Morsels
The knock startled everyone. Mai moved away from the door. As afraid as she was of the ghosts in front of her, of all the friends she had loved and killed, what was on the other side of the door scared her more. It wasn't the fear of her death. She would gladly accept that for what she had done. It was the fear of what came after. If she was his forever, did that mean he would control her soul, forcing her to endure the torture of seeing her friends die at her hands again and again?
The knock became louder, shaking the door as someone . . . or something on the other side tried to get in. Suddenly the shaking stopped. A black smoke moved around the door, gathering in front of it. Slowly, a tall thin man formed from the smoke. His pale skin made Naru's look dark. Like Naru, he was dressed in black from head to toe. Ayako stepped back into the bedroom. She knew she needed to make charms . . . now. The men all moved into positions between the new arrival and Mai.
"I must thank you for your assistance. I decided I couldn't wait. My morsel is just too tempting. Thank you for keeping her." He smiled sharp teeth at them. They all noticed his black and red eyes as he gestured to Mai. She wanted to fight, she felt fear crawling along her skin, but couldn't stop her body from responding to his call. "Come, my bride, we must be joined so we can be together."
"She is not your bride," Naru stated, stepping in front of Mai. He recognized the man in front of him from his vision in Mai's apartment. He could feel the evil coming off him.
"Oh, but she is. She promised herself to me. Come, my Mai," he said again. Mai stepped around Naru and walked to him. Her face was emotionless, her eyes dull. Naru tried to block her, but he couldn't move.
"Lin," he said, only to see that Lin was having the same problem. Mai walked up to the tall man, then turned around to look at them. Tears were running down her face. The dark man bent over, smelling Mai's neck. Naru felt his PK tingling under his skin. Lin, Monk, Yasu and John were struggling to move. Ayako was gone. Naru hoped she had a plan before he lost it and used his power.
"You smell so sweet, my dear. Your fear is such an intoxicating aroma." He ran a sharp fingernail down the side of her neck, laughing as blood dripped from the scratch. He could feel the anger from her friends. This was going so much better than he hoped. They had power as well. He preferred girls, but when such delicacies were offered, it was rude to refuse. "Would you like your friends to see what you did to them? Would you like them to see how I broke your sanity?" He laughed, the cold evil sound echoed in the room. He licked the blood from Mai's neck, just to get another strong reaction from the rest. He closed his eyes and revelled in the feeling.
With a few words and the wave of his hand, Mai's memories of the warehouse ran through their heads. It would have been easier to share his thoughts, but her fear was the key. Her begging. That would bring fear to her friends and weaken them so he could take them easier. As the memories took hold, he released his human form. It was easier to feed when he wasn't confined as a human. He could wrap around and in her, taking all of the energy she had left.
Ayako moved. Quickly, she placed a charm on John's chest and he could move. She handed him a second charm. As he touched it, John lost the vision that the evil man had been forcing on him. He said a quick prayer of thanks. Ayako moved behind the couch so she could get to Monk who was the next closest. She didn't want to take a chance that the smoke man would sense her and stop her from helping.
Monk, Lin, Yasu and Naru started shaking as they were forced to watch the torture from Mai's eyes. Monk heard Mai's memories screaming in his mind. She listened as the monster told her she had killed her beloved Bou-san. As he listened, he heard her claiming responsibility. Felt her hating herself. Suddenly it stopped. Monk stopped seeing Mai's memories only to see John preparing to exorcise the demon that stood in front of them. Ayako's hand held something on his chest. He recognized it as one of her charms. She handed him a second one and he could move. Monk nodded as he realized he had control of his body. Behind John, Mai was enveloped in black smoke. Monk remembered Naru's first nightmares. Mai had been killed by a black smoke. This is what he saw. Mai wasn't on the streets, though. She was here. They had changed the circumstances. He knew they would save Mai.
Immediately, John started praying and Monk started chanting. Ayako handed Lin a second charm, awakening him from the terror of Mai's mind. He nodded his thanks when the initial confusion passed from his face and whistled for his shiki. They immediately began to attack. The smoke pulled away from Mai and started reforming as the man. They felt anger roll through the room. Ayako hurried to Yasu next as he was closest. His face was twisted in pain. He looked away from Ayako to watch the others attacking the dark man. He clenched his fists in anger, wishing he could contribute to the demon's demise.
Ayako moved in front of Naru, but paused a moment. A golden glow was coming off his body. The others were fighting the smoke man behind her. She briefly wondered if she would feel the lash of Naru's power when she placed the charms on him, allowing him to control his body again and to break out of whatever mind control he was under. She took a deep breath and placed both charms on Naru's chest. His eyes immediately focused. A gold light bathed his eyes. His anger was stronger than the dark man's. Ayako stepped out of Naru's way and turned around.
"You really think you can hurt me? I will make you all suffer by making you watch her suffer," the reformed man gestured grandly, bowing and stepping away from Mai slightly. "When her beloved died, I saw her sanity crack and flow from her. She now exists only on the edge of madness unable to tell reality from the spirit realms. I will keep her there until watching her ceases to amuse me. Then, I will drain all of her psychic powers and end her existence."
"You will not harm her any more," Monk yelled.
"Really? When I'm done with her, I will do the same to all of you. Do you really think those little charms you're wearing will protect you for long? Paper dries and crumbles. Ink fades." He whipped around and stared at John. "I have been here longer than the son of your God. You may stand today, but tomorrow, you will all be mine as I devour each of your powers . . . one by one."
"Over my dead body," Monk yelled, intending to throw himself at the man, only to be stopped by Lin.
"You will never hurt her again," Naru growled as he held his hands up and pushed his powers toward the smoke man. He held onto the image of Mai breaking as she held the knife she had used to kill the illusion of himself. She had fought . . . fought hard until the smoke man forced her to kill him. It was up to Naru to avenge Mai and he would make sure the demon paid.
The man staggered back under the assault, falling to his knees. Ayako grabbed Naru around his arms and body. Naru heard her voice faintly as she yelled, telling at him to stop. Killing himself wouldn't help Mai. Naru forced his power down as the other three destroyed what was left of the smoke man. Naru stumbled and Ayako helped him into a nearby chair.
Yasu picked up Mai's body from where it had fallen. He carried her back to the bedroom she had been in before the attack.
