Lexa: Pèñtâgráms Øf Hystèrîá

11 - Hanako San, we have your pizza

As Lexa and Camila crawled out from underneath the bed, Lexa noticed Camila beginning to look transparent, as if she was fading.

"Camila, is that normal?" Asked Lexa.

"I'm going back soon. There is not much time left for me, I have to return eventually." Camila took off Lexa's hoodie and gave it back to her. Because of her wings, there were now two tears in the back of it. "Sorry about your hoodie. You can just stitch it together right?"

"Yeah, don't worry it." Lexa put the hoodie on. Her long brown hair covered up the holes.

"Lexa, we seriously need to think of what to do with Arrith. This demon is... Is... Well, crazy! Ophiel couldn't beat her and I couldn't beat her either. Clearly using angels isn't a very effective method of getting rid of demons."

"So what should we use then? Fairies!?"

Camila was now even more transparent.

"Listen, use literally anything powerful. Clearly knifes, squirt guns, salt and even angels aren't strong enough to defeat her. You need to find something else." Camila was now barely visible. "say hi to Lila for me!" Camila disappeared.

"Something else? What's more powerful than a demon?"

When school started the next day, Lexa decided not to tell Lila or Azura about Camila. They most likely wouldn't believe it.

But on the other hand, Lexa did ask Azura for ideas on how to defeat Arrith once and for all.

"I recently read about- um never mind. It's just a stupid game that kids play to scare themselves. Forget I said anything." Said Azura.

"No, tell me! After all, it's better to have a few crappy ideas than no ideas at all!" Lexa said.

"I've recently heard of this Japanese urban legend known as 'Hanako-San'. She's a um... ghost."

"That's great! Now how do we talk to her?"

"We have to go to the toilet on the third floor and knock on the third stall three times."

"Woah, that's a lot of threes," said Lexa.

"Yeah, I don't know why," said Azura.

"Wait, why is the ghost in the toilet?" Asked Lexa.

"Don't know, Japanese people have this strange obsession with ghosts being in toilets."

Lexa and Azura went up to the third floor of the school. It was still early so they didn't have to go to class yet. There were not that many students in the school since it was so early so the toilet was empty.

"Do I just like, ask her to come out of the toilet or?"

"You're supposed to say 'koko ni imasu ka, Hanako-san' after you knock three times on the third stall. Then she should say 'I'm here'. Then you just go into the stall." Azura explained.

"Say what?"

"Koko ni imasu ka, Hanako-San"

"What does it even mean!?"

"It means 'are you there Hanako-san?"

"Um, I'll just say it in English."

Lexa walked up to the fifth stall. She knocked four times. "Hanako, we have yo pizza, are you der?"

"Lexa," Azura began, "that is the fifth stall. And you knocked... Um... Four times..."

Lexa stepped back and counted the stalls. "oh..."

"Okay, try again on this one." Azura pointed to the third stall.

Lexa was about to knock. They heard a girl's voice, about the same age as theirs, say quietly, "I'm here."

The voice came from the fifth stall and it was in a very slight Japanese accent. Not that noticeable but never less it was there.

Lexa turned to Azura. "Do I go in there now?" Lexa whispered very quietly.

"Well nah. f@cking baka," the girl said to herself silently but just loudly enough for Lexa and Azura to hear.

Lexa slowly walked up to the stall but hesitated. "Nope, bye." Lexa was about to leave the toilet when suddenly...

"Some. BODY ONCE TOLD ME!!"
The girl yelled in a Japanese accent as she kicked the toilet stall open.

Lexa turned to see a girl, about Azura's height, wearing typical schoolgirl clothes. She was wearing a red skirt and red shoes. Her short, bobbed hair was a very dark black whilst her pale skin was a shade of white. She was on her knees, laughing hysterically at her own little joke.

Azura stood in silence, figuring out what to do next.

Lexa walked up to who appeared to be Hanako-San. "You're Hanako-San right?"

Hanako-San stood up. "No, I'm a giraffe." She rolled her eyes and then floated in midair.

"Are you a ghost?" Lexa asked.

"I've got pale skin, my eyes are red and I'm currently floating. no I'm a f@cking human."

"How come you know how to speak English?" Asked Lexa.

"Because the author was too lazy to translate my dialogue into Japane- I mean, um, I had English lessons in school whilst I was still alive," replied Hanako.

"Okay, one last question," said Lexa.

Hanako sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, go on."

"How did you die?"

Hanako suddenly blushed and twiddled her fingers. "I um... Tripped over my feet and fell down the stairs in my school..."

"We need your help Hanako-San," interrupted Azura.

"Call me Hanako," said Hanako. She tilted her head. "And what could I help you with?"

"We need you to go beat the crap up out of a demon!" Shouted Lexa.

"What Lexa is trying to say is that we need to defeat a demon. We need you to get rid of it or at least give us some advice. Since you are a ghost after all and you should know about these things."

Hanako shook her head, "sorry but there is nothing I can do. I am just a ghost. Though I wouldn't mind helping you I really doubt that I can."

"Come on! Anything?" Asked Azura.

Hanako looked to the side and then back at Azura. " I do have this."  Hanako gave Azura a rosary that was hanging around her neck underneath her shirt. It was made out of dark red beads and the cross was a dark red colour too.

Azura gave it to Lexa. "I don't think that the red colour will suit my blue clothes."

"Okay... Ruby," Lexa laughed. She put on the rosary and hid it underneath her shirt.

"I don't think that it will be much help, but it might be useful," explained Hanako. She floated downwards and went back to the ground. She walked towards the third stall.

"Can we summon you again?" Asked Lexa.

"I really don't like visitors. Summon me again and I swear I'll kill you. I was only nice to you since I felt like being kind today. Not sure why," replied Hanako. She went into the stall and closed the door; she disappeared.