Mai pounded on the door.
"Bou-san? Ayako?" She cried. "Is anyone out there?" Panic quickly became terror. "Let. Me. Out! " Mai pounded with each word. She took a deep breath, stepped back, then rammed her shoulder into the door. It didn't budge. She moaned in pain and rubbed her shoulder. Feeling like she was being watched, Mai slowly turned on the spot and faced the hallway before her. A breeze seem to blow behind her, lifting the frail curtains and tickling Mai's ear.
She shuddered.
"This isn't good," Mai whispered. "I can't get out, no one can hear me through the cracks in the door, and the only way to go is forward." She started to feel sick, her stomach churning. "I'm going to kill Naru!" She clenched her fists. "Seriously, he couldn't just take me out on a normal date and then be done with it?" Mai kicked the door in frustration, promptly regretting it when pain shot up her foot. Bouncing on one leg, Mai lowered it after inspecting her foot and turned to the hallway again.
You know what? I'll be fine. It's not like the ghost is homicidal. I can do this easily. She puffed out her chest, even if she didn't feel very brave at the moment. Yet as seconds turned into minutes, Mai didn't budge, nor did the sickening sensation in her stomach go away. Just . . . take a step forward. One tiny step. You can do it, Mai!
She didn't move.
Okay, then look at it like this - if you can get through this, you can yell at Naru. Mai sharply exhaled, then took a daring step forward. The door behind her banged, making Mai yelp and run forward. Whispery laughter followed her, pulling at her clothes, yanking at her hair, and sneering, as if saying "Look how brave you are, running away so quickly."
Mai slowed down to a stop, the laughter ceasing. She inhaled shakily. Going back to the door seemed like a good idea - the closer to a possible exit she was, the happier she would be - but that would mean Mai would have to go through the shadowy hallway again, and she wasn't too keen to do that.
Taking a few steps backward, Mai bumped into something smooth and cold. She whipped around, then sighed in relief.
"Just a mirror," she said. "Nothing more."
Something grabbed the back of Mai's leg. She jumped and spun around, ready to defend herself against the person at fault.
. . .
Nothing.
"What?" Mai trembled. A new set of shivers engulfed her. Feeling like her heart dropped to her stomach, Mai turned back to the mirror.
Is . . . is that an outline of a person? Mai narrowed her eyes and leaned in. Her stomach jolted, and she pulled back just in time for the mirror to crack like an exploding light bulb. Glittering shards flew past her, but none of them hit Mai. She hesitantly lowered her arms. Her breathing was heavy and labored. Mai took a step backward. Glass snapped its neck beneath Mai's shoes.
"That . . ." Mai didn't even realize she murmured something. Anything was better than the suffocating silence. But Mai could feel it - whoever was doing this wasn't done yet.
They were just starting.
Mai turned her eyes away from the broken mirror and back to the hallway ahead. What motivated me last time? Oh, right, yelling at Naru. She trudged forward again. I'll threaten to never make him tea again. Maybe I'll give him iced tea and see how he reacts. If Mai were not scared out of her wits, she would have laughed.
She soon reached an door. Mai went to open it, but it wouldn't open; frowning, Mai noticed a key. Grabbing it, she stepped back to have a closer look at the door. She knelt down, unprepared for what would happen next.
The door swung open; it smacked Mai in the face; the shriek of a giggle rushed past her; the key flew out of her hands, slid across the floor, and was swallowed under the crack of another door; and then the door slammed shut. Mai, on the floor cradling her nose, managed a groan. She pushed herself on to her palms. Small beads of blood dotted the floor. Mai took out a tissue and pressed it against her nose, far more shaken than before - and angry.
"Ow," she pressed harder against her nose. "Why did it do that to me?" she whined. Mai suddenly stilled. Where is the key?
The door behind Mai rattled. Mai let out a small "oh" as she realized what the rattle meant. Guess I know where the key is. Stomach churning, Mai cautiously approached it. She touched it, then jumped backwards. The door still didn't move.
"You're not gonna slam against my face again, are you?" Mai challenged. The door didn't reply.
