CHAPTER 6: Lullaby-part two-

I'm sorry for being such a cliffie. Blame it to my sadistic side; she loves to torture other people's minds.

JK!

Actually, I just forgot to update. My friend, you know the Ayako-like friend of mine, was sick so no one was ordering me around to write and update. I'm SO lazy and I need someone to order me around. Haha.

ADVERTISEMENT: I'm writing another story, the title is "The Ghost Bunny". If you have time, please read it and review.

P.S there's the hint/s here! but if you can't catch it, then don't worry because there's a chapter dedicated for piecing it all together ;)

He saw a lot of gruesome things before but the face in front of him is so ghastly that he glared it with intensity in order for him not to throw-up.

The face is crawling with what seems to be maggots but he can't be sure what those are because of the blood that covers it. You can still point out where the eyes are but the left eye is hanging out of the eye socket. It's grinning with those visible yet decaying yellow incomplete set of teeth.

Naru didn't like this sight one bit. He can feel Rika tightening her grip. He wants to check on the whimpering child but he cannot leave, for him, the glaring contest. Though instead of glaring, the face is grinning like crazy and irritates him more.

"Nii-chan, play with us", the thing that's clinging on his back said in an ordering tone unlike the thing that is sprawled in front of him.

"Play with us! Play with us!" the thing that's clinging on his pants yelled. "Play with us nii-chan or else!" As the thing said it, it grabbed Rika's leg. Naru break away from the staring contest and looked at the little girl in his arms. Her eyes are shut tightly while a whimper had escaped from her lips.

He felt something pricking his cheek. He turned to his shoulder and stared at the rotting finger that almost poke his cheek again. He heard a playful giggle from the other one who was sprawled in front of him. But this time, it started crawling towards also to join the fun of teasing Naru.

'I have to do something!' He knew he shouldn't be doing this but they had to get out. The room's temperature is cold but it became colder while Naru is being enveloped by a strange light. He doesn't care anymore what happens to him as long as he can get the little girl out of the basement.

His back became light and he can't feel the hand that's tugging his pants but he can still feel the evil aura around them. He needs to finish this quickly because he can already feel the dizziness that's slowly taking over him.

"Nau-Maku-San-Manda. Bazara-Dan-Kan!" The door swung open revealing the blonde monk. The evil suffocating aura quickly disperses. He tightens his hold to the little girl as he kneeled down. Bou-san runs towards them taking Rika from him.

The monk carried the child in his right arm while the left is supporting Naru. They are walking slowly but at least they're safe from the basement.

The monk whistled. "I'm glad I made it on time. Lin would flip out if something bad would happen to you Naru-bou."

The said boy just grunted in reply before passing out.

(=^-^=)

Naru felt like something sharp is jabbing his head. He can feel the stinging consequence of what he had almost done. The only comfort he can think of the moment is the soft pillow. He slowly lifts his hand and pinched the bridge his nose. And slowly, he opened his eyes so that he won't be blinded by the light, be it natural or from the light bulb since he wasn't sure of the time.

"Light bulb", he mouthed. He slowly sat up resting his back at the headboard. Naru looked around and saw the thing he was looking for.

'8:38', he said in his mind as he stared at the wall clock. He heard the door open and saw his Chinese assistant strides towards the bedside table and put down the food tray he was holding.

"That was a pretty reckless thing you've done", Lin scolded him. "You could have been in a direr situation if you have fully used your PK."

He just shrugged and took the teacup that was also on the tray.

"You should have waited for us to arrive instead. Your mother will freak out if she will find out what you almost did!"

Naru just looked up to Lin and stared with his stoic eyes. Lin sighed, knew his attempt to scold the young man is futile. "The equipments have already been set-up. The base is just across the hall."

Naru just nodded at his assistant before the Chinese man went out. He mentally smiled when he got off from the scolding. After all, he never likes it when people scold at him.

(=^-^=)

As he stepped inside the base he looked around and saw Lin, as usual, typing a report on his laptop while the rest are sat on the couch, currently playing cards with the 6-year old girl.

"Naru-nii!" she happily called making the others look at him.

"Naru-bou! Glad you're okay now. I was worried when you suddenly passed out. I thought I even have to get you the hospital", the monk chirped.

"Bou-san, are you making me jealous?" Yasu pouted. This made Rika laughed and Masako giggled behind her kimono's sleeve. Naru just inwardly sighed and sat promptly at the chair in front of the screens.

"GAH! Stop being weird, shounen!

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Ayako, as usual, hit the monk's head but surprisingly, Yasu had also been hit.

"Why did you hit me twice?" Bou-san reacted.

"Stop ruining my game! I can't concentrate with you two with your racket", the miko shouted.

"You're blaming us but the truth is your just getting old."

"What did you say? You perverted monk!"

"Ayako-san and Houshou-san looks like a married couple", Rika commented while smiling innocently.

