Chapter 9: Information Booth

We enter the booth after paying for the entrance fee. There were couches for the customers. And in the middle was another small tent that was probably around five meters in diameter.

We waited or a while before our turn came.

As the curtain of the tent opened, I instantly backed away in horror.

What the..there was a headless man in a black suit in the tent!

My back hit Lucas's chest.

Lucas pushed me away immediately. "Don't be a sissy. He might be headless but he is capable."

He then entered the tent. I calmed my heart down. Darn. There were so many surprises today. I inhaled deeply and gathered my courage.

' I can do this. They won't hurt me. They won't hurt me.'

I walked into the room again without looking up at the headless man.

"Welcome, Lucas, and his new friend." I heard a voice below me.

There it was the head of the man was on the desk. 

"...." I almost passed out. 

Lucas seemed to know the man well. 

"You got a new suit. It looks good on you." Lucas said.

"Haha. Of course, I have to look nice so I won't scare the newbies. I hope you are taking me well." The headless man smiled at me. 

My face probably look horrified. I calmed down. I was just really shocked. Who would not be shocked if they saw a headless man and its head talking on the table? 

I don't' remember my views but I do think I am one of a hell an opinionated girl.

I nodded and awkwardly smile.

Then the headless body pointed the couch in front of the desk while the head talked, "Please be comfortable. We have to be discreet when trade information, so we set something like this. Information is very pricy, like the food that we can bring for the dead. So every information is a minimum of five token. But that depends on the information you are asking."

"..." Five tokens?!

I have so many questions that I need to know but it seemed like I can only have one.

Dang!

If that was the case then I will pick the information I wanted to know the most.

"I..I want to know who I am. Not just by name but where I lived. "

"..." The head in the table blinked.

Lucas looked at me strangely. 

I looked back and forth at them. Was my task a bit weird? Or was it difficult?

"Hmm..that's quite specific. If you want that information I think it will cost you more than a thousand tokens."

"What?!" 

A thousand token..even I sell my bloody clothes I am far away to reach that!

The head sighed. "I know its too much. But in order for us to know that, we need to use all of our manpower to stalk the people who might know you. We will trace back the day you died to where you came from step by step. It would be hard to do. Not only that but when we are gathering our network outside we are also risking our life to the grim reapers. That's why what you are asking is expensive. If you have other inquiries then maybe you can request it instead of this one. I will do my best to low down the price.

"..."

The headless man was right. Finding about my identity or where I lived was a big task for them. It would take time and resources.

"Then uhmm..the school. Can you know which school this uniform belongs to?" 

Since I couldn't gather that many tokens and I don't have anything to offer, then I will start from my initial plan. I would investigate it on my own. I just need to start on my school.

The headless man nodded. "We will see to it. The down payment is five token. The rest will be put into the bill depends on how hard we managed to get the information."

"What?! Five tokens is just a down payment! You said-"

"We will be back for it." Lucas interrupted me.

"Hey! I don't hav-"

"When can we get back for it?" Lucas covered my mouth with his hand.

You're rude!

I wanted to shout that to Lucas but I inhaled a lavender fragrance instead.

His hand smelled a bit of lavender. Could ghosts have a fragrance around them?

But I am irritated that he allowed this headless man to rob us in daylight. But I keep quiet. Lucas must have a reason for stopping me.

Seeing that I won't make a fuss, Lucas took out his hand and wiped it on his hospital shirt with disgust.

"..." I take that back. Lucas is such a rude man and I don't care about his reason. He was really a jerk who bullies me.

The headless body opened his drawer, picked a folder, and turn it into a few pages. He then put the document near the head.

The head read it carefully. After a while, he looked back at us.

"You can come back next week at the same time." 

Lucas nodded. "Any news about my inquiry?"

The head on the table shook his head. How could he do that without a neck? 

"Alright, we'll come back next week. Thank you, Sir Fin." Lucas thanked him.

I paid the five token afterward.

Dang, I gain nothing but I lost six tokens!

Lucas guide me out.

"What inquiry do you have?" I asked. My curiosity was piqued.

Lucas ignored me.

"Hey, maybe I can help." But I was actually being noisy. But who knows? Maybe I can really help.

"I already asked for help. An additional useless help might bring trouble." He continued walking. 

I harrumphed. This man was very good at socializing with others. He was like a gentle and polite young man when he talked to that Sir Finch and Madam. But when it comes to me, he acted like a jerk. Did I own him a debt or something?

We just came out of the information booth when suddenly the ground shook.

I felt the tremor in my body as a cold shiver traveled down my spine. I sweated. What was that?

"Is it an earthqua-" I was about to ask Lucas when frantic shouts started to overwhelm the basement.

"Quick!" Their frantic shouts sounded as they began to move quickly.

The usual calm, somehow cold but cheerful atmosphere suddenly turned tense and chaotic.

I watched as the ghost around me panicked. They quickly packed their booths. Some customers tried to float upwards to escape.

To escape from what?

But then I watched as the ghost fell down after he hit the basement's ceiling.

"Agh!" He rolled on the ground like he were scorched by something.

Not just on him but even the ghosts who tried to escape.

I was stunned. What was happening?

"Damn.." Lucas cursed beside me. He too was sweating. 

"What's the matter? Why everyone is panicking?"

Lucas turned to me, " We need to hide. They barricaded the entrance and the exit. " He said with gritted teeth, "They are coming," 

His expression made me nervous too.

"Who are coming?" I asked even though I have an idea who made the ghost community trembled in fear.

Lucas looked up. His sweats traveled from his temple to his handsome jaw.

"The Grim Reapers."