Life As We Know It

Juliet: Okay, okay, okay. I know, I still have, like, five other stories, but… I'm just an awful writer. I'm good, but I just can never seem to finish things. The sequel to Till Death Do We Part will come out when I've gotten the bulk of my stories completed. And me, being the moron I am, have added one more to that list. I get bored, alright? Well, I'm definitely continuing the From Lin Koujo & To My Darling FanFiction, but it's hard to keep going on those two when people don't review! Chrysanthemum Island will also be updated to the best of my abilities because a lot of you guys added that to Story Alert of Favorite Story. Jinkies, We've Got a Mystery will most likely be updated as well. Well, maybe. I try to write as much as possible in my free time, but it's no easy task. And yes, I suck.

Mai: Whatever- Just try to finish this one, please.

Juliet: I know, I will.

Mai: Great. Disclaimer- mydarlingjuliet does not own Ghost Hunt, Nightmare on Elm Street or anything in these chapters.

-Full Summary: I'm just another creepy ghost story. You, know? The ones passed on from generation to generation, re-edited, but never get old? The ones that are so mind bending, you've got to re-read the chapters a few times to understand what's going on? The one's that chill your spine to the very core? The ones that make you watch out for what goes bump in the night? Just maybe this is a ghost story that fills all of those categories. And the best part is- they're so realistic, it makes you wonder what's real and what's not anymore. Yeah, I'm just another ghost story- but thing is, I'm actually a frightening one. So, read me or not, I'll still be the words printed on paper, typed online; the words that'll haunt your very being because you decided to click this link, or leave it alone. It's a never ending nightmare and sweetie, you're not coming back out alive. This isn't just a ghost story, it's a tale of real life, as well.

-Everyone says the norm, 'Will Mai live or die in this bloodcurdling story?' Sure, she might die- but she always ends up coming back. It's always a happy ending with the SPR. Always- so why ruin the tradition? No, of course not, that would just destroy the picture perfect life Mai Taniyama is supposed to live, even though half the things these writers make her live through would make anyone mentally unstable. But this is fictional writing, where Mai is different from everyone else and can actually live through the terror of it all. So, like every other Ghost Hunt FanFiction out there, we'll keep the custom. Well, maybe, at least. I am known to lie. But, who doesn't?

-I promise you, this story will sneak its way into your mind and heart. It'll grip your nerve cells, sending you out on the edge. It will beat on your heart, making you break out into a cold sweat. It will toy with your emotions, launching you into a fit of hysterics. It will bring about a flutter in your stomach, causing you to get anxious…nervous…worried. And it will most definitely let your mind know to crack a smile even at the brink of death. Or, at the brink of new life.

-A slip of poison, murderers, the ghost, a knife, some windows, accidents, deaths, the stair case, forest, cellars, light, dark, fire, love, hate, passion, possession, obsession, going insane, suicide. The murderers will poison you, the ghost will harm a few with the knife, some windows will cause accidents, the stair case will bring deaths, forests and cellars can be filled with light or darkness, fiery passion controls love and hate, obsessions make possession, if you go insane you will commit suicide.

-This will be a story, like no other.

~*Life As We Know It*~

Chapter One- Of Course, the Case

Tapping a finger lazily against the hard wood of my desk, I sat, slouching in my chair with one elbow propped up on the table with my head cradled inside of it. Recently, things at the office have been rather…boring. This was a ghost hunting profession, full of action, suspense. Not boredom. Well, working here would tell you otherwise. Boring. The occasional client would come in, but as per usual, my cold hearted boss declines. For once though, I don't blame him. The cases coming in lately are all normal things. Nothing paranormal anywhere. Apart from one case, but Naru found it to be a 'waste of time, money, and a trip'.

All of my paper work was complete. Yeah, that entire stack of fun was finally gone. Excuse me- entire three stacks. My boss sure does know how to pack down work.

With nothing much to do, I swiveled around in my chair and hopped out. A trip to the kitchen to make some tea will have to keep me busy for a couple of minutes.

