Crimson Butterfly

A Fatal Frame Fanfiction

By Chendzee'a

All characters belong to Tecmo.

Chapter 8

Mad Dash

"I left her behind"

"You had to do it… you have to find a way to free her."

"I promised…"

"Sometimes you can't keep your promises."

"She trusted me…"

"It's for her own good."

"She's afraid…"

"So are you."

"It's cold… so cold without her…"

"Then you'd better hurry."

With that in mind Mio forced herself forward. Leaving the cell room behind, she hurried up the shadowed halls. The darkness now clung about her like a living thing. It was almost as if Mayu had been the light keeping it at bay and now, without her presence, oblivion was free to claim her. A chill billowed through her, causing her to pause in fright.

A spirit perhaps? She wondered. Ahead, up the long hallway, thin, sheets of silk hung as dividers, partially obscuring her vision. Beyond them she could see the faint flickering of a candle. Welcoming light, even if from such a feeble source. Like a will o wisp, the light drew her forward. Brushing through the hanging sheets she allowed herself a small smile at her fortune. The candle, though too small to small to be of any use marked the location of what she sought. A wooden stairway lead downwards, to what could only be the basement. A chill breeze wafted up from the door at the end of the staircase, it stunk of decay and mildew. Steeling herself, Mio took one step and realized how terrified she was without Mayu at her side.

"I have to go…" She whispered, taking another step. The door opened with a low creak and the pungent scent of earth and stagnant water greeted her.

The cellar was little more than a small cave and its center rested a fair sized well. The well was void, dark and ominous like a black lidless eye peering up from the abyss. Mio shuddered and stepped fully into the dank cellar. The ground was slick with mold and she could easily envision herself slipping amid the muck and tumbling into the seemingly bottomless pit.

Tiny candles flickered in small recesses of the wall, offering a small measure of light in the eerie chamber. Dread filled her heart as she proceeded further into the room. Boxes lined the wall as did ceramic urns and old furniture. The clutter wasn't much, but was more than enough to make plenty of hiding spaces. Spaces where she could sense something watching her, shapeless, malevolent.

Her mouth went dry with fear and she hurried past them. Farther into the room she was overjoyed to find a simple stone staircase leading upwards. Hurrying, she all but ran up the stairs and found a door waiting for her. As expected it was locked and she fumbled with the key she'd recovered. A satisfactory click signaled success and she pushed the door open. Fresh air rushed in, she inhaled deeply, happy to be rid of the musty scent of the house. Stepping out into the fog she realized she'd returned to the front of the manor house. The courtyard was dimly lit with heavy stone lantern that flickered weakly. Except for the quiet lapping of the nearby, lifeless river, silence reigned.

A bright light flashed on, bathing Mio and the surrounding area in light. Startled, Mio nearly toppled backwards before realizing that it was merely her flashlight coming back to life. Gasping in relief she nearly laughed while regaining her composure. The iridescent beam was a welcome sight. It was like a sword in her mind, it made her feel safe, protected, as it cut away at the encroaching darkness.

"Osaka house…" She muttered to herself. The first place she and Mayu entered upon arriving at the village. Her mind flitted back to the memory of the wandering spirit of Miyako. The ghost had nearly killed her but yet, now, she felt sorry for her, especially she easily share her fate. The cool touch of stone brushed her neck, Mayu's amulet. Fingering it thoughtfully her expression melted into one of loss.

"Mayu…" She whimpered grasping the small stone. A flash of vertigo washed over her. The sensation lingered a moment before being replaced by a familiar presence.

"Mayu…" She breathed, their minds touched once again. She could hear her sisters' thoughts, they were confused, jumbled, not her own.

"I want to see Itsuki…. See him…. and say I'm sorry… It's our fault…. If we hadn't run away….Itsuki and the others…. It didn't have to be this way…."

The sensation was brief causing Mio frowned in dismay. Once more the spirits haunting the village were wielding an influence over her sister. However the knowledge that Mayu was still alive gave her haste. Running, she hurried out the courtyard and onto the old bridge crossing the dead, fog shrouded river. The wooden planks clattered loudly under her feet and she could hear a low mournful moan echoing through the mists. She ignored it and hurried on, heedless of the burning pain in her lungs.

Entering the village once more she quickly slid to a stop as she spied a woman in the distance. The figure had her back to her and wore a familiar Kimono. Mio choked in fright, remembering the ghastly laughing girl she'd encountered earlier. Watching quietly, Mio turned off her light in hopes of not drawing her attention.

"It's our fault…" The ghost whispered, walking into the distance. "Our fault for running away…"

Creeping closer for a better look Mio frowned in confusion, the spirit wasn't as she remembered. Gone was the insane expression and bloodstains, as was the horrible bruise along her neck.

"A memory…?" She surmised, following discretely.

