Prolouge.

‘How did I end up in this position again…?”Flash back about 3 months.“I’m finally gonna confess to her!” I beamed, over the past few months I learned everything I possibly could about her. Everything but her name, nobody ever called her by her real name, it was always just Class president. Even after following her home I couldn't figure out her real name, her parents just called her kid or kiddo.“How am I gonna confess if I don’t even know her name?” I whined to myself, “All this hard work can’t go to waste” I grabbed a piece of mochi from my mini fridge and stared at it as if it were a life saving pill.“A reminder of my cause! She likes people who are sweet by nature! Just like this mochi! Like me!” I lied. “At least one bite!”And just like that it happened, a shadow in my mirror startled me and then I felt my throat being blocked. The sticky mochi practically glued my throat closed.
Water! I need water! But being my foolish self I had left my water bottle down stairs. Everything faded to black. No, not yet. I CAN’T GO NOW!I woke up feeling light headed, or light bodied..? Looking down at my hands they were transparent. And through my arms I saw my dead body. Lifeless on the floor.My disbelief was washed away by a sudden anger, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? THIS IS HOW I DIE?! All those attempts and once I have something to live for, THIS IS HOW I DIE?!”I seethed but there was nothing I could do, so I sulked around. Roaming the street I used to walk to school.That’s all I did for a few weeks, I just roamed around. My body was found, my family moved, my house was left vacant. And my school was hosting a memorial service, what choice did I have but to sit and watch. And there she was, in the front row looking somber, yet beautiful as always. And that’s when I saw it, an idol’s cheki.“That’s it, I can re-possess my old body! To become an idol!” A bold assumption that it was possible, but I didn’t have time to think about how I’d make that happen. I went back to my old home looking at myself in the mirror when I saw it again, the shadow.“AHHHHH! YOU’RE BACK?!” I shrieked when I noticed the figure actually had a face now..?The figure was hooded and had a leering grin almost like a Cheshire Cat.“Chill out, I won't harm you.” not a single semblance of my soul believed what the figure said. As more of the figure appeared I was shocked to find that it was surprisingly humanoid? White hair, blue tired eyes, that stupid grin, and some old raggedy cloak that smelled like ash and despair. Yeah definitely not human.“Who?-""A reaper dear.” He cut me off, so he’s rude and ugly, great. “You want your body back right?” he inquired.“Yes, how did you?-”“I’ve been watching you for a while now.”“Stop cutting me off you je-”“No.” He replied. I’m already sick of this guy. “Yes, I do but why do you care, aren't you just supposed to collect souls?”I watched his face shift slightly, I wasn’t sure how but I could tell he was about to make me make a deal.“I could give you your body back under one condition.” His grin got even wider, how unsightly. “You have to do some of my work for me.”...are you serious? He’s rude, ugly, and lazy? What a joke. But what choice did I have? I don’t know any other way to get my body back. I sighed and held my hand out as if to give a handshake, “Fine.”He took my hand and began snickering, I suddenly felt my form gaining its substance back, that light weight feeling being gone. He gave me a simple looking microphone with a bunch of buttons.“Now there are a few things you should know.” Then he began counting on his fingers.“One. That microphone gives you the power to shift into different monster forms.“Two. You will occasionally have to fight yokai, some spirits really don’t want to be collected.“Three. After defeating bigger yokai you will gain a new monster form, your current form is zombie.”Huh…so he isn’t stupid, that’s a plus. But I couldn’t help but wonder… “What do these monster forms do?”“Glad you asked…!” He paused, “I actually don’t know.”Are we dead ass..? He stumbled over his word trying to make himself look better.“I do know what the zombie form does though!”“Okay what does it do?” I questioned.“You can temporarily make your opponent slower while you speed up, to activate it you have to say. ‘Zom Speed.’”* * *
Back to presentAnd that’s how I ended up here to fight the Gashadokuro. I should’ve stayed dead…(To be continued)

The Gashadokuro!A massive skeleton that roams the countryside looking for people to hunt and devour! Giving it the nickname “Starving Skeleton”!HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO BEAT THIS THING?!I didn’t even know what had happened I looked up and suddenly this 82 foot monster was hovering over me! So what did I do?I ran!CRASHCRASHCRASHNo matter how fast I ran it was right behind me. I have no fighting experience, no guts (literally and figuratively), and absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to do!And suddenly I hear this agitating, grating voice.“How’s it going?” he just had to inquire, as if he couldn't see what was going on right in front of him. “You just gonna leave me hanging-“ “IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA HELP SHUT UP!” I snapped, geez what is this guy’s problem! And then there’s that stupid grin again, can this guy stop smiling! “Someone's upset, I like the attitude!" Kill me now, oh wait I’m already- DAMNIT!“Fine I suppose I can actually help now, remember what that microphone does!” He reminds me. Oh right, I have powers! “Oh and by the way it’s not chasing you anymore.” “Wait wha-“ “Look up.”I had unconsciously ran into an alleyway with no way out. And as I looked up I saw it reaching to grab me.I need something.
