Ghost Stories:Shiryo Village *Editing*

Chapter 7

Seiku blinked his eyes for a couple of moments before walking towards me. With a gentle touch, he cupped my right cheek and stared into my eyes. Melancholy took over his vision. His caresses became softer, gentler, terrified of breaking me. He treated me with more precious desire than porcelain collectables.

"Lana... ", he whispers quietly in a loving manner, using his thumb to gently stroke my cheek.

I quickly shook my head and pulled away from him. "Who is Lana?! ", I shouted, rage beginning to boil deep within me. These unknown feelings began to fuel my anger and I blame it all on him. It’s his fault that I’m reacting this way.

Seiku seemed dazed before he shook his head. "Nina, what happened? ", he asked in a quiet voice.

I gave him an accusing look. I couldn't even begin to explain why I feel so betrayed. Something inside of me just snapped. "You called me Lana. Who is Lana? ", I asked. God did I feel like some overprotective girlfriend.

He shrugged. "I have no idea ", he replied and then looked around, trying to figure out where he was, "Where is your sister? ".

I looked to the window at the large honorary building structure. "Waiting for me in the temple, she expects me to complete the ceremony with her ", I answered plainly.

Seiku turned me around and held me by my arms with a gentle grasp. "Nina, be smart about this. Let’s just get out of here ", he said in a pleading tone.

I glared at him, all that anger and frustration I felt earlier came right back. The amount of rage built up in my chest coaxing me to attack Seiku, to end him for even suggesting such an idea. "I can't leave without Nana! She needs me!", I screamed at him.

"Your sister is on the side of the ghosts! You said so yourself! ", he shouted back with fire, his grip tightening on my arms.

I flinched at the pain surging through my arms. I could already feel the bruises forming. "Seiku, stop! You're hurting me! ", I screeched in agony and the tears wouldn’t stop flowing down my cheeks.

Seiku instantly released me and took a couple of steps back, breathing heavily with eyes wide with remorse and regret. Worry washed over his face while he stared at me. His gaze turned to his hands before shooting back at me and then down to his hands. Everything seemed like a shock to him.

I pulled my sleeves up and looked at the forming bruise on my arms. The place where Seiku had held my arms was beginning to become discolored. Purple and a murky green mixed together in a form of handprints.

He gave me a sorrowful look of regret. "Nina, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me ", he apologized as he tried to take a step forward but I took another step back.

"Get away from me ", I growled with my tears cascading down my cheeks. I didn’t feel my makeup running as the hot tears clawed at my makeup.

Seiku took another step forward, but was suddenly held back by a group of masked ghosts. They gripped firmly onto his arms and torso.  They didn’t speak, didn’t command him to stop struggle. It would have been pointless either way.

A black mist entered the room through the door way, shrouding the room in an eternal freeze. The oath of the mist was like a trail, moving from left to right, maneuvering around the room. Lara appeared out of the black mist with such poise and mystery that it entranced my entire attention. Like a gazelle, she gracefully moved past Seiku and the masked ghosts. She walked behind me and her cold, transparent fingers were gently placed onto my shoulders.

"You should listen to her, boy ",Lara informs Seiku with a smirk on her face. That smirk, one of true victory.

I look over my shoulder at her. She is still half human and half ghost. Hauntingly beautiful. I turn my gaze back onto Seiku, who is struggling to get out of the masked ghosts' grips. He is desperately attempting to break free, going as far as contorting his body in different angles. His eyes catch mine and time slows for a second before he swings his head to look at Lara, venom in every word.