Chapter 2: The Curse

Miku walked through the alley and found a door stead ahead. Miku opened it and found herself outside the mansion walls. She kept walking until she found herself facing a large body of water.

It was a dead end here. Miku then decided to examine the vicinity. There were five lanterns on the ground. Four of the lanterns were lit.

Miku also spotted a waterwheel. It was still working. Finally, Miku spotted a tape on the ground.

As Miku picked it up, several images were forced into her head.

"Help!" Tomoe screamed…

Tomoe was grabbing her neck with both arms…

"Somebody…anybody…" Tomoe gasped….

Just then, rope marks began to appear on Tomoe's ankles, wrists, and neck…

Tomoe turned around and saw the Rope Shrine Maiden…

Tomoe felt the rope mark on her neck tighten a bit…

Several ghastly arms emerged from the Rope Shrine Maiden's back…

They shot towards Tomoe…

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Tomoe screamed…

A few seconds later she fell to the ground dead…

Her body was later discovered by Jensei Takamine…

The images ended.

It looks like Tomoe didn't make it after all. This must be the spot where she died.

Miku then inserted the tape into the recorder.

"September 12- 9:00 A.M." The recorder emitted Tomoe's voice. "I found Koji. His death was just like the one in the mountain village." There was a pause. "His head and limbs were severed. I can't believe what's happening."

The recorded message ended.

Just then Miku sensed something from the unlit lantern. Miku took a picture of it. A photo popped out. It showed the unlit lantern being lit.

Miku didn't have the items necessary to light now. She would have to come back later.

Just then, Miku stepped on something soft. Miku shined her flashlight at it and gasped. It was Tomoe's corpse. In her hand was a key.

Miku yanked the key out of her hand and left the area. She retraced her steps back to the porch. As she approached the porch, she could've sworn she heard a child crying.

Miku stepped on the porch and used the key to unlock the door. The room she entered had shelves full of dolls. She then spotted a notebook on the floor.

Miku picked it up and examined it. The notebook was written by Tomoe.

September 12th - 1:45 pm:

My sixth sense is telling me some children are playing here. I can't see them, but they keep calling to me. Are they playing tag? Or hide-and-seek, maybe? They might be the children in that photo.

September 12th - 4:30 pm:

There were human heads in that room...so many of them! They were cut off by the Himuro family master... They were all trying to tell me something.

I never should have come here.

I should have trusted that sixth sense of mine.

The text ended there.

Just then, Miku heard a child giggle. The giggle echoed around the room. Miku looked frantically in all directions to pin point it. Just then, she saw the door she came through open.

A little girl with long black hair, wearing a red kimono, crawled into the room. The girl looked up at Miku, giggled, then began to crawl towards her.

Miku aimed her camera at the girl and fired. The girl yelped before fading away.

She then materialized in another corner and began to crawl towards Miku.

Miku shot her with the camera again. The girl yelped, twisted into a white sphere, then flew away. The ghost may have escaped, but it dropped something behind. Another key.

Miku picked it up and went back on the porch. She then used the key to unlock another door. Miku entered another hallway. She spotted a notebook on the floor.

Miku picked it up and examined it. It was written by Tomoe.

The mirror is breaking …Smash! A broken mirror… People on the floor, all over the mansion. So many people. All those people! What are they running from? And at the end, with such desperate looks on their faces…!

Something's coming this way! From deep within the mansion… A coldness… It's colder than anything I've ever felt! I don't know anymore if this is a dream or real…

The text ended there.

Miku proceeded farther down the hallway. She then entered another room.

Two pools of water cut across the room. A few wooden planks ran over the pools of water. Miku carefully walked on the first plank successfully walking over the first pool.

Just as she was about to cross the second pool, her sixth sense acted up. Someone was nearby. It was approaching her from behind.

Miku slowly turned around and gasped in horror. It was Tomoe's ghost. Her eyes were rolled back and she had rope marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck.

She then lunged at Miku.

Miku ran out of the way just in time to avoid being grabbed. Miku had little room to maneuver since the pools took up most of the room.

"Tell him…" Tomoe moaned. "Tell him…"

She then lunged at Miku again. Miku aimed her camera at Tomoe and fired.

Tomoe grunted before fading away. Miku could sense Tomoe trying to ambush her from behind.

Miku spun around and fired. Tomoe yelped in surprise as the blast slammed into her.

Tomoe twisted into a white sphere and flew away. Although Tomoe retreated, she left something behind. It was another tape.

Miku picked it up and inserted it in the recorder.

"Since I met that girl, I've seen many strange visions." The recorder emitted Tomoe's voice. "All the ghost's in the mansion howl and scream at me. I don't think they'll ever let me out of this mansion. I don't know how long I can hold onto my sanity." There was a pause. "Anyway, I'm leaving this tape. If ever someone listens to it, please tell me what has happened to me. I hope this is just a dream."

