I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THIS CHAPTER! I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT I HAVE SELECTED THE SONG I THINK FITS MAI AND NARU'S RELATIONSHIP BEST WITH MINER WORD CHANGES TO MAKE IT FIT BETTER.
SONG-BEAUTIFUL ENDING
SUNG BY-BARLOW GIRL
PLEASE ENJOY AND NO I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT. (*coughcough* disclaimer)
Mai's POV:
I wasn't sure who had set it for me, but the radio next to me had an alarm on it that caused music to play very softly at 6:00 A.M. The song was so pretty, I just listened for a while.
Oh, tragedy So tell me Oh, why do I So tell me Will my life At the end of it all So tell me
Has taken so many
Love lost cause they all
Forgot who they were
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over you
Oh, my selfish heart
Divides me from you
It tears us apart
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Let myself let go
Of hands that painted my stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes my heart beat
I'm lost without you
You're dying for me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
I wanna be in your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in your arms
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
'Cause Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
I smiled sadly to myself as the song ended and I turned off the radio. Would I give up my life for Naru if I had to? I shook my head and sat up. 'Stop being like that', I told myself. Neither him or I will have to worry about that. We'll both stay safe on this case. After a quick shower, I pulled back my hair and brushed my teeth before putting on a light blue sundress and matching flats. I could tell by the way the sun shined through my window that today was going to be a beautiful day.
Walking carefully down the stairs so as to not wake anyone, I peered through a door in the dining room. Just as I suspected. It was the kitchen. Mrs. Laura was sitting at a small table, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper. I accidently made the door squeak as I leaned on the doorframe and she shot from her seat, startled. When she saw it was me, she put her hand over her heart.
"My goodness child. You gave me a fright." She said in English. "I didn't think anyone would be up this early."
"I was woken up by an alarm and I figured I should just go ahead and get up." I told her, priding myself on my English pronounciation and sitting at the table with her.
"An alarm? Oh yes. There was a client of Mr. Davis' that stayed in that room shortly while his house was spiritually exspelled. He liked to get up rather early. I apologize." She had a way of speaking that showed she was trying to show me respect, but at the same time, she had that grandmotherly personality that made me feel safe and at ease.
"You don't have to apologize."
She nodded politely and went to the kitchen's fridge. "I bet you're hungry. I'll make you a little something. Is eggs and bacon okay?"
I nodded enthusiastically. I had only tried eggs and bacon once. I was twelve and my father took me to a diner really early in the morning because he had to get to work and wanted to make sure I was fed. It was the best meal I had ever had. The smell of the food as it cooked brought back so many memories. She sat the big plate in front of me with a smaller plate of toast to the side. She sat a jar of strawberry jelly to the side of th smaller plate and a glass of orange juice to the right of the bigger plate. To say my eyes were bigger than was stomach was an understatement.
I ended up eating the entire thing. Leaning back in my seat, I laid my hands on my stomach. "You sure a good cook Mrs. Laura."
She looked up from her paper. "Thank you Miss. Taniyama."
"You can call me Mai."
She smiled politely but I could tell she wouldn't call me by my first name. Most likely a rule of Mr. Davis'. She took my dishes and started washing them. "You're more than welcome to look around the house while you wait for the others to get up."
Intrigued, I thanked her and made my way out of the kitchen. I started with the downstairs. There was a living room to the right of the front door while the dining room was to the left of it. There was a door behind the stairs that led to a hallway. I didn't bother opening any of the the closed doors except for the door that had Mrs. Laura's name on it. It was her living quarters. One of the other doors had Manuel's name on it and the other door was partially open. It was a bathroom. Walking out of the hallway, I looked through the big arch past the stairs into the sitting room with a grand piano.
Making my way up the stairs, I mentally remembered the rooms that the team had gone into, pointing them out as I walked down the hall, I saw a set of double doors that was obviously the master bedroom. Naru's room was to the left of the double doors and there was also a door to the right of them. The door had a golden name plate on it that read, "Life is eternal and love is immortal; And death is only a horizon, And a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." - Rossiter W. Raymond.
What a sad quote...I didn't know what the door was for but since there was no one that could be in there, I took my chances and opened it slowly. The room had a dark blue theme. There was a full sized bed with dark blue covers, a mahogany dresser, a mahogany desk and chair set, and a large dark blue chair next to the window. The dark blue drapes on the window were drawn tightly shut. I may have been imagining it, but this room had a sadness in it. I touched the desk's edge lightly and had to shudder. There was a paper on the desk. It was obvious that whoever was last in this room, everyone had chosen to leave it as it was.
