Jorge Joestar

CHAPTER ONE: Tsukumojuku (九十九十九)

My name is Jorge Joestar. The name was taken from my

aristocratic grandfather but written the Spanish style. I asked why

Mum didn't spell it George like a proper English name, but she just

smiled and said, "Well, you were born in the Canary Islands, and if

I named you George, we couldn't very well call you Jojo, could

we?" My father – he died in a shipwreck – was named Jonathan

Joestar, and had gone his whole life by the nickname Jojo; he'd died

so soon after their wedding that Mum, still deeply in love with him,

had her heart set on my inheriting that nickname. Sadly, only

Spaniards lived on La Palma, and nobody called me Jojo; Mum and

Lisa Lisa called me 'George' and everyone pronounced my name

the Spanish way: 'Horhe'. Pointing this out to Mum just made her

look sad, so I held my tongue. Frankly, what they called me was the

least of my problems. For as long as I could remember, I was

tormented by Spanish-speaking jackanapes – this very day they'd

rubbed dog shit on my face on the way home from school. They'd

managed to get some up my nose and no matter how much I

washed my face the stink remained. But they'd been trying to make

me eat it, so I guess I got off easy. Like she always did, Lisa Lisa

found us and saved me before they could force the shit all the way

in. These pigs were born on the island and would die a useless

death here; they had no conscience, no capacity for anything like

abstract thought, and thus no notion of restraint.

"Bwa ha ha ha ha! You got saved by a girl again, Balsa

Blanca (White Raft)! Your dick wouldn't even work as an oar!"

Lisa Lisa had knocked him down and kicked him a number

of times, and his nose was still bleeding, but Antonio Torres was

getting used to the beatings, and didn't let them get in the way of a

good jeer. This hit me where it hurt. After the shipwreck, Mum

spent several days adrift on the Pacific with me and Lisa Lisa, so

Antonio and his gang had started calling me Balsa Blanca, but this

insulted Mum and my dead Dad as well, so I always got mad and

cried. Look, even I hated myself for it. I was such a damn cry baby.

It was like I had just served them all dessert. The moment I

started crying they all killed themselves laughing, and Lisa Lisa had

to drag me away.

"Come on, Jorge! You can't cry like that! Now they've gone

home happy!" Lisa Lisa was furious with me. I was in the river,

trying to wash the smell off, and this wasn't helping. The snot and

tears made my cheeks sting, but Elizabeth Straits showed no mercy.

"Your face is filthy...washing isn't helping! You're so pathetic I don't

even want to be seen walking with you! If you're so sad then go cry

alone! I can't bear watching!" She turned and left me there. This

made me feel even more sorry for myself. What did I ever do to

deserve this? Because I was the only English boy in class... I hate to

bring race into this, but all of us were white! We had an Asian kid

in our class, but nobody ever made fun of him! Damn it! Why did

they all pick on me!?

Obviously, because I was a crybaby, not particularly smart,

not particularly athletic, and not particularly funny. The Asian kid

was unflappable, quite good looking, got straight As, and word was

he worked as a detective...in elementary school. Someone like that

just isn't going to get picked on. But knowing there was a reason

why they came after me just made things worse, and now I was

crying again...

I was still crying when I got home, and Mum said Lisa Lisa

had gone straight to her room and shut the door. "She was crying,

you know? Lisa Lisa is very worried about you, Jorge. Such a kind

soul..." For a moment I thought she meant me – I supposed I was

on the kind side, for a boy – then I realized she meant Lisa Lisa,

and got very confused. There must be some mistake. Kind? How?

Violent, and sure, she saved me from the bullies but afterwards she

always yelled at me a lot, and after she got done yelling, she'd walk

away and leave me on my own. What about that was 'kind'? I was

still fuming about that when we sat down to dinner, so Mum fixed

me with a stern look.

"Jorge, we have something important to talk about tonight.

Will you listen?"

There was a sadness to her smile that was very worrying,

and I felt tears welling up reflexively.

"No!" I said.

"Don't be so dumb, Jorge," Lisa Lisa laughed. "She hasn't

even said anything yet."

I turned to scowl at her for laughing, but she wasn't smiling

at all. She looked really tense, and that really made me scared.

What was going on?

"Listen, Jorge," Mum said. "Look at me."

I really didn't want to, but I had no choice. This was clearly

important. I had to face it.

"...what?"

She spoke slowly.

"A long time ago it was decided that Lisa Lisa was to go

stay with her adopted father, Straits, once she turns twelve. The

three of us will celebrate Christmas together, and then Straits will

come to pick her up at the start of the year. Lisa Lisa will go with

him to his home in Italy."

...what?

This was genuinely so far beyond all the bad news I had

been bracing myself for that I actually blacked out for a second.

Lisa Lisa had been protecting me my entire life, since I was a baby.

She'd step in if someone hit me, get back what they took, give me

hers or split hers with me if I dropped something, comforted me

when I was crying, praised me if I did something right. There was

no way they could take Lisa Lisa away from me now!

"But...but! But!" I said. "If Lisa Lisa leaves, I don't know

what'll happen to me!" Actually, I was pretty sure I did know what

would happen to me – they'd kill me. For real.

But Mum had no idea how bad things were for me. The tone

she took was devoid of any comfort or reassurance. "Jorge. You

have to become strong enough, smart enough, and resilient enough

to survive after Lisa Lisa leaves. You have to live without her help,

and you have six months to prove you can. I know she's been a

great help to you. Proving you can stand on your own two feet is

the best thing you can do to repay her."

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

God, Mum was the best at...how could I put it? She had a

way of saying things that were so right you couldn't argue, couldn't

make excuses, and couldn't disobey without feeling like you were a

very bad boy. But I was in such a fix that I didn't see how I could

do the right thing! They nearly shoved dog shit in my mouth!

Today! Just hours ago! Lisa Lisa was saving me from such dire

straits on a daily basis! Mum had no idea! Mum had no idea she

had no idea! In a state of panic I was about to cast aside all pretense

of pride as a gentleman and use the dog shit as an example of just

how bad this was when Lisa Lisa started crying. "Jorge, you idiot!

Can't you think about anyone but yourself? I have to go live with

my Dad, who I barely even remember! I'll barely ever see you or

Mama Erina again! I'm so scared and I'll miss you and here you are

just...to hell with you, Jorge!" She let the tears stream down her

cheeks, making no effort to wipe them away, sobbing loudly. I

stared, stunned. I'd never seen Lisa Lisa cry before.

