Chapter 4 - Michibiki: Guidance

1

That night, Shun had a dream. He dreamed that Anna was ravaging the graveyard.

“Hungry... So hungry...”

She was muttering to herself over and over, digging in the ground with her bare hands. The frenzied act tore her fingernails off and sent blood splattering everywhere, but she showed no signs of slowing down.

“I can’t take it anymore... I want to eat humans.”

In Japan, it was a rarity for uncremated bodies to be buried in cemeteries. Anna should have known that, but she’d either lost her mind or the monster’s consciousness was driving her to act this way.

“Why can’t I find any?!”

Finally growing impatient at her fruitless search, she began toppling gravestones with inhuman strength.

“Where are the humans?”

Her body began to grow as a thick, violet liquid started seeping from her pores.

“I want to eat... humans.”

Her voice grew deep and gravely. She scratched at her throat like it hurt. Her eyeballs swelled and looked like they were about to fall right out of her now twisted face. Sharp fangs jutted through her cheeks, her mouth suddenly splitting from ear to ear.

A bestial howl echoed in the night.

And then, finally, Shun woke up. Wiping the dripping sweat from his brow, he got out of bed. He was parched. He left his room and headed for the kitchen. Taking a refreshing swig of mineral water from a bottle in the fridge, he began to calm down.

“Man... What a crazy dream,” he muttered as he returned to his room.

But when he got there, Anna was standing by his window. Illuminated by the moonlight shining in through the gap in the curtains, she stared at Shun.

“...Anna?” he squeaked. “What are you doing here?”

In one hand she held the tablet Hiroshi had given him earlier that day, and in the other an old CD-ROM. The title of Shun’s game was scribbled across the front of it.

“Anna, that’s...”

By the time Shun moved to try and retrieve the tablet, she had already slipped his grasp and fled the room. He shuddered at her monstrous speed.

“I’ll be waiting at the Jailhouse,” she said, looking over her shoulder as she went.

The next moment, she was gone.

And then... Shun awoke.

“What in the world?”

He took a deep breath. What was real, and what was a dream? It was all hazy.

He looked around. Nothing seemed out of order. The alarm clock on his desk read nearly 9:00 PM. He must have fallen asleep while trying to finish his homework. He pinched his cheek and felt the telltale pain. It seemed, at least, that he was awake for now.

How happy would he be if everything so far had all been just a dream? He had to wonder for a second. It was true that the terrible things he’d been through all felt like a nightmare. How wonderful would it be to go to school tomorrow and see Takuro and Takeshi?

It was strange. There was a time where he’d wished Takuro would just disappear. But after experiencing death for himself, Shun knew better. No one deserved a fate like that.

All of a sudden a cold breeze invaded the room, fluttering the curtains. The window appeared to be slightly ajar... But how? Shun cocked his head quizzically. That was weird. He was sure he’d closed it before starting his homework.

It can’t be...

His eyes shot to the bookcase by the bed. The tablet he’d left there was gone. He recalled Anna fleeing in his dream. She’d had both the tablet and the CD-ROM with his game on it. He opened his desk drawer and rooted around inside only to find that his bad feeling wasn’t just a feeling. The one and only backup of the game he’d made was gone without a trace.

2

I’m so stupid.

Shun couldn’t help feeling ashamed. He’d never expected the tablet to be stolen, especially not along with his one hard copy of the game.

He wasn’t sure whether what he’d seen in his dream was real or not, but he was fairly certain it had to have been Anna who made off with the tablet. The Jailhouse monster had achieved a dramatic evolution thanks to the tablet. Naturally, it would want to keep it nearby. It was too late to regret not foreseeing this and leaving it out on the bookshelf so carelessly, but he regret it he did.

No, there was no use in beating himself up over it. He had to act quickly. Shun called Hiroshi, who didn’t blame him for what had happened. Instead, he offered some comfort.

“That must mean our enemy is more desperate than we’d imagined. Honestly, I did not entirely believe that resetting the tablet would eliminate the monster, but now I’m confident. The monster must have taken the tablet because it was afraid of that outcome. Let us go and retrieve it posthaste.”

“But how? If we go to Anna’s place and ask for the tablet back, she’ll just feign ignorance.”

“We should go to the Jailhouse.”

“...Huh?”

“Anna said she would be waiting for you there, no?”

“But that was only a dream...”

“Was it really? Just as you saw in your ‘dream,’ both the tablet and CD-ROM are missing. In that case, it seems to me what you experienced was quite real.”

Perhaps Hiroshi was right. Most likely, Shun was just still having trouble accepting that Anna had been eaten by the monster. The Anna he knew would never break into someone’s house to steal something. That’s why he’d been trying so hard to convince himself it was a dream.

“...All right. I’ll head there now.”

But circumstances being what they were, Shun had no choice but to face facts. He nodded with determination even though Hiroshi couldn’t see him from the other side of the line.

Once he got off the phone, he returned to his room. He rolled up his comforter and tucked it in to make it look like he was asleep in bed, put on a thick parka, and climbed out of the window. It had only been three days since the incident at the Jailhouse with the police. He didn’t want to worry his parents even more.

