Hanging Haunted: Chapter 7
-
June 27
Day 3 (1:57 AM)
Mai sighed, restless.
She had told Ayako and Masako everything that had happened between herself and Naru that night (though she decided to leave out there part where he threatened to make Naru remember it out). Of course, she had silently requested for the boys to leave before doing so, as to not embarrass herself any further (she had backup, of course). Ayako congratulated her on finally getting to first base with the stubborn man, but Mai kept in mind her previous…encounters with Naru (refer back to The Sweet Taste of Death).
Masako had been quite puzzled at that moment after Mai had finished explaining her situation. She wasn't nearly as upset as she thought she would (or should) be. In fact, Masako couldn't help but feel a twinge of happiness for her friend, although she knew she shouldn't since they were rivals.
Mai placed a hand on the medium's shoulder, bringing the doll-like girl out of her thoughts. She probably looked ridiculous with that stupid dazed look on her face, Masako though, shaking her head as if to get a hold of herself. Looking up, she smiled. "I'm happy for you, Mai, but if it were me…I'd rather not have him possessed while kissing."
Ayako's mouth thinned into a straight line as she realized that Masako was completely right. It was like sucking face with another man! Now that she thought back on it, she felt sorrier for her than anything else. The only thing that the miko could think at the time was: crash and burn.
Mai covered her face and fell back, her head coming in contact with the arm of the couch a little harder than she had expected. This only managed to make her headache worsen. "That's what I keep telling myself over and over again. Naru would never seriously kiss my like that, you know?" her voice became muffled underneath her clammy hands.
"Say," Ayako started again, wanting to change the subject as fast as possible. "Was it scary?"
Mai then folded her arms across her stomach and nodded, her eyes widening with just the thought of how scared she was. There was no use denying it. Anyone who was about to be raped probably felt the same way as her, even if by someone close to them, like it had been in her case. "My heart was pounding so hard against my chest I thought it would break a few of my ribs. I could barely breathe; Naru's heavier than I thought."
Smiles broke out onto their faces as Mai joked around, laughing. They rarely ever had girl moments like this, and Mai felt that they should have them a lot more often.
The door suddenly opened in the midst of their giggles, creaking ajar as the monk who had been waiting patiently outside popped his head into the room. He held a nervous look on his face, afraid if said any wrong word that Ayako would begin throwing objects at him just as she had done when telling him to leave the first time (remember when I told you Mai had backup?).
"C–Can I come in?"
From this question he received a death glare. Ayako finally sighed, realizing she was being too tough on him. They were practically done talking about it anyway. The miko looked over towards Mai for permission, and nodded for Bou-san to enter when Mai accepted.
The monk sighed in relief, stepping into the room in a very casual manner as if he had never been scared in the first place. He glanced over at Mai. "I checked outside again. He's still nowhere to be found. It's kind of hard to find someone that dresses in all black, you know? I'm sorry, Mai." Smiling with tired eyes, Mai waved her hand to indicate that she really wasn't bothered by it, but thankful that he cared about her.
John stepped in behind him, the clanks of porcelain against porcelain catching their attention as he entered with a tray of tea. He set it down gently onto the coffee table, letting Mai get first pick. "Maybe he's somewhere off of this property?" he suggested, turning towards the monk with a concerned face.
"But think about it," Bou-san clarified for them simply, "if his spirit was trapped in this house or on this property, it would be unlikely for him to leave, which is good and bad for its own reasons. It's good because if he could leave, we might have another serial killer on our hands, this time in Naru's body, plus we know he's nearby (although that thought isn't very comfortable). It's bad because he can strike whenever he wants. We'll just have to pull all nighters until this case is resolved and we can free Naru of this spirit."
They all sighed, disappointed.
Mai looked up surprised. "Hey, where's Lin? I noticed he wasn't in on our depressed fest."
Ayako huffed and shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't think that man even has enough emotion to be depressed, Mai. Maybe he's a little pissed off, but not depressed. An apathetic Lin is more like him," she said as a matter-of-factly, nodding to herself as if she were agreeing.
In the secluded corner, Bou-san brooded. Why was it that Lin and Naru were so special? Why did she pay so much attention to them? It was useless to think about, the monk realized, composing himself. Why did he care so much anyway? "Lin is on the phone with Madoka. I heard her screaming from the other end saying something about knocking some sense into Naru when she gets over here."
