Surviving in a School of Ghost Stories-Chapter 97

The eve of the Night of the Dead.

I started moving around busily on Saturday morning and went to work at the café at the end of the town square.

The café was crazy from the morning.

It was the day when Mrs. Louis, the owner of the café, ambitiously prepared a new menu for the Night of the Dead.

Leonard arrived first and was preparing, then he saw me and waved at me.

“Why are you so late!”

I came an hour early.

I wanted to argue, but before I could, I was dragged by Leonard’s hand to put on an apron and prepare the menu.

Mrs. Louis’ new menu didn’t just consist of drinks. There were also desserts like cookies and cupcakes.

While I was concentrating on kneading cookie dough with Mrs. Louis, Leonard came over and handed me a basket full of candles.

“These candles are for sale.”

“Do you sell candles? At the café?”

“Today is the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) eve of the Night of the Dead. I think every store in town will be selling candles.”

“What does a candle mean?”

“Do you know why the Night of the Dead came about?”

When Leonard asked, I nodded, recalling what Raven had told me.

“I heard that it is a day to guide the lost and wandering dead to the ‘other world.’”

People didn’t really believe that the ‘other world’ existed. They just thought it was a legend.

“Yeah. This candle is the one that will guide the dead, and it is needed for the ceremony.”

“How is it used for the ceremony?”

“People will be carrying candles. They are blessed candles. The dead will try to avoid these candles, and we will guide them to the ‘other world.’”

“Where is the ‘other world’?”

“At the end of the village festival parade, there’s a cliff leading to the sea. There’s a seal made by Sister Gloria there.”

The seal made by Sister Gloria. I had a strong feeling that I had to go there.

Leonard continued to explain to me.

“Well. It’s just a superstition, but the villagers still believe that the seal will seal away ghosts. It’s ridiculous, but it’s fun.”

I felt it last time, but it was strange that they still reacted like that after experiencing so many ghost stories, but I guess this is a realistic reaction.

Aside from that, Leonard’s inherently strong spirit and courage also seem to play a part.

Leonard then told me some new news.

“Oh. And you know there’s a leadership meeting before the eve of the festival?”

“What? Isn’t that the busiest time?”

“The busiest thing is that we are helping out right now. When the festival starts later, Father Miella and a few villagers will come and help.”

Actually, the busiest thing is preparing dessert right now.

In addition, guests kept coming until the event started, so there was no end to the work to do.

When I brought a broom and swept away the fallen leaves in the front yard, ghosts came and blew wind to help me clean up.

“You! A commoner! Do you know who I am!”

When a guest who was being rude came, I hit the guest’s head with a cotton ball and made him complain of a headache, making him stop doing rude things.

“It’s amazing. I don’t know why strange things always happen around you at the right time.”

Leonard was amazed when he saw the scene from the side. I couldn’t say that the ghosts helped, so I just laughed.

Tingling-

Tingling-

The sound of the bell on the door kept ringing. There was a rumor that customers kept coming in.

“I came here because Hastings works here?”

“Is this the cafe where Hastings works part-time?”

“I came here because I heard I could see transfer students here, is there one?”

“I came to cheer for Tomelco.”

They were mostly students from St. Gloria Private School, and most of them came to see me.

Mrs. Louise was busy with a surprised face.

“This is the first time I’ve been this busy since the cafe opened. Hastings is a lucky student.”

Even though the wife was busy and struggling, she couldn’t hide her joy on her face.

Because so many students came, people were hanging around the street, gossiping, “Who is Hastings? Oh, that transfer student from the rumor?”

Honestly, I was so embarrassed, but since she was happy, I decided to just work hard and stay quiet.

After making the 40th drink in a row, I was standing there, exhausted and out of breath, when Leonard came over and put his hand on my forehead.

“You don’t have a fever. Are you very tired?”

He bent down and brought his face in front of mine.

Gray hair came into view. Then, when I looked down a little, my eyes met with golden eyes that sparkled like jewels.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“Yeah. I’m tired.”

After hearing the answer, he ran his large hand through my hair, relieved. Then he nodded to me.

“Wait, do you want to come here?”

Leonard took me to the staff room, opened the back door of the kitchen, and went out. Before I knew it, the sunset was setting. I looked at the sky with the deep afterimage of the sun, and then looked at Leonard.

“Why did you call me?”

“Rest here. Sometimes when I’m tired, I go here to find peace of mind. When I catch my breath alone, everything gets better.”

Leonard led me to a small bench at the back of the café.

A huge tree was growing next to the bench, so it looked as if the tree was embracing the bench.

In addition, the sunset was shining through the leaves on the bench, and it was very beautiful.

“Wow.”

I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

I didn’t know Leonard was such a romantic person. Well, he must be a romantic person, so he plays the piano.

I thought again that the students who nicknamed him “Ganard” were too much.

“Anyway, rest.”

Leonard patted my arm a couple of times to encourage me, and then went into the café first.

I sat on the bench blankly and looked up at the sky. The sky was peaceful, not knowing what was going on here.

No matter what happens on earth, the sky will always be so peaceful.

While I was looking at the sky with such sentimental thoughts, I noticed that the sun had risen a little more and came to my senses.

Before I knew it, the sky was turning purple. It had gotten a little darker. Once the sun had set and the sunset had faded, it had gotten darker quickly.

I cleaned up and got up from my seat. As I was about to return to the cafe, I suddenly saw a line of people and turned my head.

The bench I was sitting on had a view of the town’s market alley, and at the end of the alley, I could see a street with a lot of people passing by.

There were students in their school uniforms walking by without even lighting their candles. It was quite a long line.

What is that?

Come to think of it, today is Saturday. Most students at St. Gloria Private School don’t wear their school uniforms on weekends.

But I was curious why so many students were walking by in their school uniforms.

Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-

And the students passed by with unlit candles, making strange sounds.

It was almost like a spell to call something.

Just as I was thinking it was strange, one of the students in the line dropped the candle.

The candle rolled into the alley and stopped at my feet.

I stared at the candle quietly. The thought crossed my mind that I shouldn’t pick it up.

The eyes of the students in their uniforms were unfocused.

Isn’t something strange?

At that moment, the student who dropped the candle came toward me. And then he said to me.

“Please pick it up.”

I felt a cold sweat running down my back.

I shouldn’t answer, but it seemed like not answering would be a problem.

In the end, when I didn’t answer at all and just stared at the candle quietly,

Snap.

The strange sounds the students were making stopped. Then the procession stopped all at once.

The students all looked back at me at the same time. Their bodies were facing forward, but their heads were turned back.

After a while, the students all opened their mouths at the same time.

That person can see us.

I tried my best to pretend not to hear or see anything, but where did I go wrong?

I was panicking and took a step back when I closed my eyes once and opened them, but my vision changed.

The place I was was still the same, but there was no one on the street. It was pitch-black night.

The buildings on the street had all collapsed like old abandoned houses, and there was no sign of life.

I got goosebumps and felt an eerie atmosphere.

That was when.

I smelled human.

I heard a voice from somewhere, as if it was looking for me. It was clear that it wasn’t the voice of the student ghosts in front of me.

The unidentified thing looked around, as if it was looking for me.

The voice gradually got closer. My heartbeat quickened.

I looked around hurriedly.

I had to find a place to hide quickly.