Sorry it took me forever to finish this chapter, but it's chalk filled with interesting things….
Read and find out. Then review!
Chapter 10: The Lagging Poltergeist
"Yo, Thomas, Ino, are either of you in the drawing room next to base camp?" Jonathan asked.
Another male voice came through.
"No, were both in the kitchen getting a snack."
I almost face palmed. 'Getting a snack in the middle of an investigation. I should've known.' Those two goons.
"I swear I just saw someone standing over there-"
There was a crash at the other end of the line.
Panicked, I got up from my stool and rushed towards the door. Sasuke was already gone. I rounded the door and dashed down the hallway until I heard another creaking noise. I froze, and slowly turned around. The sound came from behind me. The hidden door!
The mayhem downstairs would be handled, I told myself as I creeped towards the door. My body buzzed with anticipation. I stopped right in front and reached for the knob. I jiggled it. Locked! Then where was the noise coming from?!
Crickkkkkkk.
I snapped my head to the right with wide eyes. The creaking came from the room to the right, a plain door just like all the others. I couldn't remember if it was locked or open the last time we came through here. I watched as the knob turned slowly. More creaking came from behind it, until there was the click of the door unlocking and it stopped.
My first instinct was to rush to the door and throw it open in hopes of catching something, but my body reacted slow. My shaky hand came up at the same pace as a sloth, and as soon as I gripped the brass a pang shot through me.
I pulled my hand away from the knob as if it burned me.
I took a deep breath and tried the knob again, successfully. Ever so gently I pushed the door open. The door screeched loudly as it dragged open. Well, the element of surprise was gone now. The room was dust, empty, and disappointing. I sighed. There was nothing in here, not even a desk! I went to turn away, but stopped when I saw a glint out of the corner of my eye. I squinted and waved my phone around, using the light to look at the room better.
There is was again, a sparkle reflecting off my light. A necklace! Why was it sitting in an empty room? I gasped. Was it the necklace missing in the purple room? But why would it be in here?
I took a step closer to look into the doorway. Right as I was at the threshold I felt pins and needles shooting up my legs, trying to tell me something.
Danger.
My body urged me to flee from this room. I became aware that I was drawn here, along, and there was a dark, heavy feel I didn't notice before. I coughed as I felt it go down my throat. Something wasn't right.
But this necklace had some significance, and I'd been looking for it. I just had to go in and grab it. It all seemed….easy. Why would it suddenly appear here?
Images of Mikoto's mark and of Naomi's glazed dead-like eyes flashed through my mind. My intuition warned that there was something waiting for me to come in. Just like what had happened with Ino. I scanned the room again more carefully, checking for the smallest movement.
'In the corner.' My intuition whispered. I shined my camera in the far corner. A loud gasp ripped from my throat. The black mass, dense and in the form of a man's shadow, standing not 20 feet from me. It remained perfectly still, even though it had to know I was openly staring at it. I felt a tug on my shoulder, trying to push me inside.
My legs were still pins and needles and I was shook to the bone. I wasn't going anywhere. My body prevented me from coming in, but it stopped me from leaving too. Very few times I had a run in with a spirit that stopped me in my tracks. It was encased in ill feelings, and I felt sick to my stomach as I stood there. My stomach was churning.
My throat ran dry in horror as it moved. The black mass remained still, but something inside it moved. Emerging. I let out a silent scream.
A hand, bony and white. Long, thing fingers slowly peeked out. Then the palm and wrist. It felt like I was watching an old horror picture show. 'Danger! Danger! Get away!' I yelled inside, but something about it was so terrifying and surreal, like a horrible dream, that I couldn't turn away or move. I instantly knew that whatever was in there had done dastardly things to innocent people.
Like Naomi.
"No." I whispered, but it came out rough and crackly.
My eyes hardened, determination brimming in them. Adrenaline whipped over the fear and overtook my blood like a tsunami. This thing wouldn't get me; I'd get it first.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I said as loud as I dared.
