Chapter 127: 127
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Graham and Luuk were on their way to Oosteinde when suddenly their spiritual intuition was triggered. They looked around only to see crowds of people watching the parade that was still going on in the street.
"Did you feel it as well?" asked Graham.
He used his Supersight to try to find something out of place among the crowd.
"Yes. What do you think that was?" Luuk nodded and also watched his surroundings carefully.
Around them, everything was still the same. The people around them were all wearing death-themed costumes and were enjoying the parade. There was music coming from the marching band and people were dancing in the street following a predestined route around the city.
Then, Graham once again saw the woman wearing a faceless mask with a black rose headdress with spikes. She wasn't dancing anymore and was only spectating from the side of the street. Next to her was a man with a tuxedo and face paint that made his face look really pale. Besides the face painting, his overall outfit looked more like a ball occasion rather than a remembrance day. The man was standing really close to the woman like he was trying to embrace her, but she didn't seem to notice the man's presence.
"You see him?" he asked Luuk, who was still looking around.
"Where?"
Graham pointed at the man with a motion of his head and Luuk saw what he meant. The fact that the woman didn't notice someone standing that close to her was unsettling.
"Do you think the man is a ghost?" asked Luuk.
"I think so. Not a lingering spirit, but an actual ghost," he replied quietly as not to let other people hear him.
"So the story about the dead returning on this day is true?" Luuk said in slight disbelief.
"I guess it is... Now, what in the world is that man trying to do?"
"Should we warn her? Tell her that a ghost is trying to molest her?"
"No need. It might be the ghost of her husband or something. Let's see if we can spot other ghosts besides the man," suggested Graham.
The two of them started their little ghost hunt and concentrated really hard to spot them. It was a difficult task because everyone was dressed up like ghosts too. There was a woman wearing an all-white dress with her long black hair covering her entire face. She was standing in the entrance of an alley across the street motionlessly. However, the people around her could see her and showed a reaction when they saw her, so it was unlikely that she was a ghost.
"What do you think about that one?"
"Should we try to talk to a ghost?" Luuk's voice showed the great curiosity he had.
Graham nodded and the two of them walked towards the skull-faced old woman. They approached the woman carefully and then stood in a formation where if people noticed them, they would think the two of them were just talking to each other.
"Excuse me, Ma'am," said Graham politely.
The old lady looked up and was startled by Graham's rotten skull mask. She was holding her chest as if she would get a heart attack because of him.
"Y-yes?" she said. Her voice was old and lovely.
Graham was about to open his mouth but Luuk spoke first.
"Are you... perhaps... a ghost?" asked Luuk straightforwardly.
Graham wanted to facepalm but the shot had been fired; there was nothing he could do.
"Don't be silly, young man... I'm dressed up as a funeral attendee, not a ghost," she replied with a light laugh.
Graham raised his eyebrows and looked at Luuk. His expression under his bandages was also that of confusion.
"So you are alive?" asked Graham to make sure.
"Ohoho of course I am. Is my make up that amazing to be able to fool the two of you?" she asked proudly.
The two men looked at each other again and then Graham nodded.
"Yes, that is the case. Well, then, we're sorry for bothering you. Enjoy the parade, Ma'am," said Graham and then walked away.
The old woman went back to watching the parade while Graham and Luuk walked to a distance where she wouldn't be able to hear them. The sound of music was still playing loudly in the street, so they really had nothing to worry about unless she had super hearing.
"I am positive that she is a ghost," said Graham.
"You think so too? Her skull mask is way too realistic to be just a mask. And the inside seems to be hollow," said Luuk.
"Yes. But it is weird that she thinks she is alive. There is only one way to be sure. Please watch out for me," replied Graham.
He walked to a tree on the sidewalk and sat on the ground with his back against it. The people there were watching but he had Luuk to keep him safe. He closed his eyes and started chanting quietly.
"I, in the name of the Deity of the Tongue, order myself to fall asleep!"
A heavy wave of sleepiness swept over him suddenly and he fell asleep not long after. Just within seconds, Valentine opened his eyes and got up before cleaning the dirt off his robe. He stood up next to the tree, watching his surroundings.
If Graham before looked menacing with his getup, Valentine now looked even more intimidating. He was exuding an aura of cold and mystery.
"What are you going to do? You're not going to attack her, are you?" asked Luuk, observing the scary man in front of him.
