When we reached home mom was waiting for us. She was very happy to see us back. She had made chocolate brownies for us. I love chocolate brownies. Mom makes them so well. Kaji however, was not so interested in eating. He wanted to study because he had not studied for three days. He felt awkward whenever he did not study and I felt awkward when I studied.
The bad news came soon enough. Kaji began bragging about his grade and it was my turn to speak up.
“Which grade did you get, Mizu?” mom asked.
“I…..” I swallowed hard. “An F but I tried.”
“Sure. If watching horror movies with closed textbooks on your lap is called studying.” Kaji said. Why did he have to say these things to me?
“F!? You’ve been getting ‘F’ forever. I hope you remember what I told you about the boarding school.” Mom said.
“Mom! Please no! Don’t send me away.” I begged. “I want to be here with my friends.”
“Watching horror movies and getting Fs?” mom asked, cross.
“I promise I’ll do better next time. I will definitely get an A.”
“Aren’t you aiming too high?” Kaji asked. There was no need for him to speak.
“Mom, don’t you love me? I want to stay here. For your sake I promise I’ll try harder. Till now, I’ve only been sleeping with the book closed but I’ll try harder next time. I’ll really study. I’ll get help from Kaji and Akumu.”
“You said that last time too, dear.” Mom said.
“This time I am serious.” I said. I began crying. “I don’t want to go away from you mom. I will miss your fresh brownies, your care, your love, the way you scold me and the way you laugh….. I want to stay with you as long as I can. I will try harder for you next time. I have been taking things lightly but now I realize all the things I have around me are precious and by not realizing their value, I am throwing them away.”
“Mizu…..” mom said her eyes suddenly cloudy. “I was secretly hoping you’d do well because I didn’t want to send you away. I love you too. I want you to always be with me. Even though I said I’d send you away to a faraway boarding school, I never wanted to. I couldn’t live without you. I couldn’t picture you away from me. Try harder next time Mizu, okay? But remember, even if you fail, you’re still my precious daughter and I will always love you the same way I love Kaji. Mizu, I think it is okay if you’re not good at studying. Everyone has different talents. As a parent, it is my duty to make you realize your potential. If you don’t like studying, I cannot force you…”
“Mom. Don’t give up. I will definitely do better next time- for you sake. I want to make you happy.”
“I will be waiting dear.” Mom said. “Look at my eyes…..I’ll go and wash them…”
Mom went away to wash her eyes.
The phone rang. It was Sakura on the phone.
“Hello.” I said.
“Hello, Mizu, this is Sakura.” Sakura said. “There is a performance by Rose band today evening near your house. Please go there and get some information about them for the school newspaper.”
Rose band was one of the most popular bands in the music scene. They had made their debut just last year and they were already hitting #1 on music charts all over the world. They had a cool image and dressed like Victorian era. Their songs were rock songs and ballads. I had never seen them live.
“The show starts at five.” Sakura said. “Be there on time. Seiya will be there too.”
“I’ll be there. Bye.” I said ending the call.
Sakura had already given Seiya the passes. Sakura did not want to go because she hated the Rose band for some unknown reason. She thought they put on too much make up and looked like plastic dolls. The only reason she was sending us to the concert was because her father had got two free passes to the concert and she didn’t want to go. She wanted to kill two birds with one stone, so, she told us to write an article on their concert in the newspaper. Since I was the editor of the school newspaper I agreed to go. Our normal life was back again.
The concert was in the evening. I went upstairs after speaking to Sakura to see what Kaji and Akumu were doing. They were studying as usual. They could study the whole day. They loved to study! I told mom and them about the concert. Mom wanted to come too but unfortunately I had only one ticket. Mom said she would go next time if I ever got a ticket.
That evening I went to the concert. Mom sent Kaji and Akumu with me because they were studying too much. Kaji and Akumu were not interested in music. They wanted to study- so boring. Akumu’s mom had two tickets which she lent to Akumu.
We met Seiya that evening. Seiya had come an hour earlier to my house. He loved the Rose band and did not want to miss any part of the concert.
The concert had started when I came. I was late because Kaji and Akumu wanted to go to the cybercafé before accompanying me to the concert.
The atmosphere of the concert was dull and melancholic. The singer had a baritone voice and screamed and fried a lot. His voice was emotional. There was black smoke all around.
When I came, the Rose band was singing their second song. Curse you Kaji. I missed the best song on their album.
I started to photograph their performance from that moment. The concert went on till nine in the night. Then the audience slowly started leaving. I went out too. When we were a little far from the concert hall I remembered that I had left my camera behind. So, all of us had to go back to fetch my camera.
The reception was empty. I made my way to the room where the concert was held.
The camera was not on the chair where I had left it. I went to the counter and asked them if they knew anything about my camera. They said that maybe the camera was with the Rose band. They said that I should check with the Rose band members if they were not sleeping.
