1 She can See Spirits

The fragrant smell of bacon fat sizzling in a piping hot cast iron skillet rose into the air while she reached over the counter for two large eggs, breaking them apart skillfully and frying them just till the edges were ever so slightly charred, crisp from the bacon grease and butter. Two slices of toast and a small heap of beans already lay on the plate as she eased the eggs and the bacon into it. Breakfast is the best, Ahsoka mused as she cut into the eggs with a spoon, sending the creamy yolk to spill over the rest of the plate.

. Her thoughts were interrupted by a light tap on the window just in front of her. She looked up to a face on the other side. Two wide, unblinking eyes, set in an almond shaped face too small for a human, gazed at her. A slender, naked body that looked like it was carved from wood, it's bark colored skin wrapped in leaf-filled vines, perched lazily atop a crabapple tree branch that swung slightly in the wind – just enough to peck the glass on the kitchen window in a little welcoming hello to its new neighbor.

A tree spirit, some call them dryads, yakshis, kodamas or nang takians. They are usually harmless and in older times often served as protectors, guarding the human villages from danger and disease. But in more modern times, they have been getting more restless, in some cases even violent. It's probably because of all the pollution in the air. She sighed as she mopped up the rest of her breakfast, carrying a kettle full of hot water and stepping inside the bath.

Ahsoka can see spirits. Beings ordinary people cannot see, the supernatural, the magical, some call it; the other world. They live amongst us, hiding in plain sight yet every so often one would hear about stories of the other world, ghosts lingering after death, mischievous spirits playing tricks on people, masked men that appear in different people's dreams. Ahsoka lived in a world dismissed by many as embellished tales of fiction.

Stepping out of the bath, Ahsoka had changed into her new uniform. She gazed at herself in the mirror, smoothing her new ivory-white blouse and patting the dust off her grey, knee-length pleated skirt. As she glanced at the table, she noticed a package, remembering the post man had delivered it to her yesterday when she arrived, she opened the box to find an envelope and an assortment of wrapped souvenirs, an I <3 New York shirt, dried fruits and a pair of dangling earrings, among other things. Tearing the side of the envelope, she unfolded a neatly written sheet of paper and started reading.

"My Dearest Sister,

I hope you are doing well; I am writing this because I remembered that it's your first day at your new school. I hope you make some new friends, and remember not to cause too much trouble like last time, Aunt will not like being called to the school office too often.

Richard and I will be spending the next five weeks in Spain for work, Hola Amiga! Tell me what you want and I'll send them to you in a week's time. After that I will be coming home for a short while.

I wish you could have come with me; you would love it here. Next time I'll bring you abroad, that might wipe the sour look on your face every time I see you. Don't dwell on the past too much, send my regards to Aunt and take care of yourself.

Your Sister,"

The rays of the rising sun filtered through the leaves of the trees and landed on the paper, tearing Ahsoka's gaze away. She placed the paper down, before grabbing her backpack and stepping out the door.

--

Golden Mountain Academy was an old school with nearly five hundred years of history since its founding as a shrine where young monks learned to read and write. Located near the edge of the city proper, the complex consisted of two newly built five story concrete buildings connected in a U shape that formed the facade and a scattered assortment of one to two story older ones made primarily from wood. Most of the classrooms were located in the two new buildings while the older ones were used as clubrooms and offices.

The academy was notable for specializing in the arts and having a strong sports presence; most of their varsity teams were able to compete and attend the national conferences. Perhaps because of that, it also developed a reputation for having a rather lax academic policy – many students opted to instead focus on extracurricular activities such as clubs and contests instead of focusing on exams and homework.

Due to its old age and its origin, there was also another thing that academy was famous for. It was supposedly haunted. Rumor has it that the place had an excess of spiritual energy that gave birth to all sorts of spirits, and was also the reason for why the students were so gifted in the arts. From spirits of old teachers, to mountain deities, to river sprites to some much more malicious spirits, the ghost stories passed on from student to student had become part of the local folklore of the school.

Ren was familiar with the school's ghost stories. And he couldn't help but feel that he was now the victim of one.

Ever since that day when he and his friends in the Archery Club decided to explore one of the supposedly haunted dilapidated buildings in the woods of the school as a test of courage, he had felt an invisible weight on his chest like something was hugging him tightly. At first, he thought it was just the stress getting to him, but as time passed, it became more and more intense. Soon, it got to the point that he started waking up in the middle of the night, sweating hard and unable to breath.

Losing his mind, he had already tried to visit multiple doctors, none of which were able to find anything wrong despite multiple tests. It was as if whatever was ailing him was only in his mind.

As a last resort, he decided to consult the school's Occult Research Club. Eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, his white uniform creased, he was walking the school's corridors to the Occult Research Clubroom when he happened to glance at a girl that was standing under a banyan tree.

The girl was facing behind him, seemingly immersed in a strange staring contest with the banyan tree, her dark chocolate brown hair dancing in the wind. As though she sensed his gaze, the girl turned around.

The instant their eyes met, the pressure on his chest suddenly increased!

He cried out in pain, almost falling to his knees as he placed his hand on the wall for support. Suddenly, he heard a loud bestial roar, and the pressure in his chest disappeared.

The girl was already standing in front of her.

"Where did you get that demon in your back?", she asked, furrowing her brows.

"Wh-what?" He stammered, holding his chest as he exhaled. The constant constriction that he had felt for almost a week had gone as soon as the girl appeared in front of him!

The girl said nothing for a moment, allowing Ren to have a closer look at her. She was beautiful, deep black eyes and a rosy complexion framed by swaying shoulder-length hair, but had an inscrutable air around her. A toned, spry figure peeked out from the rolled-up sleeves and pleated skirt of her uniform. Looking at her, Ren felt tiny and weak, like he was being stared at not by a girl but by a wild animal.

"It ran away." She muttered, walking away. Ren stood there, stunned, gathering his bearings and trying to understand what had just happened.

"Wait!" Ren shouted at her receding figure.

"I-" He spoke, his voice reduced to a hoarse whisper, "I got it from one of the old buildings."

She stopped, looking back at him with interest.

"Which building? Can you take me there?" She asked. Ren gulped,

"It's not far from here." He paused, "But first, can you tell me what just happened?"

"There was a demon in your back. It ran away." The girl replied succinctly, as if answering the obvious.

"A what!?" Ren blanked out, confusion in his eyes. "But I couldn't see anything."

"If you could see, then you won't be asking so many questions." The girl scoffed, rolling her eyes,

"Will, will it come back?" Ren asked, his voice shaking, pinching himself in an attempt to see if he was dreaming. He rubbed his temples, still thinking about what he had stumbled into.

"Probably not." The girl shook her head, tilted slightly as she pondered.

"But just in case, you should find a priest to perform an exorcism. Now can we get going?"

"O-okay," He said, thinking. "I'll show you but you'll have to enter on your own, I'm not going back inside."

"By the way, what's your name?"

"It's Ahsoka."