Yo! This is the last chapter I needed to edit, which means I can finally continue writing this thing properly! So, if you're reading this after August 10, 2017, you don't have to worry about any of this. Anyway, thank you to all readers so far!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters...

Naru was irritated. Mai was hiding something, and no amount of prodding was getting her to reveal what it was. She kept saying that she had merely zoned out, and refused to tell them the truth. He knew she was lying. He recognized those reactions, that subtle behaviour change. Besides, he had seen the sudden fear that had come into her eyes.

He glanced up at her now, finding that she was chatting cheerily with Yasuhara. Despite the casualness of her tone, he could see she was still a little frightened.

Why wasn't she telling them that then? It wasn't as if they were going to mock her for it. Why would they? Fear was something they had to deal with on a near daily basis. If there was anything they would poke fun at, it surely wouldn't be the feeling of fear.

For that matter, why had it taken Mai six months to inform them of what she had been going through? He and Lin hadn't been in the country, but she could easily have gone to Bou-san, Ayako, or John. With them being a monk, miko, and priest respectively, they could have nipped this in the bud before it had gotten any worse.

But it was too late now. Far too late. She had waited for too long, and it had resulted in her life nearly being taken from her, more than once, at that. The entity, or entities, were getting stronger, and no one of them would be able to take care of it themselves on their own.

And knowing that, was terrifying in itself.

Needing to plan, but unsure of what he was dealing with, Naru instructed Lin and Yasuhara to begin researching the property, along with any former homeowners, and not just Ayako or her friends.

Yasuhara left with a cheerful goodbye, heading for the local library, while Lin began typing away rapidly, already hard at work, which certainly wasn't surprising, considering who he was. Naru now turned his attention to the rest, examining his younger assistant, the priest, monk, and miko, all of whom were peering back at him curiously, wondering what he was going to make them do.

"Mai, Takigawa-san, take the *MEL meter and note down base *EMF and temperature readings throughout the house. I want a comparison. Matsuzaki-san, John, do a preliminary walkthrough, note anything odd such as slanted floors, creaky stairs, leaky faucets, along with any spiritual related sensations you may come across. I'll take care of this room and the hall here myself."

All four nodded, and without hesitation, gathered their required equipment or items, and headed out to do as told, splitting up on the landing by the stairs, two of them heading one way, the other two up the stairs.

Deciding to work their way from the front of the house to the back, Mai and Bou-san headed for the entrance, Mai with the MEL meter, and Bou-san with the clipboard, since he didn't really have much know-how on the equipment used by the boss.

The two of them slowly made their way through the house, the girl telling the man what the meter was saying, and the monk noting it all down. The two didn't talk much though, aside from their work. Mai was too caught up her in fear and apprehension, and Bou-san was too busy being worried about her to hold up a proper conversation.

While it was practically a given that the young sensitive would end up targeted at some point or another during their cases, it was another thing entirely for her to be the main focal point of the situation. They had never had to help one another like this before, and it was a new, shocking, humbling thing for them all, even for those who would never admit it.

"H-hey, Bou-san?"

"Hmm? What's up, Jou-chan?" he asked curiously, concerned about the girl's hesitant tone of voice.

"Do you...feel like you're...being watched?"

He blinked. "What? Like, right now?"

Mai nodded. "I feel like someone's staring at me. Really intensely."

The man looked around. "Are you sure it isn't the camera?" he asked, jerking a thumb at the one in the corner. "Lin-san and Naru-bou are probably watching."

"No, it definitely isn't that," Mai replied with a shake of her head. "I've been on lots of cases now, so I'm used to that. I just ignore it. This is...this is different. It's uh-really uncomfortable."

"What about the meter? Has the base reading changed? Or the temperature?"

The brown haired girl looked down at the meter she was tightly clutching in her hand. "Um, the EMF is still at a point two, but...oh, the temperature's down four degrees. Could just be cause we're by the back door now though."

Bou-san noted it down regardless. "I don't feel like I'm being watched, but if you are, it's definitely worth mentioning to Naru. He'll want to know."

Sighing, the girl nodded. "Right."

The two continued working, but when they passed Ayako and John on the stairs, heading up while the other two made their way down, Mai, despite remaining silent unless she was reading off the MEL meter, only felt the feeling of being watched get even worse. It got so bad, that suddenly, the meter slipped from her grasp. Luckily, she'd been standing over her bed, so it landed safely, bouncing once before going still, and not falling off the edge-thank goodness for that.

"Mai?" Bou-san moved in close, worry visible in his eyes.

"Ah..." The girl raised her hands, which were trembling visibly. She clenched them tightly, but the shaking wouldn't stop, not even when the monk took her hands in his own larger ones. They felt so warm against her own. She was freezing cold.

"Hey, hey, it's alright, Mai. You're okay." He rubbed her hands, concerned because they felt ice cold. He picked up the MEL meter, curious to see whether the temperature was different around her, than it was him, and the little numbers below the larger ones displaying the point two EMF, confirmed that. He quickly jotted that down, before drawing her in close again, rubbing her arms and hands.

"It's still watching me," Mai stated, her voice muffled in the clothed chest she was pressed against. "I can feel him staring."

Eyes narrowed, Bou-san looked around the room, checking all four corners before releasing the girl, getting to his feet, and checking the closet and even under the bed. There was no one there. But even though he wasn't getting any odd feelings himself, he didn't want to say Mai was just being paranoid or something. Her feelings on their cases were often sharper than their own. "Come on, this was the last room anyway. Let's just finish things and get back to the Base, okay?"

With wide, fearful eyes, Mai nodded and, her hands still shaking, took of the MEL meter once more. "Okay, here-here by the closet, it's at a point one, the temperature's the same as the rest of the room. Point six over here, but there's a plug point right below, and the temp is..."

The two continued in this way, completing their work before leaving the room and making their way back down the hall, Bou-san walking behind Mai. As the two reached the stairs to head back down, the monk stretched his arms up above his head, his eyes falling shut as he yawned tiredly, wishing for some coffee. Mai reached out a hand to grasp the railing instinctively, and at that same moment, a large, cold hand clamped down around her wrist, and tugged her forward harshly.

"A-ah!"

Bou-san's eyes shot open, his yawn cutting off mid way. "Mai!" He reached out desperately.

But Mai was falling, falling, falling, and all she saw were eerie crimson eyes leering at her, and a grinning mouth full of sharp, gleaming fangs.

"Mai! MAI!"

*EMF stands for Electro Magnetic Field, but are higher around things that naturally give off electricity, like fuse boxes. EMF spikes are known to occur around spirits. Abnormally high EMF can lead to things like headaches, nausea, and paranoia, among other things, and can often either confirm or debunk spiritual phenomenon.

*MEL Meters take and show both EMF and temperature readings.

Anyway, looking forward to reviews! Laterz!