AN: Here's the next chapter. College is starting to pick up so I might not be able to update for a while. I hope this long chapter makes up for it though. Kaz takes on a more prominent role in this chapter. Anyway, I left responses to the reviews at the end of this chapter so feel free to take a look. (= On with the story! (^.^)
{~}
Notes:
[Visions]
'Video events'
'Thoughts'
"Normal conversation"
Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of the characters except my Oc's. All rights of the picture used in the cover belong to the artist.
(First person perspective - Nari)
SATURDAY
Releasing a yawn, I slowly make my way over to Naru's van, immediately spotting Mai and Naru.
"What are you doing?" Mai asks as she clasps her hands behind her back, leaning a bit toward Naru to glance at his work. Seeing as we didn't have school, Mai was dressed in loose fitting green shorts and a pink top whereas I was wearing my usual cargo pants, teal tank top, and black vest. Naru was still dressed in his usual black clothes.
"Checking over last night's data." He replies, not sparing a glance from his laptop before adding, "Nothing significant."
"Nothing should have appeared anyway," I add as I stifle another yawn, catching Mai and Naru's attention. 'Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up that late…' I thought as I run a hand through my messy locks, '…good thing Gene made me go to bed before it was too late…or well not as late as I used to stay up…'
"Hey Nari," Mai greets before confusion appears on her face, "What do you mean nothing should have shown up?" She finishes as she tilts her head to the side.
I make a move to answer, but another voice speaks up.
"That's some fancy equipment you have there." We turn around to see a red-haired woman in a yellow coat covered in green leaves. "Seems too high tech for children to be playing with." She finishes as she places a hand on her hip.
"And you are?" Naru asks, though showing little interest.
A smirk appears on her face. "I'm Matsuzaki Ayako, the shrine maiden. It seems the school principal wasn't sold on you, so here I am."
'A miko…' I trail off in thought, 'Looks like she's the new victim.' I turn my gaze away, finding the ground more interesting.
"I was under the impression mikos were pure, innocent virgins." Naru comments as he closes his eyes.
'Ouch.' A smile creeps onto my face as Mai stifles her giggles.
*tick mark* "And your point?" She snips back, clearly offended.
"You do seem a bit old to be a virgin." Naru responds evenly, causing the blonde man behind Ayako to stifle his own laughter.
A faint blush dusts her face as her face contorts in irritation, "Nice…very funny… smart ass!" She grounds out as her body slightly trembles in anger.
"And you?" Naru addresses the man standing behind her. "I would guess you're too intelligent to be the shrine maiden's assistant."
A smile appears on the man's face as his laughter subsides, "I'm a monk from Mt. Kaya; the name's Takigawa Housho."
"Since when were monks allowed to have long hair?" Naru questions, allowing a smirk to appear on Ayako's face.
"It's postdate!" Housho defends.
"Apostate…" Ayako clarifies in amusement, causing Housho's face to slightly scrunch up.
"Hey! I'm just on a little high adieus. At any rate, play time is over now kids. You may have gotten this big gig because your office is nearby but the principal himself said it seems like a scam to have a teenager running the show."
"Oh, did he now?" Naru question, not at all phased.
"The principal is wasting his money, hiring all of us for a simple job." Ayako waves off.
"Yeah, all he needed was me." Housho comments.
Ayako looks at him skeptically, "I wouldn't be so sure…"
I roll my eyes at the two adults before me; they were more childish than the so called 'children,' but maybe we needed that. I heave out a sigh, earning some looks.
"Something wrong kid?" Ayako asks as she crosses her arms, causing me to stare at her blankly before running a hand through my hair.
"Nothing really. If you really are a miko, then I better be careful if I were you."
"Huh. I should be saying that to you. What are you? 14? I should be telling you to be careful kid. This place isn't for children." Ayako brushes off.
"I'm 17." I deadpan, earning myself a surprised gasp from Mai, "I just heard mikos aren't extremely reliable outside their element."
"Excuse me?" She bristles.
"Wait if you're 17, then why are you in my class?" Mai interrupts, causing me to match her gaze.
"My brother messed up the paperwork." I answer with a shrug, "Besides, I've been homeschooled for most of my life. Public school is … a forced experiment."
Before anyone can comment, another voice interrupts.
"Thank goodness you're all here. That haunted old schoolhouse has been terrifying me for weeks." I glance over to the source to see Kuroda walking out of the bushes with a hopeful expression.
"Kuroda-san?" Mai mutters.
"You see, I have psychic abilities and the souls trapped there-" Kuroda tries to explain only to be cut off by Ayako.
"Stop grand standing; you're just looking for attention. Are you really that desperate for people to like you?"
"Excuse me that was extremely rude!" Mai interjects.
"It's true. She only claims to sense them in the hope that she will get attention." Ayako explains unperturbed. I glance over at Kuroda and see her clenching her hands as her body begins to tremble.
"That's enough!" Mai exclaims before a dark chuckle escapes Kuroda, causing me to narrow my eyes at the girl.
"I'll call a spirit to haunt you!" Kuroda threatens, causing some of the observers to widen their eyes, "You'll regret this, fake miko." With that, she turns and walks away. I continue to stare at her retreating form, grasping the bandaging on my left arm.
"H-hey, Naru what are we doing today?" Mai asks, still slightly unsettled by Kuroda's announcement.
"Wait, what did you just say?" Naru turns around to face Mai, an unreadable expression on his face.
'Looks like it finally comes out.'
He stands up and faces Mai, causing her to nervously take a step back. "Did you say 'Naru'?"
"Gomen…" Mai trails of uncertainly.
"Where did you hear that?" His expression turns colder, causing Mai's nerves to skyrocket.
"Eh? You mean you've been called that before?" Her surprise morphs into strained glee, "Of course that makes sense! I couldn't be the first to come up with something like Naru the Narcissist…" Mai awkwardly laughs while patting his chest.
"Real smooth…" I joke, earning myself a half-hearted glare from Mai. "But I admit it really does suit Naru." I add, catching Naru's gaze for a moment before he looks away.
"Good morning everyone. It's nice to see you're all here." We all turn around to see the principal standing with a blonde-haired boy and…Kaz. Wait what? "I would like to introduce you to John Brown." He motions to the blonde.
"G'day mate." John bows before standing straight. "I'm John Brown and I come from the great outback of Australia. I can't express how glad I am to meet you all."
At the sound of the accent in his voice, everyone but Naru, Kaz, and I snicker.
"John Brown is relatively new to our country, so please show him the respect he deserves." The principal intones.
"No, no let me guess you sense spirits right?" Ayako questions between her laughter.
Not insulted by the laughter, John happily replies that he is an exorcist, causing the laughter to cease.
"If I recall correctly, only those who have first been ordained Catholic priest can become an exorcist. You seem a little young." Naru questions.
"You really know you stuff, mate. I actually turned nineteen several weeks ago. That's why I look so young." John replies with a smile.
"Looks like you all are getting along. Before I go, I would also like to introduce Kazama-san." The principal motions for Kaz to step forward. "He's offered his assistance should the need be called upon." Kaz scans the group before him before resting his eyes on me, allowing a small smile to appear on his face.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please call me Kaz. I am mostly here to pay a visit to my sister, but I suppose you can call me a nontraditional exorcist." He replies evenly before walking up to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. At the contact, I feel the soothing hum of energy flowing through me. "But I doubt my assistance will be needed; isn't that right Nari?" He adds before ruffling my hair affectionately.
"Wait, that's your brother?" Mai asks, pointing at him. "You two look nothing alike."
I swat his hand with a small smile before answering, "I'm adopted. My real brother's…" I trail off as my smile disappears, "He's…*sigh* nevermind."
'Why did I just blurt that out…' The others seem to catch onto my reluctance to continue and decide to drop the subject.
Releasing a sigh, I look up to Kaz's unreadable expression, "Again, why are you here?" He merely smirks.
G l H l O l S l T ll H l U l N l T
-Time skip: School House Base-
"So we have an exorcist, an apostate monk, a ghost hunter, and a nontraditional exorcist…whatever that means. Obviously the bone-headed principal doesn't have much faith in my unique cleansing abilities. Humph! Just watch, I'll clean out his whole place myself." Ayako leaves the room with a huff.
