The rain pattered against the wood of the old apartment building. Lightning struck, shining through the window to illuminate the previously darkened room, before easing back to its dark demeanor. And in the corner of the room, a boy stood, back pressed against the wall as his eyes scanned the room.

Normally, his apartment was a safe place for him, however recently...

His eyes scanned the room once more, grey hues narrowing as his paranoia grew. He felt unsafe, uneasy, and a key factor ran through his mind: Fear. Fear caused the boy to stand, back pressed against the corner of the room, only to stare. And stare. And watch.

His eyes trailed to his closet, which seemed to be safe at the moment. No, he didn't believe this ghost crap, not for a second, however.. the way this room suddenly got so cold...and the smell is fucking awful... The power going out was probably a serious key factor to trigger this new fear. He swallowed hard, sighing. Nothing had happened for the past hour...so...

He couldn't stay up all night, right? Could he? He...should go back to sleep...or...

He glanced at the time, taking a deep breath. It was exactly midnight. That wasn't some coincidence, right? Taking a deep breath, Yoshiki Kishinuma sat down onto his bed hesitantly, grumbling about how much of an idiot he was. Hmm...He went over to grab his cellphone, checking to see if there was a signal...then...

From the gap, right between the bed and the dresser, an eye poked out to watch him. His eyes widened, hand closing around the phone as he yanked his arm back. The sudden jerk caused him to fall back, scrambling away from the area in a panic, causing him to fall off the bed. "A-ah?!" He cried out, falling silent.

And only the sound of his breathing could be heard.

He swallowed hard. Did he...imagine that? No...He was certain he saw it. There was an eye there, staring at him. It obviously belonged to a person, no pet or animal that sometimes found it's way into his apartment.

Lightning struck again, causing him to jump a little bit, however the bed blocked the light from going into the small gap. Unfortunately, if he wanted to see what he saw was still there...He needed to use his phone light. He groaned inwardly.

Normally, in situations that involved horror, it was a blackout and people used their phones, or a flashlight, maybe even a candle for light. Once they did, they usually saw a ghost, or a murderer...

No. Hold on a moment. Don't be stupid, Yoshiki. Nobody could be there, right? The gap...no person could be able to fit in there, its physically impossible. There's nothing to worry about. However...Curiosity started to course through him. Idiot...idiot...idiot! He couldn't help it, he took out his phone, flipping on flashlight mode. He didn't shine it towards the gap, gulping and trying to regain himself. Why was he getting so worked up? Nobody is there! He chuckled, before shining the light there.

And from there, a girl stared back. Her long, black hair covered part of her face. A hand was gripping the edge of the desk from the gap, unusual darkness surrounding her. The only thing that wasn't black was her skin, and the whites of her eyes. Unusually pale, the light from the phone reflecting off of the pale skin. Her eyes stared into his. His blood ran cold, and he found himself unable to move, mouth opened in shock as horror was sewn onto his face.

The girl giggled, her voice unusually...rough...and creepy...This wasn't...real... "Hehehe...Want to play hide and seek with me?"

He couldn't move an inch, even if he wanted to reply...which he didn't really want to. And just like that, she cackled, before vanishing.

"My name is Shinozaki, Ayumi. I came as quickly as I could, my apologies for being later than originally planned." The girl stood next to a table, where a boy was sitting. The local Café was unusually crowded, rushing with life as people chit chatted amongst one another.

The boy looked up, having been staring off into space previously, before a look of relief washing over his face. He quickly stood up. "My name is Mochida, Satoshi. I'm glad you could make it, please sit." He gestured towards the chair, before sitting in his own.

Shinozaki quickly took her seat, setting her elbows on the table and folding her fingers on the table. Placing the fingers over her mouth, she stared at Mochida for a moment before speaking. "Before we begin... you need to know that I am a paranormal investigator. Not only that, but a hunter. I cleanse areas, and ward of, maybe even get rid of ghosts that are a threat to everyday society. In order to do any of what I have just stated, I need information."

She took out a notebook, a pen clipped to it as she opened to a new page, setting it down onto the table. "Your email has caught my attention. However, I wasn't told what exactly happened. Would you please fill me in?"

Mochida seemed to hesitate for a moment, before sighing. He rubbed the back of his neck before leaning forward a little. "It's my best friend...Kishinuma, Yoshiki. He lives alone in an apartment...well...lived. He asked me if he could stay a week at my place. He was acting...strange." He frowned, watching her scribble down onto the notebook. She looked up, waiting for him to continue. "He's been living alone in his house for a few years, and never once asked if he could stay as long as that, or come a few minutes after midnight...so I asked him what was going on."

"He was...reluctant to even tell me a little bit. It was an easy confirmation something happened at his apartment. Since I have an extra futon in my room...he sleeps with me." He fidgeted silently, looking down at the table. "After I had managed to get his stuff upstairs, asked my parents if he could stay...He asked if I could keep the light on."

He huffed. "Never in my life have I remembered being asked that. From Yoshiki, no doubt. He's...fearless. He isn't scared of the dark. So, I managed to make him spill what was going on." He ran a hand through his hair, looking nervous. Again, Shinozaki looked at him to continue.

"He told me he saw something...right at midnight. He had gotten so spooked that he got up and ran all the way to my house. He's dragging me back to get his stuff later today."

"Do you know what he saw?" Shinozaki finally spoke up, pausing in her writing. Satoshi paused, knowing the question was going to come up.

