"To hurt is as human as to breathe."
~J.K. Rowling

Chapter Eleven

A Single Drop

Anger was a ridiculous emotion. It was hot and fluid; something entirely tangible despite its mere classification as a simple feeling. Mai didn't like it. Rage, in its most pure and unpolluted form, had the ability to blind the weak. Weakness was for children or immature teenagers who couldn't bottle up their hormones. No one deserved to sink to that level. No one, not even a child, deserved to be torn apart from the inside out. That was a waste of precious time. There were plenty of other things people could be doing than succumbing to the raw evil that defined anger. Unfortunately, no one seemed to know that. Despite the lawless passion that it created, people refused to see how painful it really was. Mai knew—Mrs. Ojai, her lovely boss, was blind to everything except the disaster in front of her face.

"Get out!" The woman screamed at the top of her lungs, pausing to suck in a giant breath, "I told you to keep my store in pristine condition! I leave for five minutes and what happens? You tear the place to God damned pieces!"

Mai sucked back a frustrated retort. In reality, there was nothing she could say to mend the situation. It wasn't like she could put a verbal bandaid on the problem and call it a day. She was indirectly responsible for damaging the business she strived to maintain. A variety of shelves were scattered across the floor. Movies, it didn't matter what genre, completely covered the tile beneath her feet. It was difficult for Mai to admit, but the store was a mess. It honestly looked like a bomb had gone off.

"I can explain everything, Mrs. Ojai." Mai said in a deflated tone.

A dark laugh slipped through the woman's lips. "There is absolutely nothing to explain, you insolent child! Don't even try to pull that card on me."

"You don't understand." Mai paused to slip past the front desk. Despite everything, she refused to completely leave it. Throughout the night it had become her salvation. Without it, she would have been forced to face the creature in the back of the store. There was no way she could have possibly survived an encounter with the shadow again. It's presence felt wrong. The sensation of danger slipped beneath her skin within seconds, forcing her body to move—hide from whatever evil lingered in the air.

"You don't understand." Mrs. Ojai mocked in an airy tone. "Do you think I am a fool, Taniyama? I understand exactly what is going on here."

Sucking back her frustration and fear, Mai stepped forward, ignoring the glare Mrs. Ojai whipped in her direction. "Please let me explain. It's not what you think."

"No! I don't want to hear it! Didn't you hear me? I don't want to hear any excuses!"

"I don't have an excuse! I only want to tell you the truth."

Another dark laugh exploded throughout the air. "The truth? What kind of statement is that? You are a ridiculous young adult with a superiority complex! The truth is nothing to you! I'm certain lying is the better alternative."

"If you would only let me explain," Mai began in a cold tone, "this could all be sorted out. Please, Mrs. Ojai. I know you're a woman with some common sense."

Immediately, Mai knew that was the incorrect thing to say. Within moments Mrs. Ojai's face turned a bright shade of red. The woman almost looked like a tomato, which was amusing to say the least. It was horrible of course, but at least her boss looked alive for once. Usually the woman was devoid of any sort of life source. It was good that she was feeling something. Unfortunately it had to be pure rage, which wasn't exactly Mai's cup of tea.

"Common sense? I have more common sense than half of the bloody women on this planet!" Mrs. Ojai screeched, her voice rising several octaves. "I'd say that you could use more of it! Do you want to know why, Taniyama?"

A loud sigh slipped through Mai's lips. "Please give me a chance to explain. Mrs. Ojai—"

"You're fired!" She continued in a boisterous tone, "No one can simply destroy my business and get away with it!"

In frustration, Mai clenched her fists. She needed to keep working. In the grand scheme of things she couldn't afford to lose her job. Without a steady source of money it would be a struggle just to pay her rent. That was one thing she didn't need in her life. Dealing with ghosts and phantoms was one thing, but trying to survive in Japan was a whole different story. It took a long time to find a well paying job. There was no way Mai was going to give it up without some sort of fight or explanation. That would go against her very nature as a human being.

"Mrs. Ojai, I didn't make this mess. I would never do something like this."

"What would you expect me to believe?" Mrs. Ojai hissed through her teeth while gathering an assortment of movies from the floor. "Did a ghost suddenly pop up and tear this place to pieces?"

Wincing, Mai bent down in an attempt to help her boss with the mess along the floor. Despite the sarcastic nature of her comment, Mrs. Ojai was correct. Some sort of paranormal phenomenon had occurred within the store. It may have been difficult to believe, but it was incredibly true.

