A/N: This is a flashback of their childhood
I repeat, this is a flashback- a necessary flashback. It is a bit shorter than the last chapter but I'll try to make the next one longer. I hope you enjoy! Please comment down what you think. Hehe.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ghost Hunt.
[Not Edited]
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FINAL ARC: Memoir of the Forgotten Music Box.
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They were only five years old when they understood the meaning of death. Their mother was taken by some locals and they wouldn't allow them to see her. Their mother was just sleeping in the kitchen for several days and she also slowly stinks. The locals were hysterical when they saw her after a few days.
Two days later, the locals took them to a church and the two of them saw their mother being buried on the ground. They didn't know what is happening and tried to stop them. The local priest told them their mother is already dead. The two of them were shocked.
Their father was nowhere to be found. He came home when their mother was sleeping but he left them with some clothes after seeing their mother. They didn't know what happened then but after their mother's funeral, they understood that, at that time, their father abandoned them.
They were so heartbroken and cried all night. They were sent to the orphanage after the funeral. The priest and nuns are no good. They would only feed the children twice a day and wouldn't clean them. Of course, the five years old twins didn't know it was unjust. Living under their mother's abuse and father's neglect, they never know anything about care and love. So the bullying, the beating and the starving appeared normal to them.
Other children from the orphanage would bully them because of their unusual looks. They're Asian and all of the children are not. They are also tinier than the rest. But the children soon stopped bullying them after being beaten by flying stones. They were called freaks but at least, they didn't beat them.
The older twin remains cheerful and outgoing. He would happily engage in a conversation with the elders in the village. However the younger twin become more introverted and speaks less. He would often hide in his brother's shadow. They were the complete opposite of each other but they're kind, the younger twin just don't openly show it.
The older twin loves his brother so much. He didn't know what will happen to him if he was not there with him. The younger twin also feels the same though he doesn't usually show it. Ever since young, they could communicate with each other without talking. They would 'knock' on their consciousness and they would talk if the other opened the 'door'.
The older twin would see things that are not visible by the named eye. He can also talk to 'them'. He would speak in so many language if someone had entered his body. The younger twin could lift anything by his mind and he could also see someone's memories after touching an object.
The twins were so scared and they would cry out every night. Although the ghost would be forced out of his body, the older twin would speak things that they couldn't understand. The younger twin would also wake up in the middle of the night after having a nightmare. They witness so many death at such a young age. They didn't know what to do.
Then one day, a group of men captured the two of them and put them in a van. They were very scared as they heard those men say they're about to seek them because of their unique abilities. The younger twin got angry and started using his ability to attack the men with whatever things he could move. The car stopped but they didn't know how to open it to escape. They had never ride a car before.
Just when they were losing hope, a noisy car arrived and tied the mean who captured them. A kind looking man and a beautiful woman came to them and carried each of them. They were weak so they couldn't struggle out of their embraces. The man and the woman would coax them but they were so suspicious. The twins thought that they're bad people.
But their guts say that they're not. The warmth of their hands and their calming voice told them that. The two of them didn't know but they simultaneously started crying to sleep. When they woke up, they're in a different place. The room they are in is so much better and wider than the room the orphanage gave them. It's warm and cozy. There are no rats or cockroaches around. It's also clean and beautiful.
'You okay?'
'Yeah.'
The older twin hugged his brother and check his body. They are uninjured and cleaner than before. They're also wearing a clean set of pajamas that looks expensive. It's the first them they had the chance to wore something good-looking.
While looking at each other, the door suddenly opened. The twins stood up from the bed and shielded each other. A small fuzzy brown head appeared from the doorframe. It's a little girl. She's cute especially with the pig tails on her head and the fluffy dress she wears. It's their first time seeing a girl as adorable as she is.
"Hello, Younger Brothers!" She greeted them with a smile before bowing slightly. She's speaking in English. Although the twins' mother tongue is Japanese, they can understand English. The twins put their guard down after seeing the tiny creatures.
'Are we the one she's calling?'
'Obviously. We're the only ones in the room'
"Mum and Dad said it's time to eat. Younger Brothers have to wash up before coming down for dinner." The little girl said while smiling sweetly.