I went upstairs to the room where the Rose band members were supposed to be. The lights were still on. That meant they were not sleeping. Just when Akumu was about to knock on the door, speedy winds started blowing and all the lights went off. The lights of the whole hotel went off. I could see someone walking towards the room of the Rose band. From what I could see, the person had long hair and was of the same height as me. I knew I had seen this woman somewhere.
Distracting me, Kaji called me. He said that something strange was happening to the Rose band. There was a big hole in the door through which we all saw what was happening to the band. First we could see that wind was blowing in that room too. Then something very strange happened.
All the members of the Rose band looked towards the door and their eyes turned rose red! It looked so frightening. Their eyes were in fact glowing rose red. We could see their eyes clearly through the darkness.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” I yelled like a fool in the darkness. They heard me.
“Mizu, are you crazy?” Kaji asked. “Why did you yell like that?”
“I was afraid.” I said.
Akumu said that this was not the time to search for the camera. He also added that we could come back tomorrow for the camera.
“Now we should hurry home.” He said.
If the band saw us, we would get into trouble. I thought that Akumu had a point. If the lights came on before we made our exit……I didn’t want to think what would happen.
Without hesitating, we all hurried downstairs. We were halfway down the stairs when the lights came on. We quickly went out the building. We started to run home.
When I reached home with Kaji, I was very frightened and tired too. I went up to my bedroom and slept. I somehow managed to sleep that night but those red eyes still flashed in my troubled mind…..
Chapter 6
Won’s Past
Sakura called me up the other day and told me of a Rose Band performance to which she had tickets. She was sending those to me. She had four tickets this time.
“Kaji, Akumu, would you like to come with me?” I asked.
“May I study instead?” Kaji asked.
“Are you
nuts?” I asked. “You want to study on Sunday?” I asked
“Let’s go.” Akumu said. “I want to see Rose band. I did some research last night. Won because a spirit after death. He still has the power to reconstruct himself. Spirits are not visible. Only when they reconstruct themselves and attain their body can they be seen. When rapid winds blow, your dog starts barking or the lights go off…..you know there’s a spirit.”
“Let’s visit.” I said. They agreed.
The band would sing at five in the evening and it was already four forty five. We all hurried to the venue which was near our house.
The Rose Band was already on the stage when we reached there. They were singing some strange kind of song. It was very slow and soft. It was not like the other songs of the Rose band. It was kind of hypnotizing. All the people were listening to the song carefully. When I tried to call the woman near me she did not respond. No one was listening to me except Kaji and Akumu.
Even Akumu felt that there was something strange about the song. Everyone was driven drowsy by the song. There was something different about the Rose band. I decided to wait for the song to end.
When the song ended everybody returned to normal. I returned back to my house with a lot of unsolved questions. The camp had ended two days ago but this misfortune was still following me. The worst was yet to come. When I closed my eyes, I felt that was the only time I glimpsed peace and reality.
In the night, I looked out of my window to see someone running. There were four cloaked figures running. They were wearing black cloaks and black hats. From what I could see, they had long and big white teeth which were very sharp and pointed. Their sharp edges shone in the moonlight. I was terrified.
Their skin had texture of dinosaur or reptile skin and their grin was evil. They were running towards the forest. Some part of me knew that this was the chance to discover the truth. I decided to end it for once and for all. I would go behind the suspicious men and find answers. This was my chance!
I invited Kaji and Akumu. They were planning to study all night but they changed their plan after listening to me. They were going to follow the creatures.
When we were safe into the Greenfire forest, the creatures stopped walking. They shed their skin and looked like humans. Humans - like the members of Rose band.
I moved back but hit against something which caught me. It was definitely hands. I wanted to scream but between the devil and the deep blue sea, there seemed to be no better option.
“Shhhhhh, this is Seiya.” The person holding me said. “I followed them too. Let’s investigate together.”
“I agree.” Akumu said hearing our conversation.
While we were busy chatting, the creatures fled. I could see one of their shadows running towards the mansion.
“They’re heading towards the mansion.” I said.
“What are we waiting for?” Kaji asked. “Let’s go!”
We all teamed up in the clandestine chase.
It was twelve in the night. We had been following them for five minutes. There was something strangely exciting about the whole situation. All this was like a horror movie. Everything was so paranormal. Although I liked all this fantasy and mystery in the beginning, I was now shivering. I had been having this feeling for long. All of us suddenly had this feeling that we were in for bad luck. All that we had seen till now were evil hypnotizing eyes, spirits and graveyards and black roses…..
The Rose band sped up. The members were rushing. It seemed like they were in a hurry. They rushed into the mansion-the mansion of Won. They were climbing stairs that led to the upper floor. They could possibly be going to only one room-the room which had Won’s psychic belongings. The crystal ball lay on the floor as usual. There was just one difference - the candle was not burning. Most of it had already melted when we used it the last time we were in there.