Mum stood up, walked around the table, and put her arms

around Lisa Lisa. "Aaaaugh, Eri...Mama Erina...wahh...hnk...waah!

S-sorry, I'm sorry. Hnk. I can't...I can't stop crying! I didn't want to

cry, I swore I wouldn't!"

"Go ahead, Lisa Lisa, cry as much as you need. It's a very

sad thing. It's hard for me, as well. We've lived together your whole

life, and it's been such fun. We've been so happy. I've grown to love

you like my own daughter. And I promise that will never change.

Remember that always, Lisa Lisa. Know that I will always love

you."

"Aaaah Mama Erina! Thank you! For everything! I love you

too! I love you! Remember me forever! Don't forget about me!"

"Of course not! How could I forget you? You're my pride

and joy! I should be thanking you! Jorge and I have both treasured

your company."

"Waaahh, I...I don't want to go! I want to live here with you

forever! I'm sorry, I know it's selfish of me. But that's how I feel!"

"And you shouldn't be ashamed of that. Poor Lisa Lisa. Your

life upturned by a promise grown ups made for you. But you have

an important duty. This promise was made knowing the fate of all

mankind depended on it. I'm sure someday you will come to

understand, even if it's hard to accept while you're still so very

young. But if you try, you'll get through this."

"Aaaaaaaaugh! Nooo! I don't wannaaa!" With Mum's arms

still around her, Lisa Lisa began thrashing around like a toddler

throwing a tantrum. I sat watching this, surprised, and more than a

little nonplussed. Ah ha ha, wow, I thought. Lisa Lisa's just a kid.

I'd never noticed before. But of course she was. She was eleven.

Technically, at the moment I was the same age as her. It had always

felt like she was a grown up looking after me.

But she was less than a year older.

Last year, she'd been only ten years old all those times she

saved me, and now that I was eleven, I should be able to protect last

year's version of me. Antonio and his friends had bullied me last

year as well, but Antonio a year ago was much smaller than he was

now, and not nearly as strong. But I was scared. Scared, but I could

probably still take him. I was just scared. If I could just stop being

scared, I could knock him down. The only way to stop being scared

was to start being brave. I was a boy, and couldn't keep relying on a

girl my whole life.

"Okay, Lisa Lisa!"

The panic was gone, and I sounded calm...or like I was

trying to sound calm. My lips were still quivering, but I forced

myself to keep talking. "I'll be brave. Starting tomorrow, I'll beat up

Antonio myself. That might not actually happen, but I'll think of

something. I won't need your help." I smiled at her. Now it was her

turn to gape at me. Even Mum looked surprised, and maybe a little

dismayed. Neither of them believed me. Why should they? But Lisa

Lisa blinked her red eyes, and a smile spread across her wet cheeks.

"Thank you, Jorge. That was wonderful." I suddenly realized just

how pretty Lisa Lisa was. It was like her whole body was sparkling,

and I felt me heart skip a beat. "But don't try too hard. I don't want

you getting hurt," she added. Yep. Nobody believed in me.

But I had to try.

I spent all night trying to figure out how to avoid Antonio's

gang on the road to and from school, and trying to think of snappy

comebacks – quite a step down from what I'd said at dinner, but all

my plans were for naught.

Antonio Torres was found dead in the morning. He'd been

murdered.

Since I was trying not to meet Antonio's gang on their way

in from the harbor, and trying not to need Lisa Lisa's protection, I

had gone to school very early. Instead of leaving my satchel in the

classroom, I hid in a storage room around back of the school,

waited for everyone else to arrive, and slipped into class at the last

possible second. This was pathetic, but that was the best I could

manage that morning. But as I stealthily opened the door and made

a dash for my seat at the back I became aware of a bizarre silence;

these clowns were always yelling about something, why were they

quiet today? Still hunched over, I looked up. Everyone was looking

at me. I froze in my tracks. The looks they gave me were not the

usual mix of pity and scorn reserved for the class outcast. Instead, I

saw fear and anxiety, and above all...suspicion. For reasons even I

wasn't clear on, I immediately looked for Antonio Torres. He wasn't

there. But his bannermen were all glaring at me.

"Oi, Jorge," His first mate, Julio, snarled. "What are you

skulking about for? Where have you been, you Limey bastard!?"

"Hunh? What are you talking about? I came to school like

always."

I couldn't very well say I'd been hiding in the storage room.

"Liar!" Julio yelled. "I went to your house this morning! I

ran straight there! You were already gone at seven!"

"Hunh? Why'd you go to my house?"

Was he planning on tormenting me there, too? Please, no!

That would be the last straw. Surely that was against the rules!

What Julio said next, I did not expect. "I wanted to see if

you know anything about Antonio's death!"

Antonio's death!?

What!? That piece of shit was dead!?

"...what are you talking about?"

"Then why did you lie? You didn't come to school like

always?"

"I mean, I did come here a little early..."

"No, you didn't! You went and murdered Antonio!"

"Eh? Wait, what? What are you talking about? Antonio was

murdered?"

"Don't play innocent!"

"No, no, I seriously have no idea what's going on! What?

How could I possibly kill Antonio?"

"Not alone!" Julio roared, his eyes gleaming with rage and

fear. "But if Lisa Lisa helped..."

"Lisa Lisa wouldn't kill anyone!" I yelled back. This was the

first time I'd ever raised my voice to Julio. It made him jump, and

he hesitated a moment before answering.

"Then where was Lisa Lisa this morning? When I went to

your house, Miss Violence was missing, too!"

???? Hunh?

"Your Mom was having fits! Neither you nor that girl were

in your rooms! You're telling me that both of you just happened to

disappear the morning Antonio was murdered? I don't believe that

for a second! You did something to him! I told your mother, if

Antonio's been killed, then you two must have done it!"

"What? You said that to my Mum!? You dick! You don't

even have any proof!"

"Nobody but you and the girl that protects you would ever

want to kill him!"

"What are you talking about? I couldn't even begin to kill

him. I don't even have the balls to fight him! I was trying to avoid

seeing him, so I came to school early and hid in the storage room

until class started!"

This admission was so pathetic and so like something I

would do that everyone but Julio let out a relieved titter.

"Can you prove that!?" Julio demanded, despite having

provided no evidence to back up his own accusations.