"Of course not," he answered shortly and then walked closer to the old woman.
The skull-faced woman was still watching the parade and there hadn't been anyone who had interacted with her at all. When she was in range, Valentine quickly chanted under his breath.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Uncovering, ask you to reveal your secrets to me!"
An illusory text began forming above the old woman's head. Once it was fully formed, Valentine read the floating text carefully out loud so Luuk could also hear it, but quietly enough to prevent other people from listening in.
"The ghost of Abigail Janssen who died of a heart attack in 1956. She has returned to the world of living because of the effect of Dodenherdenking and will return once the sun sets. While alive, she used to be a nurse in the Hospital of the People before retiring at the age of sixty."
Luuk's eyes opened wide while looking at the skull-faced old woman who turned out to be an actual ghost.
"She has been dead for more than ten years! But why is she not realizing that she's dead? And she will be gone at sunset?" he had more questions now than before.
Valentine shrugged. He knew as much as Luuk did.
"I guess it means this day is not just a mere celebration day. I wonder if a Contractbound-- or even a Deity is involved?" he said while crossing his arms.
"Should we investigate? The bazaar is not going anywhere anyway," he said.
"Why not?" replied Valentine.
The two of them then walked towards the first ghost that they saw while still carrying their baggage; Luuk being the one with the most burden because of his backpack. Valentine's briefcase was concealed under his robe so from outside, he looked just like a normal man with a costume.
The ghost of the man in a tuxedo was still standing very intimately close to the woman with the black rose headdress. Valentine approached him from behind and stood in a distance but still within the range of his ability. He focused on the man and chanted again.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Uncovering, ask you to reveal your secrets to me!"
The same thing that happened with the old woman took place again. Above the man, there were illusory letters that floated in the air, slowly forming a complete text that only Valentine could read. He read out loud again for Luuk.
"The ghost of Willem de Vries who died saving his wife from a robber in1966. He has returned to the world of the living because of the effect of Dodenherdenking and will return at sunset. When he was alive, he was an assistant manager at the eastern branch of the Bank of Sloten."
"That means that woman is, or was, indeed his wife? And he still thinks he is alive? How does that work?" Luuk barraged Valentine with questions.
"I really have no clue. He should have realized that he is dead when she doesn't respond at all to him. But then again I've never been dead so I don't know how it works," replied Valentine.
"Is everyone dead returning on this day or only certain people. Do dead Contractbounds also return?"
Valentine shrugged.
"Let's try to find out about the day itself," he suggested.
"Where?"
"Just follow me. I'm going to follow my spiritual intuition," replied Valentine.
The two men walked away from that part of the street towards the north. The parade was still going on and there were now people dressed in uniform skeleton costumes who were performing a kind of dance that looked both cool and unsettling. The music also changed to match the dance; there were violins, glockenspiels, and piccolos creating a macabre melody.
As the two of them walked, there were more 'people' that they suspected to be ghosts. There was even a couple that was standing so close together without other people noticing them. The man was wearing a sailor outfit with a deep rope mark around his neck while the woman was wearing a simple dress with a similar rope mark around her neck.
"I think they committed a suicide pact," said Luuk quietly looking at the couple who were watching the parade with a blank stare.
"It's likely. There sure are all sorts of ghosts returning today," replied Valentine shortly.
They were still going north, following Valentine's intuition, and at the intersection, they headed west towards Raadhuislaan. In the big avenue with a cobblestone road, Valentine stopped and observed the area carefully.
There was also a parade going on in that avenue, and there were even more people gathered there. There were temporary food stalls that had been set up just for the day and people were crowding the place to buy snacks that were usually hard to get. The busiest one was the stall selling Tompouce, which was a kind of pastry with cream filling. It had orange glazing, which was the national color of the Republic of Tulp.
"Make sure we buy some of those later," said Valentine. Although he was not as addicted as Graham to sweets, especially chocolate, he still enjoyed eating desserts a lot.
They then resumed their journey and Valentine turned to a small alley. Luuk followed the man and the two of them turned left at the end of the alley and after turning right, they arrived at a dead end. That part of the alley was very narrow, only allowing two people maximum to walk side by side. At the end of it, there was a man wearing an old Koninklijke Marine uniform who looked to be in his early forties. His body was well built and his eyes looked sharp. If not for the now outdated uniform, they wouldn't have guessed that the man was a ghost.