"I'll also take a look around." Housho waves off as he too leaves the room, leaving Naru at his computer with John, Mai, Kaz, and me standing idly in the room.
"Uh, excuse me sir?" John looks at Naru hesitantly.
"Do as you wish," Naru replies without looking away from his computer.
"I mean, I would like to work with you on this." John clarifies before Ayako's scream is heard. All of us run out of the room to gather around the door trapping Ayako in the room.
Housho looks for an alternative to opening the door before taking a step back. "Stand back. I'm going to kick it down."
"Hurry and open it!" Ayako calls out before Housho kicks down the door. The door shatters upon impact, revealing a disheveled Ayako before she heads to the base, nose high in the air. Others soon follow her, but Kaz, Naru, and I lag behind – finding a nail sticking out of the wooden frame interesting.
"Looks a bit out of place." Kaz comments as he gazes down at the nail Naru now held between his fingers. Naru flicks his eyes over to Kaz for a moment before giving a slight nod.
"We should get back to the others." Naru adds before heading back to the base with the nail in his hand.
"Can you take a look at it?" Kaz whispers as he eyes Naru's retreating back. I give him an unnoticeable nod before crouching down to run my hand against the bottom of the wooden door frame.
"There's nothing here." I confirm, matching my gaze with Kaz. "No source. No mischief." I finish with a smile. Kaz merely nods before taking my hand to lead me back to the others. The familiar hum of energy courses through me at the contact before he releases my hand once we approach the others.
"I was looking around the classroom when the door suddenly slammed shut. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge." Ayako explains as she crosses her arms. Everyone in the room was gathered around her chair.
"I see." Naru comments before matching my gaze. "Nari, I recall you mentioning numerous times about the absence of a source; hence, no paranormal activity. Care to explain?"
I cast a quick glance over at Kaz before facing Naru, "I only said the truth. There's nothing here. There are outside factors that are being overlooked. To be honest, if someone wanted to, they could have snuck in, slammed the door, and wedged it shut with something to trap Ayako. You'd be surprised how strong human motivation is."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Ayako asks, slightly confused.
I shift my eyes to Ayako. "Didn't Kuroda threaten you?"
"Yeah, what of it? It was just another ploy to get attention."
I simply smile in response. "You would be surprised the extremes people will go to get noticed. But back to the topic at hand, no there's nothing here."
"I agree."
We all turn to the voice to see a girl with short black hair dressed in a kimono standing at the farthest side of the room.
"G-ghost!" Mai exclaims before grasping onto Naru to hide her face. I can't help but smirk at the scene. 'Looks like my job might be a bit easier…'
"Relax, she's human. Hara Masako is a spirit medium." Naru replies calmly as he watches her approach him.
"Spirit medium?" Mai repeats as she releases Naru.
"Fantastic, now they're calling in a TV star?" Housho mutters exasperatedly.
"This is ridiculous!" Ayako leaves her seat to face Masako with a frown, "It's easy to fake results on television. The only reason she gets ratings is because she's pretty and wears that silly kimono."
"I would beg to differ on that note. She seems to be more attuned to the spiritual world if you would call it that." Kaz inputs, earning himself a glare from Ayako.
"Why thank you, I'll take that as a compliment." Masako responds charmingly before facing Naru. "Have I met you somewhere before?"
Naru stares back at her evenly, "No, this is the first time we've meet, but your reputation precedes you."
"Right…" Masako trails off before glancing over at Kaz. Confusion enters her face for a moment before she slightly shakes her head, seemingly berating herself thinking she knew Kaz.
'What's that about… has she met Kaz before? Or did she mistaken him for someone else…'
"Anyway, there's a haunting here. In my professional opinion, I can say with certainty that it's the work of an earth spirit." Ayako announces with a wave of her hand.
Housho shakes his head. "I believe it's a residual haunting. A traumatic event must have happened in this building."
"Oh, I get it. Like someone was murdered and they have to spend eternity searching the halls for their killer or something?" Mai breaks in as she approaches Housho.
"Close. I think the entity is afraid of losing its home, so it's blocking construction." He clarifies.
Naru continues to look at the nail in his hand before switching his gaze to John. "John, what do you think?
"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but usually a haunting originates with a ghost, spirit, or entity occupying a structure."
Naru ponders his words before switching his gaze over to Kaz. "Kaz. Your thoughts?"
"There's still the chance there's a natural occurrence for this. Although the situation doesn't appear that way, I would take an approach in that direction before looking into the paranormal source."
"So it's either a haunting, folklore, fiction, or a natural occurrence." Naru states out loud before facing Mai and me. "Are you listening Mai?"
"Of course I am! What do you take me for?"
"These are things you need to know."
"Enough talk! I'm getting rid of this thing as soon as I get back. I don't know how much longer I can put up with you people." Ayako huffs as she storms out of the room only to be blocked by Kuroda.
"I wouldn't be so confident in your abilities. The spirit that haunts this site is very powerful." Kuroda warns as she glares at Ayako.
"Kuroda?" I mutter out as I narrow my eyes at the girl.
"Move aside." Ayako orders as she shoves Kuroda to the side. Before Kuroda can hit the ground, Mai steadies her.
"The spirit attacked me." Kuroda adds weakly, earning the attention of the rest of the room.
"It's true. I was walking down the hallway when my hair was yanked back by an enormous force. When I tried to flee, it started strangling me."
'If that's the case, then there should be some marks on her neck. If what Kuroda said about the spirit being powerful and angry is true, it wouldn't hold back on her if it thought she was a nuisance. But her neck… no handprints. As for her hair being yanked… ' I glance at the neatly made braids in Kuroda's hair. 'There should at least be a bit disheveled, but they appear to be the same as they were when we met her outside the building. There's the possibility she redid her hair, but I won't know for sure unless I know the time she was supposedly attacked.'
"When did this happen?" Naru questions evenly.
"A few minutes ago in the second floor hallway."
'A few minutes ago… I suppose she could have redone her braids in that amount of time, but I doubt she would be concentrating on her hair after being attacked by said powerful spirit. The physical evidence doesn't add up…'
"That's false. There are no spirits here." Masako interjects, earning a glare from Kuroda.
"Yes there are!"
"There's nothing here." I mutter calmly, earning myself a glare from Kuroda.
"There are! How would you know anyway; you're not even a psychic."
I can't help the smile creeping onto my face. If only she knew. "If you've been in my situations, you'd be able to spot trouble fairly easily." I shrug carelessly before matching my eyes with her angered ones. "What… are you mad at me? Hate me? Go right ahead. You could curse me for all I care. It wouldn't change the fact that the spirit isn't here without its master."
"You-" Kuroda growls out.
"You said it was the second floor hallway?" Naru interrupts, not addressing the obvious tension in the room. At her slight nod, Naru turns on the monitors to view the footage. Kuroda is seen entering the building through the front door. Another monitor shows her ascending the stairs whereas the next monitor over shows her entering the second floor hallway before static covers the entire screen.
"What just happened? Is the camera broken?" Mai asks as she continues to stare at the static filled screen.
Naru's eyes slightly widen before he places his hand on his chin. "No, but it's quite strange. When a spirit becomes active around electronic equipment, the equipment often malfunctions. But here, I'm not so sure... is It a spirit or EM interference?"
"It's obviously a spirit. Interference doesn't cause someone to be attacked!" Kuroda jumps in.
"But Masako and Nari said that there are no spirits here." Mai defends.
"Let's just say I'm a little skeptical about them..." Kuroda mutters bitterly as she eyes Masako and me.
"Hey, you're entitled to your own opinion," I answer as I match her gaze, "But if you keep lying, it will come back at you."
Kuroda instantly bristles at the comment. "I'm not lying! How do we even know you haven't been lying this whole time?!"
At her words, I slam my hand against the wooden door, cracking it as the sound of snapping wood fill the room. "You think I'm lying? Good for you. You earn a prize." I add with a sickening sweetness. "But hearing you right now makes me sick. If you want to make your act more realistic, I suggest doing research on how mediums react to spirits. You might learn something."
"Why you-" Kuroda starts as her form trembles.
