Just as they were about to leave after telling Lin and Ling what was going on, Naru and Mai came face to face with John as he opened the door. With a glare, Naru sighed. "Please tell me that look in your eyes is just a question and not asking for help for anything."

Shaking his head as he dropped his eyes, John sighed. "It's not. I do need your help Naru. I need everyone's help with something I need to do. Long story short, there were two young girls about our age that were living alone in the woods in a cabin that their father owned. But they were having some activity and wanted a house blessing to keep it out. But they sounded terrified."

Not wanting to seem rude, though really wanting to spend some time with just Mai, Naru couldn't help but have his curiosity pulling at him. "What sort of activity?"

"They are hearing growls. Laughter and not seeing anyone. I just assumed that where it was that they were dealing with the wild life and it would not be something I needed. But then…." With a sigh John closed his eyes. "While on the phone with them, I heard the laughter they were talking about before they screamed. Then the phone dropped. When they came back to it, they were terrified. I have a bad feeling about this and would really like everyone's help. I have Masako, Ayako, and Monk downstairs waiting."

Blinking Mai let her head fall to the side. "Wait Masako is down there?"

Nodding as he turned his eyes up to Mai, John took a deep breath. "She is. She doesn't want to ride with either of you, but she agreed to come and help me for some reason. I need all the help I can get. I just know it. Kazuya?"

Looking up at him, Mai smiled to see the conflict in his eyes. He wanted to go. If nothing else to help John out with something after all he has done to help them. But he promised her a proper date today, and some one on one time after that. But she knew that look in his eyes too. And she knew with what he did that most of the time they spent together would be through work and training anyway. "Naru…."

Looking down at her smiling face, Naru sighed. "But what about…."

Shaking her head to the side, Mai kept her smile as she squeezed his hand. "It's alright Naru. I understand and we can do that when we get back. I know you want to go."

"So you will come help me then?"

Turning back to see John's hopeful eyes, Naru sighed as he glanced back at Lin and Ling. Turning back to John, Naru sighed and nodded. "We will. Text Mai the directions. We will go get a bag, and then we will meet you there."

"Thank you."

With a small laugh as John left, Mai sighed as she leaned her head over on his shoulder as he turned his eyes back to her. "Come on don't give me that look. We can go on our date and stuff when we get back from helping him. He hasn't asked us ever for any help and I saw that look in your eyes. Your curiosity was peeked wasn't it?"

Nodding as he sighed, Naru closed his eyes. "It was. But it stemmed back to some research I did with Lin in the United States." Turning to Lin he sighed. "We are going to go grab her bag, and then go get mine. Meet us there once you and Ling are packed."

"Right."

Pulling Mai along with him, Naru left and headed down the hall. But he could feel her questioning eyes on her. Now out on the street and side by side, Naru sighed. "Two years ago Gene and I went with Lin to the United States. While we were there, we followed up on some legends of a bigfoot that is associated with a ghost of sorts. There Cherokee Native Americans have a legend about a bigfoot called the Raven Mocker. According to their legend it can transform into a crow and fly around and see everything through the crow. It does this to find the elderly, sick or those that are dying. When it is just the crow and the person, the crow turns back into the bigfoot and consumes their heart without leaving a mark on them."

Shivering Mai closed her eyes. "That is just a little disturbing."

"Indeed. Though the notion of bigfoot existing is something I do believe in. I do not believe that it could do such a thing as that. However it was the ghostly old woman that is always seen with it when it is seen that interested Gene and I. We found evidence that something was going on, but then we were called home before we could figure it out. Everyone we talked to though had the same thing to say. And it sounded nearly identical to what John said the girls who called him said." When she didn't say anything, Naru looked down at her and sighed. "Mai?"

"You think that something like that is going on here don't you Naru?"

Nodding as he stopped with her, Naru let out a sigh. "I do. But I do not believe a bigfoot has anything to do with it. What we found in the United States was more poltergeist than animal. All you have to do is to remember to always stay with someone." Closing his eyes as he dropped his head, Naru held her hand just a little tighter. "Though I would prefer it not be Miss Hara."

Nodding Mai took a deep breath then smiled up at him. "I understand that one. Come on let's go get our stuff so we can go help John." Mai then pulled a gasp and made him blush as she kissed his cheek.

Nodding, Naru walked as she hugged his arm. "Right."

X

"This is really the way to the place that you need to go John?"

Nodding as he drove, John narrowed his eyes as he glared. The closer he got the more he didn't like the feeling he got. "It is. I just hope that nothing bad has happened to them. I have never had a feeling like this before."

With a smile, Monk crossed his arms. "Don't worry about a thing John. We are here and Naru and the others will be here later. They shouldn't be that far behind us."

"There it is." John gave the small cabin an odd look as he pulled up to it. "If not for the bad vibe I get off of it, this would be a beautiful place."

With wide eyes and a shaky hand, Masako, who had been silent the entire way there, reached out and grabbed John's hand. "John…..there is….I don't know what she is but she isn't alive and may not be human."

Hardening his eyes, John reached up and touched his cross. "God be with us. Come on let's get in there and make sure the girls are alright." But the second they got out of the car, they heard a wicked laugh from a woman. Taking a step, John gasped and looked down as Masako grabbed his arm. "Masako?"

"It is her. I don't know what she is but that is her." But then even Masako flinched when they heard twin screams from inside. "The girls!"

John lead the charge as they raced up the steps and into the house to find the girls racing toward them, one grabbing Ayako by the arm and the other Monk. "Are you two alright?"

Fuuko pointed toward the back room with wide and terrified eyes. "Something is in that room….we heard it growling!"

Easing Masako off of his arm, and over next to Monk, John pulled out his cross and bottle of holy water. "I am glad I stopped and asked Kazuya to come and help us out now. This will be anything but your typical house cleansing."