First of all, SORRY!!!! This is so late! I usually post around noon or early afternoon! I'll try to write tomorrows chapter tonight... Second of all, this chapter is really long and the last chapter was really short. I know it's kind of weird but I don't like splitting up conversations and avoid it when I can. The next chapter might be something different from what I've been doing lately... It'll probably be a regular post (aka me rambling on about pointless stuff, haha!)/ something kind of fun that goes along with my story! (It's my way of getting all of you people who are only here to read the story to come back even when I don't post a new chapter! *insert evil laugh here*) And, in this chapter I made Nancy really, really like pink... kinda like me! Haha! I just couldn't resist! Anyway, as usual, I hope you enjoy today's chapter! =D

Chapter 12

            

           After my bath I looked around a little. They had some baskets for people to put their clothes in. Most of the stuff in there that people had lost were just random things but I did find a couple objects looked useful. I found a little card that a picture of some animals on it. I would have to ask someone what it was for later. I also found a list of common superstitions in Japan.

           

           I went up to my room, laid down on my bed and tried to get to sleep. I thought about all that had happened. All of it was pretty freaky. Thinking about the case didn’t make it any easier to sleep. Since I couldn’t sleep I decided to call Savannah, the ghost hunter.

           

           When the phone was answered I was surprised to hear a man’s voice, “Savannah Woodham’s office. Logan speaking.”

           

            “Can I speak to Savannah Woodham please?” I asked him.

            

            “Are you one of interviews?”

            

            “Interviews?”

            

            “I’m Savannah Woodham’s assistant. Is she interviewing you, about the expo?”

            

            “No, actually I wanted to talk to Savannah about a book she wrote,” I told him.

            

            “Oh, great! I’m so glad you called.”

            

            “Really, why’s that?”

            

            

            “It’s been like three days since I’ve gotten to hang up on someone. I wonder if I’m still good at it.”

            

            *click*

            

            He had just hung up on me! I couldn’t believe it. I dialed the number again.

            

            “Logan speaking,” he answered.

            

            “Did you just hang up on me?” I asked, very upset.

            

            “Oh absolutely. Just between you and me, it was awesome. In fact-“

            

            *click*

            

            I just sat there in a slight shock. I couldn’t believe someone had just hung up on me like that - twice! Well, the first call hadn’t been a total waste. I had learned that Savannah Woodham was actually here in Japan, at the expo. There was only one thing to do – call Bess and George!

            

            

            “Nancy, what’s up?” asked George.

            

            “Not much, I’ll tell you in a minute. How’s Kyoto?”

            

           “It’s the best! Yumi’s been showing me some of the coolest parts of town. The fashion sense here is crazy! Yumi took me to a store – I don’t even know how to describe this place… it was pink! Really, really pink! It had the pink version of everything you could imagine!” Bess told me.

           

            “Wow that sounds awesome! I wish I had gone shopping with you guys!”

            

           “I was horrified,” said George, “But then she took us to the Gion district – so cool! She was a little grumpy that we wanted to see some traditional plays, but I think she had fun anyway.”

           

            “Sounds fun! How’s the expo going, George?”

            

           “It’s crazy! I’ve never seen so many clever people in one space – I’m defiantly dealing with a little bit of that small fish, large pond anxiety. I’m still trying to get tickets for you, but it’s not looking good,” she replied.

           

            “That’s ok, thanks for tying,” I told her, “What do you guys think of Yumi?”

            

            “She’s so much fun, a little pushy sometimes, but I feel like we’ve known each other for years, and we just met,” said Bess.

            

            “She seems to really dislike the ryokan. Do you think she’d want to see it closed down?” I asked.

            

            “Well… I can’t say for sure. She does really seem to resent that place. But I’m not sure if she’d go as far as to see it shut down… I just don’t know,” said George.

            

            “I found this strange book about ghosts in Yumi’s apartment with a note from the author.”

            

            “What do you mean?” asked Bess.

            

            

            “It had a dedication from the author, Savannah Woodham, to the Shumizu family, but the really weird thing is, there’s a chapter missing.”

            

            “What was in the missing chapter? Nope, strike that. That is a dumb question,” said George.

            

            “That’s pretty strange. Maybe you can find another copy of the book somewhere,” suggested Bess.

            

            “There’s a business card with the authors number inside, but more importantly, the table of contents says the missing chapter was about the ryokan,” I told them.