"It's common for female mediums to be either exactly right or way off base. Even if they can't sense any spirits now doesn't mean the haunting isn't active; if what you said is true then the spirit that inhabits this place could be very in tune with your wavelength." Naru interrupts, causing Kuroda's eyes to soften.
"Yeah… that's it."
*Sigh*
'That's the biggest crap I've ever heard from him. But then again, he must have a reason for saying that…' I thought absently before glancing over to the monitors. 'I just need to get access to those monitors to see if the footage had been tampered with.' I glance over at Naru to see him watching the monitors. 'Doesn't look like Naru will give me a chance to do that. He's already protective of his equipment, but maybe when Ayako is performing her cleansing…'
G l H l O l S l T ll H l U l N l T
FILE 1:
Evil Spirits all over? - Part 2
-Time skip: First floor-
"I stand here today to beseech the gods. I call upon them to descend from the heavens and join us where no Gods dwell to end this ceaseless suffering." Ayako chants as she waves her paper charm back and forth. Before her was a small shrine with offerings. The principal and vice principal stood behind her with their heads bowed whereas the rest of us stood in the hallway.
"Seems like it's about that time…" I whisper, only catching Kaz's attention. Kaz peers down at me before switching his gaze back to the scene. He slightly grasps my hand before pulling away, leaving me with a USB with an extendable cord.
"I suggest you get some air to clear your head." Kaz adds, "I'll let you know how this goes."
I send him a nod before heading toward the open door. When I was sure the others weren't looking, I slowly crept up the stairs to the base.
'I only have a short amount of time to do this…' I bring up the video on the screen before plugging in the USB. Once the file is copied, I quickly stuff the USB in one of my pockets before pulling out the videos of me climbing up the stairs moments ago. 'Time to corrupt the data.'
After several keystrokes, the video of me is deleted and locked, but seeing as how several minutes of footage couldn't suddenly disappear without causing suspicion, I choose one of the stored scenes of the empty corridors to fill in the time gap. Once the video is connected seamlessly, I set the cameras near the entrance of the stairs and the hallway to loop for several minutes to allow me enough time to slip out of the room unnoticed.
"That should do it." I mutter to myself before noticing a chair moving in one of the monitors. "What…" The chair continues to rigidly slide across the floor before stopping. 'That wasn't done through normal means… maybe if I can pull up a thermal image of it…' I trail off before switching the image to see it covered in blue; no hot spots. 'No hot spots… interesting.' Knowing I only had a minute before the video jamming wore off, I set the monitors back to their original settings before heading down the stairs to exit the building to find two paramedics loading the principal and vice principal into an ambulance.
'No… not again.' I take a step back as I wrap my arms around me. 'I knew… but I still did nothing to stop it…' I clench my eyes shut. 'It's not your place. It's not your obligation…' I repeat to myself, but I knew it was a lie. If I really did feel that way, then I wouldn't be here to begin with.
"Hey you alright? You look shaken up." I turn around to see Housho looking down in me in mild concern. I try to form words, but the air chokes me, suffocates me.
[Masako. Rotting wood. A cry. A fall. Pain. Sirens.]
My vision returns to normal as I see a hand waving in front of my face. I slightly shake my head before hastily stepping away from him.
"Gomen ne… just lost in thought."
"Nari? Where have you been?"
I turn to my left to see Mai, Naru, John, and Kaz looking at me.
"Just had to get some air Mai. Kuroda's lies were giving me a headache." I answer, shaking my head at the group before me before locking eyes on Kaz to give him a small smile. He gets the cue and sends me a smile back.
"Why do you say that?"
I glance over at Mai before shrugging my shoulders. "You can call it a hunch." I answer simply, not wanting to give any more information on the matter. With that, we all head back to the base to hear Kuroda and Masako's voice.
"There are no spirits here." I hear Masako confirm.
"There were! Something attacked me." Kuroda's voice carries over to the hallway.
'Looks like she's at it again.'
"I wouldn't be so sure of that Kuroda." I speak up when I enter the room, causing Kuroda to send her glare my way.
"And how would you know that? You have no idea what it's like for me! You have no idea what's it's like to be attacked by a spirit let alone sense them. It's driving me insane."
'No idea huh…'
"You can say whatever you want; you're entitled to you own opinion," I wave off before locking onto her eyes, "but I promise you this. If you end up harming anyone else, be it through conscious or unconscious means, I will not hold back."
"Is that a threat?"
"Girls, settle down." Ayako interrupts, trying to calm the situation down.
A smile creeps onto my face. "A vow."
"Alright settle down you two." Ayako sighs out as she places her hands on her hips. "I swear, kids these days."
'Like you're one to talk…'
"Looks like Ayako's exorcism failed." Housho remarks, earning him a glare. "Look, Kuroda said she was almost killed by something here and the principal and the vice principal are on their way to the hospital. I think that says enough."
"Well this could all be a coincidence," John interjects.
"It's possible," Kaz agrees as he places a hand on his chin, "The windows breaking could be attributed to a normal cause, not necessarily a spirit. Some natural occurrences can weaken building structures and produce results that appear to be supernatural in nature but are not."
"Or the spirits here are too strong for Ayako to drive out." Housho pipes up, earning a smile from Kaz.
"Well, that too." Housho blinks for several moments before patting Kaz on the back.
"You know what, you're not half bad."
"If we go with Takigawa-san's idea," Naru adds as he crosses his arms, "There would be more conclusive readings on my equipment."
At Naru's idea, Mai looks over at the monitors before sighing. Her eyes flick between the monitors before focusing on the one with the chair.
"Something wrong Mai?" I ask, earning everyone's attention.
"There wasn't a chair in the middle of the classroom before."
Naru glances over at the screen. "It's the east classroom on the second floor."
"Yeah… when Nari and I set up the cameras yesterday, it wasn't there. I'm positive."
Naru nods before facing the others, "Did anyone go into that classroom today?"
Choruses of 'no' envelope the room before Naru fiddles with the monitor controls to play back the video with audio.
'Well then, we should at least have lunch somewhere.' The principal suggests.
*Bang*Crack*
"Watch out!" Kaz's voice warns them.
"Ahh!" Ayako screams.
*thump*thump*
The chair rigidly slides across the floor before stopping in the middle of the room.
Shock spreads across the faces of everyone in the room excluding Kuroda and me.
"What does this mean…" Mai trails off uncertainly.
"Looks to me to be a poltergeist." Kuroda interjects, earning everyone's attention.
"Only in appearance…" I trail add, earning curious looks.
"Care to explain?" Naru asks, causing me to match his gaze.
'Hmm… I could outright tell him, but the chances of him believing me are slim. I don't carry any weight in my words… Kaz on the other hand already knows my views on this. He's figured out most of this, since he's seen a similar scenario to this in one of our past cases. I just need tangible evidence.'
"There's nothing here. What you saw in the video doesn't match the description of a poltergeist."
"Wait… what's a poltergeist?" Mai asks, earning a response from Kuroda.
"It's a German word dating back four centuries meaning 'loud spirit' or 'noisy ghost'."
"To put it simply, it can move or influence objects as well as make noise." Kaz clarifies.
"You two are correct; however, I agree with Nari. I don't think that's what we're dealing with. Quite often, objects in contact with poltergeists will feel warm to the touch. If we look at our thermograph image," Naru trails off as he switches the image over to show it covered in a blue hue, "you will see that the chair is not radiating heat."
"Don't forget Tzanne's criteria." John adds.
"Tzanne?" Mai repeats.
"He was the first to classify poltergeists." Naru explains.
"Flying objects, doors closing by themselves…" I trail off before Naru continues.
"Fires, strange noises, knocking, and so on. There are nine different criteria and so far we've seen a number of them – doors closing on their own, inanimate objects moving, glass breaking, and knocking if what Nari heard yesterday was indeed true."
"So we have 3, 4 if what I heard was really knocking." I summarized, earning a calculating look from Naru before he nods.
"But what about Kuroda being attacked?" Mai wonders.
"I'm afraid that was just her imagination." Masako explains.
"Stop playing games with me! Why can't you admit that this place is haunted?!" Kuroda rebukes as Masako leaves the room. When she reaches the doorway, she stops and looks at Kuroda.
"Alright. I will try once more. I will sense them if there are any spirits here."
