Chapter 3

Taka

Story by Radix
Storyline: White Kimono Girl
Idea and Dairy: Kiku

Note of disclaimer: I don't own Fatal Frame. Temco own Fatal Frame

Fearing myself for that day will come, I lost my sanity that the vision I have. It becomes stronger in everyday until I couldn't control it anymore. What is it trying to tell me? What is the answer? I couldn't find here. I don't want to become a burden. Only one thing I have to do. The place I have to go there again to find the answer. To the place I fear the most….

Mayu Amakura

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Three day later …

Mayu sat alone in the concerned feeling about the vision, it is the third day, Mayu felt peaceful for the vision didn't appear suddenly like the last time at the school garden. But it doesn't lay a rest for Mayu, as she couldn't promise herself that vision would be there, giving a surprise visit to her, bought her to the strange and unknown place .

Even Mio noticed her moody and less active as she dazed most of the time as mind still preoccupied the vision, tried to understand the mean behind the vision attacks. The place she visited and people she saw in her vision. It made no sense at all. Mayu looked at the front, noticed somebody staring at her. It was her sister, sitting front row in from the classroom, looking back. Mio couldn't concentrate in class as her attention turned on Mayu. She knew Mio worries. Maybe Mio noticed her for glum behavior for past three days.

Mayu pretended to face somewhere else, reading the text book Mayu felt sorry to avoid Mio when her sister showing concern about her. But Mio sake, she couldn't reveal her vision to her, as she feared that the vision might affect her sister too. Mayu eyes looked up at Mio as her head facing the textbook, wondered that her sister still looking at her. There is she was, looking back at Mayu without caring her sister avoid eye contact.

"Miss Mio, Is it there some wrong?" The teacher asked, tapping her foot as she waiting Mio to answer. "Nothing," Mio turned her head and tried to pay attention to the class. As she turns, she accidentally knocked her pencil case to the ground and scatters her thing around under her table. "I am sorry." Mio apologies, she had cause the disturbance to the class. Mio tried to pick up her thing up and found difficult to do so. She couldn't bend her left to knee too much as the pain startle her when she tried.

Mio could do is to bend her body down from her sitting place as she outstretch her arm to reach her thing. She managed to pick the pencil case and some pens but the rest of her thing still on the floor as she couldn't reaches it. Mio looked up and saw the other classmate staring at her. Some of them tried to cover their smile to see Mio tried picking up her thing. They knew Mio knee problem but they seem less bother to help her out, they just sitting there and watching Mio suffer herself to pick up her thing.

Mio took a glimpse on Mayu and hope her sister come for her aid. "Mayu… I need you" Mio whispered to herself. Mayu sat there, seem looking in other direction. Mio felt isolate from her sister like the classmate does always. "What happen to Mayu?" Mio thought. "Why is treating me like this." In Mio heart, Mayu always there for her when she needed. But now Mayu seldom talks with her lately and hide thing from her. Mio don't understand her sister anymore as if like change a different type of person. Not the same Mayu she knew before….

Mayu sat there with her eyes staring out from the window, looking at the school garden from the distance. "Azura black forest" Mayu whispered to herself as the tree on the garden bought her back to memory of her vision. Started her memory with the girl climbing up to the tree, tried to grab the pendent. Mayu shouted the girl not to further her step as the branches started to crack, unable to support her weight. The girl press on as she tried to reach with one of her arm extended out to grasp the pendent and other arm clinching the branches. Almost few inch, she almost grab the pendent with her tremble hand. But she slipped as she loses her grip on the branches and she fell to the dark chasm.

Mayu stood there like a stone, watching the girl fall to her dead. In Mayu eyes, the girl fall and looked at Mayu with sad face, not fear. Seem the girl knew what would happen to her, taking a risk on her life.

"Mayu… psst Mayu." Somebody called her Mayu with a soft voice at her side. Mayu looked and saw her best friend calling her name. "Huh?" Mayu replied as she still daze of thinking about the vision. "Are you okay?" Hoshi asked, checking on Mayu. "I am fine. Why do you ask? " Mayu asked back. Hoshi give a funny look on her face, seem Mayu didn't noticed her sister in trouble. " What is wrong with you girl? Mio is in trouble…" Hoshi eyes moved to left, signal Mayu to look in front.

