My NaNo

This is the prologue to my story which I'm writing for my NaNo. But because I'm so much into Skip Beat right now, it's kinda hard to get into the mood of Ghost Hunt again. So I haven't been writing much, and the deadline to the 50k words is this Sunday. I sure am not completing it. Anyway, since the two kids are finally knocked out, and I'm bored enough, I'm posting just the prologue here. Tell me what you think. :)

Actually as I continue into the story, my grammar and my tenses took a huge nosedive and ended up being very confused. Very very confused indeed.

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The following story uses the characters from Ghost Hunt by Fuyumi Ono. Otherwise the story is written by me and whatever coincidences there are in real life are just coincidences.

Prologue

1st November, Saturday

It has been almost a month since the Agawa case. I am Taniyama Mai, high school student, 17 years old. I work as a part-time investigator at SPR (Shibuya Psychic Research), the Japanese branch office of the British Society of Psychic Research. Our office is located at Shibuya Street, on a second story of a small building. If you do not know where to look, you may not be able to find it, as we are not popular or famous at all. The office investigates paranormal activities, and as suspicious as that may sound, we actually do have business … sometimes, that is.

What with the attitude of our young boss, Shibuya Kazuya, 18 years old, most would-be customers would be pissed off, if not, intimidated away. Shibuya Kazuya, as he is known in Japan, real name Dr Oliver Davis, is a paranormal researcher with the British Society of Psychic Research. I call him Naru, short for narcissistic. He is extremely good-looking, extremely intelligent, and extremely confident. And he knows it too. His personal assistant is Lin, full name Lin Koujo, a Chinese from Hong Kong, who practices the art of Taoist magic.

With both of them back in Japan after their trip from England, life in the office is back to normal.

***

It had been a gloomy morning today. The sky was overcast and the wind was beginning to be chilly. I pulled my sweater closer to me as I ran from the train station to the office. Yikes, I was already late. In such weather, the best place to be is to be in bed, with the warmest blanket possible. I was late not because I woke up late, but I wanted to lie in bed a little longer. Sigh, I can just hear Naru’s sarcastic response if he were to know my excuse.



“Mai, tea.”

I stepped into the office and those were the first words I heard. Don’t ask me how Naru knew it was me. He was covered by the screen, and I quickly pulled off my scarf and took off my sweater.

“Hai, hai,” I replied as I hanged my outer-clothes up.

I looked over the screen and was surprised to see a visitor. Both the visitor and Naru were sitting on the sofa in the reception area, the visitor’s back was to me. There was a forbidding air around Naru and I can feel animosity emitting out from his black figure. He was also frowning. Yep, definitely in a bad mood.

The visitor heard my step and he stood up and turned towards me. I stopped in surprise, a gasp escaping from my mouth.

“H .. Hirota-san.”

“Good morning, Taniyama-san. It’s been a while,” Hirota said, bowing politely.

“What brings you here?”

“I have something to discuss with Shibuya-san.”

“Mai, tea,” a rather irritated voice interrupted before I could question any further.

That certainly accounted for his bad mood. No tea and an unwelcome visitor so early in the morning. I hurried into the kitchen to prepare tea.

Hirota Seigi (aged twenty-four) is a detective with the Zero Investigation Squad of the Japan Police Force. The squad specialises in the investigation of paranormal stuffs or any unexplained stuffs which the normal police force cannot deal with. For someone working with supernatural stuffs, Hirota-san’s disbelieving attitude towards paranormal things sure is a paradox. I wonder how he survived so far in his department.

We met Hirota on the Agawa case. He was disguised as a client’s brother but was actually secretly investigating Naru over the death of his brother, Eugene. I’m not sure how convinced Hirota was, by the end of that case, of Naru’s innocence, or whether he is still in disbelief of the existence of ghosts, spirits and the likes.

Anyway …

“So what brings you here, Hirota-san,” Naru said as he sipped his tea slowly.

“As I said earlier, I had a case which seemed unusual and I would like to ask for your advice.”

Naru remained silent, as Hirota placed a piece of paper on the table.

“This is a photocopy of the original letter. Please take a look.”

