Author: Heather

The Room

***Note From Mr MacDougall***
This creative writing is for a young adult audience and includes mature themes and horror.

“The Room” by Heather McGinley

This was my higher English portfolio that got full marks in the exam, enjoy 🙂

The muffled screeching of metal filled my ears, I couldn’t see, darkness enveloped my senses as I was dragged along the… hallway? I had no way of knowing. I couldn’t remember, could barely hear and there was a throbbing pain in my head which was scattering my thoughts like a jigsaw puzzle that had been carelessly tossed on the floor. I felt the rough sensation of scratchy material covering my face, leaving me completely vulnerable. Suddenly, I felt myself being forced down onto a metal chair, my limbs swiftly restrained behind me.

The scratchy burlap sack was yanked from my head, leaving me dazed and confused, the blinding lights completely overwhelming my senses, rendering me almost blind for a few moments, I tried to speak but my voice caught in my unnaturally dry throat. My eyes felt like they were working overtime to adjust to the impossibly bright lights shining down on me. I felt exposed and weak, something I was certainly not used to, when a smooth voice penetrated my thoughts.

“You’re Carlos Anderson, right?”

Sounding more like a statement than a question

I tensed; how did he know my name? My eyes eventually adjusted enough to the lights to take in my surroundings. White walls surrounded me like a cage with overhead lights beaming on me like stage lights, I glared at the man in front of me in an attempt to appear more intimidating, although, it was hard with how exposed I really felt, Taking in his slicked back hair, hard gaze, slender frame and his black mas. He stood; hands clasped behind his back. I cleared my throat as best I could despite the unnerving lack of saliva in my mouth.

“What’s it to you?”

His gaze was piercing straight through to my soul, well, my wife always spouts some nonsense how the “eyes are the windows to the soul”, I tell her she needs to stop reading that bull, but why should she listen to me, right? It felt unnerving, as if you’re a child lost in a shop, realising too late that you’ve mistaken the wrong woman as your mother. Frozen. Not as if I could move even if I wanted to, however I knew deep inside me, that gaze would keep me locked to my seat no matter if I was restrained. I was quickly lured back from my thoughts by that oddly soothing voice that simultaneously made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

“Ah, good. You certainly made it quite the challenge to locate you. How are you feeling?

Hopefully not too much discomfort from the retrieval”

Locate me? What does he mean? Despite my disorientation, I stared right back into those

beady brown eyes

“You gonna tell me what the hell you’re blabberin’ on about?”

“Now, Mr Anderson, there’s no need for the aggression.”

“Aggression?”

I spat, the muscles in my shoulders tensing as I attempted to resist against the blood flow restricting restraints

“Listen here you prick. You’re going to tell me why I’m here, or I swear to God-”

I bristled as he let out an amused huff. I wanted to wipe whatever smile he had on under

that mask. I could feel that oh so familiar adrenaline building up inside me, like my first fist fight in middle school, or when I fought-

“I suppose I should explain to you why exactly we felt it necessary to bring you to our establishment here.”

My eyebrows raised at this, so he was willing to tell me why I’d been dragged out to this creepy old building that looked straight out of a horror movie.

“Yeah, I think you should. Pal.”

He sucked in a breath, shifting his weight on his feet, this was the first crack I had seen in that calm, professional demeanour he had been clinging to since I got strapped to this painfully uncomfortable chair. It was unsettling, as if I wasn’t on edge enough already.

“We have some concerns we care to address about a .. Mrs- Valerie-”

He didn’t even have time to fully bring out his clipboard before I shot up, that’s my wife! What did this scum have to do with my Valerie? If he even dares to think of laying his filthy hands on her, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself back.

I watched him startle at my outburst, his shoulders flinching back ever so slightly. Then watched him open the seemingly camouflaged door that blended too well with the pristine white walls, before wheeling in a 14-inch Panasonic television on a rattling trolly that looked like it had seen better days.

“Now, Mr Andreson, what I show you here is of a highly disturbing nature, please try to remain calm”

I tensed even further, disturbing, my Valerie? What the hell was this bastard about to show me?

“If I find out you even grazed a finger on my wife, you better begin praying that you’ve been well behaved enough for Heaven”

The TV flickered to life to the colourless recording from a security camera. The image of a street stood still for a few agonizing moments before a person- my wife! – came into frame, absentmindedly humming a tune. After a moment, another woman appeared, they stood near each other for a few moments, time seeming to stand still, nothing happening. I cocked an eyebrow going to make a snide remark, yet halted, as the unknown woman inched towards my wife, movements janky and uncoordinated like she was on substances, when suddenly, she lunged for my wife, slamming her to the ground with strength that didn’t seem to match her frame. A loud crack echoing as they hit the concrete street. I watched with morbid fascination as the womans body convulsed, her skin seeming to peel around her fingers and face, blood beginning to trickle down her body in streams, the white of her shirt turning darker, my wife screaming inaudibly, thrashing and resisting against the ground.

