Chapter 3 – Chap 3

So, here’s my plan.

Firstly, I’m going to tell Ren I’m exploring the village alone. Except, I’m not going to explore the village. I’m going to hike down to where the bus dropped me off, and hope that at the bus stop there’s some sort of schedule. I had tried to find bus schedules on my phone, but couldn’t see any information. I’m freaked out right now, and will feel more at ease knowing there are ways that I can get out of here should I need to. The Nomura’s have been nothing but kind to me; well, Saeko and Ren have been, but I still feel I need to have an exit route. Just in case. I’m not going to tell Ren where I’m going; I don’t want to offend her, but a part of me also doesn’t trust her. I don’t want her to get suspicious.

Secondly, the camera. I’ve downloaded an app on my phone that’s for used for overnight recording; I think it’s advertised toward parents watching over their children’s rooms or something. I’ll set it up, and see what happens here at night. If I see anything that I don’t like, I’m out of here.

–

I’m almost at the bus stop.

Earlier, I had eaten breakfast with Ren and Saeko, before telling them that I wanted to explore the village on my own. Ren insisted she joined me, but I assured her I’d be alright and that I want a day to myself. My walk through the village was similar to yesterday’s; nobody smiled at me, or even acknowledged me. The only difference was that nobody tried to ‘sell’ me anything today.

I reach the bottom of the hill. It’s been about 45 minutes since I left the Nomura’s house; I’ve been walking fast. I see the rusty old sign that the bus stopped at when it had dropped me off, and pace toward it. Squinting my eyes to read through the rust, I see only two time slots. Both the times are on the same day I was dropped off, separated by an hour. Fuck. The next bus out of here is the bus I was planning on taking anyway. This was for nothing. There are no buses out of this place for days. I pray I won’t need one.

–

Fully fed, I sit on my bed after dinner. Other than finding out there are no buses out of here, it’s been an uneventful day. But I’m dreading the night. I open up the recording app, turn my phone on silent, turn its brightness down; I don’t want it to be seen.

Everyone has gone to bed, but I still hear people occasionally walking around. I’ll wait for everyone to be asleep before setting the camera up.

–

It’s been silent for an hour. It’s time.

I quietly get out of bed, and tiptoe over to my door. I slowly open it, looking down the corridor. Empty. I know where I’m setting this up; the far end of the corridor has a rafter I can prop my phone up on. It’s the only place that’d work; the rafter by the front door would be too easy to spot by anyone leaving. I creep down the corridor, passing a series of rooms, including the grandparent’s. Softly as I can, I jump and grab the rafter, pulling myself up, and propping my phone so it films down the corridor. Awesome. I slowly lower myself back to the ground. I’m quite proud of myself for being so silent, when the grandparent’s door starts to slide open.

I freeze. I’m just beyond the door, at the end of the corridor. I don’t move, hoping I’m not seen. Father Nomura and Saeko walk out of the room, shutting the door behind them, deep in discussion. They don’t see me. They hurriedly walk up the corridor before exiting onto the walkway at the other end. That was so close. Had I been walking passed the grandparent’s room when they exited-

The walkway door slowly opens once more. They’re coming back. Shit. I have no other choice. The only place I can get in fast enough without them seeing me is the grandparent’s room. I quickly open the door, slide myself in, and shut it behind me, just as they re-enter the corridor.

Stairs.

That’s what I see. A staircase, going down. This isn’t just a bedroom. On the edge of each step, a dimly lit candle. I can’t see beyond the bottom of the staircase. Father Nomura and Saeko’s voices are now getting louder, I think they’re coming back towards the grandparent’s room. I hear their footsteps, louder and louder. Their hushed voices now right outside the door I had just come through. I move down the stairs, finding myself in a room with two sliding doors. Nothing else. Just a small, square, wooden room, with two traditional sliding doors on either side. Nowhere to hide. I have to choose a door. As I stare at each door, I see movement, a shadow, through the door on the right. My choice is made for me. I go through the door on the left, shutting it behind me. I get swallowed by darkness.

