A Winter of Ghosts

Chapter Twelve

Even in her dreams, Kara couldn'tget warm. Her unconscious mind was filled with the sound of shattering glassand the high, keening wail of the wind. It sounded so much like a scream ofanguish.

From time to time her eyes wouldflutter blearily open and she would see the hospital room around her — thewhite curtain, the metal piping on the guardrail of the bed, the darksilhouette of someone passing by in the brightly lit corridor — and thenshe would surrender to the cold dreams again. Voices reached her, evenunconscious, but the words were impossible to decipher. She recognized them asJapanese, but her brain was too tired to translate.

Sometime during the night shewoke more fully, aware of a terrible weight on her, and she looked down to seethe heavy blanket over her. She still felt cold, but her skin was clammy and itpanicked her a little to be constricted like that. Still, she moved the partsof her body slowly, testing out her feet and ankles, her hands and wrists, herneck and even her spine. She ached all over and there were apparently stitchesin her arm where flying glass had cut her, but otherwise she seemed all right,certainly well enough to move.

As she sat up, turning theblanket down, a slender figure blocked much of the light from the hallway.

"Oh," the nurse saidin a small voice. She hurried into the room, which was lit with a gloomy yellowthat Kara understood was some kind of hospital nightlight. In the semi-dark,Kara could barely make out a stream of blue in the woman's shoulder-lengthhair, and still half-asleep she let out a small laugh.

"You are awake andlaughing?" the nurse said. "The doctor will be very happy."

Kara couldn't say anything. Ifshe did, she feared she would blurt out the source of her amusement, which wasthe streak of blue in the attractive young woman's hair. It had made her thinkof Nurse Joy on all of the old Pokemon episodes she and her friends had watchedwhen they were little. Or was it Officer Jenny with the blue hair? Not that itmattered.

"I'm cold," she toldthe nurse.

Immediately the woman nodded andtried to pull the blanket back up, but Kara shook her head.

"Not that, please? I'm coldinside more than out. Is there any way I could have some tea?"

The nurse looked doubtful. Sheglanced at the clock and only now did Kara see that it was almost two o'clockin the morning.

"Maybe something from thenurses' station?" Kara asked. "Anything hot, really."

The blue-streaked nurse pickedup her chart from the end of the bed and cocked it so that she could read it inthe light coming in from the hall. Apparently satisfied, she set it back down.

"I will see if there isanything that the doctor would not object to."

Kara gave a nod of her head, atiny bow, and the nurse retreated from the room. Only after she left did Kararemember the hundred questions she should have asked upon waking. Where wereher father and her friends? Were they all okay? How many people had died at theschool? She needed to see someone, talk to someone who could tell her what hadhappened.

But with the nurse gone, she layon her side and brought her knees up beneath her, trying to warm herself. Bitsand pieces of memory began to surface. The image seared across her mind was ofthose shark teeth plunged into her father's throat, but others warred for spacein her mind. Yuki-Onna's bottomless black eclipse eyes. Sakura hitting thewall, then slamming down on top of a cafeteria table. Ren being sucked out theshattered caf windows.

Kara shuddered, alone in thedark. She had to know they were all right. If she'd had some kind of telepathicpowers she could have reached out for them, found them with her thoughts andher worries.

Be all right, Dad. Be allright, Sakura, she thought. And then, Hachiro, are you out there?

But of course she received noanswer. She was no telepath, just an ordinary girl dragged through a hell ofextraordinary circumstances. Still she kept reaching out for them with herthoughts, and it occurred to her that she was praying.

By the time the nurse returned,she had slipped back into dreams.

. . Wake up. .

Something jostled her. Kara cameawake slowly, her eyes not quite open but still aware of activity in the roomaround her. Daylight filtered through her slitted eyelids and she heardfamiliar voices.

". . would want to bewoken," Miho was saying. "The doctor said she'd be okay."

"But he did not say weshould wake her," Miss Aritomo replied. "We have all been through aterrible ordeal. We are fortunate to be alive. You and I might be just fine,but the doctor said that Kara needs her rest."

"Aritomo-sensei, pleaselisten," Miho said, her patience obviously wearing thin. "Kara is oneof my best friends. I know her. Decisions are going to be made this morningthat concern her, and she would not want to sleep through them. She would wanta voice."