"I'll coming with you." I mutter before following after her, earning a 'really?' look from Mai.
I roll my eyes before following after her.
"It's not necessary for you to follow me." Masako states bluntly as we enter a classroom.
"I know. I just wanted to get away from Kuroda." I answer honestly as I glance around the classroom. 'That and I won't let you get hurt… not if I can help it.'
I run my hand against the walls, noticing the weakening of the wood from the cracks along the wood's surface. 'Still nothing.'
"I see. Her claims can become aggravating after some time."
"I'm surprised you can put up with her lies. She's not really a medium, merely someone looking for attention."
"I gathered as much." Masako calls back as she walks to the front of the classroom.
"Are you a medium of some sort? You seem to be a bit more knowledgeable than the average person on the things we have discussed. I find it unusual." She pauses for a moment to watch my response.
I merely shrug, "When your brother is an exorcist, you tend to pick up some things."
Masako stares at me skeptically before finally nodding and resuming her search around the classroom. It was obvious she believed there was more to it than that, but chose not to delve into it any deeper for the moment. I follow closely behind Masako as she continues to look around the room. She places her hand against one of the walls before the wood splinters against the weight and gives. A cry of surprise escapes her lips as she falls out of the building.
"Masako!" I grasp her wrist, stopping her descent to the ground below.
"Nari!" Masako cries out frantically. The wooden floor below me groans under the extra weight and continues to splinter, causing one of my legs to fall through the wooden flooring.
"Damn…" I mutter as I feel the wood digging into my skin. I glance down at Masako who stares up at me with frightened eyes. "Hold on. I'll pull you up." The floor continues to groan and crack as I slowly pull Masako up before it finally breaks away from the rest of the floor, sending me through the hole in the wall with Masako in tow. The wood trapping my leg releases me as Masako and I descend towards the ground.
A cry escapes her before I grab her and turn to allow my back to take the brunt of the fall. As the wooden pieces fly past us, I position myself so that one of the planks rested against my back. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on slowing down our fall before I feel my back slamming into the ground – knocking the breath of my lungs. I release a groan before glancing over to see Masako slowly sitting up.
"Nari?" She hesitantly calls out before a gasp escapes her lips. "Your leg's bleeding."
Shaking my head, I slowly sit up to see my cargo pants stained with patches of red. I make a move to stand, only to feel Masako gently pushing me back down.
"You just fell from the second story. You're in no shape to be moving." I notice the slight worry in her eyes as she covers her mouth with the sleeve of the kimono. I can't help but smile.
"You're not hurt." She looks at me curiously. "I'm glad…"
"You're strange." She deadpans before releasing a sigh, "But I suppose I should thank you. So thank you." She uncovers her mouth and sends me a soft smile.
"Nari!" I turn my head to see everyone else rushing over to me with Kaz leading. He quickly drops to his knees before softly cradling my upper body to hug me. The soothing hum of energy spreads through me, causing me to close my eyes in bliss.
"You used it…didn't you?" He whispers softly in my ear.
"Yeah… I'm fine." I answer loud enough for the others to hear, but Kaz understood the message.
"What happened to you two?" Naru questions, causing Kaz to release me from the hug.
"I was being careless." Masako answers, "I was leaning on one of the walls when it suddenly gave out. Nari ended up falling with me when she tried to pull me back up. She took the brunt of the fall."
"I see…" Naru trails off in thought before he glances down at the patch of blood on my pants. "How did that happen?"
I glance over at Naru. "The floor gave away when I tried to pull Masako up. It apparently found my leg a tasty snack." I answer simply before standing up, despite the other's protests.
"Oi you just fell out of the second floor; you shouldn't be moving around." Housho reprimands.
I apply pressure on my leg and feel a jolt of pain, causing me to stagger back into Kaz.
"Doesn't look that bad to me." I mutter as I eye the growing crimson patches on my pants. Looks of disbelief are sent my way.
"Look, just stay still until the ambulance arrives." Ayako adds with her arms crossed.
Rolling my eyes, I sit down before pulling up the pants sleeve with a slight wince, showing the others several deep lacerations with shards of wood embedded in them.
*Whistles* "Looks like it really did a number on you." Housho comments. "I think you might need stitches for them."
I simply wave the comment away. "I've had worse; I've always been a trouble magnet. But I think you're right about the stitches though…" I grimace at the thought.
Kaz merely shakes his head. "Trust her on that… I've paid her hospital bills; I know."
"So you've been in the hospital frequently?" Mai questions.
I answer with a shrug before glancing over at Kuroda to see a blank expression on her face, but the slight upturn of her lips causes me to narrow my eyes. 'She's actually happy with the situation…interesting.'
"Masako, did you sense anything?" Naru changes the conversation, although he continued to look at the lacerations on my leg.
"It's as I said before. There are no spirits here."
"We can't deny it anymore… there's definitely a force here." Ayako shoots out before she casts a glance at me.
"Oh, are you referring to the one you failed to exorcise?" Housho adds, earning himself an 'I-hate-you..!' glare.
"We're playing with fire here. An unsuccessful exorcized spirit is like a wounded bear. Look at Nari's leg and the fact that both Masako and Nari fell out of the second floor." Housho explains.
"You say it like I was almost killed or something." I interject, earning incredulous or disbelieving looks, "Sure, I fell out of a second story building, but it was all an accident. The wall wasn't reinforced very well and seeing as the room wasn't exactly well lit, it was an honest mistake."
"She's right. The portion of the eastern wall that had been demolished had been boarded up with weak plywood and was by no means structurally sound. As for the floor, it seems that it was weakly boarded up as well… It's not surprising that it wasn't able to support the weight of the two girls."
"But accidents keep happening here! That's why they say this place is haunted." Mai interrupts.
"Your point?" I ask, "Sure, accidents have happened but there's always been a clear reason as to why. Besides, I have a tendency to attract trouble, so getting into an accident here with all the events going on is pure coincidence."
"That's correct. There simply isn't enough readings on the equipment to prove it. There aren't any temperature fluctuations, no ionic polarization, and the EMF readings are normal. The proof just isn't there."
"But Ayako was trapped in that room and I was attacked upstairs! Something also moved the chair, broke the glass, and erased the video!" Kuroda rebukes angrily.
"Like I said, I'm still not convinced."
"And like I said, there's nothing here. Not without its source anyway." I add.
"You've been mentioning that a lot. What do you even mean?" Mai questions, earning nods from several of the others.
"Well, there's generally two sources of paranormal activity." I explain as I hold out two fingers before putting one down, "One, an independent spirit… textbook case, actually, which includes what John, Ayako, and Housho have mentioned." I then hold up two fingers, "Or case two which involves a more …interesting source. It's actually pretty common, but I'll leave the rest up to you all. I'm pretty sure Naru and Kaz know what I'm talking about though."
*Sirens*
The color drains from my face before I cast a glance back to see the ambulance pulling up. I make a move to run, but feel Kaz wrapping his arms around my torso and walking me to the ambulance.
"Oh no you don't. You're going and that's final. I don't care if you're afraid of ambulances."
"I'm not afraid of them." I huff out, "Besides, you're not supposed to manhandle someone who just fell out of the second floor."
"You seem fine for someone who did…" He grumbles.
"Ugh! Let go damn it!" I cry out before he tosses me into the back of the van. The two paramedics look on with shocked faces before he slams the door.
G l H l O l S l T ll H l U l N l T
(First person perspective - Kazama)
Dusting my hands and adjusting my tie, I watch the ambulance drive away with Nari's loud protests escaping from the van. Chuckling, I turn around to see the others giving me incredulous looks.
"What…" Mai starts as she stares blankly at where the ambulance once stood.
"Nari detests hospitals with a passion, so all of that was necessary. If I had not been watching her, we would have spent hours trying to locate her, or rather chase her around." I respond evenly, allowing a smile to creep along my face. "Seeing as she was still able to fight me off, I would say she sustained very minimal damage from that fall, so please do not worry for her."
"I think we should be worried for the paramedics…" Ayako trails off.
"Precisely."
"Anyway…" Housho shakes his head in disbelief at what he had seen, "Maybe we're dealing with a highly intelligent spirit that knows how to hide from the machines."
"What do you think monk?" Naru asks Housho.
