Chapter 18:
High School Raindrops
Hao Hao followed Rush and Shui into the darkness of the woods. The three of them quickly treaded off the beaten path. With no streetlights to guide her and the darkness of soul sight making her surroundings impossible to see, she had to rely on the spirits. Following behind them carefully to make sure she wouldn’t trip over a branch or run into a tree.
They bobbled like balloons. Deeper and deeper. The trees were too thick to see anything past them even when she did blink out of soul sight. It occurred to her that, much like when she got lost on her first day, she had no idea where the school was now.
“How do we get back?” Hao Hao asked.
“I know. Don’t worry.” Shui said.
Hao Hao sighed with relief. As long as someone knew, she could relax. She asked, “Why is Joy trying to leave, anyway?”
“She misses her family.”
That was the first time she’d heard anything about anyone else’s family. None of the other students had said a word really, and Hao Hao herself hadn’t thought of them much either. In truth, she was just happy they weren’t there. Looking at it that way she almost thought Joy was lucky, but with her being missing right now, the thought didn’t stick.
“Why doesn’t she just ask Jim?”
“She did. He said no.”
“Really?”
Rush nodded. “Jim told her then that this place wasn’t really the school she was supposed to go to. It’s a different world and people travelling between them is not okay. In his words, it was a big no no according to his boss.”
As previously mentioned, Hao Hao never wanted to try to leave, but it hadn’t occurred to her that she wouldn’t be able to had she wanted to. She asked, “What do you mean, it’s a different world?”
“I mean exactly what it sounds like. This place isn’t part of the world you are from. It’s not where Joy, you, or anyone else belongs.”
It’s not where she belongs. That’s pretty similar to what Sally said to her, and what Daichi almost implied too. Still, she couldn’t really say she understood. “Just because I’m not from here… does it really mean I have to leave?”
“Look around. No life belongs here, it’s the area between that. A crossroads. Do you know what Shigo means?”
“This is the border of Shigo. I figured it was just a name.”
“It’s also a word that means, roughly, the afterlife.”
The afterlife?
“This is just the border of Shigo,” Rush explained, “But I still don’t know why Jim brought us here. Either we belong back at home, or we go passed the border. That’s as far as Joy got before deciding that she should just make a run for it.”
“Is that why she’s always jogging? Is she trying to run home?”
“Yes.”
Together, her and the spirits made their way through the thick forest. One time coming upon a clearing that allowed her to see the sky. An empty sky with the moon shining down. When did it become nighttime? It was only a little after lunch when she and the others left the school. She wondered where they were too. If she saved Joy only for something to happen to them, she’d be devastated. She had the answer as soon as they went outside, if only she thought to look, or Shui could tell her when everyone was there.
“I’m sorry.” Shui said.
“For what?”
“I can hear your thoughts. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you.”
“That’s not your fault,” Hao Hao said. “It’s mine.”
They came through the trees to an open plain. A beach. It had been forever since Hao Hao had walked on the sand. With a clear sky, she could see the horizon. Nothing but sea as far as she could see for the most part, but there was an island far South. What was that, she wondered.
“I’ve never seen this. Joy either.” Rush said.
Shui shook his head and said, “We’ve come too far. We need to turn back.”
They turned away, but the spirits stopped. They hid behind the bushes. A half a mile or so away, Hao Hao could make out the shape of a deer. Elegant and muscular. She wasn’t sure why Rush and Shui were hiding from it.
She hid with the spirits and asked, “What is it?”
“That’s a shika.” Rush said.
“What’s a shika?”
“It’s a beast of sorts. I’m scared of them.”
“Me too.” Shui said.
“Joy is that way,” Rush said. “Just follow the bushes here. We might have to stay back until you find her.”
Hao Hao went cold to the suggestion. She asked, “Can the shika hurt me? What do I do if it sees me?”
“The shika can smell spirits. If you hurry, you can get Joy and they’ll come for us.”
“But what about you two?”
The spirits did not answer her questions. Shui said, “If you need me, call me.”
Hao Hao nodded. Uncertain if she actually felt confident enough to do this, but she swallowed down her fear and moved anyway. All she had to do was find Joy. Find her and get away from the Shika; hopefully with their spirits still intact. She tried to move faster while still hiding amongst the bushes. Soon she was close enough that she could hear the shika. To her surprise, they spoke English.
“Where did the girl go?” His, or maybe their, voices echoed as if they were in a tunnel. From here, Hao Hao could make out at least two deer. Shika.
“I don’t know.”
They were spread out, looking through the trees in search of a girl. Joy maybe. Hao Hao suddenly felt way too close to them. She lowered her head and felt like she might cry.
“I smell something. This way.” The shika said, leading him and the other one away.
