The Last Bell

This is a continuation of books 1, The Haunted Shrine and 5, Time Slip Trouble, using the same characters and setting. Previously, in book 1, Ren and his friends went to the shrine and met the priest. In book 5, Ren and his friends travelled through time to the late Edo era and helped a boy deliver a message.

"Why are we here so late?" Ren asked. "It's eleven at night, and I'm freezing." Ren hugged himself as they walked up the stairs. He made a fist and blew into his hands. The night stars twinkled in the cold air, and the moon was bright in the sky.

"Hatsumode is one of the best times of the year. When the New Year starts, it's good luck to be one of the first people to throw coins into the offering box," said Hana. She was wearing a thick down coat and a scarf. "You should have worn a warmer coat."

"I did," said Ren. He pulled his coat tighter around himself. "I'm also wearing a sweater."

Momo ate some dango. "I want to get an omikuji lucky charm. I've made it to the finals of the idol competition next week. I need all the luck I can get," she said.

"You shouldn't eat and walk, Momo," said Hana. "It's bad manners."

"This is the one night of the year that it's okay to eat and walk," said Momo. "They even have garbage cans out."

Sora shivered behind them. "Why are we coming back here? Last time, we travelled through time. Something bad is going to happen."

"Are you sure about that, Sora?" asked Momo. "It felt like a dream."

"I'm sure!" said Sora.

"Sora's right. This place is strange," said Ren. "This time, I want to find out more secrets. I wish it weren't this cold, though."

A bell rang out.

At the top of the stairs, a long line of people were waiting to go into the shrine. Everyone was wearing warm clothing. Lanterns were lit along the side of the stairs, and the top of the shrine was as bright as day.

One girl stood to the side. She was wearing an old winter kimono. There was a piece of wood in her sleeve.

"Are you all right?" Hana asked.

"I'm looking for my brother, Kyo," she said. "He was going to meet me here."

"Do you want to come inside the shrine?" asked Momo.

She shook her head. "No. I must wait for him."

Sora pushed the other three away from the girl. "She wants to wait. Let's go inside."

"What are you doing, Sora?" Ren asked.

"There's something about her that I don't like." Sora shivered.

A loud bell rang out.

"That's the second time I've heard the bell. What is it?" asked Ren.

"The Joya no Kane," said Hana. "They ring the bells 108 times to celebrate. It clears away the problems of the old year."

"Why are there food sellers up here?" asked Ren. "I thought they were all at the bottom."

"People get hungry up here, too," said Momo. She went to a crepe stand. Sora followed her.

"Come on, we have to wash our hands," said Hana. "Do you remember what to do?"

Ren sighed. "Of course I remember."

They went to the fountain and washed their hands. When they finished, Hana cupped some water in her hands and took a drink. She swished it and spat it out. "You try it, Ren," she said.

"Huh?" Ren stuck out his tongue, but copied Hana and rinsed out his mouth. "We didn't do that the last time."

"This time is special," said Hana.

Momo and Sora joined him and washed their hands. "Let's get an omikuji before the bells finish," Momo said. "I want a daikichi."

"Daikichi?" Ren asked.

"It means great luck," said a voice in the darkness. "Welcome back to the shrine." A priest stepped from behind the well. He was wearing a long, pale green robe and holding a tall, black hat. The bells continued to ring out.

Sora jumped. "You! Where did you come from?"

"My office. I saw you four arrive. I need your help," the priest said. He crossed his arms.

Ren pushed his way in front of Sora. "Who are you? What do you want with us?" he asked.

"I'm the priest of this shrine. It's my job to make sure everything is running smoothly," he said.

"What does that have to do with us?" asked Ren.

"You four have been in the center of several strange events," said the priest. "First, you found the rabbit statue that was hidden away. Then you travelled back to the Edo period to help that boy."

"I knew something was strange about her!" shouted Sora. "How did you know about that?"

"Be quiet, Sora," Hana said. "He's not finished yet."