"You two there! You can see me?" asked the man in uniform excitedly while pointing at Valentine and Luuk. He sounded like someone who had finally found a friend to talk to.
The way he looked made the two of them feel like they were looking at a very old photograph.
Valentine and Luuk nodded.
"So you are aware that you are a ghost?" asked Valentine.
The man nodded decisively.
"When you have been dead for more than a century, you will start realizing that you are dead," said the man.
"Why have you returned here?" asked Luuk.
The man seemed to be thinking hard for an answer.
"I don't know if I can tell you why or how. It's just like this every year. One moment you don't even know you exist, and then suddenly you are here,"
"So there is no life after death?" asked Luuk again curiously.
The man in uniform shrugged. His eyebrows were raised and his expression said 'I have no clue'.
"Is that all there is to it? The dead just returned to the living world until sunset once a year. Is there anything else happening on this day?" asked Valentine.
"At least that's for me. I don't know about anything else. At least, on this day, I am free to roam the city, although I can't interact with the living. But that's enough for me; I can see my great-great-grandchildren this way,"
The man is very honest in answering our questions. Is it because he is a ghost and therefore he cannot lie? I guess a ghost doesn't need to lie anyway since they are already dead.
Luuk was digesting what the man was saying.
"Since you were alive more than a hundred years ago, does it mean you know about history well?" asked Valentine suddenly.
The man's eyes looked intrigued all of a sudden. He looked like a grandfather who was ready to tell his grandchildren stories from his time.
"What do you want to know?" he asked eagerly.
Valentine had always been curious about the topic because the information available on it was very limited for some reason.
"Can you tell us about the World War?"
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Graham and Luuk were on their way to Oosteinde when suddenly their spiritual intuition was triggered. They looked around only to see crowds of people watching the parade that was still going on in the street.
"Did you feel it as well?" asked Graham.
He used his Supersight to try to find something out of place among the crowd.
"Yes. What do you think that was?" Luuk nodded and also watched his surroundings carefully.
Around them, everything was still the same. The people around them were all wearing death-themed costumes and were enjoying the parade. There was music coming from the marching band and people were dancing in the street following a predestined route around the city.
Then, Graham once again saw the woman wearing a faceless mask with a black rose headdress with spikes. She wasn't dancing anymore and was only spectating from the side of the street. Next to her was a man with a tuxedo and face paint that made his face look really pale. Besides the face painting, his overall outfit looked more like a ball occasion rather than a remembrance day. The man was standing really close to the woman like he was trying to embrace her, but she didn't seem to notice the man's presence.
"You see him?" he asked Luuk, who was still looking around.
"Where?"
Graham pointed at the man with a motion of his head and Luuk saw what he meant. The fact that the woman didn't notice someone standing that close to her was unsettling.
"Do you think the man is a ghost?" asked Luuk.
"I think so. Not a lingering spirit, but an actual ghost," he replied quietly as not to let other people hear him.
"So the story about the dead returning on this day is true?" Luuk said in slight disbelief.
"I guess it is... Now, what in the world is that man trying to do?"
"Should we warn her? Tell her that a ghost is trying to molest her?"
"No need. It might be the ghost of her husband or something. Let's see if we can spot other ghosts besides the man," suggested Graham.
The two of them started their little ghost hunt and concentrated really hard to spot them. It was a difficult task because everyone was dressed up like ghosts too. There was a woman wearing an all-white dress with her long black hair covering her entire face. She was standing in the entrance of an alley across the street motionlessly. However, the people around her could see her and showed a reaction when they saw her, so it was unlikely that she was a ghost.
"What do you think about that one?"
"Should we try to talk to a ghost?" Luuk's voice showed the great curiosity he had.
Graham nodded and the two of them walked towards the skull-faced old woman. They approached the woman carefully and then stood in a formation where if people noticed them, they would think the two of them were just talking to each other.
"Excuse me, Ma'am," said Graham politely.
The old lady looked up and was startled by Graham's rotten skull mask. She was holding her chest as if she would get a heart attack because of him.
"Y-yes?" she said. Her voice was old and lovely.
Graham was about to open his mouth but Luuk spoke first.
"Are you... perhaps... a ghost?" asked Luuk straightforwardly.
Graham wanted to facepalm but the shot had been fired; there was nothing he could do.
"Don't be silly, young man... I'm dressed up as a funeral attendee, not a ghost," she replied with a light laugh.
