How I was Murdered by a Fox Monster Page 14

  He caught sight of Kiyori trying to shove his ax into his school bag amongst his over flowing books.

  “You're not allowed to chop trees here!” The officer yelled while pointing at Kiyori. He soon got out of the car and subjected us to a ten minute lecture before removing Kiyori's ax from his bag.

  “I know you think these woods don't belong to anyone, but please think twice before destroying the landscape,” he said before speeding off into the distance.

  “The ax, it's always the ax,” Kiyori muttered as he stared at his empty hands. “Now I have to call my parents and ask for another one, they're going to be pissed.”

  I would have almost felt sympathetic if I wasn't already angry at Kiyori for being a bully and all-round terrible person, but it made me wonder why the exorcists had such crappy weapons to combat terrifying man-eating monsters.

  “I don't get it,” I asked Taisei. “Wouldn't it be easier just to use guns?”

  “It would be,” said Taisei as he glanced up at Kurumi who was still doing an excellent job of pretending he didn't exist. “And there's a shot-gun sitting around if you ever need it, but it's difficult for high school students to carry guns, so they've chosen to equip us with less conspicuous weapons.”

  “But don't the police know about Obake?”

  “You'd think so, but they're as thick as bricks when it comes to these things. Akito once took an officer out on an exorcism, you know, just to show him that they were real, and the guy completely flipped out. The police department thought he had a mental breakdown. That guy ended up loosing his job and everything.”

  “But surely the government must know something?” I asked.

  “No of course not, maybe they used to in the past, but the people in charge rotate all the time, so even if you did get someone to believe you they'd soon be gone and you'd have to start all over again. There are only so many people who can become real exorcists, so our organization is surprisingly small. I think there might only be a few hundred active exorcists spread out over Japan, so we don't really have much influence at all.”

  “Oh,” I said. I just realized that the mysterious secret organization I'd entered was a lot smaller than I had imagined.

  “What about Souta and Itsuki, what do they use?” I remembered that I hadn't seen either of them pull out a weapon. Itsuki had his charms, but Souta spent most of his time standing around looking awkward.

  “”We don't trust Souta with pointy things ever since he almost took my arm off,” muttered Kiyori.

  “Itsuki can do some Judo now,” said Taisei. “But he doesn't like getting his hands dirty so he does most of the charms. He's pretty fast. His family is well-known for having high spiritual power, so channeling energy comes easy to him. He's almost up to the level of-” and then Taisei suddenly clamped his mouth shut.

  I was about to ask him up to the level of what? Until I realized that he was staring nervously at Kurumi who was looking back at him with eyes more filled with fear than anger, and I decided to drop the question. I thought something was definitely up, but as soon as I thought I'd sensed something strange about the social atmosphere, it suddenly disappeared and I assumed I must have imagined it.

  Everyone went back to being moody and silent, and I glanced at my hands which were still scratched and bleeding from my constant falling. I poked a wound which was beginning to scab, and I hissed at the pain. I cursed my failure to stop the Obake. Someone like Itsuki probably didn't make such rookie mistakes and injure himself.

  Chapter 19

  The mood between Kiyori and I didn't improve over the following weeks. I stopped hanging out with him at school, and he went out of his way to shove me when we passed each other in the hall. The rainy season had finally begun, and there wasn't much to do but watch the constant downpour that fell from outside my window. I liked watching it, it reflected my mood.

  Like Kiyori, Akito had also become very distant with me, but unlike Kiyori I didn't understand what caused his sudden change in attitude. He used to be exceedingly pushy, and never gave me a moments break, but he suddenly ceased ordering me around. I was excited at first (like I'd finally been set free from his iron fist) but after a few weeks the mundaness was beginning to bore me.

  I didn't know why, but I had the feeling that he was going out of his way to avoid me. He would quickly dash into another room if we were going to meet in the hall, and he spent most of his waking hours locked away in the study. I asked the others about his sudden change in attitude, but none of them knew what I was talking about.

  “Akito?” Asked Mana while tilting her head in confusion. “He didn't seem any different when he talked to me this morning, he ordered Taisei to polish the floors and then lectured him on the importance of cleaning products.”

  “Oh,” I said while averting my gaze to the floor. “He hasn't ordered or lectured me for at least a month.”

  “I'm sure it's nothing,” Mana assured me. “Maybe this is his way of,” she stopped to think of something to say. “Letting you know that you're doing a good job?”

  “Ha!” Laughed Kiyori as he walked past us in the corridor and pretended to accidentally knock me into the wall. It seemed to be his new hobby and he looked like he was enjoying it immensely.

  “Oi! Kiyori!” Yelled Mana as she began running after him. “You shouldn't treat Daisuke like that!”

  Apparently even a girl had more courage than I did when it came to standing up to Kiyori.

  I continued to ask around about Akito's whereabouts only to be told that he was busy in the study, or out running an errand. I should have taken it as a hint and gone out of my way to avoid him as well, but I was still naive and stupid back then.

