Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.
"Now that should be the last of them!" A loud thud is heard as Sayuri drops the last cardboard box down on the dusty floor. Sayuri Natsuma stares around the old dusty home. It was the one thing she inherited from her grandparents. Her folks didn't want it so it went straight to her.
It was a old home, which it would have been a gem back in its day. Sayuri puts her hands on her hips, noticing the layer of dust and the sheet covered furniture. There was going to be some major cleaning to do. Good thing she bought a ton of cleaning supplies.
"Sayuri...?" A small voice of a boy calls out to her from behind a large cardboard box, "help!"
"Sho! I told you I help you!" Sayuri quickly grabs the box, heaving it away from the boy. She sets it down next to the box she just had, stirring up the dust. She gives a quick sneeze.
"Bless you," the boy rubs his nose, "do we really have to live here, Sayuri?"
The young boy, Sho was Sayuri's cousin. He would be living with her for the time being. His mother, Sayuri's aunt ended up in jail while his father had run off somewhere. Since Sayuri's parents didn't want to be responsible, Sayuri stood up and took Sho under her wing as his new guardian.
Though what did a twenty two year old know about raising a eight year old?
"Well yeah," Sayuri fixes her caramel colored brown hair back into a messy bun, "my old apartment wasn't big enough for you. On top of that, the neighborhood wasn't the best place for a kid. This way you have a yard to play in and the schools nearby are excellent. Also," Sayuri points out to the garden, "this is supposedly our ancestral home so you get to learn some family history."
"Oh how fun," Sho rolls his eyes.
"Hey!" Sayuri ruffles the boy's dark hair, "not all of our family members were thieves and con artists."
"Did you ever meet my parents?"
"Don't get smart with me."
Quickly Sayuri and Sho got to work on cleaning up some of the rooms. First was to be Sho's bedroom, next would be Sayuri's. The kitchen was in very good shape as Sayuri had called ahead to have the kitchen remodeled before they moved in. In the main living area, Sho helps his cousin put away her books. His eyes land on a black and gold cover with red lettering.
"How many books have you written so far, Sayuri?"
"Hmm?"
"Your books," Sho holds up the one he pick up first out of the box. "Since my third year in high school? Hmm...about six. First two were written already. The four were written over a course of graduating and attempting at university."
"Nice to know someone in my family has a good paying job," Sho hands her the book.
"Hey now," Sayuri places the book with the others, "don't get too hang up on that. I might end up living in a haunted mansion one of these days spending time alone while trying to write my next novel for over ten years."
"Nah, you're too stubborn and your editor depends on you."
"That's true too."
After a hour or so putting away stuff, Sayuri went about preparing the two of them a small meal. After dinner, Sho was left to explore the property with his cousin warning him to be careful and not to go places he wasn't entirely sure of. The faint smell of autumn hung all around the place to which Sayuri sits outside on the low porch with her laptop in her lap. She loved autumn, despite being a summer baby.
The whole season was magical to her, to which she gave gratitude for her inspiration on her famous horror stories. That's why she though the old place could provide inspiration on her next novel. It did have enough room to spare for just two people, she was hoping the old creaks and squeaks will give her a new ghost story for her fans to gobble down.
Pretty grey eyes stare into the word document file that was open with hands furiously typing up whatever came to mind. An old family home, a small boy, and something else. It was very much familiar to her third book.
"Hmm...what haven't I done before?"
"Hey Sayuri!" Sho appears out of nowhere from around the bushes, startling his cousin.
"Damn it Sho!" She curses, grabbing her laptop before it fell to the ground.
"Sorry," He rubs his hands, "I want to show you something."
"What is it first?"
"I think I found a cemetery in our backyard."
"Cool!" Sayuri puts her laptop down on the porch, "show me where it is." Sho takes his cousin's hand and leads her to a small path just past some old trees to a small fence in area. Tall stone blocks stood as the headstones. Sayuri's mind was whirling. She had her own cemetery. A horror writer couldn't have ask for anything better!
"Are these people my family?"
