Chapter 8 (2008) (1,875 words)

I

Riki Takato’s Diary

August 21, 1983:

“And just where do you think you’re going, Riki?”

I spun around swiftly to face the speaker.

“Oh...” was all I could say. “Nowhere... I was just... just...”

As I searched for an appropriate excuse, Mrs. Marilyn tapped her foot in impatience, holding her walking stick firmly in one hand.

“I suppose you wanted to take a pleasant nighttime stroll around this place?” Mrs. Marilyn stared sternly up at me.

“No, no, no! I wasn’t...I – I just...” I stuttered. I inhaled deeply, still thinking of an excuse. “... I just wanted wanted some fresh air, that’s all.”

I tried my best to sound as honest as possible. I knew how Mrs. Marilyn hated it when students got up in the middle of the night, and went downstairs to the dining hall in order to steal a taste of her prized Belgian chocolates.

Mrs. Marilyn’s features softened slightly.

“I understand how hard it can be to come by fresh air in this dingy old place. Why, it’s only a little over ten years old, and yet it looks fifty,” said Mrs. Marilyn softly, seeing the deplorable, dilapidated state of the building – the so-called dorms of her dream school.

Internally I was very much relieved, for had Mrs. Marilyn come even a second later, I would have been caught in the act of stealing, and stealing is stealing, even if it’s just chocolates. Behind my back, I carefully and noiselessly replaced the lid over the silver chocolate box.

“Come, Riki, let us go outside for some fresh air, then,” said Mrs. Marilyn, smiling.

I graciously accepted.

One of the many strange features of the dormitory’s architecture was that the dining hall was located on the second floor. I thought then was the perfect time to ask why.

“Well, the dining hall wasn’t part of the original plan,” she replied. “I got it built only six years ago, removing many dorm rooms in the process. All these parents and their ‘modern trends’...” She scowled to herself. “Nobody likes sending their kids to live in dorms anymore.”

A few minutes of silence ensued.

“Did you know, Riki, the reason I built this school was that I lost my only son?”

I vocally expressed my deepest sympathies, and shuffled awkwardly.

“And you, Riki, remind me most of him.”

I was touched that Mrs. Marilyn should think of me like a son, but I said nothing, for I had never pictured myself as such before.

We arrived at the main staircase.

“Also, Riki, I wanted to tell you— Oh!”

Her walking stick had slipped off the edge of the top step, and she lost her balance. Before I could react, she had tumbled down the staircase, and lay at the bottom.

“Oh!” had been Mrs. Marilyn’s last word.

Coach Takao sighed, and shut the diary.

“I wonder if I should tell the kids that Mrs. Marilyn died in the eighties and not in the seventies?”

He sighed once again, and replaced the diary deep in his desk drawer.

“Well, I’d better get back to work.”

He rose, and left his office.

II

Kogure awoke with a grumble the next morning. He groped around the head of his bed until his fingers closed around something cold and metallic. He sat up wearily, and put on his glasses.

It was only six in the morning, and nobody else was awake. The sky glowed a dim shade of blue in anticipation of sunrise. The perfect time for a morning walk.

Kogure closed his eyes against the cool breeze as he stepped out of the gym, shutting the door quietly behind him. A dense fog had descended on the lawn, making it difficult to see. Kogure walked down the tortuous path toward the pond, hand in his pockets.

The soft ripples that formed in the water created a soothing ambience that could put anyone to sleep. Kogure sat down on the slope, and shut his eyes, taking in the sound sof nature.

‘Today is the day before Friday the Thirteenth,’ he mused. ‘Such a beautiful day! I can’t imagine why Mitsui’s so afraid.’

He rose a short while later, and proceeded down one of the numerous paths that led up to the pond. Before long he found himself walking toward the old dormitory.

‘There’s something different about this place today,’ he thought. ‘But what?’

III

The large clock in the gym now read 9AM.

Coach Taoka adjusted his necktie as he entered.

“Good morning, everyone!”

“Coach!” Kiyota complained, rubbing his eyes and yawning. “It’s so early!”

“Oh, come on. It’s 9AM. Wake up any later, and you’ll miss breakfast.”

“Where’s Kogure?” said Mitsui, staring at Kogure’s empty bed.

“He’s probably out taking a walk,” said Takenori, who was familiar with Kogure’s habits.

Coach Takato bent over Kogure’s bed, and picked up a piece of paper that was partially concealed under the sheets.

“There’s no need to worry. Kogure left us a note.”

Mitsui reached for the note, but Coach Takato held it out of his reach.

“Really, now.” He cleared his throat, and began reading the note. “‘Everyone, I’ve decided to take a stroll around the grounds. I might be a while. Don’t panic if you can’t find me. Kogure.’

“You see, there’s no need to panic.” Coach Takato folded the piece of paper, and put it in his shirt pocket. “I’m sure he’ll find his way back.”

“Ah,” Coach Takato said, bending down over Kogure’s bed to pick up a piece of paper that was partially concealed underneath the sheets. In the meantime, breakfast has already been served at the cafeteria, so I suggest you shower, and get there as soon as you can.”

“I can’t help being worried about Kogure,” said Ayako.

