Chapter 1
"Mio," her voice a low, soft whisper in the pitch black darkness in which we camouflaged ourselves in. Mayu's hands moved to my shoulders and grasped onto them fiercely - clutching and digging her nails into my exposed flesh my top failed to cover. I felt her body shiver fearfully behind me and the warm sensation of her breasts pressed against my back as she moved as close as humanly possible into me. Her body melded with every curve of my own similar to the satisfaction of locking in the right piece of a puzzle.
I quickly shut my mouth and pressed my lips tightly together to stop myself from gasping out loud at the pressure of her breasts pressed maddeningly against my back. I shuddered from the barrage of sudden insane emotions running through me terrible demons. Mayu is my sister - what am I thinking? I moved forward to put some distance between us but Mayu would only move in unison with me. I gulped and clutched onto the Camera Obscura, trying to take my mind off the spreading warmth emitting from Mayu's breasts brushing up against me like pure torture for both my mind and body.
"Please, Mio," Mayu pleaded into my ear and held onto me even tighter. Her rapid hot breaths tickled my inner ear lobe which elicited another suppressive gulp down my parched throat.
"I really don't want to go back out there," she said fearfully, and whimpered as she buried her face into my shoulder.
I looked boldly at the chipped and scarred door, steeled my body and readied the camera as I took another step forward. Before I could go any further, Mayu stopped me by pulling me back by tugging at my top.
"Stop!" she whispered urgently and I turned around to see tears starting to fall from her large, brilliantly brown eyes.
"Mayu," I said softly, and cupped her cheek - she was trembling and holding her hands over her heart. I worried she may be having heart attack.
"I-I don't want to go back out there," she repeated, with a wavering voice. "I don't know if I'm strong enough."
I moved close to her and pulled her toward me into a comforting hug. Her body was initially tense, but I soon felt her relax in my arms. She sighed contently when I rubbed her back soothingly. "We can wait a little while longer," I said, and ushered her over to a tatami mat on the floor. We sat down together and I tried my best to settle Mayu down. She was breathing in rapid bursts with her eyes closed from our grim surroundings. I looked around to make sure no ghosts were creeping up on us, but the area appeared peaceful, for now.
I pulled my legs close to my body and urged Mayu to place her head on my lap. She did, and I ran my hands through her silky black hair, the same way I remember our mother doing before bed. She closed her eyes and appeared to be asleep, but I knew she couldn't manage to fall asleep even if she wanted to in such a horrific environment.
I looked down at her now calm expression and couldn't help but smile at how lovely my twin sister had become - I don't know why I hadn't noticed how beautiful she really was before. Granted, we looked a lot alike being we are twins and all, but there was always something more about Mayu that made her more charming than myself - even others would comment on this fact. It must be the way Mayu seemed to make people want to just drop everything and take care of her - she was like a little lost puppy.
Mayu's breathing calmed down significantly as I repeatedly ran my hands through her hair. I felt her warm breath tickle the entire length of my cold legs and I shivered noticeably at the strange sensations I was once again feeling.
"Mio?" Mayu's voice suddenly rang out. "Are you cold? You're shivering," Mayu said, her voice dripping with concern while she placed her hand flat on my thigh. This caused another shiver to run through me, though the cold had nothing to do with how my body reacted.
Damn, I thought and stopped smoothing down her hair. "N-no," I muttered. "I'm just a little tired that's all," I lied quickly, and lamely.
Mayu sat herself up across from me with a slight pout on her face. "It's because you're taking care of me isn't it?" She asked, with her sad, large eyes gazing at me. "I'm just holding you back," she said, sadly and looked down towards the floor.
I placed my hand under her chin to turn her gaze back up towards me - whether I just wanted to comfort her or feel her eyes looking upon me, I could not say for sure. "No, never, Mayu," I said, adamantly. "You could never hold me back."
She smiled happily at my words and my heart fluttered by how adorable her expression was. I wanted to hold her and… I shuddered and became confused and disgusted with myself. Had the village finally got the best of me and have made me insane? I questioned myself and the new bizarre emotions I was feeling for my own flesh and blood. You're sick, Mio, I concluded.
