Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Alice In Chains ❯ Crime 3: Shaman Part I ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: MellyN

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Alice in Chains

By: Melissa Norvell

Crime 3: Shaman Part I

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A small chest was sat on the counter in front of Yohru. It appeared to be some sort of miniature treasure chest look-alike and behind it stood a short, old woman with silver hair that was pulled back in a bun. She appeared to be in her late 80's and wore a pink shawl with a darker pink, long dress.

"This is a shop of oddities, correct?" The old woman wanted to make sure that she had the right place. This kind of gift was not meant to be taken by mistake.

"Yes it is, welcome to our shop. Feel free to sample whatever you wish," Yohru gave the typical, generic greeting of any shop.

"I'm not here to sample anything. I want to get rid of something and I was wondering if your shop would take it off my hands," the elderly woman replied in a grave tone.

A few feet away, Alice stood in the door way with a Mary Jane-clad foot rested against the door frame. Her lavender, observant eyes took in the nature of the situation before she decided to speak up. "I'm the owner of this shop. What is the item that you wish to get rid of?"

"This chest," the woman indicated the said item by pointing to it, "there is a spirit that haunts it. It's bee plaguing my life ever since I purchased it from an antique store a few months ago."

"Why would we want a haunted box?" Alice pushed herself off of the door frame and slowly walked towards the other two women. Her black, gothic Lolita dress swished as she neared them. When she finally got to her, she gently picked up the box and slowly opened the lid to peer inside. The owner could not see anything irregular or out of the ordinary about the object. It appeared to be nothing more than a small chest.

Alice concentrated on the empty space inside the box and seemed very deep in thought for a few moments.

"I'm begging you! Please take it! I don't want it anymore!" The little old lady was frightened of the box. Yohru looked to the woman and seemed concerned. She couldn't stand to see the sight before her so she finally spoke up and asked Alice if it would be alright if she took the box.

"I don't really need this box. The shop doesn't sell things like this but if you want it, then you can have it," the lolita-clad woman informed and looked to the white-haired girl with her ever-present sly smile.

"Thank you!" Yohru took the box from the Alice's bone-white, slender hands and held it to her bosom, smiling brightly and wondering at its ancient beauty. "It's so pretty!"

"You're a fool for taking that box, young girl," the old woman remarked coldly, as if trying to warn Yohru of her mistake and looked over her shoulder with a stern expression before she exited the little shop. Large, blue eyes looked to Alice in question. The white-haired girl was very confused at what the old woman meant by her statement. How was she being a fool? She was trying to be courteous by taking the box off of the old woman's hands.

"Congratulations, it seems that you're the proud owner of a haunted box," Alice told her in slight amusement.

Yohru looked to the box, and then shifted her gaze back to the lolita-clad woman. "Do you really think it's haunted?"

"Would she have brought it here if it wasn't?" Alice asked as she placed a fist on her hip and cocked her head. "She specifically sought out this shop. Obviously, it must be haunted or it's purely in her head. Why don't you take it home and try it out? If anything paranormal happens, then it will happen from midnight until six in the morning, that's when the paranormal is at its peak."

This could be an experiment to test the knowledge of the old woman who had possessed the box prior. Then she could see if the woman was just a crazy old bat or if her words held any significance. If Yohru now possessed the box, then she too, would be able to tell if anything paranormal inhabited it.

"What if it is haunted?" She asked, and looked a little worried.

"Then give it to someone else. I can't have a haunted box in this shop. It makes for bad business," Alice stated and frowned.

"I feel weird holding it but it could just be we're talking about this," Yohru sat the box down on the counter and closed the lid. "Well, I'm going back to work." The girl decided that a little work would do her some good. She didn't want to think about the possibilities behind the box and now she feared that she had made a mistake by taking it.

"As you should," Alice stated promptly. 'A haunted box is the least of your problems, after all.'

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At the end of work, Yohru walked up to the back counter where her box had been placed. She wiped her forehead and sighed. The girl spoke of how she had sold a lot of charms and other trinkets. Furthermore, she was relieved that nothing strange had happened the entire day. After her last week at the shop, something bad seemed to happen nearly every day and it was nice to finally have her nerves at rest.

"I must go and fulfill my destinies. I'll see you Monday," Alice told her as she picked up her black and white lace umbrella and prepared to head out of the door.

"Sunday is my off day?" Yohru asked.

"Well, I can't slave you away. It's bad for your psyche. Not only that, but the physical body needs to rest as well." Too much work would be bad for Yohru and cause her to perform improperly and as the owner of the shop, Alice could not stand for poor performance.