            

            “Weird! Did you call?” asked Bess.

            

            “I called Savannah, but she’s got a really protective assistant.”

            

            “Yeah?” asked Bess.

            

            “Apparently she’s in Kyoto now, covering the expo for some tech magazine, so she’s pretty busy. If I could get past her assistant, I could finally figure out what this whole book is about.”

            

            “Wait, so this guy is at the expo?”asked George

            

            “Pretty sure.”

            

            “Then we’ve got this one!” said George

            

            “We do?” asked Bess

            “Yup. We’re going to find them, and you are going to flirt up a distraction,” said George, sounding excited about this.

            

            “I am?” asked Bess.

            

            “Yes. You are,” George told her.

            

            “Well, at the very least this will be interesting,” said Bess.

            

            “And if it’s a mortifying failure or anything – which it might be, we do live thousands of miles away!” said George.

            

            “Solid point, we’ll keep you updated, Nancy,” said Bess, sounded a little excited herself now too.

            

            “Thanks!” I told them, “I looked in this mirror, and instead of seeing my reflection, I saw a ghostly image.”

            

            “Ugh, creepy!” said Bess.

            

            “Cool!” said George.

            

            “… Actually, I’m gonna side with Bess on this one.”

            

            “No! I’ve heard of stuff like this before. There’s a thing you can do with glass to throw a false image… but it’s a really fussy process, it’s hard to do without breaking the mirror,” George told me.

            

            “Yeah! The mirror broke… so do you think it’s possible it was rigged?”

            

            “More possible than the other option…” said George.

            

            Knowing that Bess and George were working on the thing with Logan I could finally get some sleep, but thanks to that mirror trick it wasn't much…

A pink store! If you look real close you can see the Hello Kitty logo on one of the shirts! I love Hello Kitty!!! Haha! =D

Hi! This chapter is short but it's very interesting! If you get scared real easy, proceed with caution! I actually don't think it's that scary written down like this but it scared me so bad actually having to watch it to write this! haha! I also fix another mistake that I made earlier. Hope you enjoy it! =D

Chapter 11

           

           Part of me had this nagging feeling that I was forgetting something at Yumi’s that would help this case, a lot. I left Matsue and went back to her apartment. I instantly went to her bed. It was like I had seen it but hadn’t looked at it closer. I was a book, ‘Unveiling Ghosts: Investigations from Around the World’ by Savannah Woodham. I opened it and was surprised to find a note from the author:

‘To the Shimizu family,

           

           You hospitality during this difficult time has been immeasurable. Thank you for allowing me into your home and your lives. If you ever find yourself in the state of Georgia, you’ve got a place to stay.

Sincerely,

Savannah H. Woodham’

           

           Interesting…. There was a card tucked away in between the pages; it had Savannah’s number on it. I put the number in my phone, I had a feeling I would need it soon. I skimmed through the book. It was very odd… one of the chapters was missing. I flipped back to the table of contents. The missing chapter was about the ryokan! I had to find another copy of that book and see what was written in that chapter.

           

           I checked the time; it was 9:31 at night. I decided that a hot bath and then bed sounded really nice. I headed back the ryokan.

           

           When I got back I went to the baths. As I walked in the lights started flickering. I walked up to the mirror and I saw that thing from the video at Yumi’s standing behind me! I turned around but there was nothing there! I turned back to the mirror and suddenly that thing looked up. It had a horrible expression on it’s face. It got closer until it was right there in front of me and then the mirror shattered and it disappeared!

           

          I was really scared so I went and took a hot bath; that calmed me down a bit. Something strange was definitely going on here. And I knew that what I just saw was more than a trick of the light!

Thank you saturation and hue for making it possible for me to make this pic look all freaky! haha! =D

Hi everyone! It's seems like a lot of people are enjoying this story! It's awesome! Well, we have finally met all of the characters!! Actually we still have the people that we talk to over the phone. That should happen soon! Enjoy! =D

Chapter 10

“I really like your apartment!” I told her.

            

            “You do? Thanks! It’s just a 1K, that’s code for tiny and overpriced, but the location is great and it’s mine. I love it!

            

            “When did you move out of the ryokan?”

            

            “The second I was old enough to sign a lease. Best decision I’ve ever made. No late night room service, no annoying tourists calling up at four in the morning. I adore that apartment! I wonder if it knows. I’m going to get it something nice today. A new doormat or something.”

