Author Note: Please review!
~CWA

CHAPTER ELEVEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART VI

Day Two (Continued)

Minami, his staff member, and Oliver Davis had gone back to their rooms, all of them clearly shaken by the events. However, the SPR group, including Danny, had joined with Suzuki and Miss Igarashi in their own room with all of their equipment. Danny sat down, taking a few deep breaths. He wasn't hurt, not that bad anyway. Yet when the spirit had pressed down on his chest it felt like it was just keeping him from breathing. Not breathing concerned Danny much more than the fact that the spirit was able to hold him down. It reminded him too much of his parents. He winced slightly and brought his hand to his chest and rubbed it. Lin was looking over the video footage and sound while Naru began questioning Suzuki.

"Can you describe what it felt like?"

"It was like my hand was being led by the marker. I felt like if I let go, it would just fly off on its own," Suzuki answered honestly, a hand to her mouth in worry.

Miss Igarashi gave the woman a comforting look as the questioning continued. Monk, however, just turned to Yasuhara with a joking look,

"Hey boss, you do seem pretty calm."

"That's just because I have nerves of steel," Yasuhara answered easily with a grin, but he wasn't able to continue.

"Stop it there," Naru demanded as he hovered behind Lin's shoulder looking at the video screen, "Rewind to 53 seconds and go frame by frame."

Lin did as instructed and they all gathered around to see what was caught on tape. Mai and Suzuki both gave concerned looks to Danny, who seemed a bit hurt. They watched the video closely and saw that as Suzuki wrote it down, one of the papers she tossed was blank. Yet as it hit the ground, the words just appeared on it from nowhere. The very paper read, I don't want to die. A stunned silence went through the group.

"There wasn't anything on it until it hit the floor," Ayako whispered.

Masako gave a gulping sound as she doubled over, Mai barely able to catch her.

"I'm sorry," Masako whispered, "I just don't feel well."

"Do you want to go back to our room," Mai offered.

"Matsuzaki," Naru barked, "Go with them."

"We should be fine on our own-"

"-No way," Naru interrupted harshly and Mai was stunned as Ayako came over to help the two girls out of the room.

Danny watched them leave with a sympathetic look, but Mai's eyes were on Naru, who was still glaring at the screen. He's more on edge than normal, Mai wondered, What's so bad though? What's going on? As soon as the girls left, Danny gave a pained groan. Great, the stupid thing upset an old injury. John and Monk turned to Danny with concerned looks.

"Are you doing alright," Monk asked, "What exactly happened in there anyway?"

"It didn't exactly like me," Danny muttered, "But no bad spirit ever does, really… When things started to get bad, the scent of blood filled the room and I tried to move to see if I could get rid of it but…"

"But it didn't want to go," Naru finished, "What exactly did it do to keep you from moving? Are you in any pain now?"

"It held me down," Danny answered honestly, "That's not an easy thing to do either. Aside from the obvious, I mean, I'm a pretty skilled psychic for a reason. Spirits don't typically get the upper hand…"

Danny gave a harsh cough as Monk, John, Lin, Naru and Yasu shared concerned looks. Danny was easily about six feet tall, if taller, despite being seventeen and he was pretty muscular. That plus his abilities as a psychic… If a spirit could hold him down then it must be strong.

"And I'm not that hurt," Danny coughed, "It just kept a pretty big pressure on my chest until Monk dispelled it which aggravated an old injury…"

"Old injury," Naru questioned, causing Danny to wince.

"I don't exactly have the best lungs."

His parents' experiments had left many scars, outside his body, mentally, and even inside his body. His lungs, he learned, was just of the few organs effected from their experiments. He didn't need to breath that often due to his half ghost status, but he still needed air. Now his lungs barely even allowed him to get enough oxygen as it was. He pulled out a small inhaler from his pocket. I hate this thing so much, Danny though absently, but it was needed as he took a quick breath from it. Naru raised an eyebrow, curious as to why Danny, of all people, who seemed to be in good physical health, apparently had asthma or something similar to it. The mystery around him seems to get deeper and deeper… Naru glanced at the screen, still showing the paper on it, But we have more pressing matters to attend to…

Thanks to Mai and Ayako, Masako was back in bed in their room in a comfortable kimono that she wore for bed. Mai sat on the bed across from Masako as Masako continued talking to her.

"Yes, I smelt blood," Masako continued, "it was as if my body was soaked with it. The smell was so strong, I thought was I was going to be sick."

"Do you think it could be a scent for the spirit," Mai asked.

"What do you think Mai," Masako asked gently, "Are you sensing any spirits?"

"Well I don't know what you mean," Mai huffed slightly.

"During the last case you seemed to be the only one who saw the same apparition that I did."

"Huh? You mean Saouchi? Well that's just crazy, I haven't had any of those dreams lately," Mai waved it off.

Ayako walked into the room, dressed comfortably in her own pajamas, as she dried her hair.

"Well you two seem to be getting along."

"You must be joking," Masako said simply, "Clearly someone like me doesn't associate with someone like this."

"Hey," Mai let out a small cry, "What's that supposed to be?"

"It's just how you are," Masako waved it off, "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

Mai let out a cry as she glared at the medium.

"You're an awful person!"

"Maybe but at least I'm pretty and talented!"

"You're one of the meanest girls I have ever known! Why do you hate me!?"

"You know," Masako turned her head away from Mai, "I'm not sure. Maybe it's just because you're breathing!"

Mai growled slightly as she felt her face get red with anger. She grabbed a nearby pillow,

"I'll breath on you, you creep!"

She used all of her strength to throw the pillow as hard as she could muster, but Masako dodged with a blank calm expression, causing the pillow to hit Ayako in the face.

"Ugh that's great, you two really are on your way to being best friends…"

"Oh no way, I'd never be best friends with her," they both cried out in union.

A lone spirit wandered through the empty hallways that night. His body pale, thin and bony. His eyes were wide with insanity, his jaw dislocated. Blood dripped from him, causing him to leave a trail of bloody footprints.

"I don't want to die," the croaky voice whispered as a green breathy mist exited his mouth.