紅女のアーリエノーストリート

The darkest day, the moonless night. Four boys, with too much time to spare, have gathered in one’s bedroom for a ghost story. (My bedroom, in fact.) With sole light exist are four candles in front of each of them.

“Once upon a time, back in medieval Mongolia. There’s a caravan, led by a wealthy merchant from Arabia, arrived in the town square of Qaraqoram selling things from his land.

One day, a young lady approached his caravan. He is astonished, not by her appearance but a shimmering yellow jewel on her neck. He was bewitched by its mystical beauty.

But no matter what he did, negotiating, begging, offering everything to the lady, she disdained.

The merchant realised there’s no point reasoning out. So malignancy had become him.

On one full moon night, an avaricious merchant trespassed on the lady’s houses. Hoping to steal the jewel.”

“Did he get it? Did he? Did he? Mmm! Mmmm!” The noisy one was silenced by a hand of a young boy beside him.

“Please continue Kyoushi-san.”

“Thank you, Reishi. Yes, he did get the jewel and the poor lady’s life too. She was murdered, brutally beaten. Blood splashed everywhere. Almost turned the alluring citrine into a blood-red ruby. 

Then afterwards, he hurriedly absconded back to his land.

One night during his homecoming journey.

The wind howled in a rather abnormal way. Sounds of shoo, heard from afar, had slowly approached the caravan.  

Horses galloping sound suddenly stopped. Frozen breeze… No, a frozen breath had taken in. And then………

Krr! Argh! Pssst! Pssst! Pewwwwwww! Hurgh! A.

The next morning, the horse rider came into the wagon of the merchant. The place reeked of gore. The corpse of a merchant lying dead and disembowelled was found inside. He almost vomited by a mere glance at it. But the man didn’t realise that there was a shimmering blood-dyed jewel that shone inside the body. Silently waited for its next victim.”

The candle is blown as the story end. One eye sparkled with excitement while the other two hugged each other frightenedly, tremblingly and sweatily.

“Wh… who… Who’s next?” Asked, the youngest boy whose arms wrapped tightly around the most charming boy amongst them. (Me!)

“Me next!” The noisy boy raised a hand. “This happened in primary school on the school sleepover day. I woke up at midnight to go to the loo. I’d walked past the lightless corridor. It was so noiseless. I couldn't hear anything, not even a wind sound. I managed to make it to the loo. It's got a little window so, the moonlight brightened up the loo a little bit. I peed, washed my hands then back to my class. But on my way back, I heard a sound of a tap turning on from the girl’s loo. I thought that somebody might have forgotten to turn it off. So I took a peek. You're not going to believe what I’ve seen. An old wrinkled face of a ghost stood idly in front of the mirror. I screamed and hopped away as fast as I could. That wicked ghost had chased after me. It got a speed of a devil, I tell you. I went back to my classroom in hurry. The door opening sound was loud enough to wake everyone in the class up. 

“There's a ghost chasing after me!” I yelled. 

Then I was touched by a wet freezing hand from behind.

I screamed, my classmates screamed, and even my teacher screamed. Her scream was the loudest one. Her scream was like a siren screaming. My ears almost bled.

Then it shouted, the spooky thing behind me. “Shut yer damn traps, you rapscallions!”

it turned out that that ghost was my math teacher, Ms Nathaniel. I barely recognised her without those layers of cosmetics on her wrinkled face.”

The second candle swiftly is blown creating a mist of confusion amongst the listeners.

“That’s it? That’s your ghost story?”

“Si! That’s it. Pretty scary, am I right?!”

“Yeah, Jarl’s quite a hottie, isn’t he? Let’s make him your new dad, shall we, Reishi, my dear?

“¡Ay, Back off, Rojo! He's mine!”

“Ok, ok. I’m just messing around. No need to be mad about it.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You're up next. Give us some spine-chilly story, won't you?” The noisy boy’s sparkling eyes turned to a vengeful glare towards the charming magician.

“Okay. But don’t expect anything, alright? Or else, I’ll snatch Jarl.”

“Grr……” Growled in madness, the noisy one.

“I’ve heard this one from my gallant mate, Ruby. When he went to Japan with the ‘Temple of Godai’ writer. What’s her name? Tanizaki?”