"Alright, take care, Alice-san!" Her assistant smiled. To be truthful, she was happy to get the day off as well.

Alice looked over her shoulder. Dead eyes looked at the girl with cryptic expression. "You too..." She finally commented and then thought to herself. 'How sweet...She wished me good fortune...Seize the day, Alice for there will come a day when this child will realize what you're doing and scorn you for it.' The mysterious woman walked out of the doors of her domain and into the streets of Japan, in search of carrying out her own private agenda.

Soon after, Yohru left the shop and walked down the cobblestone streets with the small chest in her hands. She glanced down at her newly acquired "burden" from the old woman who came in earlier and pondered to herself over the matter. 'It can't really be haunted...can it? I mean...It's just a normal box and I'm not superstitious or anything but that shop sure makes me think about things like this.' Yohru thought back on the incidents that had occurred; the crying mother and the woman who was struck by a car outside of their shop. A flash of the two charms the victims had been carrying reeled through her head. 'It's just a little weird that both people had charms with them...That old woman looked really scared...and she said that I was foolish to take this box...'

After her thoughts broke, she looked up to see Haji, Michi and Taho walking towards her. Michi was the first to see the box that Yohru had and commented that it was very pretty. She asked her who had gotten her the box and if it was Haji who had gotten it for her. The blue-haired girl then looked to the boy in question.

"It wasn't me. I don't know where that box came from," Haji replied.

"I got it from work. An old woman gave it to me," Yohru told him with a smile.

"It looks really old," Taho commented as she looked down at the box. It was more like she was examining it rather than simply looking. Her eyes were very transfixed on the object.

"It does," Michi agreed. "I wonder if it's an antique."

"I like the clouds that are carved into the sides," the brown-haired girl pointed to the intricate patterns that were carved into the sides of the box.

"What are you going to use it for?" Her boyfriend asked. It was a rather odd thing to have around the house, unless Yohru simply wanted a decoration.

"I'll use it to put things in, like hair-ties and jewelry. You know odds and ends that I don't really have a place for." Then, an idea struck her. "I know!" She looked at Haji, who seemed to be the inspiration for her idea. "I'll put our love letters in there too!" She had been looking for a place to stick them.

"Are you sure it's big enough?" The long-haired boy asked with a playful smirk.

Yohru laughed a little, "I think so."

"You guys probably fill up a novel, huh?" Michi was a little jealous of their love life being so intimate.

"I don't think I write that many, guys."

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When Yohru went home that night, she placed several things in the box; notes, lipstick and hair accessories filled the box to the top. Satisfied with her work, she smiled at the nearly full box.

"There! Perfect fit! Now I'll be able to find things easier. I think I'm going to like this box," the girl complimented as she shut the lid. She thought back to the earlier events of that day...

'Things were way too peaceful here,' Alice almost seemed upset by that fact as the two were tidying up the shop.

'What? Because no one died today?' Yohru was a little disturbed by the fact that Alice was disappointed with peace.

'The only thing interesting was that odd box.'

Yohru picked up the box and looked at it. 'Guess it's time to take it home.'

'You should tell me what happens with it.'

'What?' Yohru turned her head as her long, white spiral nearly hit her in the face. Her blue eyes stared at Alice in question. Why would she want to know what would happen with the box? Was she the guinea pig for some strange experiment?

'Tell me what happens when you take the box home. I want to know if that woman's words were true,' Alice was rather inquisitive over the subject.

'What if the box is haunted?' She had asked her this twice and every time she had gotten a different answer.

'Then you have a problem, don't you?' That seemed rather harsh.

'What do I do if it's something bad?' Yohru was worried. As she should be, there was a reason that the old woman had said what she had said to her before she left. The girl had a feeling that something may happen to her and that it may not exactly be good.

'Well, the paranormal tend to get attached to items and specific places. Usually, they simply cause mischief but they can be more active, aggressive and leery towards people,' Alice informed.

'I just don't want to be hurt.' That was the one thing she worried about most.

'Spirits can't physically hurt you. The most they do is throw things at you. They can possess you but it's only for a short amount of time.'

'I'm not so sure I should have taken this...' Yohru was uneasy.

'This is exactly what I mean.' Even Alice knew that she was a fool for taking the box and that answer was only evidence of it.

'What do you mean?"

'Humans fail to take responsibility for the consequences of their emotions. They'll do anything to achieve their goals, even ignore logic and reason. Their greed and desire make them strive to reach that goal no matter what the consequences may be. Don't let anyone fool you, dear child. Ideals can be bought but it's the price one pays that makes you rethink the cost. This burden is yours. Deal with the uncertainty that lies within it. We all pay a price for our wishes and desires. I'll see you at work tomorrow,' the eccentric woman replied as she retreated.'