"I can explain everything in time." The priest smiled. "Now that you've met Shinobu, things will be easier."

"Shinobu?" Ren, Momo and Hana said at the same time. Sora turned around and pointed back to the entrance.

"The girl in the kimono! I knew she was strange," Sora said. "Is she a ghost?" He started to shake.

Momo hugged him. "Take a deep breath. She won't hurt us, will she?" Momo asked the priest.

"No. She is quite harmless. New Year's Eve is a time of wonder. Our world and the next world become closer. Every year for the last hundred years, she appears at the first bell. She waits at the entrance and never speaks to anybody. When the bells finish ringing, she vanishes," said the priest.

"She said she was waiting for her brother," said Ren.

The priest clapped his hands. "She spoke to you! That's wonderful. And she's looking for her brother. That explains a lot. Maybe you'll be the ones who can help her," the priest said, putting on his black hat.

"US!" the four said at the same time.

"I tried many times, but failed. She has talked to you. Maybe you can find out what she wants," the priest said.

"But how?" asked Hana. "I don't know what to do."

"Your friend has already started." The priest pointed back to the entrance. Momo was talking to the ghost, offering her a fish-shaped pastry.

"Where did she get that taiyaki?" Sora slapped his head. "Come on!"

The three ran back to the entrance.

"Momo, what are you doing?" asked Sora.

Momo put her hand on the ghost's head. "This is Shinobu. She's been waiting for her brother, but he's late." Momo turned to Shinobu. "Would you like some taiyaki?"

Shinobu shook her head. She wiped her cheeks. "It smells delicious. New Year's is the only time of year I get to eat taiyaki, but no. I want to share some with my brother."

"Why is your brother late?" Hana asked.

"He is a messenger for the city lord," said Shinobu. "I don't get to see him much. He's very busy. He has to deliver messages to many people this evening."

The bells continued to ring.

Ren's voice cracked. "A messenger? Did he ever lose a message?"

Hana spun to face Ren. Her eyes grew wide. Her fingers twitched as she counted in the air.

Shinobu clapped her hands. "Oh, yes. One time, he dropped a very important message to the city lord about building this shrine. Some kind strangers helped him find it."

Sora shook harder. Hana opened and closed her mouth. Ren smiled.

Momo broke the taiyaki in two and handed Shinobu a piece. "Your brother said he was going to be late. He asked us to meet you."

Shinobu gasped and tried to take the taiyaki. It fell to the ground. "Sorry." Her face turned dark for a moment, then she smiled. "He did! That's great." She stepped back. "Who are you?"

"We're the ones who helped him find his message," said Ren.

Shinobu clapped her hands and bowed. "That was you? Thank you very much for all your help."

"Is this your first time here?" Hana's voice squeaked. She shook her head and repeated her question.

"Oh yes. They just finished building it. We promised to meet here to celebrate the New Year together. This is my last chance." The wind grew a little stronger.

Hana, Sora and Ren huddled together away from Shinobu and Momo.

"She must be a ghost," said Hana. "Maybe she's the sister of the boy we helped, but there's no way she could meet him. That was too long ago. What do we do?"

"We have to get out of here," said Sora. "She could hurt us!"

"She hasn't done anything yet." Ren looked at her and made a decision. "She said this was her last chance. What does that mean?"

Hana shrugged. "We travelled over a hundred and fifty years into the past last time. The priest said she's tied to the bells. Maybe that has something to do with it?"

Sora shook his head. "Don't you know about ghosts? They can't move on because they are stuck here. I won't run away, but we have to find the problem."

"She wants to meet her brother," said Hana. "Maybe we can help?"

"Momo, do you still want to get an omikuji?" asked Ren.

"Yes. I need all the luck I can get. Why?" asked Momo.

Ren looked at the two. "Shinobu, do you want to come with us? Maybe get one for your brother?"

"Can I?" asked Shinobu. "This is my first time at such a big shrine. I don't know what to do."

"We've already washed our hands," said Hana. "Do you need any help there?"

