Let me tell you about a dream. A dream I had not too long ago.
A dream where I became what I wanted to become as a child.
In that dream, I became a hero.
It’s a childish dream, right?
But, I think that, ever since long ago, I’ve been kind of cynical, so I was a nihilistic hero.
Intellectual, and carrying many secrets.
A so-called dark hero.
My signature phrase was this:
“I’ll solve them all for you.”
Appearing gallantly, solving mysteries, and defeating evil!
It’s cool, right?
……But, the real world doesn’t go that well.
On the day I had that dream, I overslept.
Rather than being a hero, I’m nothing but an idiot.
Sometimes, I’ll think that this kind of thing exists:
In this world, I’m just a background character in someone else’s dreams.
So I can’t become a main character. And because of that, I’m not a hero.
Well, I’m past the age of admiring heroes, anyway, so it’s fine.
On the contrary, my views became distorted as I grew up; or rather, I allowed those abnormalities to amplify. As a result, I became a negative high school student with interest in rumors and the occult.
Well, in the end, it’s all just a dream.
Dreams are things that will one day end……
*
I walked towards the music room on the second floor of a two-storied wooden old school building.
I’d fallen asleep in class without being noticed by the teacher, and because of that, I was slightly zoned out.
It was because I’d looked for sites about urban legends and read up on materials again yesterday.
I sighed a little, and opened the door to the classroom.
“……Hey.”
—-The other three were already inside the classroom.
“It’s not just "Hey”……I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as topics for your stories?“
”……What’re you talking about?“
”……Don’t act like you don’t know!“
B-ko glared and approached me.
Her anger was most likely over the rumor I’d spread.
Jeez, even though I’ve already spread rumors about her so many times, she still gets mad as usual…
”……Haah…well, I’m used to it, so it’s fine, but you know……“
B-ko had been glaring at me for a while, but maybe because I hadn’t really had much of a reaction, she sighed and sat back in her chair.
”……By the way, about that rumor that you spread, what is a doppelganger?“
D-ne asked.
”……Ah.“
I answered her with a look of triumph.
We always did this activity of gathering ‘rumors’.
At first glance, it may seem like we’re all over the place, and although these people and I aren’t compatible, we have just one thing in common.
All of us love extreme rumors.
Rumors……to be more exact, most of the rumors could be categorized as occult or urban legends.
Like the "Slit-Mouthed Woman” or “Human-Faced Dog”……
As we talked about those kinds of rumors, we gradually started to meet in this old school building.
It wasn’t a club or association or anything. We just got together to talk.
We didn’t set specific dates to get together, and it wasn’t even a regular thing.
From an outsider’s point of view, it might have seemed odd that we got together even if we weren’t good friends or anything, but as for me, I was perfectly fine with it being nothing more than that.
“……Speaking of which, do you know any other rumors like this? It’s a story I’ve known about just recently, but there’s an urban legend about a 'person who committed suicide while laughing’.”
I once again began to speak about the urban legends I’d collected.
*
“Ah, it’s about time I went home.”
After some time had passed, C-ta said that and picked up his bag.
“It’s about time for me too……ah, but, that doll bothers me after all.”
B-ko said while pointing to a doll on C-ta’s bag.
Ever since long ago, C-ta’s opinion of what was cute had been different from what other people thought.
“Ehh, even though it’s cute? D-ne-chan, you think so too, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t think it’s cute at all?”
D-ne said, smiling.
Even so, without breaking his smile,
“Ahaha, that sounds like something D-ne would say.”
C-ta replied.
“……Speaking of dolls, they’re used in the urban legend called 'hide and seek alone’.”
I muttered quietly as I picked up my bag.
“Hide and seek alone?”
“Yeah, you use a doll or stuffed toy. It’s something like a kind of necromancy. At the very end, you’ll have to stab it, though.”
“……Huh. Ah, speaking of stuffed toys, I remembered something from when A-ya and I were small.”
“……Hm?”
C-ta continued on.
“Nah, it’s nothing. It’s just, even if you ever do 'hide and seek alone’, I’d like it if you didn’t use that doll.”
“……What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing.”
C-ta smiled at me, and just like that, left the question unanswered.
*
The next day, I made my way to the old school building while still feeling grumpy from my lack of sleep.
“……Hey.”
Today, too, the other three were already there.
“No, it’s not just "hey”……I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as your topics?“
”……What’re you talking about?“
”……Don’t act you like don’t know, just like yesterday. The rumors are only getting worse!“
B-ko made to stand up as she expressed her anger.
"Look, don’t call smoke where there’s no fire. I just meant it as a little prank.”
“……Why, you……”
“If someone just so happened to see you right now, won’t they think you’re an impostor?”
“I’m serious, if you don’t stop now……!”
“……Anyway, there’s something that I’ve been thinking about lately.”
I changed the topic, and began to talk about the strange occurrances that had been happening around me for the last little while.
Recently, there had definitely been strange things happening to me.
I was always feeling someone’s gaze on me, but somehow, I was always feeling something like déjà vu.
If I had to, I could even think that I’d already had this conversation countless times before.
I wonder if this was also because of the 'Bookmark of Demise’?
Anyway, after I talked about the Kokkuri-san that we did the other day, I ultimately said this:
“……Let’s do it one more time.”
And thus, we became involved in the worst Demise Game……
*
—-BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!!
Just when C-ta finally tried to speak, the intense noise came again.