"I can," Mr. Hernandez said, stepping in the door. "I saw

him from the teacher's room. Saw him go in the storage room, and

come out. Julio, don't go accusing your classmates without reason.

Judging from Jorge's behavior, and what you two just said, it

sounds like you kids have been bullying Jorge. You, Antonio, and

the rest of you...all ganging up on him. You should be ashamed of

yourselves, hear?" Julio turned red, grit his teeth, and stared at the

ground.

I was pleased he'd finally noticed, but he couldn't have done

it sooner? This was exactly why I'd never expected help from him.

Julio wasn't quite done yet, though. "We still don't know

where Lisa Lisa is, do we?"

With Mr. Hernandez watching, I was a little more confident.

I allowed myself a theatrical sigh before answering.

"Listen to yourself. Lisa Lisa would never do something

like this. She may be good at fighting, but she's a girl! She could

never kill Antonio."

"Bullshit!" Julio howled. "She's no ordinary girl! You don't

know, cause she's never hit you, but we all know! Her punches and

kicks aren't normal! It's like electric running through you. It feels

like your blood's running the wrong direction. She's got some weird

power. She used her freaky power to kill Antonio! That's why he

died so weird! Cause of that freak!"

"Hunh?" He'd lost me entirely. "Maybe you should calm

down. Lisa Lisa doesn't have any 'power.'"

"She does, you just don't know it. She kicked me once, and

my entire left side wouldn't stop trembling for hours. She punched

Antonio the other day, and his legs started running on their own. He

ran ten kilometers non-stop, all the way to the beach, right into the

water, nearly drowned."

"What!? That's impossible!"

"Whatever. You don't know. Useless talking to you. Point is,

Lisa Lisa has some weird power. And you'd need some weird power

to kill Antonio like that."

"........? What do you mean? How was Antonio killed?"

"You already know! Fine, be that way. You see..." Julio

paused dramatically. "Antonio...was crushed to death, leaving him

flat as a sheet of paper. Right behind his house. No blood, no

muscle, no bones, nothing left of him but a sheet of skin!"

What the hell?

Was that really how Antonio Torres had died? If that was

real, I definitely couldn't see Lisa Lisa being capable of that, but...?

While I was still stunned, the classroom door suddenly slammed

open.

"I've been eavesdropping! And I hate to admit it, because it

does so spoil an entrance, but it's the truth! Everyone seemed so

worked up I hesitated to enter, but not only did class never start, the

discussion grew increasingly bizarre! Eventually it defeated even

my patience." The boy at the door had a long, thick tube of some

sort held under his arm. It was none other than the lone Asian in the

class, Tsukumojuku Kato. The most handsome, most intelligent,

most bizarre boy in class – when he walked in everyone, including

the teacher, paid attention. He had that air about him.

Everyone watched as Tsukumojuku shut the door behind

him, made his way to his desk, placed the cylindrical case on the

floor, and turned to face us. "Hmm...I could have sworn I just

solved the Antonio Torres case, so why do I get the sense it's only

just begun?"

We all gasped.

"Solved it!?" Julio shrieked. "What a load of crap! We found

Antonio's body, and the police had only just arrived when we left!

That was less than an hour ago! You're not a cop – how would you

even know he was dead!? And here you are claiming to have solved

the case!?"

"Because I did," Tsukumojuku said.

"But how...!?" Julio said, at a loss for words.

"You know that. Because I'm a detective, Julio Gonzales. I

happened to pass the Torres residence mere moments after you

came bursting out of it – some would say fate brought me there," he

added, cryptically. Tsukumojuku turned to look at me. "But it seems

fate is leading me in a different direction."

As I stood my ground against his piercing stare, I wondered

how he could speak in such a grown-up, mannered fashion. Was he

really eleven? No – he hadn't had a birthday yet, so he was only ten.

Then it struck me.

This was the first time I'd ever talked to him face to face.

"Um," I said, my voice shaking. "So...you solved the murder

of Antonio Torres?" Was Lisa Lisa involved?

"So I thought."

Past tense? "So...you didn't?"

Instead of answering, he asked, "Jorge, have you ever read a

detective novel?"

"...? A detective novel? Um...I think we have some in the

house, but..."

"It's a genre of novels that began about sixty years ago, in

1841, when the American writer Edgar Allen Poe published a story

called The Murders in the Rue Morgue. The salient points of the

genre, obviously, are that the murder appears to be impossible, and

is then solved by a genius detective."

"Obviously? How would I know that? My mum said they

weren't for children to read. I don't like scary books anyway. What's

your point?"

"But you understand the concept of a detective?"

"Like Sherlock Holmes?"

"Exactly. A fictional device, a role destined to always arrive

at the truth in the end."

"So?"

"That's me."

"...okay? So what?"

"A detective surveys all evidence, understands the case in

full, and at last arrives at a perfect solution."

"............"

"Looked at the other way, when new evidence comes to

light providing details previously unknown...that solution is no

longer perfect. And an imperfect solution is not the truth."

What the hell was this Asian on about?

Tsukumojuku stood up, and began moving around the

classroom, closing the curtains. "A new world lies before us!" he

announced. "Facts previously hidden from view! My solution was

not complete! I was wrong! The case! Is not! Done!"

With each of this last exclamations he swished a curtain

closed. In the darkened classroom, with all eyes on him, he returned

to his desk, and picked up the tube he'd brought with him. "This is

very sensitive to sunlight and dry air," he explained, and pulled

something out of it. He rolled it out on the desk. It was Antonio

Torres...only flat.

Holes where his eyes should be. Totally naked. Flat. Like

paper.

No blood, no muscle, no bones, nothing left of him but a

sheet of skin!

The very boy who'd said this let out a shriek of horror.

"What's wrong with you!? Why would you bring a classmate's

corpse here!? The cops are gonna be pissed! Oh god! Oh god!"

Tsukumojuku didn't bat an eye. "Hmph. I asked permission

to keep it as a souvenir, and they granted it as a reward for solving

the case. No one will scold me for it."

The flat Antonio Torres spread out on the desk had his chin

up and turned slightly to the side, his eyes partly opened. He had no

eyeballs, but it made him look like he was staring into the distance,

lost in thought. His hands were held up in front of him, like he was

trying to cover his bare chest, or trying to push something

something painful away. His hips were swiveled to one side as if

trying to hide his little penis, and his knees and ankles and toes

were all curled as well, like he was dancing. He'd been tormenting

me on a daily basis for years, but this...this was beautiful.