I prepared a tray with three off white, porcelain cracked, red and gold bordered tea cups- one for Lin, Naru and myself. Turning on the tap, I let the silver kettle hover under the faucet, soaking in some water. Once I deemed it a decent amount full, I set it on the stove and spun up the heat to a reasonable temperature, letting it boil. As I waited, I milled around the kitchen, searching for the right ingredients. I could just make a regular type of tea like Oolong, but instead wanted to make one of my special brews. One that my mother showed me how to make. A small smile graced my lips. I grabbed everything I needed, thinking back to the first time I made it alongside her, echoing each step.

Flashback

I was placed on the kitchen counter. My tiny legs kicked back and forth giddily. Being only four, I was excited to be making tea. And, for the first time .A woman with medium length, bouncy brown hair turned to me, smiling. Okaa-san. I returned the gesture. She clasped her hands together, "Alright, Mai-chan. What do you say we make up our own tea?" My face showed how puzzled I was. "But, Okaa-san, you can't make your own tea," I pointed out. She shook her head, giggling, "You can do anything you want to, Mai-chan." I looked into her eyes, beaming. "But, how?" I asked her. She picked me up off of the table and twirled me around in her arms. I squealed. "Well, I'll show you." My mother set me back down and began placing an assortment of different flower petals and leaves all over the table. I watched, transfixed on her every move. When she finished, she looked back at me. She reached out a hand and gingerly touched my heart, "What do you think can fill our tea with love, Mai-chan? Take a good look at what we have and pick wisely." I nodded slowly, averting my stare to the ingredients before me. There were so many different things to choose from. Love. When I think of love, I think of my family, and when I think of my family I think of the sweet, warm feel they give. Like vanilla. I reached out for three vanilla leaves, handing them back to the woman beside me. She grinned lightly, taking the leaves from my hand and placing them to the side. My mother moved her hand from my heart to my forehead. "Intelligence is next. Let's give this tea the mind to make good decisions." I scanned whatever else was there for my choosing. Looking hard at some loose rose petals, I pondered my choice. Rose petals. Symbolic of deep love, concentration, intelligence, balance, and passion. I picked up a single petal and gave it to my Mom. "Excellent choice, Mai-chan." She moved her hand from my forehead to my arms, giving them a tight squeeze. I laughed, ticklish from the contact. She continued traveling until she reached my stomach, "Strength, fullness, desire, and compassion. What things can you find for those?"I rest a thoughtful finger against my chin. I thought about fullness. The first thing that came to mind was the dried orange peels laying down in the assortment of options. Oranges fill our stomachs entirely and are shaped as a circle, a complete whole. I plucked three for each of my family members. Desire. Well, I desire the good things in life, not the bad. Desire is selfish- sour, bitter. I'm not entirely sure if nuts can go in tea, but I picked out four Chinese Almonds, for every year I've lived, and wrapped them in the petal of a Camellia Flower, for the good desires . Chinese Almonds are known to taste tart, like bitter almonds. Next, I settled on strength. The things that make me strong in life. Okaa-san and Otou-san have taught me to always try and never give up. My teachers have always told me to live life like a problem, and just keep solving it. The homeless and the elderly teach me to be strong, be grateful for what I have and never let it go. But, they all held something I common. They, themselves, were strong, always looking forward, growing even stronger. Just like a tree. They can be hacked away numerous times but always grow back, tougher than before, and they always stand brave and tall, their roots spreading out to reach different places. I thought of a traditional Japanese tree, a Bonsai. Then, I remembered the garden we had growing in our back yard. Setting down the herbs I'd already chosen, I began running outside, "Okaa-san, I'll be right back!" Pushing open the back door, I hopped around to where my family was planting a variety of plants and flowers. I smiled happily, noticing I had left the bag of tree seeds on the ground next to the shovel. A/N: Yeah, Bonsai seeds don't actually exist, but you can plant a Bonsai tree with any tree seeds, according to my research. Getting on my knees, I poured a few seeds into my hand and then sprung up, dashing back inside, panting. I handed them to my mother, along with the dried orange peels and Chinese Almonds. Lastly, compassion. That was the easiest. Tenderly, I grabbed the petals from a Daffodil. I pass them to the woman facing me. She gladly accepted, ushering me over to a cutting board beside the stove. There position the many selected petals and what not. Three vanilla leaves, a single rose petal, the dried orange peels, four Chinese Almonds wrapped inside the Camellia Flower's petal, the tree seeds, and the Daffodil petals. A step stool was placed by my feet. I climbed onto it. Okaa-san envelops my hands in hers, and together, we grounded the nuts into a powdery substance, chopped up the petals. Once we finished, we began dropping things into our boiled water, one by one. "Vanilla leaves for love," and down it went, into the silver tea kettle. "A rose petal, for intelligence," the two of us whispered simultaneously. Drop. "Dried orange peels, for fullness." Drop. "Chinese Almonds and a Camellia petal, for desire." Drop. "Tree seeds, for strength." Drop. "And Daffodil petals, for compassion." Drop. My vision is cut off by a roaring flame, the clank of pill bottles dropping harshly to the ground, the screech of a car colliding, screaming.