Graham raised his eyebrows and looked at Luuk. His expression under his bandages was also that of confusion.
"So you are alive?" asked Graham to make sure.
"Ohoho of course I am. Is my make up that amazing to be able to fool the two of you?" she asked proudly.
The two men looked at each other again and then Graham nodded.
"Yes, that is the case. Well, then, we're sorry for bothering you. Enjoy the parade, Ma'am," said Graham and then walked away.
The old woman went back to watching the parade while Graham and Luuk walked to a distance where she wouldn't be able to hear them. The sound of music was still playing loudly in the street, so they really had nothing to worry about unless she had super hearing.
"I am positive that she is a ghost," said Graham.
"You think so too? Her skull mask is way too realistic to be just a mask. And the inside seems to be hollow," said Luuk.
"Yes. But it is weird that she thinks she is alive. There is only one way to be sure. Please watch out for me," replied Graham.
He walked to a tree on the sidewalk and sat on the ground with his back against it. The people there were watching but he had Luuk to keep him safe. He closed his eyes and started chanting quietly.
"I, in the name of the Deity of the Tongue, order myself to fall asleep!"
A heavy wave of sleepiness swept over him suddenly and he fell asleep not long after. Just within seconds, Valentine opened his eyes and got up before cleaning the dirt off his robe. He stood up next to the tree, watching his surroundings.
If Graham before looked menacing with his getup, Valentine now looked even more intimidating. He was exuding an aura of cold and mystery.
"What are you going to do? You're not going to attack her, are you?" asked Luuk, observing the scary man in front of him.
"Of course not," he answered shortly and then walked closer to the old woman.
The skull-faced woman was still watching the parade and there hadn't been anyone who had interacted with her at all. When she was in range, Valentine quickly chanted under his breath.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Uncovering, ask you to reveal your secrets to me!"
An illusory text began forming above the old woman's head. Once it was fully formed, Valentine read the floating text carefully out loud so Luuk could also hear it, but quietly enough to prevent other people from listening in.
"The ghost of Abigail Janssen who died of a heart attack in 1956. She has returned to the world of living because of the effect of Dodenherdenking and will return once the sun sets. While alive, she used to be a nurse in the Hospital of the People before retiring at the age of sixty."
Luuk's eyes opened wide while looking at the skull-faced old woman who turned out to be an actual ghost.
"She has been dead for more than ten years! But why is she not realizing that she's dead? And she will be gone at sunset?" he had more questions now than before.
Valentine shrugged. He knew as much as Luuk did.
"I guess it means this day is not just a mere celebration day. I wonder if a Contractbound-- or even a Deity is involved?" he said while crossing his arms.
"Should we investigate? The bazaar is not going anywhere anyway," he said.
"Why not?" replied Valentine.
The two of them then walked towards the first ghost that they saw while still carrying their baggage; Luuk being the one with the most burden because of his backpack. Valentine's briefcase was concealed under his robe so from outside, he looked just like a normal man with a costume.
The ghost of the man in a tuxedo was still standing very intimately close to the woman with the black rose headdress. Valentine approached him from behind and stood in a distance but still within the range of his ability. He focused on the man and chanted again.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Uncovering, ask you to reveal your secrets to me!"
The same thing that happened with the old woman took place again. Above the man, there were illusory letters that floated in the air, slowly forming a complete text that only Valentine could read. He read out loud again for Luuk.
"The ghost of Willem de Vries who died saving his wife from a robber in1966. He has returned to the world of the living because of the effect of Dodenherdenking and will return at sunset. When he was alive, he was an assistant manager at the eastern branch of the Bank of Sloten."
"That means that woman is, or was, indeed his wife? And he still thinks he is alive? How does that work?" Luuk barraged Valentine with questions.
"I really have no clue. He should have realized that he is dead when she doesn't respond at all to him. But then again I've never been dead so I don't know how it works," replied Valentine.
"Is everyone dead returning on this day or only certain people. Do dead Contractbounds also return?"
Valentine shrugged.
"Let's try to find out about the day itself," he suggested.
"Where?"
"Just follow me. I'm going to follow my spiritual intuition," replied Valentine.
The two men walked away from that part of the street towards the north. The parade was still going on and there were now people dressed in uniform skeleton costumes who were performing a kind of dance that looked both cool and unsettling. The music also changed to match the dance; there were violins, glockenspiels, and piccolos creating a macabre melody.