Mayu looked in front and found Mio tried picked her thing. "Well, can someone help her out?" The teacher asked, annoyed as the time being waste to waited Mio. "Anyone?" The teacher asked again, seem no one wanted to offer to help Mio. Mayu stood up but she return back to her seat as one of the classmates walked past her. A boy headed out to Mio table and started picked her thing. Mio looked a bit afraid and shy as the boy hands her thing to her. " Thanks…Taka" Mio said with a weak voice, quickly places it into her pencil case. "No problem, " Taka return with a smiles as he return back to his seat.

"Okay, Lets return back to the subject, as you know that..." The teacher resumes his teaching. Mio sat and concentrate her study…

After the class over, the class started buzzing as they discuss about the plan for school holiday as the days arrives soon. Only Mio sat alone in the class and wondered about her sister. She didn't care about the classmates chattering as her mind focus on Mayu. Mio walked over to Mayu table and asked about the beach holiday. "Mayu…about the beach holiday." Mio said. "What about it? Mio" Mayu looked up." I…wonder we can …" Mio said with soft jitter voice.

"You mean. Can we cancel the trip? Well you decide okay," Mayu shouted aloud and asked Mio, is that the question that she wanted to ask. Mayu turn her sight to the window, she lose interest to have conversation with her sister since Mio decided to cancel the trip by judging Mio face. "Mayu, Mayu" Mio called her name but Mayu ignore her. "I was wonder we can go shopping for swimsuit." Mio leave with heavy heart after say to her sister. Mayu looked up as Mio walked away and heading out from the classroom, she felt sorry for the bad treatment.

"Hey that is not nice." Hoshi gently hit on Mayu back, but Mayu didn't give any reaction. "What's wrong with you?" Hoshi sat on table and give a sharp look at Mayu. "Nothing. " Mayu replied back with a sigh as still couldn't take off the vision from her mind.

"Come, you could share your problem. At least you have one right now" Hoshi laugh as she intended to light up Mayu. "I said nothing." Mayu replied with harsh tone. The chattering dies down as the classmate turn their attention the commotion between Mayu and Hoshi. Hoshi felt shock as Mayu pushed away her. Hoshi look at in disbelief,

"I am sorry" Mayu stood up and walk away from the classroom, tried to find a better place to calm her thought. "Mayu…wait." Hoshi stood there , watching her best friend leaving the classroom.

Meanwhile…

Mio walked down the garden alone as her memory recall back Mayu said that hurt her badly. "Why…why you treat me like this?" Mio weep, she never thought Mayu would shout at her. Mio started to think Mayu fed up with her. Fed up all the trouble that she causes. Fed up of taking care of her. Mio felt Mayu misery deep in her heart as she knew she would became a burden to almost everyone.

As she walked down to pavement that lead the way to the garden's pond, she saw two female student sat under the tree, laugh away as they chat. Mio stood there for a while, watching them. One of them reading a book and the other companion sat besides her, listening her friend reading like what Mayu and Mio had done before when they were young.

Mio leave them alone as she continues her way to the garden. Once again Mio reached the garden alone, sat down the same spot as her eyes gazed the pond beauty scenery. Mio tilt her head down and look at her sad face reflection on the pond. "I must be strong like Mayu. So Mayu will not hate me." Mio swears to herself, tried to put smile on her face as she uses the pond surface as a mirror. Her reflection didn't put a smile, as Mio doesn't now but showing a sorrow face. It reminds her of someone; sudden an instant memory came to her mind. Mio pulled her head away from the pond as fast as possible. Mio move away from the pond as her heartbeat rapidly. Mio tried to reach her pendent and found her necklace that tie with the pendent was missing. "No, the pendent, where is it." Mio eyes frantic look everywhere to search her missing pendent, she must find it as it only mother gift as the remembrance of hers.

"Please, come out." Mio started to cry, as she couldn't find it anywhere. "Over here." A soft female voice whispered, asking Mio to come to the pond. Mio stopped cry as her fears grows, knew the girl would there to harm her. "You drop your pendent here," The voice told Mio the pendent whereabouts. Mio looked around to see anyone able to help her but seem that is no one around.

"Mio, I will never hurt you as you hurt me before. Remember the hospital where Yumi asleep forever. You and I…" The voice recalled the incident to Mio. " Enough. I don't want to listen" Mio close her ears as she shouted the voice to stop it. "Pendent will be mine if you don't come to collect." The voice threatens Mio to come, using the pendent as Mio weakness. "No" Mio pleaded as she walks slowly toward the pond where the voice beckoned her to come.