            

            “I watched that DVD at your place, it was very strange.”

            

            “You did WHAT?!”

            

            “I’m sorry, Yumi!”

            

            “I’ sure it’ll be fine. Just be very cautious –“

            

            “What do you mean?” I asked.

            

            “You have to be cautious about everything here Nancy,” she said, mysteriously.

            

            “Your grandmother seems a little hesitant to talk to me.”

            

            “That’s the shocker of the decade, she’s hesitant to talk to herself.”

            

            “What does Takae think of you working here?”

            

            “It’s a phase. I’ll snap out of it. Like I’ve been hypnotized, and one day someone says the right words and snaps their finger and I’ll go – Hello I am Yumi, one job running ryokan please. She’s old school like that. Thinks the fun parts of life are a phase, and the nasty parts are the bee’s knees.”

            

            “What do you think of Rentaro?”

            

            “Other than that he should get a job at the nerd statue factory as their primary model – he’s a good time. What do you think of Rentaro?” She asked me.

            “There’s something a little weird about him.”

            “Yeah, that weird thing about him is his personality. That kid is his own special kind of neurotic. Always has been. But he’s my fake little brother, so I’m used to it. Until someone brings it up I forget how he must seem when you first meet him.”

            

            “What do you mean by ‘fake little brother’?”

            

            “He first moved in next door when I was seven and Miwako was five. He followed us around day and night. One day when he was being a real pain to Miwako, she just snapped and punched him, hard. It was bad news. My mother saw, after that we had to be nice to him no matter what – at least when she was in sight. Eventually he grew on us… especially Miwako.”

            

            “I met your sister Miwako. You two seem pretty close.”

            

            “That doesn’t sound like the impression you’d get by having a chat with Miwako. What are you trying to ask?”

            

            “Miwako seemed a little upset about the ryokan. Do you know anything about that?”

            

            “That’s more her area of expertise. I’ve never been the go to girl for the ryokan. That place is the definition of repetitive. Guest come in, guests come out. It’s brain breakingly tedious. I don’t know how Miwako puts up with it.”

            

            “So you don’t want to take over the ryokan?”

            

            “Not even for a second. I mean, I don’t even get the whole tradition thing. You want to go to the past, get a time machine. I’m not for living in the past. Have you ever read a history book? The past is where we keep all of the terrible things that happened.”

            

            “I don’t understand, if you’re supposed to be the one taking over the ryokan, why is Miwako the one working there?”

            

            “Ugh, Nancy-chan, don’t get all everyone else on me. If I had known I was supposed to run that place when I grew up , I would have taken a pass on the whole first born thing, trust me.”

            

            “If Miwako left the ryokan, who would run it?”

            

            “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Why do you care so much about it anyway?”

            

            “I’m just sort of naturally curious.”

            

            “I’d backburner that curiosity as long as you’re staying at the ryokan, if I were you.”

            

            “What do you mean?”

            

            “Try not to find out, okay Nancy? You seem nice.”   

            

            “Well, does Miwako like working at the ryokan?”

            

            “Well yeah? Why else would she be there day in and day out. What that girl needs is to spend some time out here. A few weeks with me and my friends would be enough to shake her up and get her to have some fun for once.”

            

            “I’ll talk to you later,” I said.

            

            “See you later!” said Yumi.

Hi! Sorry, I usually post earlier. This is the second of three Yumi chapters in a row! This chapter is interesting cuz we go to her apartment. It's a very interesting place where we find some interesting stuff... The pic at the end of this chapter is a picture of the Gothic Lolita type. I was trying to explain that to my mom cuz I think I would look good in the many different Lolita styles. She didn't really get it but I decided that since yesterday I posted a picture of regular Lolita (to show what Yumi looks like)  I  would show it's darker, but still fashionable sister! Enjoy! =D

Chapter 9

            

            I unlocked the door to Yumi’s apartment and went in. If I had to use two words to describe the place, they would be: pink and awesome! She had pink blankets, pink curtains, pink outfits, and a pink teddy bear! I loved it!

            

            My phone rang, I had gotten a  text massage. It was a picture of Yumi and Bess. Cool!

            

            I found the bento boxes and then thought I would take this opportunity to look around a bit. She had a couple of flowerpots that looked like frogs, one of which had a secret compartment in the bottom of it. I didn’t has the code so, sadly, I couldn’t open it. I’d have to be sure and come back to that some time.