As the two of them walked, there were more 'people' that they suspected to be ghosts. There was even a couple that was standing so close together without other people noticing them. The man was wearing a sailor outfit with a deep rope mark around his neck while the woman was wearing a simple dress with a similar rope mark around her neck.
"I think they committed a suicide pact," said Luuk quietly looking at the couple who were watching the parade with a blank stare.
"It's likely. There sure are all sorts of ghosts returning today," replied Valentine shortly.
They were still going north, following Valentine's intuition, and at the intersection, they headed west towards Raadhuislaan. In the big avenue with a cobblestone road, Valentine stopped and observed the area carefully.
There was also a parade going on in that avenue, and there were even more people gathered there. There were temporary food stalls that had been set up just for the day and people were crowding the place to buy snacks that were usually hard to get. The busiest one was the stall selling Tompouce, which was a kind of pastry with cream filling. It had orange glazing, which was the national color of the Republic of Tulp.
"Make sure we buy some of those later," said Valentine. Although he was not as addicted as Graham to sweets, especially chocolate, he still enjoyed eating desserts a lot.
They then resumed their journey and Valentine turned to a small alley. Luuk followed the man and the two of them turned left at the end of the alley and after turning right, they arrived at a dead end. That part of the alley was very narrow, only allowing two people maximum to walk side by side. At the end of it, there was a man wearing an old Koninklijke Marine uniform who looked to be in his early forties. His body was well built and his eyes looked sharp. If not for the now outdated uniform, they wouldn't have guessed that the man was a ghost.
"You two there! You can see me?" asked the man in uniform excitedly while pointing at Valentine and Luuk. He sounded like someone who had finally found a friend to talk to.
The way he looked made the two of them feel like they were looking at a very old photograph.
Valentine and Luuk nodded.
"So you are aware that you are a ghost?" asked Valentine.
The man nodded decisively.
"When you have been dead for more than a century, you will start realizing that you are dead," said the man.
"Why have you returned here?" asked Luuk.
The man seemed to be thinking hard for an answer.
"I don't know if I can tell you why or how. It's just like this every year. One moment you don't even know you exist, and then suddenly you are here,"
"So there is no life after death?" asked Luuk again curiously.
The man in uniform shrugged. His eyebrows were raised and his expression said 'I have no clue'.
"Is that all there is to it? The dead just returned to the living world until sunset once a year. Is there anything else happening on this day?" asked Valentine.
"At least that's for me. I don't know about anything else. At least, on this day, I am free to roam the city, although I can't interact with the living. But that's enough for me; I can see my great-great-grandchildren this way,"
The man is very honest in answering our questions. Is it because he is a ghost and therefore he cannot lie? I guess a ghost doesn't need to lie anyway since they are already dead.
Luuk was digesting what the man was saying.
"Since you were alive more than a hundred years ago, does it mean you know about history well?" asked Valentine suddenly.
The man's eyes looked intrigued all of a sudden. He looked like a grandfather who was ready to tell his grandchildren stories from his time.
"What do you want to know?" he asked eagerly.
Valentine had always been curious about the topic because the information available on it was very limited for some reason.
"Can you tell us about the World War?"