The visible fingers curled at the sound of my voice. Then a deep ring. A chuckle bounced off the walls. It was disturbing and put the fear back in me, but not enough to take control. I stood my ground, no matter how fearsome the sound was.
"Who. Are. You." I asked again, clearer and stronger.
"Sakura!"
I heard Sasuke's voice coming closer, stealing my attention away. It was the first time I'd heard such a worried tone come from his lips. I opened my mouth to reply, but I never did. The room became heated and blasted out of the room. I held my arms up as a shield from the heat wave. Feeling of rage attacked my senses. I thought about the curse mark, the Uchiha's dying from this disease. The creature in front of me, who was most likely responsible.
And then Sasuke, who unknowingly rushed toward it.
"No! Sasuke, don't come any closer!" I yelped, but he paid no heed. Sasuke stopped short of the door, feeling the effects of the heat. Finally I moved again. I had to get him away from here before something awful happened! I pushed against his shoulders, not caring about the warm tingle I felt knowing I touched him, but he stood there like a mountain. I feared he'd be the next victim if I didn't get him out of here fast.
Sasuke grabbed my hands and looked down at me, confused.
"What are you doing?" He asked in a calm voice. I wanted to let out a frustrated howl.
"I'm trying to protect you!" I grunted, pulling my hands from his.
"Protect me?" He exclaimed, emphasizing me. I nodded hurriedly.
"Yes! That things in there-" I turned to point to the door. My mouth hung open.
The door was closed, and all menacing aura gone. Whatever was in that room had disappeared. I didn't know whether to be breathe in relief or bang my head against the wall. At least now I'd come face to face with the entity. It reassured me that something really was here. I glanced down at the knob and reached for it. It'd wouldn't move; locked again.
Sasuke followed me downstairs as I told him everything. All the way back to what happened at the historical building. He remained quiet and politely listened, only nodding once or twice to show he was paying attention. He was taking everything in I guess. Sasuke had a strong poker face. I wondered what he looked like when he took it off. If he ever did.
"Things were being thrown off the shelves." Sasuke told me as made our way into the messy drawing room. "Your friend was almost hit with a teapot, but she moved in time." He meant Ino of course; I could tell by the unamused tone he used.
"Where were you?!" Ino asked worriedly. She ran up to me and threw her arms around my neck. I hugged her back.
"being lured into a trap." I said solemnly.
Shattered pieces of old white china were everywhere in the room, the doors to the curio they'd been resting in were barely swinging on the hinges. A lamp that'd been covered with a sheet wasn't just knocked over, it was on the other side of the room! The whole room lay trashed, just like the historical building.
My lips formed a grim line. More and more events were linking this entity as the culprit behind all our problems. We'd gotten only one step forward on a 400 meter track.
"What?" She gasped, but I focused on assessing the room. What significance would there be in here? It didn't appear special and as far as my research told me no tragedies had happened in here. But it was close quarters to base camp, maybe that was the reason. I peeked into base camp. Things were damaged in here too, although not to the same extent. Jonathan used his body as a shield for all the important (and expensive) equipment. The computer was unharmed, thank goodness. That's were all our data was recorded.
Everyone was OK, and no longer doubting the Manor's reputation.
"I heard a noise, I thought it was one of you two coming back early." Jonathan pointed to Ino and Thomas who were seated on a delicate looking canape back in base camp. "I got up to check things out, but before I knew it something flew into the room and smashed against the wall." I could see the spot from my seated position on the Persian rug. There was a crack in the wall right above the monitors. "Then more were coming. I did my best to cover the screens, but one got clipped." He said pouting. He pointed to the upper right screen that donned a large crack running down from the corner and webbing out to the middle. "By the time Ino and Thomas came into the drawing room, half of the china set was being thrown everywhere. It's the first time I've seen such a strong poltergeist, especially this close. It started to die down when Sasuke came in, but the cabinet was almost empty by then."