Mio sat on the flatted surface rock and looked to the pond again, saw the pendent lying deep under the water, glittering as the sunlight hit on it surfaces. "Put your hands and grab it." The voice instructed her. Mio sat with doubtful look, knew the pond depth is quite deep for her. "Don't worry. You can reach it." The reflection appeared on the water surfaces, telling her that pond is not that deep. Mio nods her head as her eyes fix on the pendent, it seem look quite near from Mio perception eyes view.

Mio bend her body down as she dipped her hand on the cold crystal water. Mio stop for a moment, as her hands couldn't reach it. "Deeper, You almost take back what you have lost." The voice encouraged her to carry on. Mio pushes her hand deeper until the cold water touch her elbow and continue to rise almost toward her shoulder as Mio kept pushing herself deeper.

Still out from her grasp, Mio slowly slide a little to the edge, give her to stretch little further and unnoticed that she almost going to fell. A sudden strong grip on Mio shoulder and pulled away from the pond. Mio looked and surprise that Taka pulled her away from the pond.

"Mio, what are you doing? You almost fell. Do you know how deep is it?" Taka scolding her with concerning voice, Mio tilts her head down. "I am sorry. I don't mean to yell at you. " Taka apologized for his rude behavior, shouting at her. But he is bit jumpy when come to Mio.

"Taka…" Mio called his name as she bite her lower lips. Taka stood there waiting her to say something. Mio didn't except to ask someone help before but the pendent still lying in the bottom of the pond, waited for her to collect it. "What it is?" Taka asked with impatient tone, waiting Mio to say something. "I…drop…" Mio said in shy soft tone.

"You drop something in that pond." Taka asked with clear voice, Mio nods her head and staring at the pond, worry about the girl waiting for her. " Let me help you" Taka walked toward to the pond as Mio follow behind him closely behind his back.

"Mio, you not need to follow to close back to me." Taka said with discomfort tone, as Mio bumped to him. "I am sorry" Mio said with embarrass tone, she slowly back of a little. "Where is the your thing" Taka asked as he looked the pond bottom, to search her thing. "It is over there" Mio pointed her finger to that area she saw her pendent earlier. "There is it. I see it." Taka shouted, manage to spot the pendent. Taka sat at the rock surface, tried to reach it. Mio stood there far from the pond and waited patiently.

"Mio, It is too deep" Taka sighed in frustration after judging the pond depth; He sat up and looked at Mio sad face. He couldn't give up easily as he knew that pendent is meaningful to her. "Never Taka… I try to find a way." Mio had to give up her pendent, she apologies to him for the trouble she had cause. "Do not worry, I got it fix." Taka gave wink to Mio. Mio didn't understand what Taka means.

Taka turned around and hops down into the pond from his seat on the flat surface rock. "Taka…" Mio ran over as she saw him sank down. For a second, Taka resurfaces with a pendent on his hand and shouting with joy. "Mio. I got, I told you I got it fix" Taka said with happy tune. Mio astound for a moment, she couldn't believe that he would do that. "What is the matter?" Taka asked her, floating up and down. "Taka, you are soaking wet." Mio asked, point her finger on Taka clothes. Taka smiles as he swims to the edge of the pond. Taka walked to Mio with his soggy clothes and passes her pendent to Mio. "Thanks…Taka and I am sorry that you going into trouble to help" Mio said with shy manner. Mio looked confused as Taka laughing.

"Well, It is a hot day, I guess I take swim for a while. Not a big deal" Taka making silly joke, tried to make Mio laugh. He never saw Mio laugh or smile before since they became classmate for two years. Mio would just sit there alone or sometime she beside her sister, accompany her during her sister conversation. Mio seem almost lonely if Taka didn't count Hoshi the noisemaker bugging Mio now and then. Taka wondered Mio sometimes why she is so isolated with other.

Taka felt his plan fail as Mio stood there, gave her emotionless expression. "I think I have to go." Taka walked away with embarrassment. The soggy sound trail behind him for each move he made. But he stopped as he heard Mio began her soft laugh, Taka turned around and saw the first time Mio smiled. Taka amazed Mio looked beautiful when she smiled. "I am sorry." Mio covered her smiles with her hand; it is rude to laugh at person that helped her. "It is okay. Do you mind to walk with me back to the entrance? " Taka said as he didn't mind Mio smiles. "Okay" Mio slowly walked toward him with her head tilt down.

As they silently walk together. Taka noticed Mio felt uncomfortable, as her both hand clamp together and her left thumb repeatedly flick around her right thumb. "Mio…Mio" Taka called her name repeatedly, Mio looked nervous. "What is the matter?" Taka asked, tried to started with a conversation with her. Mio shook her head, saying nothing.

