Wishing Upon The Sky For Something Beneath The Ground
The old monk shuffled into the police station, clutching his rosary tightly. The occupants within immediately sat up and stared, like an esteemed man of society has arrived.
The rookie policeman at the desk immediately stood up.
"Yes my good sir, how may I help you?" smiled the young officer, immediately stretching out his hand to the old monk.
The old monk raised his eyebrows and feebly put his hand onto the officer's palm, and croaked, "I am good, officer, thank you. I am just waiting for a friend to park his car, he will be here shortly."
"Oh I see, perhaps you would like to take a seat? I will get you some water."
"You are a kind young man, thank you." replied the old monk as he shuffled towards the couch beside a boy, dressed untidily in his school uniform, playing with his phone, spreading his legs wide open and occupying two seats.
"Excuse me, boy, can I have this seat?" asked the monk.
The boy did not reply.
The monk gently tapped the boy on the shoulder. The boy looked up.
"What the hell do you want, baldie?" snapped the boy.
"Excuse me, can I have the seat?"
"Go sit on the floor or go back to your temple."
"I will not distract you from your game on the phone."
"Go away."
"I just want to have a seat. May I?"
"CAN YOU JUST SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF MY SIGHT?" the boy stood up and grabbed the rosary on the monk's neck. Suddenly, a large and wrinkled hand flew out, grabbed the thumb of the boy's clutching hand and turned it outwards. The boy bent over sideways and dropped his phone.
"LISTEN YOU PUNK, AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO YOU ARE." roared a well-built old man, still clutching onto the boy's thumb. "IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS SHOWING RESPECT TO YOUR ELDERS, GET YOUR PARENTS TO DRIVE YOU OUT OF MY DISTRICT!".
Shoving the boy back onto the couch, the mayor turned to the monk, "Why didn't you fight back, Sansou? Did living in that wooden house turn your steel nerves to wood too?"
"I no longer want to cut flesh with steel anymore Jichuukan."
"Good point. His meat is still too tender for that anyway."
"What do you want me here for anyway?" asked the monk, looking around. "This place certainly changed alot the last time I visited it. "
"Of course it did." the mayor sighed . "It seems like yesterday they just installed the air-con. And that was my last day here too......damn bureaucracy. Anyway, where is the desk rookie?"
"Over here sir!" the young officer strided back to the two old men, clutching a cup of water, "Oh......it is mayor Ichirou! I am sorry sir! I didn't know you are here! Let me get another cup of water for you!"
"No need, officer. We are here to bring his......erm......granddaughter home." replied Ichirou, pointing towards the monk. "Who is in charge of this case?"
"Please hold on sir, I will call her out right now!"
A moment later, a female officer came out of the back office. "Please follow me sirs, I will get you the release forms in a moment."
The trio walked down the hallway towards the back of the station, with the lady officer at the front and the two old men at the back.
"Wow." whispered Ichirou, staring at the posterior of the female officer as it swaggered side-to-side in the police skirt, "I wish I was you back then at this moment. I'd let her arrest me all she wants."
"Must not think unclean thoughts, must not think unclean thoughts......." muttered Sansou.
"And we have arrived sir. We kept this young girl in the questioning room away from those louts."
The two men walked into the room, and the sights of a young girl in gothic lolita came into their eyes.
"Eeeyah......" moaned Hanakana fearfully, bringing her handcuffed hands to her face and putting her fists on the cheeks, looking at the two old men with bambi eyes, "Oji-sannn, you are not going to be rough on a young flower like me and leave me in ruins, aren't you, ehhhhh?"
With blood flowing from their noses, the two old men collapsed to the floor with a loud thud.
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"Alright Oji-san, she's back in your hands! Please take care of her!" smiled the policewoman.
"Wait, what about the boy?" sniffed Sansou, wiping the remaining dried blood off his face.
"He's hospitalised." replied Ichirou. "Someone bashed him up real good - knocked his head around and had a few cuts on him, no broken bones. His elder sister was the only one found at the scene holding a huge bass drum by a couple of nosy patrolling policemen escorting me home from my walk, and was brought back here. Apparently she was the one who saved him, though I wish I knew how."
Sansou immediately pulled Ichirou to a corner.
"Wait, so what the hell exactly happened? Who is she? She looks exactly like Kakerou's......."
"Yes. " breathed Ichirou, "His dead sister."
There was an awkward silence in that edge of the room.
"But I just prayed to HER GRAVE before you called me!"
"Then it is probably an empty grave."
"Impossible! I was the one who cremated her!"
"I wish I knew! These things are beyond me!" squeaked a flustered Ichirou, trying to keep his voice down, "Listen, I got someone to change the identification registry of that girl from dead to alive, and put her name through the missing persons registry, so take her home, and burn her death cert. I think she knows what is going on and what we have done."
"Then what about Kakerou?"
"Visitation hours at the hospital are over. I'll call you and discuss this.........."
"Uhhhhhh, Oji-san......" yawned Hanakana, "I am tired. Can we go home?"
The two old men stared at her for a moment. Then, Sansou walked over to Hana and patted her over her head. "Alright, we are going home now. We will visit Ka-chan tomorrow morning, okay?"
Hana was stunned at the act.
"Are you ok?" asked Sansou, waving his hand in front of her face.
"Eh? Yep." squealed Hana. "Oji-san is the best!"
"Alright then." said Ichirou, "I will pick you guys up tomorrow morning." Turning to the desk rookie, he said, "Officer, can you please take a vehicle and drive them home. Sansou will direct you."
"Sir, yes sir!" saluted the rookie cop at the desk.
"There is no need for that young man. I am already out of the force for a long time."
