SPR stood in the room Jino had tried to throw his wife. Naru was relieved that the family were out of the house and away from the danger for now. Masako sat at the table in the room, her hands resting above the flame of a candle, the only light source.
Monk stood leaning on the wall. His eyes were narrowed as he watched, waiting patiently for something, anything to happen.
Ayako had a look of anger on her face; she wanted this thing to show itself. She wanted revenge for having her mouth sewn shut. Her hands were balled in fists as she stood tall, waiting, watching the candle.
John sat with Masako, his holy water and bible under his hands as he watched the space before them. He turned his head to Masako, the medium's eyes were closed, her breathing was calm.
Lin watched calmly as he stood with Naru, both waiting for something, they had been in the room for around twenty minutes. Masako had said her chant at least three times and still, nothing happened.
The door to the room opened, causing Ayako and Masako to jump slightly. Light from the hallway filled the room as Mai walked in. Her expression was unreadable as she walked to stand between Monk and Naru. Lin watched her every move, wondering where she had been.
Naru shot her a glare, one that simply stated she should have been here sooner, but Mai ignored him as she leaned on the wall. Her hands rested in her pockets as Masako began to speak once more.
"Spirits of the house, I beckon you to my side. Come to me, speak to us, if one of you can hear me, I wish to see you," she spoke softly as her hands rested above the candle, the heat causing her palms to sweat.
Naru could feel the tension in the room. The silence was so thick one could cut through it with a knife. Mai stood with her hands in her pockets, waiting for something to happen, for anything out of the ordinary to occur. As she waited, her mind began to wonder to when she was younger. To when everything was more simple and less paranormal.
She sighed slightly as she recalled the night the woman haunting this house had revealed herself to her for the first time.
"Mr and Mrs Taniyama?" a man in a white lab coat asked as he walked through two double doors. Mai quickly stood to her feet and rushed to the doctor.
"Is she okay? Can she come home?" she asked. The doctor looked down at the four year old girl.
"I'm afraid we'll have to keep Mae here just a while longer to make sure that there is nothing further wrong with her," the doctor answered. Mai began to tear up when she heard that, holding the teddy closer to her.
"Of course, Doctor," Mr Taniyama replied. "Would it be alright for Mai to see her for a moment?" he asked, the doctor debated. Normally they wouldn't allow visitors in with how unhealthy the child was, having been born weak was always a disadvantage to a child. Of course the doctor wanted her to get better and he wanted the child to see her older sister, he was worried that she may catch something with Mai being in the room.
He thought back to how bad Mae had been when he had last checked up on her. He then looked back to the child and sighed. It could be the last time the child ever saw her older sister. Frowning, the doctor nodded his head reluctantly.
Mai rushed passed him and down the halls to a room where her sister was. She looked at the older girl wrapped up in bandages and hooked up to the machines. Mae turned her head, smiling when she saw her sister open the door.
"Good afternoon, Mai dear," Mae smiled as she looked at Mai, who showed an expression of fear. Mae looked at the machines and laughed. "Oh, don't be afraid of these things, they won't be in me much longer," though the girl was smiling she knew that she wouldn't be able to live for much longer. "Come here," she ordered.
Mai quickly rushed over to the girl and jumped in the bed. Mae smiled at her as she pulled her into her chest. She held both Mai and the stuffed teddy close to her.
"Will you be out soon?" Mai asked as she looked up. Mae frowned, but soon changed it to a smile.
"Of course, you know nothing can keep me down. Just promise me one thing," Mae ordered as she looked at Mai, who nodded her head. "As long as I'm not with you, mama and papa, you have to promise me you'll take care of them," Mae ordered, she was considerably older than Mai, by around four to five years.
"Okay, I hope you get better soon," Mai smiled as she kissed her sister's cheek and rushed out. When she got back to the waiting room she walked over to her mother, who said it was time to leave.
"I don't wanna go, I wanna wait for Mae!" Mai spoke as she clutched the teddy in her arms.
"Well, papa's gonna stay here and wait for Mae so that they can come home together," her mother replied as she held Mai's hand. Mai smiled as she walked over to a bag she had with her.
"Papa, when Mae comes out please give her this," Mai smiled as she handed her father a stuffed lion. The older man patted her head and took the lion from her.
Mai and her mother then exited the hospital. The sun had turned to rain, which began beating down heavily. Mai and her mother both rushed to the bus stop. Along the way, Mai's eyes fell on a red eyed girl, her hair was brown and her dress was black.
She looked at Mai, her eyes began glowing and soon, a mark had appeared on Mai's arm.
"Mama, that girl's scaring me," Mai tugged at her mother's dress as she pointed to the little girl, who smirked a toothy smirk. But her mother just looked around before stating that there was no one there.
Mai watched the girl as she turned around, walking towards the hospital. She was walking towards Mae's room. Mai watched in fear as the girl walked through the wall of the hospital and inside.
Being only young, she didn't understand what was happening, but that didn't stop her from fearing everything that the girl had done. Something, she knew, wasn't right with that girl.
Later the same night, the rain was still pounding heavily as Mai hugged her teddy; sitting on the sofa she watched the news.
Her eyes fixated on the photos as she looked at the large pile up on the highway. It had caused everyone to perish in a large fire that had erupted when the cars collided.