"I still believe it is a residual haunting."
"And you John?" Naru glances over.
"Well, I'm not sure, but I do agree that it is quite dangerous here."
"Kaz?"
"Well…Both Masako and Nari are convinced there's nothing here. I believe there could be some natural occurrence causing these disturbances; however, there does seem to be more…"
Naru nods before glancing over at the small pool of blood left behind from Nari's injuries. 'He's taken an interest in Nari… this could be troublesome later on.' I thought as I slightly narrow my eyes. 'If what Gene said is true, he has a large pool of information he can use if he wants to know more about Nari… and her abilities. Luckily her appearance has changed enough not to immediately link her with her past persona and we've used aliases.'
"Now tell us what you're thinking." Housho asks, drawing Naru's attention back.
"I'll withhold my opinion; I would like to investigate this from a slightly different angle." With that, he leaves to enter the building once more. The others trail behind him, but I fall back as I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket.
"Kaz-san?" I turn to the source of the voice to see Masako looking at me curiously.
"Just Kaz." I correct her. "I need to take this call, so I will be back shortly." She nods before leaving.
Glancing down at the caller ID, I see Nari's name flash across the screen.
"Nari?" I call out once I place the phone against my ear.
"Looks like I'll be getting stitches." She remarks easily over the phone. "Apparently you've already signed the paperwork?"
"I always leave a stored amount of signed forms at the hospital on the off chance something should happen." I respond evenly before allowing my voice to become serious. "It appears Naru is starting to catch onto the hints you've left behind. I believe you could have been more subtle; however, subtly has never been your strong suit."
Nari's soft laughter travels through the phone, causing a small smile to creep onto my face.
"I know. Anyway, I should be out of here in a few hours, but apparently I need crutches."
*sigh* "You're not going to use them, are you?"
"If I can help it. Anyway, as much as I want to come back to the base, it would probably be too dark by the time I come back. Make sure to bring back anything you want me to…analyze alright?"
"Of course. I believe we will be maintaining the same roles as our initial personas?"
"Unfortunately so." Nari sighs out before a choking sound travels to my ears.
"Nari?!"
"Ugh… these visions are getting more and more frequent… Be careful in that building Kaz. The structure's slowly collapsing. At the rate that it's going, if Naru doesn't finish this case soon, entire portions of that building could go in a couple days. And… watch out for John… the ceiling might collapse on him… but then again, I saw Mai so she might have saved him."
"I see." I reply evenly. "Stay out of trouble for the moment, Nari. I'll talk to you later."
"Kaz!"
With that, I shut the phone with a small smile. Nari always had a certain charm about her that made me smile despite everything. I suppose that was the main reason I grew so protective of her, but now wasn't the time to reminisce. When I reach the base, I hear John's voice coming from the monitors.
'Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.'
"Is that water?" Mai questions as she looks closely at the screen. I come behind her and look too.
"That's holy water." I answer, causing Mai to suddenly jump back. I stare down at her curiously, noticing a bit of red dusting her face.
John opens up the Bible and glances down at it.
'In the beginning there was a word and the word was with God, and it was God.'
"Are you alright?" I ask, confused at her behavior. She shakily nods before glancing over at the screens once again. I merely shake my head at her strange behavior before listening in once again.
*crack*
John stops for a moment and glances around.
"What…?" Mai trails off.
"More strange noises." Kuroda inputs.
"Wait... turn up the volume." Housho adds.
Mai obliges and does just that.
'It was with God *crackling* All things were made through him *snap* and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him is light. And that light is the light of all men.'
'The cracking noises are continuing to grow…is this leading up to the event Nari warned me about…'
'The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was with God and his name was John.'
I narrow my eyes when I see the image of the ceiling morphing as if something was pushing down on it. Mai moves closer to the screen as well, eyeing the shifting ceiling.
'He came as a testimony that through Him all things might belie-'
"Look at the ceiling!" I shout out, earning a startled gasp from Mai before she bolts out of the room.
I release a relieved sigh. 'Just like her vision. Looks like Nari was right again. She's getting stronger…'
"Hey, where are you going?" Housho shouts after her, but she was already too far away.
"She's trying to prevent the ceiling from collapsing on John." I answer simply.
"What?!" The others crowd around the monitors to see the shifting image of the ceiling right above John.
Mai flings open the door.
"Look out!"
John looks startled and faces Mai. "Mai?"
"Move! The ceiling's falling!"
As the words register, he glances up to the ceiling.
*snap*crack* The ceiling falls and the sight of John is blocked by the debris.
"John!"
G l H l O l S l T ll H l U l N l T
We all gathered in the classroom where the incident occurred. Seeing as it was already night time, we had to use flashlights to inspect the area.
"I can't believe this…" Housho mutters in disbelief as he flashes his flashlight at the scattered debris.
"If Mai hadn't acted so quickly I could have easily been injured or killed." John states, adding to the tense atmosphere of the room.
"Actually, it was Kaz that noticed it first." Mai corrects.
"Then I would like to thank you both."
Mai beams at the gesture whereas I send him a tiny smile.
"In the interest of safety, I think we should call it a night. Mai, you're dismissed." Naru looks up at the ceiling in thought.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, I'll be leaving too. I need to get some sleep." Ayako states.
"Meaning, you're scared. Just admit it." Housho adds with a smile.
Ayako sends a glare his way before huffing and walking away with her hands on her hips. Housho chuckles before following after her.
"Seeing as I nearly lost my head a minute ago, I think I'll take your advice and retire for the evening." With that, John too leaves the room. Naru doesn't acknowledge this and merely flashes his flashlight at the gaping hole in the ceiling, scrutinizing it for any possible clues.
"Naru, are you leaving?" Mai asks, looking over at Naru's back.
"Not yet. There's something I need to check out."
"But what if the roof caves in again?"
Worry laced her words, but Naru ignores it as he looks at the piece of wood in his hand with furrowed brows. Shaking her head, Mai turns her attention to me.
"What about you Kaz? Shouldn't you go to the hospital to check on Nari?"
I slightly tighten my grip on my flashlight before glancing over at her. "To be completely honest. No."
"Eh? But isn't she your family? Aren't you worried for her?"
The frantic expression on her face causes my smile to widen. If only she knew. Still, I had to keep up appearances.
"She can take care of herself. If I come home late, she would understand. Besides, she understands the obligations I have to carry out and her obligations as well. I just follow her wishes."
"What…" Mai trails off before anger flashes across her face. "So you would just leave her by herself after everything that's happened today? Don't you care about her?"
I close my eyes in thought before glancing over quickly to see Naru glancing over with his hand holding the piece of wood tighter than necessary.
'Interesting…'
"Of course I do. But as you have all seen, Nari can take care of herself. She refuses to be fussed over and I happily oblige to her wishes."
"Oh…" Mai trails off uncertainly before sighing out. "Ok…I guess I'll be going then." With that, Mai leaves the building, leaving Naru, Kuroda, Masako, and me.
I glance over at Kuroda to see her gazing at Naru for a moment before following after Mai.
'There's something off about her…' I trail off in thought before glancing up at the ceiling.
"Kaz." I turn to face Masako as she steps up toward me.
"I would like to apologize for Nari's admittance to the hospital. It was due to my carelessness." She bows before facing me with a blank expression although hints of remorse decorated her face.
"Don't worry about it. Nari's track record is filled with hospital visits. Besides," I smile down at her, "Nari chose to help you. She's the type to help others despite…the consequences."
"I see." Masako answers with a slight smile. "I do find her odd, but she's not unbearable."
I slightly shake my head at the girl before me.
"And Kaz?" I match my gaze with her. "Have we met before? You look familiar." I blink several times before allowing an amused smile to enter my face.
"I don't recall ever meeting you. I'm sure you are mistaken."
"I see…" She trails off skeptically before looking over at Naru. "I won't be able to help you further in this investigation."
"Is that so?" Naru replies evenly.
Masako nods. "There's something I need to look into."
