Part 5: The Missing Person.

I moved in with Ayumi's permission and my application was rejected due to the high request for the student dorm. Now I'm feeling much better since the last incident but sometimes I had a nightmare, the same dreams over and over again.

This morning as I getting ready for my classes, I had a strange text from Hanabi. She got me worried about her, right now I'm planning to go back to Hiraizumi and visit them. She told me about her friends and the transfer student. She's having a nightmare about a woman and a place where she has been kidnapped. I try to calm her down and say it's alright but the truth is none of this advice can help her or me.

I walk into the Library and start my shift, as usual, my senpai usually takes a break when I start my shift, and after a while, they get used to leaving me alone in the library to handle everything. I don't mind about it but some of the freshmen don't agree with the senior's attitude.

"We're going home now! Take good care of the library kids!" Say one of the seniors.

"Take care and good night." I wish them by bowing as a gesture before they return home, one of a few part-timer workers named Sakura doesn't like the way the seniors treat us, as if we're just a toy for the seniors to play with.

"Why are you always saying nice things to them?" asked Sakura while pushing the book trolley as for me, I put back all the returned books into their shelf.

"Well, we can't do anything about it. We should at least be grateful that they leave us alone. Plus I would much prefer if they go back home." Putting back the book one by one is one of our duty.

"That's right. But still, they leave us with a load of returned books. I hate it when they push their work into us." Sakura keeps on pushing the trolley and moves to the next row.

"At least they paid us more than other places, and also night shift usually gets a higher payment. So I'm fine with it."

"Wow. You must be desperate for money. I guess not everyone is lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family. But I still don't get it! Our senpai are all wealthier than us but why bother working part-time in here?"

"I guess it is for the ranking. Remember they told us about the ranking system, that must be it. It's for their perfect resume and added a good point for their future."

"Ergh... They're the worst and the most fucked up people."

"Sakura, language please." I remind her again to maintain a good attitude and speak nicely. I don't fancy swear words. I don't like saying negative stuff about others.

"Right... Sorry, my bad! Anyway did you hear the latest news about a missing person?" Ask Sakura.

"Missing person? no."

"Recently, a high school student has been missing. But the part is each student was reported missing on the same day."

"That's weird.."

"Of course it's weird! But also a few rumors come out too saying every missing student is planning to do this kind of thing just to get attention from the media. I guess everyone wants to be Viral." Sakura pushes the trolley back to the side as we finish our book arrangement. I take my seat at the registration table and start taking a basket full of a new return book to be stampeded. Sakura take her seat beside me and opened up the data for entry for a record.

"What if they are missing? When was the day they were reported missing?"

"It was last week Saturday... Here take a look." Sakura opened up the news on her phone and show it to me. I take a quick look at it and read the information. Something fishy is going on.

"It is said each student is actually from a different school, despite their gender being missing. Once parents reported their daughter was going out with their friends when suddenly in the middle of the ride, the person vanish into a thin air. A paranormal event happened all over the world." I was shocked to hear this kind of info. A strange event happening.

"Looks like it's not Japan that had this issue."

"Yea... I think there must some kind of explanation for this event. Anyway, we should finish up our work, I'm getting hungry." I give back to Sakura's phone and continue my work.

"Alright if you'd say so. Should we grab a bowl of hot ramen?"

"Ramen sounds good to me! Hurry up." we finished our work as fast as we both can and we took our 20 minutes break, eating ramen in one of the night restaurants just outside the campus. After we finish our dinner, we head back to the Library in hurry and we stayed up late digging for the news again.

Closing time.

"Did you get everything?" I stand outside the main door, waiting for Sakura to grab her stuff from the locker room. Everything is just so quiet.

"Sakura? Hurry up! I'm going to lock the door." I shout again from the door. Still no response from her.

"Sakura?! Hurry-!" My body turns cold when I saw the creature again. It's staring at me from inside the library. It's huge and the rotten smell is making me sick. I need to warn Sakura when suddenly the creature turns its sight to Sakura. She's leaving the locker room and heads to the creature.

"Sorry... I took so long looking for my scarf. You ready?" Sakura keeps on walking toward the creature. Did she not see the creature?

"Sakura... Stop!" I shout to her and she's passing by the creature.

"What?" She looks at me with a weird expression.

"Could you walk at the side? Please.." I don't want her to touch the creature or walk thru the creature. Sakura ignores my words and keeps walking forward, as for the creature it clingy to Sakura's body and the hands all over Sakura's body.

"You so delicious.." said the creature. Suddenly it disappeared into Sakura's body.

"Man.. are you okay? You're sweating." Say Sakura as she walks beside me. The creature has taken Sakura's body. I look at her and try to calm myself. Why am I the only one who can see this thing?

"A-are you feeling okay?" I ask Sakura, she's checking her phone out and looking at me.

"Yup... Let's go." I try to move my body again and it's become normal again. Sakura helps me out by locking the main door. We walk down and departed from the main gate. I look at her from afar, a slight smell coming from Sakura's body. She's going down to the subway again.

Without wasting any time, I run back to Ayumi's house at full speed. I'm afraid of the creature. I reach home and walk straight to my room. Ayumi must be sleeping in her room. I checked my room clock and it was already 10 pm.

"Okay let's try this." I grab my laptop and hop on the bed, I begin searching for the mystery creature and its origin. It must be shown me something. It might be an ancient creature or anything. I search on google and I found a site about mysterious creatures and most of the commenters are someone like me. They have experienced it too. I go thru them one by one and the story they tell is similar to mine. Some even suggested carrying a charm or finding a priest or any spiritual guide to purify our souls from being corrupted.

"That must be it! The charm that Aoi-chan gave to me. She said it's a protective charm." I remember Aoi and everything that was going on in my childhood living with her. She knows about these things.

"That's it! I'm going back home this week!" I decided to head back and straight away buy a ticket online and now I can only wait til I meet Aoi.