The ghost stopped, and turned towards a familiar, dimly lit building. It was the storage building, the one imprisoning the strange white-haired boy. The ghost paused, and rested her brow against the door.

"If it was to come to this…. We should've done the ritual. Yae… why did you leave by yourself…? It's our fault that this is happening to Itsuki…You promised we'd always be together…"

With that, the spirit looked up and faded away. Cautiously, Mio crept to the door after a moment she gave it a tug only to find that it still remained locked.

A voice rang out in the darkness causing her to jump.

"Come her Yae…." The voice called from within the building, it was the boy.

He'd been helpful before and Mio hoped he could help her now. Pushing through the small door in the fence, she quickly made her way behind the building.

"Yae…" The boy repeated once more as she came into view. Peering down at her through the bars of the small window the young man wore a worried, tired expression.

"Your name is Itsuki isn't it…?" Mio asked, guardedly.

"Yae, there is no time … The Cell Key is in Osaka house, look around the altar. You both need to leave this village, we can't keep letting them perform that ritual."

Confused, Mio frowned in dismay.

"Why are you locked in there?"

"Because I sinned…" The young man replied, his eyes going vacant. "With these hands…." He mumbled, turning away in thought. His next words were barely a whisper but still held a since of urgency.

"The ritual can't be the only way, there must be a way to save the Village… Yae … I don't want the same thing to happen to you what did to me…. Please hurry, and don't give up… we can get out…."

Her concern for Mayu kept her from questioning him further. Glancing once more at the now empty window she shook her head and hurried back through the gate. Once back on bare path that served as the villages' central venue, it didn't take long to get her bearings. After a brief jog, she quickly made her way back to the familiar entrance of house Osaka.

Not surprisingly, the dilapidated building was as she left it. Trying the door, she pushed inside cautiously, it was quiet. Before entering she checked her flashlight, hoping that whatever force had kept it from working hadn't moved throughout the village. She was in luck, and the white beam sliced through the dusty darkness. Breathing a sigh of relief she stepped into the building and scanned the shadows.

"Altar…" She murmured, the sound of her own voice calming her a bit.

After a few moments of confused wandering she remembered where she'd seen the family shrine. She then quickly made her way back to the very room she'd found the camera obscura. Luck was with her and indeed the altar was there, nestled at the far back of the chamber, shrouded in dust and cobwebs.

Frowning, she kneeled to examine the small, ornate shrine. Slight movement caught her eye. The cobwebs, they were billowing gently.

Excited, she intensified her scrutiny, the shrine was adorned with several small pinwheels, and when one of these rotated during her inspection she nearly giggled. It was a simple lock, more of a latch really, requiring her to spin the pinwheel a few times. A soft thud echoed and a wood panel along the near wall shuddered slightly.

Gasping in surprise, Mio stood and investigated the panel, it was loose and she easily slid it aside, revealing a claustrophobic staircase. Thoughts of Mayu steeled her nerve and she heedlessly hurried down into the darkness. The basement, like the one in the Kurosawa mansion, was little more than a small natural cave. Candles flickered here and there, bathing the area in a dull flickering glow that caused the deep shadows to shift and move like living things. All around her lay relics of the past, an old family shrine, old crates, tattered robes. Glancing around in dismay, Mio could have screamed, it would take her forever to find a key among this mess.

"The passageway must be connected…" A voice whispered, causing her to jump in fright. Spinning around wildly, she spotted the ghost of the folklorist lurking in the shadows. He seemed to be searching for something. "Connected somewhere…" The ghost continued, oblivious to her presence, another memory. Just as quickly as it appeared, the phantom then vanished amid a pile of broken stones and debris.

There was a indeed a passage here but a cave in had long since sealed it. Dread washed over her then as she realized the key could very well be lost somewhere beyond the collapsed tunnel. Not wishing to consider it she turned back to investigate the cave before giving up hope. Her search was brief as she quickly found single key hanging on a small. Grinning broadly she eagerly took it and moved to leave.

A face, horrible and gray was met her, a ghost, horrible in appearance. Mio nearly wet herself in terror. It was a tall, gaunt thing, clad in chains and a simple loincloth. Its bald head was ghastly to behold, its mouth a black hole, with broken teeth and its face a withered mask, but even eerier was the band of cloth wrapped tightly over the phantoms eyes and from under it came tears of blackness. It was blind, and for that Mio was thankful as it was only inches from her face.

Sniffing the air, the ghost brought its long bony hands up to swipe the air curiously. Mio dared not make a sound and pulled herself back against the wall as quietly as she could. The apparition came within a hairs breath of touching her but found nothing. Then as quietly as it had came it turned to leave. Mio exhaled softly as it moved away. Pushing off the wall she took a step. Meaning to sneak past the thing she instead stumbled over small stone, sending it skittering nosily into the darkness. Immediately, the ghost spun around and groaned, its claw like hands flailing wildly. Terrified Mio screamed and shoved past the thing, as she did so, it raked her with her claws. The assault didn't draw blood but she felt it non-the less, it was a horrible feeling, like being shocked while freezing to death.