Graham and Luuk were on their way to Oosteinde when suddenly their spiritual intuition was triggered. They looked around only to see crowds of people watching the parade that was still going on in the street."Did you feel it as well?" asked Graham.He used his Supersight to try to find something out of place among the crowd."Yes. What do you think that was?" Luuk nodded and also watched his surroundings carefully.Around them, everything was still the same. The people around them were all wearing death-themed costumes and were enjoying the parade. There was music coming from the marching band and people were dancing in the street following a predestined route around the city.Then, Graham once again saw the woman wearing a faceless mask with a black rose headdress with spikes. She wasn't dancing anymore and was only spectating from the side of the street. Next to her was a man with a tuxedo and face paint that made his face look really pale. Besides the face painting, his overall outfit looked more like a ball occasion rather than a remembrance day. The man was standing really close to the woman like he was trying to embrace her, but she didn't seem to notice the man's presence."You see him?" he asked Luuk, who was still looking around."Where?"Graham pointed at the man with a motion of his head and Luuk saw what he meant. The fact that the woman didn't notice someone standing that close to her was unsettling."Do you think the man is a ghost?" asked Luuk."I think so. Not a lingering spirit, but an actual ghost," he replied quietly as not to let other people hear him."So the story about the dead returning on this day is true?" Luuk said in slight disbelief."I guess it is... Now, what in the world is that man trying to do?""Should we warn her? Tell her that a ghost is trying to molest her?""No need. It might be the ghost of her husband or something. Let's see if we can spot other ghosts besides the man," suggested Graham.The two of them started their little ghost hunt and concentrated really hard to spot them. It was a difficult task because everyone was dressed up like ghosts too. There was a woman wearing an all-white dress with her long black hair covering her entire face. She was standing in the entrance of an alley across the street motionlessly. However, the people around her could see her and showed a reaction when they saw her, so it was unlikely that she was a ghost."What do you think about that one?""Should we try to talk to a ghost?" Luuk's voice showed the great curiosity he had.Graham nodded and the two of them walked towards the skull-faced old woman. They approached the woman carefully and then stood in a formation where if people noticed them, they would think the two of them were just talking to each other."Excuse me, Ma'am," said Graham politely.The old lady looked up and was startled by Graham's rotten skull mask. She was holding her chest as if she would get a heart attack because of him."Y-yes?" she said. Her voice was old and lovely.Graham was about to open his mouth but Luuk spoke first."Are you... perhaps... a ghost?" asked Luuk straightforwardly.Graham wanted to facepalm but the shot had been fired; there was nothing he could do."Don't be silly, young man... I'm dressed up as a funeral attendee, not a ghost," she replied with a light laugh.Graham raised his eyebrows and looked at Luuk. His expression under his bandages was also that of confusion."So you are alive?" asked Graham to make sure."Ohoho of course I am. Is my make up that amazing to be able to fool the two of you?" she asked proudly.The two men looked at each other again and then Graham nodded."Yes, that is the case. Well, then, we're sorry for bothering you. Enjoy the parade, Ma'am," said Graham and then walked away.The old woman went back to watching the parade while Graham and Luuk walked to a distance where she wouldn't be able to hear them. The sound of music was still playing loudly in the street, so they really had nothing to worry about unless she had super hearing."I am positive that she is a ghost," said Graham."You think so too? Her skull mask is way too realistic to be just a mask. And the inside seems to be hollow," said Luuk."Yes. But it is weird that she thinks she is alive. There is only one way to be sure. Please watch out for me," replied Graham.He walked to a tree on the sidewalk and sat on the ground with his back against it. The people there were watching but he had Luuk to keep him safe. He closed his eyes and started chanting quietly."I, in the name of the Deity of the Tongue, order myself to fall asleep!"A heavy wave of sleepiness swept over him suddenly and he fell asleep not long after. Just within seconds, Valentine opened his eyes and got up before cleaning the dirt off his robe. He stood up next to the tree, watching his surroundings.If Graham before looked menacing with his getup, Valentine now looked even more intimidating. He was exuding an aura of cold and mystery."What are you going to do? You're not going to attack her, are you?" asked Luuk, observing the scary man in front of him."Of course not," he answered shortly and then walked closer to the old woman.The skull-faced woman was still watching the parade and there hadn't been anyone who had interacted with her at all. When she was in range, Valentine quickly chanted under his breath."I, in the name of the Deity of Uncovering, ask you to reveal your secrets to me!"An illusory text began forming above the old woman's head. Once it was fully formed, Valentine read the floating text carefully out loud so Luuk could also hear it, but quietly enough to prevent other people from listening in."The ghost of Abigail Janssen who died of a heart attack in 1956. She has returned to the world of living because of the effect of Dodenherdenking and will return once the sun sets. While alive, she used to be a nurse in the Hospital of the People before retiring at the age of sixty."Luuk's eyes opened wide while looking at the skull-faced old woman who turned out to be an actual ghost."She has been dead for more than ten years! But why is she not realizing that she's dead? And she will be gone at sunset?" he had more questions now than before.Valentine shrugged. He knew as much