The Spider's Web
Words
Naru led the group back to the base.
"We need to exorcize this spirit ASAP. Bou-san and John I want you to go through all of the rooms- (Monk immediately opened his mouth to complain) – yes, Bou-san all of the rooms. The rest of you, don't go anywhere without at least someone else. Mai and Yasuhara make sure you're with someone who can protect themselves and you."
"I can protect myself!" Mai said, offended. Naru stared at her for moment then moved on.
"Ayako, are there any trees here that you could use?"
"Not enough for a full cleansing."
"Oh well. Ayako, you and Yasuhara can go through the rooms with a clipboard and thermometer, I want readings on all of the rooms before and after they are cleansed."
"What about me?" Mai asked, noticing that she was the only person without a job assigned.
"You can stay in base."
"What? What will I do?"
"Check that everything is going smoothly, and collect any information to add to the wall. If that's too difficult for you-"
"It's fine. I'm not stupid." She said angrily.
"Good." The others left as Mai threw herself at a chair, mumbling insults under her breath towards her narcissistic jerk of a boss. Then she realised that her narcissistic jerk of a boss wasn't going anywhere.
"Why are you still here?"
"I would hardly leave you on your own, especially as you're so prone to being attacked by ghosts."
"But what about Lin-san?" She realised that he wasn't there. She twiddled with the ends of her cardigan, bored already.
"How come you can speak English?" She asked after a lengthy silence.
"I'm half English." Naru said quietly. Mai looked at him surprised. Technically there was no reason why he shouldn't be half English. There were loads of half foreign people in Japan. And it would explain the blue eyes and pale skin.
"Why didn't you tell us before?"
"Is it necessary for anyone to know? Anyway, nobody asked."
Mai was silent, realising that actually there were lots of things she didn't know about Naru. She opened her mouth.
"…"
"You're catching flies Mai."
"Naru… the screens…" She crossed the room to where the monitors were. Naru followed her. He surveyed them in silence then quickly left the room. Mai followed him into the corridor.
"Naru? Where are you going?" She jogged to catch up with him.
"Obviously I'm going to check a camera."
"Obviously." Mai muttered.
About five minutes later they came across one. Naru knelt down and checked it. After a while he stood up again and walked onwards.
"Well?"
"Nothing seems to be wrong with it. Apart from the fact that it won't turn on."
"Maybe…" Mai started, but then stopped.
"What Mai?"
"Could there be a problem with the monitors?"
"All of them? And if there was the camera would be on."
"But then what-?"
"Unless…"
"What?"
"Come on Mai." He led them back the way they had come and into base. He picked up a spare camera and gave it to her.
"Take out the battery." He ordered before going over to the desk. She opened the compartment.
"Uh, Naru, there is no battery." She looked up to see him rummaging behind the screens.
"Try another one."
Mai obediently opened another camera. It was completely devoid of battery.
"This one doesn't have a battery either. What are you doing?" She asked.
"What does this look like?" Naru asked, brandishing a black strip of plastic.
"A wire."
"And…?"
"I don't know. Noodles?"
"Don't be silly. What's wrong with it?"
"Er…" She took the wire from his hand and inspected it. Suddenly realisation dawned on her. "It's been cut!"
"Well done." He rolled his eyes.
"Are they all like that?"
"As far as I can see."
"But that means…"
"We're going to have to do this the old fashioned way." Naru said grimly.
Lin finished checking the cameras. The house was completely silent, and slightly eerie. Well, he knew what the problem was. He had better go and tell Noll.
Suddenly, out of nowhere hands wrapped around his throat. Lin scratched at them, but whoever it was was stronger than him. Chocking he whistled and his shiki twisted into the air. They swirled around him but did not attack.
Ah. That meant it was a person. Damn. He mentally sighed.
He kicked the person's leg out, dragging them down, unfortunately on top of him. Luckily the fall made them loosen their grip and he grabbed their hand, twisting it round so that now their other hand scratched at his. He shifted them off of him and froze. His eyes widened in shock.
A square pattern of cuts embedded themselves in his side and he cried out. He rolled out of the way just in time; he could feel the hot wind on his face as the cuts hit his assailant.
John splashed the holy water at the room.
"Amen." He finished. He looked around to see Monk coming in from his cleansing from the room next door.
"Yasu, Ayako you can…" He called as he entered, then his voice died away. "Where are they?" He asked John.
"I thought they were with you."
"Nope. They measured my room first."
"Maybe they've gone back to base."
"Yeah, maybe they ran out of paper or something."
They were silent for a moment.
"This feels bad." John said. "It's like Masako all over again."
"I'm sure it's fine." Monk said, though he didn't sound convinced.