"If you want the truth of the matter, yes."

Mrs. Ojai, once occupied with the movies along the floor, froze immediately. Mai could almost feel the temperature within the room drop. Once again, she had said the wrong thing. Obviously being truthful was useless. It only served to make the situation worse, which seemed utterly impossible moments before. Running a hand through her hair, Mai released a huge breath of air. There wasn't much she could do in the end. It was Mrs. Ojai's choice; she could either believe the truth of the situation, or chose to ignore it completely. Both options were a clear possibility.

"Pardon?" She asked in a tone filled with disbelief.

Looking around the room uneasily, Mai began to speak. "Whether you chose to listen to me or not, I was not responsible for what happened to here. Try to have an open mind."

"An open mind?" Mrs. Ojai shrieked again loudly. "Who the hell are you, Taniyama? I thought you were a reasonable woman when I hired you, but now I have reason to believe otherwise. You are crazy!"

"No, let me explain—"

"Get out! I don't want to see your face around here ever again! I don't hire mental patients!" The woman shouted at the top of her lungs. To prove her point, she whipped an old film in Mai's direction. It clattered off of her arm and fell to the floor loudly.

A hiss of pain slipped through Mai's lips. She couldn't believe that her boss just threw a film at her face. It was an obvious step in the wrong direction, one she could not longer ignore. "I'm not a crazy person! I just want to tell the truth. Can't you get that through your thick skull?

"Get out, Taniyama. I have an arsenal of movies and I'm not afraid to use them."

She had no choice. Scowling, Mai returned to the main desk and retrieved her backpack. During the night she had used it as a form of comfort. As Sadao's voice flowed into her ear she had squeezed her bag tightly, pretending the noise from the back of the store was nothing but the faint wheeze of traffic. She was wrong of course, but envisioning something normal was better than dealing with reality. When her phone had died, that was when her imagination became her saviour. She no longer had Sadao to soothe her fear. For hours she had been forced to remain in the darkness alone. The night may have passed, but something in Mai's heart told her it wasn't over. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come. Her reasoning was simple: the only place she could return to was her apartment. That was where it had all began.

"Hurry up." Mrs. Ojai hissed again. "You need to leave."

Barely suppressing another scowl, Mai slung her bag over her shoulder and forced herself to meet Mrs. Ojai's eyes. Despite being misunderstood and treated like an ignorant teen, she refused to leave the store in an angry stupor. Taking a deep breath, Mai stepped forward and bowed. She stared at the tile beneath her feet, memorizing the lines and curves before choosing to stand up again. She would miss the store. It had the ability to be an incredibly annoying place, but harboured some good memories in the end.

"Thank you for having me." Mai began in a rigid tone. "I appreciate it."

Mrs. Ojai rolled her eyes and roughly gestured towards the door. Mai didn't need to be told again. Before she could even think, her feet had carried her towards the front entrance. When her shoes touched the sidewalk, she felt as though she could finally breathe. A weight still dominated her shoulders, but it could not be compared to the defeat she felt inside the movie store. After staying awake all night, Mai was more than tired. She was utterly exhausted. Her mind rang with the screams of the creature within the building. Pictures of the shadows were glued to the back of her eyes. The worst part about it all was the journal. For over a week she had been avoiding it. Currently, it was perched on the couch within her living room. After Sadao's visit, Mai refused to touch it. Unfortunately, that was a bad thing. The longer she resisted the book, the more she craved to read it. The addiction was something she couldn't control.

Shaking her head, Mai slowly began to drag herself back to her apartment. Her shoes smacked against the pavement heavily; it wasn't surprising when several people sent questioning stares in her direction. She looked sick. Fortunately, she didn't particularly care what other people thought. Her brain was spinning with possible ideas on how to solve the problem. As ridiculous as it sounded, she couldn't ask for help. What friends she used to have had moved on with their lives. Even Hoshou, one of her closest companions, had slipped from her fingertips. In Mai's mind, that was still incredibly difficult to comprehend. Sadao definitely couldn't do anything either. She would never let him in the first place. He didn't need to suddenly have the paranormal shoved in his face.

