s mutilated body today, he doubted they were dealing with a kind spirit looking only to reclaim his possession.
The fact that Mori-san’s keys had been dropped into his locker made him suspect much worse.
“In any case, I’ll be back next week.” Yumiko was saying. “Watch out.”
+ + +
Fuji did not sleep well that night. He kept worrying about Tezuka and the memory of the cat’s severed head rose unbidden. When he closed his eyes he could see the blood dripping down from his locker and spreading over the floor. How that eye had rolled away from the pile of crushed organs and rotten fur.
He felt as if he hadn’t slept at all when the alarm eventually rang and for a moment he considered staying home. Outside the sky was clear for the first time in days, but the snow on the leafless tree outside glittered like ice.
With a sigh Fuji sat up. His head pounded and he felt dizzy, yet school today would finish at noon. He would survive those four lessons.
The moment he stepped outside, he woke up. It felt like all warmth was expelled from his body when he drew breath and he had barely crossed the street when he had already lost all feeling in his toes. Snow crunched under his feet and the cold easily penetrated four layers of clothing. Even the sun’s rays on his cheeks felt like ice.
The air burned in his lungs and reluctantly he pulled a hand from his pocket to arrange his scarf. Even the thick woollen gloves had failed at keeping his hands warm - he could barely move his fingers.
As he walked down the street he wondered how many of his class mates were going to stay home due to the cold today. Maybe Eiji wouldn’t come either, seeing as he had complained that he was freezing even in class lately.
Tezuka would certainly show up.
Unless...
Fuji frowned.
There was no way the spirit could have gotten to Tezuka, was there? At least not without him noticing - or at least he liked to believe so. Predicting a ghost’s movements was so much easier than seeing through a spirit.
He left the street and entered the small park to take a short-cut to Seigaku. The greenery had been completely covered underneath a thick layer of snow and Fuji couldn’t even make out where the path he usually walked was.
Soon even the last noises faded away and he found himself alone within a world of black and white. In the back of his mind he started to feel uneasy - this park was far too empty at this time, nothing but snow and leafless trees.
A shiver ran down his spine.
“Hello sweetie.”
Fuji froze.
It was as if an invisible force had bound his feet. And deep within himself he had an inkling running would not be of any use.
“I have been waiting for you.” He had not heard the voice before. It was clear, female and had his hair standing on ends.
He knew he shouldn’t turn around.
But when he did he found a familiar face.
Fuji’s heart stopped.
He had never met the woman in person, but he recognized her face. She was the one holding the cat in the picture in the entrance hall of that house. The cat whose cadaver had been place in his locker yesterday.
Mori-san.
She took a step closer and smiled.
“I would like you to join me on a little excursion.”
tbc
Please feel free to share comments and critique with me - or guesses as to what happens next ^_~
Anyways, I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I doubt I'll do further revisions. And I'm still not sure how I'm going to survive that 10km run tomorrow, since I not only lack condition, but the roads are nicely frozen over (so there'll probably be a lot of slipping, sliding and falling invovled. <.<)
But now, the promised update:
Title: What Should Have Never Been Found
Part: 7/??
Genre: Suspense
Wordcount: ~3800
Warnings: None, but allusion to the last chapter.
Characters: Tezuka, Fuji,
Summary: Due to circumstances, Tezuka is forced to make an after school trip to a house belonging to friends of his grandfather. Fuji accompanies him and encounters something unexpected.
Disclaimer: PoT is not mine (which is probably for the better)
Prior Parts: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Seven
Ice crawled through Tezuka’s veins. It was as if the temperature in the clubhouse had dropped abruptly and he couldn’t find a single word to say.
Fuji eyed him evenly. “We probably shouldn’t stay here any longer.”
Tezuka’s mind stuttered. Among the fragments of thoughts left in his head forming a logical sentence turned impossible. Only a half-hearted protest fell from his lips. “But...”
“The risk is too high. This spirit is too powerful and I have no way of sensing it approach. As long as you don’t stay too close to me, you should be safe.” Fuji sighed and flexed his fingers to dispel the stiffness that had befallen them.
Tezuka caught a glimpse of white between Fuji’s glove and sleeve. With everything that had happened this morning he had almost forgotten Fuji’s injury. An unfamiliar sensation deep in his heart made him reach out and grasp Fuji’s hand.