G l H l O l S l T ll H l U l N l T
-Time skip-
~Saitou Household~
(First person perspective - Nari)
I glance at the computer screen before me with a slight frown as I watch the 'spirit-tampered' video of Kuroda walking down the hall before static takes over. 'There isn't anything significant with the footage. Just Kuroda walking up the stairs and then static…' I thought to myself as I release a small yawn. 'Now let's see if I can find if this has been tampered with through normal means…' The clicking of the keys fills the room as I pull up several screens filled with streaming codes.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
Not taking my hands off the keys, I spare a glance behind me to see Gene looking at me in concern. I flash him a small smile before turning my eyes back to the screen.
"I should be saying that to you as well." I reply, still typing away on my laptop. He doesn't respond for a moment, allowing the clicking of the keys to fill the room. I hear the rustling of clothes, but it soon disappears, letting me know he left the room. A small frown enters my face at his abrupt departure. He would usually try to get me to bed before giving up and staying up with me. Lost in my thoughts, I don't notice the cup of tea placed next to my keyboard until a hand rests on my shoulder. A small spark travels through me, causing me to halt my typing as I glance back to see Gene smiling down at me.
"Thought you would like some after the day you had. Kaz told me what happened before heading to bed." He answers my unspoken question with a smile before retracting his hand and taking a seat on the couch next to the monitor. "How's your leg doing?"
"It could be better; I had to get several stitches for each of the cuts and the pieces of wood taken out. I suppose that part was the worst. I need to keep the stitches for about two weeks and make sure they don't get wet. Basic treatment protocol." I answer with a shrug. A frown appears on his face for a moment before he glances over at the monitors.
"Never would have thought you would be into computers." He comments off-handedly, causing a small smile to appear on my face as I take a sip of the tea.
"Not just computers… anything electrical really…" I answer, enjoying the warm liquid traveling down my throat. "When I used to take cases, it was always Ayumu and Kaz who went out and did all the sensing, exorcism, almost all the first hand stuff… I was always the one who monitored everything so I had to learn how these things worked and how to repair them if someone decided to tamper or break them. I remember Ayumu would purposely break them so I would get more practice, but honestly, I think he only did that to keep me busy so I wouldn't go with them. They always babied me; I guess it was just their way of showing they cared." I explain with a sad smile.
"You seem really fond of those two." Gene comments, earning a nod from me.
"Yeah… all three of us were inseparable. It made sense, since our parents were off researching most of the time. All we had was each other. Guess it's no surprise all of us ended up taking an interest in their research as well," I answer off-handedly before taking another sip of the tea.
"Hm. I can't really see you sitting behind a computer screen all day; you seem more like a hands-on type of person." Gene comments, causing me to release a small laugh.
"You're right. I don't really like being cooped up in one place for too long, but Ayumu and Kaz were really adamant on me staying as far away from the action as possible. Eventually, they learned that it's better to just let me do what I want." I answer with a mischievous grin.
"Why do I get the feeling you did something uncalled for?" Gene asks with a laugh as he rests his chin on his arms.
"Because you know me." I answer with a wink, earning myself a smile in response.
"Are you going to be staying home more often now, considering your leg?"
I purse my lips at the thought before releasing a sigh. "That would probably be the best thing, but I need to solve this case before we overstep the time limit." I widen my eyes at the words that escaped my lips before face palming. "Ugh… I'm doing it again. I'm not taking the case… just assisting."
"I haven't seen you this lively since the last case you took. There's nothing wrong with wanting to solve a case."
I glance over at Gene with a soft smile. "I know, but I'm a liability on cases."
Silence dominates the room as I watch the codes streaming across the screen. Some numbers flash red for a moment before changing back to their normal black. 'The tape was tampered with.'
"I don't believe you would be a liability. You just have a tendency to be…accident prone."
I release an unladylike snort.
Finally the video replays itself, showing Kuroda walking down the hallway without any signs of being attacked.
"You did all that just to see someone walk down a hallway?" Gene questions skeptically.
"Guess so. Any chance of Naru finding out I hacked his equipment?"
"If he was really set on it, possibly, but programming isn't really his strength."
Cracking my back, I stretch my arms above my head before facing Gene once again. "I see… well I think we should head to bed… it's pretty late." He agrees. Both of us get up at the same time, accidentally knocking our foreheads together. I release a small cry of pain and stumble back only to slip on one of the stray papers on the ground. Gene notices and grabs my arm but I had already grabbed him. The unexpected pull knocks him over and we both fall to the ground with a crash.
"Ow…" I mumble before attempting to move, only to find something holding me back. Confused, I glance down to see an arm wrapped securely around my waist. My eyes travel up the arm to see Gene's slightly pained expression. He slowly opens his eyes and sends me an amused smile, "Never thought I could get a girl to fall for me that quickly." He jokes, causing me to roll my eyes as I give him a smile.
"Har har… very funny." I make a move to sit up, but still feel his arm securely wrapped around me. "Gene…" I trail off uncertainly, but he merely smiles back at me. Jolts spread through my body at the contact, but it seems he paid no mind. His free hand tucks the stray bangs framing my face behind my ear.
'Why is he acting so weird…'
Before I can say anything else, Gene releases his hold and stands up, holding out his hand for me to take. Shaking my head to get rid of my thoughts, I grasp his hand, feeling the usual jolt from the contact when he pulls me up to my feet. He sends me a calculating look.
"You're similar to Naru." Gene concludes, causing me to send him a disbelieving look.
"You're comparing me to your narcissistic brother? Gomen ne…but I don't find your comparison to be very flattering." I comment with a grimace. He merely smiles back before draping one of my arms over his shoulders to help me limp to my bedroom.
G l H l O l S l T ll H l U l N l T
SUNDAY
Releasing a sigh, I continue hopping over to the old school building using the pair of crutches Kaz so kindly forced me into using. He wouldn't let me out of the car unless I took the damn things. Once I complied, he told me to head over to meet up with Naru while he went to check up on something. I glance down at my leg in distaste, knowing that any excessive use of the leg could possibly break the stitches. When I approach the van, I see Mai talking to Naru.
"Morning? It's past eleven already." Mai corrects with a slight frown before noticing my approach. "Nari? Shouldn't you be resting or something?"
I stare blankly at her for a moment before allowing a smile to reach my face. "I would, but I have obligations I have to fulfill. Besides, I don't like staying cooped up."
Mai's face slightly falls at my comment, causing me to send her a confused look.
"Is something the matter Mai? If this is about my fall yesterday, don't worry about it. I was bound to go to the hospital again anyway. That's just how things go for me."
Her face seems to have grown more concerned by my comment, causing me to release a sigh.
"Look, don't sweat it Mai. It's just a minor setback. I'll be fine in two weeks. At least you didn't send me to the hospital like we did Naru's assistant."
"Nari!" Mai scolds before a small smile escapes her lips. Naru didn't seem to be amused by my statement. He kept glancing at the bandaging on my leg.
"If you're worried about it interfering with work, I'll just not use my crutches. I can technically walk. The crutches are just a precaution."
Before Naru can comment, Housho voice calls out to us.
"Good morning everyone!" We glance over to see Housho, John, Ayako, and Kaz. "Looks like someone had a rough night."
"Looks to me," Ayako crosses her arms over her chest, "like someone's trying to leave early."
"That's right." Naru takes his jacket off and places it back in the car before pulling something out on his laptop.
"So you're finally admitting that your expert opinion was wrong?" Ayako places her hands on her hips.
"No, I'm leaving because I already solved the case."
"Huh?" Mai gawks.
"You exorcised that whole place on your own?" Housho asks surprised.
"No I didn't do that. There was no need to."
"What are you talking about?"
"What do you mean?" Mai rephrases Housho's question.
"Last night I took some readings and compiled them together." He turns his laptop to face us. "This is a seismograph. Based on my readings, the school house is sinking. In fact, it sank point two inches last night."
"It what?" Housho asks in disbelief.
"It's called subsidence." Naru explains.
"It's essentially the sinking down of land as a result of natural shifts or human activity, usually causing structural damage to buildings who were unfortunately built on or close to the area. If you think about the structural failures we have seen, it does make sense." Kaz adds.
"Correct." Naru pulls up a map of the area on his laptop. "This entire area is built on reclaimed swamp land. When I looked into the wells surrounding the area, I discovered a huge aquifer passing underneath the school house; however, when I looked at the wells in the immediate area, they were all dried up."
"Meaning?" Mai asks.