  Eventually I couldn't take the anxiety anymore, and I decided to sit myself outside his study and wait for him to emerge. I sat there for hours and struggled to keep myself awake, but Akito had nowhere to run when he decided to take a toilet break. He almost jumped out of his skin and fled back inside when he slid open the door to find me staring back.

  “Daisuke,” he said nervously. “What are you doing out here? And especially at two in the morning.”

  “Hey Akito,” I replied. “I was wondering when we're going to start training again?”

  He chewed his lip. “I'm sorry, but I'm very busy Daisuke.”

  “Oh,” I stared down at the ground. “I understand.”

  He reached out his hand to pat me on the shoulder, but he suddenly stopped midway and returned his hand to his side, like he didn't want to touch me. “It's alright, you'll learn it with time,” he said quickly before fleeing back into his room.

  “It's alright, you'll learn it with time,” I mocked before punching the corridor wall. It left a small dent and I had to quickly flee before anyone saw me.

  After that incident Akito asked to see my back a few times (he claimed he was looking for signs of an Obake attack) but he only stared at the scars and continued to look puzzled. He also took a few pictures to send to a friend who was apparently an expert.

  I still couldn't comprehend what his problem was. The only plausible theory I had come up with was that he was still secretly in love with Sis, and her sudden reappearance was causing him anguish. Maybe I was a constant reminder of his pain. I was unsure how to ask without causing suspicion and making him flee, but I decided to be direct and ask while he was eating lunch.

  “So Akito,” I said from the kitchen doorway. “I heard that you and Sis were going to get married but she dumped you for a guy called Keigo. I know it was a long time ago, but I was wondering if her sudden re-appearance is making you feel depressed.”

  He spat the soup from his instant noodles all over the table. “No of course not!” He coughed. “What gave you that impression?”

  “I don't know, “ I shrugged. “But if I were you I'd be pretty angry.”

  “I have to admit there was a time when I was quite upset about the whole affair,” he whipped out a tissue and began wiping up. “But then she was dumped for
someone else.” His face broke out into a manic grin and I've come to realize that Akito can be quite vindictive when he wants to be.

  After that he made up another lame excuse about having to study or run an errand (Akito's excuses were all so lame that they've blended together in my head) and he disappeared. I wondered off into one of the empty rooms to mull over how much my life currently sucked.

  I sat on the tatami mat and stared at the ceiling. There were signs of water damage and spots of mold in the corner. I hadn't noticed before, but it suddenly hit me that headquarters was pretty old and decrepit. The wallpaper was pealing off and the paint was chipped in several areas. The place seemed new and cool when I first arrived, but I suddenly realized it was just a decrepit house full of moody teens and their lame teacher. I was beginning to have real doubts about whether I wanted to spend the rest of my life as an exorcist.

  “Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,” I said to myself. I could have been, and I should have been, doing all the fun stuff that regular teens did. Like hanging out at the mall or playing video games.

  “This sucks,” I muttered.

  Patter patter patter, came the sound of small footsteps up the hall and the sliding door flew open with a bang. I looked up to yell at the guy who had disturbed by angst, only to find my five year old niece Hikaru staring back at me. Her smiling face was enough to melt away all my sorrows.

  “Dai-chan!” She cried.

  “Hikaru-chan!” I yelled back.

  “Dai-chan!”

  “Hikaru-chan!”

  This continued until I gave in and picked her up. Hikaru then began telling me about her day, and how difficult it was to do homework when she was too busy eating dinner or taking a bath.

  As soon as I placed her down, Hikaru grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside while demanding that we play tag immediately.

  I chased her around the garden pretending to be a ghost who would turn her upside down when she was caught. This may sound mean, but Hikaru thinks it's awesome and always pestered me to play when I was busy doing homework.

  Sis was casually chatting with Akito on the verandah. I'm sure my sister thought it was a casual conversation, but from my perspective it look more like she was interrogating Akito about my recent progress.

  I pretended that I was immersed in play, but I was actually listening in. I gained so much insightful information last time I eavesdropped, so I thought it was my chance to discover what was really going on with Akito. Most of what they were saying was pretty boring, like the weather, and how this summer was going to be hotter than the last. It didn't sound like he was still harboring a secret crush on my sister, and I almost gave up until Akito said something that made my ears prick.

  “Kanako, there's something we need to talk about,” said Akito.

  “Hmm, what's the matter?” My sister asked.

  “It's about,” he stopped to look at Hikaru and I. I stared back at him until I realized the best thing to do would be to appear oblivious, and I went back to playing with my niece. I hoped it was the revelation I'd been waiting for. I couldn't help but assume that he'd discovered the truth about my parents, and now held all the answers to my mysterious past. Unfortunately, what came next was only disappointment.

  “Maybe it can wait for another time,” he said.

  If my day could have gotten any worse it would have suddenly hit rock bottom, but his words gave me a renewed sense of hope. There was something about Akito's tone of voice and recent behavior which left me convinced there was something about my past he wasn't telling me. He had to know something. Akito liked to pretend that he was cold and aloof, but the man was as translucent as plastic wrap.