“How is the wound?” He asked, carefully pulling off the glove. Plain white bandages greeted him - Fuji had probably changed them last night - and he felt relieved at seeing no new red stains on the cloth.
“Okay.” Fuji replied, looking a little uneasy.
Tezuka kept his eyes on Fuji’s hand. He couldn’t help wondering about everything that had happened - he had never expected things to end up like this when he’d accepted his grandfather’s request to go to the Nakayama’s house.
His grandfather probably hadn’t either, though right now Tezuka couldn’t help the doubt assaulting his thoughts. They were good friends, the Nakayamas and his grandfather - it s wouldn’t surprise had his grandfather known about their collection.
Yet his grandfather had never struck him as somebody to believe in the supernatural.
It didn’t change that this request was what had caused Fuji to stand before him, pale and with one arm wrapped in bandages, telling him they ought to put some distance between them because a mysterious threat was after him.
The logical part of his mind screeched in protest. He did not believe in the supernatural and there had not been any definite proof. Everything might have been chance, unlikely as it was.
“Tezuka?” Fuji asked, slightly confused at Tezuka’s silence coupled with his refusal to let go of his hand.
“Are you sure the spirit won’t attack you as well?” Tezuka asked. “I don’t really understand how this breaking of wards works, but are you certain it has to be me?”
Fuji glanced sideways. “I don’t possess a key. The only way I could help said spirit to break the wards would be if I was inside the house and invited it in. If it had your blood it could just pass through...”
Tezuka pressed his lips together. Fuji’s argumentation was convincing - he merely didn’t like the idea of letting his friend out of his sight when an unknown could attack him any moment. He recalled the cat and an unbidden shudder ran down his spine.
“Couldn’t we just destroy what it is after? Or bring it to another place?” Tezuka suggested.
Fuji blinked. “I’m afraid it isn’t so easy. First of all, I have no idea what the spirit actually is after. And then there’s no telling whether this thing is actually at that house. You mentioned the Nakayamas donated quite a part of their collection to museums.”
“There’s no way to find out?” Tezuka questioned and finally let go of Fuji’s hand. Even held between his own, he had felt how those slim fingers had continuously grown colder.
They ought to be getting back inside the school building. Second period would start every minute and the unheated clubroom posed only a minor improvement to temperatures outside.
“Not really...” Fuji started and hesitated. A frown crossed his face. “Tezuka. It’s just a guess... Mori-san died of natural causes, didn’t she?”
“As far as I know.” Tezuka replied with a raised eyebrow. She had been well into her seventies at least, maybe even older. And while she’d been healthy for her age, her movements had continuously grown slower, stiffer.
The weather had been her undoing, he recalled his grandfather saying.
Fuji’s lips twitched. “The circumstances.... was there anything unusual?”
Tezuka caught Fuji’s eye and abruptly realized what idea his friend entertained. His eyes widened. “You don’t think...?” He asked breathlessly.
“I wouldn’t know.” Fuji answered. “It might have nothing to do with anything, it’s merely an idea.”
A frown crossed Tezuka’s face. He hadn’t paid much attention when his parents had informed him Mori-san had passed away - while the news had been sad, deep down he hadn’t been surprised.
He had never suspected anything unusual at work.
And, his mind cautioned him, maybe he was suspecting too much. Even if he believed Fuji’s explanation, that did not necessarily mean, that Mori-san’s death connected.
“Nobody mentioned anything out of the ordinary.” Tezuka eventually said, remembering the sombre atmosphere at the funeral. Nothing in the atmosphere had even suggested doubting the circumstances of Mori-san’s death.
“As I said, it’s merely an idea. It might not relate to our case at all.” Fuji rubbed his hands together in order to restore circulation to his fingers. “Right now I barely can make sense of what is happening - and maybe I’m wrong.”
He turned back to Tezuka and a strained-smile played on his lips. “But I’m not going to risk your life over that.”
And before Tezuka could think of anything to say, Fuji had left the room and disappeared into the icy white world outside. A cold gust of wind tore into the club room and Tezuka shuddered.
His eyes remained fixed on the plain grey wall opposite of him, even though Fuji was no longer there. No emotion was visible on his face, but a hurricane raced through his mind. The explanation Fuji had given him - regardless of how easy it had been to accept - shattered his picture of reality,
As if the cold was obstructing his mind he only very slowly started to realize the true scope of Fuji’s words. If he was to believe what his friend had said, it meant giving up the world as he knew it. It also meant that logic alone did not suffice to explain anything anymore.