"Poltergeists feed off living people's energy to give them strength, especially emotions." I recited. "It needed to be close to one of us in order to do that."
I pulled my knees up and tucked my chin in. The first night we came, the entity blacked out or screens and drained our camera's batteries. Right after it appeared. Tonight, it attacked before appearing. Obviously, it didn't want to be seen, but we already knew of its presence. Recent events made it impossible for the spirit to be stuck in a residual loop. Spirits in loops were forced to replay tragic events over and over and were oblivious to the living world around it. This spirit was consciously and actively doing things out of pattern and aware that we were here.
So what was its end game? Why kill members of your own family by making them sick with an untreatable disease? I thought harder, but it proved difficult when my ears were filled with Jonathan's raving.
"This was a new screen, specially made double wide!" He whined, reaching out to the inanimate object as if it was a lost loved one. My eyes glued to the cracked, but not broken, screen.
"Does it still work?" I blurted.
Jonathan shrugged. "well, yeah, but the screen's going to be fuzzy."
"Play it back please." I politely demanded. Everyone looked at me confused, except Thomas. Realizing what I meant, Thomas piped in, "Where is the camera for that screen? There might be something on it the ghost didn't want us to see. Hence why that's the only screen damaged."
Jonathan nodded in agreement. "Alright."
Click! Thwack!
The screen flashed to life.
"Rewind it to before the flying teapots, when you thought someone was in here." Ino suggested, and I smiled at her eagerness to chip in.
"Okay. I think it was around here." Jonathan replied, swiping the mouse to rewind. He right clicked, and hit play.
Sasuke was in the frame; this was the camera set up in the upstairs hallway. I must've been in the purple room because I wasn't in the shot, Sasuke stood alone at the door. Jonathan cranked the volume up. We sat in silence and watched the scene unfold.
"Did you hear that?"
Right before the poltergeist activity, Sasuke and I were hearing things. I'd completely forgotten! I watched in strange fascination; I saw small movement in the corner of the shot. That door!
Then the loud crash came. Sasuke hurriedly turned and-
The screen froze and the picture started breaking up.
"What the?" Jonathan moved to fiddle with his computer, but before he could the screen lagged, skipped, and came back to life. All the sudden I was walking down the hallway with no Sasuke in sight. So eerie, watching myself as I stood in front of the door, silent for a full moment. And then I whispered, "Who are you?"
The scene continued, but my stuggle couldn't be seen externally. The only one that knew what really happened was me. Not too long after Sasuke rushed back down the hallway toward me.
I moved closer to the screen, sensing something off.
It was the moment I turned to Sasuke to push him away, something behind me moved. The door lagged, by itself, like a faulty video game. The rest of the screen remained fine, but now the door stood shut. One moment it was open, and literally the very next it was closed.
How was that possible?!
"I…cant tell if that's just the video or if the door magically shut without moving." Thomas gaped, wide eyed. He played back the scene; the same thing happened.
"I can't either." I confessed. Surrounding me was dazed looks and nodding heads of agreement. Even through Sasuke's poker face I saw confusion. Silence filled the room as we all sat there, not knowing how to respond or reason our way through what we saw.
Jonathan shut off the screens, hand shaky, and broke the silence.
"I don't know about you guys, but I think we should call it a night." He suggested.
Normally I wouldn't be happy about cutting our precious time short, but he was right. Certain things took time to process and my invisible battle with the spirit exhausted me.
"Agreed." I sighed tiredly.
Everyone nodded, except for Sasuke. His face full of gloom, looking at his ancestors broken China that was probably worth more than my whole college tuition. Jonathan safeguarded his equipment with boxes as he got ready to call it a night. Ino and Thomas were walking out of the room hurriedly, leaving the mess on the ground. I walked up to Sasuke and offered to help.
"I'll help you clean this up if you want."
Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his ebony locks.
"It's alright, this is what I'm here for." He said, but with an undertone I didn't understand. Perhaps I imagined it. "Go to bed," He prodded lightly. I gave him a smile, a small reconciliation for causing him trouble.
"Goodnight Sasuke."
Another night of restless sleep. I relived the events of today. First, Naomi staring at me with red eyes and speaking in a deep, dark voice that sent shivers up my spine. Hearing her speak felt like déjà vu, although I was certain I'd never heard such a thing in my life. Then the black figure, the ghastly hand. The chuckle. All of it was like remembering some bad dream.
It's the same voice.
Then, instead of the hand emerging, a red face appears, peeking out slowly. Getting closer, bigger, until it takes up the whole room…
I gasped.
I awoke in the van, laying in a flannel blue shirt inside my green tough camper sleeping bag. Ino was only an arm's length away, facing the wall and away from me. I hurried to calm my breathing so I wouldn't wake her.
The nightmare changed. Now I mixed real life with my fears, which only made it feel that much more real.
'It's just a dream.' I reminded myself. 'It can't harm you.'
I stared at the ceiling for what felt like hour taking quiet, slow breaths. The weekend was over. Tomorrow we'd have to drive back to our everyday lives as this spirit tortured innocent people. I needed to come up with a plan before we returned. I shivered from the cold and turned over in my sleeping bag, cuddling in to get comfy. Hopefully to fall back into a dreamless sleep.
My feelings were torn between wanting to stay and never coming back.
Sasuke was nowhere to be found as we packed up Jon's equipment the next day. Now that base camp was a potential target, we'd move his station back into the van. I grabbed a box of old gadgets and some flashlights when I heard the tinkling of bells. A doorbell.
"Is someone at the door?" Ino asked in confusion. As far as I knew we were the only outsiders who knew the location of the Manor. Who could it be? Sasuke returning? With his aloofness I couldn't imagine him ringing the doorbell when he could easily just stalk inside.
I set my box down and walked to the front door. I opened it to come face to face with a slender, but handsome, pale man in a uniform.
Sai.
"Hello." He greeted with a cheerful smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Mikoto sent me to make sure you were alright and the Manor hadn't chased you away. It's been awhile since you've talked and she was getting worried that something happened." He droned out, clasping his hands behind him.
"Oh!" My heart churned. I felt terrible the investigation was taking so long when it concerned her health. "Yes were fine. I'm sorry we don't have much to report on, but we've identified an entity her that could be linked to her problems." I told him nicely, but the truth was I wanted him to leave already.
For some reason Sai annoyed me. He had a fake cherry disposition at all times and it gave me the creeps.
"Hey Sakura, this box is heavy. How long are you going to stand there?" I heard behind me. Ino came in struggling with a large box. Before I could respond Sai swooped past me toward Ino and gathered the box in his lanky arms.
"Let me, my lady."
Ino's eyes lit up, and she gave him a sweet smile. I rolled my eyes. He still gave me the creeps.
"Madame also wants to know if her son has been around at all to offer his help." Sai asked while carrying the box to the door. It surprised me; was that the reason why Sasuke was here? Because Mikoto wanted him to help?
"Yeah, he's helped quite a lot actually. I'm surprised he can spend so much time here." I said, baiting for any further information that was the enigma called Sasuke Uchiha.
"He's always been that way; he'll do anything to help his mother."
Sai didn't stick around much longer, thank goodness. He studied the house a bit, probably to make sure everything was in order, but even with a normally blank face I could tell being in the Manor made him uneasy. I vaguely wondered if Sai was part of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke wasn't much for showing emotion and both had dark features, but Sasuke didn't give me a creepy vibe. Perhaps Sai was a distant cousin.
Sasuke was still unfindable before we left, but he'd cleaned up the drawing room before he left. I didn't want to leave without telling Sasuke when we'd be back so the door wouldn't be locked, but it couldn't be helped and I didn't have his number.
