H
Hologram Summer
Guest
August 5, 1990
It was supposed to be a day we'll never forget, a day to recognize all the trials and hardships we went through for the past 3 years. A momentous event. A day of celebration and triumph. Joyous. Unforgettable...
And yet--
It was supposed to be a day we'll never forget, a day to recognize all the trials and hardships we went through for the past 3 years. A momentous event. A day of celebration and triumph. Joyous. Unforgettable...
And yet--
I
The Curse of the Yellow Moon
- August 02, 1995
The Curse of the Yellow Moon
- August 02, 1995
Arato. A rural village in the southern part of the Aomori prefecture of Northeastern Japan. As of October 1994, Arato had a population of 5,000 making it one of the least populated places in the prefecture. The village's industry is heavily dependent on agriculture thanks to its mountainous landscape and mild climate all year round.
Like the rest of the Mutsu provice (now known as Tohoku), Arato has a rich spiritual history. It is believed that it is one of the last places taken from the indigenous Ainu who were regarded as primitive and mysterious. Shintoism is the primary religion practiced in Arato but as of the 1990, Buddhism and Catholicism have also found their way into Arato.
Source: mikipedia.org
Shigeru adjusted his glasses after he finished reading over the article he printed before slipping the paper into his file organizer on the section labeled "Articles". He reached for his half-empty mug of strong black coffee, chugging down the bitter caffeine to the last drop and letting out a satisfied sigh. He picked up another sheet of paper which had a musty newspaper clippings glued into it but before he could start reading it, he felt a tap on his shoulder. The young man's face lit up and he turned his head to see who it was, his enthusiasm dropping when he realized who it was.
"Excuse me sir, would you like more coffee?" asked one of the waitresses to which Shigeru responded with a smile and a nod.
After the woman filled his mug with piping hot coffee and left, Shigeru raked a hand through his unruly blond locks before letting out a groan. "Two days... It's been two days now but I haven't seen any one of them. Did they get the message in time?" he mused in his head. His gray pupils then traveled down to look at the newspaper clippings he was holding.
ARATO HIGH SCHOOL MYSTERY: 103 STUDENTS DIED OF UNKNOWN CAUSES
by Yuriko Tagawa
Asahi Shimbun
Arato, Aomori - A shocking tragedy has put the sleepy rural town of Arato on the map this August 5, 1990 when 103 graduating students from Arato High School suddenly collapsed and died during the awarding ceremony. by Yuriko Tagawa
Asahi Shimbun
"At first I thought it was some prank or stunt being pulled by the graduating alumni! It wasn't until 20 or 30 minutes later when I realized that it was no prank. They were really dead!" stated one of the adult chaperones who attended this grim graduation ceremony. The police have been silent on their investigation of the matter but according to Hiro Sakaguchi, Police Chief of Arato PD's crime division, a gas leak under the school's auditorium is one of the angles they are looking at. According to eyewitness accounts, the students' faces were all contorted in an impossible manner but the authorities refuse to publicize any details about the autopsy report nor are they allowing the media to take any pictures of the victims' remains.
As tragic as it is, there are a few students who survived this horrifying event. They are--
"Us..." muttered Shigeru to no one in particular before filing the document under "Newspaper Articles". Though Shigeru remembered that he was one of the students who survived that day, he had no recollection of what happened before the graduation ceremony. In fact, he remembered nothing about his life in Arato High School. He remembered all the lessons and academics he learned during his time there but everything else was a blur. Shigeru gripped his forehead when he felt a migraine coming along. His search for answers regarding that day didn't come very far but perhaps the people he was with on that day are the key to recovering those lost memories.
With a sigh he stared out of the cafe window, hoping... praying that it wasn't too late.