The man’s face that was displayed on the screen was twisted as if it were something not of this world, and switched between a laughing, troubled, crying and angry expression.
—-And then, the incoming silence.
“……Wh-what was that……j-just now……?”
“……I don’t know.”
“……'Fox’? Traitor’……?”
“I-it’s just a really bad joke, right……?”
“……”
We all fell silent at the same time, and looked at each other.
In the dim classroom, all of us had pale faces.
A long period of time passed…… In reality, it might not even have been longer than a minute, but…… The silence dragged on. Someone spoke up, saying, “……Anyway, let’s just go home for today…” and on their suggestion, we left the school.
In the end, I went home together with C-ta, but neither of us said a word.
When I got back home, I felt like the gaze was stronger than usual.
I went to my room straight away, and crawled into the futon, hugging my knees in a fetal position.
When I did this, I actually felt the gaze get even closer than before, so I got out of bed to check my surroundings, turn on the TV, turn it off again, and get back in bed. I ended up repeating this cycle several times.
—-Before I realized it, it was morning.
*
The next day, after classes had ended, I met up with C-ta and headed towards the old school building.
B-ko was already waiting for us there.
“…………!”
B-ko looked this way, and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.
“……What’s wrong? B-ko-chan.”
“……”
“……B-ko?”
“……Y-yesterday…………w-was just a prank…right……?”
B-ko was extremely upset.
Besides, could you even say yesterday’s events were a prank? It wasn’t all that far-fetched of an idea, but a prank of that level would’ve required a considerable amount of preparation…….
“……ah,”
—-Clatter.
“……!”
Just as B-ko was going to say something, the classroom door opened, and D-ne appeared.
As soon as B-ko saw D-ne, she averted her eyes and clammed up.
“……About yesterday……In the end, I wonder what that was all about.”
“……It’s hard to tell at this point……I hate to admit it, but there’s a chance it might’ve just been an elaborate prank……”
B-ko seemed slightly relieved at my words, and raised her face.
“……But, if it’s true, then one of us is……”
“—-Stop it!”
B-ko suddenly yelled, holding her head so as to cover her ears.
And it was at that moment—-
—-THUD!!!!
There was a sudden loud noise, and a shadow appeared outside of the glass room of the old building music room we were all in.
—-It was a person.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”
We heard B-ko scream a moment too late.
Surprised at this occurrence, I sat down.
Right now, the person was dangling in the air at the second floor, staring into the classroom.
The rope that hung down from the roof held her up by the neck.
“……I-it’s the 'girl by the window’……”
I felt a fear as if the story I’d told had been brought to reality.
In the midst of my fear, my face twisted into an expression where I couldn’t speak.
“……W-we…have to go call someone……”
C-ta spoke up and tried to move.
However, it was obvious to anyone that it was clearly already too late.
In the end, after having said that, C-ta was unable to move at all.
After a while, teachers arrived at the scene, and after we briefly explained the situation to the police as well, we were told to go home early.
From what little information we’d heard from the police, along with what we heard afterwards, it seemed that this incident clearly had too many uncertain points.
An incident that shouldn’t be able to occur in reality.
My head wasn’t spinning around with fear or dread, but I felt that the contradiction of something that shouldn’t have been able to happen in reality actually happening, was giving me a clue.
“……That kind of thing…is just impossible……”
……I whispered those words.
When I returned home, perhaps because I had finally begun to understand the reality of the situation, I felt my thoughts coming together.
Whatever I had thought was fear until now had shock added to it, and wasn’t pure fear.
Certainly, this was the first time I’d ever seen a dead body in front of me, and even when I remembered those eyes now, I shuddered, but even more importantly, I felt a huge sense of unease becoming rooted inside me.
Just as always, I sat down at my desk, took out my phone, and opened up the new message screen.
It was a habit that had never changed.
I just wrote down my thoughts in a draft without ever sending them.
The broadcast that had occurred after Kokkuri-san.
And, that incident that had seemed to replicate the urban legend I’d talked about.
No matter how I thought about it, it was too well done.
I became absorbed in typing.
The key to solving the mystery was the ‘Book’ and 'Bookmark of Demise’, and the 'fox’’s existence……
As I desperately typed into my phone, I suddenly felt a chill on the back of my neck, as if a knife was being pressed there.
“……ah!”
I quickly turned around.
But, naturally, there was nothing there.
For a while, I stared in the direction where I felt a presence.
This stare I always felt, this deja vu.
Being watched by someone…… it couldn’t be something of that level, could it……?
I wandered in a maze of my thoughts as I stared at a single point.
How I should think about this……
Is there a correct answer to this question……?
I thought about it for a while, but I thought that I couldn’t come to any other conclusion, and stopped thinking about it.
After that, I looked around my room as a precaution, and just like that, crawled under the covers, hugged my knees and fell asleep.
*
“Hello?”
The next morning, I got a call from an unknown number.
I answered the phone in my usual grumpy voice.
『……A-yaa……』
It was B-ko. Her voice was somewhat different from what I was used to hearing, so for a brief moment, I was surprised.
I say 'used to hearing’, but when I thought about it, this was pretty much the first time I’d ever talked to her over the phone. ……In any case, B-ko seemed to be crying.
『……Help me……』
I merely listened to B-ko talk, just as I usually would.
About how a letter had been sent to D-ne, and about how C-ta’s imposter had been sighted.
Although B-ko occasionally choked up, she tried to inform me about everything she knew as accurately as possible.