"Yep, yours and mind kid. I gotta look over those old papers of Grandpa's to see who is who," Sayuri kneels down to wipe away at some of the dirt on one of the stones.
"You think Grandma and Grandpa are buried here?"
"Nah, they ended up with their own private plot back at the old church in town."
"Why did Grandpa wanted to be buried at a Catholic church?" Sho looked very confused.
"Because sadly, our family is half Catholic. We're an odd family."
"You seem to be only normal one," Sho looks around the stones before staring up at something ahead of the cemetery, "wow I wonder whose buried there!"
Sayuri gazes up at the old tombstone just a few feet away from the rest of the plot. It look very old yet very cool looking. It look like one of the stone lanterns that rests outside a shrine yet the difference was the angel statue standing on top wearing a kimono and holding a sword.
She walks up to it, touching the stone, "a combination of both Western and Eastern culture. Amazing!"
"Hey the angel is a samurai!" Sho touches the sword in the angel's hand.
"Hmm...whoever is buried here must have been a warrior."
"Cool!"
"Hey, once we're settled in and the weather gets nicer, we'll make sure this all gets clean up for them. I mean, after all they are family." Sayuri watches as Sho jumps and up down around the tombstones.
"Maybe they'll come up and visit us on Halloween," Sho's eyes sparkle with excitement. Sayuri felt her brain get a sharp tug at that thought. Now that she was going to be living with a eight year old, there will be time for Halloween and Christmas and all the sort of things a eight year old wants to do.
"Maybe," Sayuri turns around to walk back to the house.
"What's wrong?" Sho frowns, "did I say something wrong?"
"No," When they finally got back to the house, Sayuri picks up her laptop, "I just...I don't believe in ghosts."
The eight year old gives her the most serious 'are-you-kidding-me' face ever in the history of her life.
"Why?"
"Because," Sayuri leans down, "I believe they're just stories."
"You're weird," Sho rolls his eyes, "how can a horror writer not believe in ghosts? Isn't that a requirement?"
"It's fiction, honey." Sayuri tries to say as nicely as she could, feeling a vein throbbing in her temple.
"Yet you live in a old house with dead people in the backyard. Nice one cousin," Sho shakes his head, walking back inside.
Sayuri gave a heavy sigh, wondering just how overactive her cousin's imagination truly was.
It was late at night, possibly three in the morning with Sayuri typing up notes on her next novel. She already added in the cemetery in the backyard yet made it with the samurai's tombstone being the focal point. She pauses as the low creaking of the floor overhead causes a subconscious shiver to cross her spine. Sayuri quickly tells herself that it's just the house settling in. Because that's what old houses do. Squeak and creak to make you jump out of your seat.
A small nagging in the back of her mind tells her to check in on Sho, however. He was young and impressionable. Hell, if she was getting chills from the moaning and groaning he was probably scared silly. She rises from her chair, heading upstairs to check in on him. The hallway was fairly dark but she knew where his room was. Her hand touches the knob, turning it to take a peek inside.
The door gives a loud creak as she pushes it open, her breath hitching as she peers into the room. Her eyes narrow, trying to see the lump in the bed that was supposed to be her baby cousin.
The bed was empty.
Suddenly the fear that Sho's father somehow followed them and snatch up his son or that Sho decided to go exploring in the middle of the night without a flashlight, possibly getting hurt or worse are first thoughts in her mind.
As Sayuri heads downstairs, she snatches the flashlight from one of the boxes.
Her shaking hands nearly drop it as she fumbles to turn it on, blinding herself temporarily before shining the beam around the kitchen.
I gotta find Sho.
Sayuri mentally curses herself for getting such a creepy house in the first place. The dumb things a writer does for inspiration.
She stumbles as she tries to slip her shoes on at the backdoor, shoving it open and bursting into the chilly night. The moon glows high in the black sky, above the canopy of trees. Leaves crunch and shuffle under her feet as she stumbles, looking around and calling for him.
"Sho! Sho! This isn't funny! Running off in the middle of night isn't good! You're in so much trouble young man!"
The last comment makes Sayuri want to kick herself for sounding like her mother.
