When Ranma awoke, she knew that she couldn't have slept many hours. It was still dark outside. At the end of her bed, next to her feet, she could feel Shampoo's warm body. She was still sleeping.
Ranma shook her head. Did something wake her? Well, there was certainly no person in her room, except her and Shampoo. And if the ugly beast called Phobos didn't move since she went sleeping, no one could have entered this room (Grandpa had ordered the dogs to watch over her and Mamoru's rooms, and Phobos was efficiently blocking her door with his massive body).
Then she heard some sound. It sounded like scratching.
Was that what woke her up?
Silently, so Shampoo didn't wake up, she got out of bed and followed the scratching. It came from the wooden wall opposite to her bed. She put her ear on the wood and listened. The scratching got louder. It sounded like the claws of some little animals.
Rats?
Ranma shuddered. She didn't have anything against rats, but to know that she practically slept in the same room with the little critters wasn't exactly reassuring.
She knocked onto the wood. Sounded hollow. A secret door?
Her hands wandered over the wall, and suddenly something klicked. It was really a door, and it swung open.
She didn't see any rats, but something else. A long corridor that seemed to have no visible end, with numerous wooden doors on both sides, lit by old kerosene lamps.
It was the same corridor she saw at the airport. The same one that was supposed to be an illusion.
Or was it?
The strange thing was, the whole corridor seemed to be longer than the old house itself. It shouldn't be physically possible for it to fit in this building.
Before Ranma was able to find a logical solution for this mystery, when she heard a voice. It sounded like the voice of some child, or perhaps a girl. And some other sounds as well. It sounded like someone was fighting.
Did Grandpa lie to her? He said he was the only one who lived in this house.
"Time to get some answers," Ranma mumbled and was ready to step into the corridor.
The door to her room flew open and Grandpa entered. With his old-fashioned nightgown and the funny night-cap on his head (not to mention the brass candleholder in his hands) he would have looked ridiculous, if it weren't for his ashen face. His hands were shaking that much, that the flame from the candleholder was flickering.
Shampoo raised her sleepy head and tried to make sense out of the situation.
"Stop! Don't... don't go in there!" His voice sounded like he had seen a ghost. Ranma was that confused that she closed the door again. It klicked when it locked in place.
"I... found a secret door..." she weakly said. She turned around. Grandpa seemed to have calmed down a little. "Did... did you... go inside?" he asked. She shook her head.
He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She quickly added: "But it's good you're here! I heard something. It sounded like fighting! Come on, I think someone is in trouble in there!"
He took a step forward. "You really didn't go inside?" he asked.
"No, but that doesn't matter now! Come on, they sound like they are in danger!"
"Danger?" he asked. "Inside a CLOSET?"
"Closet? What closet? I've seen a corridor with doors and I heard cries and fighting..."
Grandpa walked to the hidden door and pressed on a certain point. It clicked, and the door swung open again.
And behind it, Ranma could see the backside of an old, empty closet.
Her eyes got wide. "But that's... that's impossible! I've just seen a corridor that was nearly as big as the house. And I heard sounds of fighting and voices. And someone cried for help."
Grandpa looked at her, but didn't say anything.
"I ain't crazy," Ranma shouted, but it didn't sound too convincing, even to herself. "Something's wrong here! If there was no fighting, why did you seem to be so upset when I wanted to enter the door?"
Grandpa got on his knees and knocked on the bottom of the closet. "It's hollow underneath," he said. "And the wood is pretty old. It could be dangerous just to walk inside."
"I know what I saw," Ranma muttered sullenly. Grandpa smiled. "Don't worry about it. I was young too, you know. We all have our little fantasies." He stood up again. "So... now that we're both awake, why don't you join me for a little glass of milk? I surely won't be fall asleep very easily after all this."
Ranma wasn't convinced of everything, but she nodded. Seeing that everything seemed to be all right for now, Shampoo lied down again for some sleep.
Phobos, who stayed outside during the whole conversation, moved aside as Ranma and Grandpa walked out of the room.
----
In the kitchen, Ranma sat down at the table, while Grandpa fetched them some glasses and the milk.
He poured Ranma some into her glass. "Here, nothing is better at nighttime than a nice glass of cold milk, right out of the fridge."
He sat down next to her. For a moment, both of them said nothing and only took some sips from their glasses.
Finally, Grandpa said: "You know... the kitchen always was my favorite room in a house. The kitchen is the most enjoyable room of all, I think. I always believed that houses had some kind of... soul."
Ranma looked up from her drink. "A... soul?"
"Of course! People are living in the house and their way of life is shaping the personality of the house. I think the brain of the house would be the living room, or the parlor, if the house has one. You know, the important guest are always welcomed in the living room. But the most enjoyable events of the family happen in the kitchen, where everyone is gathering for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. I think... the kitchen would be the heart of the house."
Ranma took another sip of milk. "And if houses have souls... Do you think they can be evil?"
"Evil?" Grandpa thought for a while. Then he said: "Of course, why not? If there are good people and evil people and houses have souls, then there are evil houses as well."
"And this house?"
Grandpa smiled. "You think it's evil, don't you?" Ranma nodded.
"It's not evil... It's just very old. And like most old people, it tends to be moody. But I think you will enjoy living here... even if it means living with an old crank like me." He laughed.
Then he said: "Okay, it's getting late, and tomorrow I've got some important things to do, so we should go to bed now, okay?"
See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Thu, 06 Jul 2006 22:46)
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