It was back to the week days of cheering up crying children, helping nervous people take shots, helping the elderly to their beds, sleep, and nightmares. In that order. The week would pass by relatively quickly, and before I knew it, it was Thursday morning. Only a day before my return to the Manor.
"What?" I asked, taking a sip from my tea. I didn't need to look up from the newspaper to see that Ino stood there, eyeing me intently.
"I've got the weekend off again." She stated.
I sighed, dropping the newspaper down to properly regard her. She was still in her pajamas, a baby blue top and matching pants. Her arms folded across her chest, and her cornflower blues eyes were watched my every move. Her hair was still down, so long it grazed her hips. A streak of jealously ran through me at how pretty she managed to be in the mornings. It made me grumpier than usual.
"Why would you wanna go back? You hate this stuff; you've told me yourself." I said, exasperated. She didn't falter.
"I started this with you, I'm going to finish it." She said, titling her chin up. Why did she always have to confront me in the morning? I was always in the worst state when I'd just woken up. I rubbed my temples and looked away from her, trying to think of a way to get out of this situation.
I heard a clinking noise as she dropped something on the table. I leaned in to inspect it. It was a gold key, old and carved delicately. The pattern looked familiar, where had I seen that before? Right; on a doorknob.
The hidden door.
I gaped at her.
"Where did you get this?" I asked, reaching out to pick the key up. Her hand slammed over it before I could touch it, creating a cocoon. I retracted my hand and looked up at her questioningly.
"I found it in the desk drawer when I was locked in that room. I just, felt like I needed to open it and then there the key was. Before I knew it, I was shoving it down my pocket like I had to take it." She explained.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked her. She looked away.
"I was going to, I forgot it was in my pocket honestly. And then we had that meeting about Sasuke, and things got strange. I knew I would need it as leverage." She told me seriously.
"Leverage? Over me?" I asked incredulously. Then I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Is this because you want to see Sasuke again? You don't need to bribe me, you could just ask you know-"
"It's not about Sasuke," She said quickly. "It's about you. Your hiding something Sakura Haruno. And it has something to do with what's going on at that place. I've heard the nightmares, I pretended to be asleep but I'm worried about you. I'm part of this now too." She said.
I stared at her for a long second. Ino was always more perceptive than I gave her credit for, but I didn't know whether I should just deny it or come clean. I could be putting her in danger. But I had to tell somebody. I was suffering; I couldn't sleep at night anymore and I was always looking over my shoulder. It felt like someone watched me wherever I went, but it was worse in the Manor. I just hadn't told anybody. I couldn't quit the case though, Mikoto was depending on me.
"Alright." I conceded softly, and a relieved smile broke out on her face. I got up, putting my mug in the sink. "Sit down, I have something to show you." I ordered. She sat down quickly, lacing her hands in front of her on the table innocently and patiently. I walked off, and a minute later I was coming back with my camcorder. I hadn't used since the Montgomery case; it'd been collecting dust on my dresser, unused.
I scooted my chair next to her, and connected the camcorder to my laptop. The video popped up, and then I skipped everything but the last five minutes.
"What is it?" Ino asked.
"Just watch." I told her quietly. I played it; the part where Thomas almost knocks the vase over and sets the camera down to fix it. It's focused on me, and my mouth is moving, but I don't hear anything. My eyes are glued to the archway, and then on Ino's expression as she watched it. She scrunched her eyes.
"Wait a minute, what was that?" She asked while grabbing the mouse from me. She played it back, and then paused the screen. She leaned forward more. Then she lashed back and slapped a hand over her mouth.
She saw it. The figure behind me in the archway, the red face coming through even in the dark. She looked at me, worry flashing through her eyes.
"That," I said, pointing at the screen, "Has been following me since I was sixteen; the night my parents died."
BADUMMMMM BA!
End chapter~