15 FILE 7: THE GHOST WARDEN PART 4

After finding a bed and breakfast willing to take me, I got in the bath and soaked all the dirt off. Being clean has never felt so good!

I checked the grandfather clock and saw it was nearly three pm. I still had time to kill before returning. 

So I explored the town, conversing enthusiastically with passing girls who mooned over me. I decided to buy new clothes as I still felt dirty in my current ones. 

I proceeded to Codegraphy and bought black jeans, a black T-shirt that said REACH FOR THE STARS and a blue jacket.

Outside, I threw my old clothes into a dustbin and flagged down a taxi. Time for round two.

The taxi driver dropped me off a street from the penitentiary. I sighed deeply at the thought of what lay ahead of me. It's going to be a long night.

I trudged up the path, opened the doors once again, and entered the familiar, shabby room. It was silent in the prison, but then it was still early, only seven pm.

But I need to prepare. I strode to the cell blocks instead of heading to the Warden's office.

Bending down, I dipped my finger in the paint I had bought earlier and made quick strokes, creating the spell circle. I went to each cell block and added a circle to each hallway.

Then I approached the Discipline Room. It was quiet, yet I could feel malicious energy from beyond the giant metal door. If I could, I would've stayed away, but I forced myself inside.

Chills kept going up and down my spine, so I drew the Spell of Release as fast as I could and got out of there.

I sprinted back to the office and waited for time to pass. Luckily, I also brought dinner, which took my mind off things for a while. It was at eleven that things stirred up.

I had my SENSE activated, so I heard whispering again. Not curious, but more angry this time. I just ignored them. I was waiting for someone else.

[I see you've returned as promised. That looks nice, but I don't recognise it. What are you eating?] Speak of the devil, and here he is. I held up a piece of fried chicken.

"Fried chicken from KFC and chocolate. I'm almost finished, so hold on before we continue with the exorcism," I mumbled as I ate. 

[Looks interesting. I don't mind waiting, but they won't be patient for too long. I'll keep watch just in case they think of attacking you,] the warden said as he stood at the door, peering out watchfully.

I sipped my Coke. I love this guy. I finished my meal without any interruptions and got to work. Old Chun gazed disappointedly at my litter, but I assured him I would throw it away once this was over.

I told him about the new circles I had drawn, so we headed over to the nearest. I kept an eye out carefully for any hostile lights, and some did accompany us, but none attacked me.

We arrived at the first circle, and Old Chun started his old routine. I stood on one side, out of sight, and concentrated. The fires that followed turned aggressive, suddenly wanting to assault us, but they got caught in the white light.

We watched as the blue fires got sucked in, followed by the red fires. The first one's done. Right, it's time for the next one. I heard the whispers while we walked;

[What's he doing?]

[Is he an exorcist?]

[He's sending us to hell!]

[Get rid of him!]

[No, look! The Warden is helping him.]

[The bastard! After all he promised us!]

I frowned. What has Old Chun promised them? I'll make a note of asking him before sending him to the afterlife. We went from one spell circle to the other, sending tens of ghost girls away.

Nearing the end, I was pounced on by over a hundred activists, but the old ghost was there, and he assisted me in driving them off. 

I was bruised and exhausted as I activated the last circle before the Discipline Room. I hate this. Next time, I'm bringing Mars with me. My hair is all messed up, and my newly purchased clothes are dirty again.

We paused before the giant door. I finally resolved myself and pushed it open, only to get cold. Watching me were cold, dead eyes and a serious desire to harm me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. [I'll protect you. Go do your work,] promised Old Chun. "Thank you. I'll trust you and leave my back to you," I grinned feebly.

We dashed inside into darkness and silence.

With my SENSE activated, it was like I possessed night vision, no matter how dark it was. What I saw was horrific. Over a hundred dead souls slithered in front of me, covered in blood.

They had glaring ruby eyes, missing limbs, mangy black hair, and were covered in rags. Most were men, with women mixed in here and there.

The sound of their rasping, so bereft of words, was truly tragic. One of the files I read mentioned the same case. They called these ghosts The Fallen Kind. 

The spell circle I painted wouldn't work for them, so I made a new plan. I hid myself as Old Chun drew their attention. I shifted my memory.

The Banishment Spell didn't work on them, as it only sent creatures back to where they came from. The Release Spell sent souls to the afterlife. But to get rid of dead souls, the fallen, I remember my dad telling me about religion.

"The souls of humans go to Heaven or Hell depending on their deeds and faith on Earth," Jason O'Neill instructed me as he waved the book. I just nodded, pretending to take notes.

"According to the Catholic Church and some other religions, there is a place called Limbo where you can purge some of your sins, giving you a chance to live on the New Earth that will be created after this one is destroyed."

"Why am I learning this again?" I questioned him, frustrated.

"Because it's important when releasing a ghost from its torment. Now-"

Oh, right. Now I remember why I'm exorcising ghosts. I just thought it was part of the job. The Limbo Spell, I recall. I dipped my finger into the paint and rushed to complete the spell. 