Mayu suddenly leapt onto me to embrace me in a tight hug. I blushed and nearly fell back onto the mat. "Thank you, Mio," Mayu whispered. "I love you," she said, in my ear and I blushed even deeper.
"I love you too," I said, and felt a deep sadness stirring within me thinking how much I truly did.
Mayu pulled herself back and gazed deep into my eyes, searching for something. I felt my body freeze under her intense stare. "I think I'm ready to go on now," she said, and stumbled up to her feet. I quickly got up too to support her.
"Be careful, Mayu," I said. "Your leg," I pointed out her bandaged right leg.
"It's okay now," Mayu said, cheerfully. "You made it feel better," she added, and I again blushed slightly at her words. She took my hand and held it. I felt strength surge through my previously tired body as soon as she squeezed my hand in hers. With Mayu by my side, I've always felt invincible. Ghosts be damned. I held her hand firmly and interlaced our fingers together as I led her to the door.
The Kurosawa house appeared quiet as I peered cautiously from behind the door. I felt Mayu breathing heavily down the nape of my neck as she stood behind me. Her hot breath on my goose-fleshed skin distracted me from my fears and I stepped out completely from behind the door. I squeezed Mayu's hand reassuringly once more as I proceeded to lead her through the seemingly empty house.
A creak made Mayu jump and I quickly turned around with the camera at the ready, but nothing was there. "Sorry," Mayu whispered, and I only shook my head at her easily-frightened personality.
My body suddenly felt cold and the hairs behind my neck stood on end as if electricity ran through me. Something was coming, I could feel it. Mayu's grip on my hand slackened and I turned around curiously to see her standing there with empty, vacant eyes. She looked devoid of any emotion as she stood limp and lifeless - like a doll.
"Mayu," I called out to her and moved closer to her. Mayu didn't budge and remained still. My heart was beating ferociously against my chest as I approached merely inches away from her. "Mayu, answer me, please," I begged.
Her face upturned and she spoke in a chillingly empty tone of voice with similarly empty eyes. "Dear sister, why did you leave me?" My mouth opened in shock and my mind screamed for me to run, but my heart refused to abandon Mayu no matter what the cost.
"Y-you're not, Mayu…," I gasped out and pulled the camera to my eyes, but whatever had possessed Mayu was now lunging at me. I abandoned any attempt at exorcising the spirit and ran to the closest door I could find and quickly closed it behind me. The door rattled viciously against my back as the force behind the door was now banging violently against it. I shut my eyes and wished for the moment to end as I braced myself against the door. All I could do was pray it would go away. The banging wouldn't stop and I felt my knees shake uncontrollably with fright.
"Please, please," I pleaded over and over as I used whatever energy I had left to hold the door. The banging suddenly stopped and I finally exhaled the shaky breath I was holding in my lungs. I waited another moment, but then heard another sound from the other side of the door. It started out low and barely audible at first, but I then heard a woman faintly crying and was that laughing? A mixture of laughing and crying rang from the opposite side of the flimsy door and I felt my blood freeze with terror at the horrific sound.
"Mayu," I whispered sadly to myself and felt my heart break at whatever spirit had possessed my poor sister's body. It made me sad, but my sadness soon turned to anger as I thought about some ghost taking Mayu away from me. My body shook with rage and a new resolve invigorated my body. I swung open the door ready to fight face-to-face with the entity, but all I found was an empty room. "Mayu?" I called out, hoping she would answer me or reappear in front of me, but I was only greeted with silence.
"No," I said, and ran through the house searching for any signs of Mayu, but she was nowhere to be found. My heart dropped and I suddenly felt sleepy with exhaustion. "I-I…," I stuttered at a lost for words. I lost Mayu and it was all because I was too weak at a moment she needed me the most, but instead I ran like a coward. I felt my eyes wanting to close - to just sleep and give up, but my heart was still beating, and as long as it was, I vowed never to stop looking for Mayu. She needed me, and I would not let her down. I picked up the camera and got to my feet. I walked out with my heart beating strongly beneath my chest as I thought about bringing back Mayu by my side where she belonged. Ghosts be damned.
