Vol 1 Chapter 7 (1/2)
Chapter 7: Murdoch
“Maybe we should tell a teacher?” Larry said, breaking the silence
“Agreed”
“That sounds like a good idea”
Seron and Nick nodded The boys were in agreement
Natalia also voiced her consent Meg nodded again and again
“Happy now, Jenny?” Asked Larry
“What happens once we show a teacher?” Jenny asked suspiciously
“I don’t know “Seron replied “What did you expect would happen once you showed us?”
“…Fine”
Waving her hands, Jenny finally relented and gathered up the pictures She slipped them back into the envelope
“We should all go together”
“I agree with Seron”
Larry had to think for a ether The teacher would not believe Jenny if she went alone However, he did not voice his realization
Meg tilted her head, still oblivious Natalia realized the ilanced at Jenny’s profiled face
“Great! First, let’s clean up” Larry said The boys quickly took away the trays, teapot, and the cups
They then returned to the girls, aited at the table
“Let’s go to the faculty office Mr Murdoch should be there” Larry suggested
“All right You comica?” Asked Natalia
“I-I will come Please do not leave me alone here now”
“We’ll have to save the film for another time Perhaps in the afternoon, if we can” Nick said
The six students walked out in a line
Larry led the way, slowing down slightly to ed fro that housed the faculty office
Larry and Seron were in the lead, with Nick, Jenny, Natalia, and Meg following after
Larry silently gestured to Seron to offer to put hi in the formation But Seron shook his head
Nick was the one who finally broke the silence His long hair fluttered in the cool northerly winds as he looked up at the blinding blue sky
“The weather is wonderful today”
“Though I can’t say it host stories”
“Oh? I’hosts?”
“I just don’t like things that can’t be explained Living people are waythan the dead”
“There’s quite a bit of leaned from that statement, I think”
They walked into the deserted building And soon they arrived at the door to the faculty office near the center of the first floor
The 4th Capital Secondary School boasted a large student body and a faculty population to ular space about half the size of the first floor
The rooated by subject, inside which were the teachers’ personal desks Books and documents were piled on most of them even now
The only student entrance was the door near the middle of the room The moment they stepped inside, they arrived at the help desk During the term, students had to speak to the secretary at the desk and wait at the entrance for the teacher to come out But—
“There’s nobody here…”
Larry was right The two secretaries were gone for the summer
“It looks like the staff are enjoying their break as well” Nick remarked
The office and its rows of desks was still Perhaps Mr Murdoch was so the desks, but they could not see him
“Let’s give hi at the white telephone on the help desk
“Ah, good idea”
In front of the phone was a note
‘During summer break, contact Murdoch of the Roxchean department’
Underneath ritten the number for the Roxchean department
Seron turned the dial and made the call
Fro
“He’s not picking up…” Seron said about five rings later He waited a little more
“Maybe he’s out patrolling” Larry suggested At that moment—
<yes, this=”” is=”” murdoch…=””>
A sleepy voice escaped the speaker
“hello, Mr Murdoch This is Seron Maxwell, a third-year student I wanted to speak to you, sir I’ht to see you?”
“What’d he say?” Asked Larry
“I think he ed, grinning
“Is this teacher really all right?” Natalia wondered No one answered her question
“I’m sorry, Seron I must’ve dozed off” Mr Murdoch admitted heartily as he stepped out His hair was a mess, and he was dressed in comfortable brown pants and a blue polo shi+rt—unthinkable for a teacher during the school term
He was startled to see so athered by the help desk
“Well, well None of you are part of the draathered in one place” He said “But isn’t practice canceled for the day?”
“It is, Mr Murdoch We’re here because anted to show you so”
“What ht it be, Seron? You look rather serious”
Seron turned and held out his hand to Jenny She quietly pulled out the photograph from her envelope and handed it to him
Seron placed the photo on the desk
“Here, sir”
“What is this?”
