The Power of Ghost Sweepers

A leaf blew against the wind and twirled in the air. The wind was howling. Mr Eric clasped his jacket and pulled still. It was a lucky sunshine windy day. With hands holding a paper, he placed it on the ring of an incomplete circle. He had only finished two-thirds of it. It could have been faster if his researcher fellow was here.

"Mr. Eric!" I banged open the rooftop door and shouted. There were multiple white rectangular papers with black symbols on the ground and the back of the rooftop door. Are those talisman papers which the ghost sweeper uses to exorcise ghosts? That's remarkable.

"Alfie! I'm so glad you are here. Are you guys, ok?"

"Yes. This is Kevin. The host of Bloody."

Kevin stepped back, scratching his neck, it was his first time seeing a ghost sweeper.

"Err....hi, I'm Kevin. I'm sorry I made such a mess," he apologized.

"There is no need to apologize to me. You know what you did, right?"

"I know. I need to apologize to everyone at school. I'm the one who is causing this situation. I'm so sorry."

"No. You're wrong. You don't need to apologize. But you need to know, even you try to seek to revenge, the blade will just strike back right through your heart."

"..........yes, I understand." Kevin hesitated, he knew he would scold badly.

"Don't be mistaken, Kevin. I am not here to scold for what you have done,I am here to exorcise the ghost you are being possessed on. To be frank, I won't say you did nothing wrong but to play fair, not everything is your fault. It's not you who started this, you are being instigated by that Gimmel rank ghost, Bloody."

".........I'm sorry."

"Raise your head, Kevin. Look at me. If you feel guilty about all of this, admit your mistake, stand still and keep on walking. And eventually you will find out this will only be a terminal stop of your long journey."

"Don't be trapped by a single mistake, aren't you a boy?"

"You're right. Is there anything I can do?" Kevin asked.

"Oh yes, hurry up and help me with these talisman papers. I need to form a circle with twenty-four of them. You guys will be my researchers!"

"Researchers? What do you mean?"

"There's no time to explain. Come on!" Hearing Mr. Eric, I snatched one of the white papers from a bag and placed them one by one. The clock was ticking. There was not even a second to waste.

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

The door banged again. I picked up my ears. The metal door got crushed by an invisible force and got dented and crumbled into the size of holes. I knew it. They were coming.

"Mr. Eric! It's Bloody!"

"Stay back!" Mr. Eric lifted up his hands and gripped his talisman papers. The white papers on the door loosened and the corners got torn apart slightly. The howling wind blew straight at them and they were gusting and rolling to the clouds, shredding the symbols into campfire ashes. The enchantment of shield vanished. A straight path of danger.

BANG!

The door got dented even more. The handle was being smashed out and the door eventually collapsed. Massive hands darted like a fizzing arrow, luring and keen to manslaughter a beloved treasure. They surrounded the way to escape. I gazed back, there was nowhere to go. The hands pounced towards us directly.

"MR. ERIC, WATCH YOUR BACK!!" A cunning hand zigzagged its way and crept under Mr. Eric's shoes and dragged his arm and leg. They pulled him tightly as if it was a lethal serpent.

"Dispel!" Mr. Eric pushed a piece of talisman paper into the black hands. The dark symbols shone in bright light and the hands disappeared in the middle of the air.

Coming behind a blast of illumination, the crowd of hands didn't seem to stand down and surrender. They waved up high and swung near on the left of the waist. The other hands formed a fist and punched straight at Mr. Eric's stomach.

"One Chain, Guard!" A vision of twin symbols appeared suddenly at Mr. Eric's body, spreading out imaginary chains moving like two squarish kites. The symbols sparked in lights of amber. Some of the hands hit the enchantment and bounced back. A man fighting against a bunch of ghosts, it would perhaps sound in desperate. But there was no fear in his eyes. He was used to this situation already.