The younger twin can see his brother in that girl. They have the same smile and feeling. The young girl entered the room and struggled to lift two boxes from the floor. She couldn't lift both at the same time so she lift only one. The twin could see sweat forming on the girl's forehead. She placed one box on the bed and placed another. Again, she smiled at them.
"There are Younger Brothers' clothes. The bathroom is there. Please undress first. I will prepare Younger Brothers' bath water." The girl ran towards the door inside the room and they can hear the sound of water running from the bathroom.
The twin looked at each other and the clothes in the boxes that the girl brought to them. Like the pajama they are wearing, the clothes also looks expensive. They hesitant even after that little said those are their clothes. The water stopped running and they can hear the little girl's footsteps exiting the bathroom.
"The water temperature is just right! Younger Brothers can bathe now! Be quick, okay? Mum cooked delicious foods today just for Younger Brothers. I will see Younger Brothers downstairs!" The little girl said before leaving the room with a smile.
'Can we trust her?'
'Obviously not. Come on. Let's go take a bath.' The younger twin answered through their connection and pulled his older brother towards the bathroom with the towel he took in that room. He touched the water and was surprised at how warm it is. They had only used cold water to bath before. It's so cozy that it became uncomfortable.
'You don't trust her but you're using the water she prepared?'
'We didn't shower for days and the water is clear so I guess she didn't put any poison in. You undress first. I'll see if there is any soap in here.'
'Let's look together. I don't want to leave your side.'
'We are literally in the same small room.'
'Even so!'
The older twin won the staring battle and held his younger brother's arm. They search the bathroom and found a soap and shampoo in one of the shelves under the sink. They undress and took a quick bath, refreshing themselves and enjoying the warmth coming from the bathwater that the little girl prepared.
The little girl returned after they dressed into the clothes she had given them. The twins were a bit hesitant to wear the neat looking clothes but they got to admit, they looked more presentable than the rags they previously wore. The little girl beamed at them and excitedly went to their side. They flinched at the close proximity but the little girl don't seem to notice their stiffness. She grabbed their hands and complimented them genuinely.
"Younger Brothers looks so handsome! You two are the most handsome kid I had to get seen! By the way, what is Younger Brothers' names?" The little girl asked but after waiting for their answer, she still didn't received any response. All she received is a hesitant and uncomfortable looks. The little girl let go of their hands but she still maintained her genuine sweet smile.
"If Younger Brothers don't want to tell me, I guess I'll name Younger Brothers myself!" He added making the twins stare at her.
'Cant she take a hint? We don't want her here.'
'Guess she's so dense?'
'Or maybe, she's ignoring our glares.'
'Or she's stupid.'
"Ah! Okay! I will name this younger brother 'Jin'!" She pointed at the older twin and then pointed at the younger brother. "And this younger brother as 'Li'!"
'Can she even differentiate us? Only our mother and father can do that.'
'Let it go. We can just confuse her and maybe that could make her go away?'
'Right.'
The little girl smiled when the twins didn't show any disagreement. The little girl smiled again and grabbed the twins' hands. She dragged them with her until they arrived at the dining hall. The table is full of delicious and luxurious food and the room is filled with appetizing smell. The twins and the little girl almost drooled.
The man sitting in front of the table looked up from the newspaper he is reading. The twins pursed their lips in awe as they stared at the beautiful man who smiled the moment he saw them. The man stood up and carried the girl who ran up to him. He placed the girl on a chair and went to their side to pick them up. The twins were awakened from their daze and began to struggle but the man already put them on their chairs before they became even more violent.
"Did the two of you sleep well? Did you have any nightmares?"
The twins' dad had never treated them like this. He just stuff the shelves with food and left for work. He also never asked them if they were okay. The twins didn't speak with the warmth blooming in their hearts. They watched the beautiful man as he started talking about fairy tales and such.
'Come to think of it, he is just as handsome like dad.'
'More like beautiful.'
'Yeah. Beautiful.'
Their dad is handsome although he can't write and read nor does he wear suits. Some locals even told them that many girls would've wanted to be his bride if not for his rude attitude and poor status. He is the most handsome man in the village and the twins also thought thought the same. In fact, their dad is the most handsome man they had ever seen.
This man, however, is not that handsome- no, he's handsome but not as handsome as their dad. He is more like the prettiest man they had ever seen. He looks so.....feminine. They would even believe it if he said he's a girl. If not for the suit he is wearing and the little girl calling him 'Papa', the twins would've thought he's the little girl's mother.