"Are you..." I said. "Are you sure...it's not a painting?"

"That is the solution I arrived at, Jorge. Or should I say

Jorge...Jorge Joestar?"

"What are you talking about!? That's his body! It's fucking

grooooossss!" Julio wailed.

Tsukumojuku nodded. "That, too, is correct...but it is not the

whole truth."

A stir went through the room, but by this time we were all

under Tsukumojuku's spell.

"This is a work of art created by Antonio's mother, Maria

Torres. She made it by peeling off her son's skin. The bones and

blood and flesh were not removed; rather, the skin alone was peeled

away, carefully placed together with adhesive, and hair shed over

the past few months placed carefully on the head to complete the

full body work of art. This Year's Antonio, she called it."

This was too much for all of us. I nearly forgot to breathe.

His voice shaking, Julio asked, "But...if his skin was peeled

off...wouldn't Antonio die?"

"Normally, yes, if it was done all at once," Tsukumojuku

replied, not at all perturbed. "So at first she would peel it away bit

by bit, treat it with oil, and sew the pieces together with very fine

thread. But the result was rather patchwork, and the lines where it

was sewn tended to bunch up, and it was obvious which pieces of

skin had been harvested freshly; early versions weren't what you'd

call beautiful. Maria adapted her technique, and her son's body

adapted to survive it."

"Uh..." Julio swallowed. "You mean...there's more than

one?"

"Yes," Tsukumojuku nodded. "She's been making one a year

since Antonio was a baby, so including this year's, there are twelve

in all. The early ones are not well done, but starting with last year's,

they become rather remarkable. This year's, in particular, is a bona

fide masterpiece."

"..............!"

With Julio at a loss for words, someone else mumbled, "So

horrible...his own mom...how could she? It's unnatural!"

"Her love for her son was hardly 'natural'," Tsukumojuku

said. "Since the invention of the photograph, Kodak cameras have

become readily available. La Palma may not have a camera shop,

but there's one in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. But Maria wanted the

skin. It was the texture she loved, I suppose. No photograph can

preserve that. Before the police took her away, Maria ran her cheek

against it, desperately trying to savor her last moments with her

art."

I could hear several of my classmates throwing up, their

vomit splattering on the floor. Yet those next to them failed to react

in any way.

I was staring closely at This Year's Antonio, but I couldn't

see any sewing or patches at all. Where they on the inside? But I

didn't dare touch it to see... "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tsukumojuku

said, standing beside me. "There's only one seam in it, running

down his back from his neck to his rear."

Hunh?

"But...isn't this a skin quilt?"

"Heh heh, a quilt? That's one way of putting it. But that only

applies to the early ones. Like I said, she improved her technique,

and her son's body adapted to it."

".............?"

"Every summer his mother would peel off his skin. Even if

she was careful not to peel enough to kill him, stripping random

pieces off would have been very painful. He needed some defense

against this. All cells in the human body are replaced every seven

years; but our skin is replaced once a month – and in Antonio

Torres' case, three days before June 16th – Maria's customary

skinning day – his skin cell production would speed up. All Maria

needed to do was make a single incision along his back, and

Antonio could slip out of his old skin. His new skin would be thin,

but fully grown; he could shed his old skin like a snake. Then

Maria would apply a thin coating of oil to the cast-off skin, inside

and out, to prevent it drying out, and seal the rear incision with

medical adhesive. That's how This Year's Antonio was made," he

said, like a waiter explaining a recipe.

"So the real Antonio Torres is still alive?" I asked. If this

wasn't a corpse, but a cast-off skin, then the rest of Antonio must be

somewhere. And I would have to form a new strategy for avoiding

Antonio.

Tsukumojuku smiled awkwardly. "I assumed he was..." He

turned to face the classroom door. "You may enter," he said.

'May'? Quite the haughty choice of words. I turned to look

at the door as it opened. Antonio Torres was standing there,

expressionless. His comrade Julio took a step forward to greet him,

but...

"Wait! Stay back!"

Tsukumojuku's bark was so loud Julio jumped, and froze in

his tracks.

I was certainly on edge at being suddenly confronted by a

not-so-dead Antonio, but at the same time...something seemed

wrong. Antonio usually laughed raucously; talked down me, his

friends, and grown-ups, bossing everyone around; he was always

on the move, never settling down, his eyes sending sharp glances in

all directions. Now he just stood there in the door, vacantly, doing

nothing. I'd never seen him so still. Normally, Antonio would have

burst in the door, and he would never have waited outside, even if

Tsukumojuku ordered him to. But here he was, standing silently,

not moving at all.

Even as I wondered, Tsukumojuku said, "You didn't say a

single word to me on the way to school, Antonio. I assumed you

were in shock – your mother had just been arrested, after all. But I

was wrong, wasn't I? I thought you smelled a little ripe, but good

manners prevented me saying anything...this, too, was a mistake.

Were there, in fact, two versions of This Year's Antonio?"

The thing standing there was not Antonio, alive. I knew that.

Antonio would never act like this.

"Would the person inside kindly step out?" Tsukumojuku

said.

The rest of the class finally realized that the thing in front of

us was someone else wearing Antonio's cast off skin. Julio and his

cronies all took a big step back.

"I have a very good sense of smell. Despite the stench of the

skin, I can clearly smell the shampoo you've used," Tsukumojuku

said. "I can't name the brand...but it's the same shampoo

Jorge...Jorge Joestar uses."

..............? ??? Hunh? "What......?" I stammered.

'Antonio Torres' sighed.

"There are things you're better off not knowing, Detective,"

a girl's voice said.

A voice I knew.

"I didn't want to frighten the children," she said. Antonio's

back split open, and Elizabeth Straits emerged from within.

Aaaaaaaahhh! The whole class screamed. I couldn't scream.

As she came out of Antonio's skin, Lisa Lisa looked so beautiful.

Even more beautiful than I'd thought the night before. Wow, Lisa

Lisa really is amazing, I thought. A strange realization that left me

weirdly calm.

Tsukumojuku said nothing, but his eyes shone with keen

interest, watching her closely. She tossed Antonio Torres aside,

wearing nothing but a corset and her underwear; nearly naked, but

not at all embarrassed. She seemed supremely comfortable – she

was like the women in the theater or printed advertisements, just

smaller, and not yet as curvy.