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As the police car departed from the steps leading up to the temple, Sansou slowly took the steps up. Hana turned away and started walking in the other direction. Sansou stopped and turned.
"Tell me, my lady. Who are you?" asked Sansou.
Turning around, Hana smirked, "So a mere mortal finally asked me who am I? Is there a need for you to know?"
"You protected something important to me. Allow me to offer some blessings in your name when I reach my temple."
"That little twit is important to you? Given how pathetic he is, just take it as though I am doing a small favour for you mortal."
"From your address of me as 'mortal', I see that you are from a higher plane." said Sansou calmly, "I guess you will be rewarded accordingly when you return from this duty you have done." Sansou turned and continue walking up the steps.
"Wait, is this how you thank a superior being?" snapped Hana, "I am Kuro-shinigami Hanakawa, Grade A ranked collector of human souls! I can take yours and send it to hell anytime! "
"So I see, you are from a lower plane. Well, whatever will be, will be. Regardless of the deeds I have done in the past, the destiny of my soul is not for me to decide." said Sansou as he continued walking up the steps.
"What do you mean by lower plane! My job is as esteemed as those arrogant snobs from up there! I will take your soul and send it through the depths of hell for the worst strings of torture for eternity! I will cut your soul out in the most painful way possible! I will give you a slow death and let all your horrors in your lifetime slowly pass by your eyes! I will.........."
Suddenly, a beeping can be heard from the pocket of Hana's dress. Pulling out her cellphone-shaped device, she tapped on the screen and put it to her ear.
"Yes, chief?" spoke Hana into the phone,"Yes I kicked her ass back down because I don't agree with whatever stupid thing she is doing. I don't care! You can demerit point me for all you want! What do you mean she is missing? I will go find her then. What do you mean you don't want me to find her? I can find her and send her through death again! Wait, what do you want me to do? What kind of order is that? I refuse to comply! I......"
Hana stood there in silence as an agitated echo spoke through the handset. Suddenly, she walked up to Sansou and thrusted the phone in front of him.
"Some LOWER PLANE BEING wants to speak to someone ABOVE HIM." said Hana sarcastically. "You know how to use a cellphone right, old man?"
Sansou took over the handset and placed it on his ears. A message of agitated voice burst forth the device into his ear. A moment later, he gave the handset back to Hana.
Hana looked into the screen of the cellphone. "What? You hung up?" screamed Hana.
"No, your chief did." replied Sansou.
"Why didn't you tell that useless thing to wait? I didn't agree to this arrangement!"
Sansou shrugs.
"Damn that stupid blockhead and lousy planning! Idiots! All of you are idiots!" said Hana as she stormed up the stairs.
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Hana stepped out of the bathtub. Stupid mortal world, she thought, lame place where I can get stinky and smelly like the rest of them humans. Picking up a neatly folded yukata, she sniffed at it. Must have been kept away for a long time, she thought, hope this fits so I don't have to wear the same stinky clothes again.
"I see that her clothes can fit someone who looks like her daughter." said Sansou as Hana walked out into the porch.
"You keep women's clothing? What a perverted old monk." jabbed Hana.
"Yes. As a memento. A keepsake for Kakerou to see when the time comes." replied Sansou.
"And teach him to be a pervert too? You are the worst." sneered Hana.
"Whatever you say." said Sansou. "If you need to sleep-"
"I don't need to." replied Hana.
"You have a physical body in this realm. Take care of it. The room is at the end of the porch....."
"Right. Yell if you are attacked old man. I need a break."
"......and it will provide some answers you need."
"Wait, what? I need no answer, I don't care about whoever the dumb bitch is that I look like....."
"Goodnight." yawned Sansou as he heads back into the altar room to sleep.
Hana huffed and walked into the room Sansou has directed her to. As she stepped into the well-lit room, she saw that everything was neatly arranged, with an eerie sense that the positions of each object has not been changed for years. A row of photos lining a cabinet caught her eye, and she walked towards to take a closer look.
Each of this photo seem to show a family, or two siblings which resemble a brother and sister. Hana peered into the photos, looked at the sister and smiled. She looks so cute, she thought, and she resembles my form, except that I look more mature, of course. Hana swings her hair with an air of superiority as she looked at the reflection of herself in the glass of the cabinet.
As she ran her eyes over the photos, she came across a small empty jewel case, with a foam cast set for a jewelled bracelet. Must have been a pretty piece, she thought, putting her hand on the glass.
The sight of her own bracelet came into view. And the arrangement of the jewels seemingly matched that of the foam cast.
Shocked, she quickly open up the cabinet, took off her bracelet, and put it into the foam cast.
It fitted perfectly.
Hana dropped the case. Dazed and confused by the series of coincidences, she ran for her cellphone and dialled for her chief.
As she was put through a hellian communcations system, a warbling warning sound was heard from her cellphone. She took it off her ear and a holographic radar map showed up with a cluster of red dots. Following the direction of the red dot, she ran out into the backyard of the temple and saw five shooting stars falling from the sky. As she ran out into the grassy backyard, she almost tripped, but broke her fall by leaning over a tombstone.
Turning off the alert, Hana crouched down and ran her fingers over the well-kept stone. Adjusting her powers to see better in the dark, she reads, "Shi-ro-gyo-ku Ah-ke-yo".
"What kind of lame name is that?" she quietly exclaims. "Two contrasting elements for a name.......who is this? And what an ugly sound the name makes when it is said; humans are really silly beyond - ". Hana was cut off by a short beep on her cellphone. Looking into it, she reads a message,
"'Big trouble. They are getting involved. Watch your back.' Wait, so this means that those falling lights are......."
Hana looked into the sky for the shooting stars. But they are already gone.