            

            I looked around in her closet and found a DVD without a label. I went over to her computer and played the disc. What was on it was very interesting…

            

            It had a lot of static but occasionally this… thing showed up. I didn’t know what it was! It looked kind of like a girl but it was very creepy.

            

            I left Yumi’s apartment and headed back to Matsue to give her the bento boxes and get a little information.

            

           “Nancy! And you’ve got my boxes, neat! Here, I’ve got a thing for you.”

She put something on the counter that looked like a little onigiri.

“ It’s a phone charm, you can’t not have one,” she told me.

Thanks! What’s it do?” I asked.

“Come to think of it, it doesn’t really do anything. Get a job, phone charm! It probably won’t. That’s okay, just hang it on your phone. I’ve got tons. Help me out with bento and I’ll hook you up with some super cute ones!”

I liked the phone charm and was excited to help with bento to get some more, but that would have to wait. At that moment, it was time for ‘Operation Get Info From My Best Bud, Yumi!’ I decided I would start with the stuff I was fairly certain wouldn’t make her upset.

“Loved that last picture of you and Bess!” I said.

“I know, isn’t that one great!”

“Your outfit is very interesting, where did you get it?” I asked.

“Get it? Oh, you cannot get something this cool at a store. I made it.” She told me.

“You make your own clothes?”

“Yeah, I got sick of waiting for the boutiques to catch up with me. The places I go around here, fashion is the business, you don’t show up looking out of date. Oh! I've got the best thing, you gotta have it! I use it to come up with all of my ideas!”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a program for your phone – you upload pictures to your computer and send them to your phone. It lets you test out a new look for you or your friends. It’s back at my place, on the computer.”

“Sounds great! I don’t usually have time to keep up with the latest fashion trends…”

“I could sorta tell, but I wasn’t sure if you were going for an irony thing with your outfit.”

“Hey!” I said, insulted.

“Just teasing! You pull off the old school thing Nancy Drew, some things don’t go out of style. If you help me out with just a little more bento right now, I’ll hook you up with the program! C’mon!”

Suddenly I was making more bento for Yumi. Oh well, it was really cute and fun to make so, I didn’t really mind!

            

             Great job! Here ya go Nancy,” said Yumi, while handing me a piece of paper. It had the password to the program on her computer on it. 

Hi! I'm so excited cuz these next few chapters are going to be awesome!!!! The next 3 chapters are all about Yumi!!! She's my all time favorite Nancy Drew character!!! YAY!!! Oh, (I feel like mentioning this!) it is snowing outside and it's sunny, it's so weird! Anyway, I definitely went a little exclamation point happy in the chapters with Yumi. She's just so fun, I couldn't resist! It's still no where near as much as in my regular posts.  Hope you enjoy it! =D

Chapter 8

            

            I left the Ryokan and took the train to Matsue which was were George’s expo was and supposedly were Yumi was. When I got there I found a bento stand that a girl who was brunette and was wearing all pink and red, with a big bow in her hair was running.

            

            “Hi, is your name Yumi?” I asked the girl.

            

            “Absolutely not! Who’s asking? It might be. Are you going to order? What’s your agenda here, stranger?” She asked.

            

            Ok, I thought, She’s a little bit strange…

            

            “I’m Nancy Drew,” I told her.

            

            “Nope, never heard of you but thank you for saying your name out loud. Oh, wait, Nancy Drew? As in Friends-With-Bess-and-George-and-staying-at-the-ryokan-Nancy-Drew? Or are there two of you? Which one is it?” She asked me, this was definitely Yumi.

            

            “That’s me. The… friends with Bess and George-“

            

            “Excellent. Yes. Perfect. Get over here. C’mon. You’re learning to make bento the Yumi way. C’mon trust me, it’s a life skill. Once you know how to make a good bento box, you’ve pretty much got the whole world figured out.” She told me.

            

            “Sure! Sounds good!” I said.

            

            “Fantastic! Here are the ingredients. You may notice that they run the gamut from pretty cute to insanely adorable. This is not an accident. Ok. Very easy. Customers will give you a list of what they want and how they want it organized, and you pack it together. You won’t believe how easy it is! Ok, I gotta go.” She said

            

            “Going? Where are you going?” I asked, surprised that she was leaving me in charge of her bento stand.

            

            “To the store Good Luck! You’ll do fine! I’ll be back soon!” She said as she was walking away.

