Chapter 2:

June 3

2:30 pm

Naru, Lin, Masako, Ayako, Monk, John, and I walked down a familiar hallway. At least I was familiar with it. They were led to a door I recognized instantly. My old room! I took out the key and unlocked the room that hadn't been opened since I left. As I started to enter the room, I was pulled back, causing me to fall. "Mai!" Monk had a hint of worry in his voice. I sighed as I got up and brushed off my skirt, " I'm fine" I assured him. I walked in, this time with no interruptions, " this place hasn't changed a bit!" I smiled my first true smile for days.

"Excuse me Miss," it didn't take me long to realize she was referring to me, "You can call me Mai" I told her. "Yes. Mai, with all due respect, what is your relationship with this house?" I sighed, " I lived here until I was 12, then, I moved."

" Haven't you noticed yet?" Masako barked. I looked at her confused, " What do you mean" I asked. "When you fell, you were actually pushed down by a spirit" I looked down, "Mom" I mumbled so quiet no one could hear me. "Well that means there's a spirit in the house then" Naru said. He had been standing in the background having almost nothing to do with our conversation until now. I ignored him, " What do you mean by 'pushed' by the spirit?" Masako sighed in aggravation, " I mean that the spirit had been trapped in the room and you were the only thing in its way when you opened the door, so it pushed you out of the way." Then she added, "it should have killed you, no of us would have missed you." No one did anything except for Monk who just laughed nervously, he obviously wasn't going to get involved.

"Where can we have base?" Naru asked. "Well, here is the only free room right now, will it do? If not I can-" "Don't worry about it, "Naru said, "here is fine." Normally I would be overjoyed, but all these memories of those I had lost stole my smile. All I could do was look down. " Is everything all right, Mai?" asked Ayako. Something was wrong with me, I didn't feel like myself, I hoped the others didn't notice, but they probably had. I finally replied, "Its nothing" "Are you sure" Monk was trying to get it out of me, normally I wouldn't mind, but right now I'm not myself. "Its nothing!" I yelled at him. What was I doing, how could I be sure? I felt like my body was taking over, I couldn't stop myself. I ran out of the room, holding back tears. I would feel terrible if others had to see me in that state. I felt so lonely, what had I done? Then I realized that wasn't my problem. I was longing for my parents.

I remembered having a secret hideout in the huge Cherry orchard in the backyard, only my dad and I could constantly find it. I hoped it was still there. It was, luckily. I dashed into the forest if pink blossoms. Soon I found it. It was still there. I sat down against a tree. I started to cry, why was I crying? I wasn't quite sure, I was happy but I was equally sad. Maybe I was crying of joy and anguish. Before I knew it I had ended up crying myself to sleep. That was good for the most part, I did need sleep, but when there's sleep there's a dream.

June 3

2:47 pm

In my dream I was floating over nothing all around me was light purple, "great I'm dreaming" I said almost immediately. The first thing I did was look for Naru. He was no where to be seen, then I heard, "Mai you've finally come back to me" I knew that voice, how could I forget? It was my moms! " Its time you came back to me you naughty girl, you left me!" she scolded. "Huh? No Mom you left me and Dad." "Back talking now? What a terrible young lady you've become, your dad is a terrible role model!" "Dad is dead mom!" I tried to justify myself, then I saw her show herself with scarlet red eyes, the exact color of blood, and a knife in her hands.

I stepped back ," You need to be taught a lesson, little lady" she said she cam up on me, closer, closer, I knew I was going to die. I closed my eyes. I woke up gasping. " Are you okay" a child's voice asked, I turned my head, a small girl was sitting there playing in the dirt. "Yeah" I said, "How'd you find this, my secret play place? You have to keep it a secret!" I smiled, "okay secret" I almost whispered it, the little girl laughed. "Did you have a scary picture when you were sleeping?" I figures it was child talk for nightmare. "Oh, I get those all the time! Do you want to play with me?" she asked. I nodded. I had a great time with her, I hadn't noticed the time go by.