Pastel*Rangers

Chapter 30.8 - The Cursed Well and the Negative Spirit - A Fragmentary Passage

"One, two, three, four, five, six..."

"Moca, what are you doing?" Ran, Tomoe, and Moca climb up a set of stairs on their way to investigate the second floor. School had just ended and all three girls begrudgingly agreed to investigate the haunted well. In truth, Moca taunted Ran and Tomoe into agreeing. Himari and Tsugumi were busy, so the rest of Afterglow was unable to partake in the investigation.

"Detective Moca leaves no mystery unsolved" Moca says. "What kind of detective would I be if I ignored a mystery that was right under my feet?"

"We're already investigating the well" Ran says. "We don't have time for another one."

"Fine..." Moca runs up and catches up with them. "Seveneightnineteneleventwelve!"

Tomoe, Moca, and Ran arrive at the second floor. They walk down the hall until they reach an area that overlooks the haunted well.

"Do either of you see anything?" Ran asks.

"Not here" Moca says.

"I think I see something" Tomoe says. Moca and Ran walk over to where she's standing.

"A pair of eyes!" Moca says, sounding surprised.

"Should we take a closer look...?" Ran asks nervously.

"You mean, we go to the well?" Tomoe asks.

"If it's not there, then the eyes are a trick of the windows" Moca says.

"That... Makes sense" Ran reluctantly agrees.

"I guess we go check it out then, huh?" Tomoe hesitates to say.

"The investigation team moves on~" Moca says as she leads the way. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen!" She counts as she heads down the steps. They all arrive at the haunted well.

"Look!" Moca points to the well. "There's nothing there!" Tomoe and Ran look inside the well. Sure enough, the eyes they saw earlier are gone.

"We saw something up on the second floor, right?" Tomoe asks.

"Yeah" Ran confirms.

"Hm..." Moca thinks for a second. "My detective instincts tell me we need to go back to the second floor."

"But we were just up there" Tomoe says.

"Detective Moca will explain once we get there" Moca says. "Now let's go!"

Tomoe and Ran follow Moca back inside the building. They reach the stairs and Moca begins counting again.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve!" Moca finishes counting the steps as she reaches the top.

"Thirteen!"

"Stop playing around, Tomoe" Ran says.

"Huh?" Tomoe says. "I didn't say anything."

"Didn't you just say 'thirteen'?" Ran asks.

"Seriously, I didn't say anything" Tomoe says, sounding a little flustered.

"I heard your voice too though~" Moca says.

"Stop it, you guys are giving me Deja vu!" Tomoe says.

"Tee-hee" Moca chuckles. The all walk down the hall until they reach an area that overlooks the well again.

"Yeah, it's there again!" Tomoe points out as they look out the window.

"Hm?" Moca walks up to the exact spot. She uses her wrist to wipe the window.

"Woah, the eyes are gone!" Tomoe says, shocked.

"Is that it?" Ran says. "Were the eyes just dirty windows?"

"I don't think they were dirty" Moca says, smelling her wrist. "It smells like cleaning solution."

"What about other places in the second floor?" Ran asks. "The article said students all over the second floor saw it."

"Should we try another part of the building?" Tomoe asks.

"If we have to" Ran says.

"Detective Moca has a new lead!" Moca says as she leads the way. They eventually arrive at a different part of the building that overlooks the well.

"I can see the eyes here too" Ran says.

"Leave it to me~" Moca says, as she wipes the window with her wrist again. "Remind me to bring paper towels next time we do an investigation."

"Hey, is it just me, or can we still see the eyes in the well?" Tomoe says, looking out the window.

"Tomoe's right" Ran says. "Are you sure you wiped it properly, Moca?"

"Detective Moca is well known for her perceptiveness~" Moca says. "I'm sure I wiped it as best I could."

"Do you think we should get a closer look again?" Tomoe asks.

"But what if it disappears again?" Ran asks.

"I can stay here and keep an eye on it while you two check it out" Tomoe says.

"That's an idea worthy of the Great Detective Moca~" Moca says proudly.

"Why are you the one staying?" Ran asks Tomoe.

"Because I'm the tallest one" Tomoe answers.

"What does height have to do with this...?" Ran wonders out loud.

"Come on, Ran. Let's  go check it out~" Moca tugs on Ran's uniform.

"I'll keep an eye on you guys" Tomoe says. "Good luck!"

Ran sighs as she follows Moca down to the school courtyard.

"Oh, hey big sis!" Ako notices Tomoe and walks up to her right as Ran and Moca leave.

"Ako! What are you doing here?" Tomoe asks.

"I just finished practice with Roselia when I realized I left my books on my desk" Ako answers. "Sayo-san's was worried about me walking alone, so she walked with me to school. She's waiting just outside the school gates."

Ako's more than capable of walking by herself, Tomoe thinks to herself. Tomoe thinks back to what she heard from Maya about Negatives. Does Sayo know about Negatives?

"So what are you still doing at school, big sis?" Ako asks.

"I'm helping Ran and Moca investigate the haunted well" Tomoe answers.

"Oh, the one from the article?" Ako asks. "But where are they?"

"They're over there walking towards the well" Tomoe answers. Tomoe and Ako look out the window towards the well.

"Huh? Is that Hina-chin?" Ako says while looking at the window.

"Hey, you're right" Tomoe says. "And there's Eve, too! What's she doing here? And what are those weapons they're holding?"

Ako stares at Hina's weapon. "I feel like I've seen that before." She says.

"Oh, there's Ran and Moca" Tomoe says, looking out the window.

Ran and Moca run out the school building and towards the well. They notice two people standing near the well, as well as a strange shadow standing from inside the well. They realize who it is as they get close enough to the well.

"Eve? Hina? What are you doing here?" Ran and Moca run up to Eve and Hina.