Hao Hao sighed and followed the bushes once more. She travelled in the dark of night, using her hands to guide her through, until she hit something. Hit someone. Her glasses fell off and fear struck her. She couldn’t really see without them.
They were placed back onto her face, and Hao Hao saw that it was Joy that put them back for her. Her minty green pigtails messy and drenched in sweat. Hao Hao hadn’t been running, but she didn’t imagine she looked much better.
“Thank you.”
“What are you doing out here?” Joy whispered.
“I was looking for you. Everyone is.”
“It didn’t occur to me that you guys would notice. Guess I should have said something.”
“Why wouldn’t we notice?”
Joy stood, holding her hand to Hao Hao and pulling her up. They could still see the shika, but they were facing away from them now. Joy said, “Let’s just get out of here first.”
They proceeded to run away, but they weren’t very fast. Especially not Hao Hao, who had relatively never run in her life before. She ended up tripping on a branch. The two girls looked back and saw that the shika had heard. They were facing them once again, soon dashing through the woods to get to them. Joy grabbed Hao Hao’s hand and pulled her as she ran faster, but still, the shika approached ever closer.
Where were the spirits? What happened to them? Hao Hao couldn’t reach any meaningful conclusions, and now the shika were close. Close enough to hear them panting behind her. Hao Hao tried to run faster and momentarily, it seemed like time stopped as they passed right by a hooded man.
He swung a large stick. The same way he rowed with, but now it had a large, rounded blade. The canoe stick was now a scythe, and in one quick motion a single shika was hit. It dissipated into a mist, leaving nothing wisps of air, soon gone as if it was never there. The other deer stopped.
“Not a step closer!” Jim said.
Hao Hao and Joy stopped running. Feeling more comfortable by the presence of the adult, they stayed behind him. He was the barrier between them and the deer, or the shika, as the spirits called it. They hugged each other for comfort.
“Jim. Why am I not surprised…”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Neither should you,” The shika said. They glared at Hao Hao and explained, “We saw this one long time ago.” They glanced back up at Jim and demanded, “Explain yourself.”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
“We’re here by orders from Shinigami.”
Jim gripped the scythe tighter. His sight did not leave that of the deer, which worried the two girls behind him. They didn’t dare speak a word. They didn’t dare move.
“Everything is fine. I’m just doing my job.”
“That lie won’t even work on us. Do you really think it would fool her?”
He sighed, “Just leave us. The kids did nothing wrong.”
“Shinigami will be the judge of that.”
And with that final thought the shika jumped away. Galloping, leaving trails of light in its wake. Antlers glowing, flaming just like the blue streetlights would. Jim let out a breath that seemed to still the world once more.
Hao Hao sighed heavily. She let go of Joy as well as the tension that had been held in her chest. She sat down and practiced the breathing that Shui had taught her. In and out. Joy stayed right where she was.
Jim turned around. He asked her, “First things first, are you two alright?”
“We clearly aren’t. Take a look at Hao Hao.” Joy said.
“I’m okay.” Hao Hao tried to whisper, but the words fell like sand, unable to make it to the words of the other two.
“Keep breathing Hao Hao.” She did as he said, and he turned his attention to Joy, “You’re fine. I’m glad, but what were you doing out here? This is really far from the school.”
Joy crossed her arms and went silent, choosing to pout instead of giving him any other response. Jim sighed, “Fine. Play quiet. I don’t mind as long as I can get you both back to the school.”
“What…. What about the others?”
Hao Hao’s voice was still low. Barely audible, but it seemed that Jim caught it. He answered, “I caught up with them first. No harm done, but I have a question for you. Why were you out here? I heard you were supposed to stay at the school with Alice.”
“I wanted to find Joy.”
“But the others were already looking.”
“I… I had a way to find her.”
Joy broke her silence, “Wait, how did you find me before anyone else?”
“A spirit showed me where you were.” Hao Hao said.
Jim nodded. He already knew she could see them, but Joy was confused. “What does that mean?”
“I… um, I have a special ability that lets me see spirits. What is it called again?” Hao Hao asked Jim.
“You’re a Whisperer. You could call your ability to see them whispering.”
So that was the proper name. Fitting for her. Hao Hao would probably stick with calling it soul sight though, since that’s what she’s been calling it the entire time.
Jim shook his scythe, and the blade went back into the stick, now safe to use for rowing again. He offered her a hand. She took it (still cold as that day helped her into the canoe) and the three of them started back for the school. With Jim around it felt safe to travel, but she did still look over her shoulder. Blinking into soul sight just to check, but the spirits were still missing for now.
“It led you to me?”
“Yeah.”
Joy looked between Hao Hao and Jim suspiciously. Jim was leading; he couldn’t see them, but he still explained, “No. Hao Hao is not working with me, or whatever plot you have cooked up in your head. She’s a kid just like you.”
Joy went quiet again, and this time, it remained so until they returned to school.
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