"Wh-what's going on here? Everyone stay quiet, I'll take

care of this," Mr. Hernandez said, and went out into the brightly lit

hall.

Lisa Lisa ignored him. She pulled her dress out of Antonio's

bag, and put it on.

"My name is Elizabeth Straits," she said. "I'm a student at

this school, a year ahead of you. What I'm about to say is very

important. The person who murdered Antonio Torres is hiding

somewhere nearby. The police and militia are searching for him,

but we will need all of your help. We won't ask you to do anything

difficult, or dangerous. Quite the opposite – for your own safety,

follow these simple instructions to the letter. First, you will all be

summoned into the yard, where they will explain exactly what I'm

about to say. From there, you must go straight home. Don't stop to

play, and make sure you pick a route that will keep you in direct

sunlight the entire way. You are not to stop anywhere. Don't go in

any shops, don't go to your friend's homes, don't step in the shade

of any trees, and avoid going near the coast at all costs. I say this

because we know the killer will be hiding in the shadows during the

day. To remain safe, it is important that you all remain in the

sunlight, and go straight home. Whatever you see, and whoever

invites you to join them, pay no attention. Just go home."

Lisa Lisa had her fist held out in front of her, her index

finger raised. We listened in silence, but the meaning of her words

was lost on us. The heat of summer was finally dying down, and all

of us wanted to play outside. I had to avoid the main play spots like

the park or the beach for fear of bullies, but even so, I wanted to at

least go to the library or the candy store.

But Lisa Lisa raised another finger, oblivious to our

discontent. "Secondly, once you have reached your homes, without

ever leaving the sunlight...lock all the doors and windows. Don't

step outside again. If anyone knocks, do not open the doors. Don't

even answer. Sit absolutely still, not making a sound, until they

give up and go away. No matter how well you know them, no

matter how rude you feel this is...today alone, you must do this. The

police have given everyone these same instructions, so anyone

knocking should know better. Today is a day when nobody except

your family is allowed inside your homes. Today you must all play

quietly at home."

Except if the doors and windows were all shut it would get

unbearably hot...? And saying at home sounded very boring.

Others in the class were starting to grumble, but Lisa Lisa

ignored them. "Third! Once the sun goes down, let no one in. Not

even family. If everyone fails to get home before sundown, then

gather in the center of the house with everyone who did come

home, and hide. If the missing people or anyone else arrive, don't

speak to them. Don't answer if they call. Stay hidden until morning.

Once the sun has fully risen, sneak out of the house, and go to the

police station, or finds some policemen or militiamen patrolling."

Lisa Lisa now had three fingers raised, and her orders were

becoming so unreasonable the grumbling grew louder. "Be quiet

and listen," Lisa Lisa snapped. Everyone shut up instantly.

"Fourth," she said, raising her last finger. "At some point

this evening, you may hear a commotion from a house near yours.

Loud voices, sounds of fighting, even screams. Don't go and see

what's going on. If you hear strange sounds or voices, do exactly as

I said before; hide in the center of the house with your family, and

wait for morning. Don't speak to anyone. Don't make any sound.

Wait for sunrise."

.........! What was going to happen tonight?

As the meaning of Lisa Lisa's instructions settled in, panic

spread. Some of the girls started to cry.

"Are you done?" Tsukumojuku asked. He'd been listening

attentively this whole time.

"Yes."

"So...someone murdered Antonio Torres. This someone...is

weak to sunlight, but once the sun has set, there is a strong chance

they will attack others at random," he said, summing up the facts.

Now I was starting to get scared. Tonight was going to be really

really scary. Lisa Lisa was super cool, but also super vague...and

not exactly building my confidence.

"So what are you?" Tsukumojuku asked. "Since This Year's

Antonio is here, the skin you wore must be Antonio Torres' actual

corpse."

Bleeggghh. I didn't want to believe it. I looked down at the

skin on the floor. Why would she do something so horrible?

"You made it look as if Antonio Torres was still alive. Not

for my benefit," Tsukumojuku continued. "You were trying to catch

the killer's attention, and confuse him."

"Yes. And not just that..."

"You were also trying to lure him out of hiding."

"Exactly."

"Then it appears to be working. Your sunlight-hating killer

is already here."

Lisa Lisa turned, following his gaze.

The hallway had been drenched in sunlight a minute ago,

but was now dark and gloomy. The curtains had been pulled. We

could hear the sound of more curtains being pulled down the hall.

As scared as I was, somehow I found myself opening the door, and

looking out into the hall. The man closing all the curtains was Mr.

Hernandez.

Why would he...?

"Mr. Hernandez?" I called. He stopped in the sunlight, his

hand on a curtain, and turned towards me. There were cracks

running across his face; pieces of it were crumbling away. There

was a big hole in his forehead. The girls behind me began to shriek.

"Aiiiieeee!" "Mr. Hernandez!" "What's going on!? No! No! No!"

Shnk. He closed the curtain.

As he moved into the sunlight to close the next, his face

crumbled further. Not just his head, his entire body was crumbling

away. This wasn't 'weak to sunlight'. The sun was killing him.

Shnk.

As we watched him close the curtains, Tsukumojuku spoke

to Lisa Lisa. "So Antonio Torres really did have his blood and flesh

and bones sucked out...now what, exactly, could do that to him? I

was working on the assumption that nobody could....but that simply

means no human could. But that assumption was wrong, wasn't it?

We're not dealing with a human."

"........."

"Let me ask again. You've summoned this thing here...so

what are you? What power do you have?"

I turned to look at her.

I didn't know this Lisa Lisa. She looked right at me. "Since I

was a tiny baby, I've been able to breathe in a special way – just

like my adopted father, and, Jorge...like your father."

"What...?" I asked. I'd never heard of this before.

"As a baby, I found myself in a situation even more

dangerous than this one. I think I chose to learn how to breathe like

this to protect myself."

"Breathe how?"

"My breathing gives me power, Jorge. I promise I'll protect

you."

This made no sense, but she flashed a smile at me, and

stepped past me into the hall. The last curtain had been drawn, and

the hall was shrouded in darkness.

Mr. Hernandez stood perfectly still, clutching the last

curtain. He was clearly no longer alive. His head was completely

gone, his left arm had fallen off, his waist had crumbled and his

guts fallen on the floor, and the rest of him was crumbling into dust.

