9 Chapter 9: Forgotten Friends II

The sounds of buzzing cicadas rang through the breezy air of the forest as Touya and Red stood in front of a log cabin. There was an earthy smell wafting through the area, filling them both with a sense of tranquility.

This little sense of tranquility did nothing to soothe the anxious nerves that resided within Touya. He was already intimidated by Red, but standing next to her on a mission was too much. The air around him seemed to stagnate, making it harder to breathe. He tried to recollect himself, but Red's presence pulled him right back into the void each time.

If it weren't for the cool breeze, he would've been sweating bullets by now.

"Touya?"

"Yes?"

"What's wrong? You appear to be concerned by something."

"Ah...It's nothing! I'm just losing my patience with our clients...I mean, we've been out here for about twenty minutes."

"You do have a point there." She smiled and gently grabbed a hold of his arm. "By the way, I'm a people person, so lying is pointless."

"Huh!? Wh..wh..what do you mean by that?" He struggled to speak as Red laced her velvety fingers between his.

"Be honest with me Touya, do I make you nervous?"

The hypnotic gaze in her eyes made him give up on deceiving her. "Y..yeah."

"That's a shame. I like being around you, and you said that you don't hate me. What makes you nervous around me?"

"It's hard to-" He almost choked as Red started massaging his right hand with both of her hands. The way she gently rubbed circles on the palm of his hand made him feel like laying down in the grass. "-to ignore the vibes you give off. You're an amazing person, but you seem like a being too excellent for me to comprehend."

"Aw...you know how to smooth talk a lady. But don't think of me as some God, I'm a human just like you."

"G..got it.

"I'm still flattered by the way you perceive me. Thank you."

"N..no problem..." This little conversation just amplified his admiration for Red. She literally calmed him down by simply massaging one of his hands.

"Touya, what made you become an exorcist?"

"Oh, that? I'm sure it's not as noble as the reason you became one." He immediately lost all of the concern in his body as Red continued to massage his hand. She moved closer to him, which should've made him uncomfortable, but he remained cool. "My older sister had her soul taken by a demon, and I thought that becoming an exorcist would help me find said demon."

"Now isn't that cute? There's absolutely nothing wrong with protecting your family; In fact, I find that goal even more admirable than mines."

"Really?"

"Mhmm." She moved his hand right in front of her mouth. "If it makes you feel any better, I want you to know that you'll have my full support in saving your sister."

"Th..thanks." Her warm, moist breath tickled his fingers. He did his best to suppress any reactions, since he didn't want her to stop.

Wait, what? What's happening to me?

Talking to Red was like staring at a swing pendulum. He lost track of time, and the space around them seemingly vanished. He could no longer hear the cicadas, or smell the earthy scent coming from the fresh grass. There was only one being, one entity...Red.

The sound of a wooden door swinging open snapped them both back to reality, and they turned to see a family of three standing on the porch of the cabin.

There was a rough looking father, who's calloused hands and grizzly arms stood as a testament to how much he works.

There was a sweet looking mother, with freckles on her cheeks. She wore an apron, indicating that she probably managed housework.

Finally, there was a young lady. She looked about the same age as Touya, and she had several bandages plastered on her body. Either she worked with her father, or she was an extreme clutz.

"My apologies, we didn't have enough time to get the house clean!" The father stepped in front of his wife and daughter and reached out to shake their hands. "My name is Greg. This here is my wife named Holly, and this little whippersnapper here is my daughter, Sora."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Red, and this here is Touya."

"So...I guess this is the part where I tell you about our problem?"

"A quick brief would be nice."

"Alright. You guys wanna come inside?"

"That'd be lovely."

Greg lead everyone into the cabin.

Red leaned into Touya's ear and whispered, "I'll handle the talking."

He nodded his head yes and let out an internal sigh. Even though he was considerably calmer than before, he still didn't feel like talking that much.

The interior was pretty bare, save for the standard couch and table in the living room. There were a few vases placed around, and a tv sat against the wall in front of the couch.

"You guys can sit here." He pointed to the couch, leading them both to take his suggestion. "Holly, get our guests some tea."

"Alright honey." She left the room to go brew some tea.

Sora joined Touya and Red on the couch as Greg sat down in a reclining chair on the other side of the room.

"So! Long story short, our cabin has been possessed."

Touya had no idea what he was supposed to do with that information, so he looked to Red for some guidance.

"Is that all you know? Any other tips would be helpful." Red looked at Sora, seemingly asked her if she knew anything.

For a quick second, Sora seemed like she was in a trance. Hearing Red speak out to her woke her up. "Y..yeah...My mom and dad haven't been attacked by the ghost, but I have."

"Do you mind elaborating?"

"Okay, so...about last year, I started hearing voices in my head. No one believed me, but it kept going. Eventually, my mom took me to a therapist." She subconsciously leaned into Touya, "My therapist brushed it off as my trauma from my best friend dying."