Yohru sat on her bed and stared at the closed box for anything out of the ordinary but everything seemed peaceful. 'It looks like a normal box...I can't help remembering what Alice said earlier about it...'

'Do you really think it's haunted?' Yohru asked.

'Would she have brought it here if it wasn't?' Alice replied. 'It will happen from midnight until six in the morning. That's when the paranormal is most active. Congratulations, it seems you're the proud owner of a haunted box.'

Yohru flopped back on her bed as she felt the cold, smooth bed sheets caress her slender form. Blue eyes glanced up at the ceiling as she put the back of her hand to her forehead and let her feet dangle off of the edge. 'I should get some sleep. If something happens, then I'll wake up, right?' The girl thought wearily. She had been racking her brain about it for the majority of the day and Yohru grew tired not only physically but mentally as well.

"Besides, if I don't get any sleep then I'll be tired in school." If that happened, then she couldn't do her work or be at work in the shop and Alice would definitely not like that. Yohru soon drifted off to sleep. As the girl slept soundly, the lid of the box slowly lifted and all of the contents inside were dispersed across the room in a clatter and four, fog-like cornflower blue streams poured from the corners of the inside of the box. Yohru heard the clatter and woke up. She jolted to a sitting position in her bed and glanced around at all of the items that were dispersed on the floor.

"Huh? What's going on? What is that stuff?" She saw the smog-like streams, when she followed them to the box, her eyes widened in shock. 'That box...It really is...'

As her thoughts ended, a rush of wind brushed against her body, causing her draw-string shorts and sleeveless belly shirt to flutter around her. The streams gathered in front of her and morphed into a giant, goldfish-type figure with long fins and a tail. It was purple with a white diamond in the center of its head as well as a short, black, pointed horn. Long, fancy, light fins floated around the fish as if there were water present. Yohru was astonished by what she had seen and took an uneasy step towards the fish.

Was this the entity that haunted the box?

She balled a fist to her chest as she gazed into the fishes, dark blue, large eyes. 'What is that thing? It looks like a fish but it can exist in air and it floats...Is this a dream? Things like this can't happen in real life...can it? I mean, some fish can fly but float?'

Yohru was very confused at why this entity took the form of a fish and she wondered if she could communicate with it. It couldn't hurt to try at least. "Hello?" She asked unsurely as she took another uneasy step. "Can you hear me? Do you speak? I know it's weird to talk to a fish but you're not a normal fish...You're nearly as big as this room. What are you?"

The entity acknowledged her with a look and after a few moments, its large eyes began to glow and the room grew pitch black around her. Yohru's head swiftly darted around and her long, white side-ponytail bounced like a spring around her. "What's going on?"

Then, the floor shattered in black, glass-like shards and the pieces flew up around her as her form felt weightless. It was almost as if she was falling...and that's exactly what was happening. The girl literally fell through the floor. This caused her to let out a surprised scream. Yohru attempted to reach upwards, in hope of grabbing the shattered floor but it was to no avail. She saw her spiraling ponytail follow her body as she descended into darkness.

She could barely see the pieces of floor flow upwards and then, suddenly, she was deprived of breath. The girl clutched at her throat and her blue eyes widened in terror. Surely she would die from suffocation if this persisted! 'What is this?' She thought as the air around her became heavy, almost as if she were in water and not air.

'I can't breathe.' Yohru thought as a few bubbles floated past her. She attempted to swim upwards; towards what she thought was the surface of what appeared to be water. It was strange, however, because she could not feel wetness of any kind, yet she saw bubbles and couldn't breathe.

Above, there was a small light that imitated moonlight. She had a feeling that if she could reach the light, then she could surface and catch her breath. All she had to do was break the surface before she passed out from deprivation. As she swam up, something shot past her at quick speed. It was so close to her that her body lost control of it and tumbled around in the water in large circles. She tried to stop herself but she couldn't stop the rotation of her form against the currents.

'Oh no!' Her mind filled with fear. Yohru's mouth opened and her eyes widened. 'My air! I'm going to drown!'She was in a panic as the form rushed past her again. This time the current caused her to fly back into a rock. It beat the last bit of breath out of her body. As the girl turned her head, she was staring down the fish. 'What is it? What does this thing want with me? Is this the spirit that haunts the box?'

'Humans often do not understand the consequences of their actions.' Alice's words ran through her head as her end neared. Why was she so naive? She should have listened to the woman.