Miku then walked on the plank crossing the second pool. She then spotted something on the floor, it was a lighter. Miku knew what to do with it. She retraced her steps back to the area where she found Tomoe's corpse.

Miku used the lighter to light the unlit lantern. The top of the lantern opened revealing a key. Miku took it and retraced her steps back to the pool room. She crossed the pools and used the key to unlock the door on the other side.

Miku soon found herself in the mansions backyard. There were lots of trees outside. She then spotted a notebook on the floor.

Miku picked it up and examined it. The notebook was written by Tomoe.

A little girl in a white kimono keeps pleading to me. I can't keep my mind focused, but her voice rings in my head and won't leave. But what does she want me to do for her? I can't even get out of this mansion anymore…

Broken. Five pieces. The mirror…!

Tell Mr.Takamine…

…the way to break the curse…

The text ended there.

A way to break the curse? Just what did Tomoe mean.

Miku then spotted a well. The lid to the well was shut. On the lid was a blue tape.

Miku picked it up and inserted it into the tape recorder.

"September 12- 3:20 P.M." The recorder emitted Mr. Takamine's voice. "I know this sounds crazy, but there is something besides us in this mansion. I saw it myself. It was a woman in a white kimono." There was a pause. "Something is definitely happening here. Have we accidentally awakened something? Or have we been lured here to die?"

The recorded message ended.

"Tell him…" Tomoe's voice echoed.

Miku looked around in an attempt to locate Tomoe.

"Tell him…" Tomoe's voice echoed again.

"Tell him what?" Miku asked.

Tomoe materialized and lunged at Miku only to be blasted in the face.

Tomoe grunted before fading away. Miku tried to sense her, but it was to late. Tomoe shot out from a cluster of trees and slammed into Miku, knocking her onto the ground.

Tomoe laughed before vanishing. Miku groaned before getting back up.

Miku could still sense Tomoe nearby. Miku carefully examined the area and spotted an odd distortion in the air.

Miku aimed her camera at it and fired.

Tomoe materialized screaming. She twisted into a white sphere and exploded. A photo popped out of the camera.

Miku knew Tomoe had been sealed away by the camera.

She then spotted an gate nearby. Miku opened it and saw some stairs leading up to a shrine. Miku walked up the stairs. When Miku reached the top she saw Kirie waiting for her.

"Is my brother in there?" Miku asked.

Kirie didn't reply, instead she pointed towards a bush near the front door. Miku searched the bush and found a miniature Buddha statue stained with blood and a blue tape.

Miku inserted the tape into the tape recorder.

"Is she the one causing this disaster?" The recorder emitted Mr. Takamine's voice. "All those earlier deaths…Koji, Tomoe? Am I the next to die?" There was a pause. "The Rope Shrine Maiden Ritual, as told in legend…both arms, legs, and the neck. It is said when all five are marked, the curse is complete." Another pause. "Ropes are beginning to show on my photo- I'm running out of time."

The recorded message ended.

Miku took the Buddha statue and entered the shrine. The room she entered was small. In front of her was an altar. On the altar was a notebook, a roll of 37-film, and a roll of 74-film.

Miku put the rolls of film and placed them in her file. She then picked up and examined the notebook. It was written by Mr. Takamine.

Sept 14th - 8:00 pm:

In the materials Tomoe gathered for me, there's a paragraph about five pieces of mirror passed down through the Himuro family for generations. These pieces were said to seal off the Demon Gate and protect the region from a great disaster. They might have something to do with the current hellish situation. Five holy mirrors in shrines around the area all broke in a small earthquake the other day.

When I heard about it, it gave me the idea for this next work of mine. I think I brought a news article about it with me when I came here. It says there were only five holy mirrors in existence. But according to some legends, there is another - the True Holy Mirror.

The folklorist also mentions this in his research documents, the one I found here in the mansion. (I think I dropped the research when I was trying to escape that cursed woman.) Here are my theories. I think that the five mirrors that were destroyed in the earthquake the other day had the role of 'watching over' the True Holy Mirror.

I don't think it was the earthquake that broke the five holy mirrors in the shrines. I think it was the signal that the seal on the Demon Gate that the Himuro True Holy Mirror provides had broken for some reason. The five mirrors were trying to warn us.

Sept 15th

I'm about to go to the shrine deep within Himuro Mansion, where they say a piece of the true holy mirror is kept. The curse has already left its mark on my four limbs. There's no escaping it. About the only thing left now that I can do is try to reseal the Demon Gate.

It's my last hope. I've already found four of the Buddha statues I need to get a piece of the mirror. And I've managed to find an old document that tells of the location of the fifth statue. 'Make observance to the Buddha at the base of the large gate so that the souls of the piteous maidens can reach up to the heavens.'