End of Flashback

"Okaa-san, Okaa-san, can I strain it, can I?" I whispered, finishing the memory before it cut. A/N: She strains the tea so there aren't any leftover leaves in it. My eyes hallowed out for a second, but I placed a smile back on my face. What's happened, happened. I completed making the tea, pouring its contents into the cups.

"-ai. Mai." I slipped out from my stupor, glancing up. There, leaning against the door frame, was my boss.

"Oh, sorry Naru. I'll clean this up and, uh, here. You can have your tea," I replied, walking over to give him the brew. My hands were shaking. It was slight, but noticeable. I quickly stopped myself, concealing it. He accepted the tea cup.

I would've sworn I saw the slightest frown on his face, but I shrugged it off as mind games. Washing off the cutting bored and knife, I listened to what he had to say next, "Mai, I didn't ask for tea. And I've been calling your name for a minute now."

A minute? I paled on the inside, "Ah, sorry. I got caught up in making this. And I know, but I thought you might like some anyway. It's been maybe two hours since your last cup, so…" I allowed my sentence to hang.

He only nodded, sipping up his favorite drink, before stopping. He eyed me warily, "You haven't made this tea before. And I'm not familiar with it."

I bobbed my head back, still not making eye contact as I wiped up the counter. I didn't see the big deal here. Why was I so nervous? "It's a special homemade blend. I hope you like it."

Naru glanced at me, "Hn." Grabbing the tray, I walked past Naru, striding out of the kitchen to Lin's office. I could feel his eyes bore holes into my back. He was watching me. He knew something was up. But that's the thing- nothing was up. I was fine, everything was good, and there was nothing wrong.

Knocking on the stoic man's door, I heard the slight, "Come in." I used the same method these two used, masking my face. Theirs with no emotion, mine with a smile and bright attitude. But, there isn't anything wrong, I kept telling myself. And actually, I wasn't too sure why I was so depressed about it- whatever 'it' was. But finding that out could wait.

"Good afternoon, Lin-san!"

He continued typing away, "Good afternoon, Taniyama-san." At least he replies to me, unlike Naru.

I set down my tray for a moment, picking up the tea cup and handing it to my fellow employee. "Tea, Lin-san?"

"Yes, thank you." He accepted, still typing on his laptop with one hand, took a swallow, and then deposited it down on his desk.

"No problem. Call me for more, if you want." I offered. Taking the tray with me, I started for the door, but was stopped right as my hand hit the doorknob.

"Taniyama-san, this tea, it's different." My mouth tugged down a hair.

"If you don't like it, I could get you something else, Lin-san. It's a homemade blend of mine."

It was silent for a moment. He responded, "No, it's good. Thank you, that's all."