"Ah. So you named them Jin and Li. Who is Jin from the two of them?" The man asked while rubbing her daughter's fluffy head with a smile. His smile is so dazzling. Now the twins knew where the little girl got her smile from.
"He is Jin and he's Li!" The little girl answered while pointing at the older one first before the other.
'H-how did she know?! I thought she'd be confused?!'
'We have different clothes, you dummy.'
'haha. Right. I'm so stupid.'
'You just didn't noticed.'
The watched as the man filled up their plate. A few seconds later, a woman in blue dress and an apron came with a fresh baked apple pie in her hands. She stopped to look at the twins for a moment before smiling at them. She doesn't not look as beautiful as the man but she can be considered pretty. There is pride and elegance surrounding her. Just one look alone and one can see that she's from a wealthy family. The woman placed the pie on the table and took a seat beside the man.
'She must be the girl's mother.'
'Agreed.'
"Okay! Let's eat. You two had a long and terrifying day yesterday and you have to eat a lot to restore the energy you have lost." The woman said and add more food on their plate. The food piled like mountain in front of them.
'How are we supposed to eat this?'
'Just eat it. Don't waste food. Besides, there is no poison, I think?'
'Yeah. They're eating it so I'm sure there is no poison.'
The twins picked up their eating utensils and began to eat. They were thankful that they knew how to use a spoon and a fork. They thought them in the orphanage. They saw the little girl eating happily as she push some plates of food towards them from time to time. They spoke less when eating.
After the meal, the man put the twins and her daughter in the living room before helping his wife in the kitchen. The little girl brought out her toys, wanting to play with them. The twins didn't move from the couch and watch her playing on the floor while holding each other's hands. They still didn't know this Family's motives so they didn't do anything to contradict them. They wanted to escape but they didn't know what door is the exit. The curtains are closed so they couldn't see what is happening outside.
"Jin! Li! Come play with me!" The little pouted as she glared cutely at the twins. The twins didn't answer but their attention is on her.
'Shall we play with her?'
'Shall we?'
'I wanted to play the puzzle she is playing.'
'Go on then'
'What about you?'
'I'll watch. Instead of puzzles, I want to read the book that is lying beside her.'
'But you don't know how to read some words yet.'
'That is why I need to learn more by reading more books.'
'Okay! I'll play with her. You read.'
"Are Jin and Li talking to each other?" The little girl asked while curiously watching them. The twins looked at her in shock.
'Can she hear us?' The older twin asked and tried calling her 'little girl' but she never responded.
'I guess she can't hear us. Make sense. Even Mother and Father don't know that we can talk to each other without saying a word.'
'Maybe it's just a coincidence.'
"Can Younger Brothers really talk to each other without a sound? Li is looking at Jin and acts like Li knew what is on Jin's mind." The little girl said to them with excitement.
She wanted to ask more but the older twin stood up abruptly and went to get the book lying beside her feet. He passed it to his brother and sat on the floor while picking up some puzzle pieces. They don't want to talk about their strangeness. Although they are used to it, they don't want to be scorned any further. The little girl saw that they're willing to play so she placed more storybooks beside Li and went to join Jin on the floor.
The family fed the twins delicious food, provide comfortable clothes and bathe them. They also became close to the daughter called Mai. They also speaks Japanese- much to their surprised. They also learned that the wife, Ms. Anne is a woman who do business and the husband, Mr. Sasaki is a person who teaches. Auntie Anne loves to cook delicious food while Uncle Sasaki likes to carve things beautifully.
Mai, Li and Jin always went to Sasaki to learn new things and listen to the couple's stories. The couple also went out a lot leaving them with a old caretaker. The twins began talking more and more as the days passed. The couple also let them out of the garden to play. The twins' life was better until Li had a nightmare one night.
The couple woke up in the middle of the night, hearing Lin's screams and Jin's worried cries. They saw the furnitures floating in the air while Li is convulsing on the bed. Jin is crying for his brother to wake up. Sasaki hurriedly went to Lin's side to wake him up while Anne comforted the crying twin. Li woke up after a few shaking and he couldn't move for a while due to sleep paralysis. The levitating objects also dropped as he woke up.