"Did your best friend die around the same time as when the ghost started speaking to you?"

"Mhmm."

Touya noticed that Sora was starting to cry, and that she was still holding onto him. Normally, he'd be incredibly uncomfortable in a situation like this; However, it was clear that she was having trouble with a sensitive subject.

Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her as a form of comfort. It seemed like she appreciated the gesture, so he kept his arm there.

"A week after she passed away...I started hearing her voice. I started thinking that it was trauma too, but I started seeing her too. It wasn't a hallucination, she was just too clear." Tears started running down her eyes, and her body began to shake. "I'm happy that I can still see her...but it feels so wrong..."

Touya felt himself getting emotional too. Hearing this made him think of his relationship with Matoi. They were best friends-practically brothers, and the thought of losing him hurt. He couldn't imagine the torment Sora was going through.

"Sora? Are there any triggers for your best friend to show up? Like...any specific circumstances where she appears?"

"Mhmm...At night when I'm alone in my room."

Red took a deep breath and stood up, "I see. It is common for demons to show up during nighttime."

Touya felt a sting in his heart as he heard that word.

Demon? That's just too cruel...She's right here you know?

He decided to let it slide. Red did tell him to let her handle the talking.

"It's still noon, so we can't exorcise it yet; However, this will be a simple issue to solve." She walked towards the stairs, still keeping her composed demeanor intact. "Sora? Can you lead me to your room?"

She couldn't. As soon as she finished telling them about the situation, the tears came flooding out.

"Ah...here we go again." Greg stood up and walked towards Red, "I'll take you there."

"Thanks."

Red and Greg made their way upstairs, leaving Touya alone with Sora.

After a few seconds of silence, Sora let go of his arm and wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry. I don't know what made me cry..."

"You're good." He could see the pain in her eyes. Even more, he could feel it. He remembered hearing Kieran tell him that he could read and feel emotions, but this was more than he imagined.

The weight of anger continued to crush him as he rubbed Sora's back.

For one, Greg sounded annoyed with her when he got up to help Red. Red wasn't an angel either. The way she dehumanized Sora's friend just felt so evil. Calling her a "demon" and an "it".

Of course, there was nothing he could do about it...

As they sat in silence, Greg's voice rang through the house.

"I'm sorry if were wasting your time. I don't even believe her. I think she's just being an idiot."

Touya immediately looked at Sora, who had started to cry just from hearing Greg say that. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath to compose himself.

How in the hell can he call himself her father?! I'm so...

Before he could explode, a thought came into his mind.

"Uh...Sora? Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Y..yeah."

They both stood up and left the cabin.

-

The beautiful blue sky was like a vast ocean, acting as a large mirror. Even though one couldn't literally see themselves in it, it forced you to think about something. Be it the shapes of the clouds, or the mistakes you've made in the past.

The cool winds helped with maintaining composure. Just before you were completely consumed in any negative thoughts, the winds would blow them all away. Leaving you with a clean slate.

The ground served as your returning point. If you ever slipped away while thinking, or felt overwhelmed with the sky and the winds, the ground would be there to catch you. Reminding you that no matter how far you venture out, there was always a place to come home and rest your soul.

"Thank you."

Touya looked over at Sora, who had spoken for the first time since they started their walk. "N..no problem."

She cleared her throat as they approached a pond. There was nowhere left to go from there. Only back.

Touya joined her.

"It's funny. You knew exactly where my happy place was."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She tried to laugh, but it came off as an attempt to keep herself from crying. "Me and Roxie used to hang out here. Whenever we came back from school, we'd just come here to look at ourselves in the water. Whenever we walked to school, we made sure to stop by for a second. Even if we got into a petty argument, we'd both come here just to make up."

"This place must be really important to you then."

"Mhmm. It's so nice to see her again. I just wish that it was on better terms...She was more than my best friend...she was my sister."

Touya started rubbing her back as tears streamed down her face.

"I know that Roxie's ghost is still around, but I don't want her to be. She used to be the one that protected me from anything. No matter who or what it was, she'd fight it for me. And she got so courageous and strong too...If I were ever to be attacked by a bear, and Roxie saw it, I'd feel nervous for the bear."

They both shared a quick laugh before Sora pulled herself together.

Touya felt the connection before, but it really started to hit hard now. The same way Sora described Roxie reminded him of how he'd describe Matoi to anyone. Ever since they were in preschool, Matoi had been his guardian. If everyone in the world decided to turn on him, he knew that he could count on Matoi to be his only friend.

"She probably feels responsible for protecting me, so she doesn't want to move on like that. She's like my guardian angel..."

Something about what Sora just said contradicted a statement he heard earlier.

"Sora. Roxie shows up at more places than just your room, doesn't she?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry for lying, but I wasn't ready to let her go earlier...It's too hard."

"It's okay. I understand how you feel."