A flicker of a smile touchedKara's lips as she finally shed the groggy remnants of sleep. Both Yuuka andMiho were so concerned about her, she could not help but appreciate theirconcern. But Miho's pleas had her worried.

Miss Aritomo was notsurrendering. "Miho, Kara's father has made his wishes clear. She needssleep."

Kara tried to speak but hervoice came out in a rasp. As she cleared her throat, they both turned to lookat her, first in surprise and then delight.

"You're awake!" Mihosaid hopefully.

Miss Aritomo shot her afrustrated look, obviously blaming Miho for waking Kara, but then herexpression changed. Yuuka shifted from art teacher to her father's girlfriend,just happy to see Kara awake and apparently well.

"I think I've slept enough,"Kara said, sitting up and reaching for a pitcher of water on the tray table besidethe bed. She fumbled a moment before realizing that the fingers of her righthand were bandaged.

"I'll get that," Mihosaid, hurrying around the bed to pour her a glass of water.

They both studied her curiously,even eagerly, as she drank. When she had put the glass down and cleared herthroat again, she threw back the covers and looked down at her body.

"I'm all in one piece,right?" she asked.

Miss Aritomo nodded. "Youhave — " and she said a word Kara didn't know.

"What's that?" Karainterrupted.

Miho and Miss Aritomo looked atone another.

"When your skin or theflesh is frozen and dies?" Miho ventured.

Kara shivered, a wave of nauseapassing through her. "Frostbite?" she said in English. Then sherepeated the word Miss Aritomo had used for it in Japanese. "Frostbite. Ihave frostbite?"

"Just in your right hand,"Miho said quickly. "And the doctor says it isn't bad. They got the bloodmoving again. You're going to be all right."

A darkness closed around Kara'sheart as she flexed the fingers of her right hand and remembered holding on toRen's wrist, trying to keep Yuki-Onna from taking him away. She could still seethe fear in his eyes as the witch flew out into the snowy night, carrying himalong in the embrace of the storm.

"But Ren's gone," Karasaid.

"Yes," Miss Aritomoagreed. "Ren's gone."

"And without him we can'tfind Hachiro, or break the curse, and. . poor Ren."

"You don't know any of thatfor certain," Miho said.

Kara frowned. "Don't I?" She shook her head and then, remembering the melee in the dormitory, looked upat Miss Aritomo. "What about everyone else? Is my father all right? AndSakura? Are they all right?"

Ever since she had woken in themiddle of the night, a grim suspicion had weighed upon her but she had barelyrecognized its presence. The tone in Miss Aritomo's and Miho's voices duringtheir conversation had been full of dreadful acceptance, the tone of people whohad already suffered tragedy and simply did not want any more of it. All ofthis occurred to her only now, as they both hesitated to answer the question.

"Tell me," Kara said,crossing her hands over her chest and laying her head back on the pillow."Don't do this to me, Miho. Yuuka. Don't do this. Just tell me. Is myfather dead?"

The shock and alarm in MissAritomo's eyes made Kara sigh in relief even before the woman spoke.

"No, no, Kara. Your fatheris here as well. His room is at the other end of this corridor. The doctorintended to move you into his room today, once you were awake and feeling alittle better."

"And he's all right?"

Yuuka brushed a lock of hairaway from her delicate, pretty face. "He had frostbite as well. Worse thanyours. The doctors had to remove two of his toes and the little finger of hisleft hand. He has several broken ribs. Otherwise he is going to be all right. He'sbeen asking for you, but the doctor won't let him get out of bed. He's on painmedication and his ribs are much too tender."

Kara nodded slowly, taking thatin. Awful, but her father would survive. They would be all right.

"What about Sakura?"

Miss Aritomo glanced at Miho,who wore a thin smile, her face partially veiled by her long hair. Miho tookoff her glasses and opened her mouth to speak, and then her smile shattered. Herlower lip quivered and she began to cry.

"Oh, no," Kara said."Miho, come on. Don't. ." She looked at Miss Aritomo. "What'swrong with Sakura?"

Miss Aritomo put her arm aroundMiho for a moment, then broke away and came to sit on the edge of Kara's bed. Shetook Kara's undamaged hand in her own.