He was dead. And he'd been dead the whole time he was closing the

curtains.

I had no idea how this could be.

But I knew Mr. Hernandez had been human when he was

with us, and I knew he had been desperate to close those curtains,

but closing the curtains had killed him...so he had been closing

those curtains for someone else. Someone who hated sunlight. Who

had killed Mr. Hernandez, and forced him to make a path.

I'd never imagined anything like this possible, but I knew it

was true.

"Jorge, take a few steps back, please," Lisa Lisa said, staring

into the darkness. "If you get too close you'll get shocked."

Oh? I took a step back, but Tsukumojuku stood his ground.

When I glanced at him, he said, "Experience is everything."

I was scared. But I couldn't tear my eyes off Lisa Lisa.

"He's here," she said, her eyes narrowing.

"Mm? Hmm?" Tsukumojuku said, peering into the depths of

the hall. "Did Antonio have an older brother?"

No. "What do you...?"

"There's a young man who looks just like Antonio Torres...

standing on the ceiling."

What?

I wanted to see but I wasn't going out there. I couldn't move

a muscle.

"Señorita," a voice said, apparently addressing Lisa Lisa.

The voice had a strange sweetness to it, that made me feel dizzy.

"Have you seen my son?"

Son?

"He's all right looking, but such an awful brat. I didn't like

his guts so I ate him whole, but then I heard he went to school this

morning. I know he can't be alive, so this is quite odd."

He...ate him?

I looked down at the floor, where Antonio's skin lay.

"You mean the little turd that picked on my brother?" Lisa

Lisa said. Her voice was trembling! "Don't worry. He's dead."

"Mm? Is he? Was I mistaken?"

"I think he's better off dead. I mean, his mother's a pervert

who enjoyed peeling his skin off, and his father's such a terrible

father he ate his own son. Dying must have been a relief."

"........" The man fell silent, but I heard a sound: fushhuuuu

like a long breath.

"Alejandro Torres, if you had been a better father, my

precious Jorge Joestar might never have been tormented by your

piece of shit son. You will pay the price for that."

Suddenly, I remembered the promise I'd made last night.

The only way to stop being scared was to start being

brave.

I was a boy, and couldn't keep relying on a girl my whole

life.

Yet here I was cowering behind Lisa Lisa's back.

Fshuuuuuuuu. That sound again. Inhaling through his nose.

He spoke. "You shouldn't talk to grown ups like that, young

lady."

Lisa Lisa snorted. "First you go skulking around pretending

to be Spanish, now you're pretending to be a gentlemen? Stupid."

Her voice was still trembling. I was sure her whole body

was shaking like a leaf.

But she was facing him. Conquering her fear.

All I was doing was trembling. Nothing else. I was letting

her do everything.

"Shut that filthy little mouth! I'm going to empty out your

guts next!" The man screamed. Thunk thunk thunk thunk thunk!

Footsteps coming down the ceiling.

Lisa Lisa took a quick, deep breath, and started running.

No. It was my turn.

I ran after her.

"Ah, wait, don't be stupid!" Tsukumojuku called after me,

but I didn't stop. I raced down the hall, chasing after Lisa Lisa.

Her back looked so small, her shoulders so frail. I had to get

in front of her.

The young man on the ceiling definitely looked just like

Antonio Torres, but there were long pointy teeth sticking out of his

open mouth, threatening Lisa Lisa.

"I'm gonna eat ya! Eat ya right up, little girl! Wahahahaha!"

Laughing wildly, his feet left the ceiling. He spun in mid-air,

lunging towards Lisa Lisa.

"I am Jorge Joestar's guardian! I fight to protect his beautiful

blood line! Breathe, Lisa Lisa! Indigo Blue Overdrive!"

Her voice started as a whisper, and ended as a shout, her fist

swinging forwards...just as I passed her, and, empty-handed and

without plan, yelled, "Hey! Don't ever hit a girl!" and put myself

between Lisa Lisa and that horrible man.

My sudden appearance caught Lisa Lisa off guard. Our eyes

met for a second, but her fist didn't stop. Her lips parted to say

something, and her fist hit the floor just as the man with fangs

landed, and looked at me.

A ripple ran across the floor, a circle filled with some

complicated pattern. When it hit the sinister young man, it knocked

him back, and he instantly crumbled, like sand or ash.

"Oooooh! Wow, Lisa Lisa!" I yelled.

"You idiot!" she shrieked, still surprised. A second later my

back hit the floor, and a shock ran from my head down to my toes

like I'd just been struck by lightning. I passed out.

When I woke up, it was the next morning, and everything

was over. Straits was standing by my bed, and explained that the

remains of Antonio and Alejandro Torres had been cleaned up, that

everyone had spent a terrifying night hiding in their homes while

Straits and his friends went around the island killing monsters like

Alejandro, and that they were confident the island was safe and La

Palma could return to normal as soon as the sun rose.

"And Lisa Lisa?" I asked.

"She was out all night working with us. She's exhausted,

and fast asleep."

"...is she mad at me? I messed up again, and got in her way."

"...Jorge, the Joestars have never hesitated to put themselves

in danger, and you are no different. But you're still very young. Not

everything you attempt will succeed. Grow up to be a fine young

man, true of heart, and strong in spirit."

"...do I have a power like Lisa Lisa's?"

"...do you want it?"

Did I want it? I shuddered at the very thought.

"Antonio's father had fangs. And was...too young. And he

could walk on the ceiling. He said he ate Antonio."

"Yes."

"You fight monsters like that, Straits?"

"We do. And we train hard so we can have the power we

need to fight them."

"...I'm scared. I never want to see anything like that again.

If I ever did...I'm sure I couldn't move a muscle. My legs would

freeze, and he'd eat me alive. I don't want that. I'm scared of that

happening. I don't want to go anywhere near anyone like that again.

I don't want power like Lisa Lisa's." As I said this, I felt so pathetic

I started crying. At the time, the fear had left me, but it all came

flooding back. A heavy sort of fear, that made it hard to breathe; I

was panting through my sobs. I was mad at myself for crying in

front of Straits, but at the same time I thought, look how pathetic I

am, how can anyone ask me to fight? Lisa Lisa is much more brave,

let her handle it.

I was awful. And that just made me cry harder.

"But you did move, didn't you?" Straits said, patting me on

the back. I didn't say anything. What I'd done was just dumb. I was

embarrassed.