Huffing to hide her terror, Mai slowly opened the door, wincing at the loud creek it emitted. A musty scent beckoned Mai to go down the stairs and into the darkness. It's the basement, Mai thought. Of course, it's always the basement. Why couldn't ghosts ever go in a nice, bright room? But Mai knew that if she wanted that key, the only way to go was down.
She took a step forward. The door slammed shut. Mai yelped and tripped; catching the railing at the last moment, Mai winced at the sudden tenderness in her ankle. She took out her phone and turned the flashlight to her ankle. Mai was no doctor, but she figured that her ankle wasn't broken or sprained, just a bit stretched. She released a shaky breath. Hand clutching her heart, Mai closed her eyes to try to calm herself down.
You can do this, you can do this, you're strong, Mai - just get the key and get out of here . . . Exhaling, Mai descended down the stairs. The basement was corpse-quiet and cold. Mai shivered and made a mental note to dress warmer.
Something slid across the floor. Mai stilled. She slowly rotated on the spot, and found a key in the middle of the room. Mai glanced around before approaching it. She unsteadily grabbed it, senses acutely aware; finding no retaliation from the ghost, Mai ran up the stairs without looking back.
She slammed the door behind her and leaned against it, sighing deeply. Gripping the key in her hands, Mai marched forward and unlocked the door. Reflected light scampered from the darkness. Mai knew where she was: the mirror part of the house.
Except for the sound of a dripping faucet somewhere, the place was quiet. Too quiet. How does the quote go again? Mai gulped. Oh, right, just keep swimming, just keep swimming . . . Mai snuck a glance at her reflection. Tall and wonky, it's exaggerated height made Mai pause to inspect it. She touched the smooth surface. Suddenly, the mirror started to crack where Mai placed her hand. She yanked it back.
"Time to go!" Her voice was several octaves higher than normal. Mai ran as fast as she could, catching perverted reflections of herself in the corner of her eyes, and Mai could have sworn she saw a small figure running with her, but when she would look away, Mai would find herself alone.
She skidded to a stop. A sense of dread ensnared her. Oh no.
It was a mirror maze.
Something banged. Mai shot a look backward and impulsively ran forward. Navigating it was hard - Mai kept running face first into the glass. She was starting to get another bloody nose, and when blood got on the mirror, she winced. She didn't stick around to clean it. Mai continued to stumble through the maze, and when she made it out, she nearly cried with relief. Instead, she pressed the tissue harder against her nose and ran out of the house.
Twilight had fallen upon the fairgrounds. The sun began to set, lulling the grounds into a daze with a gentle warmth, and the first trace of the moon began to appear in the sky. It seemed too serene for Mai, considering the terror she had just faced before. She rubbed her arms and laid a palm across her heart, breathing heavily. She still felt terrified. At least her bloody nose had stopped.
Something brushed her lower back. Mai turned around and stiffened when she saw no one there.
Let's go, she told herself quickly. She didn't have to run for long before someone found her.
"Mai!" Ayako called. Mai turned her head towards the source. Bou-san and Ayako approached Mai, looking relieved. "You've been missing for hours, where were you?" Ayako demanded.
"I was sent to the mirror house by Naru," Mai said. "Speaking of which, where is that man, I'm going to"- Bou-san pulled Mai into a crushing hug.
"I thought you were hurt, Mai!"
"Let go of her, idiot, or she will be even more!" Ayako said.
"Stay out of this, Ayako - Ow! Don't hit me!" Bou-san stumbled back, his hand rubbing the spot where Ayako whacked him.
"I wouldn't have to hit you if you just listened to me." The two began to bicker, but Mai stepped in between them.
"Where is Naru?" She demanded. Bou-san and Ayako both stopped, blinked, then pointed to the left. Mai marched in that direction, absolutely determined to list off every single reason why Naru was a brainless git - how he was arrogant - narcissistic -
"Wait, did I hear that Naru was the one who sent to to the house?" Bou-san prompted.
"Yes."
"But that's not possible."
Mai stopped.
"Why?"
