Chapter 7

: I don't understand

: You're in danger

: I can cope, I have before

: This time is different, this time you're more involved than you think

: What's that supposed to mean?

: It means that this time you might not make it out alive

Mai jolted awake with a scream which she quickly muffled with her hand but she was scared and she couldn't deny it. The dream had been a bad one. First she had seen the deaths of five girls' years ago at this university only each time it had been from the girls' perspectives. She had repeatedly died over and over again until Gene pulled her out of those scenes. She had missed the more compassionate twin. He smiled at her as if he cared for her unlike... Naru. He had told her to leave the university. But she couldn't, she was in her final year and then she could graduate as a Religion History Teacher, teaching students about the many old religions that were no longer worshipped.

"Hey are you ok Mai?" the voice was soft as Kai walked into her room and flicked on the light sitting on her nightstand. Mai stared at him before small restrained tears broke out. Kai stared at the girl in front of him before pulling her into his arms protectively, letting her feel safe. He cradled her until her breathing slowed down and he knew she was asleep. He laid her back onto the bed and put the quilt over her before walking back into the hallway.

"Is she alright?" the quiet feminine voice came from the door opposite Mai's room as Kimi poked her head out into the corridor. Her black hair falling lose from her plaits and the blue highlights obviously visible.

"Yeah, it was just another nightmare but she's asleep again," Kai smiled reassuringly knowing that Kimi would worry over her friend if she thought something was wrong.

"Her nightmares are increasing each night. Something's going on and then Mai's old workmates from SR show up saying they have a case here and then all those incidents with," Kimi was about to continue when she heard footsteps approaching and sure enough Masako and Ayako came around the corner in their pyjamas but stopped short when they saw Kai standing in the doorway of Mai's room talking to Kimi opposite.

"Is everything ok?" Ayako asked sleepily, "We thought we heard Mai scream,"

"Yeah she had a nightmare but I've made sure she's asleep so there's nothing more to worry about," Kai said goodnight to the girls before heading back to his room down the corridor. Somehow he couldn't shake off that feeling that something bad was about to happen. Something very bad!

***

An unsettling atmosphere had settled over the university as lectures took place throughout the classes. The rain battered against the windows and the wind caused the trees to batter against the panes of glass. No one liked the feel of the university at the moment. The whole building seemed to creak with age and everyone had the feeling that they were being watched. Thunder echoed everywhere and the odd flicker of lightening lit up the light filled room.

Masako sat in the base with John watching the many spirits appear and disappear through walls. All female, all young women. Although she would never admit it, they scared her. All of the women would have looked normal if it hadn't been for their blood soaked clothing and visible wounds on some of them. Some of the clothes looked as if they were from a different era completely and some seemed to be in fashion a couple of years ago.

"How many of them are there?" Naru asked dejectedly as Mai brought him another cup of tea with lemon in it. He had been asking for tea all day so far. He had been on tea withdrawal for five years so he was making up for it now. Plus he had a headache and he found that tea helped soothe him.

"Too many to count," Masako whispered as she eyed another spirit approaching her before turning and going back out of the room, "They're everywhere. They keep coming in and then going back out again, they're always searching when they come in for the first time,"

"There's nothing to be afraid of Masako," Mai smiled at the girl as she handed her a cup of tea to calm her nerves, "They don't mean anyone any harm otherwise we'd all be dead by now," the smile reassured Masako. She knew Mai was right; there was nothing to be afraid of! Nothing to be afraid of!

"Mai has this happened often?" Naru asked, wondering over the girl's calmness to the situation when everyone else was slightly nervous. The room temperature was slightly low and Mai had obviously been prepared for it, wearing a warm sweater with a skirt and thick tights.

"It happens sometimes," Mai stared thoughtfully out of the window, "when the spirits get worried. Every time a day like this happens, there's always another attack," That final sentence put everyone into depression. It had been a week since they had arrived here and no clues could be found. There were no files dating back to before the university had been rebuilt on the grounds after the fire had burnt down the old building.

But even this made no sense. If the old building had been burnt down then surely whatever had been holding the spirits back must have been destroyed so they should have passed on but they were still here and there number was increasing. It wouldn't be long until the first death occurred and they were no were near being close enough to stop something like that from happening.

Bou-san was bored and sitting around in a cold room filled with spirits of murdered girls was not his idea of entertaining, so who could he make fun of. Scanning the room, the ideal target as always was Mai.

"So Mai," he called out catching the girl's attention and making her sit down on the couch between him and Masako with everyone else, "What's with the blue highlights in your hair, they weren't there a couple of weeks ago!" he asked the question which had been bothering him for a while as he stared at the blue highlights in her long brown hair.