Straits and company decided to stay in La Palma until it was

time to take Lisa Lisa with them to Italy. They said they'd started

her training in earnest while chasing the monsters. I didn't want to

hear about it, so I didn't ask. I couldn't meet Lisa Lisa's eye, and she

spoke to me less and less, and the mood in the house got so grim I

was almost looking forward to her leaving.

While I was still at home recuperating, Tsukumojuku came

to visit. When I asked how things were at school, I heard I was

hardly the only one absent due to shock. Julio, on the other hand,

had come every day, and largely taken over Antonio's role. He'd

made it sound like he had no plans to continue persecuting me,

though.

"Elizabeth mentioned it in passing, but apparently the Torres

family were actually English. I looked into it. Their real name was

Hightower. Antonio was born Anthony, and Alejandro was actually

Alexander. They simply changed their names to seem more

Spanish. They'd been in the railroad business in England, gone

bankrupt, and washed up here...and with that history in mind, he

may have targeted you."

"............" I had no response to that. It was all over. The

Torres family had come to the Canary Islands broken, and had met

their fates. La Palma was a bright, happy place; I still found it hard

to believe such darkness had lain hidden in the shadows, or that

Alejandro had really walked on the ceiling, fangs bared. "Thank

you," I said.

"For what?"

"Coming to visit."

Tsukumojuku made a face. "Yeah, well...when it all went

down, I couldn't do anything."

"Ha ha, so? I don't care about that. I've never really had a

friend. Nobody's ever come over to play."

"...oh. Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"But, truth is, I think I've treated you rather coldly."

"? Hunh? You did? I never really noticed. Why? ...because

I'm English?" I braced myself, expecting to be told he just didn't

like me.

But what he actually said made no sense. "Because I was a

detective."

? "...was? I don't really get it, but...aren't you still?"

"Maybe. But I'm not longer sure. And you can't call yourself

a detective if you aren't sure."

"....hunh."

"Heh heh, not a care in the world, have you, Jorge Joestar?

But I don't think you'll be able to lay back and let things wash over

you forever."

"............?"

"The time is drawing near. Let us talk about 'certainty'. I call

myself a detective. And I am perform the role well. I have my

failures, and make mistakes, but I remain calm. Why? Because I am

certain that I am a detective, and will solve the case. That is why I

never hesitated to call myself a detective. You understand? In my

mind, the word 'detective' is an honor. One others use to describe

you, not something you ordinarily use to describe yourself. Artists

don't normally call themselves masters, or geniuses. They don't

describe their own work as masterpieces. Describing yourself as a

detective is normally just as comical."

"...um, I guess so? But it didn't strike me as strange when

you called yourself a detective."

"That's what's weird. Why do we feel like I won't get it

totally wrong? You, others, even me. The cases a detective gets

mixed up in are always extremely complicated, and filled with

surprises. The criminals always use elaborate tricks, and there's

always at least one last minute plot twist. It should be completely

impossible to reach the truth without any mistakes. Maybe once,

but every time?"

"Mm...but you said you do make mistakes."

"Yes. But in the end, I always find the truth, and solve the

case."

"Isn't that good?"

"But isn't it also weird?"

"Um...are you under a lot of pressure? You mean everyone

expect you to succeed, and that's getting you down?"

"Not once. I've never felt pressured. I always find the truth."

"Hunh. So what's the problem?"

"That's my point! There is no problem, and that's the

problem! I'm just a ordinary boy. Guaranteed success should be

completely impossible."

"So even though you always succeed, you think it's weird

that you do?"

"Exactly," Tsukumojuku said, very earnest. "Human beings

do not generally have such clearly defined roles."

"Mm...so you think you lack modesty?"

"No. I think I have no need of modesty. I'm confident that

lack of modesty will never be a problem for me."

"...so everything always goes your way, and you know it

will?"

"Yes! I think we're getting somewhere," Tsukumojuku said,

watching me intently. "My 'certainty' comes from that. I don't

believe the world was made for me; I know it was. I'm not talking

about the small boost to confidence than comes when things are

going well for you. I mean I was chosen by the god of this world.

And I know that I was. That's why I can call myself a detective

without a trace of shame, and have that cause no problems at all."

".....uh.....well, you've been very lucky. But I don't see that

this is a bad thing."

"We're drifting away from the point again, so let me say

this, Jorge Joestar. I've been playing the role of the detective all this

time, and I know exactly how it feels. Something like this cannot

occur without the arbitrary will of a 'god'. I have something

watching over me, something like a god, yet not God."

"? .........ah ha ha, people do say, 'God is with us.'"

"Gods do not care about the individual. They don't play

favorites. Even if they do give someone a role to play, they would

not manipulate matters to the point of disrupting the natural order.

What I have has the power of a god, but one that works only for

me."

"............."

"Let me say exactly what I mean. Say that I'm Sherlock

Holmes. Then I'm certain that I have something outside of this

world serving as my Arthur Conan Doyle. I am as certain of this as

I am certain that I am a detective. And I have a name for this thing

guiding me from somewhere not of this world. I call it: Beyond."

He was delusional, I thought. He was too smart, and too

successful, and got carried away or genuinely sick in the head. Or

his natural modesty had been repressed and twisted until he had to

believe in this guardian.

Tsukumojuku wasn't done spouting nonsense. "But here I

am speaking in the present tense, when really, this is all in the past.

Like I said at the start, I no longer have the certainty required to call

myself a detective. My Beyond has abandoned me. I'm still me, but

my role in this world is no longer guaranteed by Beyond. Beyond

has chosen a new protagonist for this world...for this story. You,

Jorge Joestar. This is the last thing I'm certain of."

Hunh? What in the...?

"And the only reason I need to be sure it's you is that I'm

jealous of you. I would never have imagined that it could be this

terrifying to have the reason for your existence snatched away. I've

never had thoughts like these before. It really drives home just how

much I took for granted my position, and the peace of mind it

brought. Sure, I had my rough patches, and things happened that

were sad, or painful. But as long as I fulfilled my role, I was

satisfied. And a life filled with satisfaction is something to be

grateful for. I know that much, even at eleven. And because I'm

eleven, I'm a little jealous that you've stolen my position. I'm just a

kid, after all."

I was pretty sure I wasn't to blame for whatever he was

accusing me of, but beyond that it made no sense. "So does this

mean I have to become Sherlock Holmes, and act like a detective

instead of you?" I asked.

