The school's bell chimes and everyone walks out of their classroom and hopefully to their clubroom. As do I.
This very store room in front of me will be the clubroom I'll be looking out for. It's not that bad, just looks... grim, I suppose. That, of course, comes with many reasons. First, it is at the corner of the school's ground… grass talking with wind, all there is here. Now I understand why the rumour starts. If I'm a ghost, this would be the best place to stay.
My feet stomp on an empty bag of chips. I even spot a bent cigarette hiding in the grass. Man… It looks like I have to clean these all up from today. Hell with the best place for ghost, this is a hot spot for delinquents. And to think this'd be my job from now on, better off being called a janitor.
Enough disappointment at the outside. I decide to look at the inside, expecting much more disappointment.
When my hand tries to reach for the silver knob of the clean wooden door, Alyssa's voices repeat in my mind. I could feel the cross begging to be let out from my pocket.
I take it out.
Before coming in here, Alyssa hands me this and teases to use it if I'm being chased by a ghost. This cross… is a weak artifact. Even ghosts wear this thing around their neck and go haunt kids' closet. It wouldn't help or affect anyone.
It couldn't hurt anyone after all, so why not?
I round the cross chain around the knob.
So may the Divine One protect me from anything inside. I chuckle… If there's anything inside but trash. Let's go in now.
The door creaks.
Oh… Look at this.
I was wrong.
The room is anything but trash.
It looks exclusive; holding the theme of a witch room you can find in any children's book story. The room looks a lot bigger inside than outside… Almost as if it's there's some kind of 4D or something happening. First, I try to find the light switch, only to discover there's no such thing here.
With only the sunlight pouring from the door, I walk toward the blood-coloured couch first and push on the soft mattress. It spits back my finger. I've felt a few couches in this world but I can tell this is a high quality. Then I check the dark ocean drapes around the room—yet another high-quality material. I rub the small desk with a glass set of chess. It's as if… everything around here fits in a mansion. Who was taking care of this club last year? Ah yes, if I remember correctly, the former homeroom teacher is gone; fired for having an illicit relationship with one of his students last year. And the former President of this club had graduated. So they just left these expensive things around?
Man, I wish I could waste anything like this. The only thing I think I can even waste is a chocolate bar.
I walk around again… And realize that I couldn't see everything yet because of the darkness. I don't want to open the drapes, it'd ruin the atmosphere. Respectfully, I take my phone out and use it as a flashlight.
Then I see much more in the lights.
The skeleton head, the dusty bookshelves, the dead melted candle and… A bloody shark-teeth knife. I take the light knife and taste its sharpness.
Blood.
My finger is cut off.
…
Just kidding.
The knife is just a prop.
Everything in here is a prop, I think.
Man… prop nowadays is not really cheap either. For them to buy all these only to decorate their room so it can live by its name—The Occult Room. They've impressed me. But I don't see any ghosts yet, of course. Or feel anything dangerous here.
I slump down onto the couch. Bounce bounces. A moan escapes my mouth. It almost seems lucky for me to have these until I realize… These are not mine. And no one wants to join this club.
No one would see what was in here other than me.
I feel like a shit teacher.
My hand reaches for my eyes.
Man… What am I doing in my life now?
I could be more than this.
With that thought, Ayane's desperation face flashes on me.
The prophecy is coming true, huh? The war between the exorcist and vampire for the Earth is approaching. I could be there, being a warrior than in here… Feeling like shit every day. Should I quit being a teacher? The exorcists would love that.
But I'm never sure of anything. I wouldn't be sure if I would find happiness even if I returned to the exorcism world. Well, the exorcist community wouldn't like me now after all of my MIA.
They see me as a deserter. Someone who has lost his grip on his own sword. But maybe I could be of some use in the war with the vampire. Even dying there would be far off better than dying like this now.
My fingers spread around… And my eye picks up another big prop.
A coffin.
I wonder why don't I check this one first?
The coffin looks the most expansive of all things in here.
The golden frame hugging the six sides. A polished shiny wooden jail encloses the pentagon space inside. And a small church-colourful glass plant on top of it. What was it called? Ah, stained-glass. Another type of artifact to cut between the holy sight and the unholiest. When I look around, there are words engraved on the side. I say it out loud, "Here lies Dracula. Hm, now that's just funny."
I check around the prop again. My phone's light crawls around it. And then there's another graving, gleaming in silver. 'To open this coffin, you must be the one. If you are the one, let your mouth exhale: what comes down comes up and I am His step closer to a new era.'
I shrug and leave the coffin alone.
I looked at the room once again, "This is… Not bad, actually. I wouldn't mind keeping these things safe. Like a museum security or something."
And when my eyes catch the coffin again… I couldn't tear it off.
My eyes are locked on it.
What is it?
My arm's hair raises up of a new thought.
What if someone is there? Trapped.
I shake my head. Damn it, of course there's no one there. It's just a prop. That just came out of nowhere.
Is it?
Even as a former exorcist, I can feel a sign of life.
And there's more than one life in this room.
Wherever it is, it couldn't be anywhere around this room except… in the dark coffin.
My legs walk to the coffin. I have to confirm it myself. I use my phone's flashlight on the glass. And I keep my eyes close to it. There's probably something in there… But I couldn't see anything as if empty.
But that changes when I look longer. There's… Someone in there!
I need to get them out.
I back away from the coffin and look around for a key lock or any mechanism to open it.
There's none.
I tried to pull it open.
It wouldn't budge.
Even with my strength.
Hang on in there…
What could I do?
Couch. Table. Window. Drapes. Door. Books. Hands. Phones. Lights. Clothes. Nails. Pants. Trembling. Sweating. Shoes. Floor. Golden frame. People. Ghost. Exorcist, Dracula. Coffin.
Graving.
I crouch down and read the graving again. The only lead I find to open the coffin.
'To open this coffin, you must be the one. If you are the one who says the swear: What comes down comes up and I am His step closer to a new era.'
This is ridiculous, my mind says, do you really think a coffin would open by itself by just you reading this?
But there's another voice that tells me to follow what my heart.
I take a breath. There's no trick in here; no sign of demon artifice here; no demon spell in here. There's nothing but normal here. Like trees sprouting leaves. Like people smiling and crying. It's normal.
I have to do this.
Why is my blood rushing?
My brain screams don't. I ignore them.
I take a deep breath once again and say, "I open this coffin. The one is me. I swear, for what comes down must come up, and I am His step closer to the new era."
Everything just stops moving and breathing.
I've said it.
So what now?
After a minute of crouching, I stand up… And try to open the coffin.
It wouldn't budge.
I look at the coffin again.
I see nothing, just like the first time. I was just imagining things. Do I need to find a doctor now? I think I have mental illness. Now my mind returns. I sigh… Man, what am I doing?
Soda would be good now.
I walk over and try to reach the door.
Thud.
But a sound from behind stops me.
And when I turn around…
The coffin is opened.
And as if that's not enough surprise for the day, a figure rises from it. A white, silky hair. A girl. With long red nails, she's rubbing her eyes and opens her mouth. And a visible fang poking out from her lips.
Yawn.
A long white and shiny two fangs.
And her eyes open. A bloody hungry eyes.
"That was a long sleep," she says. "I could use some human breakfast now."
Her eyes meet mine.
And her lips stretch up happily.
"Oh, you. I've heard a lot about you from my father, Human. First thing first before we go out to put peace in rest, let me have your fiery blood in me. Man-who-opens-chaos."
Yup. Soda would be superb now. I walk out and close the door.