"Dispel!" Another set of papers flew and stuck in the palm of the hands who were climbing past the ground floor. The hands shrieked in fright, wobbling around, and transformed into speck of dust.

More black hands slithered right close and scratched at Mr. Eric shoulder. Mr. Eric dodged right and threw another set of talisman papers.

"Dispel! Dispel!" Despite being surrounded by ghosts, the senior ghost sweeper didn't fall back behind. It was skill and experience, without a single wound. The black hands were mildly irritated into fuming mad. With a face contorted with rage, the clenched fist and nails sharpened, forming a circle cage, and leaped over.

"As the east wind retreats, as the north arrives, the west turns and the south returns. May the wind be my compass and guide my spring. The heaven bells will finally ring."

"Four Chains, Sixteen Locks, Flare!" Instantly, four fox fire balls materialized from the zones of symbols from four directions. The fire hit one of the hands and the hand ignited immediately, burning from inferno flames. The fire spread and reached other hands. They burst out from the fire and exploded, turning into ashes.

"Come, White!" A soft ringing sound jingled and dinged. Two round bells tied on a rope uttered a simple toll. A beautiful white sword appeared in the atmosphere.

"Exorcist Sword Wielding, Dispel!" Mr. Eric grabbed it and sliced the air. In a flash, the hands got sliced like the dusk horizon above the grand sea.

"WOW. That's amazing!" I exclaimed. Mr. Eric is truly a ghost sweeper.

"What are you doing, Alfie! Quick! Finish placing down the talisman papers!"

"Emm......sorry!" I apologized. There wasn't any time to watch the battle.I need to finish the circle of talisman papers. I gazed at the bag of papers nearby. Kevin was almost done. I only needed three left. I quickly took three from the bag and put one on the ground. The symbols on the paper beamed a little. It was close to finishing.

Only two left.

Out of blue, a black hand sneaked from my back and snatched my arm.

"Ahhhhh!" I yelped. The hand squeezed my wrist and pulled me back. I struggled to resist, tugging my body away from the black hand. They were hefty as ever. I swung my arm to grabble to escape. The black hand didn't seem to bother. As if it was teasing at my vulnerability, it dragged me more intensively. Coming along, another black hand seized my other arm and bent my elbow. My arm twisted in a weird angle,the pain tortured me to hell.

"Mr. Eric! Help!!!" I yelled for aid. I was far from a man of muscular.

"ALFIE!" Both Kevin and Mr. Eric shouted.

"Dispel!" Mr. Eric threw two talisman papers at the black hands grabbing me. Another two hands emerged straight at the papers and blocked the attack. Cooperating together, more hands aimed at me and grasped my arms and legs. They lifted me high up in the air and glared at me mercilessly. I clutched my teeth and stretched out my arms and legs, waving them left and right, desiring to flee from this dreadful ending. Ranging in, one of the hands formed a fist and punched me in the stomach. The instant pain smashed my nerves. I immediately coughed and spat out saliva.

"I got you."

A familiar voice rang aside my ears. Twin scarlet ribbon fluttered in the air and danced around. The dual ponytails glided and slipped past the tower of clouds. Claret butterflies shimmered as the ruby eyes beamed. Bloody floated in the middle of the wild air.

"Do you really think you can escape from me?" Bloody giggled. She appeared out from nowhere.

"Bloody?!!" I shouted. How can this be possible? Jay is fighting against Bloody. How did she get here?

"Where's Jay?" I asked impatiently.

"Who knows? Maybe he got killed."

"BLOODY!!!" I yelled. My worst nightmare approached.

Jay!

Jay!

This can't be happening! Where are you? WHERE ARE YOU?!!

I searched around. There was no sound of him. There wouldn't be any dead body left for ghosts. Did he really vanish?

"Alfie! Calm down! Bloody is just playing with you in words. Remember! Ghosts can't be destroyed unless the source of their Wakan disappeared. As long as the host, you lives, Jay can't be killed!" Mr. Eric shouted.