While crossing the street Mai ran several fingers through her hair. In the end, should could only attempt to solve the problem by herself. That only meant one thing; she would have to read the journal. It may have sounded insane, but that was the only way she could gain any insight on what could possibly be haunting her. She had already examined the book and it had given her nothing, not even a name. Sure, she may have had some initials, but that wasn't the same. Mai needed something tangible. It was important that she knew more about E.D. She was lucky enough to have a date and time, but there was a chance that could even be false. If Mai knew anything, it was that paranormal figures enjoyed toying with the minds of their victims. It was almost like a game.

With her mind running as fast as a train, Mai barely noticed her apartment door. As soon as she did however, a loud groan slipped through her lips. Fear, an emotion she was beginning to despise, slid through her veins like a drug. She may have had good intentions, but that didn't mean she was immune to the terror that they implied. In minutes, maybe even seconds, she would have to walk through that door again. She would have to push away her worries and succumb to her desperate need to read the journal. That was the only way she could start to fix everything. If that didn't work, Mai didn't know what she could possibly do. There was no way she could live long without sleeping, let alone going to school. People would begin to question her behaviour. Sure, they already were, but that was besides the point. Everything would obviously get worse.

"Why me?" Mai whispered under her breath angrily. She kicked the edge of her door, wondering why life hated her so much. Her days were always positive, but for the first time in years everything was beginning to turn upside down. She felt like some sort of character from a book. That in itself was just incredibly wrong.

Continuing to mutter under her breath, Mai fumbled for her bag. She fiddled with the straps before finally pulling the zipper open. She took several moments, but soon the keys to her apartment were tangled between her fingertips. It took a series of pep talks and motivational quotes for her to slide the small piece of metal into the lock. When the door creaked open, Mai sucked in a breath of anticipation. The first thing she had to do was grab the journal. If she felt uncomfortable in any way, the hallway would be her salvation. She could easily run and seek out help. Explaining what was going on would be difficult of course, but that was the chance she had to take. The creature, whatever it was, refused to act up in the presence of other people.

Mai took a deep breath and slowly creeped past her door. It may have been the middle of the day, but her apartment was completely dark. The sun shining through the windows was dim and grey. Shadows, fat and thin, lingered along the floorboards like splattered paint. They were ominous; so worrisome that Mai couldn't help but release a small groan. Spending a night in absolute terror obviously wasn't enough. E.D., the journal—whatever it was had some sort of message for her. Regrettably, Mai didn't know what it was.

"Just ignore it." She whispered to herself calmly, directing her gaze toward the couch. Along its pale brown surface was the journal. In spite of the darkness that seemed to hang in the air, it shimmered softly. Before, she had enjoyed that quality. Now, it was something to be feared. The book was far from normal. Mai had to give herself some credit; she had come to terms with that when she first laid eyes on the thing. That was why she had chosen to buy it in the first place.

"I'm just going to grab the journal." Mai whispered, pausing to look around the apartment uneasily. She wasn't entirely sure whether she was talking to herself, or the ominous presence within the room. "I'll grab it and leave. There's no harm in doing that. It will all be okay."

In order to reassure herself, Mai nodded and continued moving toward the sofa. When the journal was in her hands, she couldn't help but release a worried sigh. The shadows had returned. They danced around the corners of her vision and slid along the walls. In the short time that she had been in her apartment, the room had somehow become darker. It was sort of funny; without light, shadows couldn't be seen in the first place. With that in mind, Mai wasn't certain how she could see the creatures at all. She supposed it was a special gift the paranormal seemed to have. Even in the most mundane of places, ghostly creatures had the ability to appear in the most disturbing way.

"Read." She heard a voice hiss in the room. Mai jumped, her eyes quickly scanning the apartment. It was difficult to determine where the voice had came from, but in the end it didn't matter. The entity, whatever it was, still had the ability to be incredibly worrisome. Biting her lips, Mai stared at the journal between her fingertips. She brushed to cover lightly, wondering if her plan would still be effective.

"Read, little girl."

Despite the obvious fear that filtered throughout Mai's veins, she couldn't help but take an interest to what the shadow had said. 'Little girl' was the favoured words of choice when the creature chose to communicate with her. It was consistent and used repetitively. There was a chance it could somehow relate to the journal, or perhaps the entity itself. Of course, there was a possibility that she could be reading the situation too deeply, but Mai was willing to take a bet.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Mai pulled the journal open. The pages crinkled and shook between her fingertips. It took everything for her to look down and examine the writing that had suddenly cursed her life. It was obvious that the passage would contain frightful information. All the others had been disturbing to some extent. Closing her eyes, Mai took a deep breath. She forced herself to look down at the paper and confront her fate. Immediately a confused expression shifted across her features. She pulled the journal forward hesitantly, her whole body beginning to quiver like a leaf. There was no writing—no cursive scrawled across the paper in any shape or form. The page was blank and perfectly pristine. Unfortunately, the longer Mai stared at the paper, the faster everything seemed to change. Like some sort of magic trick, a single drop of blood appeared.