And after she had finished speaking and I’d thought about it for a while, I said this:
“……This case is just full of impossible things…”
I think my voice contained a bit of anger.
“They’re all the urban legends that I talked about. 'The Person who Committed Suicide while Laughing’, 'The Girl by the Window,’ ……For C-ta, I guess it’d be 'doppelgangers’?”
“……What do you mean?”
“In this world, there are only things that seem like the truth, and things that seem like lies.”
“……Eh?”
“Only a second-rate playwright would feel the need to have them actually brought to life.”
“……A-ya? What are you……talking about?”
Before I knew it, I realized that the corner of my mouth had turned up.
“……I’ll end this game……”
From the other side of the phone, I could sense a hint of B-ko’s dismay.
I wonder if I was even thinking about killing a specific person.
“……The rules of this game are too unreasonable. In the first place, I think it’s doubtful whether or not the 'fox’ is really even one of us four.”
“……Eh?”
“……There has to be another way to track down the culprit, besides following these rules.”
“……A way…to track them down?”
That’s right, there’s no need to go ahead and hijack the rules made by others. More than anything, I felt that the way things were going along too conveniently was odd.
—-The only determined fact had been the female student’s suicide.
That was a grand demonstration to show that this game was definitely real. It seemed to be for the sake of creating an illusion that if one rule was right, then all the others were as well.
Because of one impact, other contradictions would be drowned out; that kind of thing was an old trick.
“……But, how are we supposed to find a way to……”
That’s it, right there. I still don’t have enough information.
Something absolute should be hidden somewhere.
In the first place, the 'Book’ and 'Bookmark of Demise’s’ secret was like that……!
“……That incident from ten years ago feels suspicious to me. But if we can find out more about it, maybe we’ll be able to learn something.”
“……That incident…from ten years ago……”
“……To begin with, that diary was odd…… So if we can just figure it out, then maybe……”
I thought as I muttered quietly.
Right now, B-ko was probably pretty scared.
But, I might not be able to end this game by myself.
“……Let’s investigate it together.”
“……Eh?”
“Let’s investigate the incident from ten years ago together……”
“……But……”
“I might not be able to do it all on my own…… So lend me a hand. And then, we’ll bring an end to this game……!”
I put forth the most positive voice I could, and told that to B-ko.
*
From there, we decided to split up our work and search at the library.
There were two libraries nearby, the school library room and the local city library.
And right in between them was a shopping mall.
We would meet there after this, and after talking about it, we’d each head towards a library.
I quickly got ready, and left the house.
It was humid when I went outside, and the clammy air gathered around me.
As usual, there were dark circles under my eyes, and my hair was unkempt.
I wasn’t looking down as I usually did; instead, I steadily faced forwards and walked quickly.
When I went into the shopping mall, I was able to find B-ko, restlessly paying close attention to her surroundings with suspicion.
Because she was hiding in the shadows, it had been hard to find her.
“……B-ko……?”
“……!”
I spoke up from a little distance away.
B-ko seemed to pick up on that and walked up to me.
“……What’s wrong?”
“……No, it’s nothing…”
“……Alright, then.”
B-ko seemed to be in a situation of considerable emotional disturbance, but she was desperately pretending that nothing was wrong.
“So, what’re we gonna do? Should we sit down somewhere first?”
“No, let’s just talk as we go. The basic idea is simple – ten years ago, the season being about the same as right now. I want to check out the local newspapers from that time. If we can find out any small detail about the incident… Like the causes of death, or what happened when the bodies were discovered, that’d be great.”
“……Yeah.”
“I’ll head to the school library room, so, B-ko, I want you to go to the city library.”
“……Alright.”
“Afterwards, even if we don’t find any clues, we’ll meet up again.”
“Got it……!”
After saying all that, the two of us split up, but it seemed like B-ko was reaching her limit.
According to what I’d heard from her earlier, D-ne’s mental state also seemed pretty unstable.
And C-ta, too, if a letter has already reached him, the imposter may be a consequence of that.
No matter what kind of situation everyone is in right now, there’s only one thing I can do.
I’m going to end this Demise Game……!
—-I exited the shopping mall, and began to run towards the school.
Because of the fact that the school was currently closed, it didn’t feel like there was anyone around.
It looked like reporters and cameramen from the media had been here for a few days, but presently, they were no longer here.
Just in case, I went in through the back gate and headed for the staff room in the new school building.
The staff there at the time were surprised that I was at school, but once I’d said some suitable things like how I didn’t want to be home alone, maybe because the situation was the way it was, they lent me the key to the library.
After that, I headed to the library and library material room.
I unlocked the door. and slowly went inside, heading towards the corner of the material room where things like newspapers of the region were collected.
I looked for binders containing the newspapers, sorted by age.
It wasn’t like every page of the newspapers had been kept; it seemed like the newspaper club just cut out articles and things from regional and national newspapers that had interested them, arranging them by age.
I took a binder from exactly ten years ago, and as I opened it up on a desk nearby, I searched for articles similar to that.
For a while, I turned pages, and there, was a set of articles similar to it.
An Accident In A School Club? Four Dead, ……One In Serious Condition.
……!
At once, it stood out as being inconsistent with the rumor told within the school.
And, it was different from the diary I had.
In the diary, there had been no one other than the four.
Then, just who was this extra person……?
Maybe as a memo from the news club at the time, written on the article in pencil was this:
A Bizarre Murder Has Occurred In The Film Club?!
Film club, murder incident……huh.