It was heart wrenching, seeing a girl struggle with something so spiritual. It took a lot of strength for someone to decide that their friend's spirit was better off in the afterlife, separating them for good. He knew that he'd never have the strength to make that decision.

"So...does she just randomly appear?"

"Yup." Her smile finally returned. "Sometimes she'll pop up and talk to me while I'm watching TV, or it could be right before I go to sleep."

Touya didn't want to exorcise Roxie. She honestly didn't seem like a demon at all. Even the actual mission request said "Spirit" not "Demon". Of course, he understood how much it would mean for Sora to free her friend from this cruel world. He wanted to give her the most peaceful release their was. Something akin to Kowaima's method with the Chupacabra.

"I just...want to talk to her one more time y'know."

"I feel you."

There wasn't much else he could do. Most of this situation was out of his control, but there was one part that he could manage.

The exorcism.

He was an official exorcist, and he wanted to help someone. That's what exorcists do. He passed out on his first mission, so he didn't get to see the payoff of completing a mission. This time, things were different.

With the subject hitting so close to home, he wanted to give Roxie a proper sendoff. He wanted to see Sora cry tears of joy. He wanted to be a hero.

Their little time of peaceful reflection was interrupted by Touya's phone ringing.

It was Red.

"Hello?"

"Come on Touya. We're leaving for now. I'm done investigating."

"A..alright. Here I come."

He hung up.

"Uh...I have to leave for a bit Sora. My partner just finished investigating, and she wants to leave for something."

"Oh...okay."

Touya stood up and helped Sora rise to her feet as well.

"Thanks for spending time with me Touya. It's nice to have someone your age that can understand you."

"No need to thank me." He stood in front of her and gestured for her to climb on his back. "Come on, I'll give you a piggyback ride home."

"Kay!"

-

On their way back, it started raining.

Their eyes got filled with rain whenever they tried to look up, so they were forced to look down.

The wind was gone, leaving the air just dead and stagnant.

The sky was dark and cloudy, casting darkness over everything underneath it.

As he carried Sora on his back, Touya couldn't think of anything but Red. Her voice on the phone didn't carry any of her usual charisma or charm. It was cold and straight to the point, not leaving any room for ambiguity. It almost scared him.

They turned the corner, finally reaching the log cabin.

Standing on the porch was Red and Greg. Red had no emotion in her face whatsoever, while Greg was beaming with joy.

Each step he took grew heavier and heavier, and it had nothing to do with Sora being on his back. His mind began to cloud with dark thoughts as he approached them both. The air was tense, making it difficult to even breathe. The now muddy ground made him feel like he was going to slip and fall into a deep and dark abyss.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and let Sora off of his back. For some reason, he didn't want to walk up the stairs.

Red stared down at both of them and let out an exhausted sigh, "Let's head back to the monastery Touya."

Again, her words were sharp and concise. No room for debate or discussion. An absolute order.

He simply nodded his head yes to her.

"Hey! Touya!"

He looked at Sora, who had a cheerful smile on her face. "I'll see you later! And when you come back, I want you to be the one who exorcises Roxie."

Her smile was contagious, making him smile as a result. "Got it-"

"That won't be necessary."

Red's sudden interjection through them both for a loop.

"Wh..what do you mean Red?" His heart began to race uncontrollably.

"I already got rid of it."

That was it. Touya didn't understand how or why, but he had a feeling that Red would do something like this.

He couldn't even begin to imagine his own expression right now. He felt wrecked, crushed, defeated, betrayed...He didn't even want to imagine how Sora felt. After hearing her speak about Roxie, and how much she meant to her. After hearing her ask him to exorcise her personally. Her pain must've been indescribable.

Instead of trying to imagine, he turned to Sora.

She dropped to her knees as her lips quivered. Tears continued to fall from her eyes, and her body began to shake uncontrollably. In an instant, the floodgates came crashing down. She collapsed to the floor and started sobbing furiously. She hugged herself and let go. It looked like she was in legitimate pain. As if someone just dug into her chest and pulled out her heart, leaving her on the ground to writhe in agony.

He wanted to help. He wanted to help so bad, but he couldn't move. He was paralyzed with something. He didn't know if it was fear, or some undiscovered emotion, he just knew that he couldn't do anything.

He couldn't do anything to save Tineka. He couldn't do anything to stop Red. He couldn't do anything to even help Sora...

He couldn't do anything...

Greg shrugged his shoulders and walked back into the house, leaving Sora all alone to fend for herself.

Red...well...he lost complete track of her. She left his field of view as soon as he collapsed, which was strange because he didn't remember feeling his legs give out at all.

He was left like a decaying corpse, watching an innocent girl cry her heart out.

The horrific sound of her wailing began to fade away. It was soon replaced by an ear piercing ringing sound. He grabbed onto his own head and tried to compose himself, but nothing happened.

With each passing second, a sense failed him.

Hearing...

Taste...

Smell...

Feeling...

and finally...Sight...