ANYTHING-My microphone.I quickly turned it on and tried to muster up my voice. “This better work” I whispered to myself, I picked up my microphone and yelled into it “ZOM SPEED!”And just like that, everything slowed down.And I noticed it.A small red ribbon tied around the skeleton's finger.I wonder…I jumped up and grabbed the ribbon right before it could grab me. My power wore off but that seemed to do the trick. It started unraveling, spirits were being released from the vessel one by one. It was oddly beautiful. And as the vessel unraveled the ribbon got longer as if it were connected to something.As it came to the last spirit it revealed a young girl around my age. The ribbon was attached to her neck. “Oh no I’m sorry I didn’t mean to I-“ “keep it.” She interrupted. “You deserve it, I know the power it holds. And it’s time for me to give it up.” How incredibly kind of her, but I understand why she doesn’t want to keep it. Her spirit is tired.“I understand, rest easy…”And just like that she was gone with the rest of them.****************Back at my house I thought about her a lot, but more importantly what power was this ribbon supposed to grant me? “Ughhh my head hurts!”“Need a brain break?”Not again.“What on earth do you want now idiot?” God I can’t wait for his spirit to dissolve.“Forget about that ribbon, don’t you want to figure out how to become an idol?” He finally asked a good question? “Right! But how am I supposed to do that?” He placed a flyer on my desk, a mini idol festival? “THIS IS MY CHANCE! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU-…..wait how did you get this?” He suddenly seemed very proud of himself, too proud, ew. “You did so well today, granted it was pure luck…” rude “I thought I’d have a friend pull the strings of fate in your favor.”Well that was nice of him…I guess. “It’s next week so you better get to work!” WHAT?! NEXT WEEK? “You jerk! That’s not nearly enough practice time! Not to mention I don’t have a costume!-“ I shivered as his hands gripped my shoulder, his hands were ice cold! Yuck! But I couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated. “You want that girl to like you right?” His voice was unnaturally eerie. I mean he always sounds eerie, but even more so now. “Get to work idol.”And just like that I spent the next few days singing and dancing pretty much non stop, and if I wasn’t doing that I was sewing my old clothes into a costume, learning how to do my makeup, or doing my hair. And before I knew it the day had come.Everyone looked amazing, their costumes were adorable, everyone looked so prepared. They all looked so...alive, it was especially noticeable compared to me; considering that I'm literally rotting, and the only reason why I'm not fully decomposed is because of the magic of the weirdo. I suddenly felt like none of my work mattered. Every performance before my own was absolutely stellar. And before I knew it, it was my turn.I hadn’t even come up with a stage name. I was nervous and it was even more strange and distressing not being able to feel my heart beating fast, because it had stopped beating long ago. I'm dead, I can't be with someone who's alive. Maybe this wasn't meant to be. The lights were bright and beaming; but as soon as I got on that stage I saw her, and it was all worth it cause she was about to see me perform.Even if I never get to be with her, at least she gets to see what I have in store.As the music started my muscle memory kicked in I began singing and dancing without a care in the world cause she was watching. It all felt worth it.The song ended and I finally had a chance to breathe, no one was cheering, or singing, but I saw a penlight glow in the back, bright red and magnificent in the hands of the girl I loved. And just like that more came up, the crowd filled with red penlights. But none of them mattered but hers. And just then, even if I didn’t know her name I needed her to know mine.So I taught the crowd my call and response before my time was up.“Who’s the lovely spirit haunting your heart?”“It’s”“DOLLIE!”And the next time I see her, I'll learn her name.