The night air was quite chilly. Pulling up his hood, Shun ran down the dark street. It wasn’t that late at night, but he didn’t pass a soul on the way there. Was everyone wary because of the recent nasty news? When he made it to the Jailhouse, Hiroshi was already there. He lifted his right hand in a greeting as soon as he spotted Shun approaching.

After the incident that night, the police had cordoned off the front gate with bright yellow tape. Mysteriously, that tape was all ripped up now. The bronze lock had been torn of the gate, and the gate itself was twisted like it had been crushed.

“It would seem I was right.”

Hiroshi jumped the deformed gate without hesitation and entered the Jailhouse grounds. Shun quickly followed suit. He looked up at the building illuminated by the moonlight and got none of the ominous or foreboding feelings he had from it before.

The two boys proceeded straight through the overgrown yard, their exhaled breath white in the wintry night air. They arrived at the front door to find it hanging off its hinges. It looked like the police had broken it down to get in. At least now they wouldn’t have to worry about getting locked inside.

Hiroshi turned to Shun, who nodded silently in return. Their thoughts were communicated wordlessly. And with that, they set foot inside the building.

The interior lights were all out. The moonlight barely reached past the front door, so they could hardly see a thing just a few feet inside. Hiroshi took out a flashlight and turned it on. The police must have turned the place upside down. The red carpet covering the stairs was flipped over and pushed to the side. There was no furniture anymore, either. It had probably all been collected and taken away.

The mansion was dark, unlike before, yet there wasn’t a trace of its usual creepy atmosphere. The two boys stepped into the entrance hall without bothering to take off their shoes. Hiroshi shined the flashlight further in, revealing a great hole in the opposite wall. They immediately went over to check it out, but on the other side was only an expansive, desolate-looking room decorated in a Western style. There was no suggestion of the underground path to the annex.

Ka-tunk.

Suddenly, there was a noise overhead like the sound of something falling over.

“Let us investigate.”

Hiroshi quickly turned on his heels and sprinted up the stairs. Shun followed right after him. They checked the second floor first, but there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary there. Next, they headed up to the third floor. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, they immediately identified where the noise had come from. A single door facing the northern hall was open, and white light spilled forth from it. It was the study.

Hiroshi switched off his flashlight, and darkness rushed in to surround the two boys. Careful not to make a single sound, they slowly proceeded toward the study.

“I’ve got it all.”

From inside the room, they heard Anna’s voice. Shun caught his breath as they stopped to listen.

“Will this really do what you said it will?”

It seemed she wasn’t alone. Someone else had to be there. His back pressed up against the wall, Hiroshi peered inside the room. Shun crouched down at his feet and did the same through the gap in the door. The white light was coming from the glowing tablet in the center of the room. The more their eyes adjusted, the more they began to see and understand.

Before them was a sight they were both familiar with—an antique-looking bookshelf against the wall with a short desk situated in front of it. Anna was seated there with her back turned to them. Her eyes were locked on the tablet on the desk. She wasn’t moving a muscle.

“What are you planning to do?” her bell-like voiced asked an empty room.

Who was she talking to? Hiroshi and Shun looked around, but neither of them could see anything. Then, without warning, the tablet floated up into the air. Shun heard a gasp from above his head. He looked up to see Hiroshi terribly shocked, his usually stoic expression devastated.

The tablet stopped about a meter off the ground. No one was touching it, but the images on the screen continued to change. It was like it was under an invisible user’s control.

“You’re quite cold. Are you still angry?” Anna asked, her shoulders trembling slightly. “...Of course, huh? I guess so. I did practically kill you, after all.”

Oh, that’s what this is.

Shun finally realized what was going on.

“I was at a loss as to how to handle the situation while you were suffering, and ended up ignoring it completely,” said Anna to apparently no one.

But there was no doubt in Shun’s mind. It had to be Naoki in there with her. Anna could see ghosts and communicate with the spirits of the dead. The monster who’d consumed her must have inherited that ability, as well.

“Am I... dreaming or something?” Hiroshi whispered.

Shun thought to explain, but even if he did, there was no way a realist like Hiroshi would accept it.

“Huh? Shun and Hiroshi?”

Hearing Anna suddenly say their names, Shun’s entire body tensed... just enough to make the floor creak slightly underneath him.

Shoot!

Anna’s back might have been to the door, but there was no telling where Naoki was standing. He must’ve had a clear view of them. Anna turned around. Hiroshi, deciding it was pointless to try hiding, opened the door and shone the flashlight in her face. Shun gasped. Her pupils were wide like a corpse’s.

3

“What are you doing here?” Hiroshi inquired. “You were talking to someone. Where are they?”

“I doubt you would believe me if I told you,” Anna replied with a chilly smile.

This emotionless manner of speaking was unlike her. She must have been upset. It was only natural. There was no way anyone could remain calm after learning they weren’t themselves.

“There’s no point in trying to explain. You two would never understand. Could you just leave me alone?”