Instead of saying anything back, I just left, putting back on the bright exterior mask of mine. Well, he liked it. That's good.

It looked as though Naru went back inside his office. Before I could even do anything else, the door opened, chiming, signaling a potential client. I'm sure everyone heard it, so I steered towards the ring. A shaken man, in his twenties I presume, stood awkwardly, twiddling his thumbs.

I approached him. He was a mess, to put it frankly. Tie askew, shaggy brown hair going this way and that, wrinkled suit, stubble on his face, one sock up, the other down.

Greeting him warmly, I put out a hand, "Hello sir, this is Shibuya Psychic Research and I am Taniyama Mai, but please, call me Mai. Do you have an appointment with my boss?"

He was jumpy, I noted. But if his house, estate or whatever was haunted, then I really wouldn't blame him.

"H-Hello, Mai-san. I am Akagawa Ryuu, and no, I do not have an appointment. But, I do wish t-to speak with your boss, if that's a-alright."

"Of course. Please, take a seat." I guided Akagawa-san to our couch, and he reluctantly complied. I glanced at the tea cup in my hands, sitting on the off white tray that matched it. Sighing, I handed it to the man with a genuine smile. He looked like he needed some tea, and this blend would be good for him.

"Akagawa-san, some tea? Please, I recommend it." He lifted up his hand to take it from me, but was still unsteady. I stretched out my hand more, than with the other, placed his around the cup, bringing it closer to him.

"Thank you," he whispered. Naru came out from his office, Lin shortly after. I sat down across from our potential client, on the other black leathered couch, in between the 'chatter boxes'.

Naru gave a curt nod, "I am Shibuya Kazuya. I imagine you have a case?" It sounded more like a statement, than a question.

Akagawa-san gripped his cup as though it were a lifeline, taking even nips at it, relaxing more.

"Yes, I do. I'm Akagawa Ryuu. I just recently graduated from my college, Tokyo University, about eight months ago," He commented. My eyes widened. Tokyo U.? Doesn't he realize how hard it is to get into that place? Tokyo University is probably one of the best -if not, the best- college universities of Japan. This man, a nervous wreck, graduated from there?

Naru and Lin were unaffected, "Continue, Akagawa-san."

"Very well. You see, after my graduation, I had planned on succeeding my father's company, as he wished. But, I have no yearning to work there. My major in school was music. I absolutely love it. Playing it, reading it, writing it, or hearing it. I- there was a friend of mine who's relative owns an old mansion, wanting to sell it. The mansion used to be a preschool, a very big one. It is located outside of the city, in the middle of a forest. About an hour ride to get into Tokyo. No one was buying, because of its history. A fire once raged in the place, maybe fifty years ago, killing everyone inside. The fire was started by a group of children, and it not only killed their target, but spread and killed everyone else, as well. People find the fire as bad fortune to the building. But I really wanted to open my own music school, for the talented and the talentless, this way I could share my knowledge, my love for it, with the new generation to come. I ended up buying the building dirt cheap, resulting in my…disownment from my father. But, if he couldn't accept what I wanted to do then-"He paused, whispering to himself, "It was worth it."

I began to clench and unclench my fists, turning my knuckles from pale back to its original color.

Akagawa-san has a family…why would he give it up for his dreams? I would shatter mine in a heartbeat if only I could-

Then I realized what I was doing and uncoiled my fists. Stop it, Mai, I told myself. Stop it.

Naru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Akagawa-san, please, I need facts. What, pray tell, has you to believe something paranormal is occurring in your estate."

The man nodded, "Right… sorry." Slurping up more tea, he sunk back into the couch and stared into the distance, "Well, I bought the decrepit thing and hired some workers to fix it up- replace old wood, since the structure is so old, repaint it, redo the concrete, just make it look nice and usable. So, two months pass and there's no problem. The workers finish the job and I got to work on starting up the school. Four more months go by and I'm ready for business, children and teens lining up. A new boarding school…brand new and smack dab in the middle of some forest outside of Tokyo, what could go wrong?" Akagawa-san laughed ruefully, crossing his arms over his chest, allowing a vengeful smile to play over him

My senses kicked in, telling me to watch out for him. But, what could someone who was utterly terrified no less than ten minutes ago do? The kinder side of me let the horrid feeling slip for now.