She comes up short, hearing a loud crack cut through the still air.
"S-Sho...?"
Her flashlight shines towards the cemetery.
"Sho...please be you..." Sayuri whispers, making her way slowly towards it.
Even though it kills her to admit it, she felt scared. Her heart was hammering so hard in her chest it stung with every beat. Now she knew how her characters felt when getting closer to come face to face with their worst fears. She steps closer to the cemetery, taking note of all the stone tombstones before shining her light closer to the samurai's grave.
The dark figure slumped over beside it makes a scream escape from her throat, the flashlight clattering and rolling until the beam lands on it, revealing it's face.
"S-SHO? YOU LITTLE BRAT! YOU SCARED THE CRAP OUTTA ME!"
Sho didn't seem at all surprised by his cousin's outburst. He rubs his eyes, looking sleepy.
"Sayuri...? Where'd he go?"
"He who? Stop playing games with me, Sho! I was scared and thought something bad had happened to you!"
Sho ignores the last bit, looking around in confusion.
"Kyo? Kyo, where'd ya go?"
"Who is Kyo?" Sayuri is puzzled, "Sho...did you make a name for him?" She points to the tombstone.
Sho continues to ignore her, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Kyo, you shouldn't stay in the woods! It's not safe! KYO!"
"What in the flip? Okay, either I'm dreaming or you're insane. C'mon Sho, it's cold out here." Sayuri rubs her arms up and down to give herself warmth.
"And there is nothing in the woods," Sayuri picks up her flashlight. She moves it back and forth at the trees, "see?"
Sho doesn't seem to be listening to her at all.
"Sho?" Her flashlight remains focus on the woods, "Sho? What is it?"
Sho takes a step closer, before retreating. "Nothing. Let's go back in the house. I'm tired."
"It's three in the morning, of course you are!" Sayuri sighs.
Sayuri walks Sho back into the house. After tucking him in bed, she decides once she was going to go back. With a flashlight, a jacket, and a baseball bat, Sayuri stands next to the tombstones.
"Alright, is this someone's idea of a prank? C'mon on out! I'll break your knee caps before the police get here!"
Sayuri wasn't sure why she was standing outside her house at three in the morning armed with a baseball bat shouting at air no less. But she didn't' want to take any chances if there was someone out there. After a few minutes of silence, she gives a sigh and starts to head back.
"No good little brat... playing' tricks on my mind... his idea of a joke, I betcha... tryin' to get me to believe in that paranormal crap..." She raises her voice, "Ya hear me ya buncha dead people, I don't believe in ya!"
A strange silence floats around the backyard, to which Sayuri determines as a good sign. She shuts the backdoor with a 'thud'. Rubbing her eyes, the young novelist heads back to her writing, yawning a bit and wondering how she got so worked up in the first place.
"That's what I get for trying to come up with ideas," She glares at her computer, "damn it I got come up with something my editor will love."
Her fingers drum against the newspaper she had been skimming through, before her eyes glance down.
"What's this...?"
Picking it up, Sayuri feels herself smile.
"Shibuya Psychic Research? You've got to be kidding me."
There was actually a place for study of the paranormal around these parts. A part of Sayuri wanted to laugh at the idiocy but her horror author senses were detecting a new number one hit.
"To get some real detail about what so-called ghost hunters do... it would really be believable."
Sayuri quickly writes down the phone number on the ad. She adds to the note to call them once she got up in the morning to make an appointment to stop by. She searches the name on her computer, coming up with a very nice website. She clicks on the link to the people working there, "talk about your team of Ghostbusters."
She reads over their brief profiles, pausing as she came across a monk from Mt. Koya.
"Hey, he looks familiar," Sayuri murmurs. "I've seen this guy before... Norio? Nah, it can't be..." She leans in closer to the screen, "No. It is. Huh, guess Norio's just a stage name..."
She had been to his concerts before, being a huge fan.
"I wonder what made him join this group of...uh...ghost hunters."
Smiling, she glances at the far wall.
"Whatever the reason, this should be interesting."