And also, it was different from the diary I had.
There hadn’t been a single word in that diary mentioning a film club at all.
They should’ve been members of an occult research club, just like us……
I took the set of articles out of the binder, and, packing it into the bag I’d brought, returned the binder to its original shelf.
……Clatter.
“……ah!”
At that moment, I heard the sound of the library’s door opening.
I hid myself instantly, and entering the room was a person that I recognized.
……It was D-ne.
For a while, I held my breath, and she also began to examine the newspaper articles.
Just like B-ko did, I considered asking for her cooperation, but judging from her current circumstances, she was sure to have already received the ‘Book of Demise’ once.
If that happens, and my thinking is right, then after this……!
“……!”
Instantly, D-ne stood up and looked this way.
I remained hidden, holding my breath, and perhaps because she’d given up, D-ne left the library.
“……Hahh……”
I let out a big sigh.
But, I can’t be doing this. If my predictions are correct, then after this, D-ne will try to carry out what is written in the 'letter’.
Thinking that, in the meantime, I had to contact B-ko, I took out my cell phone while sitting down.
But, no matter how many times I phoned B-ko, the signal didn’t seem to reach so there was no sign of the call connecting.
……Crap.
As it is right now, it’s dangerous.
Moving to firstly get out of the school, I stood up.
And when I looked to the desk where all my materials had been spread out on just earlier, something that shouldn’t have been there was placed right in the open.
A pitch-black cover. And, a cat bookmark.
As if I’d been reading it just earlier, that book was placed there.
……Finally, it’s here……!
—-The 'Book’ and 'Bookmark of Demise’.
“—-It really exists.”
I wonder what kind of expression I was making at that moment.
This book and bookmark that I’ve thought of wanting to see countless times are, right now, right in front of my eyes.
In that abnormal atmosphere, it seemed to surpass understanding and emotion, and it felt like I’d be swallowed up.
……As expected, my body is shaking.
I opened my bag to put away the book.
But in there, was something that had definitely not been there earlier.
“……ah!”
A letter, and —- something like a small, mummified hand.
That thing, which was only from the wrist up, had five fingers firmly attached to it, and was half open.
It looked like it was about the size of the hand of an elementary schooler.
It had a fairly grotesque appearance.
……Just, what is……?!
I took the letter out of my bag, and slowly opened it.
In it, only this was written:
—-The Monkey’s Paw Author: A-ya—-
Use the Monkey’s Paw, and defy fate.
……The Monkey’s Paw, huh…… Certainly, it was an item that appeared in a short story from overseas……
It should be an item that is able to grant wishes, just one for each finger.
—-If this really can grant any wish, then……!
“As I thought, the fox was you.”
—-I said, and laughed with my final breath.
—-This is yet again just one conclusion.
Piled up possibilities, without an ending.
The one true form of the Demise Game.
……This game is filled with nothing but traps to raise suspicion of each other.
In the midst of all this, there is a single ‘traitor’.
Together with those words, comes an unfolding, unrealistic tragedy.
I’m going to be killed next, aren’t I?
That guy’s suspicious! He’s the traitor!
Negative feelings, spreading like in that manner, soon confirm the need to kill the 'fox’.
If I don’t kill him, I’ll be killed……!
Humans convinced of that, are fools.
*
Having left the school, I continued to try and contact B-ko as I returned home.
I called her again and again.
After the tenth redial, B-ko finally answered her phone. But, at that moment, I realized that the worst possible outcome I had predicted had become a reality.
『……Hello.』
“Hello! B-ko?”
『………………』
“……B-ko……?”
『……B-ko-chan is……』
“……! D-ne……?”
『B-ko-chan, said I was the 'fox’……』
“D-ne, calm down for a minute……”
『B-ko-chan, suddenly, attacked me……could it be, that she meant to……help me……?』
“……!”
『I…I…might be the 'fox’, after all……in that case……』
“D-ne……?”
—-Click.
Leaving me with those words, the call cut off.
B-ko knew that D-ne was going to carry out what was written in the letter, and went to stop her……
And then, D-ne……!
……This, this is……!
I realized that my own choice had been a bad move.
The bile began to rise in my throat, and while feeling like I was about to throw up, I called C-ta.
—-He’s not picking up.
I had a bad feeling.
I sent a text to C-ta, saying, “There’s something I want to talk to you about, so can you wait for me in front of my house?” and hurried home.
And then, I reached my home, but C-ta wasn’t in front of my house.
But, as I reached for the front door, I heard a noise from inside.
When I placed my hand on the door, it was unlocked.
Slowly, in order to not make a sound, I entered my house.
The noise seemed to be coming from my room.
Gingerly, as I approached my room, I prayed my last prayers in my heart, and sent a text to C-ta.
『C-ta? You aren’t in my room, right?』
Immediately after it switched to the message sent screen, the sound of a text notification rang out from inside my room.
As I thought, C-ta was there.
I slowly peered into my room.
At that moment, C-ta, with cutter knife in hand, attacked me.
“As I thought, the fox was you.”
—-C-ta said, and laughed with his final breath.
*
—-For a while, I remained in a daze, in the middle of that room that had been dyed bright red, covered in tears, vomit, and all sorts of body fluids as I wept.
In my hand, I gripped a pair of scissors that were the same color as the room, and C-ta, who I’d been together with ever since I was young, lay asleep in front of me.
I…I’ve……
And so, the tale comes to an end.
The same as always, heading to an ordinary 'conclusion’.