"That part's okay," said Shinobu.

"We'll go with you," said Ren.

The bells continued to ring.

"How many rings is that?" asked Sora.

Hana looked at her watch. "Oh no! It's eleven thirty. The bells usually finish just after midnight. We've only got about thirty minutes left."

"Let's hurry," said Momo.

Sora moved away from the other three.

"Come on, Sora. We'll need your help," said Ren.

"But that's a ghost," Sora said. "She's dangerous! She needs to move on!"

"Does she look dangerous?" Ren asked.

"No, but…" Sora bit his fingernails.

The five went to the shrine office. The miko sitting behind the glass smiled.

"How can I help you?" she asked.

"Can we have five omikuji?" asked Hana.

"Sure. That will be one thousand yen." She handed Hana a big bamboo tube.

"What's that?" Ren pointed to a large tube.

"We shake it, and a stick pops out of the hole on the top. The number on the stick tells us which lucky fortune to take," said Hana. She shook the tube.

"Seventeen. Your turn, Momo." Hana handed it to Momo.

"Six. My favourite number." Momo handed it to Sora.

"Four! Great, why do they have such a bad luck number here?" Sora said.

"Really?" said Ren. "Thirteen is bad luck back in London."

"Here it's four and sometimes nine," said Sora.

"Why is that?" Ren asked.

Hana pointed to the kanji on the sticks. "Well, the word for four sounds like death and the word for nine can sound like pain."

Ren handed the tube to Shinobu. "Why don't you try?"

"Thank you," said Shinobu. She shook the tube, and a number popped out. "Twenty-three."

"My turn." Ren shook the tube and got the number nine.

"Yours is also bad luck," said Sora. "Come on. Let's get our fortunes."

The five went to a small wall next to the shrine office. There was a cabinet with many small doors on it. They opened the tiny doors with their numbers on them. Inside were long strips of paper.

"Mine says good luck," said Sora. "I'm surprised. I thought it would be daikyo or big-bad-Luck for sure."

"That's mine," said Momo. She pouted. "I got daikyo."

"I got small luck," said Ren.

"Me too," said Hana. "What did you get, Shinobu?"

Shinobu looked down. Her fortune flapped in the wind. "I can't read mine," she said.

"It's okay," said Ren. "I have trouble reading, too. My friends have been a big help. Let us help you." He took the fortune and opened it up, showing it to Hana.

Hana frowned. "You also have bad luck."

"I knew it," said Shinobu. "I'll never meet my brother." She turned away.

"Hold on," said Momo. "The best way to stop that bad luck is to tie a knot in it." She took Shinobu's hand and brought her to a tree.

"What's this?" Ren asked.

"When you get a bad fortune, you're supposed to tie it to this tree. It keeps the fortune here and stops it from hurting you," said Momo. She folded her paper and tied it to the tree.

"Can I do that?" asked Shinobu.

"Of course," said Hana. "I'm tying mine here as well. I wanted better luck."

"Me too," said Ren.

Shinobu tied her fortune to the tree and stepped back. "I feel better. Thank you."

The bell continued to ring.

"How much time is left?" asked Ren.

"About fifteen minutes," said Hana.

"What can we do?" asked Momo. "This wasn't enough."

"When do you put the money in the box and make a wish?" asked Ren.

"After the countdown," said Hana. "But that will be too late. The bells will only ring eight more times."

"Thank you very much for bringing me inside," said Shinobu. "I wish I could meet my brother, but it isn't possible."

"What's that in your sleeve?" asked Sora.

"This?" Shinobu pulled out a flat piece of wood. "It's an ema. I wanted to write a prayer for my brother, but I don't know how to write."

"Here. Let me do that," said Hana. "What do you want to write?"

"I really want to meet him," said Shinobu. She smiled. "He always made my day feel better. I was going to ask the priest to write that."

Hana picked up the pen, but Sora stopped her.

"Don't write that," Sora said.

"Why not?" Hana asked.