"What?" She whispered, her voice cracking in fear. Mai slowly reached forward and touched the red smear. It was impossible to suppress a surprised shriek. The blood was real. Copper, a smell she despised, was steadily creeping up her nose. She could feel the wetness between her fingertips—smell the fluid in the air. Her fingers were stained, completely contaminated as the paper became increasingly saturated with what could only be blood. Droplets fell to the floor, slowly creating a small pool on the ground.

"You didn't play." A voice suddenly hissed in the air. Mai felt something pull roughly on her ear. She cried out as pain, the kind that sends unpleasant shivers down your head and toes, shot down the left side of her neck. When something clattered against the floorboards, she didn't even bother to look down. Mai knew what it was. Her earring, a small and beautiful little pearl, had been violently removed and tossed on the ground. It appeared as though her suspicions were still correct. The previous journal entries were still occurring in real life.

With a mixture of anger and fear, Mai's eyes shot to the shadow. It was moving towards her again, obviously intent on creating another injury. Fortunately, she wasn't planning on becoming a victim again. With the skill of an athlete, she snapped the journal shut and whipped it in the direction of the creature. It clattered against the wall loudly. Satisfaction filtered throughout Mai's body. She truthfully hoped that the book had been torn to pieces. If the spine had cracked or somehow become a piece of rubble, she would be utterly content. Unfortunately, her actions were not successful. They only served to infuriate the presence within the room.

"That hurts our feelings, little girl."

Mai's breath hitched as the creature suddenly barrelled towards her petite form. She dived towards the ground, taking shelter among the dust and blood that decorated the floorboards. Despite her efforts, Mai didn't remain unscathed. White dots exploded across her vision as she registered pain along her right forearm. She may have been scared—absolutely terrified, but the longer she encountered the creature the more she discovered about her situation. It had to be worth it in the end.

Clutching her arm, Mai rolled to her feet and glared at the creature defiantly. "I'm not afraid of you."

Laughter, a kind of high pitched gurgle, trickled throughout the air. "You should be."

Listening to the creature was something Mai refused to do. She merely scowled and reached for something to whip at what appeared to be the shadow's head. That would buy her some time to get out. Of course she would have to grab the journal again, but in the end it really wasn't that far away. When Mai's hand quickly came into contact with a candle, she couldn't help but grimace in pain. The injury to her arm and neck burned. She could only imagine what the issue was. She refused to look as that would only waste time.

Before she could change her mind, Mai threw the candle with as much force as she could summon from her arm. As it exploded against the wall, she sprinted towards the journal and quickly scooped it up in her arms. Breathing heavily, she slipped out of her living room leaving a trail of destruction in her wake. She had knocked over a chair and an assortment of other items in order to leave some sort of barrier between her and the phantom. There was a small chance that her efforts would be effective, but Mai didn't care all that much. She only had one goal in mind; to get out of her apartment and into the prying eyes of the community.

Another chair crashed to the ground as she ran towards the door. When the shadow chose to assault her again, Mai dove towards the wall, wincing as her shoulder came into contact with the edge of a shelf. Despite the heat that flared across her arm, she chose to keep running forward. In reality, it was the only choice she had. The light from the hallway shone like the sun. It was her motivation and salvation. Without it, there was no way her feet would obey her commands. She would likely freeze in fear and become nothing but a young child. She couldn't afford to revert to that ridiculous kind of mental state. It was crucial that Mai remained absolutely calm and focused. Otherwise she would slowly crumble to the floor.

"Almost there." She wheezed loudly as oxygen skimmed past her lips. Before she could leave her cursed apartment, Mai spared one look over her shoulder. Unfortunately that was her undoing. Her body, once moving at an exemplary pace, suddenly came to an abrupt halt. It was like a brick wall had suddenly appeared in the middle of the hallway. One second Mai was moving, the next she found herself sprawled across the floor.