"Hahaha!" Yasu laughed. "You think so too?"

"S-Shut up!" Ayako stuttered.

"Why are you stuttering, old hag?"

Thunk! "Don't you call me that again or else!"

Naru rolled his eyes with slight annoyance. "Hara-san." He called with intensity in his voice. Everyone flinched except for the passive Chinese.

Masako quickly stood up and went to his side. "What have you sensed so far?"

"There are three mischievous spirits as we all know, are in the basement. Though one of them, I can feel a tinge of evil. They don't want to talk to me. I can feel their dislike to adults. I can also feel a slight presence. The spirit's presence is too weak but I can feel an extreme sadness, despair and regret."

As she said that, the lights suddenly flickered on and off. Everyone in the room stayed silent and stopped at what they're doing. There are no rapping sounds though the air is filled with sadness and despair. A woman's voice can be heard, humming a song.

The room went back to normal, when the humming had ceased. Though their faces showed a look of sadness even the two stoics, clad in black though not showing any emotions still had a hint of sadness in their eyes. The humming was really overwhelming.

Naru remembered the time he looked at his dead twin brother's body.

Lin is pondering about something.

Masako stifled a soft sob. Since being medium means being involved more about the spirits, she took the sadness deeper.

Yasuhara just shook his head in order to clear his head.

Bou-san's eyes stared at the wall looking emotionless. What he was thinking might be too much to handle.

Rika's eyes started to become watery. Ayako pulled her into a tight embrace.

They came to their senses when they heard a knock. "We've brought tea and some snacks." Himeji-san cheerfully stated and placed the tea on the table while the maid in her late 50's with bags under her eyes followed her and placed the snacks.

"This is Nadeshiko-san by the way." She introduced the maid to them while the latter nods and smiled, though she got only half-hearted smiles.

The old woman just chuckled and shook her head slightly. "Judging from your expressions, you must have heard the lullaby."

"Oh! Is that why my baby is teary-eyed?" Himeji-san went to her daughter and hugged her tightly. Then she looked up and stared at them with genuine smile. "As long as you remember about the person who loves you, and knowing that they will always be there for you, the effects will wear off."

"Do you know the song the woman was humming?" Yasuhara asked curiously. He felt that the song somewhat familiar to him.

"Ah! That was a classical piece, Brahms's Lullaby." Nadeshiko answered and smiled. "I used to sing that to Rika when she can't sleep when her parents are away for the night."

"But it was—"the shounen was thinking how he would describe the humming earlier.

"—somehow different?" the old maid continued.

"Yeah. Something like that." He said and chuckled. The others are just intently listening.

"It's a popular song for adults to sing to babies or children. But, the case of the woman humming was different. It's much slower and her voice which is so sickly sweet and as soft as silk making you feel relaxed but, it is filled with so much sadness that everyone who hears it can't help but feel depressed."

Himeji-san noticed her daughter's eyes slowly closing. "Well, it's getting late. Like I said, you shouldn't let it get to you. Just stay optimistic. Now everyone, I have to put Rika to bed." But Rika suddenly open her eyes wide and squirm from her mother's arms.

"I'm going to stay with them", the little girl stated.

"But it's already late Rika and besides they have work to do, you'll just get in their way sweetie."

"No", she shook her head. "I have to stay with them because it's dangerous. I know you would protect me, Mama. But those three little ghosts want me. Naru-nii has strong PK, Lin-sama is an omnyouji, Yasuhara-nii can protect me in his ways, Masako-nee knows some chants, Ayako-san is a priestess and Bou-san is a powerful monk."

Himneji-san was shocked. She knows she don't have the right strength to protect her. She looked at the SPR members pleadingly.

"Don't worry, Himeji-san. We will protect this little princess", Bou-san claimed while ruffling the little girl's long black hair.

"O-Okay. If you say so."

"By the way Rika-chan", how did you know about our powers?" Ayako asked, all of them intently listening.

Naru remembered something and went forward to the little girl. He stared down at Rika with emotionless eyes. "How did you know my name from the beginning? Did someone told you about these?"

Rika tilted her head to the left making her long black hair also swayed to the left. She then straightened up; her green eyes became lighter in color as she beamed with happiness.

"Mai-nee-chan."

I had to watch ghost hunt again because my memory of it is becoming dimmer by the second. Anyway, I remembered that Naru isn't stoic at all, he can also show a shock and in-pain reaction aside from his grinning and smirking ones. Also, he did smile at that one time. There's this episode (I think it's from the doll house episode), the one where someone was performing an exorcism (oh no, I forgot again) while mai (she was wearing a yellow top) and naru were watching at the screen. I was like, 'Naru was inches behind mai!kyaaaa!'. I love all the scenes where naru would rescue mai. They're sooooo meant to be. Don't cha agree?haha

QUESTION! : Should I cut the case, stating only a couple of paragraphs how it was finished so that I can already piece everything together or should I continue with the case?