Sora looked at Shinobu. "You know you're a ghost, don't you?" he asked.

Shinobu bit her lip. Clouds blocked the moon. There was a small glow around her. "I don't think so. That's silly."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Sora asked.

"I remember getting very sick. It was New Year's Eve. I tried to get out of bed and come here to meet my brother. I don't remember what happened afterwards, and I woke up here. It happened many times. Each time, I tried to meet my brother, but it just got harder."

The wind grew stronger. People moved closer to the shrine, fighting the wind. The bells continued to ring.

"How many rings is that?" asked Ren.

"Maybe close to a hundred," said Hana. She held her hair down.

"It's been over a hundred years since your brother lost his message," Sora said. "He probably grew up and had a family. I think it's time you found a new message to give him."

"But I want to meet him," Shinobu said.

Sora shook. Ren stood behind Sora and grabbed his shoulders.

"I know, but look at yourself," Sora said. "Look at us. You know this isn't possible. How many times have you come here?"

"What do you mean?" Shinobu shook her head.

The bell continued to ring.

"How many times have you come here?" asked Sora again.

Shinobu looked away. "This is my hundred and seventh time," she said softly.

"This is your last time, isn't it?" Sora said.

The ringing bell broke the silence.

Shinobu looked at Sora. A tear rolled down her cheek. The wind died, and the moonlight came back. "You may be right. It's been so long." She looked at Hana. "Can you wish my brother a happy life?"

Hana's hand shook. "O… of course," she said. "Here you are." She gave the ema to Shinobu.

"Thank you." Shinobu held it tight.

"What time is it?" asked Ren.

"Eleven fifty-eight," said Hana. "We should go to the offering box."

The five stood behind a big crowd standing in front of the offering box. The bells rang a little faster. People started counting down.

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One! Happy New Year!"

Ren tossed his coin into the offering box. He gave five yen to Shinobu. "Make a wish."

Shinobu looked at the coin and smiled. "I think I already have my wish." She tossed the coin and clapped.

Ren clapped his hands, closed his eyes and made a wish. When he opened his eyes, Shinobu was gone, but the ema board lay on the ground. The bells had stopped. A fresh wind blew through the shrine. Ren opened his coat.

"I thought you were cold?" said Hana.

"Not anymore. I feel great," said Ren.

"Where's Shinobu?" asked Momo. "I was going to share some Takoyaki with her."

Ren picked up the ema board. "She's gone," he said.

"What do you mean, gone?" asked Hana.

"She left this prayer board. What should I do with it?"

They saw the priest walking towards them. "I see you were able to help her." He smiled.

"How did you know we could do it?" asked Hana.

"I had a hunch," said the priest. "Sometimes you just have a feeling about people." He pointed to the prayer wall and handed Ren a string. "You should hang that board on the wall. I think she will like that."

Ren nodded. The five went over to the wall, and Ren tied the board to the front. He turned to the priest. "Will you tell us why this shrine is doing this to us?"

The priest smiled. "Sorry, I cannot tell you everything. However, I can say this. It's testing you."

"Me?" asked Ren.

"All four of you," said the priest.

Sora grabbed his head. "Why is it doing that?" Momo hugged him.

"I don't know," said the priest. "When it's ready, the shrine will let you know." He looked at the main temple. "If you'll excuse me, I must take care of some things. Please come back soon. We have much to talk about." He bowed.

The four friends returned the bow and went back to the entrance.

"I don't ever want to come back here," said Sora.

"Why?" asked Momo. "You were the bravest I've ever seen you. When you figured out what the problem was with her ema board, I was proud of you."

"I was ready to faint," said Sora. "I helped her because it was the right thing to do."

"You're quiet, Hana. Do you think the shrine is testing us?" asked Ren.

"I think we have to come back very soon," said Hana. "Are you coming with us, Momo?"

"Of course," Momo said. "How about you, Sora?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sora asked.

"No!" Momo, Ren and Hana laughed at the same time.

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