“It’s Tazawa Inafune.” Rectified, the youngest boy.

“Thank you, sweetheart. There was a threat sent to her. ‘Quelqu’un va mourrir chez les Momiji’ it said. So that’s where they went, The Momiji’s manor. And as the threat said, somebody did die at Momiji’s manor. A writer was murdered. His throat was slit. His blood sprayed all over the room. It was like a fountain. A blood fountain. Belgrade was so shocked so, Munch! He bit his tongue. Then He fell over near the body while the blood was still spraying and that blood had gotten into his mouth.”

“¡Puaj! Disgusting! What the heck is wrong with you? How’s that a ghost story?”

“Reishi, help me. He’s bullying your poor dear mummy.” The boy blew the candle then quickly hid behind the young boy.

“Really? You dare say that after all the things you’ve said. What a narcissist.” Said, the young one.

“Reishi, dear…………”

The charming boy had gone silent, suffered from the word of his devil-hearted son. Tears poured drop by drop while the young one began his story.

“Has any of you ever heard the story about the red lady of Aliénor street?”

“I suppose not. I’ve only been here for half a year. How about you, Ace?”

“Never.”

“Around the 80s, there was this hit song ‘Akai sweet pea’”

“Oh!” Gasped, the noisy one.” Haru iro no kisha ni notte” He sang. “Umi ni tsurete itte yo.” Joined, the Mongolian boy.

“Yeah, that’s the one. Alright, after that song became a huge success. The cops had found a corpse of Miaki Devereaux lying breathlessly on the pavement which is literally in front of this building.”

“Wow! Chilling! Sound more promising than somebody’s story.”

“Shh! Be quiet!” Whispered, the Mongolian boy.

“Cold and foggy night, a man, shivering and sleepy, walking home all alone by Aliénor street. Aloud from darkness, the humming was heard. Akai sweet pea is what he heard. Freezing spine, the voice induced. Further ahead, approaching a humming lady, handful of vibrant flowers. Sweet pea, it was. A man was curious and well-conscious. From humming tune to coughing tune. coughing out some blood. The closer he got, the worse she got. The flowers in hands lose their vibrancy to crimson. Either did her eyes. One touch from a man, she turned to screech. He immediately lost his consciousness. Next day arrived, some locals had found the man unconscious by the pavement and there was a bouquet of red sweet peas left next to…”

“春色の汽車に乗って海に連れて行ってよ……” Chilling singing wafted through the wind.

“What’s that?”

“She is coming… She is coming…” The charming boy has lost his marbles. He keeps repeating the same sentence.

“What are we gonna do? Reishi!”

“I know! I know!” The young one was doing something on his phone.

“Wow, it is exciting! I’ve never seen a real ghost before. Man, I’m so psyched.” 

“Shut up! both of you, shut up! Reishi?!”

“Alright, got it.”

“This is Mindaugas Smetona speaking.”

“Senpai! I need help!”

“Oh, it’s you, Weitzmann. (It’s been a while.)”

“The red lady is here.”

“What red lady? (Please, be more specific. There’s tons of red lady out there.)”

“The one from your book. ‘Le Nouveau Aquitainien Folklore’”

“Oh, that one. (I’m so glad you’ve read my book.)”

“Actually, I’m a fan. But however, there’s a ghost outside of the room. How are we gonna deal with her?”

“Truly? Inside of the building?”

“Yes! She’s near!”

“That’s peculiar. There’s no report of the red lady of Aliénor’s being witnessed inside of buildings before.”

“No, she’s in front… A… Ah……” The call was cut off.

“Reishi? Reishi!“

As the door was about to reveal what’s behind it. The boys were frozen by own anticipation and fear. Fear of something that they don’t even know whether it’s true or not. How mind is so perplexed. How surreptitiously one holds a key of secret.

“Ahaha! This is what I call entertainment. Thanks for going along with my master plan, Alice.” Pleasingly laughed, the perpetrator behind the ‘un’paranormal activity.

“I’m glad to be of service. Although I’m not quite sure I’m following.” Replied, baffling Alistair.

The curtain of mystery has now been revealed with an enormous smirk on the perpetrator's face.

Ha! Ha ha! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!