            

            “Wait!” I shouted, but she didn’t hear me, “I guess I’d better get to work…” I said to myself.

            

            I put the bento box together and it was so cute! It had onigiri (rice balls) decorated as cats, bunnies, and little bears! As I finished it Yumi walked up.

            

           “Thanks for helping out, Nancy!”

           

            I thought now would be the perfect time to ask a few questions.

            

            “Could you tell me a little bit about the ryokan?” I asked.

            

            

            “I’m not into that sort of thing. Couldn’t you find a pamphlet?” she asked.

            

            “I was hoping for an insider’s opinion,” I told her.

            

            “Oh! I get it. You want the dirt on the situation, right?”

            

            “Yes, that’s it exactly.”

            

            “Interesting… You’re working some kind of angle here, aren’t you? Not that it matters, still way too busy to talk.”

            

            “I know you’re busy but I helped you out with the bento, and all I want is a little information.”

            

            “Okay. Surrounded by breathtaking views you’ll not soon forget – the ryokan Hiei opens the door to a simpler time. Perfect for the business traveler hoping to experience traditional Japan, or the family in search of that perfect vacation. Ryokan Hiei – discover Japan, discover you.

            

            “That’s… persuasive, but not exactly what I wanted to know.”

            

            “Isn’t it? That’s mine from year back. I was thinking of going into advertising, but then I thought – nah.”

            

            “I was hoping you could tell me a little about some of the strange things that have been happening.”

            

            “Aha! If you really want to know,” she started,” Oh no! I’m running out of bento boxes. Can you please go grab my back up stock from my apartment? This is the sort of thing that could move us from buddies to straight up besties!”

            

            “Sure,” I said. There was no point in arguing and I needed to know what was going on at the ryokan.

            

            “Great! It’s just over by the Kurume station. I could tell right away that we were gonna be friends. Here’s my key,” She told me. She dug a key out of her purse and handed it to me.

            

            “Oh, and PS, my number is 075-021-5855,” She said.

            

            “Ok, be right back!” I said.

            

            “See ya!”

            

            I left Matsue and took the train to Kurume. I braced myself for what I expecting to be a very interesting apartment…

This girl looks almost exactly like Yumi!!! =D

Hi! So here we have chapter 7! This chapter has put me through some grief.... Last night I was tired and wasn't really excited about writing this until I remembered that this was supposed to be the chapter where we went and met Yumi. Yumi is my all time favorite Nancy Drew character so, of course, I was really excited then!!! What happened you ask? As I was playing the game (I play the game and write the story based on what happens as I play), I walk downstairs to go see Yumi and something happens with Miwako! ugh... oh well. It's still a good chapter so enjoy it and come back tomorrow to read what is going to be an AWESOME chapter!!! =D

Chapter 7

            

            I walked downstairs and was heading to the front desk to tell Miwako what happened last night when I heard voices. I should probably listen in, I thought.

            

            “The strange sounds, and the pounding, and the screaming at all hours of the night – waking up my family, scaring the children half to death. If you ask me this ryokan needs to be closed down immediately!” shouted one of the guests. She looked a lot like Helena from my case in Italy… must have just been a coincidence.

            “I’m very sorry,” said Miwako.

“Sorry changes nothing! This is unacceptable! I want my money back, and I want a car sent immediately to take us… anywhere else!” said the guest as she walked away.

            

            Poor Miwako… I decided to go and talk to her.

            

            “Oh, hello Nancy-san,” she greeted me politely.

            

            “That guest seemed pretty upset,” I noted.

            

            “Oh, it’s nothing to worry about. Trust me. I see a lot at this desk, and one thing never changes: travel is disorienting.  It’s so easy to get upset when you’re far away from home. That’s why we try to make things as comfortable as possible,” she told me.

            

            I got the feeling that trying to make Miwako feel better would only make things worse…

            

            “I tore one of the screens in my room, I’m really sorry,” I told her.

            

            “Do not worry, Nancy-san. This happens often. Very easy to fix, just a little steam to soften the glue. I’ll have Rentaro take care of it immediately.”

            

            “Great, thanks,” I said, relieved, “ When I tore the screen, I thought I saw somebody on my balcony.”

            

            “Right, it’s nothing to worry about. The screens really distort things sometimes. I’m sure it was just your imagination,” she said. She sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more than me…

            

           “Maybe your right.”

