250 VOLT: RIDDLE #8: TOMOKO'S CURE

From inside the fog, immediately a chilly hand gripped the leg. His face seems prefer it’s not human. I attempted to shake his hand, however his grip bought stronger.

“Not!” I shouted, attempting to get up from the dream. “Noooooo!”

***

Twenty years in the past, at College Y (I simply gave the initials to keep up the status of my campus) I used to be a complicated pupil and by my professor and thesis supervisor, Professor Kuga, I used to be advised to go to Nara metropolis. I majored in historical past and as you realize, Nara was the primary capital metropolis of Japan lengthy earlier than Tokyo, so I used to be excited to go there. This might be my huge alternative, particularly since I am nonetheless confused in regards to the title of my thesis. At the moment I used to be not alone. I used to be ordered to accompany Tomoko, a brand new pupil, to do a survey there. At the moment, a mound was discovered which was considered an historical tomb from the sixth century AD when native residents had been constructing the inspiration of a home.

That evening, Tomoko and I had been ordered by Professor Kuga to lease a automotive and instantly drove to the excavation website of the tomb. The world continues to be a village surrounded by rice fields, even the streets are very darkish as a result of there aren’t any lights. That evening, solely the hanging fog accompanied our journey.

However aside from the 2 of us, nobody knew that our unique goal there was really fairly “evil”. At the moment our professor said that the invention of this tomb would make us well-known. Nevertheless, there’s additionally the likelihood that the tomb we discovered was simply an bizarre mound of earth that had completely no historic significance in any respect. So we had been instructed by our professor, that if we did not discover any archaeological stays there, then we should always bury an unique statue from the sixth century that our campus already had there, in order that the positioning could be thought of genuine. In different phrases, we had been despatched to falsify historical past.

After all that may be a fully unethical activity. However Professor Kuga is my thesis supervisor and I definitely do not need to upset him. To not point out if this discovery was lined within the press, we might be well-known anyway.

We arrived in the midst of the evening and armed with solely a flashlight, we tried to find the excavation website. Immediately, the bottom beneath us slid and Tomoko’s screams echoed by the darkish evening. Apparently the earlier evening heavy rains flushed the excavation website which induced the soil to turn out to be tender and landslide. Tomoko was immediately sucked into it.

At the moment I solely introduced a small shovel. I could not do something to assist him. I knew I may have referred to as the police and bought assist. However they have to be questioning, what are we doing right now of evening on the dig website. To not point out that the statue that we’re carrying might be proof that we need to forge artifacts. Plus, this is not the primary time Professor Kuga has advised me to do one thing like this.

The one factor I may do at that time was to name my professor and ask for his opinion.

“Rapidly depart that place and are available again right here.”

I used to be stunned by the professor’s chilly response. Apparently nobody knew that he despatched Tomoko and I right here. Solely the 2 of us know the place Tomoko is, so if she disappears, nobody will suspect us. I reluctantly adopted his directions. I am not a foul individual, however it’s important to perceive, if our lies had been uncovered to the media, I may be dropped from campus and nobody would need to rent me. In spite of everything, if you concentrate on it, there is no method Tomoko may survive the avalanche, so in any case, there’s nothing I can do to assist her proper?

Luck gave the impression to be on our facet. The subsequent day nobody requested about Tomoko. She is a quiet pupil and never many individuals know her properly. In actual fact, virtually everybody, together with his household, thought that he had run away due to stress and couldn’t survive the hardships of school. The excavation course of was stopped on account of refusal from native residents. So, nobody discovered Tomoko.

We’re protected, however the fact is, I have been having unusual desires of being chased by Tomoko virtually each evening since that incident. He screamed for assist, however I simply ran after which fell when immediately Tomoko’s chilly hand grabbed my leg. His pale face appeared from behind his black hair. Even within the dense fog that surrounded me, I may hear that he was blaming me for his loss of life.

Certainly, there’s something I have never advised you, that at the moment Tomoko and I had been really lovers.

The incident affected my psychology a lot that I lastly determined to drop out of school and get a job in a small firm. Although I lived a mediocre life, I ended up marrying one in all my co-workers’ pals and having a daughter. I attempt to act as informal as doable so nobody notices me. 17 years later I heard the information of Professor Kuga’s sudden loss of life of a coronary heart assault. It will probably’t be stated that it was sudden, as a result of he was already previous. However there’s one different information that additionally caught my consideration, even made me gripped once I noticed it on tv.

Within the metropolis of Nara, residents digging a brand new aqueduct discover a skeleton buried within the floor. Till then, nobody knew who the physique was. However deep down I knew that they’d discovered Tomoko. Is it a coincidence that the Professor’s loss of life coincided with the invention of Tomoko’s physique?

I did not assume a lot about it and went on with my life. My daughter had simply graduated from highschool and she or he insisted on finding out Japanese historical past on the college of her selection. I used to be very stunned and blissful on the identical time. I knew that he would proceed my dream of changing into a historian. However in my coronary heart I really feel unusual, why did he select that main? Does he learn about my previous? Not solely that, it’s going to quickly be the anniversary of Tomoko’s loss of life. I used to be afraid that on that day one thing would occur to me.

On the precise evening that Tomoko died, I used to be residence alone as a result of my spouse and daughter went to see the campus dormitory the place my son was going to varsity. However in the midst of the evening I awakened from my sleep and smelled smoke from inside my home. My home was apparently on fireplace. I instantly bought up from my mattress. I knew that I could not stand as a result of the poisonous fumes normally gathered above. So I then crawled to attempt to attain the exit in the lounge. The fireplace had reached the ceiling of my home and the temperature within the room was like a very popular sauna.

“Wait… please do not depart me…”

I heard the groan of a girl with a chilly hand immediately gripping my leg. I knew that it was Tomoko’s hand. Gosh, apparently he nonetheless hasn’t forgiven me and nonetheless needs revenge. He should need me to die on this home! I instantly waved the girl’s arm to launch her grip, however her hand was nonetheless very firmly gripping my ankle. Not solely that, my eyes are additionally very sore from being uncovered to smoke so I am unable to see clearly.

“Do not go… please…”

I cannot maintain it anymore! Lastly I took his hand after which threw him into the blazing fireplace. Then I managed to crawl out the place I instantly handed out on the grass in our yard.

The sound of sirens within the distance and the odor of disinfectant reaching my nostril woke me up. I spotted that I used to be mendacity on a mattress within the hospital. My eyes opened, however I used to be nonetheless having a tough time focusing my eyes. I seen that somebody was sitting beside my mattress. Additionally heard the sound of two individuals speaking, one is my spouse’s voice.

“We got here again to choose up what we had left behind. however once we turned on the sunshine immediately a brief circuit occurred. I managed to flee nevertheless…”

What do you imply? What are you saying? Are you in the home? However once more my head felt dizzy and I handed out.

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