Sitting at the desk's chair, I looked at the paper. It was a letter.
Dear Oliver,
I hope you get this letter soon. I know how they seem to wait forever to give you your letters there. I still can't believe you're not here...Father will let you come home soon. I'm sure of it. Boarding school was too harsh, even for him. Mother and I miss you. A lot...How have your classes there been? Father fired Mrs. Laura. Again. He called her back to work not even two hours later when he wanted his coffee. Go figure huh? Father left to handle a new case. He didn't let mother or I come with him. I've gotta go make mother some tea. Be careful and please don't belittle any of the superiors no matter how much more intelligent you are. I couldn't stand it if one of them hit you or something...
And as for your last letter's question: I don't know how to handle a girl that won't leave you alone. She probably likes you.
I love you,
Gene
I covered my mouth with one hand and reached forward with the other to touch the letter. As my fingers made contact, I saw a bright flash that blinded my vision. When the flash faded, the hand that touched the paper wasn't mine. I could just barely make out the black bangs that hung in my face as I looked down. The door to the room was thrown open then by Naru's mother. She was crying. "Gene! Get yourself in the car now! Your father called and said we can go pick of your brother! He's coming home for good!"
I thought I felt tears well in my eyes as I shot from the chair and ran out the room. Before I reached the stairs, the light flashed again and I was myself. I dropped both hands in my lap and looked down at the desk. Lifting one hand up carefully, I tried to touch the paper again but a voice startled me.
"What are you doing in here?" I gasped and looked at the cracked door. It was Naru. He looked angry but his expression softened when I looked at him. "Why are you crying?"
"I...I don't know...I saw..." More tears fell from my eyes as the full realization finally came down. This was Gene's room. The quote on the door now made sense. I had entered and disturbed the fragile peace of this room...
Naru picked my up and sat in the desk's chair, sitting me in his lap. He held me close and let me cry for the longest time until I was able to speak. "Why did your father send you to boarding school?"
He was silent for a while. I almost thought he hadn't heard me and was going to ask again when he finally spoke. "My father and I fought...a lot...he didn't like me very much...after one of those fights, he sent me away to boarding school...the very next fight we had after that is what led my mother to send me away to Japan...the war starting and all, she was afraid he'd force me to fight if there was no other way out for me."
"Did your father have to fight?"
He shook his head. "No. At the time, my father had already reached the age when he was too old to fight. Plus he regularly has small heartattacks. He didn't qualify."
My last question stuck in my throat. After much effort, I managed to ask. "When...did your brother die?"
I looked up through my lashes to find Naru staring at the letter on his brother's desk. "Two years ago...the day I was supposed to come home from boarding school..." Naru looked down, covering his eyes with his bangs. With shaking hands, I touched his face, unsure of what else I could do to comfort him. He suprised me but holding my hands to his face with his own hands. "Thank you..."
"Why are you thanking me?" I whispered, worried.
"For giving me someone to talk to about everything...I think that might be what I need..." He looked up at me and gave me that rare, warm smile that made my heart skip a beat. I was about to say your welcome when the door was swung open by his mother.
"What..." He eyes flipped around the room wildly and she covered her mouth before walking off quickly.
I looked back to Naru who had panic all over his face. He lifted us both to our feet and rushed us from the room before shutting the door. His mother was leaning on the banister, her hand still over her mouth. "Stay here..." He whispered, rushing to his mother's side. The woman looked so fragil as she leaned against her son who held her. I tried furiously to wipe away the tears on my face and try not to be noticed as the woman cried.
"You both...have to stay out of that room...no one can go in there...do you understand me? If your father finds out you went in there..." She paused, obviously not wanting to finish the sentence. She pulled away from her son and wiped her eyes with a hankerchief Naru had handed her. "Now, let's all go down for breakfast." She walked quickly downstairs, leaving Naru and me alone.
"I'm so sorry...I didn't know..." I looked at the floor, the tears spilling all over again.
I didn't realize Naru had walked up to me until I was being pulled into his arms. "Don't cry...you were unaware that the room was off limits. It isn't your fault."
"I should've figured it out and left the room..." I cried softly.
"Mai." He said with gentle authority that made me look at him.
He kissed me softly. "Don't cry...please...it's alright. She gets like that sometimes. She's doing a lot better." He hugged me till I had stopped crying. "Let's get downstairs. Breakfast time."
"I actually already ate." I smiled sheepishly.
He laughed mildly. "You've been up for quite a while havn't you?" He took my hand and led me down the stairs. "After I eat, do you want to go somewhere with me?"
"Sure." As breakfast unfolded, I swore to myself I'd never enter that room again.