           

           “I’m sure of it. There’s nothing to worry about.”

           

            I decided that since I was there I would ask Miwako a few questions.

            

            “What has been scaring the guests away?”

            

            “Oh, nothing. They’re not scared… it’s something else. Can I help you with anything?”

            

            “What is a ryokan?”

            

            “A ryokan is almost exactly like a hotel or spa – but far more traditional. This ryokan has been in my family for generations. Passed down from mother to oldest daughter in order to preserve the tradition style, the food, and the caretaking. Every little detail is as it would have been generations ago,” She told me.

            

            “How long has the ryokan been in your family?”

            

            “A very long time, my grandmother says it has been passed down since the early 1700’s.”

            

           

           “So one day you’ll pass this place on to your daughter? That must be very nice.”

           

           “Well… I’m the younger daughter. My older sister Yumi will be the one to take over the ryokan.”

           

            “Oh,” I said, feeling kind of bad for mentioning it, it obviously made her sad.

            

           “My grandmother is offering a few classes in traditional arts. She’s in room 18 at the end of the hall.”

            

            “I met Rentaro, who is he exactly?”

            

            “Oh, Rentaro, he’s my boyfriend. He’s also handyman around here.”

            

            “Have you two been dating long?”

            

            “I’m sorry, I really should get back to my paperwork. But if you have any questions about the ryokan, please don’t hesitate to ask,” She told me, apparently I had hit a nerve.

            

            We both said goodbye and I left. I hadn’t gotten very much from that conversation but I did learn a little bit about Yumi. I planned on going to meet Yumi next. After hearing what she was like from Bess and George, I couldn’t wait to meet her!

Since this weeks chapter was a mistake I thought I would finally throw this pic out there, even thought this chapter wasn't funny... *crickets* 

Ok I was planning on taking a break today and talking about some random (but awesome) stuff but the chapter I have is just to good!!! Hmmm, maybe I should wait... a little suspense might be nice... Just kidding!!! I'll give you guys chapter 6!!! Oh, btw I didn't do something that I should have done so I had to make a couple changes to the dialogue in this chapter. Sorry! =D

Chapter 6

           

           After exploring the gardens a bit (They were beautiful with cherry blossom trees and bamboo everywhere!) I headed up to room. I checked the clock on my cell phone, 2:35 a.m.! Wow… It had certainly been a long evening. I set my alarm and went to sleep.

           

            I woke up, bleary eyed. What time was it? I hadn’t heard my alarm go off. Suddenly, I saw something outside, on my balcony. It looked like the silhouette of a woman. It turned and, even though all I saw was a silhouette, I felt like it was looking right at me. Then it walked (Or did it float?) away.

            

           “What was that?!” I asked aloud.

           

            I got up and and open the door to the balcony. As I did so, I heard a loud rip.

            

            “Oh no – the screen tore. I’d better tell Miwako about this tomorrow…”

            

            I looked outside but didn’t find anything.

            

            “It must have just been my imagination. I should try and get some more sleep.”

            

            I went back to sleep. When I woke up I got ready and went to the school to teach. When I got back, I graded some more papers. It felt good when I was finally done.

            

            I looked over at the door to outside, which still had a rip in it since I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell anyone in the morning, I got this weird feeling. I got up and looked out there again. And again, there was nothing out there. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong about what happened the night before…

            

            I decided to go downstairs and tell Miwako about it. As I left the room my cell phone rang.

            

            “Hello,” I said.

            

            “Oh, hi Nancy, what is the name of the place you’re staying at again?” asked Bess.

            

            “The Ryokan Hiei.”

            

            “I told you!” Bess said to George.

            

            “I guess you were right,” replied George.

            

            “What are you two talking about?” I asked, pretty confused.

            

            “We met this girl at a bento booth at the expo, and she grew up at the ryokan you’re staying at. Pretty crazy coincidence.” George explained.

            

            “I haven’t heard about her…”

            

            "You've got to get down here and meet her. She is so much fun! She told us about everyone at the ryokan, and it sound like you’ve got your hand full,” said Bess.

            

            “I should come to meet her. I have a few questions…”

            

            “Uh – oh…” said Bess.

            

            “Uh – oh what?” I asked.

            

            “I know that tone of voice,” answered George.

            

            “What tone of voice?”

            

            

            “Yup, that’s the one,” agreed Bess, with George.