The band leader went to the room in the corner. We had never gone into that room before. We were hiding behind the curtains because we did not want to get noticed. We could see what the band members were doing but none of them could see us. There was an advantage in Won’s curtain - that it was long. It stretched even below our feet. I felt safe and vulnerable at the same time. Just one glance and that would be the end of our lives.
The band leader came out of the room after some time. He was carrying a piece of cloth with him. He whispered something to the other band members. They all nodded. Then the drummer went upstairs. He brought an old and dusty clock with him.
The guitarist went upstairs too. He brought an old painting with him. It was dusty too and it looked just like the painting I saw the day I came to the mansion for the first time. It was the painting whose title started with the letter ‘B’. The drummer wiped the painting nicely. The title was clearly visible now- “Birth of a monster”. The band members whispered something to each other and then left the mansion. They closed the door behind them.
All of us came out from behind the curtain and went downstairs. We were all discussing about the painting. Just then the door opened. Seiya was looking frightened and so was I, but there was no fear in Kaji and Akumu’s face. When the door opened fully I could see Seiya’s mom standing outside. She was waving her hand. She had been looking for Seiya since he left the house. She knew Seiya was going to the woods, so she followed us.
She was cheery and pleasant. She also had slender black eyes and straight black hair like Seiya. Her hair was longer than Seiya’s. She looked at all of us and smiled. Then she told Seiya to come back home and told him that he had been out for too long.
Seiya went back home with his mom. Now Kaji, Akumu and I were left behind. Akumu wanted to see the rooms which the band had visited. He was eager to know what secrets lay in them. Kaji went upstairs and Akumu and I strayed downstairs. Kaji wanted to see the room which the band leader had visited. Akumu and I went into the only room that was in the ground floor. It was the room that the band drummer had visited.
Akumu and I found the door of the room that the drummer had visited. Akumu opened it. As soon as the door opened we could see something glittering inside. We went inside to see what it was.
The room had many antiques inside it. It was full of brass pots, clay tablets, diamond jewels and many other ancient things. There was also a small clay model of Tyrannosaurus Rex. If someone sold the things in that room he would surely become a millionaire. Those things were worth a fortune. I wanted to carry one of them away but Akumu said that they could be cursed; especially the diamond jewelry.
There was a tale behind this too. Akumu told me about it.
It all began in the 1800s. Wealthy people especially the queens and the noble women were interested in diamond jewelry. They wore them to parties and formal meetings. Diamonds increased the value and status of people. Moreover, women also looked beautiful in such jewels. Diamond trading was one of the biggest ways of earning money in that era; before the ‘black’ incident.
I eagerly asked Akumu what the ‘Black incident’ was. He replied in a soft voice” The incident which made the diamonds unlucky”.
“The black incident was a big mistake made by someone. The person was a diamond cutter and was well known by the name “Won Nigara”. Yes, the Won who this mansion belonged to. In his early age Won was a diamond cutter. He was famous for his diamonds which had one thousand cuts.
One day when he was going back home from work he saw someone standing in the way. He stopped his car and got down to see what was happening. A man was standing in the middle of the road. He looked mysterious and wore a black cloak. The strangest part was that people say he had red eyes. Won, who was quite different at that time, asked who the man was.
The man just nodded. He repeated his silent words once again. The man this time was however not so calm. He looked at Won with his red eyes and whispered something. I don’t know what he whispered but it was surely something strange because after that Won’s eyes glowed red too. The man caught Won’s neck and then cas
t a spell. Won had been very strange after that. The stranger on the road died after the casting the spell. And there lay on him a black rose.
Some people say that he gave Won his psychic powers.” Kaji finished the disturbing story. He read it from the newspapers.
The room contained other reading material. There were old newspapers, clippings, magazine cutouts and old books. Akumu took out one book from the bookshelf. Its title was ‘your guide to black magic’. There were many chapters like black magic, how to cast spells, what is black magic etc. The first sentence was ‘Black magic only works with those who do not have a pure heart. Its requirements are evil and selfishness. I took out a newspaper from the shelf and started reading it.
Its headline stated “Supernatural man Won left his body” I read it further. It said about Won’s death. It also said that some people believed that his spirit can come back to his body after two hundred years when the day of the solar eclipse arrives. But, for now there were no traces of solar eclipse and besides, all this was a lame belief. How can a spirit come back to its body?
I read further.
The Old Times
Supernatural Won leaves body
Famous Diamond cutter Won Nigara died yesterday. He was believed to possess supernatural powers. This controversial diamond cutter died in a volcano accident. He didn’t flee when the volcano erupted.
There are some supernatural enthusiasts who believe that Won made the volcano erupt. Also, legends say his body will be revived two hundred years later. There are still many unanswered questions.
When I headed upstairs, my gaze flew to a person sleeping in a room.