“I understand,” spoke up Shun.

He couldn’t just ignore Anna when she was suffering like this.

“Naoki’s here, isn’t he?” he asked.

This wasn’t Anna. It was the monster that had eaten her. He knew that all too well. He was ready to kill her in order to prevent more victims, if necessary. But that determination wavered when she was right in front of him. He wanted to save Anna somehow. Perhaps there was a way. He couldn’t help himself from hoping.

“I see. You knew about my annoying ability, Shun?” she said, her expression softening some.

“Yeah. So, tell us. What are you doing here—”

“But that still doesn’t mean you understand how I feel.” She cut him off, her voice becoming angry.

“...”

Stunned by the grim look he’d never seen on her face before, Shun couldn’t eke out another word.

“Do you have any idea what it feels like to not be yourself? I’m definitely here, but I know this isn’t me... Now I finally understand. This is how all the spirits I’ve met must have felt.”

A faded black, palm-sized box floated up from the desk. It was a disk drive that looked suspiciously like the one Shun loved so dearly. She must have made off with it when she took the tablet. The cord extending from it wriggled in the air like a snake and connected to the tablet. Shun and Hiroshi couldn’t see him, but it had to be Naoki controlling it. What was he planning?

“Naoki was kind enough to listen to my concerns. It made me happy. If it weren’t for him, I might have killed myself long ago... Oh, wait. I’m already dead, aren’t I? In any case, the only reason I’m still sane is thanks to him.”

Next, the CD-ROM floated up into the air. On it was the alpha version of the escape game Shun had first made two years ago. It slipped into the disk drive with ease.

“I’m very grateful to Naoki. And yet, not even he truly understands me... No, I’m not blaming you, Naoki. It’s perfectly understandable.” Anna’s gaze shifted to nothingness, like Naoki had spoken up in the middle of her talking. “The dead don’t have to deal with other people. I do. This monster still lives with my memories in it. It has to eat in order to live, right? And that means it needs to come into contact with humans.”

Anna was talking like she was possessed. No, that wasn’t quite right. Technically, Anna was possessing the monster.

“I don’t want to be alone. I want friends...”

Her gaze shifted back to Shun and Hiroshi. There was a pain in her voice.

“I should have plenty of friends in the annex, but for some reason, the underground path is gone, and I can’t get to them,” Anna continued, her empty eyes swimming left to right. “Naoki told me that Takuro and the others met the same fate I did. They’re in the annex right now. They could have escaped with you, Hiroshi, but chose to stay instead.”

“I’m surprised you know that,” Hiroshi replied.

He’d been quiet all this time, but now pushed up his glasses frames as he shot a sharp glare at Anna.

“I understand all too well how they felt. Painfully so. If I had known it would be such suffering to live in the outside world, I would have...”

“Anna, is Naoki next to you?” Hiroshi asked.

“I doubt you’d believe me, but yes.”

“Perhaps I wouldn’t have before, but I’ve witnessed a great number of impossible things with my own two eyes recently. The spirits of the departed may not be explainable by science just yet, but I am sure they exist,” he said, slowly turning his gaze from Anna to the tablet floating in the air. “Naoki, how do you know what transpired between me and Takuro in the annex?”

The tablet moved slightly further into the room, as if Naoki had turned around in disgust.

Grrt... Grrt...

His apparent movements were accompanied by the sound of something being dragged.

“That sound... I recall hearing it in the annex, as well. Ah, so that’s what happened. I finally understand. It was you walking around in the annex. No wonder you knew what happened there.” Hiroshi’s gaze grew sharper. “Why is it, then, that you didn’t tell Anna the truth?”

“The... truth?” Anna asked, unease stirring on her face.

“There was a great explosion in the annex. It was all I could do to manage to escape. The blast must have been what cut off the path from the mansion to the annex.”

The color fled Anna’s face.

“So, he really didn’t tell you...” In stark contrast, Hiroshi spoke calmly without moving even an eyebrow. “The explosion was greater than you can imagine. I believe the entire building was destroyed. Naturally, I doubt Takuro and the others survived.”

“That’s a lie!” Anna shouted. “You don’t know anything, Hiroshi. Naoki says not to trust you. I think he’s right. Even if you’re right about this explosion, how can you be sure they’re really dead? You didn’t see their bodies, did you? They might have survived just like you did.”

“I cannot deny that possibility. However, even if they are alive—”

Suddenly, Hiroshi doubled over. Then he went flying into the wall.

“Stop it, Naoki!” Anna screamed.

The floating tablet’s screen repeatedly flashed red. It was a message saying that the game had been installed. Not a moment later, the very space around them began to twist and bend. Shun thought he was hallucinating, but that wasn’t it.

“The game begins.”

That voice he’d heard so many times before echoed against his eardrums. Without a doubt, it was Naoki’s.

The walls rippled, and the floor slowly rose. A rift appeared in empty space and bright light flooded out of it. The golden light swallowed everything. A fierce roaring echoed in Shun’s skull. The light enveloped him, and that was the last thing he remembered.