"Because his phone was broken. A little kid, ah, got a hold of it and-" Bou-san began to awkwardly cough. Ayako rolled her eyes and whacked the back of the monk's head.
"Bou-san dropped the phone and it shattered. Now he has to buy a new one."
"Then how did Naru text me?"
"Maybe he wasn't the one who texted you," Bou-san said.
"But it was with his pho-"
"Ghosts have a habit with messing with electronics," Bou-san said. "Hey! Maybe the ghost made me drop Naru's phone!"
"Don't blame anyone but your clumsy fingers." Ayako whacked the back of Bou-san's head again. Mai shook her head. Yet somehow, it was harder to be scared with the two around. It was almost like having parents again.
A phone ring cut through the bickering. Ayako shot one last glare at Bou-san and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Have you found her yet?"
"Yes, we did, Naru," Ayako said. "Are you at the tent?"
"Yes."
"Good, this humidity is ruining my hair."
"It's not the humidity that's doing that." Ayako's jaw dropped; she growled and began to yell into the phone, only to find that Naru had hung up on her; and meanwhile, Bou-san and Mai held back their laughter with difficulty. Steam practically blew out of Ayako's ears as she marched towards Naru's location, Mai and Bou-san following.
When they arrived, Naru looked up from his papers with a frown.
"Where were you, Mai?" He demanded, ignoring Ayako's furious rant.
He doesn't even ask if I'm alright! Mai fumed. Nevertheless, she said, "In the mirror house, where you apparently sent me."
"I did no such thing."
"That's what I just found out." Suddenly, an idea popped into Mai's mind. She took out her phone and scrolled back to her message inbox; strangely, the texts from before were gone. It was if they never existed. Mai frowned.
"They're gone . . ."
"Wait a moment." Bou-san suddenly gave a start. "Did you just call her 'Mai', Naru?" He grinned. "My, my, didn't know the date was so successful, with you two on first name basis . . ."
That Bou-san! Why're you teasing me! I just got out of a life-or-death situation, jeez! What did I ever do to you?
"Don't you have to work to do?" Mai laughed awkwardly and loudly as she pushed Bou-san out of the tent. "Haha, work is so much fun! You should go do it!"
"H-Hey! Wait! Mai!" Bou-san dug his heels into the ground. "Knock it off!"
"I dunno. If you throw him out, Mai, we might actually get something done," Ayako said slyly.
"Says the woman who was lounging around all day," Bou-san shot back. Mai blanched.
Don't call me out, Ayako, don't you dare-
"Rest is important for beauty," Ayako corrected. "And besides, Mai was with me, too-"
"Ayako!" Mai whined.
"If you're all done acting like children." Naru slammed his book shut. The other three quickly stopped. Laughing nervously, they sarted making small, apologetic noises as they filed in a line. Naru sent another glare before continuing.
"Show me the text messages," he said.
"Alright, but they're gone now, and I'm sure I didn't delete them." Nara ignored her as he opened up the phone. With a frown, he scrolled through the conversation, but like Mai, he found nothing. Frowning, he pocketed the device.
"Naru, that's my phone!"
"Yes, and now it's evidence, so we'll be keeping it."
"What're you, a police officer?"
"Focus. We have more important things to work on."
"But that's my phone!"
"We've found some more information on the history of this location." Naru stepped past a fuming Mai; coming to lean against the desk, he pulled out the files and laid it on the desk for the rest of them to see. "This place has long been a spot for carnivals and fairs, the most notable being 'Felix Montague's Carnival.' Compared to the rest of the fairs, Montague's business was much more popular - and profitable. They easily attracted crowds of people, which would eventually become a breeding ground for the 1889-1890 influenza epidemic.
The disease wiped out virtually all the employees. With no customers and no workers, Felix Montague was forced to shut down. There hasn't been another attraction in this place until recently."
"Will," Mai murmured.
"Correct, Mai. I think it's safe to assume that our ghosts were probably victims from the outbreak."
"So were they customers or workers at Montague's?" Bou-san cut in. "If they were workers, it's going to be harder to get them to pass on."