Taka couldn't think other way to talk with a girl doesn't want to talk. It was a difficult task for him to knew her better." Must I give up?" Taka thought in his mind. "Taka..." Mio finally spoke as they walking in silence" Why you are there?" Mio asked in direct manner as she curious about him appearing. "I was walking and I saw you there." Taka lied. Mio nodded her head as she continues walking without saying anything.

"The pendent, you care about it, is it some special give to you?" Taka asked. Mio nodded her head without reply again. "Is it boyfriend give it to" Taka made a wild guess. "No, It is my mother gift, she died during the accident." Mio said with soft tone. Taka understood why Mio was so anxious to get back without notice the danger.

"Well, At least is safe in your hand." Taka smiled but Mio kept silence and started to slow down her pace. "Safe?" Mio wondered the word of safe. She remembered the girl face appearing in the pond surface. Mio thought she would be gone forever.

"Mio, do you have friend, " Taka asked,
"I…I have friends…" Mio said with uncertain tone, she knew she had no friend compare with Mayu has a lot.
"Well, if you minus Hoshi out." Taka said
"Ah…" Mio leave speechless.

"I want to be your friend. "Taka boldly asked her, hoping Mio would accept him but Mio stood there. "Well, nothing special or worry about," Taka started to worry Mio may reject him as a friend as they never talk each other before

"Yes" Mio nodded her head. Taka pull out a smile as Mio said yes. Taka ran back to Mio and they started to walk together back to their dormitory.

"Could you put a smile?" Taka request.
"No…why Taka" Mio asked in timid tone.
"Nothing. You look nice when you smile"

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Meanwhile…

Mayu returns back to her dormitory, calling her sister name. She wanted to apologize Mio about shouting her during the class. "Mio…I am sorry" Mayu shouted across the corridor, hoping Mio heard her. But Mayu didn't hear any reply from Mio in her own room.

"Mio" Mayu called again and stood in front Mio door, knocking. She touched the doorknob but soon her hand letting go the doorknob as Mayu didn't what to say to her. Her memory bought her back to the classroom when Mio walked away from her sister sight, never turned back. Mayu felt guilt to hurt her sister heart, pushed her away when she tried to said something.

Mayu could hear whisper came out from Mio room, it was so faint that Mayu could barely heard as if two person inside her room. Mayu placed her ears and pressed against it, listening the faint sound. Mayu could hear a rough man voice spoken with angry tone. As the man complete his word, then a girl voice appeared, Mayu knew that is not Mio, her voice was spoken soft but wuth a confident tone.

"Father, I am sorry, " The girl apologies with crying tone.
"Sae, you must understand, it our duty to close the hellish gate. You and Yae knew it, but why…" the man shouted.
"I am sorry." The girl said repeatedly with crying voice.
"Yae must return, she must be punish…the ritual is ruin. RUIN!" the man shouted.

"No, father. Please don't." the girl protested. Mayu could hear a soft thud as someone fall to the ground. "Father, I will go…I will prepare. What the ritual need…is me only" The girl said,

Mio room became quiet as the conversation ended, "Mio…" Mayu tried to turn doorknob but it lock from inside. Was Mio listen a radio? Mayu knew Mio had a radio in her room but rarely turn it on. "Mio. Are you there?" Mayu called her name again and knock Mio door, tried asked Mio open the door. Suddenly a loud bang on the door from inside Mio room, send Mayu stumble backward to the wall. The door kept banging from inside repeatedly and the doorknob turns violently left and right, tried to open by force.

"Mio!" Mayu shouted her sister but she didn't move toward the door as her fear stopped her. Mayu felt helpless to do anything as panic strikes her. The banging stopped and so as the doorknob, then the sound soft clicks as the door lock being unlocked.

Mayu stood there in front Mio door, as it slowly swings open, letting a long creaking sound. "Mio…" Mayu walked to her room and looked for her sister.

Then the door slowly shut tight behind her as she entered the room. Mayu had entered another vision. A vision may not allow her to escape as someone waited her.

To be continue.

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Character Change

For the reader found different after reading chapter three, most probably some of them curses about the character change. In our story, we have switch place with Mio and Mayu. Mio has all Mayu character, with soft spoken person and injury knee and Mayu has all Mio character.

Well, we are sorry to change it with a reason. We hope you will read out new chapter.

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The New Born novel members.