Secrets of the Shrunken Ones

Chapter 10: Ghostbusting

“You know… Yoshida Ayumi asked me ghostbusting tomorrow”

Marie lowered her book to blink at his brother, who was doing some homework.

They’re doing that already? Sounds pretty fun…

“Can I come too?”

It was Conan’s turn to blink.

“I don’t see why not”, he shrugged.

Marie smiled and resumed her reading. It was one of those murder mysteries Conan liked. She had wanted to know what they were, so she read one and decided it was good. Not that she could figure out the murderer beforehand as his brother seemed to be doing.

“Is this your third today?”

She shrugged.

“I was bored. Ran-neechan didn’t let me do almost anything, because I’m still ‘recovering’”

Marie hadn’t been to school today, even though she said she was alright. Ran hadn’t let her. Conan chuckled.

“Must have been annoying”

“You tell me. She came to check on me every ten minutes”

“Wow. That’s a little… I don’t know… overboard?”

Ran took that moment to stick her head to the bedroom to see Marie lying on her back on the bed nose in the book and Conan doing homework sitting at the edge.

“Marie-chan? Do you need anything?”

“No thank you, Ran-neechan!”, Marie said cheerfully.

“Okay then”, she disappeared only to appear three seconds later, “Tell me if you start feeling bad”

“Okay!”

The door closed again leaving the two to the room in a long silence.

“How many times has she done that today?”, Conan asked turning to her sister.

Marie groaned and let the book drop on her eyes.

“I lost count at forty eight”

“...You’re kidding me”

The look Marie gave him told otherwise.

XXXX

“Okay everyone! Let me see what you brought!”, Kojima Genta commanded the little ghostbuster group before showing his own equipment.

“I brought my metal bat to bust the ghosts up!”, he declared.

“I brought snacks for when we’re hungry!”, Ayumi showed her bag.

“I brought flashlights for everyone and a compass so we won't get lost”, Mitsuhiko said showing the compass.

Everyone turned to Conan.

“I… uh…”, Conan looked for something before his eyes found it beside him, “Brought a crazy monkey!”, a false cheerful act and a pointed thumb to Marie’s direction.

The kids turned to the shortest and youngest of the group, who shot a glare at Conan. That disappeared quickly with her clinging to Conan’s arm and cheering.

“I brought my big brother!”, she exclaimed and you could almost see the flowers in her voice.

Mitsuhiko and Ayumi exchanged glances.

“Doesn’t that mean Conan is a monkey too?”, the boy asked.

Conan had an unimpressed look on his face as he glanced at his sister.