Thank you all again for reading and reviewing the chapters ^ v ^ I forgot to type in this note when I uploaded Chapter 24. Sorry ^ _^
Anyway, here are more chapters for Key. Enjoy! (And please read and review * v ^)
Ghost Hunt is not mine.
"…Mai…"
It sounded like that voice she heard in the hallway upstairs that morning she met the nurse…the odd and eerie high-pitched voice…
"…Mai…"
She felt something touch her neck…ice-cold...air…
Mai found herself staring at her reflection on the nearest window.
She wasn't alone.
Behind her was a pale woman. She didn't seem to be part of the household servants.
...Her wet dark brown hair was tousled over her face…Her face was so close to Mai's neck...
Mai suddenly felt something cold grab her arms tightly from behind.
Mai's eyes widened. She was suddenly seeing images of a naked girl tied up on a bed and later hurled against a bloody concrete wall...hearing deafening high-pitched screams of fear and agony…remembering a bloodcurdling series of sadistic chuckles...
"...Mai..."
...And indeed the call sounded louder against her left ear.
"Mai!" Florence called, crossing entrance to the kitchen and noticing a frozen Mai in front of the stove. "There you are! I was wondering where you were."
The stove lit up. The room's temperature felt warmer.
The grip on Mai's arms vanished.
Florence noticed Mai's shoulders as they began to shake.
"Mai..?" she asked walking toward Mai.
"Florence," Mai mumbled, turning to look at her friend with tears running down her pale face.
Florence stared at her in shock. "Mai! What happened?"
Mai felt her knees shake. She felt so weak…too weak to keep her body upright.
Florence immediately held Mai as she knelt down on the cold kitchen floor crying. "What happened? Mai," she asked, holding her tight against her. She noticed how cold Mai was.
Mai's only response were speechless sobs. Mai also didn't know what happened.
All she knew was that she couldn't keep herself from crying. She couldn't remember all the images that she saw. All she knew was that they were all too scary to recall.
It was only after Mai calmed down that Florence saw the odd marks on Mai's arms – smudged hand prints. It was as if someone tightly gripped Mai's arms with his blood-stained hands.
"I'm sorry you had to do this, Brown-san," Yasuhara said carrying a luggage with John's name on it.
"Oh no," John said smiling warmly at him. He held a thick brown envelope in his hand. "It's an honour to help Shibuya-san. I am also grateful for your help in carrying my luggage. Are you sure it's not much of a trouble? I know that's quite heavy, Yasuhara-san."
Yasuhara chuckled. "No trouble at all," he said. "I was born a very strong man."
John laughed.
It was early in the morning and Yasuhara accompanied John to the airport.
"…So you always get invited to these conferences?" Yasuhara asked.
"This is actually my first time," John said. "I was invited this year to share my experience as a Catholic priest performing exorcisms here in Japan."
Yasuhara nodded. "I'm guessing that this is a form or memorial for Gene Davis."
John's smile showed a hint of sadness. "Yes," he said. "It was a very interesting study."
"I'm sure he's happy now, wherever he is," Yasuhara said. "If I can recall correctly, all the different beliefs religions had one thing in common about death."
John smiled and nodded at Yasuhara. "Death is only the beginning of a new life."
They soon reached the boarding area.
"You really won't attend the conference, Yasuhara-san?" John asked, taking his luggage from Yasuhara.
Yasuhara shrugged his shoulders. "I still have a lot to do here. Enjoy your trip to London!"
"I will, thank you," John said. "And don't worry. I'll give your package and your regards to Dr. Davis!"
John then walked with his luggage to the line where the passengers of the boarding plane were welcomed.
Yasuhara decided to stick around until John was already inside the plane. He was about to head back from the boarding area when he noticed someone familiar in the passengers who were supposed to board the same airplane as John.
"Ah, Hara-san is also invited to the British SPR conference," Yasuhara said.
Oliver sighed as he walked into the office with a box filled with notebooks and pens.
He remembered how Madoka ordered him that morning to pick the box up from the SPR office. She had been planning to give the notebooks and pens to the seminar attendees of the conference.
Oliver placed the box on a table in the house's library room. He noticed how Madoka anxiously sorted various posters and banners for the conference.
"We hold this every year, Madoka," he said.
Madoka looked up at Oliver.
"Can't we just do this the way we usually do it?" he continued. "This is an academic conference, not a children's party."
Madoka glared at Oliver. "This is a different year, and much of our guests are new," she said. "They all deserve to have a great experience in this conference."
"…By using party decorations for the conference?"
"These are not party decorations!" Madoka defended. "These banners are already in black!"
Lin walked in with his netbook. He had been hearing Madoka and Oliver's voices from the hallway outside. "I think what Noll is trying to say is that this might be too much for a formal conference."
Madoka glared at Lin.
Lin sighed and sat down beside her, opening his netbook in the process.
"Luella approves," Madoka defensively said.
Oliver rolled his eyes. "…Women…" he muttered.
Lin coughed, trying hard not to burst into chuckles.
Oliver turned to walk out of the library.
"Wait!" Madoka called. "Where are you going?"
Oliver stopped and looked at Madoka. "You've been keeping me busy assisting you in doing these preparations since yesterday."
"That's because we need help!" she answered.
Oliver glared at Madoka. "You never needed help from me or from Gene in the past conferences, and those conferences ended successfully. Why do you need my help now?"
Madoka glared back at Oliver. "Helping people out is…"
"What exactly did my parents ask you to do with me?" Oliver asked.
Lin and Madoka froze.