The skin almost dissolved from the woman, leaving a skeleton that didn’t even look human, the footage filtering in and out of focus as a buzzing noise droned on as… My.. wife stood up, covered in blood. Human bones on the floor along with a pool of blood as she slowly trudged out of frame.

We sat in silence as the recording ended. A tense atmosphere taking over the room. You could hear a pin drop.

..

“So that’s where her new vessel came from”

His muscles tensed at my words, back going stiff, clearly not expecting my words. Letting out a chilling laugh as he slowly turned around to meet my gaze when he scrambled back, tripping over the trolly, sending the television flying to the ground. The skin around my arms and face began to whither and decay, like a dying flower. I slid my now broken arms from the restraints, limping towards him, skin blossoming a deep purple from the snapping of my bones. Not like it bothers me, I feel no sympathy, no human emotions or pain, his pleading screams had no effect on me, not when I tore the bones from his writhing body, not when his shrieks filled my ears, it was more annoying than anything, I eventually wriggled into his body, leaving a pile of flesh, bones and blood beneath me.

I stood, turning towards the door, entering an office looking room and paused to read a calendar. October 17th, 1982. I smiled. It’s almost Halloween, the easiest day of the year to find new vessels. Humming a tune, I made my way to the hallways of the facility, I should probably return home to my wife soon, before she comes to find me first, again.

Mei Mei and Kento Nanami, the pinnacle of a Grade 1 Sorcerer

For any Jujutsu Kaisen fans this does contain spoilers for S2 ‘Shibuya Incident’ and partial spoilers to ‘Hidden Inventory’. 

Jujutsu Kaisen, created by Gege Akutami, an ever-popular anime that most watchers will be familiar with even if you’ve never indulged, most would recognise some of its more popular characters such as Satoru Gojo. However, in this article I will be discussing two characters who contribute to the backbone grade of jujutsu society. Grade 1. 

Jujutsu Kaisen (JJK) sorcerers exist to exorcise ‘Cursed Spirits’. Cursed spirits are essentially monsters created from negative human emotions such as hatred. However, Cursed Spirits are not visible to everyone, only certain people can see them, but cursed spirits can attack anyone no matter of this. Jujutsu Sorcerers have a ranking system that goes from Grade 4 to Special Grade. Grade 4 is the lowest grade, the weakest if you will, then special grade being the elite. In the world of JJK there are only 4 special grade sorcerers: Satoru Gojo, Yuta Okkotsu, Yuki Tsukumo and Suguru Geto, yes Suguru is a Special Grade, watch the movie! Then the next best thing is Grade 1. There is a wide variety of Grade 1 Sorcerers throughout this universe, and though some would argue the strongest Grade 1 would be Naobito Zenin, former head to the Zenin clan, due to his limited screentime, I couldn’t say for certain. In this article I will be discussing the comparison between Grade 1 sorcerers Kento Nanami and Mei Mei and how I believe they are the pinnacle of Grade 1 Sorcery. 

You are first introduced to Kento Nanami in Season 1 Episode 9 of Jujutsu Kaisen, ‘Small Fry and Reverse Retribution’ where he quickly becomes a fan-favourite character. He is presented as a stoic and no-nonsense character who is shown as strong and disciplined, he is even given praise from Satoru Gojo, the strongest human in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, which is not lightwork. We see this as he defeats the cursed spirits in episode 9 with ease while the main character, Yuji Itadori, struggles. Nanami, despite his stoic and tough exterior it is shown that he cares deeply about the students of jujutsu tech. We see this through his actions and when he states: 

 S1 E9: “I’m the adult here and you’re still a child. I have a duty to prioritise your life over my own”  

To Yuji Itadori. This can also be seen in JJK0 when he steps in to take on the cursed spirit that had already massacred many young jujutsu sorcerers during the ‘Night Parade of 100 Demons’, stating, “Let me handle this one”, then killing it with ease, showing his sheer strength. We also see this selfless nature in S2 E42, ‘Right and Wrong’, when he returns to the active battleground in Shibuya while being gravely injured in an attempt to save everyone else, fighting off the transfigured humans until he meets his unfortunate demise by the hand of the special grade cursed spirit Mahito. We see throughout seasons 1, 2 and the movie JJK0 that Nanami is a loveable, strong yet vulnerable character. We see Nanami throw himself into his work both when he is a salaryman and as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. We see as he actively puts his life at risk to protect the lives of children throughout the series, showing his selflessness. He is the epitome of a Grade 1 Sorcerer through his strength, resilience and physical power. This can be backed up by Nobara Kugisaki’s statement in Season 2 Episode 36, ‘Dull Knife’ when she states: 

“He’s on another level. This is what it means to be a Grade One Sorcerer!” 