Her body flew through the water and after a few moments, she broke it and landed on a nearby piece of the ground that still remained intact and heaved for air. The girl choked as she struggled to breathe. Soon, she was panting and gasping but she had little time to recover when the fish busted through the ground beside of her. Yohru stumbled to her feet and looked at the huge fish as it launched itself into the air.

The single light above illuminated its form and the girl could see the hauntings soft blues and purples that the fish sported. It also illuminated the floor and caused the black glass to shine. Several shards fell on the ground around her. She turned to run to avoid being hit and barely managed to get out of the way as several pieces struck the slick ground below her.

She was then flung forward violently with several shards that cut into her skin and ripped her baby chick yellow pajamas.

"I don't understand. Why is this happening? I'm going to die like this," the terrified girl panted. She felt like crying but who would hear her? Yohru really felt as if she were staring death in the eyes. "I can't get away from it."

The fish busted through the thin glass floor once again, which caused Yohru to let out a yell in terror as she scrambled away from it and took off running. Her heart pounded in her chest and her adrenaline rushed. Yohru was terrified. She looked up to see the fish's form come down. 'I won't make it!'

Soon, the fish's weight would be upon her and she would be crushed. Blue eyes widened in horror as the girl looked over her shoulder to see one of the fins closing in on her. At this rate, she would be cut in half.

Yohru could do nothing but get hit with it.

She was as good as dead.

Yohru screamed.

Blood flew through the air in artistic glory.

...

Yohru woke up screaming and sat up bolt straight. The girl was broken out in a cold sweat and panted heavily. In a panic, she patted down her body to check for any wounds or blood. She was much freaked out and still not sure if it was a dream or if it was reality. The line was blurred.

"What happened? What was that about?" The white-haired girl looked at the box. It was open and her things littered the floor. With a 'huh' she slowly got out of bed and began to pick up her things. 'I wonder if this has anything to do with my dream? It was closed when I went to sleep...It also feels oddly peaceful in here. I can't get over this dream...Why would I dream about being attacked by a floating fish?' Yohru wondered as she placed her things back in the chest and glanced at the clock, which read four a.m. "There, I need to get back to sleep. It's only four in the morning..."

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The next day at the shop, Yohru explained everything to Alice. She knew that it probably seemed off the wall but she really wanted the other woman to know what happened. Alice did want to know about anything paranormal that had happened and this was definitely something freaky. The old woman was right, there was a curse of some kind on that box and something definitely was haunted.

"A giant fish attacked you?" Alice did seem skeptical but Yohru knew that was going happen.

"I know it sounds really weird but it's true. I was in the water and then I was standing on glass. It broke through the glass and then it tried to smash me. No matter how far I ran, it always caught up with me," her assistant explained.

"What did this fish look like?"

"Like a fancy goldfish. It was ghost-like and purple with slate-blue eyes. Everything was also very dark in the dream. The sky was black and it was very confusing."

"Perhaps it was a shaman," Alice deducted.

"Shaman?"

"Shamans are very interesting. They believe that spirits are everywhere and will take the form of animals to tell you of important matters. There are shaman spirits that can cause nightmares." It definitely sounded like the fish that Yohru had seen in her dream but what was it trying to say to her? What message was it trying to convey?

"Do you think a shaman spirit was in the box?" Yohru asked.

"Why do you ask me that?" What made her think that Alice knew the answer to that question?

"After I woke up, the box in my room was open and everything I put in it was on the floor. After I woke up, I them back in the box and shut it but when I woke up in the morning, all of my stuff was on the floor again and the box was open," the girl explained. If the eccentric woman knew about the paranormal, then surely she could help her at least figure out what exactly it was that plagued her.

"Did you see your own death?"

"I didn't see it but I don't know if I died or not," Yohru replied.

"Good, if you had then it would have been bad. Dreams signify premonitions of things to come and if a shaman came into your dreams to show your death, then more than likely you'd die soon," the very explanation sent chills up Yohru's spine. She's lucky that she didn't know if she had died or not. Then again, she was a little uneasy that she didn't know the outcome also...

"It was incredibly real. I felt everything like it was actually happening to me," the white-haired girl tried not to remember her still aching body. The pain was dull now and it had quelled since its sharp beginning when she had first stirred awake.

"There are realistic lucid dreams. People have felt things or even had a dream in which they were scratched and woke up with markings that were similar to scratches on their bodies," Alice educated.

"How do I get rid of the shaman spirit?" Yohru wondered aloud.

"They usually appear until their warnings have been met. You can, however, control your dreams and if it's attacking you in your dreams then there's only one way to defeat the shaman and I'll tell you how..."

To Be Continued...