Tezuka clenched his fists as he felt the beginnings of a headache creep up on him.
On one hand everything had been thrown into chaos - wards broken, cats raised from the dead and a malevolent spirit after his blood. Yet on the other hand, classes at school proceeded as they did everyday; people went to work and normality remained undisturbed. He felt caught between two worlds.
Outside the bell rang and with a sigh Tezuka stood up.
He would probably not be able to set his mind at peace on his own. As long as this mysterious threat was out there and Fuji continued to look strained - but as of now, there was nothing he could do.
For the first time in his life Tezuka Kunimitsu had to acknowledge that he was powerless to change the situation.
All he could do for now was go to class and pretend nothing had happened.
He had to blink when he left the clubhouse. The clouds had grown considerably brighter and if his eyes weren’t deceiving him, he could spy patches of blue sky in between. His breath fogged immediately and he could feel air as cold as ice crawling underneath his coat.
Clear skies in winter meant temperatures would drop even further.
And with the day already this cold, he dreaded to think of what the night would bring.
+ + +
School that day proceeded slowly.
A nervous tension had spread through the corridors and classes were unusually silent. More than once Tezuka caught curious glances cast into his direction or noticed conversations abruptly ceased upon his entrance. However he did not mind the silence, especially since he had more important questions on his mind.
Oishi was the one who finally dared to address his distraction, after Tezuka had failed to correct their math teacher even once during fourth period.
“Tezuka.” Oishi said in a hushed voice. The captain of Seigaku’s tennis team glanced up in response.
Oishi pressed his lips together. “Is Fuji alright?”
For a moment Tezuka remembered having seen Oishi shortly after he and Fuji had found the cat’s mutilated body. “As well as possible.” Tezuka replied, even though in the back of his mind he wondered whether he wasn’t lying.
“I know it’s probably not my business.” Oishi continued and Tezuka could see his fingers clench hard enough around his pencil for the knuckles to turn white. “But do you... can you tell me what is going on? I don’t mean to be curious, I just...”
“I understand.” Tezuka interrupted. He felt a number of inquisitive eyes boring into his back and students next to them had fallen silent, intending to listen in on their conversation. Without lowering his voice he carried on: “Though I don’t know either.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Tezuka did not know what was going on - he only knew a theory Fuji had provided. But that was no knowledge he was going to share with the rest of the world. Not even Oishi, since his poor vice-captain already appeared shell-shocked by what had happened without suspecting supernatural involvement.
“... I hope Fuji is going to be okay.” Oishi commented after a second. “I mean, that looked horrid. Whoever did that must have been - seems to be capable of doing terrible things. And I can’t help but wonder whether they’ll actually stop at this or whether there might be more.”
Tezuka sighed. “Oishi, I’m afraid I really don’t know. Though I believe school will tighten up security to make sure there is no repeat of such an incident.”
In the back of his mind, he wondered whether their school’s security posed any kind of obstacle if a spirit was at work. Oishi did not look relieved, either. “You don’t think anybody is specifically going after Fuji, do you? In that case maybe one of us should see him home...”
Tezuka contemplated. Fuji wouldn’t appreciate assigned a bodyguard. His own conscience however would feel much easier if he knew his friend wasn’t alone out there. No matter what he did, he just couldn’t banish the memory of Fuji’s paper-white face after he’d fainted two nights ago. What if it happened again and he wasn’t there?
What if the spirit attacked...?
But would it attack as long as he wasn’t with Fuji? His friend had been certain it would not. Tezuka didn’t understand much of the supernatural and that left him doubting.
“That might be a good idea.” Tezuka eventually said and kept his eyes down. “While I don’t know what the incident was about, it would be better to remain on guard.”
A faint smile crossed Oishi’s lips. “You’re right. I’ll ask Eiji, even though I doubt that will need much asking.”
Tezuka recalled Kikumaru’s pale face and guilt spread through his heart for using his friends’ concern like this. They were honestly worried - willing to put themselves in danger - and he couldn’t even tell them what he knew.
+ + +
The sun was already setting when Fuji left school.
Before the last period had started, a police officer had dropped in and Fuji couldn’t quite keep a frown of his face when he left a class that had fallen into shocked silence. Countless gazes bore into his back, but he kept his head up.
He wanted to sigh in relieve when the door closed behind him, yet the moment the officer began his questioning, he found he wanted to scream.