Tears burst from her eyes, she wanted to die. Adrenaline took over and she tore up the stairs screaming. Once back into the familiar area of the house, she stole a glance at the dark stairwell. Nothing came for her and she wasn't going to wait for it to do so. With a mad rush she opened the door leaving the shrine room.

Miyako stood in the doorway.

"I missed you…." The ghost said softly, her cold lifeless eyes staring quietly. Shock and horror overwhelmed Mio's senses. Screaming, she turned to run but Miyako had the element of surprise and grabbed her.

Still weak from blind ghost's attack Mio groaned aloud as the very life was being pulled from her.

"Why…." Miyako whispered in her ear, clutching her close like a lost lover. Mio didn't understand, she thought she'd banished the spirit, perhaps she'd merely fled. Either way she'd returned and was killing her.

"You should be gone…" Mio whimpered, trying feebly to raise the camera. Thoughts of aiming were tossed aside as she simply wildly hammered the flash. The effect was desirable if only temporary. Startled by the light, Miyako released her then shimmered from view. Stunned Mio, slumped to the floor and vomited, it came forth like ice water and the shock of cold focused her more than the stench.

Miyako was coming, she feel her close, reaching for her. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled and she quickly turned around and fell onto her back. Bringing the camera up she all but stuck the lens in the ghost's face and pressed the flash. The effect was explosive and Miyako screamed in agony, staggering back her features began to come apart like a sand in a windstorm.

"Why!" She screamed, her voice fracturing as much as her body. Then without another sound, she imploded into a cloud of darkness leaving nothing behind but a unsettling chill. Gasping, Mio stared in silence a moment then hauled herself to her feet. Lurching along like a crazed drunkard she all but threw herself from the house. Landing in a cloud of dust, she inhaled sharply and coughed. Hauling herself to her feet, she bolted, running hard in a almost heedless fashion and soon found herself crossing the dark bridge leading back to the Kurosawa Manor.

Fueled by a fear for Mayu's safety coupled with a mind-altering mix of fear and adrenaline she entered the courtyard and yanked open the basement door. Quickly, she charged down the stairs and as before, her flashlight died. In the brief instant she paused to adjust a clawed hand sliced through the air. Snapping her head back so hard she feared she'd break her neck Mio gasped as a figure lumbered out of the shadows. It was the blind ghost; it had followed her.

Eyes adjusting to the dim light of the basement. Mio lowered into crouch and waited for the thing to zero in on her once more. As it lunged, she jumped backward hoping to catch it off balance. She was successful, as expected, the ghost stumbled forward, forward into the camera's flash. Recoiling as if burned the creature stood straight up and twisted in pain. With a rolling howl it then made a mad dash forward, arms flailing wildly. Startled by its reaction Mio turned to put space in between them. Instead she ran into another one. There were two!

The second ghost seemed as startled as she was by the contact and paused a moment. She took the opening and turned back to skirt around the first one as it continued its pain driven rampage. A moan caught her attention and she stole a glance sideways as a third spirit, similar in appearance to it's brothers faded into view. Three of them now, swung wildly about the cavern, each flailing about in hope of grabbing her. Backing against the wall, she had a moment to think as they continued their slow but steady search. Her hands were trembling from the rush, it was all she could do to hold the camera. Taking a few slow breaths to calm herself she raised it in preparation. The boxy old thing was a comfort. Creeping quietly, she tried to make her way towards the door leading into the house.

The trio of ghosts knew where she wanted to go and they positioned themselves to intercept her. Their grouping actually aided her in that she could easily center them all within the camera's viewer. Wasting no time, she thanked her fortune and hammered the flash. The trio shrieked in surprise and shock as one of their number vanished amid cloud of smoke and darkness. The two remaining spirits then went berserk. Having located her position they turned and rushed forward slicing through the air with insane urgency.

Mio closed the distance by running right at them. Being shorter by far than either of the apparitions she ducked and barreled between them. Once clear she turned and raised the camera once more. The ghosts turned, realizing she'd escaped. Both snarled in fury then faded into nothingness as a white light overtook them.

Mio would've shouted in joy had she the breath, instead she collapsed to her knees. Gasping weakly, she nearly fainted as her body trembled with fatigue, she was tired, so tired. She wanted to rest, just for a moment, that's all the needed, just a moment. However, there was no time and she cried because of it. Pulling herself up, she clung to the wall for support.

"Mayu…." She called out weakly. "I'm coming… Mayu… please be okay…"

Making her way up the stairs, she nearly fell through the doorway. Unwilling to pause even for a moment she staggered up the shroud covered hallway. Upon reaching the Cell room she collapsed to her knees before the door.