Let me tell you about a dream. A dream I had not too long ago.
A dream where I became what I wanted to become as a child.
In that dream, I became a hero.
It’s a childish dream, right?
But, I think that, ever since long ago, I’ve been kind of cynical, so I was a nihilistic hero.
Intellectual, and carrying many secrets.
A so-called dark hero.
My signature phrase was this:
“I’ll solve them all for you.”
Appearing gallantly, solving mysteries, and defeating evil!
It’s cool, right?
……But, the real world doesn’t go that well.
On the day I had that dream, I overslept.
Rather than being a hero, I’m nothing but an idiot.
Sometimes, I’ll think that this kind of thing exists:
In this world, I’m just a background character in someone else’s dreams.
So I can’t become a main character. And because of that, I’m not a hero.
Well, I’m past the age of admiring heroes, anyway, so it’s fine.
On the contrary, my views became distorted as I grew up; or rather, I allowed those abnormalities to amplify. As a result, I became a negative high school student with interest in rumors and the occult.
Well, in the end, it’s all just a dream.
Dreams are things that will one day end……
*
I walked towards the music room on the second floor of a two-storied wooden old school building.
I’d fallen asleep in class without being noticed by the teacher, and because of that, I was slightly zoned out.
It was because I’d looked for sites about urban legends and read up on materials again yesterday.
I sighed a little, and opened the door to the classroom.
“……Hey.”
—-The other three were already inside the classroom.
“It’s not just "Hey”……I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as topics for your stories?“
”……What’re you talking about?“
”……Don’t act like you don’t know!“
B-ko glared and approached me.
Her anger was most likely over the rumor I’d spread.
Jeez, even though I’ve already spread rumors about her so many times, she still gets mad as usual…
”……Haah…well, I’m used to it, so it’s fine, but you know……“
B-ko had been glaring at me for a while, but maybe because I hadn’t really had much of a reaction, she sighed and sat back in her chair.
”……By the way, about that rumor that you spread, what is a doppelganger?“
D-ne asked.
”……Ah.“
I answered her with a look of triumph.
We always did this activity of gathering ‘rumors’.
At first glance, it may seem like we’re all over the place, and although these people and I aren’t compatible, we have just one thing in common.
All of us love extreme rumors.
Rumors……to be more exact, most of the rumors could be categorized as occult or urban legends.
Like the "Slit-Mouthed Woman” or “Human-Faced Dog”……
As we talked about those kinds of rumors, we gradually started to meet in this old school building.
It wasn’t a club or association or anything. We just got together to talk.
We didn’t set specific dates to get together, and it wasn’t even a regular thing.
From an outsider’s point of view, it might have seemed odd that we got together even if we weren’t good friends or anything, but as for me, I was perfectly fine with it being nothing more than that.
“……Speaking of which, do you know any other rumors like this? It’s a story I’ve known about just recently, but there’s an urban legend about a 'person who committed suicide while laughing’.”
I once again began to speak about the urban legends I’d collected.
*
“Ah, it’s about time I went home.”
After some time had passed, C-ta said that and picked up his bag.
“It’s about time for me too……ah, but, that doll bothers me after all.”
B-ko said while pointing to a doll on C-ta’s bag.
Ever since long ago, C-ta’s opinion of what was cute had been different from what other people thought.
“Ehh, even though it’s cute? D-ne-chan, you think so too, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t think it’s cute at all?”
D-ne said, smiling.
Even so, without breaking his smile,
“Ahaha, that sounds like something D-ne would say.”
C-ta replied.
“……Speaking of dolls, they’re used in the urban legend called 'hide and seek alone’.”
I muttered quietly as I picked up my bag.
“Hide and seek alone?”
“Yeah, you use a doll or stuffed toy. It’s something like a kind of necromancy. At the very end, you’ll have to stab it, though.”
“……Huh. Ah, speaking of stuffed toys, I remembered something from when A-ya and I were small.”
“……Hm?”
C-ta continued on.
“Nah, it’s nothing. It’s just, even if you ever do 'hide and seek alone’, I’d like it if you didn’t use that doll.”
“……What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing.”
C-ta smiled at me, and just like that, left the question unanswered.
*
The next day, I made my way to the old school building while still feeling grumpy from my lack of sleep.
“……Hey.”
Today, too, the other three were already there.
“No, it’s not just "hey”……I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as your topics?“
”……What’re you talking about?“
”……Don’t act you like don’t know, just like yesterday. The rumors are only getting worse!“
B-ko made to stand up as she expressed her anger.
"Look, don’t call smoke where there’s no fire. I just meant it as a little prank.”
“……Why, you……”
“If someone just so happened to see you right now, won’t they think you’re an impostor?”
“I’m serious, if you don’t stop now……!”
“……Anyway, there’s something that I’ve been thinking about lately.”
I changed the topic, and began to talk about the strange occurrances that had been happening around me for the last little while.
Recently, there had definitely been strange things happening to me.
I was always feeling someone’s gaze on me, but somehow, I was always feeling something like déjà vu.
If I had to, I could even think that I’d already had this conversation countless times before.
I wonder if this was also because of the 'Bookmark of Demise’?
Anyway, after I talked about the Kokkuri-san that we did the other day, I ultimately said this:
“……Let’s do it one more time.”
And thus, we became involved in the worst Demise Game……
*
—-BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!!
Just when C-ta finally tried to speak, the intense noise came again.