“I’m very sorry, but I honestly don’t know who could have done it.” He said instead.
“Nobody you got in trouble with? Or somebody who might be jealous? Or just anybody who lately started acting strange around you.” The officer replied. “It might not look like a big deal to you, but please consider well. You never know what that person might do next.”
No, I truly don’t know what that thing will do next, Fuji bitterly thought. Out loud, he said: “I apologize, officer, but I really have no idea.”
“I see. But is there anything else that would give you a clue, perhaps?” The officer continued and Fuji felt his gaze hardening. “Did you ever see the cat before?”
Fuji met the gaze head-on. “I have seen quite a number of black cats until today. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to tell one from the other, much less tell you whether I have ever seen that poor creature before.”
The officer frowned and turned away. “There were some things left with the cadaver. Wait a minute.”
Fuji nodded obediently. In the back of his mind he wondered why the officer had not yet addressed the issue that the cat had been dead for some time already. He would have preferred for them not to notice - yet he doubted they’d miss such a central fact.
Still he wished he had a way to convince them this was a tasteless prank gone too far.
“I hope you don’t mind, but we had to empty your locker.” The officer said, as he sat down at the table again, a tablet with a random assortment of things in hand. “I believe most of the books have been in there before, so I’ll just ask you about the things that might have been added by an outsider.”
Fuji sighed inwardly. With one glance he could tell that the officer had little idea of what kind of objects students kept in their lockers. None of his notebooks or books had made it on what Fuji secretly dubbed the “tablet of suspicious things”, yet two spare pencils, his calculator and a tennis ball had.
The yellow had turned brown where the ball had been smeared with the cat’s blood. Fuji’s stomach twisted - that ball had been a private good luck charm.
“Those.” He pointed at the objects in questions. “Are my belongings. I can assure you those have been in my locker before it was opened.”
“Very well.” The officer nodded. “But what about this collar?”
Fuji blinked. He barely recalled having seen the object in question and the thick layer of crusted blood made it even harder to recognize.
“I haven’t seen this before.” Fuji said, suppressing a shudder.
Tezuka had recognized Mori-san’s cat due to this collar - he himself had seen it on the picture - and chances were good that the police would be able to identify the cat. Fuji pressed his lips together.
Meanwhile the officer had pulled out a plastic glove and set another object on the tablet.
Fuji’s eyes widened.
Metal glittered under the cold neon light. The name tag was covered by dried blood, but the characters had remained legible.
Mori.
Fuji swallowed and his thoughts started racing. He tried his best to keep his voice even and his fingers from shaking. “Those aren’t mine. And I don’t think they belong to anybody I know either.”
The officer nodded. “The name doesn’t ring a bell?”
A bell that screeched louder than hell, Fuji conceded to himself, but certainly not the kind of bell the young officer in front of him meant. He needed to look things up - many things; some, he even wasn’t sure he would find an answer to.
He needed to call Yumiko.
“Well... “Fuji set out. “ While I do actually know two or three persons named Mori, none of them is a close acquaintance.”
An unhappy frown crossed the officer’s face. Muttering something about the country having too many black cats and too many people sharing the same surname, he took the tablet away.
Fuji’s palms were wet with sweat.
Had the spirit managed to turn him into a key holder? Or did he need to touch the key for this? Was this feat even possible?
+ + +
When Fuji reached home, the sun was a small red ball disappearing behind the horizon. His mother’s china in the living room gleamed gold and the snow outside glowed orange - but the in spite of the colours the air was icy.
His breath fogged even after he had closed the door behind him and helplessly Fuji turned the heater up - though he knew it would take hours for the room to become comfortably warm. Instead of waiting, he took the phone as well as one of his mother’s blankets upstairs, plugged in the kotatsu and waited until his teeth had stopped shattering before he dialled Yumiko’s number.
She picked up after the fourth ring. “Hello?”
“Am I disturbing you?” Fuji asked, not bothering with formalities.
He could practically see her raising one well-shaped eyebrow and heard cheerful voices in the background. “Not particularly.” She replied. “What is the matter?”
Fuji drew a deep breath. “Do you remember when I asked you about spirits in the vicinity of Nikko?”
“Yes.” Her tone grew concerned. “Did something happen?”
He didn’t particularly want to tell his sister. She would worry even more than Tezuka did - but she was also the only person capable of answering his questions.
“Nothing too bad.” He replied. “Yesterday I went out there again with Tezuka and we were attacked by a cat.”