Mr. Eric is right. How can Jay be defeated by Bloody? He's gonna be ok. I need to calm down!

"Foolish child. How hateful. Why does the bond between you and that ghost is so strong? I'm jealous. Sometimes I wish Kevin can care more about me than using me like a tool for revenge. Such a pity."

"Stay away from Kevin! He doesn't need you anymore! It's not Kevin who is using you, it's you who are using Kevin!" I argued.

"Is it? Maybe that's so. Yet, isn't that what we, ghosts truly are? Our relationship with host is too much fragile, so changeable. In the end, we are just using each other. There are no bonds between ghosts and hosts, we just have the same interests. Are you using Jay too?"

"........what? Of course not! I'm not using him!"

"Who knows. You are desperate to have friends and families, right? Perhaps he is only a tool to save you from loneliness."

I bit my lips. I had to admit Bloody maybe right.

Jay is born from my wish not to be lonely. He is always there for me, whenever I cry or feel isolated. As long I was with him, I never feel lonely.

Our bond is like an unbreakable chain.

We rely on each other too much and too many.

I often ask him to stay in the house as I don't want him to be seen by others. So that he can be with me forever. Similarly, Jay feels the same. The times with Jay kept me away from my relationships with my classmates and friends. This is how this tragedy happened.

He maybe a ghost, still, the warmth and happiness he gives me is much more precious than any relationship.

This possessive relationship was like a deadly poison.

So sweet.....and irresistible.

I need him to cure my loneliness. He needs me for Wakan to live.

Our bond is much more stronger and poisonous than any hosts or ghosts.

"You're right, Bloody, I maybe using Jay. Yet, he never uses me. Our bond is far from what we called a normal relationship, still, it's not something you should step on."

"........."

".......hump. Ah.....ahh.....you words, so sweet and kind.......how hateful," Bloody sharpened her eyes and gave a stern look, "Everything you say, everything you speak, why can't I stand it? What you say are just words, nothing special. There is no bond between hosts and ghosts. Don't worry, even if you understand. I'll teach you......using my hands and arms. You will eventually figure out......what does it mean to feel despair!" Bloody waved her arm. Two hands punched me on the face. The threads and thorns got tangled together, piercing and stabbing my greatest fears. The air crackled with impact, sending a blast of pain and disorientation. The punches came again, and again. One following another. I choked and spat out saliva.

"Alfie!" Mr. Eric grabbed his talisman papers, "Argh. These black hands. They are blocking the way." The face of Mr. Eric's face turned blurry. White dots and circles surrounded me and blocked my view. The air was spinning. I began to lose consciousness.

Ah........how fragile I am. The punches and pain, they all feel the same just like the day I got being punched at school. I thought I had changed but I didn't, did I?

I was still that weak me.

That tiny little bookworm.

I always hate that nickname but I never really did anything to change that.

I'm so cowardly, shy and powerless. Always stick at a little corner, reading a book and stay quiet.

I always want to suicide but I never have the courage to do so.

Sometimes I wonder if I can be braver and stronger, will something change? Will I be able to speak up and have friend and become a better me. I don't know. I really don't know.

I wish I can change but I don't know how.

And eventually the cycle repeats.

That person is staying on his own again. Maybe he doesn't have any friends.

The rumors. The pain. How hateful.

But.............

Even though I am so weak, so fragile, I still want to change.

I wish I can be someone like Jay. So confident and strong. I wish I can be that someone who is always smiling and helping others. I wish I can stop crying and move on.

Although I don't know if I can do it, I have already decided to do so.

Therefore.........I won't lose again.

I won't........ever escape anymore.

I gripped the talisman paper. As if it was answering my call, the symbol sparked in white light. I gazed at the talisman paper. I knew what it was saying. I'm not sure whether I can do it.........but I need to try!

I grabbed the talisman paper tight, opened my mouth and shouted.

"DISPEL!!!!!!!!!!"