"He saw a girl...In the gap between his dresser and bed. I-It's ridiculous! A girl can't possibly fit in a gap that small. He said, he felt uneasy the entire night, it was really cold and it smelled according to him. But then...he said something else. The girl talked to him." Shinozaki paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "S-she asked 'Will you play hide and seek with me?'. I knew I...heard of a story like this somewhere! I thought he was pranking me, but...Yoshiki isn't this good of an actor...he wouldn't go through humiliation just for a prank. He isn't that kinda guy..."

He finished, not knowing how to end the story, so just stopped talking altogether. After a moment of him not continuing, Shinozaki continued writing, before looking up. She folded her hands on the table, placing them over her notebook. Pausing for a moment, she finally spoke.

"Your friend...Kishinuma. He is plagued by something that normally, I would shrug off. Luckily...well...unluckily...He is in danger." She saw Satoshi visibly pale, before she continued. "Normally...This urban legend is false. However...due to it's growing in popularity...something has shifted. The urban legend has managed to take a form of its own, making it true. It is...rare, for something of this to happen. Do you know of this urban legend?" She asked.

Mochida shook his head.

"It is called the girl in the gap. The girl in the gap is an urban legend based on a story of a girl who resides in the gaps of houses. Furniture, between doors, under beds... You see, if you see her, she will ask 'will you play hide and seek with me?', before vanishing." She hummed, looking troubled. "Now, if the legend goes as it is stated...If Kishinuma sees her again...She was drag him into the gap and into hell itself. And...he will see her again, soon."

Mochida jumped slightly, looking at her with wide eyes. She held up her hand before he could speak. "This legend has been proven false for many, many years...Until recently. Which is why, I believe your story." She paused again. "I know this seems...confusing...but the popular belief of this urban legend has managed to manifest from people's fears. No, She is not a real ghost. But she can still follow the legend, and drag Kishinuma into hell."

Mochida nodded, still looking confused. Shinozaki sighed, before leaning forward, closer to him and boring her dark, sapphire eyes into brown. "I will help you save your friend."

She then leaned back, looking down. "You don't have to pay if you do not wish to. I normally live off of donations, so I don't necessarily require payment, if you're worried about it..."

His head tilted to the side, frowning. "Live off of? You're not telling me-"

"I have a sister, we live together. She takes care of us most of the time. I also have a side job. It's no worry." She smiled, which was the first time during this meeting. She then stood up, putting her notepad into her bag. "I do have a couple more requirements before I set to work...I need to meet this Kishinuma."

He nodded immediately. "We need to take the subway, the ride is about five minutes, if you're still willing. I'll pay for the tickets" She looked over at him, nodding as he got to his feet. "So, you live in Fujisawa?" He then asked her as they exited the Café.

She nodded, tightening her hold on her bag as she walked. "Yeah, I live pretty close to the café. Also, thanks for paying." She smiled gratefully, not having much cash on herself. As they walked, she glanced around, her calm expression unwavering as they passed under a few signs of local shops. Her eyes then trailed across the street, narrowing towards a figure, however said nothing. Mochida seemed to notice her gaze.

"Something wrong, Shinozaki?" He asked hesitantly, grabbing the handrails as they walked down the stone steps to the station. She looked at him, frowning. "You were kinda staring into space there, everything alright?"

Shinozaki looked at him a moment, before her attention went back to the spot before. The figure had disappeared. To her conclusion, her senses were, in fact, getting sharper over the past few weeks. "Ah, its nothing." She smiled at him, a reassurance in which she was fine. He nodded, before walking off to go get their tickets, leaving Shinozaki alone for a bit.

After he came back, handing her the ticket, he sat down next to her on the bench. They sat in silence, waiting for the subway train, which she could begin to hear from the distance.

*Teke...teke...teke...

Her eyes snapped down the tracks, blue hues narrowing before she got up, grabbing his sleeve and walking towards the tracks as the train came to a stop.

*Teke teke teke teke

And with that, she suddenly pulled a surprised Mochida Satoshi onto the train.

Yo.

This story is something I am really interested in finishing atm. I am sorry, I think i'm going to be dropping all other stories. Usually, I can't finish. And this is going to take forever to finish, so please don't expect any updates soon. My apologies for the delays!

I rarely get a hold of a computer, and only have it for a brief time. But man, did I do so much research for this though! So many Japanese urban legends I am scarred for life with, woohoo!

Anyways!

I promise I will try my best to update. I know if this is sort of a let down, near the end. If you have any questions, I'll be sure to answer as quickly and as best as I can.

By the way. With the * added to some things, they will be urban legends that haven't been described yet, so I might as well describe them now.

Teke Teke is an urban legend about a girl waiting at the subway to get home from school. It is commonly confused with the story Kashimo Reiko, which is a different scenario. The legend goes that the girl ended up falling onto the subway tracks...and got severed in half by a train. Now as a vengeful spirit, she will attack unprepared victims with a scythe, slicing them in two so she wouldn't be alone. She can be seen dragging her upper body around, making the sound of *teke teke as she goes.

So, to clear up any confusion, Ayumi has encountered Teke Teke before, and avoids her at all costs, due to her being too powerful for her to handle...meaning she will face her later on in the story when she becomes more advanced, skilled, and all in all more powerful in her spiritual abilities...and Satoshi thought nothing of the noise, I would assume since he was scared crapless of these stories, he would try to avoid them and/or forget. So, all in all, no idea about any of this stuff!

I also felt like telling this little fact, so I updated this into the story.