as Luuk did."I guess it means this day is not just a mere celebration day. I wonder if a Contractbound-- or even a Deity is involved?" he said while crossing his arms."Should we investigate? The bazaar is not going anywhere anyway," he said."Why not?" replied Valentine.The two of them then walked towards the first ghost that they saw while still carrying their baggage; Luuk being the one with the most burden because of his backpack. Valentine's briefcase was concealed under his robe so from outside, he looked just like a normal man with a costume.The ghost of the man in a tuxedo was still standing very intimately close to the woman with the black rose headdress. Valentine approached him from behind and stood in a distance but still within the range of his ability. He focused on the man and chanted again."I, in the name of the Deity of Uncovering, ask you to reveal your secrets to me!"The same thing that happened with the old woman took place again. Above the man, there were illusory letters that floated in the air, slowly forming a complete text that only Valentine could read. He read out loud again for Luuk."The ghost of Willem de Vries who died saving his wife from a robber in1966. He has returned to the world of the living because of the effect of Dodenherdenking and will return at sunset. When he was alive, he was an assistant manager at the eastern branch of the Bank of Sloten.""That means that woman is, or was, indeed his wife? And he still thinks he is alive? How does that work?" Luuk barraged Valentine with questions."I really have no clue. He should have realized that he is dead when she doesn't respond at all to him. But then again I've never been dead so I don't know how it works," replied Valentine."Is everyone dead returning on this day or only certain people. Do dead Contractbounds also return?"Valentine shrugged."Let's try to find out about the day itself," he suggested."Where?""Just follow me. I'm going to follow my spiritual intuition," replied Valentine.The two men walked away from that part of the street towards the north. The parade was still going on and there were now people dressed in uniform skeleton costumes who were performing a kind of dance that looked both cool and unsettling. The music also changed to match the dance; there were violins, glockenspiels, and piccolos creating a macabre melody.As the two of them walked, there were more 'people' that they suspected to be ghosts. There was even a couple that was standing so close together without other people noticing them. The man was wearing a sailor outfit with a deep rope mark around his neck while the woman was wearing a simple dress with a similar rope mark around her neck."I think they committed a suicide pact," said Luuk quietly looking at the couple who were watching the parade with a blank stare."It's likely. There sure are all sorts of ghosts returning today," replied Valentine shortly.They were still going north, following Valentine's intuition, and at the intersection, they headed west towards Raadhuislaan. In the big avenue with a cobblestone road, Valentine stopped and observed the area carefully.There was also a parade going on in that avenue, and there were even more people gathered there. There were temporary food stalls that had been set up just for the day and people were crowding the place to buy snacks that were usually hard to get. The busiest one was the stall selling Tompouce, which was a kind of pastry with cream filling. It had orange glazing, which was the national color of the Republic of Tulp."Make sure we buy some of those later," said Valentine. Although he was not as addicted as Graham to sweets, especially chocolate, he still enjoyed eating desserts a lot.They then resumed their journey and Valentine turned to a small alley. Luuk followed the man and the two of them turned left at the end of the alley and after turning right, they arrived at a dead end. That part of the alley was very narrow, only allowing two people maximum to walk side by side. At the end of it, there was a man wearing an old Koninklijke Marine uniform who looked to be in his early forties. His body was well built and his eyes looked sharp. If not for the now outdated uniform, they wouldn't have guessed that the man was a ghost."You two there! You can see me?" asked the man in uniform excitedly while pointing at Valentine and Luuk. He sounded like someone who had finally found a friend to talk to. The way he looked made the two of them feel like they were looking at a very old photograph.Valentine and Luuk nodded."So you are aware that you are a ghost?" asked Valentine.The man nodded decisively."When you have been dead for more than a century, you will start realizing that you are dead," said the man."Why have you returned here?" asked Luuk.The man seemed to be thinking hard for an answer."I don't know if I can tell you why or how. It's just like this every year. One moment you don't even know you exist, and then suddenly you are here,""So there is no life after death?" asked Luuk again curiously.The man in uniform shrugged. His eyebrows were raised and his expression said 'I have no clue'."Is that all there is to it? The dead just returned to the living world until sunset once a year. Is there anything else happening on this day?" asked Valentine."At least that's for me. I don't know about anything else. At least, on this day, I am free to roam the city, although I can't interact with the living. But that's enough for me; I can see my great-great-grandchildren this way,"The man is very honest in answering our questions. Is it because he is a ghost and therefore he cannot lie? I guess a ghost doesn't need to lie anyway since they are already dead.Luuk was digesting what the man was saying."Since you were alive more than a hundred years ago, does it mean you know about history well?" asked Valentine suddenly.The man's eyes looked intrigued all of a sudden. He looked like a grandfather who was ready to tell his grandchildren stories from his time."What do you want to know?" he asked eagerly.Valentine had always been curious about the topic because the information available on it was very limited for some reason."Can you tell us about the World War?"
