Kaguya waited outside her school, counting the seconds on her watch. Elderberry Elementary School was known for two things: brilliant kids, and the death of a student two years prior. She reminded herself for the ten-thousandth time: “never be in the hallways any longer than you must.”
She fumbled through her bag, grabbing an incense stick. She lit it and took a deep breath, the soft sal wood scent tickling her nose. It was 8:29:06; gripping the stick, she sprinted through the school doors, skidding past kids locating their textbooks. She felt something tug on her shoulder with an icy grip, but she ran through them. Turning the corner, Kaguya saw her teacher unlock her classroom door.
“Good morning, Ms. Anna!” Kaguya wheezed, as she ran through the classroom doors.
“Eight-thirty on the nose. You never miss a second, do you?” Ms. Anna laughed as Kaguya landed in her seat. The teacher walked over to a shelf beside the chalkboard and lit a eucalyptus-scented candle. Kaguya sighed with relief. She was safe here.
Ms. Anna waited as the students filed in before starting her lesson. Kaguya wrote idly in her notebook, letting the history flow in one ear and onto the paper. Her thoughts wandered to the spirit that had grabbed her that morning. Usually the phantoms in the hallway weren’t so direct, only beckoning Kaguya with honeyed whispers to slow down, to put out the incense.
Kaguya had desperately wanted to ask someone about the spirits in the hall, but her parents had scoffed at her, calling it an excuse to skip class. Her teachers had laughed. She had one friend who had believed her. Emma had always been interested in ghosts and spirits. Kaguya’s thoughts wandered to her . . .
“I’m going to be a witch when I grow up, so I need to know about all phantasmic activity!” Emma had declared when Kaguya first spoke to her. They were in first grade when Kaguya befriended Emma. Learning about spells and necromancy from Emma was something Kaguya had looked forward to.
After classes, they would wait outside the school doors until everyone else had filed out. Then Emma would perform a little psychic charm. Next, they would light the incense candles Kaguya’s mom would buy for them, and explore the hallways. They would always find a new spirit lurking in the shadows. The spirits never reacted to their presence then. When they were done, they would go to Emma’s house and excitedly explain their findings to her parents. For two years they repeated this routine.
Once, when Kaguya was in third grade, Emma had shown up to school panting. Her bag was bulging more than normal that day. After school Emma and Kaguya waited for everyone to leave, as usual. Emma dumped the contents of her bag onto the floor. Salt vials, potions, candles, and papers came tumbling out.
“Today we’re going to try talking to the spirits!” Emma had declared, as she started unscrewing the vials and arranging the candles.
“Talk to them?” Kaguya had asked, as she started to pick up the scattered papers.
“Yeah! We’ve spied on them for so long, right? So it’s only fair that we let them see us, too!” Emma started designing her pentagram. Kaguya nodded. They had learned from Emma’s book that the spirits could not see people, just as most people could not see spirits. However, phantoms could still sense human presence. They occasionally would leave “gifts” for any unlucky souls. Never open a spirit’s gift, the book warned; they often carry tidings of misfortune and misery.
“Now we light the candles!” Emma had announced. The rest of that day was a blur to Kaguya. They had lit the candles, gone into school and . . . phantoms had turned their heads and . . . and . . . something had happened. The only other thing she remembered from that day was Emma being covered with a white tarp as people dressed in dark uniforms knelt around her and prayed.
The clanging of the school bell startled Kaguya out of her daze. She shook her head, smacking her cheeks lightly with her palms. “Don’t dwell on that now,” she scolded herself. The kids filed out of the classroom in groups, chattering loudly. Kaguya sat there staring at her notes.
“Hey, Kaguya, why don’t you go outside to play today? It’s bad for you to stay cramped up indoors,” Ms. Anna called to her.
Kaguya nodded and pulled out another incense stick, lighting it before preparing herself for another sprint. She ran out the door, skidding through the hallways until wham! she fell on her butt. One of the janitors glared down at her.
“Watch where you’re going, kid!” he grumbled, as he continued on his way. Kaguya quickly sprang up and took only a step before kicking something. She looked down and saw a small box wrapped in silky paper. She picked it up, noticing a tag on the blue ribbon. In messy handwriting was scrawled: “To: Kaguya, From: Emma.”
Kaguya stared at the box, then glanced around. She looked at the box again. Something inside her told her to put it down, leave it and run away. She started to place the box back down, but stopped midway. “From: Emma,” the tag had read. Kaguya cradled the box in her hands, letting her curiosity take over. Gently, she tugged on the ribbon.