"Nothin' like a good punch from Madoka to make things all better," Mai whispered to herself with a content sigh. Yes, everything just seemed to get better when Madoka was around. She was like the mother of your best friend who was really cool and acted like your own mother when you were away from home. Such things Mai had never really thought about until now, when she needed the mother of her best friend that would comfort her in place of her own and make her feel all satisfied
Once Lin got off the phone with everyone's favorite pink-haired character, he joined the rest of the team in the base. It seemed to surprise her when he reached for the last cup of tea gratefully and sat in his chair like nothing was bothering him. He probably really tired and upset over the whole Naru thing. "Okay," Bou-san started suddenly and stood up, startling them as he did so. His voice adopted a tone of authority as he explained (or more like enforced) his brilliant plan, "Since not many of us can stay awake for much longer, I suggest we take shifts watching Mai. Lin, of course, has already nominated himself."
The Chinese onmyoji glared daggers at the monk, taking a sip of his tea. This action seemed to cause a great deal of fright for the monk, for he hid behind the unsuspecting Ayako (who also glared at him as if telling him to write his will now).
"S–So who wants to be second?"
When no one answered, John sighed and raised his hand like the Good Samaritan he was. "I will, if that's okay with you," he offered to Mai, his eyes pleading for someone–ANYONE–to object, but in the end he was left to second shift. Masako bowed her head with an apologetic look plastered onto her face. Her hand landed on his should in a comforting manner.
"I will take the third shift," she said, her reply muffled by the sleeve of her kimono.
"If we need it, I'll take fourth," Ayako said, yawning.
Bou-san nodded. "Now that that's settled, we should figure out how to break this news to Fujisaki-san and Tetsuya…"
-
(2:41 AM)
Mai yawned as she lie awake, listening to the hypnotic tapping of keys on Lin's laptop and the occasional page flip of John's book. It was technically the priest's turn to keep watch over her, but since Lin was researching anyway, neither of them minded having him around just for the company. Multiple cans of soda and mugs once filled to the brink with steaming coffee littered the table in front of Mai. After what had transpired between herself and Naru, she was bent on remaining conscious even if it meant twenty trips to the kitchen and filling her system with an amount of caffeine that was most definitely health threatening. Well, someone did tell her to drink fluids.
Of course, the consequences of her actions came back quite quickly.
Mai realized this as the sudden urge to urinate overcame her. She scrunched her face in an unpleasant way and twisted her leg together in hopes that it would pass over her like a quick spell. But just as all things do not work out like planned, neither did Mai's idea. She now regretted drinking so much.
Mai also regretted pushing off her blanket which provided her warmth in the cold night air. This action caught John's attention. He quickly marked his place and looked up at her with a smile once he had put his book down. "Is there anything you need, Mai? I can get it for you."
Mai nodded her head hastily, wasting no time with words. She stood, shifting her weight from one side to another constantly while holding her bladder as a direct and obvious sign that she had to go. The priest, being as innocent as he was, just bobbed his head up and down, blushing cutely at her childish gestures. He quickly guided her out of the room, but not before stopping to tell Lin they would be back in a while (he received no reply, however).
Once she was finished and had hastily washed her hands, Mai grabbed John by the arm and dragged him back into the room, much to his surprise. He had never seen someone in such a rush, but he figured Mai couldn't help herself. After all, it was quite scary knowing that someone was out to get you. The most frightening thing though, was the fact that he probably had the spare house key. They couldn't find it anywhere (plus Bou-san was positive that Fujisaki had giving it to him before leaving earlier).
The priest looked upon her with pity although he knew she didn't want it. He just couldn't help but feel sad, confused, angry, and worried for her. He usually didn't feel like such, since Mai was always one to express herself on her own. But now that Naru was involved, she was having quite a bit of trouble letting her emotions free.
Mai rested against the door once they had successfully gotten back inside, her breath coming out in strained huffs. She was scared; it was pretty plain to see, plus her fever didn't help her much.
John sighed, offering to help her back to the couch but she simply pushed his hands away and went on her own. He frowned slightly and continued reading his book, waiting for his time to end.
-
Mai opened her chocolate brown orbs to find herself floating in a black abyss. It was odd because ever since they had come to the Fujisaki residence, she never once had a dream like this. Her feet came in contact with some sort of solidness she had assumed was the ground, and straightened herself, looking past the many willow-wisps that drifted upwards.
She knew this in her usual dreams. He would appear soon…
Just as Mai expected, out of the darkness manifested a figure–one that Mai recognized all too well.
"Naru," she said with a laughing tone in her voice. She sighed in relief. It had almost seemed as if he wouldn't appear in this case either, the thought of which alarmed her. She was glad to see him again.
Gene smiled, patting her head as if to tell her she was a good girl. Mai blushed, but retreated. He past experiences with Naru…must've been too much for her to handle in just one night. He sighed mentally, making a reminder to bitch slap his younger brother the next time they got in contact.
"Mai, I'm sorry about what happened. I'm sure that…he'll come to his senses soon," he said, his words chosen with the utmost caution and consideration. Everything he said was done in such a manner. If Mai found out before time was due…he wouldn't know what he'd tell her.