If all goes well, no one will ever have to read these notes, and I can use them towards the content of my next book. In closing, I would like to thank my assistant and my partner, Tomoe Hirasaka. If it weren't for the words she left with me, I wouldn't have been able to complete this, my final work. If I don't return, please give her a decent burial.

Signed: Junsei Takamine

The text ended there.

Demon Gate…Holy Mirror…? What was the Demon Gate? What was so important about the Holy Mirror? The only thing Miku knew for sure was that they were somehow connected to the supernatural events happening around here.

Miku then began to examine the altar. All of a sudden, images began to enter Miku's mind.

Several ghastly arms held Mr. Takamine to the ceiling…

"H…e…l…p…" Mr. Takamine wheezed before the arms finished strangling him…

The arms released Mr. Takamine…

Mr. Takamine fell to the floor…

Splat…

The images ended.

So Mr. Takamine was dead. This must be the place where he died. Miku wondered if Mafuyu was still alive.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard howling. Miku shined her flashlight in the direction the sound came from.

She saw a shadowy figure behind a screen. The shadowy figure hovered through the air and speed out of the flashlights way. Miku tried to keep her flashlight locked onto the shadowy figure, but it was too fast.

It then ghosted through the screen.

Miku gasped in horror. It was the ghost of Mr. Takamine.

He had no eyes and his mouth hung open. There were no teeth in his mouth and there were scars on his cheeks.

Mr. Takamine howled before lunging towards Miku. There was barely enough room to move around. Miku ducked just as Mr. Takamine flew over her.

Miku then exited the shrine for more fighting space. Mr. Takamine followed her out. Miku ran down the stairs.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she loaded 37-film into the camera and fired.

Mr. Takamine grunted before vanishing. Although Mr. Takamine was fast, there was plenty of room to maneuver. Also Miku could easily sense him outside.

Every time Mr. Takamine materialized, Miku aimed her camera at him and opened fire.

Eventually Mr. Takamine couldn't take much more. He twisted into a white sphere and exploded in a flash of light. A photo popped out of the camera.

Mr. Takamine had been sealed away by the camera.

Miku then went back inside the shrine. Mr. Takamine was searching the Holy Mirror.

Miku wanted to find it as well. Maybe if she examined it, she might be able to understand what was happening around here.

She then spotted a piece of paper on the ground. Miku picked it up and examined it.

Bury the Rope Maiden's spirit.

Place five Buddha's with her damaged limbs.

The text ended there.

Miku spotted a nearby pedestal. There were four Buddha statues on the pedestal. There was a bloodstain on the pedestal.

The bloodstain resembled a human. The legs and arms had Buddha statues on them. The head didn't have a Buddha statue though.

Miku placed the Buddha statue she had recently found on the head. Just then she heard something unlocked. A small hatch on the altar opened. Miku looked inside and saw something shiny.

Miku slowly pulled it out of the altar. It was a piece of the Holy Mirror.

Just then, several images were forced into Miku's mind.

The Holy Mirror shattered…

People lying around dead…

A man wearing a mask held a rope in both hands…

What was that all about? Just then, Miku sensed something to her left.

Miku looked to her left and saw a large mirror on the wall.

In the mirror's reflection, a woman wearing a white kimono stood behind her. She had long black hair that covered her eyes. Ropes were wrapped around her wrists and ankles.

Miku knew who it was. It was the Rope Shrine Maiden.

Miku spun around. Nobody was there. Miku looked back at the mirror.

The Rope Shrine Maiden slowly walked out of the mirror as if it were made of water. A distorted lump sprouted from her back. Ghastly arms and distorted heads emerged from the lump.

Horrified, Miku tried to exit the shrine. Unfortunately, the doors slammed shut. The Rope Shrine Maiden giggled, then advanced towards Miku.

Miku loaded 74-film into her camera, then opened fire. To her horror, it had no effect. She fired several more shots but there was still no effect. Soon Miku found herself cornered against a wall.

"Feel my pain and suffering…" The Rope Shrine Maiden slowly reached out for Miku.

Miku's eyes widened in horror. She could feel her heart beating rapidly. The Rope Shrine Maiden grabbed Miku's arm.

Miku blacked out.

Miku then felt several ropes wrap around her wrists, ankles, and neck. The ropes began to pull on her limbs. Miku felt great pain. Within seconds, she found herself screaming.

Soon the ropes stopped pulling and the pain subsided.

She then heard the singing of children. The children were circling her while singing.

Miku then woke up. She was inside one of the rooms of the mansion.

Miku was breathing heavily. Was that a dream? It was more like a nightmare. Was that what the Rope Shrine Maiden meant about feeling her pain and suffering?

As Miku stood up to examine the room, she felt something wrapped around her wrists.

Miku looked at her hands and gasped in horror. Ropes were wrapped around her wrists. The ropes faded away revealing rope marks on her wrists.

Miku's skin could actually feel the rope marks. They felt like ropes tied around tied around her wrists.

Miku knew that only meant one thing, the curse was on her now.