CHAPTER THREE

I do not own Project Zero. I just write this story. Thanks to those who read this!

Chitose

I drifted into the Osaka house, my head was lowered slightly and I felt very strange. I had no idea where this courage came from. There was no way I'd ever step one foot into this house, if I was alive.

I heard whispers coming from upstairs and I stopped, I lifted my head upwards, sure enough the weird dressed Yae was headed into the room upstairs. My eyes caught a white flash moving up the stairs, way to fast to be a normal person. My lips curled upwards, but tears were rolling down my face.

"Why…?" A woman's voice sounded at the bottom of the steps.

I turned to see a person standing very still, her head hung forwards, as if it were to heavy to hold up. Then she moved so fast that when I saw her again, she was at the top of the stairs.

"Masumi…"

I blinked and she was gone. When I moved closer to the stairs, I heard giggling and it caused me to spin around quickly. It was the Osaka children. Why didn't they ever do what they were told? I had told them to wait in the room at the front of the house. My plan was to lead Yae there and let the Osaka children have a little fun with her.

"Why are here? I told you to wait." I told them, my eyes finding each face.

"It's boring to wait!" Cried the small girl.

"Yeah! I'm going to go up and surprise her!"

"No! You wanted to play my game right?" I asked, my voice sounded strangely innocent. That was normal, right? I shook my head. I didn't know what was normal anymore. I didn't even know myself anymore. The three of them giggled loudly and I found myself spinning around to see if anyone had heard us. 'Silly..' I told myself. Who'd be listening to us? Everyone else was too busy screaming about a failed 'ritual'. Whatever THAT meant.

"Itsuki, Mitsuki…I heard mother talk about a ritual. What is that?"

"Nothing you have to worry yourself with Chitose."

Mitsuki and Itsuki ignored me for the rest of the day after that. I was running around hiding in my hiding places, hoping I would catch someone talking about it. But everyone seemed to know or sense I was in the room. I had begun to wonder if that 'ritual' had something to do with Mitsuki's disappearance.

"HIDE!" Screamed the girl and she pushed me.

I fell onto my back, my head going through one of the lower steps of the staircase. As I scrambled to my knees I froze, with one of my hands out in the air in front of me. A crimson butterfly fluttered by my face followed my a girl. My mouth fell open as my eyes shot to the girls face.

Sae. She ran past me like she didn't see me and I cringed backwards out of habit. She stopped suddenly, dressed in that odd outfit, and she turned her head to look at me. I found guilt staring me in the face. She opened her mouth, and I expected to hear her laugh. Her dreadful, unforgettable crazed laugh, I heard all through the village. But instead words came out.

"Forgive me…" Her hand extended toward me and I screamed. "I'm sorry." She said.

I looked up at her just as lightening lit the room. Her clothes seemed to melt in that quick second, only to be replaced by that horribly bloody kimono and laughter escaped her lips. My vision blurred and I threw myself away from her. Sae caught my wrists and a piercing pain surged my body. I saw arms reaching for me from every direction, each one bringing a new wave of pain and visions. I heard voices and screams in my head, I couldn't even hear my own scream anymore. Why was Sae doing this to me? Why?!

"Yae never came back for me…" Sae's voice was faint and I lay panting on the floor, my body out of my control. Sae knelt down beside me.

"Who's fault is it that you are alone? Who took your Itsuki away?"

I felt anger course through my body and I started to shake. I was laying flat on my stomach, my face pushed into the ground. Tears burned my eyes and spilled over causing my vision to blur.

"I want my brother…give him back. Please." The words came out of my mouth in a low whisper.

"Yae hurt little Chitose too?" Her voice seemed to be in my ear, though her laughter echoed in the room loudly.

I struggled to sit up, I felt as though someone was sitting on my shoulders, causing my elbows to shake under the weight, but I knew that wasn't the case. I felt hot like I was going to burst open, and start screaming and laughing hysterically myself. The laughter around me stopped and the anger bubbled inside of me. Yae was upstairs. She knows where my brother is. I didn't even care that the three Osaka children weren't in the room with me anymore. My hands wanted to claw at Yae, to strangle the life out of her.

I was on my feet in a second and making my way upstairs to the room up there. She was trapped there alone, with no way out and I would close my hands around her throat till the life was gone from her eyes. I was crying though. The tears rolling down my cheeks like a waterfall. This wasn't me. It never was me. Had I really let the Malice control me? I didn't want death, though my body did. All I wanted was Itsuki.

"Itsuki…Itsuki…"His name escaped my lips like a chant. "Itsuki…"

I wanted to make myself disappear into my closet and daydream of the happier times. To remember how food tasted, and remember the warmth of comforting hands.

I had stopped suddenly when I heard the faint click of a lock being undone and the door sliding open quickly. My eyes caught the frightened, but strong look of the other girl. The living girl. The one who stole my brother.

"Give him back! Give him back! Why do you steal everything away from me?" I was sobbing when I threw myself forward, my hands stretching for her neck.

She backed up quickly, gasping and she threw a familiar black box up to her face. My hands were so close to her throat! But a flash of a blinding white light threw me back with a strong force. I screamed out in agony as I hit the floor with a loud thud. I felt like the light was ripping away the small flickering life I had left. I felt weak and almost empty.

"Itsuki! Help me! Please!" I cried out covering my face with my hands.

"Mayu!" Yae cried out loud.

I felt my strength get stronger through the anger I felt for her and I lunged at her again. This time making contact, Yae cried out as she fell back into the room, my hands closing around her neck, She coughed and tried to throw me off, only realizing her hands go through me instead.

"Give him back! Give me back my brother!" Tears were falling non-stop from my eyes, blurring my vision, so I didn't notice when Yae reached for the box that lay at her side, her hand hit the button and I was blasted back, falling over the railing and down to the main floor below.

It felt like someone was burning and ripping off my skin, I screamed and rolled on the floor, withering in agony, I saw the flash again from above me and I was thrown backwards. This time I ended up outside. Again, the burning and ripping sensation returned and I screamed out Itsuki's name as I was pulled into a disorienting darkness.