"Papa," Mai whispered as she hugged her teddy close to her chest. Her mother walked into the room a moment after carry Mai's dinner. The plate slipped from her hands as she looked at the image on screen. A loud smash echoed through the room.
There, in the middle of the pile up, was Mai's father's car. From the image that was presented, her mother could make out two bodied within the car. Mai's father and Mae had both perished in the accident.
Mai hugged her teddy as she cried silently before running to her mother. She cried into her mother's dress, not acknowledging a girl who looked exactly like her smirking in the shadows.
'You stole my father and sister from me, and later took my mother. I don't care how this pans out for me, but I will not allow you to take Hitachi's family from him,' Mai thought as she snapped back into reality, her left hand resting on her right arm.
Suddenly, the candle flickered slightly, Mai's eyes narrowed as she removed her right hand from her pocket, placing it by her side as she stood up right. No one else seemed to have seen the candle flicker.
Mai waited, watching the candle intensely in case it happened again. It did, but this time it was a little more noticeable. Masako opened her eyes and looked around, nothing in the room appeared out of the ordinary, she turned to Naru, her expression was one of worry.
"Naru there's-," Mai caught the candle flicker again as she balled her fists.
"Show yourself," she interrupted Masako as she spoke. The gang turned to her, wondering who, or what she was talking to.
"My, my Mai, so pushy," a figure spoke as it stepped out of the shadows. It was the girl, the one who looked like Mai, just a few years older and with sky blue eyes. She smirked as she looked at Mai, who just glared at her. The woman's eyes then fell onto the SPR team.
"So, it's you who are trying to put an end to me, huh? And here I thought it would be a challenge to take down the team who was after me. I suppose I was due to be disappointed sometime soon," she woman smirked.
"Shut your mouth," Mai hissed, the woman just smirked.
"Who are you?" Naru asked before Mai could try arguing with the woman.
"Hm, now why don't you ask your beloved Mai who I am," the woman answered. Everyone turned to Mai who glared at the woman.
"This needs to stop!" she hissed as she glared at her.
"Now, sweetie, be polite and answer your friends first."
"They don't need to know what you are," Mai replied, though her voice was calm her tone was stone cold.
"You dare imply that I am a thing?" the woman hissed. Mai took a step forwards.
"I suppose you're right, I should probably apologise to other things. After all, most of them will always be above you," she answered.
"Why you little-," the woman hissed as her hand shot a black orb to Mai, who calmly stood her ground. The orb missed her by a hair as she looked at the woman. Her eyes were calm, her express unreadable.
"Mai," Naru spoke, but the brunette ignored him as she took a step forwards.
"What would happen if the SPR team found out little Miss Taniyama wasn't all she made herself out to be?" the woman hissed as she looked at Mai, who smiled slightly.
"There is nothing about me that they do not know," she answered.
"What about me?"
"I merely don't want them to get involved with something as revolting as you," Mai answered, the woman growled below her breath.
"Heh, I suppose I couldn't argue with you on that, but I'd be careful Mai dear. Let's not forget, I can kill everyone in this room with a click of my fingers," the woman replied.
"And so help me god I will venture to hell and drag you to the deepest pits of it. Now tell me, how do we break Hitachi's deal?" Mai asked as she glared at the woman, who frowned at her.
"Dearest Mai, you can't. For his family will die and he will inherit everything," she answered. Mai looked at the woman in confusion.
"That was what he asked for?" she asked, the woman simply nodded her head.
"Now, as you know, I'm a fair woman, but I thought that this request was a little….. Should I say preposterous to use my powers on. So, I promised him the deal on one condition," the woman smirked as she spoke. SPR watched Mai closely as she balled her fists. "I told him, the only way I would do it, was if he allowed me to drag his family's souls to hell to be tortured for all eternity," the woman added with a sadistic cackle.
"And he allowed it," Mai spoke under her breath. The woman looked at her, thinking she had asked a question but only smirked as she walked towards Mai, who held her hand out.
"I won't let you," she hissed. The woman cocked her head to the side as she heard Mai mutter under her breath.
"I should probably tell you, that if I die, all deals that have been made are broken," she stated. Naru narrowed his eyes, there was something more to that.
"Good," Mai whispered.
"Don't do it, Mai," Naru ordered as he set a hand on her shoulder. "There's something we don't know about this," he stated.
"Naru's right, there's no fear on the woman's face, it's almost like she wants it to happen," Monk stated. Mai's head shot up as she looked at the woman.
"You didn't," she balled her fists.
"But I did," the woman laughed before disappearing out of the room.
Mai turned on her heel, rushing down the hall to the base. She didn't know for certain Hitachi would be there, but for now she would have to assume that's where Monk had put him.
The door to base slammed open a few minute later as Mai walked into the room. She glared as the woman sat next to an unconscious Hitachi, stroking his hair gently.
Her eyes widened at the sight of the mark on Hitachi's forearm. Her face filled with dread and fear as SPR appeared behind her. Mai knew the mark; she knew it all too well.
It was the mark of promise. There was no way SPR could save Hitachi or his family from this deal now.
Naru: You finished wavering with this chapter now
No, I still don't think it's any good, but I don't know how else to put this one, hmm. Guys, let me know what you think on this one, I know it raises a lot of questions but you should understand it next chapter
Naru: Just review this, and let HTF rest, the chapter and thinking took a lot out of her
Screw you, Naru, but please, do review and sorry I left this chapter so late. REVIEW!