"Actually, a lot of things could go wrong. And a lot of things did go wrong. The school ran fine for two months. Then, the most abnormal things happened. We have different departments in the school- Music Appreciation, Chorus, Band, Orchestra, Art and Literature. The first thing that happened was that one student from each department went missing. Gone. Just like that, over night. No matter how hard we searched, we couldn't find them –even had police out there and everything. Exactly three days later, each one came back by the hour. Music Appreciation's kid came back by 12:00AM, Chorus's by 11:00AM, and so on. No one remembered a thing. Nada. And the strangest part was each one of them came back with three perfect lines -of what seemed to be claw marks- somewhere on them. That was the only injury they had, but the wounds were deep. They were taken to the hospital right away, parents notified. We've yet to tell any of our other students what's going on, but all of them know that something is up. One of the children in the hospital they've- died. In their sleep. The doctors found them mutilated in their beds, claw marks all over. The night guards and security cameras would have noted anyone coming into and out of the building at night, but there was no presence recorded. There was, however, no camera inside of the child's room. So, no one can deduct the cause to his…death. He was found early this morning. He was the kid from Music Appreciation; Mashiro Nagi. And that isn't the whole of it. Students wake up screaming during the night, with the same marks on them as the children who were missing. But, they too do not remember what happened in their dreams. There is a lake close by my facility. Sometimes we allow the students to go there on their days off. A few have left- and not come back. I have gone myself to look around for them. Instead of finding what I wanted to…I- I found an arm. Ripped, or I should say clawed off of its body, floating out in the water."

The man's demeanor, once again, changed. Scared senseless once more.

Akagawa-san wrapped his arms tightly around himself, unconsciously hunching his back, balling up. "F-Fires will randomly start out of nowhere in the basement, the top floor, and the boiler room. Knifes will be thrown at people during meal times. During class time, some students hear screeching along chalkboards, and will sometimes find scratches on their desks. Instruments get bent into sharp points. Children from Chorus are losing their voices. Music sheets are being torn. Please, I-I really don't know what to do anymore. This isn't the music school I wanted…this isn't…"

His speech was cut short, replaced with whimpers. I bit my lip, reaching a hand over to place on his back in comfort. Not a single one of our clients had ever been this emotional about their cases. Especially not someone so young, and a man, too.

The moment my fingers made contact against Akagawa-san's wrinkled white dress shirt, my whole body froze, being hauled into a pit of dark despair. I was losing against the tug from the spiritual plane and real life. Soon, I was completely succumbed into a vision.

Bright flames whirled around me. My vision cut into a blur, spinning in circles, and I heard the sick laughter of children. Children, who were seeking revenge. I was sent back into the rings of fire, the heat becoming too much. And again, I zoomed into the black blur, with even more laughter. My head was pounding suddenly. I was switching. From the apparition of a deep sea of scarlet, raving all around me, burning me, sending me sensations no human should have to bear; to the haziness of black, turning into morphed colors of people's clothing, engulfed by the cackling- no, now screaming- voices of little kids. My eyes stung, sore from the change of sight. Back and forth, back and forth, now working like a little girl, pressing every button she could find, flickering my visions here and there with intense speed. Soon, it felt like I was seeing both things at once, taking in every emotion, and feeling the seething pain. Smoke chocked at my lungs. I wanted to cough so badly, to let it out, but I couldn't. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't do anything. And abruptly, it all came to a stop. Stopped, on a world of complete nothingness. Until, of course, the disfigured face of a man entered into view. With a hat, torn and ragged; skin, smoldered enough to see bone and flesh; frayed clothing, smoke blowing off of him; a malicious smile set in play; and the one thing my eyes wouldn't ever forget, was the gloved hand with razor sharp claws sticking out. Three, razor sharp claws. The figure's smile grew, and he looked up, staring deep into my eyes, "Your next." And sooner than I could react, he was already in front of me, hand out, and prepared to puncture a few scars into me. "Sweet dreams," he whispered, chuckling at the irony of his joke.