Coughing breathlessly, she forced herself to see what had barricaded her destination. In a matter of seconds, Mai knew that she had made the wrong choice. A shadow, the tallest she had ever seen, had somehow blocked her path. It towered above her body like a skyscraper. With every passing thought, it seemed to get bigger, consuming the light that continued to filter through the open doorway. A silent scream found its way out of Mai's mouth. She was trapped. There was no way that she could leave or even run from her fear if the only exit was blocked.

"No." She managed to croak while scuttling backwards along the floor. Her hands reached blindly for something—anything to use as a weapon. When her fingers came into contact with a vase, Mai didn't even think twice. With whatever strength that remained in her body, she jumped to her feet and smashed the object against the creature's hidden face. Glass flew everywhere. She could feel small fragments brush against the skin of her neck and arms. It clinked against the floorboards, singing a haunting tune. For the first time all day, Mai actually felt satisfied. There was a small chance that she actually did some damage. The shadow, once a cruel and terrifying figure, was now crumpled along the floor. It looked helpless and alone.

Before she could revel in her victory however, loud cackles filled the air. Mai's heart sunk. The laughter, a sound that seemed to seep into her skin, was almost happy. It was sickening. Flexing her fingertips, she cautiously looked over her left shoulder. Confusion quickly filtered through her veins. Seconds ago, Mai could have sworn that her home was completely dark. Now light, as bright as any sunny day, filtered through the windows. If she squinted it was possible to see clouds and a pale blue sky. The sudden change really made no sense. If there was a possible explanation, Mai didn't want to think about it.

Turning back towards the doorway, she squeezed her eyes shut. A sickening feeling was beginning to creep up her throat. Her stomach churned with the possibility that something had gone incredibly wrong. There was only one reason why the creature had laughed and abruptly faded from existence. Once again sucking back her fear, Mai met the problem head on. She directed her gaze on the phantom that was lying along the floor. Unfortunately that was another mistake.

For the first time since returning to her apartment, Mai screamed. The funny part was, that she couldn't stop. For what felt like hours, she shrieked at the top of her lungs. It was impossible to be silent. Her voice may have been hoarse, but that didn't matter in the end. She was utterly terrified. Fear rushed through her veins and slowly ripped her body apart. When Mai's knees hit the floor, she groaned, releasing a sound fit for a small child. She slowly rocked forward and grabbed fistfuls of her short, auburn hair. The creature on the ground was not a phantom or ghost. It wasn't a figure from Mai's imagination or turbulent dreams. Quivering, she reached out a bloodstained hand and touched the figure who was sprawled across the ground.

"Sadao." Mai choked between panicked gasps for air.

A/N: Hello, everyone! I finished this chapter recently, but chose to save it for later in the week rather than the weekend. I have exams on Thursday and Friday, so I thought I would post this later in order to give myself time. My brain will be fried for a few days, so I apologize if I do not update quickly. I may or may not have something ready before Christmas, but I can't keep any promises. I haven't seen my family in a while. I have to visit with them while I can! Despite all that, don't worry! There will be plenty of time to post during the break!

The previous chapter of this story is closely tied with this one. The phone call from Hoshou was a result of what transpired in this chapter. It will all make more sense when I update again. I guess I sort of jumped forward a few hours in time? That probably wasn't the best idea, but it just sort of happened. I wouldn't worry though; more of this will be explained very soon.

Just a little heads up everyone! Naru, our beloved narcissist, is about to make an appearance! Feel free to make some guesses as to how that meeting is going to go! Like always, thank you for the support everyone. It's always appreciated!

AmayaSarana: If Naru rushed strait to Japan, I'd probably be laughing like an idiot! What you say if definitely true; it's necessary for the guy to take his time. Otherwise, nothing would be realistic at all. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! I plan to bring Luella back into the plot in some way. I'm not entirely certain how as of now, but I really want it to happen! She is so nice! Yeah, cliffhangers. They are a beautiful thing! Oh, thanks for understanding! The time before Christmas is always stressful! It can be difficult to get anything done! Have a good week as well!

TeaAndWarmSocks: Thank you, my beautiful platypus! I appreciate your help and criticism. Without you, I swear that my writing would never improve! Ah, you can't avoid apple bread! No one can, especially if the top is covered in that crumbly sort of stuff. It's so delicious!

AmyNChan: I'm glad that I gave you chills! That is my whole goal. I want to creep people out in a good way!

ThePurplePomegranate: Thank you for the advice! I will try my best to use it! Ha! Here is another cliffhanger! You get to suffer again.