I craned my neck forward to peer from behind Naru’s shoulder as he picked up the paper and read it:

“I have finally mastered the strength to write a letter. My body no longer exists in this world. I had died and was given a funeral. My death was neither suicide nor accident. I was murdered. Unfortunately I could not see who the killer was. Someone pushed me from behind. Desire to know and to have revenge is keeping me from passing on. Please help me.”

A chill ran down my spine. The last time the spirits have asked for help was in the Urado case, and that case was not pleasant at all.

I glanced down towards Naru as he placed the paper back on the table. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Hirota.

“And you expect me to believe that this is not just a prank?”

“Here is a photocopy of the front and back of the envelope in which the letter arrived.”

The address on the envelope gave only the words: Police. Central Ward, Tokyo. Of course, it would be delivered. The envelope had the proper postage which was stamped with the date: 1st October, last month. The return address was Nishikawa Maiko, Itabashi Ward, Tokyo.

“This was the first of the letters which arrived. This letter was recovered from the corner of the room of the police officer who had thrown it away upon opening it. It was fortunate that this letter missed his wastepaper basket and ended up in a small corner. By the time the fifth letter arrived, the police officer started collecting all the subsequent letters and passed them to his superior. He also managed to find the first letter with the envelope, but unfortunately the rest were thrown away.

My department was given the case last week and I was assigned to be in charge. A letter with the same contents arrived everyday with the morning post. However, yesterday we received a different letter.”

Opening his briefcase, Hirota took out two more sheets of paper and placed them next to the first two papers.

The words on the letter were large, erratic.

“I am very tired. I will have my revenge. Someone must pay for this.”

The envelope was dated 30th October. The address and return address were the same.

“After I had received the case, I had done some enquires. This was what I have found of Nishikawa Maiko. She was seventeen at the time of her death. Her death was recorded as a suicide two years ago. Her body was found washed up along a river. She was an orphan who stayed and studied at a local boarding school which doubled up as an orphanage. According to the reports, her death was ruled as a suicide. There were evidences that she was depressed at that time, and a note was left behind, which indicated that suicide was the most likely cause, but now with these letters … ”

Hirota massaged his temples as he frowned towards the letters.

Naru cocked his head towards Hirota. “This appears to be more of a police case. I’m sure your department will be more than capable of re-opening the case and investigate the claims the letter has written.”

Hirota looked unhappy at what Naru said.

“I had gone down to the local boarding school to find out more from the staff. There had been some strange and unexplained occurrences in the school for a while. What I need to know is whether such a letter … is it really possible to be written by a spirit?”

“Does it matter? Whether the letter is written by a spirit or by a living person? You can still investigate the claims.”

Naru looked at the pained expression on Hirota’s face, and took pity on him.

“So what are these strange occurrences?”

Hirota opened his notepad.

“The teacher counsellor I spoke to mentioned that the school building has a history of being haunted. There have always been rumours and stories of students seeing ghosts, or hearing unexplained noises, and things moving by themselves when no one is around. However lately, such unexplained occurrences seem to be happening more frequently. She wasn’t sure when they start, but a student was hurt by broken glasses, another was pushed down the stairs, writings on walls appear mysteriously. Those were some things she heard but it seems that there were more.

Also, she had given me a sample of Nishikawa-san’s handwriting and I’m sending the documents for analysis. If the letter is written by a spirit as claimed, then not only do we have to re-open the case to investigate, we also have an angry spirit to contend with.

My department would like to humbly request your help as you are an authority in this area.”

Hearing that, I can’t help but burst out, “Does it mean that you now believe all these paranormal stuffs and ghosts and spirits and that Naru is not guilty of his brother’s death?”

“Mai,” Naru said sternly as Hirota winced from my outburst.

“But …” I looked at Naru as he shook his head almost unnoticeably.

I could see that Naru was curious about this case.

Hirota looked down at his shoes. “That is neither here nor there. However if …”

Just then, the doorbell chimed and a lady came in.

“Miyoshi-sensei …” Hirota was surprised.

*****
If you have read up to here, please compliment me. Haha. I'm fishing for compliments. :P