“So?”
“...I have reason to believe said cat wanted to gain entry to the house. I don’t know why or what for, but as far as I remember the only way to gain entry would be either by invitation or through blood.”
Yumiko’s voice was tense. “Generally, yes. There are other ways, but those are guaranteed to work.”
Fuji swallowed. “The cat ended up scratching me - and today I found a set of keys for the house in my school locker.”
“And now you’re wondering whether this little trick would turn you into a key-holder whose blood could be used to break the wards.” His sister could probably guess he wasn’t telling her the entire story. Yet thankfully she refrained from asking further questions.
After a moment she continued. “Well, I don’t know the particulars, but it depends on who gave you the keys. If they were given to you by a legitimate key-holder the wards might be affected. But do you actually know what that thing you’re dealing with is? The situation might be different if a ghost of somebody who used to be key-holder is concerned.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Fuji answered and pressed his lips together. “But I don’t believe it is a ghost.”
Surprise coloured his sister’s voice. “How come?”
“I can’t sense it. Or rather, it can hide its presence very well. One moment it’s there and in the next it has vanished.” A shiver ran down Fuji’s spine.
His sister fell silent and when she spoke next, her voice was grave. “Syusuke, that really doesn’t sound like a ghost. At least not like a normal one. Though it’s rare for a spirit to seek entry to a house...”
“The owners are collectors of items associated with the supernatural.” Fuji admitted.
“It might be a spirit searching for something that was accidentally taken away from it.” Yumiko guessed. “But then again, it might be something else entirely.”
Fuji glanced down at his bandaged arm. After he had seen the cat’s mutilated body today, he doubted they were dealing with a kind spirit looking only to reclaim his possession.
The fact that Mori-san’s keys had been dropped into his locker made him suspect much worse.
“In any case, I’ll be back next week.” Yumiko was saying. “Watch out.”
+ + +
Fuji did not sleep well that night. He kept worrying about Tezuka and the memory of the cat’s severed head rose unbidden. When he closed his eyes he could see the blood dripping down from his locker and spreading over the floor. How that eye had rolled away from the pile of crushed organs and rotten fur.
He felt as if he hadn’t slept at all when the alarm eventually rang and for a moment he considered staying home. Outside the sky was clear for the first time in days, but the snow on the leafless tree outside glittered like ice.
With a sigh Fuji sat up. His head pounded and he felt dizzy, yet school today would finish at noon. He would survive those four lessons.
The moment he stepped outside, he woke up. It felt like all warmth was expelled from his body when he drew breath and he had barely crossed the street when he had already lost all feeling in his toes. Snow crunched under his feet and the cold easily penetrated four layers of clothing. Even the sun’s rays on his cheeks felt like ice.
The air burned in his lungs and reluctantly he pulled a hand from his pocket to arrange his scarf. Even the thick woollen gloves had failed at keeping his hands warm - he could barely move his fingers.
As he walked down the street he wondered how many of his class mates were going to stay home due to the cold today. Maybe Eiji wouldn’t come either, seeing as he had complained that he was freezing even in class lately.
Tezuka would certainly show up.
Unless...
Fuji frowned.
There was no way the spirit could have gotten to Tezuka, was there? At least not without him noticing - or at least he liked to believe so. Predicting a ghost’s movements was so much easier than seeing through a spirit.
He left the street and entered the small park to take a short-cut to Seigaku. The greenery had been completely covered underneath a thick layer of snow and Fuji couldn’t even make out where the path he usually walked was.
Soon even the last noises faded away and he found himself alone within a world of black and white. In the back of his mind he started to feel uneasy - this park was far too empty at this time, nothing but snow and leafless trees.
A shiver ran down his spine.
“Hello sweetie.”
Fuji froze.
It was as if an invisible force had bound his feet. And deep within himself he had an inkling running would not be of any use.
“I have been waiting for you.” He had not heard the voice before. It was clear, female and had his hair standing on ends.
He knew he shouldn’t turn around.
But when he did he found a familiar face.
Fuji’s heart stopped.
He had never met the woman in person, but he recognized her face. She was the one holding the cat in the picture in the entrance hall of that house. The cat whose cadaver had been place in his locker yesterday.
Mori-san.
She took a step closer and smiled.
“I would like you to join me on a little excursion.”
tbc
Please feel free to share comments and critique with me - or guesses as to what happens next ^_~