There's a darkness living inside in each and every one of us,
There are anger, grief, jealousy,hatred,pain and avaricious.
These are the darkest nature of human beings,
One could choose to avoid it or to fall for it for the rest of their lives….
DARK TALES FROM JAPAN
FILES 1 THE BLOODY SHRINE
Part 1
14 October
Day 1
It was a peaceful sight of the very green grass on the gently sloppy hills and between them was where the shrine stood on the flat ground, the shrine was on top of the now flat hill that stood taller than either of the hills between it. From the shrine one could view the soft billowing green of planted paddy fields in the village. The village was a few hills away down from the shrine; the village was in a valley where the villagers tend their paddy.
The bonnet of the black van was already wide opened; revealing all kinds of equipment inside of it. "Mai, take the equipment to the base" Naru ordered as he too carried some of the equipment himself. The SPR van was park at the open field near to the shrine of their next case. From where they stood they could see the majestic looking rice paddy below the ground.
"Okie dokie Naru the boss!" said Mai cheerfully as she always did. Then, she followed behind him as she carried one of the equipment too. Naru waited for her for her to adjust the equipment in her arm, making sure the equipment was safe and secure in her tight grip.
"Try not to slack off while you're at it…" commented Naru as he went ahead of Mai, leaving the open fields as he started climbing up the stone staircases, there are forest of tree at each side of the staircases, at the end of the staircases located a small shrine, big enough for a family or two to live in it.
Mai ran after him with dismay as she muttered something about Naru being rude for not waiting for her. Nonetheless, she still managed to catch him up even though she was a few stair cases behind him.
"Well?" Naru asked. As if he was expecting her to say something. Mai was shocked by this, when Naru caught her mumbling about him. She looked away from Naru obviously trying to get herself away from trouble this time.
"I know you have something to say…Spit it out, idiot." Naru ordered her to do so, Mai pouted at his insult.
"I don't see you do any part of the job" Mai commented as she was ordered to. When she mentioned the word 'job' it was obviously meant when Naru was too busy observing other people doing their job earlier to even bother to help them out. So, when one dealing with slacking off it was Naru that slacking off earlier that day and not her! Naru who obviously could read the impression Mai was giving just sigh nonchalantly.
"I already am helping…" was Naru short replied which resulted in Mai's angry scoffed.
"Oh, really!? In case you have forgotten Masako is already ill because of the atmosphere of the shire but she still taking good care of Rika-san, Monk and Lin-san is dedicating their job by setting up the equipment and begin investigating the house, Yasuhara-san gathers information for the background of the shrine and I still stuck with you as we walking around the shrine doing nothing but observe! Hence, I didn't really see you doing any of it unlike any of us!" Mai talked back at Naru as she emphasise the word 'you', Naru remained compose as ever, he looked up straight ahead of him, the shrine was just a few step ahead he noted to himself. Mai who was still waiting for her answer gave out a fake cough demanding for her answered. Naru just sigh apathetically.
"I'm—helping—you—to—make—sure—you—earn—your—salary" Naru replied simply as he stretched out the sentence word by word making sure Mai remembered who's the boss around here, Mai who was taken aback by his replied could only sighs in defeated as she looked down at the warmth stone staircases.
'Damn it that narcissist jerk! I couldn't talk back at him' Mai thought to who looked like as if he was reading her thought just scoffed at her proudly was giving her with that what-can-you-do-now-kind of look. Noticing this Mai pouted even more as she avoided Naru's gaze.
Naru left her far behind him ignoring all the retorted and tantrum that Mai gave out for not waiting for her. Little did Mai know that Naru lips curved into a small smile, the smile was so tiny that one needs to use a magnified glass to notice it.
After brief minutes later Naru was waiting for Mai as he stopped at the main entrance of the shrine.
"Can you be any slower?" said Naru sarcastically as he mocked at Mai's poor strength.