Mr Murdoch frowned, leaning forward and scrutinizing the photograph Several seconds passed
“I see It’s a picture of the old storehouse on the edge of campus”
“Yes, sir And if you’ll look between the bars here…”
“A face” Mr Murdoch said nonchalantly The students were floored
“Er… so about—”
“Yes It’s certainly frightening Just like a ghost”
“Yes, sir—”
“This would be your work, Jenny Jones? I’m impressed”
“What? No, it’s—”
“To be honest, I was a big fan of your newspapers, Jenny The photographs especially When I was a young man, I always so desperately wanted a camera of my own Unfortunately, they were still too expensive at the time It’s not cheap now, but at the time it was even worse About a month’s worth of pay, I think No one ever treated cameras like toys, the way people do now” Mr Murdoch explained with a warm smile
Seron could not continue
“I think it would have been wonderful if you’d outright written, ‘this is a work of fiction’ on your newspapers Nothing like soy into our lives”
Seron looked back at the others
Larry pointed at hi him to say it Jenny seemed positively furious Seron could clearly see her incisor biting into her lip
Nick put on an enigmatic sesturing with her chin Meg stood with her eyes wide like a puppy recently arrived at her new home
Seron looked back at Mr Murdoch
“No, sir This isn’t a doctored photograph”
“Hm?”
“Jenny is the photographer, yes But she claims that this one is different from the ones she had altered before She says that took this picture yesterday, developed it in the evening, and printed it thisshe hadn’t intended to photograph She caree on anything and decided to consult with you”
Mr Murdoch tilted his head
“That’s simply what she claims, isn’t it?”
“Sir?”
“Jenny is the one who clairaph, I mean”
“Th-that’s right, sir”
“And do you all believe her?”
Five of the six students were floored The sixth—
“Hold on! I’ll—mmph!”
The sixth student tried to run over to the teacher, but was caught by Natalia and her mouth covered
“Sorry”
“Mmph! Mm!”
“Mr Murdoch” Said Seron “You mean—”
“If you can’t beat the prankster, the best thing you can do is enjoy the pranks”
“You don’t believe her, sir?”
“Of course not”
“…”
“Is that all?” Mr Murdoch asked with a smile
“Er…”
Seron was lost for words Mr Murdoch continued nonchalantly
“If it really bothers you, why not go looks at the building for yourself? If you don’t have anything to do, that is There’s not reat historical value They’re still doing construction on the building, so take care”
“Excuse us”
Seron, Larry, Nick, and Natalia walked out in disappointment
“I-I can’t believe this! He treated me like I was some kind of liar!” Jenny finally exploded the moment she stepped out of the office
“Can you blah?” Natalia muttered
Meg was silent all the while
They walked aith no need for anyone’s urging They left the faculty office area
The group reached the building entrance and stood in a circle near the point where the hallidened Seron broke the silence
“After hearing that, I’ to think—”
“Hey! You too?!” Jenny cried
“I couldn’t think of anything to say, either…”
“Not you too, blondie!”
“Jenny” Said Nick “Seron and Larry intend to say that Mr Murdoch does have a point”
“I wasn’t asking you, princess!”
“But you know, he really does have a point if you think about it” Natalia noted
“Even you, four-eyes?! It’s like you’re all against me!”
Finally, their gazes turned to the oldest of the group—Meg
Meg silently gazed down the hall for some time But she eventually opened her mouth
“There is soe here”
Four quizzical looks
Seron alone narrowed his eyes He was not srim look on his face
“What do you mean?” Natalia asked
No one noticed Seron’s expression Meg shook her head again and again
“I do not know I’ repeated herself uncomfortably
“Foreign girl! You believe me?” Jenny squealed
“I do not know” Meg simply said
“H
“Let’s go take a look!” Seron cut in to halt Jenny’s outburst
Everyone stared
“Where?” Asked Larry “Oh, the old building?”