"Since the wells are dried up, there's a hollowing effect going on underneath the school house, causing it to sink. Entire portions of the building could collapse any day now. I'd go as far as to guess three to five days max." I explain as I glance up at the school house.
"Exactly." Naru comments evenly, though looking at me with an unreadable expression.
"So you're saying that, the chair moving, the glass breaking, and the ceiling collapsing are all due to subsidence?" Housho clarifies.
"Yes. The classroom on the east side, where the roof collapsed, was three inches below the west side." Naru explains.
"Three inches?" Mai repeats in thought.
"Sounds like a structural failure then." Housho concludes, catching Ayako's gaze.
"By what about the strange noises?" Ayako adds skeptically.
"It could be attributed to the wood shifting in response to the subsidence." Kaz explains.
"I think it would be best to declare this building off limits." Naru announces before closing his laptop shut. "As Nari said, this building could collapse any day now."
-Time skip-
Mai, Kaz, and I help Naru pack up his equipment into boxes. Seeing as I was being treated like an invalid, I was seated and loading the cords into the box resting on the nearby table.
"I knew it! You can't explain what attacked me, can you?" Kuroda's voice breaks through the silence of the room.
I glance over at Kuroda. "He can't prove something that never happened." I respond, earning myself a glare.
"Perhaps it's the work of a floating Spector that's been following you around." Naru responds as he locks eyes with Kuroda before putting away a cord.
"Listen to me. I'm not making this up!"
"Kuroda, I suggest you drop it. There's nothing here. If you persist, I'll keep to my promise." I warn as I place another cord into the box.
"Naru? Are you really leaving?" Mai interrupts.
"Yes. This case is solved."
[Shattering glass. A scream.]
As the vision ends, I shake my head to clear away the images. That wasn't a good sign.
"Right… I guess it is…" Mai mutters uncertainly as she plays with her hair.
"Only partly solved." I mutter, catching Naru's attention.
"Excuse me?"
'Crap… I said that out loud…'
I glance over to see Naru looking at me with an unreadable expression.
"Explain." He crosses his arms over his chest as he locks his eyes with mine.
I run my hand through my hair before releasing a sigh. 'Me and my big mouth.' I glance over to Kaz to see him holding a smug smile. 'Jerk…'
Before I can answer, Kuroda interrupts.
"There's a spirit here. I know it."
Naru narrows his eyes at her. "You're wrong. I have scientific evidence to back up my claim."
"Have you ever considered the spirit avoiding your technology?"
"Then exorcise it yourself. That should be easy for someone with your skill." Naru states simply before walking across to room for one of his control panels. "I feel that my work here is done, so I'm leaving." Naru places the device into the box. "End of story."
"Well I guess my dream's over now…" Mai trails off as she fiddles with her hands. Naru turns to her. "Here we are in a building so creepy that you would just assume it's haunted. Not to mention all the ghost stories I heard about it… It's kind of romantic in a way. Now I don't like the idea of people dying here, but that gave this place a sense of mystery and fun…"
My gaze softens. "I know what you mean Mai. Despite this place not having an independent spirit… the situation… the mystery surrounding this place… it's fun and interesting. I really miss it…" I add with a smile.
"I see. That may be so-"
Before Naru can finish, a crack is heard. We all look up to see the windows cracking before they shatter and fly forward.
"Ahh!" Kuroda crouches downward, using her back and arms to shield her face from the glass shards.
"Kuroda-san!" Mai calls out. Kuroda lowers her hands before covering her ears when banging noises fill the room.
"What's going on?" Ayako asks as she glances around the room.
"It's definitely more than a building sinking!" Housho calls out above the noise.
"Banging sounds! That's another one of Tzanne's criteria!" John adds.
"Naru!" Mai calls out to him to see him staring at the window dumbfounded.
"Naru?" Mai repeats, snapping him back to reality.
*whoosh*bang*bang*
We all turn to the sliding doors and see them sporadically moving back and forth, clearly blocking our exit.
"It's not safe to be here anymore." Housho announces.
Naru's eyes widen. "That's it. Everyone out now!"
Housho throws a chair through the sliding doors before calling us to follow. I make a move to run but wince when I feel the stitches straining against the sewed together skin.
"Nari!" Mai calls out before both Kaz and her rush over.
"Just go Mai. I'll take care of Nari." Kaz orders her. She seems reluctant, but agrees nevertheless before running through the door. "Alright hime. You're going to have to bear with this for a while." He mutters with a smirk. Before I can ask him what he meant, I feel him carrying me in his arms before running out of the building.
I wrap my arms around his neck, holding on tight as he skips several steps as he runs down the stairs. "I'm so going to get you for this." I growl out, but he merely laughs. 'He's enjoying this too much… he knows I hate being carried.'
"If you say so… hime."
'Again with that damn nickname…'
"Don't call me that…"
We safely exit the building and see everyone safe. I release a small sigh before unwrapping my arms around Kaz's neck and resting them on my lap. The familiar hum of energy flows through me, causing me to release a small smile before it disappears once I set my eyes on Kuroda. 'Looks like I can't hold back anymore…'
"Are you alright Kuroda-san? You're bleeding. Hold out your hand." Ayako asks gently before inspecting the cut on Kuroda's hand. "You'll be fine. The wound isn't too deep."
Mai looks at Kuroda sadly whereas Housho continues to glare at Naru.
"What was that just now?" Housho growls out. "Don't feed me that crap from before. That was a full blown poltergeist, wasn't it?!"
Naru doesn't answer; he merely stares up at the old school building.
"That wasn't the sound of a creaky old building; there was definitely something banging on the walls!" Ayako adds as she wraps Kuroda's hand with a cloth.
"That means we witnessed four of the nine criteria laid out by Tzanne." John breaks in.
"That just goes to show you that you can't depend too much on technology. For a minute there I was about to believe you and your phony results!" Ayako snips.
"The results aren't false! He's only solved half of the issue here! That's more than what you two have done." I growl out.
"Stay out of this! You don't even know what you're talking about." Ayako huffs.
"For once, I have to agree with her." Housho adds. "How long have you even been in this business kid? Look, we're professionals so sit back and watch how it's really done."
"I suggest you two refrain from making any more comments." Kaz's cold tone interrupts them. "As a word of caution, don't mindlessly speak without knowing the full details behind the events or behind the individual." The two look at Kaz in surprise at his shift in tone before huffing and walking back to the school.
"You didn't need to say that Kaz." I mutter, not looking at his eyes.
"I know, but their expressions made it worth the trouble."
I merely shake my head at him before glancing at Naru.
"What's with them? Now those two get along?" Mai mutters angrily before glancing down at Naru's hand. "Naru… your hand… it's-"
"It's nothing serious. It's just a scratch." Naru responds as he lifts his hand to show the small trails of blood running down his knuckles.
"But Naru-"
"I'll be fine. You should tend to Kuroda."
'Ouch… you're not making this easy for me Naru…'
"Naru…"
"I would appreciate it if you left me alone for a while… I'm so angry at myself I could throw up..!" He finishes harshly before walking away.
"Naru!" I call out to him, causing him to halt in his steps but not turn around. "I know my words might not carry any weight… but remember everything that was said. You're not wrong. You're just missing a part of the explanation. Look at everything again – the footage, the timing of everything basically. There's a distinct pattern and I know you're too smart not to figure this out. That and your ego and pride won't let you walk away from this. After all, your record's perfect isn't it? Wouldn't want to ruin that now right?"
Naru doesn't answer but I notice his hands loosening their tight grip before he walks away.
-Time skip-
Kaz, Mai, and I continue to put away Naru's equipment inside the base.
"You're not going to watch the monk's attempt with the rest of us?" Ayako asks as she leans against the wall.
"I decline." Kaz answers simply as he stacks some of the boxes. Mai on the other hand fumes at her words.
"Mind if I give you a hand?" John asks Mai as he holds out a cord to her. Mai smiles but waves her hands as if saying 'no'.
"Oh no, I'm just putting a few things out." Mai explains sheepishly. I smile at her before I grab Kaz's arm. He glances down at me questioningly. "I want to help Mai set up some of the equipment…" I trail off before I feel my vision fading.
[Shattering lights. Falling shelves. A cry.]