            

            “What are you talking about?” Now I felt like I was being messed with.

            

            “You’re working a case aren’t you?” asked George.

            

            “maybe… I don’t know exactly what is going on at the ryokan, but it’s really strange.”

            

            “Busted!” shouted Bess.

            

            “Ok, you got me,” I admitted,” I may have found a mystery.”

            

            “Shocking!” joked Bess.

            

            “So, what can we do for you?” asked George.

            

            “Yeah, what’s going on?” asked Bess.

            

            “Well… I saw something really strange in my room.” I told them.

            

            “What?” asked George, sounding intrigued.

            

            “A shadowy figure showed up in my room, but when I looked out on the balcony, no one was there. It was like whoever it was just – disappeared.”

            

            “Creepy… Ok, that’s it, we’re leaving Japan!” said Bess, panicking.

            

            “I’m sure there is a logical explanation,” said George.

            

            “Me to – I’m just not sure what it is yet.”

            

            “The two of you! I swear! If we were being chased by a dinosaur, you two would be too busy debating the fossil record to run away. Where’s you sense of panic?!” said Bess, still panicking.

            

            “It was pretty scary, I admit, but I don’t believe that someone could just disappear.”

            

            “Right, well you said a ‘shadow’ figure, right? Maybe it was just some sort of trick of the light…” suggested George.

            

            “That’s what I was thinking… I’ll keep an eye out for something like that.”

            

            “Spooky! Anything else?” asked Bess.

            

            “Nope, I should go. I’ll talk to you later.”

            

           “Bye Nancy!” They said and hung up.

Hi! So, we're up to chapter 5 already! We still haven't really done much in the story but it's still pretty cool! Lately, as I've been rereading my posts I've noticed a lot of weird typos.... oh well! Already posted them! haha! Well, Enjoy! =D

Chapter 5

I went out into the gardens and, before I could explore much, I found a shed. I quessed that was probably were Rentaro was so I went in.

“Hi again,” He greeted me when I walked in, “ I’m Rentaro, it’s to meet you officially. So, um you’re still here. That’s surprising.”

“I’m Nancy – what do you mean… surprising?” I asked, curious.

“Did I say that? Whoops! So you’re American? From New York City?” He asked.

“No – a place called River Heights. It’s in-“

“Oh. Okay. That’s one of the places I always wanted to go. I mean, you’d have to be crazy to live there… but on the other hand you’d have to be crazy not to live there! It’s one of those unwinnables.” He sort of explained, cutting me off…

“Do you work here?” I asked… to change the subject.

“Technically. It’s a complicated thing we’ve got going on. I’m sort of like the handy man around here. So – should I bother getting to know you, or are you going to be like all of the rest?”

“What do all of the rest do?” I assed hesitantly.

“Get spooked in the middle of the night, pack their bags and never come back. Even the ones who come looking for the ghosts,” He gasped.” I shouldn’t be telling you this! Oh well, already did. If you see Takae though, this conversation never happened,” He told me.

“Ghosts? What ghosts?” I asked, was I finally going to find out some of what was going on here?

“We got one of those, haunted hot spot guides. So we get a lot of ‘ghost hunters’ here. And that’s always a treat, because they’re totally not obnoxious.” He said, the last part with HEAVY sarcasm.

“So people think this place is haunted?”

"Well, some people think this place is haunted. Kind of like some people think the moon landing was faked, and some people like Adult Contemporary. Don’t be one of those people. Do you like puzzles?” He asked. (And yet again someone changes the subject! There’s going to be a lot of that…)

“I guess you could say that.”

“I figured. You’re going to love this. It’s called a nonogram.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s just another example of how awesome numbers are! Letters are cool and all, but they just make words – I mean, get with the game letters! Numbers on the other hand, get a few handfulls of those and you can make a bridge, or send a person into space, or express the makeup of our genetic code, or, or – They can make a neat picture!”

“okay…” I said, totally weirded out.

“Take a look in here. All you need to do is look this over and finish the pattern, and when you’re done – picture! Here, take this – give it a shot. Bring it back when you’re done and I’ll give you something better!” He said, while handing me a book

“Sure,” I took the book, it looked like a fun puzzle book!

“There are instructions inside in case you get stuck,” He let me know.

“Thanks. Well, I’ll let you get back to work.”

“See you later!” he said.

I walked away, still not completely sure what just happened…