Review please. Also advice is happily received, please, but if you don't like it tell me what you don't like instead of just saying it sucks. I don't own Ghost Hunt or any of it's character. The one's I make up are free to be used, name and general character, but the actual writing is mine so please don't plagiarize, not that you really have any reason to.

REWRITTEN

My name is Taniyama Mai; I'm 18 years old and a full time assistant at Shibuya Psychic Research where I started working two years ago part time. Having worked here that long I've been through quite a lot of paranormal circumstances. Poltergeists, ghosts, will o the wisps, curses, possessions, demons which are not fun, and grudges which can be similar to curses but the aggressor may be unaware they're doing wrong. That only covers what we've come across while I've been employed at SPR.

There have also been some not so paranormal cases, like the human who thought he was possessed by a vampire. It was almost laughable, except that he actually bit people and drank their blood before killing them. There was also the fact that he was fixated on making either Masako or myself his bride after we got there to investigate. The guys were pissed; I don't think I've ever seen Lin so overtly protective before. So was Ayako, come to think of it, but that may have had something to do with the fact that the guy didn't want her.

Throughout it all I only occasionally lost a single night of sleep, and I was always able to catch a nap during the day. So why is it that I'm now standing in the washroom touching up my make-up, which I almost never wear, to try and cover up the fact that I haven't slept in three days? I don't know why I can't sleep. I've had this horrible feeling that something awful is going to happen; not to mention the intense feelings of deja-vu I've been experiencing recently.

Taking one last look in the mirror I realize that I've been lucky so far today. If anyone takes a close look at me, they could easily see my pasty skin tone and the bags under my eyes. Thankfully there's only two hours left before I can leave for the night, unless something comes up. Kami-sama forbid! Now I just have to concentrate on not shaking and I should be ok.
Of course, I should have known better than to ask for a quiet day. A few minutes after I got back to work the door opened allowing a burst of warm damp air, and a tall man, to enter. When I say tall, I mean he's actually an inch or two taller than Lin-san who towers over me.

"Welcome to Shibuya Psychic Research. May I help you?" I said getting up from my desk chair and bowing respectfully.

"My name is Hirotaka Shin. Mr. Shibuya is expecting me." He replied gruffly completely ignoring my bow. Before I could answer or move to go inform my boss of the client's arrival, his door opened.

"Hirotaka-san, this way if you please, Mai, tell Lin he's arrived and bring some tea in." Meet my boss, Shibuya Kazuya; whom I nicknamed Naru, short for super narcissist which he still is, when I met him two years ago. He's only 19 and has been running his own business for over three years.

"Hai." I replied keeping my head down as I moved towards Lin's door. I hoped he didn't notice how wobbly I am when walking right now.

Lin is Naru's business partner and closest friend. While normally a very quiet and private person Lin has slowly opened up to me, especially since we had that talk last April. He told me he hated Japanese people for their treatment of the Chinese, and I told him not to hate me for being Japanese or an orphan. Somehow, by saying that, I reminded him of someone. It's only recently though that the 29 year old has started calling me by my first name.

"Lin-san," I call softly from the hall as I tap on his door which opens within a few seconds. "Hirotaka-san is waiting in Naru's office." I informed him still keeping my face averted.

Even though I was avoiding looking up I could tell he was giving me a measuring look. I quickly moved away to set up a tray of tea and treats.
I'd discovered some time ago that Lin likes most types of fruit and that he adores sugar cookies; Naru prefers tea biscuits. I've also come to know that they'd rather not to eat any of those when they have a client or company present. So instead of their favorites I placed a plate of oatmeal cookies, ginger snaps, and chocolate chip cookies on the tray before placing it in Naru's office and heading back to do some more filing.

"Yo, jou-chan. I'll take an iced coffee." A man with long blonde hair said as he walked in half an hour later and mussed my hair in his way of greeting. He proceeded to throw himself down on the couch and grin at me impishly.

This is Bou-san, he's a professional bassist for the band Norio but he was raised as a Buddhist Monk on Mount Kouya. He's not an actual member of SPR though he may as well be. He helps us out with almost every case by exorcising spirits and whatnot. He's tall, a couple inches shorter than Lin's 6' 4", and very friendly. As I went about making his drink and preparing my own cup of tea, I turned the radio on low so that we could hear the news without bothering the meeting that was going on.

"Are you here for a visit Bou-san, or a case?" I asked just before Naru's door opened and the client left without a word to anyone.

"Naru-chan called me; he said something about a new case. Who was that just now Mai-chan?" Bou-san asked as Naru and Lin came out.

"Hirotaka Shin, age 43. Recently he bought a mansion that was used as a bed and breakfast until about twenty years ago. No one would even look at the place after the owners, staff, and guests staying there were killed at night in one mass murder. The assailant was never found, and the police ruled out the possibility of it being a murder suicide. Strangely enough, while everyone died at the inn on the same night, none of the victims died in the same way. Since then the house has remained empty and barely up kept by the family of the previous owners. After Hirotaka-san bought it and started renovating, there have been many mysterious sounds and accidents. Ghosts have also been sighted by several people. We're leaving at eleven tomorrow morning, be hear by nine at the latest." Naru said as he placed the tray of dishes I had brought in on the counter.

I nodded and reached for a cup to start washing it when the radio, which had been turned up by Bou-san, caught my attention. I stood there trying no to hyperventilate as the worst news I could imagine filled the silence. I could feel the anxiety building inside me as the others listened intently.

"Breaking news! Kurosawa Nobu, a man who killed his wife and oldest of three stepchildren eight years ago has killed again. He was paroled earlier this week but his parole officer was found murdered this morning in his home. The parolee is currently missing and police all over Japan are searching for him in hopes of finding him before he can strike again. Kurosawa is also said to have a fascination with his stepdaughter who was ten at the time of her mother and brother's death. He is reported as having kidnapped the girl directly after the murder in an attempt to groom her into becoming his wife. The police found and arrested him in time to save the child. This reporter can only hope he doesn't find the poor girl again."

Chink… Smash!
The body of the tea cup in my hand crashed to the floor leaving me still holding the handle. The sound startled me out of my thoughts. This has been happening a lot lately at home.

"Gomen nasai. The cup must have had a flaw." I said as I noticed the confused and worried glances Lin and Bou-san were giving me. I started picking up the pieces trying to ignore the fact that Naru was staring at me intently.

Naru has always said that he can read me like a book so I kept my head down and tried very hard not to show my fear. Really I just wanted to cry. Kurosawa Nobu is my stepfather, if you could still consider him such after what he did, and I'm the one he kidnapped all those years ago. Taniyama was my father's name, my brothers and I kept it even after our mother remarried. My father died when I was three and my mother remarried when I was six. She married Kurosawa Nobu and was killed along with my eldest brother Kyuu four years later.

"When you're done the dishes you can go Mai. Get some sleep and don't be late tomorrow." Naru said after a long moment. I nodded and stood after picking up the pieces of broken porcelain. I hope he didn't notice how shaky I am. I really doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight either; not after that news.

My name is Taniyama Mai and I think I'm in a heap of trouble.