My hand shot back like it had been on fire. Which, in a sense, it was.

Prior to helping it, the scream flitted off of my lips and resonated through the air. Full of fear, terror, dread. Everything a killer wants to hear.

The burning impression was long gone by now, and I appeared unharmed, besides my ever growing alarm.

My eyes dilated in the light- something other than darkness or the color red. By now I was standing, clutching my arm tight.

"Mai!" Naru shouted, already up and right next to me. Even Lin was alert. How long was I gone? What was that? Who was that?

Slowly, I turned back at him, silent. I was afraid. I turned aside, now facing Akagawa-san.

"Ne, ne…we'll take the case," I whispered quietly.

My boss was aghast, nevertheless a mask of monotone, "Mai! What are you-"Our usually hushed onmyouji stopped the boy from yelling any more. "Naru, enough. Let her relax." Without saying another word, Lin led me into his office. Unusual, was the first word that came to mind.

Standing by the door, he told me strictly yet soothingly, "Stay here. Naru and I will talk with Akagawa-san." I could only bob my head, staring into space.

The door was left ajar. I took some time to glance around, take my mind off of…that. I'd never actually taken a good look at Lin's office. It was surprisingly homely. A mahogany round clock rested on the wall opposite of Lin's desk, which was the same color. A few photos lined up on his desk, along with a pen holder, telephone and calendar. There was a photo of some people I didn't recognize, minus Lin. His family from China, I thought. Another one was of some American people, him, and Naru. I wondered who they could be.

A bang and some muted shouting came from the living room, but I stayed focused on the room.

The last photo was definitely one I recognized. All of SPR together, including Yasuhara and Madoka. I remember it like yesterday- the one case where Madoka came in for a visit. The Blood Stained Labyrinth. While we were together, I asked a man on the sidewalk to take a picture of us. Though we looked awful and were all exhausted, I still insisted on getting it taken. There was much argument over it but to a lot of their dismay, I had won. The man acted like he was ignoring me, but I came in front of him and went off on how you shouldn't avoid other people and how rude it was. He finally gave in and the picture was taken.

I gazed elsewhere. A small brown leather couch was situated to the side, a nearby plant its only company. Since when would Lin need a couch? But I suppose from all of the times he stayed overnight here with Naru, it would come in handy. Some degrees were framed on the walls; a cute little chocolate brown rug was set up on the floor, with a small coffee table above it made of glass. On one of the walls to the side was a bulky bookcase littered with numerous books, of various sizes.

My look through was done, so I resorted to plopping down on the couch, taking a pen and notebook off of Lin's desk with me. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I doodled a bit. The notebook was empty, new, I imagined. And I could always offer him a new one.

I opened up its hard black cover, and began to draw whatever came to mind.

It started with a big pot-like thing, with four slots on its stomach, metal pegs it stood on, and an exhaust at the top where steam was blowing out. I sketched some coal through the slots, and added more smoke. I portrayed the scene to be enclosed by your normal four walls, which were bound by fire, like my vision. There was only one door, and it was sealed shut by a lock on the inside. My hands moved to their own accord, creating the outline of a shadow against one wall, screaming in agony. It reflected an actual person lying crumpled on the ground. A man on fire.

I became enraged at the sight of my drawing, and ripped a slash along the page, cutting it across with the pen. I panted lightly, sweat seeping from my forehead.

I stopped. What was I doing? A thought struck me, the only logical explanation to my- to that. A possession. But, how on earth could I have been possessed? We aren't even in a haunted area…

A million different notions swam around my head, save for only one that stayed put, only one that caught my attention.

