Ghost

The ground under Naoya’s cheek was hard and cold. It was also surprisingly gritty. He couldn’t move beyond twitching, and every time he did, another jolt of electricity went through him. He could only hope that these strange figures had the situation under control. It was hard to tell from the noise alone, but the shouts were growing louder as the ground began ever so subtly to vibrate.

Loud footsteps came to stop next to his head.

“We need all hands,” someone said.

“I was assigned to keep an eye on him,” the woman said.

“That wasn’t a question.”

“Fine. Let me just…”

Naoya rose into the air, yet he didn’t feel anyone pick him up. It was like he was… weightless, all of a sudden? No, not exactly. Gravity was still pulling on him, but something else lifted him up against it. It seemed impossible, but considering everything else, like the most easily explained issue.

“Hey! Put me down!” he shouted.

“Shut up. You’ll attract them.”

He was pushed through the air—something he only realised through the forces working on his body—and then the world got darker. Had they moved indoors?

“Stay in here until I fetch you. There’s a good boy,” the woman said and Naoya heard a door being slammed.

“It’s not like I can move,” Naoya mumbled.

The noise from outside was muffled through the closed door. Naoya took stock of his body, trying to move a muscle in every limb, yet it was in vain.

“Right,” he said out loud, to no one in particular. “Purple world, animal head people, weird woman, strange… magic? What the fuck is—”

Something sounded like it fell over next to him. A dull noise, like a stack of books dropping on the floor. Then, a scratching noise, like pushing a chair without lifting it up. Naoya frowned.

“Hello?”

The noise stopped for a moment, then continued.

“Hey, just release me. I promise not to run. I wouldn’t even know where to go!”

A hand reached for his head. He could feel the fingers moving over his scalp, down to where the cloth sat over his eyes. They lingered there, like a question. A question he was ready to answer.

“Take the damn thing off already,” he said. Naoya wasn’t usually prone to swearing, but when the situation warranted it, he didn’t hesitate. And this situation definitely warranted it.

The hand moved up again, fingers splaying out in his hair. Nails scratching against the skin. Naoya shuddered as the stench of brackish water rose to his nose. He coughed, still unable to move anything except his mouth.

“Don’t make it so dramatic, just—”

The cloth was ripped off, together with some of his hair. Naoya yelped in pain as he fell over from the forceful motion, landing painfully on his side, unable to catch himself. Blood dripped from his nose, wet and uncomfortable, running over his lips. He blinked into the sudden light, the world slowly coming into focus.

In front of him, crawling on all fours, was a creature right out of his nightmares. Long, thin limbs, skin clinging to the bones like paper. Clothes dirty, hanging in scraps off the bony frame. Long, dark hair dragging along the ground, surprisingly smooth and shiny.

Everything in Naoya screamed to run. Yet he still couldn’t move. His heart rate shot up so suddenly, he felt dizzy, sweat breaking out all over. The thing regarded the cloth in its claws with some interest.

Naoya snapped.

“Help! Help!!” he screamed. “Help me!!”

The creature raised its head, empty eye sockets directed directly at him. It raised its bony hand again, fingers outstretched, pointing its long nails at Naoya’s right eye. Immediately, it started burning, raw and dry. He couldn’t close it, just stare in horror as the nail came closer and closer, so much it was already out of focus. Then he felt it making contact with his eyeball, a sharp sting. Fear rolled over him, through him, colder than even the air around him. His stomach flipped.

The creature grinned. And then it was gone. In its place only white ash, floating gracefully to the ground. Naoya could see the woman, who had locked him in the building earlier, standing above him, the gloves on her hands glowing a bright blue.

“Please…” Naoya whispered.

He didn’t even know what he was pleading for. The woman helped him sit up, but didn’t release the spell that kept him immobilised. She frowned as she inspected his right eye and reached for the cloth again, which had fallen to the ground in the commotion. She tied it again, but this time only so his right eye was covered. The darkness brought blissful relief. As she was cleaning the blood off his face, someone with the head of a cat entered the room. Their fur was dark grey, with a white streak across the forehead. Eyes glowing purple behind the same type of ethereal mask the woman was wearing.

“Karin reported an anomaly. You were the one that found him?” the cat asked.

The woman stood up straight.

“He found me,” she said.

“Explain.”

“I was standing watch over the perimeter when he grabbed my arm… from the living world. Next moment he was with us in the Deadrealm.”

“That’s… unusual.”

“Could you stop talking like I’m not here and release me already? I won’t run.”

The cat made a gesture and the woman put a hand on Naoya’s shoulder. He heard the noise of paper being ripped. Immediately, feeling returned to his body and he collapsed into himself, shivering.

“What was that thing?”

“A lingering soul,” the woman said. “Someone with unfinished business, longing to take over a live body to finish said business.”

“Could I go home now?”

“No. You’re coming with us. We need to examine that eye of yours before we can let you go,” the cat said. “Take him to HQ.”

The woman saluted as the cat turned to leave. She looked at Naoya, and for the first time, her gaze was commiserative instead of cold. Yet she still pulled out a red rope and wrapped it around his wrists with deft motions.

“This might feel loose, but every time you try to get out of it, it will tighten. The rope doesn’t care if your hands are cut off.”