Yasuhara cried out. Suddenly the dead, sullen look in his eyes vanished. He rolled onto his back. There was a crunching, and he immediately rolled back onto his side.
"My glasses!"
"We'll worry about them later." Lin said, jumping up.
"Lin-san? What am I doing here? And why am I on the floor?"
"Long story."
"Ah, well that's all cleared up then." Yasuhara said irritably.
"Right now we've got more important things."
Ayako was advancing, her hands raised again. She started chanting tonelessly.
"Distract her!" Lin whispered in Yasuhara's ear.
"Brilliant. I'm the one who has the most chance of getting hit with some horrible tree spell." He muttered, but got up.
"Er, hey, Ayako. Over here!" The emotionless eyes fixed on Yasuhara. She finished chanting. Yasuhara ducked and the curse flew over his head, breaking a mirror on the wall behind him.
"Oops." He muttered. Ayako started chanting again, only she never finished this time, as Lin knocked her out. She crumpled onto the floor.
"Can you teach me to do that?" Yasuhara asked, but Lin didn't reply.
"Where's Brown-san?" Lin asked.
"Last I remember we were on the first floor somewhere on the east side, in one of the bedrooms."
"Go and get him."
"Er, on my own?"
"Yes."
"Right." Today was definitely not a good day.
"Soo, we're just gonna wait for the others to come back?" Mai asked, watching her legs swing back and forth.
"We wouldn't be able to find them in this maze." Said Naru, also watching Mai's legs.
"I'll call them." Mai dug her phone out of her pocket. She turned her phone on. "Naru, it's not turning on."
He held out his hand. She handed him the mobile. Frowning, Naru searched for his, it was dead as well.
"Mai, come over here." He ordered, feeling a sudden surge of protectiveness towards the tiny girl. Mai connected the dots, gasped and scurried over to him.
"Where is it?"
"I don't know Mai. I'm not a medium."
"There could be nothing…"
"On the other hand, there could be something." They waited in silence as the air turned icy. Their breath glowed in the diming light. There was a scratching behind them, and Naru spun round while putting Mai behind him.
The line etched into the wall, digging into the plaster slowly, as though it was resisting. Mai squinted in the dark. The characters got fainter as they continued. Vaguely she could see a woman with a faint, watery figure carving into the wall.
"Excuse me?" She asked, advancing slowly on the woman. Naru followed her. She looked up furtively. As she saw Mai peering at her with wide eyes she smiled.
"Mai…" The voice was no more than a shadow gently caressing the air.
"You know my name." Mai said, not particularly surprised. The woman smiled and nodded.
"My daughter's…. Mai…" She looked sad for a moment.
"I'm so sorry." The woman looked away. Suddenly she turned back and stared at Mai straight in the eyes.
"Leave. Go. Disappear."
"Why? What's here?" Mai questioned, but she just shook her head.
"Please." She whispered, her eyes filled with a tremendous sadness.
"Tell me what's here with you?"
The woman opened her mouth, a determined glint in her eye. Suddenly she screamed, her eyes wild, and vanished. Mai clamped her hands over her ears and collapsed, but Naru caught her.
"Mai? Mai? What is it?" Naru asked, sincerely worried for her. But Mai couldn't hear him.
The scream was reverberating in her ears, blocking out all other sounds. It was coming from inside her. Suddenly it ended, leaving Mai unable to hear anything. She watched Naru mouth something, without understanding, as her sound gradually filtered back.
"What is it?" Naru asked again.
"The scream…" Mai said quietly.
"Who were you talking to?" Naru asked, and Mai realised that he couldn't see any of it.
"A woman."
"What did she say?"
"You couldn't hear her either?" Mai asked, surprised.
"Would I be asking you if I had?"
"No need to be grumpy. She said to leave. But she wouldn't say anything else. And… her daughter was called Mai."
"Well, we're not leaving until this case is solved."
Mai looked at her feet, feeling inexplicably sad at this.
"But at what cost?" She murmured.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm just tired." Mai said. Naru watched her carefully, her voice was different. Softer, smoother, slower.
"I'll just go to my room…"
"No. Mai, you have to stay in base. You can go when Ayako returns."
"Okay." Naru took a breath, then realised she hadn't argued back. Something odd was going on. He watched her curl up on the sofa.
"Goodnight, Naru." She said. A watched her for a long moment. A smile played with the corners of her mouth, her hair streaked across her face, her long eyelashes fluttered. She shivered slightly. Sighing Naru took off his jacket and draped it over her, before grabbing a file and starting to read. Her glanced up and almost smiled when he saw her small hand clutching onto the jacket for dear life, while she smiled in her sleep.
"Goodnight Mai."
Wow. I haven't updated in like years. First chapter of 2011? I think so.
oops :) forgive me?
Anyway, hope you enjoy.