Chapter 20: The Search IV

“….the food chain consists of producer, consumer, and detrivores or decomposer. As you can see from the linear system, producer are organism that produces their own food such as trees, bushes, and other plants, while consumers are organism that eats other organism followed from herbivores as the first consumer…”

            Class went on as usual, but none of the lectures were able to get in my head today. It’s only been yesterday after investigating the factory. When school was about to be over, I had rushed my way back to school—the old janitor was still soundly asleep when I gave him back his uniform—and had dad pick me up as usual at the front gate.

            I list out all the things I knew and what I found out from the factory:

1.      The missing children’s bodies were headless, either it’s the killer’s hobby or the killer needed it for his personal need. I strongly believe it’s the later, since the kids are all espers it wouldn’t be weird for anyone prying open an esper’s head for God knows what.

2.      The burned bodies found were a total of eighteen, while the missing children were officially announced twenty-six. Here’s the question, where’s the rest of the children?

3.      Dale had said all the incidents up until now had a three months period for some reason, probably because of the killer’s everyday life circumstances, something like a job that had him to move from place to place, two months had passed since the first incident.

            Somehow, these were the only thing I managed to get. I tried to pry more in the factory if there were any signs of anyone suspicious by the time the bodies were put there. However, there was only one camera covering the area, and the only suspicious person that covers what he threw to the furnace, never had his face showed at the camera. The employee didn’t give much credible testimony either, they all claim that day went on ordinarily other than finding the bodies.

            To conclude my investigation, I’m back to square one.

            The fifth graders were only allowed to rest for ten days; the school had announced that the police would prepare a few measures before they got back to school so they shouldn’t need to worry too much. However, at this rate, I got the feeling they will also use that chance to use the kids as bait for him. I’m extremely against for things led to that, but I do partly understand how much the state police are at their wits end to find such elusive criminal that kept jumping from place to place.

            My mind came back to class the moment the school bell rang and the teacher dismissed our class. “Claudia, were you thinking of something? You weren’t paying much attention to class and you had a furrow between your eyebrows." Eric was looking at me worryingly; he wore such a cute and innocent face at me enough to make me cuddle him. Oh, this is bad; right now he’s my classmate, so I should respond to him accordingly.

            “It’s nothing Eric, nothing for you to worry about anyway.” When I answered him that, he made a sad expression and then sigh deeply, eh? What’s with that reaction? However, Eric then turn his expression with a smile, “Okay, but don’t worry on your own Claudia, my mom sad those who worry or get angry too much will get wrinkles easier.”

            After that, we met with Loranne and went on home. It was only when I was back to my room that I remembered Eric’s lie detecting ability. All though I hadn’t meant to lie, it was a fact that my words weren’t true at the time, so that’s why he made a big sigh! Yet, even after knowing it, instead of probing, he responded accordingly that won’t make me feel guilty and gave me reassurance instead.

            Eric, what a mature mind you have! It wouldn’t be a lie his refreshing and caring smile is my oasis at school. I will make sure to make you a specially made charm.

            I mulled alone at my room, trying to figure out my next step. I haven’t try it yet, but I might need to use Summoning Spell to contact the spirits. Just so you know, the spirits I meant are not ghost; if they were I would’ve called out that boy, Mortan, and asked where his head was brought to.

In fact, though spirits exist, ghosts do not.

            Spirits are just creature like us humans that lives in another plain dimension. We can’t see them but they can see us. Their existences are made purely of mana, that’s why they don’t have body, or what they call it vessels that sustain themselves in our dimension plain. They have the same intelligence as us, but what they lack other than a body is creativity or may be a flexible mind should be a better way to say it. Because of that reason, spirits like to attach themselves to us who are always evolving their mind to endless degree and would use them as base for their own personality. Another thing about spirits is that they don’t have any features or names.

            We, magicians would summon them for specific errand in exchange for a body and a name. Once they were named, they would always devote themselves to its specific job it had entrust for the first time. For example, if Spirit A is summon for the first time and ask it to guard a treasure for XX years, then when other magicians summon Spirit A it would only do guarding related mission.

           As I said, spirits don’t have a flexible mind.

            That’s why they are two ways to summon a spirit. One to summon a named spirit, the other is to create a spirit. Most magicians would summon a named spirit since they are a lot more dependable and experienced as well but we need to make an offering they would like. Creating spirit uses our mana to create a body while having a concrete image, if our image is fuzzy or they don’t like the body we make then they won’t respond and we’ll only waste mana in the end.

            What those two summoning have one thing in common, if the spirits don’t like what we offer then they won’t respond. That’s why they are annoying.