The man’s face that was displayed on the screen was twisted as if it were something not of this world, and switched between a laughing, troubled, crying and angry expression.
—-And then, the incoming silence.
“……Wh-what was that……j-just now……?”
“……I don’t know.”
“……'Fox’? Traitor’……?”
“I-it’s just a really bad joke, right……?”
“……”
We all fell silent at the same time, and looked at each other.
In the dim classroom, all of us had pale faces.
A long period of time passed…… In reality, it might not even have been longer than a minute, but…… The silence dragged on. Someone spoke up, saying, “……Anyway, let’s just go home for today…” and on their suggestion, we left the school.
In the end, I went home together with C-ta, but neither of us said a word.
When I got back home, I felt like the gaze was stronger than usual.
I went to my room straight away, and crawled into the futon, hugging my knees in a fetal position.
When I did this, I actually felt the gaze get even closer than before, so I got out of bed to check my surroundings, turn on the TV, turn it off again, and get back in bed. I ended up repeating this cycle several times.
—-Before I realized it, it was morning.
*
The next day, after classes had ended, I met up with C-ta and headed towards the old school building.
B-ko was already waiting for us there.
“…………!”
B-ko looked this way, and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.
“……What’s wrong? B-ko-chan.”
“……”
“……B-ko?”
“……Y-yesterday…………w-was just a prank…right……?”
B-ko was extremely upset.
Besides, could you even say yesterday’s events were a prank? It wasn’t all that far-fetched of an idea, but a prank of that level would’ve required a considerable amount of preparation…….
“……ah,”
—-Clatter.
“……!”
Just as B-ko was going to say something, the classroom door opened, and D-ne appeared.
As soon as B-ko saw D-ne, she averted her eyes and clammed up.
“……About yesterday……In the end, I wonder what that was all about.”
“……It’s hard to tell at this point……I hate to admit it, but there’s a chance it might’ve just been an elaborate prank……”
B-ko seemed slightly relieved at my words, and raised her face.
“……But, if it’s true, then one of us is……”
“—-Stop it!”
B-ko suddenly yelled, holding her head so as to cover her ears.
And it was at that moment—-
—-THUD!!!!
There was a sudden loud noise, and a shadow appeared outside of the glass room of the old building music room we were all in.
—-It was a person.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”
We heard B-ko scream a moment too late.
Surprised at this occurrence, I sat down.
Right now, the person was dangling in the air at the second floor, staring into the classroom.
The rope that hung down from the roof held her up by the neck.
“……I-it’s the 'girl by the window’……”
I felt a fear as if the story I’d told had been brought to reality.
In the midst of my fear, my face twisted into an expression where I couldn’t speak.
“……W-we…have to go call someone……”
C-ta spoke up and tried to move.
However, it was obvious to anyone that it was clearly already too late.
In the end, after having said that, C-ta was unable to move at all.
After a while, teachers arrived at the scene, and after we briefly explained the situation to the police as well, we were told to go home early.
From what little information we’d heard from the police, along with what we heard afterwards, it seemed that this incident clearly had too many uncertain points.
An incident that shouldn’t be able to occur in reality.
My head wasn’t spinning around with fear or dread, but I felt that the contradiction of something that shouldn’t have been able to happen in reality actually happening, was giving me a clue.
“……That kind of thing…is just impossible……”
……I whispered those words.
When I returned home, perhaps because I had finally begun to understand the reality of the situation, I felt my thoughts coming together.
Whatever I had thought was fear until now had shock added to it, and wasn’t pure fear.
Certainly, this was the first time I’d ever seen a dead body in front of me, and even when I remembered those eyes now, I shuddered, but even more importantly, I felt a huge sense of unease becoming rooted inside me.
Just as always, I sat down at my desk, took out my phone, and opened up the new message screen.
It was a habit that had never changed.
I just wrote down my thoughts in a draft without ever sending them.
The broadcast that had occurred after Kokkuri-san.
And, that incident that had seemed to replicate the urban legend I’d talked about.
No matter how I thought about it, it was too well done.
I became absorbed in typing.
The key to solving the mystery was the ‘Book’ and 'Bookmark of Demise’, and the 'fox’’s existence……
As I desperately typed into my phone, I suddenly felt a chill on the back of my neck, as if a knife was being pressed there.
“……ah!”
I quickly turned around.
But, naturally, there was nothing there.
For a while, I stared in the direction where I felt a presence.
This stare I always felt, this deja vu.
Being watched by someone…… it couldn’t be something of that level, could it……?
I wandered in a maze of my thoughts as I stared at a single point.
How I should think about this……
Is there a correct answer to this question……?
I thought about it for a while, but I thought that I couldn’t come to any other conclusion, and stopped thinking about it.
After that, I looked around my room as a precaution, and just like that, crawled under the covers, hugged my knees and fell asleep.
*
“Hello?”
The next morning, I got a call from an unknown number.
I answered the phone in my usual grumpy voice.
『……A-yaa……』
It was B-ko. Her voice was somewhat different from what I was used to hearing, so for a brief moment, I was surprised.
I say 'used to hearing’, but when I thought about it, this was pretty much the first time I’d ever talked to her over the phone. ……In any case, B-ko seemed to be crying.
『……Help me……』
I merely listened to B-ko talk, just as I usually would.
About how a letter had been sent to D-ne, and about how C-ta’s imposter had been sighted.
Although B-ko occasionally choked up, she tried to inform me about everything she knew as accurately as possible.