“Don’t,” said Takenori. “Kogure tends to lose track of himself when he’s doing something he really likes. He loves nature, and can sit under a tree or next to a pond for hours without any idea how much time has elapsed.”

“I’m starting to think we ought to go out and look for Kogure,” said Koshino at the cafeteria when he finished his breakfast.”

“No, I don’t think he’d like that very much,” said Takenori. “He’ll come on his own when gets really hungry.”

Sendoh made to squeeze a lemon into his porridge, and Ayako hit him with her paper fan.

“Argh! Sendoh! You’re grossing us all out.”

Sendoh massaged his head, and looked up at Ayako.

“It really isn’t as gross as it sounds.” He pouted slightly. “You should try it sometime!”

Ryota, who thought Sendoh had been trying to flirt with Ayako, picked up his spoon, and tossed it at him. It hit him square in the face.

“Ryota!” Ayako yelled. “Why the hell did you do that? I’m so sorry, Sendoh.”

Sendoh massaged his nose, but cast Ayako a peaceable smile.

Everyone else watched the scene in mild amusement.

Kogure still hadn’t returned by lunchtime. That was when people started getting really worried about him.

“Do you really think he’s all right?” said Fujima. “I mean, he skipped breakfast, and now he hasn’t shown up for lunch, either.”

Even Takenori was beginning to look worried.

“This isn’t like him.”

“How big is Kainan?” Uozumi turned to Maki. “In terms of area, I mean.”

“Four acres.”

Uozumi then turned to Takenori.

“You see, Takenori? Four acres is huge. If Kogure is as fond of nature as you say he is, I would expect him to take more than a couple of hours to check the place out.”

“Maybe you’re right,” said Takenori, “and we’re just worrying for no reason.”

“You’re probably right,” said Ayako.

Kogure was forgotten about that afternoon, when everyone decided to watch a movie. It was only later in the evening that Kogure’s absence began to strike people with renewed suspiciousness.

“You know,” said Ikegami. “I doubt even Kogure could lose track of time for that long.”

Mitsui rose.

“That’s it. I’m going to go look for him.”

He marched out of the cafeteria, where snacks had been served. When he was about to exit, Ayako called out:

“Mitsui, wait!”

“We’re coming as well.” Jin rose, reminding one of a secret agent about to embark on a dangerous mission.

“Oh joy,” said Uozumi. “We’re going to have to search four whole acres for Kogure.”

“It doesn’t look as if we any other choice, does it?” said Mitsui coolly.

They began their search by walking down the numerous pathways in the grounds, just in case they bumped into Kogure walking up the other way.

“I’m starting to get chills,” said Mitsui. “Is it maybe because we’re wandering closer and closer to the dormitory on the evening before Friday the Thirteenth?”

“Oh, shut up with your ‘Friday the Thirteenth’ crap, will you?” snapped Koshino.

The last light of the evening began growing dimmer and dimmer.

“Should we go in?” said Sendoh.

“I don’t think we should,” said Uekusa. “It’s getting dark.”

“Oh, look!” exclaimed Ayako. “What’s that shining over there?”

The evening sun had reflected off an object on the path in the near distance. When they got closer, it turned out it was a pair of glasses.

Takenori picked them up, and examined them.

“These are Kogure’s glasses.”

They were unscratched – as if someone had gently put them down on the path. But why would Kogure take his glasses off, and put them dow on the path?”

“Something’s definitely not right here,” said Ayako.

Mitsui had begun to lose his head.

“I told you guys right at the start that there was something fishy about Kogure’s being gone. But no! Why would anyone listen to me? Why is it that people only heed warning signs when something bad has already come to pass?”

“Well,” said Fujima, ignoring Mitsui. “Kogure undoubtedly wandered off toward the dormitory.”

“But if he dropped his glasses,” said Maki, “shouldn’t he have stopped to pick them up? Or at least looked for them?”

“That probably means that Kogure was lured into the dormitory, or possibly dragged there by force,” Fujima went on.

“Why would anyone do that?” said Maki.

“For the millionth time,” yelled Mitsui, almost hysterical. “It wasn’t ‘someone’ but ‘something’. Haven’t you learnt throughout our stay here that this freaking place is haunted?”

“Those were just stories,” said Ayako. “I mean, come on, we spent several hours there, and nothing happened to us.”

“That’s because it wasn’t the night before Friday the—”

“Shut up!” yelled Koshino.

“What we need is evidence,” said Uozumi, trying to keep a cool head amidst the madness.

Maki snorted.

“Aren’t these glasses enough in the way of evidence?”

“I beg to differ,” said Sendoh. Everyone turned to him. “Have any of you considered the possibility that someone might have deliberately placed Kogure’s glasses here in order to lure us into the dormitory?”

Nobody had considered that possibility. The idea seemed absurd.

“Sendoh,” said Maki patiently. “This is a well-guarded school. Not some ghetto. There is no ‘somebody’.”

“Or ‘something’,” Mitsui chimed in, but he was ignored.

Sendoh shrugged.

“It was worth considering.”

“You know what?” said Ryota, exhibiting uncharacteristic strength of resolve. “Kogure is probably down there, and that means we ought to go down there after him.”

◄ Chapter 7 ● Nights at Kainan ● Chapter 9 ►