"Mayu!" She called out joyously. "I'm back, are you okay! I found the key! Don't worry I'll get you out of there."

Hauling herself upright, she hurriedly slid the key into the lock and prayed. A resounding clank signaled the locks release and she nearly screamed with joy. Pulling with her remaining might, she opened the outer door then fell to her hands and knees.

"Come on, let's get you out of…." She started then paused. Mayu wasn't there. Crawling forward past the inner door she entered into the small cell.

"Quit playing around…" She whimpered pitifully. "Mayu… please…. Where are you?"

Tears welled up, blinding her in her misery.

"No Mayu…." She cried, rising to her feet. Scanning the room frantically, she prayed, she was merely hiding somewhere, perhaps in the shadows of amongst the old tomes. Her hopes were in vain and it destroyed her. Nearly overcome with panic she barely noticed a piece of paper laying on the desk.

Sniffling, she retrieved it curiously, it was Mayu's handwriting.

"Mayu…" She choked, clinging to whatever small measure of hope the tiny piece of paper offered. The note was curious, reading:

"Itsuki, I'm so sorry…. I want to see you… and tell you how sorry I am…. I'm sorry about Chitose, too…please forgive me…"

Mio blinked, in confusion and frustration. Then, as if shocked she tensed and collapsed as a vision claimed her.

The forest, dark, fog laden, fear.

A white-haired young man motions eagerly, Itsuki?

"You two go on by yourselves, don't look back!"

"Hurry! Run, while you still have time."

Two girls running blindly through the woods both clad in white Kimonos.

The scene is eerily familiar.

"Yae! Wait, don't leave me!"

"Sae, come on!"

"Yae please!"

A snapping branch, a pained scream, one of them falls. The fall is far, painful. The scene shifts, the wounded girl lies crying as a group of men find her.

"We still can't find the other…" One says quietly, his tone grave.

"She left her sister to die…" Another replies. The girl is still, giving in to her fate. Shaking with fear and betrayal she whispers.

"She'll come back for me…Yae…I'll wait for you….

Everything goes dark. A new vision appears.

Mayu… Confused, lost and alone in the darkness of the village.

"Itsuki…" She whispered, walking slowly through the shadows, she in a trance. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

A dark doorway beckons. Drawn to it, she walks. It is a strange house, cold and frightening, beside it stands another, it's twin. The two connected by a covered bridge on the second level.

"It's our fault…We shouldn't have run…."

Pausing, at the doorway, she looks blankly into the darkness beyond.

"Mio…I know…You want to go home …Just promise me… just once…"

She enters and the darkness closes around her.

"The twins house… over the bridge…a locked house…connected by heaven and hell…I have to meet him…say…I'm sorry….

It was a scream of anguish that awoke Mio from her slumber, jerking upright she realized that it was her own. Hauling herself to her feet she hit her head on the low ceiling of the cell. Wincing she tried to get her bearings.

"Mayu…!" She called even as the remnants of the vision faded from her mind. Mayu was alive, of that she certain and that gave her hope.

"I'll find you…" She whispered, making her way out of the cell. She felt stiff and her leg was asleep. Having no watch, she had no idea how long she'd been unconscious, not that time meant anything in a place like this. She was thankful for the respite however, she sorely needed the rest.

Hurrying as fast as she dared, she made her way back to the basement.

Remembering the ghoulish creatures she'd encountered earlier she moved cautiously through the dank, dripping depths. Nothing accosted her, which was its self, all together frightening. Dread anticipation clung to her, making her skittish. Finally, she made her way up the stairwell leading out of the house. Once back in the courtyard she gathered herself in preparation for whatever she'd be facing.

"The twins house…" She muttered thinking to herself. It didn't take long for her to find the twin abodes. The vision had been spot on, the two buildings were just beyond the bridge leading back to the village. Standing in the small courtyard Mio looked around frantically.

"Mayu! Mayu!!" She called eagerly, fear clawing at the corners of her mind.

A creak overhead caught her attention. Looking up she noticed a large covered bridge between the houses. It was just as she'd seen in the vision.

"Mayu!" She called out eagerly, moving to get a better view. She heard footsteps in response and brightened as Mayu came into view.

"Mayu!" She screamed in joy. "You're okay!"

There was no response, instead Mayu continued walking, oblivious to all.

"Mayu?" Mio called out again, growing worried, and then she saw it. A phantom, a woman, she'd have been beautiful if not for horribly twisted way her head rested on her shoulder. Just a few feet behind Mayu, the ghost drew closer, arms outstretched.

Mio's heart seized in her chest as terror drained her of her senses.

"NO!" She screamed, choking. Wildly, she charged into the nearby house only to have the door slam shut behind her.

End Chapter 8

To be continued…