And after she had finished speaking and I’d thought about it for a while, I said this:
“……This case is just full of impossible things…”
I think my voice contained a bit of anger.
“They’re all the urban legends that I talked about. 'The Person who Committed Suicide while Laughing’, 'The Girl by the Window,’ ……For C-ta, I guess it’d be 'doppelgangers’?”
“……What do you mean?”
“In this world, there are only things that seem like the truth, and things that seem like lies.”
“……Eh?”
“Only a second-rate playwright would feel the need to have them actually brought to life.”
“……A-ya? What are you……talking about?”
Before I knew it, I realized that the corner of my mouth had turned up.
“……I’ll end this game……”
From the other side of the phone, I could sense a hint of B-ko’s dismay.
I wonder if I was even thinking about killing a specific person.
“……The rules of this game are too unreasonable. In the first place, I think it’s doubtful whether or not the 'fox’ is really even one of us four.”
“……Eh?”
“……There has to be another way to track down the culprit, besides following these rules.”
“……A way…to track them down?”
That’s right, there’s no need to go ahead and hijack the rules made by others. More than anything, I felt that the way things were going along too conveniently was odd.
—-The only determined fact had been the female student’s suicide.
That was a grand demonstration to show that this game was definitely real. It seemed to be for the sake of creating an illusion that if one rule was right, then all the others were as well.
Because of one impact, other contradictions would be drowned out; that kind of thing was an old trick.
“……But, how are we supposed to find a way to……”
That’s it, right there. I still don’t have enough information.
Something absolute should be hidden somewhere.
In the first place, the 'Book’ and 'Bookmark of Demise’s’ secret was like that……!
“……That incident from ten years ago feels suspicious to me. But if we can find out more about it, maybe we’ll be able to learn something.”
“……That incident…from ten years ago……”
“……To begin with, that diary was odd…… So if we can just figure it out, then maybe……”
I thought as I muttered quietly.
Right now, B-ko was probably pretty scared.
But, I might not be able to end this game by myself.
“……Let’s investigate it together.”
“……Eh?”
“Let’s investigate the incident from ten years ago together……”
“……But……”
“I might not be able to do it all on my own…… So lend me a hand. And then, we’ll bring an end to this game……!”
I put forth the most positive voice I could, and told that to B-ko.
*
From there, we decided to split up our work and search at the library.
There were two libraries nearby, the school library room and the local city library.
And right in between them was a shopping mall.
We would meet there after this, and after talking about it, we’d each head towards a library.
I quickly got ready, and left the house.
It was humid when I went outside, and the clammy air gathered around me.
As usual, there were dark circles under my eyes, and my hair was unkempt.
I wasn’t looking down as I usually did; instead, I steadily faced forwards and walked quickly.
When I went into the shopping mall, I was able to find B-ko, restlessly paying close attention to her surroundings with suspicion.
Because she was hiding in the shadows, it had been hard to find her.
“……B-ko……?”
“……!”
I spoke up from a little distance away.
B-ko seemed to pick up on that and walked up to me.
“……What’s wrong?”
“……No, it’s nothing…”
“……Alright, then.”
B-ko seemed to be in a situation of considerable emotional disturbance, but she was desperately pretending that nothing was wrong.
“So, what’re we gonna do? Should we sit down somewhere first?”
“No, let’s just talk as we go. The basic idea is simple – ten years ago, the season being about the same as right now. I want to check out the local newspapers from that time. If we can find out any small detail about the incident… Like the causes of death, or what happened when the bodies were discovered, that’d be great.”
“……Yeah.”
“I’ll head to the school library room, so, B-ko, I want you to go to the city library.”
“……Alright.”
“Afterwards, even if we don’t find any clues, we’ll meet up again.”
“Got it……!”
After saying all that, the two of us split up, but it seemed like B-ko was reaching her limit.
According to what I’d heard from her earlier, D-ne’s mental state also seemed pretty unstable.
And C-ta, too, if a letter has already reached him, the imposter may be a consequence of that.
No matter what kind of situation everyone is in right now, there’s only one thing I can do.
I’m going to end this Demise Game……!
—-I exited the shopping mall, and began to run towards the school.
Because of the fact that the school was currently closed, it didn’t feel like there was anyone around.
It looked like reporters and cameramen from the media had been here for a few days, but presently, they were no longer here.
Just in case, I went in through the back gate and headed for the staff room in the new school building.
The staff there at the time were surprised that I was at school, but once I’d said some suitable things like how I didn’t want to be home alone, maybe because the situation was the way it was, they lent me the key to the library.
After that, I headed to the library and library material room.
I unlocked the door. and slowly went inside, heading towards the corner of the material room where things like newspapers of the region were collected.
I looked for binders containing the newspapers, sorted by age.
It wasn’t like every page of the newspapers had been kept; it seemed like the newspaper club just cut out articles and things from regional and national newspapers that had interested them, arranging them by age.
I took a binder from exactly ten years ago, and as I opened it up on a desk nearby, I searched for articles similar to that.
For a while, I turned pages, and there, was a set of articles similar to it.
An Accident In A School Club? Four Dead, ……One In Serious Condition.
……!
At once, it stood out as being inconsistent with the rumor told within the school.
And, it was different from the diary I had.
In the diary, there had been no one other than the four.
Then, just who was this extra person……?
Maybe as a memo from the news club at the time, written on the article in pencil was this:
A Bizarre Murder Has Occurred In The Film Club?!
Film club, murder incident……huh.
