Something unforeseen...perhaps even a real ghost?

(chapter originally by faith on writing.com)

Yukiko had wrapped herself in her sheets like a mummy, her body hot and quivering from her embarrassment (and maybe a hint of lust). Eventually, she managed to pass into a world of troubled dreams, full of laughter and mockery and public exposure. Even this was not to last, however.

The storm outside had mostly run its course by the midnight hour. Little more than a drizzle, really. Apparently that still counted to whatever arbiter of the paranormal decided such things. And so, at precisely midnight Yukiko found her sleep disturbed by a sharp burst of static and a sickly yellow light suddenly flooding into her room. It took her a moment to understand what was happening. The small TV in her room was turned off, yet an image was appearing on the screen. The Midnight Channel had begun.

The images were crystal clear and unimpeded by the usual level of static. They looked more like the scenes the Shadow would broadcast after a victim had entered the TV. But what was playing was not a Shadow at all. Yukiko stared in stunned horror, rising to her feet while wrapping the blanket around herself. The person on the screen was tinted yellow, but was very clearly Yukiko herself. Yukiko traipsing naked through the hallways, the screen shifting to the most lewd and scandalous angles possible (angle not even Kanshi could have dreamed of!) showing off every curve of her form in high definition. The skipped around certain details of her evening, omitting any images that might incriminate Kanshi's crew and lingering on the moments of her abject humiliation. Yukiko turned bright red when the screen came to her ordeal in the kitchen, watching herself on all fours thrusting her hips back and forth in pleasure was simply too much.

"STOP IT!" She pleaded with the screen.

And all at once the screen went blank. And a yellow eyed face appeared.

"Hello, Yukiko." She said pleasantly.

"....Miss Yamano...." Yukiko said softly.

"Oh good. You remember me." The image on the screen said, responding to her as if they were in the same room.

Yukiko shook her head. "This...makes no sense! How can you talk to me? Are you a ghost? A Shadow? What's going on??"

Yamano smiled. "The Midnight Channel shows you what you want to see, Yuki-chan. Your thoughts drew you to me."

It would only occur to Yukiko later that, if that was true, then what she presumed was Miss Yamano might just be a illusion her own mind conjured up.

"Why....why are you stealing my clothes?" Yukiko demanded.

Yamano stared at her a moment, then smiled and laughed.

"I just want to show you what I went through, little girl."

"What?" Yukiko said.

"My time with Namatame was wonderful, you know. Fun. Exciting. And yet when it all came out into the open I could feel nothing but embarrassment and shame. I lost my lover, my career...and my life all in quick succession."

"I know! Someone tried to hurt me the same way! My friends are looking for your killer. We're trying to make sure what happened to you never happens to anyone again!" Yukiko said, taking a step forward.

"How noble." Yamano said in a deadpan. "I'm sure you will find him eventually. But he's not really my concern. What I want is for everyone to understand what my life was like before I died. I was happier than I'd ever been, and then all I knew was total humiliation. My love life was paraded out before the entire world! Everyone needs to suffer the way I suffered. Starting with you."

Yukiko turned pale.

"That's right, Mrs. Amagi. Your little naked romp through the Inn was just to start. Your humiliation has only started."

"Please! There has to be something I can do! What do you want?" Yukiko begged.

"Now, now. At the moment I'd be more concerned with whether or not all those images of your naked body were appearing on your screen alone, or if everyone watching the channel tonight got an eye full of you in your birthday suit."

Yukiko was speechless. The TV went blank.