  I was determined to confront him. I slept over the following night, but Akito was out on errands so my efforts were in vain. Luckily I still had Itsuki who would listen to me moan about my problems.

  “I know he's hiding something,” I said while pacing around Itsuki's room. The great thing about us being friends was that I could now stay over in his bedroom instead of being squished in with the others.

  “Maybe,” said Itsuki while he was bent over his desk studying. The guy obviously hadn't given up his dream to get into a good school. “I don't know why you're pushing so much, sometimes it's better if you don't know.”

  “So you're saying it could be bad news? Like they already died in a terrible accident?”

  “Well..” his voice trailed off.

  “Oh no, my parents are dead!” I flung myself dramatically on to the bed which creaked under my weight. “I'm an orphan! I'm just like those children in all the miserable fairy-tales!”

  “But haven't you already spent the last ten years assuming they were dead,” said Itsuki's voice of reason.

  “Oh yes,” I suddenly didn't feel so depressed. “I suppose that's true. But I need to know,” I rolled over and began punching his pillow out of anxiety. “This feeling is killing me. The truth may be out there just beyond my fingertips.”

  “There's nothing we can do right now,” said Itsuki as he closed his books and placed them back on his shelf. “We just have to wait until Akito gets back.”

  “Hmpth,” I fumed. I rolled off his bed and on to my futon which had been placed neatly on the floor beside it.

  “I'm turning the light off,” said Itsuki.

  “Errrr,” I groaned. I could already feel sleep begin to overtake me as soon as my head hit the pillow. There was a click of Itsuki pulling the light string, and the room was plunged into darkness. There were no houses or street lights nearby, so whenever the lights went out it was pitch black. I no longer had the light of Taisei texting to act as a night-light, and it was difficult to shake my feelings of fear. The darkness reminded me of the day Grandpa locked me away, but I quickly fell into a dreamless sleep before I could spend time dwelling on the past. I never stopped to consider how that night would be my last.

  Chapter 20

  That night I swore that I was awoken by a voice calling my name from outside Itsuki's window.

  “Daisuke Matsumoto, Daisuke Matsumoto,” It called out to me like the wind. I was too tired to understand its true form, and by morning I had dismissed it as a dream. Little did I know that my approaching death was out there attempting to communicate with me.

  Akito must have been in a particularly good mood, and I walked into the kitchen for breakfast only to discover him grinning from ear to ear.

  “Good morning,” he called out as I entered, and I realized that maybe his days of treating me like the plague were finally over. He must have also been attempting a peace-offering with the others and I, because he brought us all lunch for school. A small pile of several department style bento boxes sat stacked up on the table.

  “Wow, this looks like expensive shit!” Said Kiyori while staring at the food through the plastic wrap. Akito had to slap Kiyori's hand away to prevent him from eating one for breakfast.

  “Here you go Daisuke,” said Akito as he handed over the packed lunch and patted me on the shoulder. His hand lingered for a moment and I expected him to soon pull away, but before I knew it Akito was grabbing onto my shoulder with so much strength that I almost cried out in pain. I looked up to ask why he was attempting to break my arm before I realized that his face was deathly pale.

  “What? What is it Akito?” I asked nervously.

  “Just stay still for a moment,” he hissed.

  He was staring in fear at something outside the window. I turned around and squinted to see what could be so horrifying, but I could see nothing but trees.

  “Is there something there Akito?” I asked.

  He continued to stare intensely for a moment, before his face relaxed and he finally let go. “No, it was just my imagination,” he sighed and shook his head. “Hurry up and get to school, your sister will scold me if you're late. You need to get your homework organized before we start training again.”

  My face almost broke out into a smile, but then I quickly remembered all the other times
Akito told me we were going to do something awesome, but then it turned out to be lame. “Are you serious?” I asked sceptically. “Are we really going to begin training again?”

  “Of course,” Akito replied. “It's time for you to stop slacking off and start hitting the books again.”

  In the past those words would have been enough to make me grind my teeth and scream, but instead I was overwhelmed with joy. I raised my arms and yelled "finally!" Through the halls of headquarters like I had just won a marathon. Even Kiyori sticking his foot out to trip me couldn't ruin my happiness.

  * * *

  Nothing eventful happened at school that day so I won't bore you with the details. Things only began sliding down hill once the final bell rang. Taisei recently got his motorcycle license and somehow convinced Akito to use exorcist funds to buy a scooter. Taisei claimed it would be useful for tracking Obake in a hurry, but he only used it to commute to school. He also liked to sit on it after class and wave at any girl who passed by.

  All the exorcists and I stared in awe as Taisei jumped on. I used to see him practice every morning while staring at his reflection in the windows.

  “Come on Kurumi, I'll give you a ride back?” He said while throwing her his spare helmet. He leaned casually over the handlebars and attempted to appear as suave as possible. I was a pretty suave guy myself so I could see what he was doing.