"That's if they want to pass on," Ayako huffed. "They seem pretty content to stay and scare people. Take Mai - she probably was scared out of her wits!"
"I was not!" Mai lied. "I was fine on my own, thank you very much."
"Says the girl with a bloody nose."
"That's not my fault," Mai crossed her arms. "It was that giggling ghost's fault."
"Giggling?" Naru said.
"Yeah, I kept hearing giggling. Lots of it." Mai frowned at the look on Naru's face, "You're thinking about something."
"How cute, they've only been together a short time and they already know each other so well," Mai heard Bou-san whisper in the back.
"You're just jealous that you can't say the same for you and Naru," Ayako whispered back. Bou-san sputtered. Mai grinned victoriously. Payback, Bou-san, she thought.
"Thinking is a past-time that few people seem to prefer. I happen to be one of those people." Naru pushed himself off the table. "We have at least two ghosts in the park, each with some fixation on Mai."
"Cuz of my 'extreme emotions,'" Mai quoted with a grumble.
"We haven't found anything on the cameras, but I doubt we'll find anything else. It's most likely only two ghosts."
"And what makes you say that?" Ayako put her hands on her hips.
"Theories."
"Mind telling us those theories, Naru?"
"Actually, I would, Miss Matsuzaki," he replied. "For now, those ghosts aren't going to come out. They've already had their fun with Mai."
"I didn't have fun with them," Mai muttered under her breath. Naru continued as if he didn't hear her.
"Lin, how many sleeping bags do we have?"
"Four."
"One of us is gonna have to go without one," Bou-san said. He placed a hand on Ayako's shoulders. "Thanks for taking one for the team, Ayako."
"I'm not sleeping without a sleeping bag, you pig! Why don't you sleep on the ground? That's where you belong, anyway."
"I don't need a sleeping bag," Mai said. She was already eager for bed; she didn't need to be kept up by any bickering. Not if she could help it, anyway.
"See? Mai knows I need quality beauty sleep."
"You certainly do," Bou-san said. Ayako smacked the monk in the face with a pillow. In retaliation, Bou-san threw it back at the priestess, knocking her over; Ayako growled and threw it again, but it missed; instead, the pillow hit Mai in the face, causing her to fall over. On the way down, she flung the cushion at Bou-san's face; he sputtered, but when Ayako's other cushion smacked his cheek, his eyes took on a devilish glint.
"So it's a pillow fight you want, eh?" He rolled his sleeves back and lifted the cushion in the air. "Well, I can-"
There was a sudden whoosh as three pillows hit Ayako, Mai, and Bou-san with deadly accuracy. They all hit the ground with a groan and snapped around to see who threw it; however, Naru and Lin were absorbed with the monitors.
"Who threw that at us?" Ayako demanded.
"Maybe it was a ghost, Miss Matsuzaki," Naru said, still staring at the monitor. "Lin and I will take first watch. Takigawa and Miss Matsuzaki can take over after that."
"First watch?" Mai repeated.
"You know how we brought in those cameras earlier? And had to set them up?" Bou-san said. "Well, they're here to catch any ghost activity, but someone's gotta be on monitor duty to alert everyone else if something happens."
"Can I help?"
"You focus on getting to sleep. Judging by the blood on your sleeves, it's probably been a long day," he ruffled Mai's hair. Mai swatted his hand away and yawned; she was a bit tired, now that she thought about it. Bou-san smirked.
"Take the sleeping bag, kiddo."
"I'm not a kiddo," Mai frowned, but crawled into the bag anyway. She exhaled and felt all the tension in her body go away.
"Goodnight, Mai."
"Goodnight, Bou-san."
A/N: So this chapter is just . . . casually almost a year late. Again. Yikes. Sorry everyone, that's my fault. Fortunately, the next chapter is going pretty good (it's also the longest chapter yet, so hurrah for that). It should be up in far less time than this chapter was. In the meantime, please continue to read and review, because us authors are always desperate for validation. Hope everyone is enjoying their new year, because 2017 was a shit show and I think we're all ready to move past it, yeah?
Yeah.
See you all next chapter.