We also see this in Season 1 Episode 10, ‘Idle Transfiguration’ when he fights special grade cursed spirit Mahito who states: “No wonder you’re strong” and “Your speed’s impressive” The enemy giving him direct praise for his feats as a Sorcerer being more proof to his durability and strength.

Another aspect about Nanami is his cursed technique. A cursed technique is essentially the powers of a jujutsu sorcerer. Nanami developed a strong technique, known as ‘Ratio Technique’. This allows him to draw a line along his target using a ratio of 7:3 and creates a weak point at exactly that location. He can create this along more than just the targets height or wingspan and this can be designated to various parts. This also affects more than just living creatures as well, working also on inanimate objects. This technique can also be strengthened if Nanami has to go into ‘overtime’. This is a time-based pact that activates if he is forced to fight past his designated hours which increases his cursed energy, making him more powerful. This shows his strength as a Jujutsu Sorcerer.  – Season 1 Episode 11, ‘Narrow-minded’. Therefore, this shows us due to his strength, compassion and selflessness, Nanami is one textbook example of what it means to be a Grade 1 Sorcerer. This can also be seen through direct quotes from other characters, displaying that he is seen this way in the canon universe. 

 

Now on the other hand we have Mei Mei, who first debuts in Season 1 Episode 17 ‘Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event – Group Battle 3 -’, this name is an alias, however we are never told her real name or age, we only know she is Satoru, Geto, Nanami and Shoko’s upperclassman. She is instantly introduced as a morally grey character. Mei Mei is a sorcerer who will only work in exchange for money.  This is very quickly suggested when asked which schools’ side she is on, and she responds, “Which side? I’m on the side of money of course.” This is also shown in Season 2 Episode 25 ‘Hidden Inventory’ when Utahime Iori says “Mei Mei, did you overcharge them again?” regarding her fees as a sorcerer. This can also be seen in the ‘Jujutsu Kaisen official character guidebook’ which tells you her hobby is ‘collecting money’, and her stress comes from ‘taxes’. Mei Mei is given a very distinct character design with pale blue hair in two braids, one behind her and one braid covering half of her face. 

Mei Mei is shown to be an extremely capable and physically strong sorcerer; this is shown in JJK0 when she takes on a hoard of cursed spirits with her massive axe, flipping through the air and slicing them in half with ease.  We see through her combat in the show and through other characters remarks, such as Satoru Gojo, when he says in S2 E25: “Huh. But you wouldn’t cry Mei. You’re strong” and “It is odd it took so long since Mei was with you” Showing that even the strongest sorcerer of the modern jujutsu age believes she is strong and capable at what she does. Mei Mei is seen to defeat even special grade cursed spirits without much trouble, such as Smallpox Deity, shown in Season 2 Episode 38, ‘Fluctuations’. With the help of her younger brother Ui Ui.  Mei Mei claims that the way she values others’ lives is by their service potential to herself, as that’s what matters to her. – S2 E36 ‘Dull Knife’. 

Mei Mei’s cursed technique is ‘Black Bird Manipulation’. This gives her the ability to control crows, which on its own was considered weak, leading her to train her body extensively to be able to fight without relying on her technique, however, it got to a point where she was unable to physically train or enhance her body with cursed energy any further. Despite this she began to embrace and develop her technique. – S2 E36 ‘Dull Knife’.  Mei Meis extension technique is bird strike. This forces her crow to commit suicide which releases the limit on the crows typically low amount of cursed energy, as she makes it slam into her opponent. Ui Ui states that “No human is able to stop her Bird Strike, with the sole exception of Satoru Gojo of course.” – S2 E38 ‘Fluctuations’. This technique also allows her to share senses with her crows, such as vision, being able to see what they see through her eyes, for example she uses the crows to scope out Meiji Shrine Station from the surface in S2 Episode 32 ‘Shibuya Incident’. 

This is where the comparisons are made. Despite both being Grade 1 Sorcerers, these two characters could not be any more different. While Nanami prioritises the lives of the young sorcerers, willing to put his life on the line for them, Mei Mei has questionable morals when it comes to sorcery, only providing her services and skills if she is offered a substantial amount of money in exchange. This is also shown in the shows ‘Shibuya Incident’ arc when Nanami, despite receiving devastating burn wounds from the cursed spirit Jogo, returned to the battleground in an attempt to save others – S2 E42, while Mei Mei with minimal injuries fled using Ui Uis cursed technique, ‘Teleportation’, out of Shibuya. S2 E46. Another interesting yet cruel contrast is that Nanami expressed desires of living in Malaysia before his death to live a peaceful life, while Mei Mei ended up fleeing to Malaysia from Shibuya to safety, essentially living Nanami’s dream despite Nanami being deserving of it instead.  

These are two realistic interpretations of a sorcerer, on one hand, Nanami believes in saving others and having strong morals, protecting those younger than him. However, on the other hand, why should sorcerers constantly put their lives at risk if not for a reward? This is their job too at the end of the day, therefore making it reasonable to demand a large sum of money for their services.