He blinked at me. "Ah! Ha! Ha! No, I doubt it. Your story

already has monsters and mystic powers in it, so I doubt you'll end

up being a detective," he chuckled. "I think you'll play the character

of Jorge Joestar in a story called Jorge Joestar."

Sure. "Normal, then. I planned on doing that anyway."

Tsukumojuku gave me a very serious look. "That'll never

happen. With Beyond at your side, your adventure will be without

compare. Let me give you one piece of advice: You should believe.

Remember that. Believe in Beyond, and you will overcome your

fate."

He made it sound prophetic, but I couldn't take it seriously.

But I did become friends with Tsukumojuku. Pretty much

by the end of that day we'd become best friends, like I'd always

dreamed of having. We talked about everything. My stories were

always pathetic, but the tales Tsukumojuku told of his adventures

were highly entertaining. He was Japanese, and his name could be

written in kanji. The kanji used were the numbers 9, 10, 9, 10, and

9. Even in Japan, nobody else had a name like that. He'd been born

in Fukui Prefecture, in a small town called Nishi Akatsuki. When

he was three, his archaeologist father took him to Africa, and when

he was five he came to the Canary Islands with his mother. When

he was six he began working as a detective, not just in the Canary

Islands, but on the Spanish mainland, too. He'd even been called

away to Egypt to solve a mystery. The cases he'd solved were as

bizarre as he'd promised, and after solving so many incredibly

complicated cases I could see why he'd start to wonder if some kind

of god was on his side.

I never did go back to school. Instead, I spent all my time

playing with Tsukumojuku. It was almost time for Lisa Lisa to

leave, but I was so busy enjoying friendship I'd barely spoken to

her in weeks. I'd expected to be sad, but it was starting to look like

a tearless farewell. Straits and his mysterious companions came

over for dinner, and ate and drank a lot. Mum cried, and Lisa Lisa

seemed to be as emotionally uninvested as I was.

She just told everyone, "I will follow my destiny," and didn't

really try and talk to me at all.

I wasn't...happy to have to go, but I had a new friend, and

Antonio Torres was no longer around to torment me, so I was no

longer that worried about the future, and I figured Lisa Lisa was

glad she didn't have to protect me all the time now. I didn't tell her

that, though.

What I did say was this.

After the big, noisy dinner, after the others had taken their

drinks to the cigar room or the terrace, I heard a voice call my

name, and turned to see Lisa Lisa standing there, in her green dress.

"Hey," I said, and then didn't know what else to say. I knew

there was a lot I should say, but none of it seemed right.

"Since I was a little girl, I've always wondered why I wasn't

a Joestar," Lisa Lisa said. "I wished I could have been. Then Mama

Erina would be my Mum, and you'd be my little brother, and I'd be

your big sister."

"...mm."

"But as I grew older I started to think maybe it was better

this way."

"Why? Would I have made things harder for you if you were

my sister?"

She laughed. I hadn't seen her smile in a long time. "Don't

be stupid, Jorge. No. What do you think, Jorge? Would you want

me to be your sister?"

"Eh? I can't even imagine it. I don't know what to think.

You'll always be Lisa Lisa to me."

This was true. The idea has certainly crossed my mind, but I

just couldn't imagine a world where she was really related to me.

And it had never occurred to me to wonder if it was a good thing

that she wasn't.

"Good," Lisa Lisa said, smiling.

"What?"

"Well, if we were brother and sister, then we couldn't get

married."

"Hunh?"

"I don't really get love, or any of that stuff yet, but...I am

glad that I could marry you."

Married? To Lisa Lisa?

"I can't imagine that," I blurted out. That wasn't something

to admit to any girl, least of all Lisa Lisa.

"Heh heh, you're so rude!" she said, laughing.

"I love you, Lisa Lisa," I said, quickly.

I had no idea why I said that.

"Me too, Jorge. I love you, too."

What were we talking about?

We went to bed, and when we woke up in the morning and

went to see her off she just waved at me, and I can't remember if

she said anything else. Mum and I went back to the house alone,

and I went out to play with Tsukumojuku.

In the new year, Tsukumojuku and I both turned twelve.

Being with him, we often encountered mysteries, and just in the

Canary Islands I got mixed up in no less than three serial killer

cases.

"What the heck? I can still do this detective thing just fine,"

Tsukumojuku said, scratching his head. But he was really, really

smart, and I couldn't even manage to be as useful as Watson.

When we were thirteen, we solved fifteen locked room

mysteries, and when we were fourteen, we captured two serial

killers, and when we were fifteen, we discovered the fifteen locked

room mysteries from two years before were actually the work of a

single criminal and captured the real killer. By 'we' I mean mostly

Tsukumojuku.

I thought we would spend high school in the same way, but

shortly after capturing the killer behind the fifteen locked room

mysteries Tsukumojuku had to go back to Japan, and I cried a lot. I

really didn't know how I could go on alone.

"Ha ha ha, that's where Beyond comes in," he said, standing

on the docks. I hadn't heard that word in a while."

"This isn't funny," I said, but I knew he never joked.

"I'm serious. Do you remember what I said the first time we

talked? The thing I told you to remember?"

Believe in Beyond, and you will overcome your fate.

I did. But I wanted to focus on how unhappy I was to be

saying good bye to my first and only friend, and didn't want to talk

about that crap at all. There was no point in talking crap about how

I was the protagonist of my own life here. I just really didn't want

to say goodbye to this handsome detective, who'd solved so many

mysteries with me at his side.

"I'll come to Japan someday. I'll come find you, even on the

other side of the world. And we'll solve more cases together!" Or

he'd solve them, at any rate.

"I kinda get the feeling that won't happen," Tsukumojuku

said, laughing. I couldn't believe it. He had no tact at all.

"No, I'm coming!" I insisted.

"If Beyond wills it," he said, gave me a Japanese dictionary,

got on a ship, and sailed away.

Three days later the boat carrying Tsukumojuku vanished

off the coast of Florida. Five days later news of this reached the

Canary Islands. I prayed every night for two months, but when the

army found the boat at the bottom of the sea I had to settle for

feeling deeply betrayed.

I cursed God, and cried. I don't know what plan you had, but

the price for stealing my friend was very, very high. He was my

first and only friend. He was amazing. He should have been the

main character!