"Sakura is stillunconscious," the art teacher said. Her smile was kind, but Kara barelyregistered it. "Miho tells us that Sakura was thrown into a wall. Her headmust have hit the wall. There is damage to her skull and she had a number ofinternal injuries. The doctors have not. . they are not willing to makepredictions about Sakura's condition for at least another twenty-four hours,unless she wakes up before then."

Kara held Miss Aritomo's hand,but she threw her legs over the side of the bed and forced herself to stand.

"Wait, Kara. You cannot — "the teacher said, holding her arm.

"Yuuka," Kara said,more sharply than she'd intended. "I need to see her. I want to see myfather, talk to him. And then. . Sakura."

Just the thought that her friendmight never wake up sapped the strength from her, but Kara refused to sit backdown.

"I'll take you," Mihosaid.

"We should summon a nurse,"Miss Aritomo warned.

"I'm fine," Kara toldher.

She pulled on the hospital robeand followed Miho out into the hall. Her feet were bare and the tiles were verycold underfoot. The loose hospital clothes flapped around her, but she ignoredit all. Miss Aritomo followed, only pausing to explain their destination asthey passed the nurses' station. A grumbling nurse pursued them but seemed moreinterested in keeping an eye on Kara than on forcing her back to bed.

"It is this way," MissAritomo said, guiding them along a corridor that branched off to the left.

When they reached Kara's father'sroom, Miss Aritomo stood back to let her pass, and Kara preceded her throughthe door with Miho following close behind. There were two beds in the room, oneof them empty and awaiting Kara's arrival, except that the old monk, Kubo, satperched on the edge of the bed with the air of a little boy waiting patientlyuntil he could depart.

Kara glanced in surprise at themonk and then turned to her father, barely noticing the presence of the thirdman in the room, Mr. Yamato, who stood near the window, looking out at the grayskies — perhaps watching for any sign of snow.

"Honey, what are you doingwalking around?" her father asked, frowning. He glanced at Miss Aritomo.

"Don't blame Yuuka,"Kara said quickly. "She tried to get me to rest. But you know me betterthan that, Dad. I'm all right. And time is running out. It's. . it mayalready have run out."

Her voice cracked and sheclenched her jaws together a moment, refusing to cry.

"Last night was Hachiro'sthird night on Takigami Mountain. And she's got Ren again. Sakura is pretty badoff, I'm told. We've got to put a stop to this."

Kubo perked up, eyebrows archingas though he had something to say, but he glanced at Mr. Yamato and then atKara's father, awaiting some signal of approval that did not seem to beforthcoming. The old monk cocked his head to one side and continued his patientvigil.

"Kara. ." herfather began again.

She stared at him a moment,taking in the bandaged left hand, knowing when the bandages were removed hewould have one less finger. She couldn't see his feet, and perhaps that was forthe best.

He tried to sit up, and she wentto him.

"No, Dad. Your ribs,"she said, touching him gently on the shoulder, keeping him down.

"With respect, Harper-san,"Mr. Yamato said, "Kara is right. It might be better if she rested, but youare under strict instructions. Your ribs will not heal properly if you do notobey them."

Kara saw the frustration in herfather's eyes and she understood it. He was furious at being so powerless. Butshe also saw his eyelids droop with exhaustion and wondered how tired thepainkillers might be making him.

"Are you all right?" she asked, unable to erase the little girl she'd once been from her voice.

"I will be," herfather replied, gaze fixed upon her eyes. "As long as you are."

"I'm not," Kara saidquickly, turning to Mr. Yamato and Kubo. She gestured to Miho. "None of usare until this curse is over. It's killed so many people already. How many diedlast night?"

"Kara — " MissAritomo chided her.

"Four," Mr. Yamatoreplied grimly. "Seventeen were injured, some of them badly. Your friendWakana fell on the stairs. She broke her arm and suffered a concussion."

"I did not know that,"Miho said.

Miss Aritomo gave her asympathetic look. "You've been with Kara and Sakura all night."

Kara took a deep breath, glancedaround the room, and then looked at the old monk. "Ren was supposed tolead us to Yuki-Onna. Now she has him again. Is there any other way to findthem? To find her?"