"It's not my fault that someone forgot certain equipment in the bonnet!" said Mai who was irritated at Naru's arrogant attitudes. To make it even more annoying he didn't seem to bother to ask how she was doing! She was helping him to carry the heavy for his sake! Of all people he got to choose he has chosen her to helped him carried it! Her and not Monk nor Yasuhara!
"Have you forgotten Mai that you're the one who insisted to help me in the first place" said Naru as he tapped the tip of his shoes impatiently; still waiting for her to reach him by now, Mai on the other hand was fumed with anger and frustration.
"I didn't volunteer myself! You were the one who put me into this! Besides, it would be very nice of you if you could ask me how I was doing instead! Don't you even bother how I was doing!?" Asked Mai as she finally arrived at the last step of the staircases, which resulted in Mai panting as she trying to catches her breath.
"Mai you're not my assistance for no reason…" Naru replied dully as the words slapped Mai across her face…It was her job he said…It was her duty when he meant by that…Mai just stared at him in disbelieve…Mai stomped on her feet and was about to argue back but was cut off by Yasuhara.
"Naru!" Yasuhara called for him as he interrupting Mai in the process. Mai just exploded to herself as wailed in frustration. Yasuhara who noticed this decide to act natural and ignored Mai cried of frustration…
"The base is ready Naru…By the way Naru! You won't believe what I just discover! You should go to the base now so we all could gather and discuss regarding this 'discovery'" said Yasuhara naturally. On the background Mai put down the equipment on the ground. Then, she was trying to grab and throw Naru down the stair but was disturbed by Yasuhara's tight grips around her arms.
"Oh! I've been looking all over for you Mai! So, there you are!" Mai on the other hand didn't care more or less about Yasuhara; all she cares about was to beat that narcissist up.
"Calm down Mai this old man couldn't take any more of your hyper tantrum…" said Yasuhara as he pretended to just noticed her. Somehow, Mai successfully pulled her hand away from Yasuhara tight grip, her eyes still at Naru, she was about to said something to Naru but was silent by Yasuhara's palm as it covered her mouth. Without further argue Naru left the two of them alone to let Yasuhara settle down Mai's childish tantrum. Finally, Yasuhara pulled away his hand from Mai's mouth. Mai turned around and started to complaint at the top of her lung.
"Why did you do that for? Argh! Just when I was about to knock some sense on his hea-" she couldn't finish her sentence as Yasuhara cuts in, interrupting her rant and her frustration
"Mai, a lady shouldn't carry heavy thing like that! Let me help you with it!" said Yasuhara as he picked up the equipment Mai have put down earlier and gave her one of his famous glittering smiles…
Sparkles!
Sparkles!
Sparkles!
Mai gave in to Yasuhara's mischief and so called-innocent-smiles.
"Thank you so much Yasuhara-san" Mai thank him.
"Don't worry about it! I'm still your apprentice after all! By the way be sure to be in the base, boss! I'll be there shortly after I set up this equipment and then I would explain my discovery!" said Yasuhara as he took off his shoes and entered the shrine.
Mai stopped on her track as Mai study the shrine for the third time of the day…There was something about the shrine that tick her off, it felt so dark and lonesome. Sure, the light in the shrine was on and there were people inside the shrine but she still couldn't get away the feeling of somethinzg dark was lurking in the shrine. What she hates the most about the shrine was how eerily quiet it was in the middle of the day, when she follow Naru to inspect the shrine the air around her felt so heavy, the feeling was almost as if she was drowning in the middle of the ocean and that alone make her hard to breath. She hates that feelings…Mai felt so scare to enter the shrine she couldn't budge her leg to move.
"What's wrong Mai?" asked Yasuhara as he returned back at Mai to fetch Mai as Naru ordered him to.
"Do we really have to enter the shrine?" Mai asked, making her looked like a kid who has been forced to eat vegetable. Yasuhara looked down at her from the kiza hashi (wooden small stairs).
