Christopher Golden - A Winter of Ghosts

As Mr. Yamato and Mr. Harperentered the room, Miss Aritomo hung back in the hall a moment. She shot asidelong glance at someone else, one of Mai and Wakana's nosy neighborspresumably.

"Go back into your room. Thisdoesn't concern you," the art teacher said, as sharply as Mai had everheard her speak to anyone.

Then Miss Aritomo entered andclosed the door behind them.

Wakana looked like she wishedshe could climb under her bedsheets and hide.

"This will take only amoment," Mr. Yamato said, shifting his gaze from Mai to Wakana and backagain. He lowered his voice before continuing. "There may be a way tobreak the curse of Kyuketsuki."

"Why would we — "Mai began, then cut herself off. "My apologies again, Yamato-sensei."

"You can ask the question,"Mr. Harper said. "Why would you care? Is that what you were going to say? Youdon't like my daughter and her friends, Maiko. I understand that — "

"Harper-san." Mr.Yamato gave the American teacher a grave look.

"Mai," Miss Aritomosaid, "many people have died because of the curse of Kyuketsuki, some ofthem your friends." She glanced meaningfully at Wakana and then looked atMai again. "Do you mean to tell us that you are not willing to helpprevent more of your friends from dying?"

Mai swallowed. Her embarrassmentand discomfort at their sudden arrival fled. She had carefully crafted apersona of arrogance and confidence around other students, and she had greatambitions for her future that she thought that persona would serve. But whenshe was alone with Wakana, she always let that mask slip to reveal her trueself. Now she discarded it willingly.

"Of course not," shesaid. "If there's a way that I can help you break the curse — "

"We," Wakana said."If we can help."

Mai nodded. "We'll dowhatever you need."

Mr. Yamato nodded withsatisfaction and approval. "Excellent. You are still in contact with UmeChosokabe?"

An icy knot formed in the pit ofher stomach. "Yes."

"Can you reach her bytelephone?"

"I'm not sure," Maisaid. "If not, she is usually online at night. I could e-mail her, orinstant message her later. But Ume's been gone since last spring. What couldany of this have to do with her?"

The moment she asked thequestion, she felt like a fool. She knew the answer. Everything that hadhappened — the curse, all of it — stemmed from the murder of AkaneMurakami.

But Miss Aritomo surprised her.

"The ritual that couldbreak the curse requires the participation of all of those present at the timeof Kyuketsuki's defeat," the art teacher said.

"You've got to get Ume tocome back to Miyazu City immediately," Mr. Yamato said.

Wakana shook her head. "Withrespect, sir, wasn't she expelled?"

"She could come to visitthe friends she left behind," Mr. Harper said.

"But she's in school,"Mai argued. "Wouldn't it be better to contact her parents? She would needtheir permission."

Mr. Yamato sighed, shaking hishead. "Mai, listen to me. I cannot contact her parents. How would Iexplain a request for Ume to return to Monju-no-Chie school, and in such ahurry? Tell her that she is needed here, that she must come immediately."

"But how will she explain, sensei?" Wakana asked.

Miss Aritomo knitted her brows. Prettyas she was, the expression made her look anything but. "Ume has alreadyproven her cunning by managing to get away with murder. She'll have to figuresomething out."

Mai blinked in astonishment atthe teacher's uncharacteristic directness. Adults so often talked around thingsthat were awkward or unpleasant that the words had shocked her.

"What if she doesn't wantto come?"

"If she doesn't want toprevent people from dying?" Mr. Yamato said. "Then tell her a memberof the Miyazu City police will be happy to go and retrieve her, and she canexplain that to her parents."

The dormitory at Monju-no-Chieschool was separated by a wide stairwell that divided it evenly into two sides,with the girls on one side and the boys on the other. Each floor had a commonarea near the stairs, but the one on the first floor was the largest, with theexception of the cafeteria. All of that common space was meant as consolationto the students for the strict rules governing gender relations in theirdormitory rooms. Boys were not allowed in girls' rooms with the door closed,and vice versa. After nine p.m., they weren't even allowed in the oppositewings.

As Kara strode along the secondfloor corridor toward Ren's room with Miho and Sakura in tow, she thought aboutthe absurdity of the rule, especially when it came to Ren. He was gay. Thoughhe claimed not to be interested in any of the boys on his floor — most ofthem didn't know about his sexual orientation — she was still sure he wasmore than content to be trapped after dark with a few dozen other guys.

Or not. That's a prettyignorant thought , she realized. As long as she'd known him, Ren had alwaysseemed to get along much better with girls than other guys, Hachiro being thelone exception.

A sickly feeling rippled throughher gut as she passed the door to Hachiro's room. No light shone beneath thedoor. It felt still and empty, as though it had been abandoned and waited for anew resident to give it life again. Even just a quick glance at the door madeher want to shout with frustration and anticipatory grief. But she refused togive up on Hachiro yet.

Ren's room was three doors downon the left. She rapped several times in quick succession, her knucklesstinging.

"What if his parents arestill here?" Miho whispered.

"Then we tell them,"Sakura said. "We're running out of time to do this quietly."

"Hachiro's running out oftime," Kara corrected.

The door remained closed, buthere there was light underneath the door. Kara could practically feel thepresence of someone inside. She knocked again, harder this time.

"Ren, it's us," shecalled. "Kara, and Sakura, and Miho."

"We need to talk to you,"Sakura added.

Still nothing. Kara felt heranger ramping up. She made fists of her hands and rocked on the balls of herfeet, needing to let out the maelstrom of emotions that were storming aroundinside of her.

Miho must have seen it coming. Sheput a hand on Kara's shoulder. "No. Let me," she said. And then shestepped up to Ren's door and knocked much more softly than Kara had. "It'sMiho. I know you're hurting. Maybe you're scared or embarrassed or mad, ormaybe it's all of those things. I know you're afraid for Hachiro. But we'reyour friends and we need you."

Sakura and Ren had a greatcamaraderie. They were buddies, fond of giving each other a hard time. But eversince Miho had revealed her feelings for Ren and discovered that he had noromantic interest in girls, the two of them had developed a gentle intimacythat had nothing to do with sex. If he would listen to anyone, it would be her.

"Ren, please?" Mihoadded.

Several seconds went by. Karabegan to grow frantic. What would they do if they couldn't get Ren to talk tothem? She glanced at Sakura, then Miho, and she thought about trying to kickthe door in but knew she didn't dare. They'd have to get Mr. Yamato down hereinstead.

Just as she was about to give upand go away, Ren spoke at last.

"I don't remember anything,"he said.

They all looked at one another. Karagestured for Miho to speak.

"Please, Ren," Mihosaid. "We need to talk to you."

A few more seconds passed as hecontemplated that, and then at last he opened the door. Kara blinked insurprise and felt all the anger drain out of her. Normally, Ren was strikinglygood-looking, with his long, spiky bronze hair and copper eyes and amischievous smile that seemed to work on nearly everyone. So often she hadthought how much he reminded her of a fox in appearance.

That Ren had vanished and beenreplaced by a pale, thin, unsmiling creature. His hair was clean but hungstraight and dull, and he wore a white shirt and tan pants that gave him analmost monastic look. Silhouetted against the early winter darkness outside hiswindow, he might have been Kubo's sickly grandson.