Kubo steepled his hands in frontof him, almost as if he were praying. "If we go to Takigami Mountain, Imay be able to find her. Such power as hers leaves echoes in its wake."

"But what will we do then,Unsui?" Mr. Yamato asked. "Yuki-Onna will never let us take the boys."

"If I can find her, andthem, someone will have to lure her away to another part of the mountain. Iwill have wards for both boys. It will be difficult for her reclaim them if shecannot see them."

"How do we lure her away?" Miho asked.

Miss Aritomo shook her head."Not you, girls."?"Who better?" Kara asked, reachingup to finger the smooth stone that hung from the thong around her neck. "Shecan't see us. So, how do we lure her?"?Kubo nodded thoughtfully. Asyouthful as he often seemed, in that moment his eyes seemed very ancientindeed.

"There is a summoningspell. Though if she realizes that you are one of the cursed ones she seeks,you would be in terrible danger."

"I'll do it," Karasaid instantly.

"Kara, no!" her fathersaid, trying to sit up. He hissed in pain and Miss Aritomo helped lower himback to the mattress. Kara thought that his ribs must be pretty badly bustedup, and whatever the doctors were giving him, it wasn't enough.

"Dad, what choice do wehave?" Kara asked. "It's me or Miho. Unless Master Kubo has enough ofthese perfect stones to protect a bunch of police officers, too."

In his eyes she saw that heunderstood the logic, and that he hated it.

"The search on the mountainhas been suspended for the day," Mr. Yamato said. "Captain Nobunagahas most of his officers at the school, or talking to the parents of thestudents who were injured or. . or killed."

They all hesitated at thosewords, but only for a moment.

"I'll keep her safe, Rob,"Miss Aritomo said, clutching his uninjured hand.

Miho cleared her throat. "Withapologies, I believe we have forgotten an important element. I understand thatwe want to rescue Hachiro and Ren no matter what might happen after that, butif Kubo is to lift Kyuketsuki's curse, we will still need to persuade Ume tocome back to Miyazu City."

Kara let out a breath, wearinesscatching up to her. She had forgotten about Ume for a time.

Mr. Yamato turned to gaze outthe window. "Not to worry. Ume should be here shortly. She decided thatshe would rather come by choice than in police custody."

Mai sat on the tatami mat floorin her dorm room, leaning against her bed, and stared at Wakana's desk. Thegirl kept everything perfectly neat. Even the pen on the desk had been laiddown in a vertical line parallel to the edge of the desk.

Why did you try to help?she thought.

Moments after Mr. Harper hadleft the room in search of Kara, Wakana had insisted on following him. They hadall worked together to save each other from the Hannya, and she said she wouldnever forgive herself if she stayed safe in her room when something was out therehunting their friends.

Part of Mai wanted to argue thatthey were not friends with those girls, but she knew what Wakana meant. Theyshared a bond with Kara and the others; it might not be friendship in theday-to-day definition, but it meant something. Wakana had opened the door. Evenwith Miss Aritomo arguing with her that the best thing they could do foreveryone was to stay safe, Wakana had insisted, and so Mai and Miss Aritomo hadgone along with her.

The storm had buffeted them onthe stairs as they descended, and then Wakana had lost her footing. Now, alonein the room that they shared, Mai stared at her hand. She had reached out tograb Wakana, but her fingertips had just grazed the girl's sleeve. Even overthe roar of the wind, she had heard the crack of bone as Wakana's arm broke. ThenWakana had reached the landing between floors and hit her head.

Moments later, the storm hadsimply ended, wind dying, temperature in the building rising despite theshattered windows. But Wakana had not moved.

Mai had feared the worst. Fortunately,Wakana would be all right, but the same could not be said of Sora, or of thefour students who had died last night. In her walk to the bathroom to shower,Mai had heard weeping coming from behind many doors. She would have gone overto the hospital already this morning to be with Wakana, except that she waswaiting.

She dug her cell phone out ofher pocket and checked the time. Her anger, which had been simmering allmorning, began to rise. Waiting didn't suit her, but there was nothing shecould do about it.