"I don't like it here…It makes me felt uncomfortable…I felt as though someone was watching my entire movement…" A wave of memories suddenly coming back at her at that exact moment as she describe
Mai was cleaning up the kitchen after the 'thing' that attacked Irisu-san messed up the kitchen; the utensils were scatter messily all over the floor, the tableware too were out from its place, there are few broken plates and cups here and there. When Mai pick up the piece of the shards her finger was cut in the process…
"Ah…!" Mai yelped in pain as the blood flowing out from her fresh wounds.
Just then Mai saw something she shouldn't looked at, at the corner of her eyes Mai saw a young lady who looked exactly the same as Irisu-san was staring down at her with her eyes went wide bigger than any normal human would do; the eyes looked almost as if it would come out from its eyes socket at any moments due to its forces. The lady noted Mai staring back at her. So, she gave Mai a twisted grin as its mouth stretched from ear to ear. It gave out a malevolent laughter. Mai's skin went paled as her blood drain from her face, Mai's heart skip a beat losing hope that Naru won't be in time to safe her, but when she blinked at it…
There was no one there…
Mai gave out a sighs in relief. Thinking it might be her imagination but when she turned her gaze back at her wounded finger she knew it wasn't just her imagination….
There was no cut at her finger nor did it show of any sign of left scar but instead there was a few dropped of blood on the floor.
"I felt as though there was something else in the shrine besides us…Something which is still alive and yet dead…" said Mai as she trying her best to not shuttering her words.
"I see…Apparently I'm not alone…" replied Yasuhara, Mai looked up at him and noticed how his glasses reflected the sunlight, making his glasses looked white.
"You felt the same way too Yasuhara-san? But how-?" asked Mai all confused but mostly stunned by this. She didn't expect for someone like Yasuhara who wasn't sensitive to be able to sense it as well…
"How should I put this feeling into word? You see…When I entered this shrine the air in the shrine felt heavy and it makes me hard to breath. Kind of like I was drowning in the depth of water…" Upon hearing Yasuhara's answer Mai's eyes went wide. That was exactly how she felt like. She couldn't find the word how to say she agrees with him but instead she was stunned. Mai was out of words to speak.
"Remember when Masako inspected this shrine?" Mai nodded in replied.
"The first thing she said was there was no restless soul or human spirit living in this shrine…Besides, don't you think this place is weird?" asked Yasuhara as his eyes met Mai's eyes. Mai who was still stunned took some time to process the words before she finally registered what he meant by it.
"Yes…All the poltergeist requirements have been met and we already certain it wasn't Irisu-san and Sakamoto-san who caused the poltergeist…But like you said before Masako told us there is no spirit here…" said Mai…
"Not only that…This place itself looked weird…Don't you find it strange how we're in the middle of the mountains but there was no trace of animals and their noises? It's pin drop silent here…" Yasuhara commented. Now, that he mentioned it Mai too just noticed how grimly quiet the shrine was despite it bright red colour that makes it looked peaceful and calming.
"What do you think Mai?" Yasuhara asked as he disturbed Mai's chain of thought.
"Eh? Me?" Mai asked Yasuhara back with a question.
"Yes, you…Since you're more experience than I am in this kind of things I would like to know how you feel about this shrine…" asked Yasuhara seriously. Mai kept it silent it, was obvious enough she was surprised by Yasuhara's sudden seriousness…
"I…. I don't know… I—I just wanted to go home….And get this over with" said Mai as she shuttering some of her words.
"Me too…." Yasuhara agrees with her…
"Hey, shounen how is your job coming along!?" A deep voice called as he entered the base; the owner of the voice then reveals himself and pats Yasuhara on his shoulder. It was monk (that's what most people called him anyway) otherwise known as Houshou Takigawa. He dyes his hair light brow and has a pretty long hair for a monk; he also tied up his hair into a messed ponytail... The truth was He's actually a studio musician.
"It came in very nicely kind of like putting icing on the cake!" Yasuhara replied cheerfully.
"Impressive shounen!" the monk compliment him, but their happy face soon fell into a serious looked…Neither of them like the uncomfortable atmosphere of the shrine…
"How was Irisu-san doing?" Mai asked from behind Yasuhara's back and went to monk's back…
"Masako took care of her…According to her Irisu-san should be fine…" Monk replied back to Mai.
