SpineSweeping

He hissed as an alcohol soaked napkin was pressed to his bloodied lip.

"The sting will go away. Stop being a baby."

"Am I not the one who's supposed to be saying that? And you're supposed to be in bed still."

"I don't see you stopping me." He glared at her, but

"Mai, it hasn't even been one day since-"

"Naru, I'm fine. I'm alive, right?" He nodded stiffly. "So stop worrying!" He wanted to say he had been worrying nonstop since he had found her almost lifeless in that hellhole of a shed. His careful eyes watched her scratched face. Watched the two stitched gashes running down her face. Knew they wouldn't heal without scarring.

"Ayako said–"

"'Stay in bed until you feel better.'" Mai mocked in a weak impersonation of Ayako. "And I feel better." He scoffed. "I do! Seeing Gene made me feel so much better, it always does." She smiled. Turned away to throw away the bloodied napkin. Missed his desolate, lost expression, which realigned into his calm mask when she turned back. He missed her concerned frown as she stared at the French sink, worry for Gene burdening her thoughts.

"You guys!" Takigawa ran in breathing heavily with excitement, his hair tousled messily. "Guys! We're going to have a party!"

"What?" They spoke in unison, both equally stunned and unhappy at the news.

"Yeah, I know!" He mistook their shock for joy. "Minoru-sama said it was for Mai's recovery!"

"A party's not going to help her get better, it's–"

"Fine, Naru. It's fine. Tell him I'm honored that he would throw a party for me." Takigawa nodded and disappeared. She turned back to Naru, glaring. "Why do you have to be like that?"

"Like what?" He asked calmly, arching an eyebrow coolly.

"Like having a party is the end of the world! Look, I'm no happier about it than you–"

"Could've fooled me."

"–but he's our client and what he says goes. I would've thought you, of all people, would agree. So," She shoves the band-aid box in his hands. "Be gracious for once. He's doing a kind thing for us." She mimicked his eyebrow arch. Strode from the room.

He watched her walk away, leaving him with only his thoughts, the bright kitchen lights and a half empty box of band-aids.

---

She lay asleep, tucked under layers of warm covers in the chilly night. Her hand by her head twitched.

And she entered the realm.

The sky thundered above her. Lighting cracked like a whip in the middle of thick dark clouds. Wind howled through the blades of wheat, uprooting large masses in uneven spots and sweeping them into the raging waters below. Was it her imagination or had the cliffs grown smaller?

Idiot, the cliffs aren't growing smaller. A voice that sounded a lot like Naru chided in her head. The water level is rising.

She fought vicious winds as she trekked through the rocky field, a dull windswept glow in the dark weather. Thunder cracked above. The sky split, spilling rain over the earth. Her thin cardigan was no match for the cold.

"Gene?" She cried out in desperation, squinting into the storm. "Gene!" A shadow roamed in the foggy sleet ahead of her . "Gene?" She said quietly, heading blindly towards it. It turned. She froze under its crimson gaze.

The demon knows I'm your guardian and it's going to try and lure you here and attack you.

She stumbled back, tripping over dirt and rocks. Her ankle couldn't support her weight and she fell back, hitting her head harshly on the ground. As she lay in pain, the shadow approached. Thunder and the creature's predatory snarls rolled through the air. She got up, shaking in the rain. She felt warm blood trickle from her temple.

A hand on her shoulder.

"I told you not to come back, you silly girl!" His look of cold concentration, all traces of his good-humour gone, his dark gaze, black hair matted to the sides of his face. At that moment, Gene and Naru could've been the same person. Rain streamed from his face, his jaw set in concentration. His blue eyes turned white. A burst of white energy spiralled toward the shadow and it evaporated in a dark grey mist.

Gene nearly collapsed, but Mai steadied him. Draped one of his arms over her shoulders. And began walking.

Fighting wind and freezing rain, she journeyed through the barren, rocky unchanging scenery for what seemed to be hours, all the while supporting a stumbling, half conscious Gene.

"G-go to the left." She heard his voice in her ears, soft against the howling wind. She turned, only to be met with more sleet and darkness.

"But Gene, there's nothing th–"

"Just trust me, Mai." She felt his breath on her ear, pleading. She paused. Nodded. Shifted his weight on her shoulders. The chill bit down to her bones, freezing every joint and tendon. She wouldn't be able to go on very farther, and with Gene in the state he was in...what she really needed now was shelter–

A shadow appeared ahead, and for a moment fear struck her deep in her heart. But it grew larger, too large to be any kind of threat. It was a cave.

She wanted to cry in relief.

Ducking into the alcove, she set Gene down against the rocky wall, and huddled beside him, curling away from the entrance.

"It's your mind, Mai. You are God and thy word shall come to fruition." Gene said feebly, a weak smile on his lips.

"Gene?" She heard him answer slightly. "Will you be alright?" He nodded.

"I had to use a lot of energy to ward the demon away."

"Gene, I'm so sorry, I didn't know–and after you said–"

"It's okay, Mai. I'll survive." He turned his eyes to her. "It was looking for you, you know. Mai, if it finds you, it will trap you here and there will be nothing I can do."

"Gene, before, you were going to tell me how to stop it, and then....then–"

"It took my form and attacked you."

"No...it was you talking to me one moment, and then the next it was this...wolf-like creature." She turned her head, looking towards the entrance, and he saw the crescent moon shaped scars on her cheek.

"It did that to you." She said nothing. Swallowed hard. Nodded. She couldn't look at him. A rock tore itself from the wall and shot off into the rain outside.

"Gene, please at least try to save your energy."

"Mai, I don't think you understand. I am your guardian. It is my job to protect you. Only you. Noll has that job in life. I have it in death."