"N-No! Go away! Get away from my brother! Go away! Don't hurt my brother anymore!" Jin screamed as he stared at the empty spot in front of the window. The couple saw nothing but Jin is absolutely talking to someone.
The couple were shaken by the phenomena they encountered. They never thought that the twins have supernatural powers. They decided to calm their friends from BSPR for help. Al though they can calm them, they couldn't control their powers. The poltergeist calmed down and put Li and Jin in Mai's bedroom to sleep while they watch them.
Their daughter, Mai, also have supernatural powers. She had PK-MT and Retrocognition and precognition through dreams. They were distressed by their daughter's situation but seeing that the twins they saved also have the same problem make them even more distressed. Poor kids.
The twins confessed their abilities the next day. They are also panicked and worries that they may be abandoned because of it but the couple smiled at them and let them stay like noting happened. They said that there will be friends helping them soon. The couple's friends arrived in Boston the next three days and they discussed what is happening while the kids play in the garden.
"Li, Jin. I heard Younger Brothers also have superpowers." Mai, the little girl asked while they're making a flower crown. The twins stopped what they are doing and stared at her. They only told that to Uncle Sasaki and Aunt Anne.
"I previously saw Jin talking to the air. I also saw Li floating a a branch out of the garden." The little girl answered as she finished her flower crown.
"I also have superpowers. I have a lot of nightmares. I would cry whenever I had nightmares." Mai added while smiling at them. The twins just listen to her.
'She dreams like you too.'
'Yeah.'
"I also can stop moving things. Papa told me it's called Siko-Saiko..... Uhmm... I don't remember! It is so hard to say!" Mai contained but she though that demonstrating is even more understandable than saying it so she dropped the flower crown and stopped it with her mind. She picked it up afterwards leaving the twins shocked beyond words.
'She stopped it from falling!'
'Yes. I guess she's more similar to me? I wonder if she can see those scary people you see.'
'I don't think so. A scary man was sticking to her days ago but she didn't noticed it.'
'Is that so? Why didn't you tell me?'
'Well, the scary man left her after a few hours.'
'Did you tell Uncle Sasaki?'
'Yes. He gave her a similar necklace he gave to me and the scary man was gone.'
'That necklace is effective? Can you not see scary people while wearing that?'
'I can still see but they don't approach me like before.'
"You're talking again! Can you just speak and let me hear?!" Mai angrily yelled at them but they're looking at each other again. She hates it when the two don't let her join the conversation.
"Sorry. We just didn't notice that you, too, have superpowers."
"Mama and Papa together with some Uncles and Aunts helped me control it. But I still have nightmares. They will be also helping Young Brothers later! Don't be afraid of them. They're good people." Mai assured them and smiled.
"By the way, how old are you? You keep calling us 'Younger Brothers'." Jin asked, clearly despising that she's acting like an elder.
"I am four years old!"
"Bleh! We're five so we're older than you!" Jin happily answered. Li also nodded her at her.
"Huh? Is that so? Why didn't you tell me? I have been disrespectful to my elder! Mama and Papa told me not to." Mai hide in embarrassment. The twins laughed at her reaction and pat her shoulders.
"It's okay. We forgive you. But you have to call us Big Brothers." Jin answered, clearly gloating.
"Okay then, Big Brother Jin, Big Brother Li! I am so happy that I knew you. I'm always alone and I always wanted someone to accompany me."
"Yeah."
"Yeah, me too."
The twins met Martin, who is the head of the research lab that will be handling them. The twins were so amazed by the knowledge they are gaining while they stayed with him. They sadly moved out of Mai's house but they still see each other everyday. The twins learned that Jin is what they called 'medium' and what he is seeing are called 'ghosts' or the spirits of the dead. Li has PK-ST that can move any objects with his mind and also has Psychometry which he witness the object's owner's memories first hand.
Martin and his wife, Luella found them adorable and cared for them unconditionally. The twins also formed some kind of affection towards them. They enjoyed their company and care. That's why even if they moved out of their previous home and missed Uncle Sasaki and Aunt Anne's loving care, they were still happy without them. The twins were happy. Martin and Luella are happy. Uncle Sasaki and Aunt Anne are happy. And of course, Mai is happy.
They were all so happy that they never noticed a storm coming towards them, destroying their happiness.