Twenty minutes later, just asher patience was about to reach its end, a knock came upon the door. Mai jumpedup and ran to open it, swung the door inward, and there she was, standing inthe corridor, awaiting an invitation like some movie vampire.

"Ume," Mai said,unsmiling.

The girl had lost none of herpoise. She was tall and slender, her long hair perfect, her face like that of aporcelain doll. With a toss of her hair, she lifted her chin with her typicalsuperior air, and smiled as falsely as ever.

"Did you miss me?" Umeasked.

Mai laughed. The reactionstemmed from disbelief rather than amusement, but Ume was too shallow andself-serving to notice, for she stepped into the room and gave Mai aperfunctory hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"You managed to persuadeyour parents to let you take the car, I see," Mai said as she closed thedoor.

"It was not easy," Umereplied, glancing around the room. "But Mr. Yamato did not leave me muchchoice."

The girl — once queen ofthe soccer bitches and as imperious as ever — sat down on Wakana's bedand looked up expectantly.

"All right," Ume said,"here's what you're going to say."

"No," Mai said curtly.

Ume laughed, though she seemed abit unsure now. "I have not even told you, yet."

"You don't tell meanything. You don't go to this school anymore. I will not follow your lead andit shames me to know that I ever did. You were always cruel and small andpetty, but you are a murderer, as well. I have nothing but contempt for you."

Ume flinched. Her nostrilsflared and her eyes narrowed in fury.

"I didn't kill anyone,"she lied, rising from the bed. "And for someone who needs my help, youhave a strange way of showing it."

Ume started toward the door butMai blocked her way. Ume reached out as though to push her, and Mai slapped heracross the face. The sound echoed in the small room. Ume blinked in shock.

"My roommate. . myfriend, Wakana, is in the hospital. Sakura may not survive her injuries. Hachiroand Ren are missing. Sora is dead. Daisuke. . do you remember him? Probablynot, because he was quiet and not handsome and he was kind. Daisuke is dead,because of you. All of them, because of what you started. Jiro, who you claimto have loved, is dead because of you."

Ume's face reddened, and notonly where Mai had slapped her. Her gaze shifted around as though she soughtsome escape. Her lip quivered and she shook her head in adamant refusal of thetruth.

"That is ridiculous."

So Mai laid it all for her,everything that had happened, and what Kubo thought might be able to be done tobreak the curse.

"You may not have beencursed by Kyuketsuki," Mai said, "but you share the blame for all ofthis death. It's as if you planted some seed and evil grew from it. Youmurdered Akane Murakami, and you need to atone for that. You should confess,Ume. For the sake of your own soul.

"Everyone knows you'reguilty. I would wager that even your parents know, deep inside, that you killedAkane. You set it all in motion, and now it is time for you to do something — a very small thing — to help stop it."

Ume looked as though she mightcontinue to argue, but then she sagged backward, all the fight leaving her. Shetook several deep breaths, and then she stood a little straighter.

"I'll help. If it meansbreaking the curse and preventing others from dying, and this Master Kubo needsme at his ritual because I was there when Kyuketsuki was defeated, I will help.

"But I admit nothing."

Kara had expected Sakura to bein intensive care. Years of watching American television had prepared her forbreathing tubes and blinking machines, so she was surprised to find very littleof that apparatus when she entered Sakura's room.

"She's been like this sincelast night," Miho said, stepping up beside Kara.

They stood there a long moment,staring at their friend's unmoving form. An IV dripped fluid into Sakura's armand a single monitor beeped along with her heartbeat. Another — like asmall television screen — seemed to be measuring her body temperaturealong with her pulse. Her left arm was in a cast and where her pale bluehospital top had ridden up, bandages showed from underneath. The left side ofher face was bruised and swollen, but there were no stitches. Only the bruisesand bandages hinted at the trauma beneath. To someone who didn't know better,she looked as though she might wake up — in quite a bit of pain — anymoment. Kara wondered what her parents would do if she died. After Akane'smurder, Sakura had been all they had left and they had ignored her for a year. Noone should have to lose a child, but to have them both die. .

Miho took her hand and Kara heldon tight, squeezing.

"Kara?" Miss Aritomobegan. She knew the teacher was about to ask if she was okay, and she was verymuch not okay. But the time for thinking about herself had passed.