"Don't be so morbid. Anyways, I wanted to know how we can stop this thing, not–" The ground shook. Gene stood, Mai clutching his arm. Her knuckles were white with strain. He took a step forward, towards the darkness that thundered with rain. "Gene, wait–"

A deafening screech pierced the air. Her world seemed to crumble around her. Literally. Gene covered her and ducked out of the way of the collapsing walls. Winds tore around them, threatening to rip her very body in two. A black mass stood on the horizon. Red eyes blared through the thick, dust filled wind.

"Mai, don't come back. You're not safe." Gene said urgently, keeping her close to him. The shadow was approaching, a tornado on the horizon. It tore chunks of earth from the ground as if it had claws, growing ever closer to them. "Go back to Noll. Stay there. Do not come back, you understand? Your dreams are no longer your own." He looked back at the twister then turned to her, his hair blowing wild from the galeforce winds. "Mai, I need you to wake up, alright?"

"Mai, wake up!"

She bolted upright, but Naru ducked out of the way in time to avoid hitting her again. She felt cold tears streaming down her face. Her face felt numb from cold, yet she felt warm under her covers.

"N-Naru, it's Gene...Gene..."

"What?" He took her shoulders. Something inside him splintered at her words. At the tears on her face. "Mai, what happened? You were having some sort of seizure while you were sleeping. You were even foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog."

"We-Gene and I-were attacked, and Gene...I–I woke up. I don't know what happened to him." She shut her eyes, tears dripping from her eyelashes. "I'm sorry."

"Mai." His voice made her look up, into his face. "It's alright. Gene, contrary to popular belief, is an adult. He can take care of himself. What's important is that you got out unharmed." She felt the side of her head throb where she had hit the rock. She didn't want to contradict him.

"But Gene–" He stood, the light spilling from the hall glinting in his dark eyes.

"Can take care of himself." Naru repeated again, his voice cold. "Go back to sleep, Mai." The door clicked shut, leaving her alone, tears still fresh on her face.

She did not go back to sleep. Worry for Gene ate at her, consumed her every thought, yet she didn't want to return, in case she made things worse.

She lay awake and stared at the ceiling until dawn, when finally, her agitation built to the point where she had to get up or she would go mad with worry.

The halls were quiet and still. She wandered to the kitchen, her flashlight's beam guiding her way. Though when she walked into the kitchen, she found she was not alone.

Naru sat at the island counter, the bright light above him blaring through the darkness, setting his eyes into shadow, a halo of light shining on his dark hair.

"Couldn't sleep either?" He looked up. She could see lines under his eyes.

"Mai, you're awake. Good. Tea."

"Yeah, yeah. I was going to make some anyways." She shuffled to the counter and started rifling through various jars. His careful eyes watched her fill the kettle and set it on the stove, then darted back to the folder in front of him when she turned to him.

"I see you've learned from before."

"Hmm?"

"You brought a flashlight."

"Oh. Yeah. Thought you might recommend it. You know, don't make the same mistake twice, that kind of thing." She tentatively sat beside him. "What are you looking at?"

"The case files Kasai-san gave us."

"Looking for anything specific?"

"No. Anything, more like."

"Gene told me there was only one demon." He looked at her. Her eyes were focused on the file page, on the photo of the newly built Kurayami mansion, scratched and faded with time. "So, the entity that attacked me in that shed the other night was–"

"The same being that possessed Minoru-sama-"

"And the same thing that attacked me and Takigawa in the bathroom."

"Jane is my sister and we are one and the same."

"One and the same." He was possessed by the memory of Jane and her monstrous twin. Her words echoed in his ears. "Come on." He stood, grabbing the folder. "Bring the tea with you." He strode from the room. She rolled her eyes and watched him leave.

The kettle whistled loudly in the still silence.

---

She sat cross legged on the floor of the library, hot tea steaming in the cool air from flawless porcelain cups. He stood on a sliding ladder, his eyes sweeping the spines. The pink light of dawn oozed through the large windows.

"I found it." He drew out a dusty, well worn book, black calligraphy on faded red suede.

"What is it?" She picked lint from the intricate, brightly coloured Indian rugs.

"Family psychology report." He sat on the ladder and opened it, the smell of aged paper filling the air. "Many prominent families own one, especially one this troubled."

"Wait! You passed her." Mai took the book from him and flipped back to the picture of a dimpled, smiling child. His irritation disappeared at her intuitiveness. At the spark of excitement in her eyes. He hadn't even told her who he had been looking for. He nearly smiled. Nearly.

"Charlotte Kurayami, daughter of Nieko Kurayami and Georg Brigg, an Austrian diplomat. Customary to the elder Kuryami's wishes, Brigg took his wife's name after their marriage. This affected his work life, with his co-workers constantly belittling his masculinity. During the examination, he seemed to show overtly feminine qualities and tended to be controlling of Charlottes's every move. Affectionately called Jane by the family and staff, Charlotte showed signs of multiple personality disorder and sudden mood swings. On one particularly notable incident happened one morning while Charlotte was being served breakfast, she came in calm and smiling, then suddenly went into hysterics and ran about the kitchen, tossing and breaking all the plates and glasses that she could reach."

"That explains the other girl's–Jane's–appearance. She was a manifested personality that the demon disguised itself as."

"It's waiting to show its true form."

"No, not waiting. It's biding its time." With his ominous pronouncement, she fell silent, flipping through the yellowed pages slowly. Suddenly she stopped and her eyes widened. Her expression made him falter. "What is it?"

"Kasai-san's mother is in here." She turned her eyes to him. "She killed herself."

---

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope they were awesome!