Ghost Stories:Shiryo Village *Editing*

Chapter 4

Those concerned, gentle eyes belonged to a handsome young man with spiked black. His hand, calloused and tense with worry brought me a sense of relief, a sense of security. The way his thin lips were contorted into a soft frown and how his warm brown eyes stared deeply into mine in search of any kind of hesitation or fear.

"Are you okay? ", said man asked me with worry laced in his voice.

I didn't know how to reply to him. Despite him being handsome, I was in no mood to try and flirt with some guy who I just met in a haunted village. First, my twin sister and I get left behind by our caretaker. Then, my sister turns out to be evil and is talking in a tongue that I don’t even know. Finally, I’m being hunted by ghosts who want me dead or even worse, want to make me a spirit. Yet he wants to know if I’m okay?

"Hello ", he called for my attention while waving his hand in front of my face.  "Are you okay? ", he asked.

Finally finding my voice, I responded in an enraged tone, "Okay? I'M BEING HUNTED BY DAMN GHOSTS AND YOU WANT TO KNOW IF I'M OKAY?! ".

He quickly covered my mouth with his hand. " Sh ", he whispered quietly before looking behind him and then ahead of himself. I would have licked his hand had he not spoken before I had the chance to.

"Ghosts are chasing you? ", he asked while slowly moving his hand away from my mouth. He looked cautious now. Maybe he’s also being hunted by ghosts. Glad to know I’m not alone in that boat.

Still, I glared annoyingly at him. "Are you deaf? That is what I just said ", I told him with an attitude I’ve been known to have since I was a child.

He held his hand up in defense. "Well, no need to be so harsh ", he said to me with a small grin on his face. He thought this is some kind of game? What a weirdo.

I sighed deeply and leaned against the stone wall. "Sorry... ", I whispered my apology quietly because as much as I  didn’t want to apologize to this guy, I’m going to need his help, " But, my sister is missing and I need to find her ".

The man nodded and smiled warmly at me. "I will help you, my name is Seiku Masu ", he said.

I was hesitant to trust him. I had not seen any other human being besides myself and Nana since we arrived. Then, this random, rather good looking, guy comes out of nowhere as a human being. I silently hoped that this isn’t like the ghost man named Yuu. Tricking me into believing that I found another human being only to turn out to be a ghost in disguise.

"Nina Yamaguchi... ", I reluctantly introduced myself.

Seiku nodded and then began walking towards the stone door passage way. ”Come along then ", he ushered for me to follow him.

My eyes widen in horror when I saw him making a move to pull open the stone doors. I knew that he couldn’t be trusted! He’s going to get us murdered by a bunch of ghosts! He’s probably one of them himself! I’ve just screwed myself over and there’s no way out of it. Wait… but if he is a ghost, then how is he walking around down here. I heard those ghosts say that they couldn’t be anywhere near their bodies or they would no longer exist.

"No! Wait! ", I called in a whisper, quickly running over to him and grabbed onto his arm. With every breath I had, I attempted to warn him about the ghosts that I had seen earlier on, “I saw three ghosts out there earlier! ".

Something in his eyes flashed and he looked amused at my worried face. Nonetheless, he pulled the door open and I hesitantly tilted my head to the side and looked out. My eyes widen in shock and utter humiliation, no one was there. All I could see was an empty and darkened alleyway, not a single ghost in sight.