The girl currently in question nodded, pain evident in her eyes. Deciding that changing the topic was quite appropriate at the moment, she turned to look around her and said in a most confused voice, "Why did you show me those dreams before, Naru?"
"You mean 'dream'. Only one was shown to you by me. A spirit residing in this house must've shown you the other. You were practically reliving her experience. I showed you how she was killed. The spirit probably showed you happened prior to her death, if she was, in fact, Emi."
Mai nodded her head slowly, though a bit confused.
"The only reason that serial killer has made a move is probably because he knows you're seeing these things. Always watch your back, Mai. Even in broad daylight," Gene warned, his voice a tad edgy. The hand on her shoulder tightened with concern.
Mai understood this unspoken unease.
"Before I go, Mai," he started again, a small ghost of a frown on his face, "check out the attic for me. Report what you find, but do not go unless someone is accompanying you, understand?"
And with that, he was gone.
-
(3:24 AM)
Mai gasped, sitting up a little faster than she would've liked. The room around her began to spin like ingredients in a mixer. Suddenly, a power both comforting yet cold, forced her to lie back down onto the soft couch. When she reopened her eyes, she found an emotionless Lin and sympathetic medium above her.
The onmyoji was the first to move. He stood straight and coughed a little, embarrassed for being so concerned in Mai's affairs. "I'll make us some tea," he offered quietly, stalking out of the room.
Mai sighed as Masako rested a hand on her warm forehead. She frowned, brushing the annoying strands of her friend's hair out of her face. "You fever has done nothing but get worse. Are you stressed about something? You know…Naru would be scolding you if he were here right now."
The medium did not receive anything close to a reply, but instead, a small huff.
Mai's stubbornness would never change.
The door creaked open as Lin pushed his way inside with a tray balancing three tea cups. After setting it down gently on the coffee table in front of the two girls and taking his own, he retreated back to his chair and sat as if nothing had happened. His face suddenly became lit with the soft glow of his laptop's desktop as he simply tapped the mouse pad.
From beside Mai, Masako cringed as if she were in pain. Her friend, snapping out of her daydreaming, turned with alarm. "Masako? Masako, are you okay?"
"Another one…Another one has appeared," she said, her breathing labored. Mai's outstretched arm offered the girl some support, but she looked up to Lin for help. The onmyoji, however, was already on it. Grabbing the medium by the waist he directed her over towards the couch and gently forced her to sit.
He quickly took her untouched teacup which lie on the table, his calm face reflecting in it until he picked it up and brought it up to the girl's pale lips. She drank it unsteadily, pushing his hand away when she had had enough.
Mai sat next to Masako, throwing her arm over her shoulder in a comforting manner (but which didn't seem to help at all). "Maybe the sickness is spreading?" she said thoughtfully, giving her friend's shoulder light squeeze. Both Lin and Masako glance at Mai with frowns. The girls shrugged, not knowing what she had done to earn such faces from them, especially from Lin.
The medium sighed, "Another spirit, I meant…Ever since the day after we arrived, multiple spirits started making their presences known." Masako frowned as she received strange looks from Mai and Lin. "What? I didn't tell you?"
The Chinese man frowned and stood, walking back over to his chair.
"Where are they, Masako?" Mai inquired, slightly befuddled, "In the house, I mean…"
"Different places. A few in the kitchen, others are in the art room, but most are in the attic," she answered, recovering quickly from her small attack.
"In the attic, huh?"
Masako's eyes narrowed as Mai leaned her head back against the couch in a thinking position. "But it's not like you could do anything about it, Mai. You're practically useless in all of our cases, just a target that leads the spirits our way. That's all," she stifled a smirk behind the sleeve of her sleeping kimono (she knew full well it was improper, but like hell she was going to change back into a kimono).
"Whoa," Mai said in defense, her hands flying up as if to protect herself from the medium's harmful words, "I don't see you being any more helpful than me!"
"Well, Mai it's about time you open your eyes, then."
"Why, you–!"
Masako dodged a pillow that was advancing fast. It flew past her, landing quite roughly on the wall behind her. Clenching her teeth with distaste, she grabbed a pillow of her own and lifted it above her head, ready to strike. Mai prepared herself as well, her arms forming an 'x' in front of her, shielding her face from the medium's brutal attack.
Lin sighed.
If only Naru were here, he'd surely bitch slap the two so that they might regain some common sense…Well, Masako might, at least.
-
Was it good? Don't lie, now.
Anyway, I'm sure everyone's favorite narcissistic Naru is going to show up again in the next chapter. I wonder where he's been hiding. Not really, but I'm sure all of you do. Please try to bear with any grammatic errors. It happens sometimes...
Next chapter should come soon! Wait patiently for me!