Shaking, I am pressed up against the door I just went through. I hear Father Nomura and Saeko making their way down the stairs. The room I chose is completely dark. I try to quickly scan it, for somewhere to hide in case one of them comes in, but I can’t see anything around me. I don’t want to venture ifurther into the room unless I absolutely have to; I can’t see and might knock something over. I hold my breath.

Footsteps. Father Nomura and Saeko have just reached the bottom of the staircase. To my relief, their quiet steps and hushed conversation lead into the other room, and I hear the door slide shut behind them. I am still frozen, and want to wait a second before making my move. But I can still hear something. Something behind me. No longer disrupted by the sound of Father Nomura and Saeko, I can now hear something in the room with me. I hear slow, quiet breathing. Exasperated, rasping breaths sounding from behind me in the darkness. Every breath sounds as if it’s causing incredible pain. The breathing is quiet, but the anguish that comes with each breath is clear. I’m not finding out who, or what, is in this room with me. With no second thought, I open the door, shutting it behind me, and bolt up the stairs to my room, careful with every step.

–

I tried to stay awake after what happened. I tried to be on alert, but I was exhausted. I had fallen asleep shortly after sneaking out of the grandparent’s ‘room’. I’m beyond freaked out. I’m trying to tell myself that there’s an explanation for last night – that I had simply heard one of the grandparent’s breathing. But I couldn’t convince myself that what I heard was normal. Something about it terrified me; made me feel cold. Every breath was laced with pain, with suffering. I could almost feel it myself. And if I had been in the room with the grandparent’s, what did I see through the screen of the other room? There’s something happening in this house. I go to collect my phone.

Even in the morning light, it was almost impossible to see it. I had hidden it well, and I quickly grab it and bring it to my room to see if anything had happened during the night.

Skimming through the recording, the bright green filter of night vision provides a creepy view of the corridor. The shadows in the corridor dancing as the moon makes its cycle through the night. Father Nomura and Saeko left the grandparent’s room late, going back to their room. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I reach 3:54am and I see movement.

Simultaneously, all doors slide open. All but mine and the grandparent’s. In sync, each of the family members step out. Hina, stepping out the room next to mine, Ren, the room opposite. Both parents also step out of their room at the same time. All in unison. Furthest from the camera, Hina walks down the corridor first, towards its end. As she passes Ren, she walks by her side. The parents then follow suit, walking behind the sisters. None of them appear to speak or acknowledge each other. They gather around the grandparent’s room. Father Nomura opens it, and they enter, before the door is slid shut.

I fast forward. 4:40am – movement. The door of the grandparent’s room is opened. The family walk out in the same order they had entered; sisters side by side, parents side by side behind them. Father Nomura shuts the door behind him. They walk toward my room. They surround my door. Their mouths are moving, as if they are chanting something. They stand at my door, staring at it, for exactly 23 minutes. Father Nomura then moves. He opens my door, slowly. Carefully. The family enter my room in the same order they had maintained throughout, completely in sync. The door is shut behind them. My heart is racing. What the fuck did they do in here? I look around my room, nothing seems out of the ordinary. I even feel around my body, nothing feels different. I fast forward. Exactly 23 minutes later, my bedroom door is slid open, and the family exit. Parting ways, they go to their respective rooms, shutting their doors in unison.

I’m leaving. I don’t know where I’ll go. Maybe I’ll seek refuge in the village, or even brave the wilderness. I don’t know. I just have to get out. I quickly pack my things, and open my door to see Ren on the other side.

“Finn”, she says, a nervous look on her face as she looks at my fully packed bag, “where are you going?”

“Uh,” I stutter, “laun- laundry”. I don’t know why I said that, but it works.

“Finn”, she calmly responds, “Father wants to speak with you, in the main area”.

“W-Why?”, my heart is beating out my chest. I might just run.

“He wants to talk about something,” she replies, “he knows you went to my grandparent’s room last night”.