And also, it was different from the diary I had.
There hadn’t been a single word in that diary mentioning a film club at all.
They should’ve been members of an occult research club, just like us……
I took the set of articles out of the binder, and, packing it into the bag I’d brought, returned the binder to its original shelf.
……Clatter.
“……ah!”
At that moment, I heard the sound of the library’s door opening.
I hid myself instantly, and entering the room was a person that I recognized.
……It was D-ne.
For a while, I held my breath, and she also began to examine the newspaper articles.
Just like B-ko did, I considered asking for her cooperation, but judging from her current circumstances, she was sure to have already received the ‘Book of Demise’ once.
If that happens, and my thinking is right, then after this……!
“……!”
Instantly, D-ne stood up and looked this way.
I remained hidden, holding my breath, and perhaps because she’d given up, D-ne left the library.
“……Hahh……”
I let out a big sigh.
But, I can’t be doing this. If my predictions are correct, then after this, D-ne will try to carry out what is written in the 'letter’.
Thinking that, in the meantime, I had to contact B-ko, I took out my cell phone while sitting down.
But, no matter how many times I phoned B-ko, the signal didn’t seem to reach so there was no sign of the call connecting.
……Crap.
As it is right now, it’s dangerous.
Moving to firstly get out of the school, I stood up.
And when I looked to the desk where all my materials had been spread out on just earlier, something that shouldn’t have been there was placed right in the open.
A pitch-black cover. And, a cat bookmark.
As if I’d been reading it just earlier, that book was placed there.
……Finally, it’s here……!
—-The 'Book’ and 'Bookmark of Demise’.
“—-It really exists.”
I wonder what kind of expression I was making at that moment.
This book and bookmark that I’ve thought of wanting to see countless times are, right now, right in front of my eyes.
In that abnormal atmosphere, it seemed to surpass understanding and emotion, and it felt like I’d be swallowed up.
……As expected, my body is shaking.
I opened my bag to put away the book.
But in there, was something that had definitely not been there earlier.
“……ah!”
A letter, and —- something like a small, mummified hand.
That thing, which was only from the wrist up, had five fingers firmly attached to it, and was half open.
It looked like it was about the size of the hand of an elementary schooler.
It had a fairly grotesque appearance.
……Just, what is……?!
I took the letter out of my bag, and slowly opened it.
In it, only this was written:
—-The Monkey’s Paw Author: A-ya—-
Use the Monkey’s Paw, and defy fate.
……The Monkey’s Paw, huh…… Certainly, it was an item that appeared in a short story from overseas……
It should be an item that is able to grant wishes, just one for each finger.
—-If this really can grant any wish, then……!
“As I thought, the fox was you.”
—-I said, and laughed with my final breath.
—-This is yet again just one conclusion.
Piled up possibilities, without an ending.
The one true form of the Demise Game.
……This game is filled with nothing but traps to raise suspicion of each other.
In the midst of all this, there is a single ‘traitor’.
Together with those words, comes an unfolding, unrealistic tragedy.
I’m going to be killed next, aren’t I?
That guy’s suspicious! He’s the traitor!
Negative feelings, spreading like in that manner, soon confirm the need to kill the 'fox’.
If I don’t kill him, I’ll be killed……!
Humans convinced of that, are fools.
*
Having left the school, I continued to try and contact B-ko as I returned home.
I called her again and again.
After the tenth redial, B-ko finally answered her phone. But, at that moment, I realized that the worst possible outcome I had predicted had become a reality.
『……Hello.』
“Hello! B-ko?”
『………………』
“……B-ko……?”
『……B-ko-chan is……』
“……! D-ne……?”
『B-ko-chan, said I was the 'fox’……』
“D-ne, calm down for a minute……”
『B-ko-chan, suddenly, attacked me……could it be, that she meant to……help me……?』
“……!”
『I…I…might be the 'fox’, after all……in that case……』
“D-ne……?”
—-Click.
Leaving me with those words, the call cut off.
B-ko knew that D-ne was going to carry out what was written in the letter, and went to stop her……
And then, D-ne……!
……This, this is……!
I realized that my own choice had been a bad move.
The bile began to rise in my throat, and while feeling like I was about to throw up, I called C-ta.
—-He’s not picking up.
I had a bad feeling.
I sent a text to C-ta, saying, “There’s something I want to talk to you about, so can you wait for me in front of my house?” and hurried home.
And then, I reached my home, but C-ta wasn’t in front of my house.
But, as I reached for the front door, I heard a noise from inside.
When I placed my hand on the door, it was unlocked.
Slowly, in order to not make a sound, I entered my house.
The noise seemed to be coming from my room.
Gingerly, as I approached my room, I prayed my last prayers in my heart, and sent a text to C-ta.
『C-ta? You aren’t in my room, right?』
Immediately after it switched to the message sent screen, the sound of a text notification rang out from inside my room.
As I thought, C-ta was there.
I slowly peered into my room.
At that moment, C-ta, with cutter knife in hand, attacked me.
“As I thought, the fox was you.”
—-C-ta said, and laughed with his final breath.
*
—-For a while, I remained in a daze, in the middle of that room that had been dyed bright red, covered in tears, vomit, and all sorts of body fluids as I wept.
In my hand, I gripped a pair of scissors that were the same color as the room, and C-ta, who I’d been together with ever since I was young, lay asleep in front of me.
I…I’ve……
And so, the tale comes to an end.
The same as always, heading to an ordinary 'conclusion’.