Kara stood up straighter,ignoring the aches and stiffness and the lingering chill in her bones. Shereached up with both hands — bandaged and not — and pushed her hairback out of her face. The hospital gown she wore gaped at the back and she wasgrateful for the robe, but she still felt exposed and vulnerable. She ignoredthe feeling, narrowing her focus down to only the tasks that were ahead ofthem.

"There's nothing we can dofor her here," she said, and let go of Miho's hand.

"But — " Mihobegan.

Kara turned to her. "She'sin the doctor's hands. The only thing we can do for is get Hachiro and Renback, get Ume here, and make sure Kubo lifts the curse, so when Sakura wakes upshe can have a normal life again."

Miho fixed her with a hard look.She wasn't ready to leave.

"I talked to her, lastnight," Miho said. "And this morning. And I talked to you as well."

Kara frowned. "What do youmean? I don't remember — "

"I wasn't sure if you weregoing to wake up," Miho said, her voice firm, despite the sorrow in hereyes. "The doctor said you would be all right, but I couldn't be sure. SoI talked to you. And to her."

Miho nodded at Sakura. Karalooked at the unconscious figure on the bed, saw her chest rising and falling witheach breath, and for a moment all of her defenses were stripped away. She hadbarely acknowledged that this was Sakura, a girl who had become more than afriend to her, almost a sister. The harsh cut of her hair had been softened bydisarray. All of her rebelliousness, her spirit, was gone.

She could die. Kara took thatin, brought it close to her heart as though holding it in her fists. Her motherhad died and the loss remained with her, hurting her every single day. Thehardest part of dealing with such loss was in looking to the future and knowingthat she would never see her mother again, never hear her voice or herinfectious laugh, never have another hug or do a weird, goofy little dance inthe kitchen the way they often had when some silly television commercial jinglegot stuck in their heads.

Sakura could be gone.

Kara did not dare sit on theedge of the bed, unsure how delicate her friend's condition might be. She knelton the floor and took Sakura's hand in hers.

"It's me, Kara," shesaid, voice softly, feeling faintly ridiculous and grateful that only Mihocould hear her. "I just. . I want you to know. ."

She hesitated. In an apparenteffort to give Kara privacy, Miho walked across the room and stood looking outthe window.

"I love you, Sakura,"Kara whispered. And then she said it louder. "You and Miho are the bestfriends I've ever had. I could not bear to lose you. And I won't. We won't. Ipromise you that we are going to fix this. . all of it. . and there willbe no more curses, no more demons, no more — "

"Ghosts," Miho said.

Kara started to nod inagreement, but then she frowned. Something was odd about the way Miho had saidthat. It hadn't sounded like she was being helpful, but more like she wasmaking an observation.

"Come over here," Mihosaid, her voice small.

As Kara stood, she watched Mihobend close to the window, peering out and squinting as though trying to makeout something at a great distance.

"Ghosts?" Kara echoed."Do you mean more than one?"

Miho stood back and gestured forher to look. The view showed the street in front of the hospital, a busy MiyazuCity avenue with cars, people on bicycles and on foot, and a man selling fruitfrom a small cart in front of a boarded up, abandoned shop across the road.

She saw Daisuke's ghost first,standing by the fruit seller, but he wasn't alone. There were at least a dozenothers, most of whom Kara did not recognize. Sora stood in the middle of theroad, and a little electric car carrying the implements of a street sweeperbuzzed right through him. The ghost did not even seem to notice.

"I see Jiro," Mihowhispered. "And Hana."

Kara had not known Jiro, but shesaw Hana as well, along with Chouku, another girl who had been a victim of theketsuki, the monster that Kyuketsuki had set loose upon the school.

"No one else sees them,"Miho said.

Kara nodded. She had noticedthat as well. People strolling or riding or driving by did not seem to registerthe presence of the ghosts. It confirmed what she had previously suspected,that only those already touched by the supernatural could see the ghosts.

"What do you think theywant?" Miho asked.

"I have no idea," Karasaid.

And that much was true. Butwhatever the ghosts did want, she thought it must be important for them all togather like this. She hoped that Kubo would have an answer, because she fearedthat if they could not figure it out, very soon they would all beghosts.