She fumbled through her bag, grabbing an incense stick. She lit it and took a deep breath, the soft sal wood scent tickling her nose. It was 8:29:06; gripping the stick, she sprinted through the school doors, skidding past kids locating their textbooks. She felt something tug on her shoulder with an icy grip, but she ran through them. Turning the corner, Kaguya saw her teacher unlock her classroom door.
“Good morning, Ms. Anna!” Kaguya wheezed, as she ran through the classroom doors.
“Eight-thirty on the nose. You never miss a second, do you?” Ms. Anna laughed as Kaguya landed in her seat. The teacher walked over to a shelf beside the chalkboard and lit a eucalyptus-scented candle. Kaguya sighed with relief. She was safe here.
Ms. Anna waited as the students filed in before starting her lesson. Kaguya wrote idly in her notebook, letting the history flow in one ear and onto the paper. Her thoughts wandered to the spirit that had grabbed her that morning. Usually the phantoms in the hallway weren’t so direct, only beckoning Kaguya with honeyed whispers to slow down, to put out the incense.
Kaguya had desperately wanted to ask someone about the spirits in the hall, but her parents had scoffed at her, calling it an excuse to skip class. Her teachers had laughed. She had one friend who had believed her. Emma had always been interested in ghosts and spirits. Kaguya’s thoughts wandered to her . . .
“I’m going to be a witch when I grow up, so I need to know about all phantasmic activity!” Emma had declared when Kaguya first spoke to her. They were in first grade when Kaguya befriended Emma. Learning about spells and necromancy from Emma was something Kaguya had looked forward to.
After classes, they would wait outside the school doors until everyone else had filed out. Then Emma would perform a little psychic charm. Next, they would light the incense candles Kaguya’s mom would buy for them, and explore the hallways. They would always find a new spirit lurking in the shadows. The spirits never reacted to their presence then. When they were done, they would go to Emma’s house and excitedly explain their findings to her parents. For two years they repeated this routine.
Once, when Kaguya was in third grade, Emma had shown up to school panting. Her bag was bulging more than normal that day. After school Emma and Kaguya waited for everyone to leave, as usual. Emma dumped the contents of her bag onto the floor. Salt vials, potions, candles, and papers came tumbling out.
“Today we’re going to try talking to the spirits!” Emma had declared, as she started unscrewing the vials and arranging the candles.
“Talk to them?” Kaguya had asked, as she started to pick up the scattered papers.
“Yeah! We’ve spied on them for so long, right? So it’s only fair that we let them see us, too!” Emma started designing her pentagram. Kaguya nodded. They had learned from Emma’s book that the spirits could not see people, just as most people could not see spirits. However, phantoms could still sense human presence. They occasionally would leave “gifts” for any unlucky souls. Never open a spirit’s gift, the book warned; they often carry tidings of misfortune and misery.
“Now we light the candles!” Emma had announced. The rest of that day was a blur to Kaguya. They had lit the candles, gone into school and . . . phantoms had turned their heads and . . . and . . . something had happened. The only other thing she remembered from that day was Emma being covered with a white tarp as people dressed in dark uniforms knelt around her and prayed.
The clanging of the school bell startled Kaguya out of her daze. She shook her head, smacking her cheeks lightly with her palms. “Don’t dwell on that now,” she scolded herself. The kids filed out of the classroom in groups, chattering loudly. Kaguya sat there staring at her notes.
“Hey, Kaguya, why don’t you go outside to play today? It’s bad for you to stay cramped up indoors,” Ms. Anna called to her.
Kaguya nodded and pulled out another incense stick, lighting it before preparing herself for another sprint. She ran out the door, skidding through the hallways until wham! she fell on her butt. One of the janitors glared down at her.
“Watch where you’re going, kid!” he grumbled, as he continued on his way. Kaguya quickly sprang up and took only a step before kicking something. She looked down and saw a small box wrapped in silky paper. She picked it up, noticing a tag on the blue ribbon. In messy handwriting was scrawled: “To: Kaguya, From: Emma.”
Kaguya stared at the box, then glanced around. She looked at the box again. Something inside her told her to put it down, leave it and run away. She started to place the box back down, but stopped midway. “From: Emma,” the tag had read. Kaguya cradled the box in her hands, letting her curiosity take over. Gently, she tugged on the ribbon.