That man could be watching me.

It's impossible. He was a dream, a figment of my imagination- I smacked my head into my hands. Of course, he was a dream. But not the type I was hoping for. One of those dreams. And even so, how would he be able to? I would feel something if he were around…right?

The battle of reason inside of my head was flurrying on. This would be a great time to have a brain like Naru.

Warily, I set down my…drawing…on the table, laying down full length on the couch.

Another shout reverberated around the building, this time, not being bothered to hush. It was from Lin. Lin yells? I turned on my side, facing the door. Pleading took over the yell, and subsequently, it was still.

The door to SPR was shut. Naru and Lin were talking, but it was muffled. Shuffling feet took over my sense of sound. My eyes, looking towards the ground below the door, were met with a new sight. A pair of polished black shoes. I travel them upwards and saw Lin, Naru right behind him.

"Hi, Lin-san," I greeted effortlessly.

Naru came in front of his guardian, "Mai, come into the living room…please," he added. A please? So, I get no cold attitude and a please from him today? What a treat… I obediently came out, still wordless. The man in charge motioned for me to sit. He and Lin took a spot across from me, on the other couch. I felt like a client.

"Taniyama-san, we have decided to…take the case. Under the condition that you remain with someone at all times." Like most all cases, I wanted to say, but nodded as an alternative.

"And also, we'd like to know about your vision, when you touched Akagawa-san's shirt," Naru said.

Lin glanced at the boy, "You have yet to have an in-contact, fully awake vision, until now. It's just- your ESP seems to be growing. Which isn't a bad thing, Taniyama-san. But you might feel dizzy more or tired with this change, and you need to be prepared to exert your full energy sometimes. So, we needed to tell you this. Naru and I are welcome to help you stay in control, to have you learn to not pass out after extreme use of your energy." Again I nod.

"Alright then. Now, are you composed enough to tell us what you saw?"

With a puff of air, I finally gained enough courage to really look into their eyes, "Mhm. I was switching visions, from a room filled with fire to a whir of black, with children laughing harshly. I continued going back and forth between the two until it stopped on just sheer blackness. And then- this man. He was burned alive, with," Something inside of me told me not to talk about the claws. It was a voice, whispering, "Don't do it." So I didn't, "He was burned alive with his flesh and bone showing. He told me 'Your next', and 'Sweet dreams', then tried to attack me, but I woke up."

The men shared a look. Working with these two for the time I have, I notice small details from them. The look included.

"Thank you, Taniyama-san." I shook my head, "No, it's alright."

~*Life As We Know It*~

I sighed, massaging at my temples, "Lin, why did you persist on taking the case? We both very well know that Mai will-"

"Noll, I know you're worried about Taniyama-san, but trust me. We can discuss the matter of her odd behavior lately, as well, in my office. I'm sure you've noticed?" My guardian asked me.

My lip twitched. Who couldn't perceive it? She makes things too obvious, no matter how hard she tries.

Without speaking, I followed the man into his office. Mai was sent home early. I felt it best for her if she went home today. Not like I care, but I can't have a practically dead assistant working for me. It'd be a hassle.

Lin was standing over his coffee table, shocked. I approached him cautiously. "Lin?"

And then I saw what had him in his state of surprise. Lying on the table was a drawing torn jaggedly down the middle, a pen sitting at its side. A drawing…of a man on fire.

Juliet: So chapter one is a go. And just to let you know, I've never seen any of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies or Friday the 13th. If I watched those I'd never sleep. But I did read the plot on Wikipedia, so I'm writing this to the best of my knowledge from what I've read.

Mai: Not bad, not bad. I just hope you can keep up with your work.

Juliet: I told you, I get bored!

Mai: Than use your time being bored to finish your stories!

Juliet: But my stories uninterested me and then I think of something new…

Mai: Excuses. Well, review please people, she at least deserves some of those.

Juliet: Yes! I like reviews~