Disclaimer: Ghost Hunt isn't mine.
Chapter 2: Dullard
Mai looked out of the fogged up window in the research company's black van. SPR was on their way to Hokkaido, and the Onsen. Although she was excited for her first Onsen bath, she was also exhausted. Naru had insisted that she arrive early at the office that morning to pack the van. That was easy enough for him to say - he and Lin slept there! She, on the other hand had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning in order to catch her train to SPR... Mai needed her beauty sleep, and needless to say, she was quite annoyed.
Damn that Naru...
"Mai. Try to get some sleep; we still have a couple hours of driving left. We can't have you falling asleep on the job," said Naru, in some odd semblance of concern. Mai groaned back, she wasn't feeling very charitable towards him that particular morning. It was his fault she was this tired in the first place!
Maybe sleep wouldn't be such a bad idea, she thought, leaning her head down on the window. Just for a little, Mai decided, before drifting off.
Mai was once again in her dream world. Everything was pitch black, and she stood in an old-fashioned yukata. Mai peered into the darkness, hoping for a clue to help their current case. Naru always told her to keep track of her psychic dreams; he said they were the only thing she was really good for. Her animal instincts, emphasis on the animal, not the most flattering compliment you could give a girl...
Mai shook her head. Best to concentrate on the task at hand. The blackness around her began to lift and she saw a pinprick of light in the distance, as color infiltrated the suffocating darkness. Finally, it was starting.
The first thing that came into focus was a middle-aged woman, also wearing an old-fashioned yukata. Mai looked around. She was in an old wooden house, or rather a palace – that was a better word. It was huge! The brunette gasped, she was at the Onsen! Mai took a step back. The woman was yelling at her.
"Hana! I warned you! Now look what you've done!" the woman gestured at a prone man lying on the floor. Mai held back a scream; the woman was holding a butcher's knife, and the man was lying in a pool of blood! Mai began moving, a spectator in Hana's body. Hana, or Mai, backed away.
"Mama, mama! I didn't mean to!" Mai heard herself plead as she retreated from her mother.
"I told you not to get in the way! This had to be done; it was getting worse and worse!" screamed the mother. Mai was lost, what was getting worse? This dream wasn't making any sense.
"I'm sorry! You're right!" Mai heard herself cry as she continued to back away.
"I was just going to scare him a little, not kill him!" The woman was convulsing, she turned on her daughter. "No one can know. No one!"
"Mama, I won't tell!"
"Not enough, not enough!" The woman stalked towards her daughter, knife still in her hands. Mai panicked, she was not dying in someone else's place, in a dream, no less! The woman raised the knife, Mai turned and ran desperately, but there was nowhere for her to go. She backed up against a window, and thought about jumping, but they were too high, on the third story.
'Mama! Stop, stop!" Salty tears coursed down Mai's cheeks. She held up her arms in a last defense. But instead of the sharp knife she was expecting, a hand pushed hard against her chest. Mai fell, down, down, down, down, out the window.
Mai choked; she was falling deeper into a black hole. She was suffocating; everything was sticky, like molasses. Then there was pain. Everywhere. She screamed and screamed - make it stop! Mai choked on the blackness. She couldn't breathe.
I didn't mean to! I don't want to die!
"Mai! Mai! Wake up!" Mai jerked up; she was covered in sweat, and Naru was shaking her shoulders roughly from the front seat. "What happened!? Are you okay!?"
"N-naru...it hurts, my chest, I couldn't breathe!" Mai started to cry. The sensation was horrible, like she had died ten times over.
"Mai. You're okay now." Naru gently stroked her hair, consoling the sobbing girl. He was not in the least bit comfortable; consoling hysterical females wasn't really within his comfort zone. But the only other person there was Lin. Not likely.
Mai calmed herself and chanted, like a mantra, Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream. She wiped her eyes and sat up.
"I'm sorry, I just... just..."
"Do you need to talk about it?" Not "Do you want to?", but "Must you?" Mai smiled faintly. Naru wasn't very good at calming people down.
"I'm fine. Are we there yet?" She craned her neck to see out of the van's window, but all she saw was green. Lots and lots of green.
"Yeah. You started screaming bloody murder right when Lin was pulling off the road. Scared the hell out of him too." Mai looked over at Lin, who was glancing around nonchalantly. Yeah, right! Nothing fazed a guy like that.
Mai opened the door and stepped out, her dream instantly forgotten, "Wah! It's beautiful!" She spun in circles, inhaling the clean Hokkaido air. Old, tall trees surrounded them, their spindly branches reaching up to a deep, blue sky.
"This isn't a vacation," Naru deadpanned, "it's work." Mai pouted, her good mood ruined.
"You know what? I'm going to start calling you 'Mood Ruiner Naru!'" she said triumphantly. Neener, neener, neener!
"Don't you dare. 'Naru's' bad enough!" Mai shrunk back a bit. Naru's expression was rather, well, frightening!
She stopped taunting him, and took another look at the scenery. In the dappled shade behind the trees stood a large wooden building. Mai took a step closer, in an attempt to better make out the structure. It was old, and regal, in a dilapidated sort of way. It had obviously been majestic in its day. Complicated wooden carvings adorned the building, and she saw steam rising from a brick chimney at the top.
The building may have been falling apart, but it was breathtaking, regardless. "Whoa... this place is amazing! Is this the Onsen?"
"Yes, 'Master of the Obvious' Mai."
"Hey. I gave up on the nicknames, so it's only fair you do too!" Mai crossed her arms stubbornly, "Poo face!"
"Ignoramus."
"Stupido!"
"Dimwit."
"Loser!"
"Dullard."
"Idio- wait. What's a dullard!?"
"Look it up in the dictionary, moron."
Lin shook his head. Sometimes those two acted like five year olds. Except, they were worse. Five year olds had attention spans to match their age, but those two could go on for hours! Lin sighed; he could already feel a migraine coming on...
I didn't mean to! I don't want to die!
TBC
A/N: Thank you for reading, and to those of you who reviewed the past chapter! Sorry it isn't a cliff hanger, unfortunately those aren't my strong suit...Revisions as of 5/25/09.
^Shinigami's Lullaby^