[Excuse me, Mr. Nathan? You might hurry along a bit. They're getting impatient,] Old Chun warned me. I'm going, I'm going.

It was very complex, and some lines crossed one another. I had to be careful, or else one wrong move could ruin the whole spell. I heard the sounds of the Fallen getting more vicious, so I tried my best to move faster.

At last, it was finished. It was a curious design. It looked like I drew an array, then a square on top of it with wiggles in the middle.

I sat with my legs crossed, my mind smooth as a river and I softly recited the incantation Mars painstakingly drilled into me when I studied for the test my dad gave me.

Pe a leiloa se agaga,

Fesoasoani mai ia te au e

Auina atu i se nofoaga e mafai ona faamamaina.

Yeah, I'm good. It went perfectly, just like me. I heard an exclamation and knew it worked. I had to keep my eyes closed, but my Dad described to me what happens when you activate the spell.

First, the array lights up with bright white light, then turns deep red. A dark sandy aura appears in the middle that rises upward in a spiral, searching for the dead soul.

Once it senses the dead soul, it reaches out and snatches it, dragging it down with it as it returns to the array. The red then turns back to white, which then disappears.

This time, however, we have over a hundred Fallen. So I had Old Chun describe it to me.

[Dark tentacles are forming in the circle. Like an octopus rising out of the sea. Oh, my! There are so many tentacles shooting out!]

Please stop using tentacles. I'm imagining something wrong here. [They're grabbing the ghouls.] Oh, I like that. Ghouls. I should recommend that to my dad. I heard shrieking and a lot of hissing. 

"What's happening?" I asked sharply. [My apologies. It's so fascinating. The octopus drags a ghoul into your spell one by one.

They try to put up a fight, but their fists just go through. Yet it's able to touch them. I can't stop watching. The tentacles just keep coming.

It even stretches to grab the ones that try to escape,] Old Chun described excitedly.

I was interested, but I couldn't break my concentration. And Old Chun acted like a child in an amusement park. But he was stuck here for a hundred years, so I forgive him.

Twenty minutes later, it became silent again. I clapped my hands, signalling the end of the spell. I collapsed in relief. My job was mostly complete. It was just this old guy left to take care of.

I was heaving, and my heart was pounding, while Old Chun still stood gaping at where all the Fallen Kind once bunched together.

I started to feel depressed as I liked this old guy, but he had to be sent off too. I painstakingly got up, brushed myself, and met the old ghost's eyes.

He stared calmly at me. "Before we do anything, can you answer a question?" I asked carefully.

[Is it about what the women said?] He smiled gently. "Yes," I confirmed. He ran a hand through his hair and replied, [A few years after I died, I just made a small promise to them.]

"Which is?" I prompted. He looked uncomfortable. [That I won't allow anyone to hurt them any more.] I blinked. How noble of him. But that left me bewildered. Shouldn't he have protected them from me?

"Why did you help me instead of protecting them? What are you thinking?" I questioned pointedly. He shrugged, [It seems you are still young. Isn't it still existing in the world causing them pain?

I reasoned that sending them off was better than remaining here for eternity.] Then I understood. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes. I acknowledged this person. He had my respect. I gestured, and he moved closer to the first circle, the Spell of Release.

I activated the spell, and white light gathered around him. To my chagrin, the light turned murky brown, and he glowed red. So he wasn't as innocent as I made him out to be.

Distressed, I watched as he slowly disappeared, while he glanced back at me with benign eyes.

[It's my own fault. I wasn't a good person when I was alive. I thought I could repent of my actions after I died. It seems it is not enough. Take care, young Mr. Nathan. And do not live with regrets,] he advised as he disappeared. 

You damn ghost with your (censor), and don't tell me to (censor). Go (censor) yourself! How could you leave me hanging like this? What the (censor)! How could you?

I grumbled as I left the prison, not looking back. After writing the report, I'm wiping this case from my mind. I called a taxi to pick me up at the corner and went home to a waiting Mars.

It was now three am, and the night was once again quiet. I was bothered by something while riding in the taxi. I felt like I had forgotten something, but oh well. Probably not as important as my life.

The next day, after waking up at noon, I gave the Art Gallery Owner a call. He was absolutely delighted.

He promised to send me my pay, but I declined to meet him as I wasn't keen on meeting any Chuns. "When are we going to the hot springs?" Mars asked immediately.

"I still need to be paid. That'll take about two days. Then I need to finish my report. We have to make a reservation and book a flight. I'd say give it a week," I replied absent-mindedly as I made lunch.

"Make sure you don't get distracted in the meantime," Mars' tail twitched.

"Yeah, yeah. Now go away, I'm busy," I shooed him. Two days later, I got my pay as expected, fifty million won.

Mars and I rejoiced as we saw the numbers in my bank account. "Pack your things. We're leaving for Hakone Onsen!"