Mai smiled slightly at the thought of how her new hairstyle had been arranged, "Kimi dragged me to the hairdressers and made us get our hair done, and of course she told my hairdresser to dye my hair blue without telling me. Sadly it's permanent and I don't want to dye over it to damage my hair even further so I'll just have to wait until it grows out,"

Thunder sounded overhead making Ayako and John jump which caused Bou-san to laugh half-heartedly but when the electricity went out the laugh faded. They heard Naru telling them to stay where they where while he went and flicked the light switch on and off again but the power didn't come back on again.

Mai for the first time that day felt panic take over. The ghosts of the girls hadn't scared her but now she could sense it wasn't just them here and the girl's spirits had fled the room. She nudged Masako beside her before whispering into her ear, "Can you feel that?" Mai got a shake of a head from the gloom which she had barely been able to make out. Perhaps she was just imagining it! If Masako couldn't sense it and she was the medium of the group then there was no way that he was here.

She got off of the settee and headed over to her bag for her phone and she could hear the others moving around now as well on the opposite side of the room. Her bag was on the table just below a mirror and as she opened the zip she couldn't help but feel that someone was behind her. She looked up into the mirror. Even though it was pitch black she could still make out the ghostly soul behind her. It wasn't a young woman this time. When did she ever have the luck for it to be an innocent spirit behind her?

The man smiled at her and she felt herself lose all control of her body as they initiated eye contact. He raised his left arm and hers responded in turn making every move that he did. He came closer to her and in her mind she let out a whimper as she felt the coldness take over.

***

"Well that's a relief!" Bou-san said as the lights flickered back on. The rain had gotten heavier if that was even possible and lightening forked in the sky. Everyone sighed with relief, especially Masako when she realised that all the ghosts were gone.

"Mai, make some more tea," Naru ordered as he read over the notes he had made on the course so far. "Mai, I said tea," Naru yelled after getting no response for a few minutes and not hearing the kettle boiling. "Mai?" Now he wasn't the only one noting the girl's missing presence in the room as everyone began to look for her.

"Her bags missing!" John pointed to the table where it had been, "Wait there's something red on the mirror!"

Everyone rushed over without a moment's hesitation as they read in horror what was written on the reflection.

Leave now!! I shall make the girl mine and we will be together for all eternity. I cannot be stopped! Leave or I will kill the girl.

"NARU!" Lin snapped the black haired man out of shock, "What do we do?" Even the normally calm Chinese man looked panicky.

Naru came back to his senses after the first moments of panic and his years of experience allowed him to overrule his frantic heart.

"Masako, John, go to the ground floor and check everywhere there. Ayako, Bou-san, check the second and third floors, I'll take the first. Lin stay here and ring us if you see anything in the cameras. Where's Yasuhara?,"

"He's in one of the computer suites researching the university," Ayako murmured and even before Naru could compose his sentence everyone was out of the room.

Naru followed them out the door puzzling over what had been written on the mirror. If the ghost wanted Mai for all eternity then surely he'd have to kill Mai anyway. But why tell them he wouldn't kill her if they left the university. It made no sense. And what about the part, I shall make the girl mine. What was that supposed to mean? Growling with frustration, Naru went through all the notes on the case that he'd made so far and only one thing came into mind.

It had been just after Ayako had left to get more equipment out of the van when he had read it. Three attacks have taken place on female students. They were found beaten up and raped with no memory of the incident.

It made sense now but for once figuring out what the ghost meant did not make Naru feel smug, but very, very scared for his ex-assistant.


Hmm, a lot of you seem to be really against me pairing Kai and Mai together. But I think they'd be so cute. I mean just look at their names you just have to switch the k to m or vice-versa and their names are identical. How about I do this... I'll bring in another character just for Naru so I can pair him up and keep Kai and Mai together. (HEHEHE, now you don't know whether I'm being serious or not about the pairings). I'll say this to you all in warning, there is an engagement coming up! That's all I'm going to say about the matter. LOL Hmm, perhaps I shouldn't tease you about the pairings, some of you seemed pretty serious about the matter, especially you FallenRaindrops who stated that you'd punch someone if there's too much Kai. For all I know someone could put a death curse on me and I'll kick the bucket but FOREWARNING: if someone does do that, this story will never be finished and you won't know how it'll end up. So please don't curse me.

Tomorrows the last day of school. Yippee. Oh, tomorrows update may be late depending. I'm going down town after school tomorrow with my friends to see Transformers 2 (it's going to be awesome) and then I may have gymnastics if its on so if that happens it'll be updated around 10pm or on saturday. Thanks and don't forget to r&r