            Now it’s not the time to choose my measures. With spirits, I can ask who and where the killer is and everything will be settled in a blink of an eye. All the spirits I’ve contracted before are annulled by my death in the past life, so I need to prepare a lot of things for offering if I want to get their contract again, since they are spirits that complains the offering weren’t enough. They are also a spirit that I brought offering he requested only to change his mind because he didn’t feel like it anymore. The most unforgivable of all was that damn cocky spirit who asked to have the night with me by spending some ‘adult time’ as an offering.

            I found out then magic could be use on spirits and had a great time tortu—I meant experimenting it on him.

            For some reason, he was willing to become my spirit and would often ask me to test run my magic on him from time to time and would also purposely annoy me whenever I summon him as if asking to be verbally abuse. I’m sure this era has a name for those with the that kind of mindset, what do they call it…something that starts with an M if I’m not mistaken.

            Aaaah~ thinking back about my spirits, I wonder how are they doing now. Probably bored to their mind since no magician exists anymore to call on their service, I hesitated before since it might take some time, but I’ve decided, let’s summon a spirit!

            At dinner while I mulled over those things as I had an absent minded look as I ate, my mother said this that had snap me back. “Beth, don’t worry, since the police had already taken measures, you don’t need to be so afraid going outside tomorrow, everyone in your grade is on the same shoes as you too.”

            “Wait, why is Beth going to school? She should be back for another five days!” I chimed in.

            “Claudy, didn’t you listen? Since the school has scheduled the final exam beforehand, the fifth grader will go back to school for the next three days before they continue their resting days. Since they would finish school early, I’m sure the kidnapper won’t be so daring at the middle of the day.”

              Not if he’s a psycho!

               Mother would have a different opinion if she knew what kind of person the kidnapper is. I look at my sister who nodded at her words and made a gasping look. Why are you agreeing, you were so afraid then, why are you taking the risk of going outside? You should know better what kind of person that kidnapper is!

              After Beth was done with her chore, I waited for her in her room and gave her a glaring look. “Explain!” I said with a heavy and threatening tone, Beth flinched from my words and probably was surprised to see her sister like this for the first time.

              She sat beside me and was silent for a while, I was half opening my mouth to speak but she had beaten me to it. “The school is probably making us bait.”

             When she said I never thought she would imagine, no words formed from my mouth. Leaving me dumb founded, she continued, “The school isn’t stupid to prioritize the exam over the student’s safety. However, when I saw the killer, I knew he wasn’t someone to be handled normally. Besides, even though I don’t know the killer actually realize who I was, there’s no guaranteeing my safety even at home, so I might as well see the end of this incident rather than coiling in fear at home. It’s unexpectedly tiring being afraid and worrying all alone here.”

            It was just as she said, her eyes showed the obvious tiredness. She’s only eleven years old, and to holed up her fear in her own heart had taken a toll on her. She wanted to see for herself what her fate will be, and so she taken her step facing it for the first time.

I held her hand tight, “Tomorrow, you have to tell everything that you saw to our parents if you can’t then at least go to the principal or find Mr. Dalton, they’ll know what to do, don’t worry, I’ll be there for you!” Beth finally smiled wryly and nodded. “Claudy, even though you’re younger than me, sometimes you would act a lot mature than me. Even when I complain about school you would happily and silently listen and would advice or scold me from times. I really feel like a failed a s your big sister.”

            Nonsense! I would like to say, but seeing her tucked her head and looking depressed, whatever I say might only sound as pretty words. Instead, I had my head lie on her lap, “Tonight, let’s sleep together.” Beth who never expected this widened her eyes, but nodded with a wide smile and teary eyes that was about to gushed out.

            Since I decided to be with her the whole night, I planned to summon a spirit the next night, I felt what I needed to do the most was to be by her side. I’ve known from experienced that one of biggest fear for humans was Loneliness. How many times I wonder that the lost of those precious to me had broken me down and the bond between my comrades had help me face my dark past.

             Knowing that, I wonder why I was foolish that night.

            I woke up by habit at the middle of the  night and decided to take a glass of water. There was the sound of glass breaking followed by a quick scream. The glass on my hand fell and I rushed to her room. If only I didn’t left her room, if only I had made an alarm or a protection spell beforehand, if only I summon a spirit right away. Those ‘what if’ thoughts ran on my mind many times and yet those regrets would be left pointless when just thinking about it.

            Karen and my parents rushed at Beth’s room, my mother cried in shock and father was left bewildered and Karen quickly called 911. I could hear her frantic voice even as I stood frozen by Beth’s door, “Hello, yes, I need help, someone broke into our house…and my sister was kidnapped.”

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Sorry I got delayed, but finally done! Next chapter.....the appearance of the d'M spirit!

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