I blink several times before placing a hand over my eyes.
"Are you alright Nari?" I lower my hand and see John and Mai eyeing me in concern.
"I think I'm just a bit tired with everything that's going on." I explain with a small smile.
"Maybe you should go home and rest. I don't think you should be using that leg of yours." John suggests.
"Yeah… If something happens again…" Mai trails off uncertainly.
I wave off their concern. "It's fine. I think I'll be able to manage." They send me doubtful looks before nodding and resuming their conversation.
"Did you notice something?" Kaz asks gently as he places his hand on my shoulder.
I close my eyes, feeling the usual hum of energy.
"Yes… first floor. Near the shelves." I whisper. "I think you should set up some of the cameras and microphones again, especially the cameras that can give us a thermal image of the area."
"Alright then." Kaz gets up and reaches for some of the boxes containing the cameras.
"Are you two still buying into your boss' explanation?" Ayako questions as Housho leans against the wall dressed in his monk robes.
Mai's eyes narrow. "Do you have any evidence that he's wrong? If you do I'd love to hear it; I'm all ears over here!" Mai exclaims.
Ayako narrows her eyes at Mai's glare before the two engage in a stare down with neither side showing any signs of giving up.
"Easy now …" John attempts to defuse the tension in the room, but having no luck.
I sweat drop at the sight. 'And she calls me a child…'
-Time skip-
I glance at the monitors showing the images of the first floor and second floor hallway. Mai had finished setting up the microphones as well, causing me to release a small smile.
'Even if he's not here, both of us are trying so hard… especially Mai. She really does believe in him despite knowing him for only a short time. I think you were onto something Gene… setting these two up might be worth all the trouble.'
I connect the last cord to the control board before adjusting the volume for the different cameras.
'That should do it…'
I release a small sigh before standing up and reaching for my crutches. I stare down at them in distaste before making my way down the hallway before stopping before the stairs.
'Hopping it is then…'
Before I can take a step down the stairs, I feel a familiar hum of energy coming from the hand on my shoulder.
"You were about to hop down the stairs… weren't you?"
I stare back evenly at Kaz. "Pretty much." I answer with a shrug. Sighing, he bends down to carry me in his arms, allowing the crutches to clatter to the ground.
"O-oi I can walk on my own. Put me down!" He merely smirks before walking down the stairs as I silently fume at him. At the bottom of the stairs, we see Mai leaning against the wall with a thoughtful expression.
"Something wrong Mai?" I ask, earning a surprised gasp. Her eyes flicker to me for a moment before she shakes her head.
"Nothing… I'm just wondering if Naru will come back." Mai replies. I smile in response once Kaz sets me down.
"Miss him?"
Mai's eyes snap to mine in surprise before a blush appears onto her face.
"What? No! It's nothing like that."
"You're blushing." I point out.
"I'm not!"
"It appears you are… unless you have a fever Mai." Kaz inputs, earning himself a glare from said girl.
Before Mai can respond, we hear footsteps.
"Naru?" Mai calls out, only to find Kuroda standing at the entrance.
"Oh… Hi Kuroda-san." Mai greets dejectedly.
"Any news?" She asks.
"No."
"The others are making their rounds right now." Kaz announces. Kuroda nods in response.
"And what about Kazuya?"
"I don't know where he is…" Mai sighs out sadly, "Man… are there really any spirits here?"
"Yes there are. I saw them."
I roll my eyes at the girl.
"I know you've said that…" Mai trails off uncertainly.
"Well this time is different. I'm sure of it!"
We all turn to the hallway to see Ayako crossing her arms with a confident smirk adorning her face.
Kuroda closes her eyes and places a hand on her chest. "They're still here. I can feel it. In fact, there are many still trapped here."
'Still many trapped here… if my hunch is right… then we'll be getting a nasty visit soon.' I thought, casting a wary glance down the corridors.
"Are you still pretending? Give it a rest. We're the professionals here."
"If I'm not mistaken, you haven't done anything." Kuroda bites back.
Before Ayako can respond, Housho appears with a smile with John in tow. "We're good now. Ayako's attempt may have been a complete failure, but mine wasn't."
"Excuse me?!" Ayako bristles.
"Well it true isn't it?"
"Don't take credit for my work!"
'Again… they call me the child…'
They close in on each other, forcing Mai, Kaz, and me to be in the middle of their little spat.
"Same to you."
"Get over yourself!"
'Ugh.. this is getting nowhere!'
"Cut it out!" Mai snaps at them, glaring at the two.
"You two are acting like children. Just shut up!" I growl out.
"Shh! I hear something…" John trails off before glancing up at the ceiling.
Everyone stops and looks up at the ceiling. The sound of footsteps echo throughout the room.
"Is someone there?" Mai voices the question all of us were thinking. We continue to listen to the footsteps, hearing them becoming distinctly louder as if they were approaching us. Suddenly, the footsteps stop atop the staircase. Without warning, Housho speeds up the steps.
"Monk!" Mai calls out to him, but he ignores it. After several more seconds, Mai calls out to him again. "Is someone there?"
"Nope. Must have imagined it." He replies.
"Really… we all just happened to 'imagine' hearing footsteps all at the same time." I clarify skeptically. "That's bull."
He doesn't say anything as he descends the steps.
"She's right! You heard it too, didn't you monk?!" Mai adds.
"It was just the wind." Ayako defends as she crosses her arms.
"Admit it! You didn't get rid of them either, did you?! After what you said to Naru, this makes you look so stupid! I don't remember him making any lame excuses, do you?!" Mai snaps back. The two share hurt looks from Mai's words.
"It's funny how the so called adults are acting like ch-" Mai pauses on her rant when banging noises fill the room.
"It's back!" John warns right before the lights in the hallway shatter one by one. As the light ahead of him shatters, John steps back to avoid the falling glass. "This is the most activity we've seen."
"And it sounds like more than one…It's not safe here!" Housho warns. "Get out!"
"R-right." Mai agrees before facing Kuroda. "Kuroda-san." She nods before following Mai out of the building.
"Nari! Hold on alright?" Kaz growls before lifting me into his arms and making a break for the exit behind everyone else. As we pass the shelves, they start shaking before clattering towards the ground. Mai continues to run but a shelf makes its way towards her.
"Mai, look out!" I shout at her. She turns around and her eyes widen in disbelief at the shelf quickly approaching her.
"Kaz!" I shout at him, hoping he would understand and he nods. The shelf leans on Mai as she holds her hands out in a last ditch effort to stop the shelf's decent. Her body falls downward, but the shelf's descent slows before stopping right before making contact with Mai's person. Housho and John rush over to the shelf and lift it up before grabbing Mai's unconscious body and bolting towards the door.
"Don't worry Nari… she'll be fine." Kaz whispers, which I nod in response.
"Do you think they noticed how slow that shelf was falling? Or how it wasn't crushing Mai?"
"I doubt it. Even if they did… they have no way of connection it back to you."
I manage a weak smile. "Alright…"
AN: Ok that's the second chapter. Since I didn't put in the end of episode one in the first chapter, that was added in this chapter, which makes it look longer. I marked where the second episode starts, so hopefully that clarifies things. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and please review if you have time. Until next time…
Ja ne~
G l H l O l S l T ll H l U l N l T
Review Responses:
Twilight Dark Angel: Thanks for being the first one to review my story. It really made my day. There was a small scene with Gene in this chapter, but as of right now, he isn't playing a major role in the story yet. More of him will be added, but he'll mostly stay behind the scenes for now. ;p I plan on him sneaking into one of the cases under disguise, but not sure how that will go.
bored411: I appreciate the input you gave me. I suppose Nari was being more of a wallflower in the first chapter. I thought it fit in the beginning seeing as she was fighting with herself. On one end of the spectrum she wants to just forget and cut away the supernatural world whereas on the other side, she wants to accept it since it brought her happiness in some odd way. I'm happy you liked the background story. The first draft was drastically different than what I posted, but I'm glad it worked out. Yes, Nari carries a gun. :) Haha… that will be explained later on in the story and SPR is going to be in for a surprise when they see her pull it out in one of the cases.
thevaheeshini: First off, thanks for review. I'm glad there are people who want to read this story. Hopefully this update did not disappoint. =)