"Is everyone here?" asked Naru as he stepped into the base and closed the shoji; the paper door behind him.
"Not all of us, Masako-Chan-" Naru cuts in before Mai could finish her sentence.
"She will be fine…She has Irisu-san and Sakamoto-san with her…Be sure to inform her after this Mai" said Naru as he sat on the tatami near the coffee table. Mai just hold in her temper…Reminding herself she needs all the energy she can get for their next work. The others followed Naru and sat near the coffee table as well…Getting ready to start their 'meeting' that Yasuhara have been talking about.
"Tell us what did you discovered when you were in the village…" asked Naru. He gave a hand signal to Lin indicates him to write down some note for him.
"When I was visiting the village to interview the villagers, most of them refuse to be interview the moments when I mentioned the word 'Shrine' and when I asked them why they chased me away…"
"From the way you describe it as if the villager knows something we don't know…" monk commented obviously in deep of thought.
"Precisely, and no matter how hard I tried to asked them about it they managed to get away…So, I tried using different approach…An unexpected approach as well…I asked the villager's kids regarding the shrine and surprisingly…They knew what is going on-No…Allow me to correct myself…They knew what used to happened in this shrine…" Mai kept quiet and continues to listen carefully.
"It was a secret that should be remained hidden and buried with it…"
"I believe I understand where you're heading from here…" Naru commented as he stood up from his seat.
"You do, Naru?" Mai looked up at him amazed at his quick thinking.
"Naturally…Especially after I have done several of inspection in this shrine numerous of times…" Naru turned his gaze at Mai as he gave her one of his deadly glare. Mai who receive that glare hide herself behind Monk's back.
Naru turned his attention back at Yasuhara and continues "However, what disturb me the most is how this problem reaches the kid's fragile mind and mental strength…" Yasuhara nodded in agreement. "Please continue Yasuhara…I've other things to do…" said Naru as he left them.
"What kind of things that used to happened here then Yasuhara?" Mai asked.
"Sacrfice…" was Yasuhara short replied.
"By that did you mean that the human sacrifice!?" The ex-monk repeated obviously shocked by this discovery. This would make the second time monk engaging the sacrifices case. Yasuhara nodded in replied
"The villagers used to make the human sacrifices to worship the spirit of the mountain in this very room…" Everyone except Lin gasped in dismay. The room became silent when Yasuhara mentioned it…It shocked almost everyone in that the very room that they use as the base was used to be a sacrifice ritual room. However, what shocked them the most was not at the fact that the room was used as the sacrifice ritual room…
It was because there was no restless soul living in the shrine…
If it's not the restless souls who disturb the people living in the shrine what else could it be?
It was the spirit of the mountain…
This story takes place after the Akumu no Sumu Arc. Mai is in her second year at school at this time and to sum it all up, Mai have been working for the SPR for a year I was writing this fanfiction I watched back the Ghost Hunt episodes and the first thing comes into my mind was…"Damn, those details…The author did a very deep research about this thing…There's no way I can compete with her details and seriousness…No wonder she quit half way through" Yes, seriously…That was my first impression when I watch Ghost hunt back and read the manga to do some research…Well, I actually used some references from the Japanese researcher…I won't reveal yet in this chapter because as for now I would like to give an imagine what kind of situation they get themselves into…
Anyway, there goes my first attempt to write a horror story…Please bear in mind that I'm bad in romance…As for now the thing that I wanted to deliver the most in this fanfic is the horror in it…and Yes, I'm a horror fanatics and when I watched Ghost Hunt for the first the first thing that I thought was… "This is it! I could use all those horror stuff that I watched into my fanfiction!" and thus, the story is born…I know…I know…This story is a bit short but it was a good start…I hope…
Anyway, what do you guys think of the prologue? Good or bad? Please let me know! By the way the first file is not going to be over any time or soon…There are still much more to come…