Your Diary
By: Lakija X
Author's Notes: This is starring Mafuyu. I will need you guys help though. I want to know a little about Mafuyu's relationship with Kirie, the Rope Maiden. Please help me! - I need help. (Sounds like I need psychological help…)
Mafuyu's part is my favorite so far. I like him.
Mafuyu: Ropes?
On my way to work, I stopped by my friend's house. We both work at the same place, and so we car pool each other to work. See, the gas prices are a bit too high. Yeah, I know that I'm a bit on the well-off side, but hey! I don't wanna file for bankruptcy before I get married!
My friend, Hajime Yoshihiro, is always on time each time it's my turn to drive. As soon as I arrive, he's usually waiting for me to pick him up. However, that day, he happened to be late getting up or something. I honked on my horn, but to no avail.
Frustrated, I shut off the engine. I sighed as I stepped from the car. In the mornings, I tend to be tense, unless I'm joking about something of course!
I walked to the door of Hajime's small house. I looked for his doorbell, and rang it. My fingers had scarcely touched the button when the door flew open.
A flustered Hajime-san stepped out of it. His coat was halfway on, and he was juggling a thermos of coffee and a briefcase. Hajime has gray hair, and he smiles so much that the creases on the sides of his mouth never get a break. In fact, if he frowns, the world will end.
I grabbed them both and let Hajime-san put on his coat.
"What happened to you this morning? Your alarm clock fail you?" I teased. Hajime frowned. Usually, he and I were unstoppable when it came to joking.
"You have no idea Mafuyu-kun. I'm usually very punctual in the mornings, but not today. This morning, my alarm clock was broken when I woke up.," he sighed. I raised my eyebrow as Hajime-san locked his door. He sighed again, and followed me to the car.
Hajime rubbed his forehead. I drove off toward our office building as he relayed his dream.
"I had the strangest nightmare last evening. I was doing my work on the pottery that was found near the forest. The beautifully glazed Celadon pot from South Korea, a wonderful import from many years before you time. You should have seen the beautiful jade texture of the piece. Simply magnificent.
While I was recording my results from its analysis, I became very sleepy. Eventually, I fell asleep altogether. I dreamt that there was a woman. A woman with white on. She slowly walked toward me. I was strapped down to some sort of bed-like contraption. The young woman kept coming without hesitation.
I looked at her head. She had very long hair. It was black, and it covered her face. She looked like she'd turned into a yueri Mafuyu. That's a girl with long black hair. Most often seen in horror movies. i.e. the Grudge, The Ring, Fatal Frame, you know what I mean? But the worst part came when I realized that she was carrying something… it was in her hands, all red and bloodstained…"
Ropes… there another one… and another one!
The ropes… all of the ropes are coming for me… She has the ropes…
"I have the ropes… I won't let you go… we are tied with these bloody ropes… you and I…"
'Why is she here? Didn't she…?'
Frantically I pressed on the breaks. It was a red light.
"Ropes?" I breathed.
"No… not ropes. It was a syringe. A sharp bloodstained needle was in her hands. She told me that I would have to face it one day…I really have to go back to the doctors to see if I'm clear of cancer. I'm sure I am, but the lady in my dream wanted to make sure of it… oh and she also said that she was coming for you next…" Hajime-san said. Hajime pressed the window button, spitting out of it.
Hajime looked toward the sidewalk across the street to see some young kids going into a theatre.
"GO TO SCHOOL!" he yelled. The kids ducked into the theatre rapidly. It was a Tuesday.
My heart skipped a beat. "What? She was coming for me?"
"I'm coming back for you Mafuyu. Why did you leave me? Why? We were supposed to love each other forever…"
I frantically looked around.
"I was only joking Mafuyu… are you alright?" Hajime inquired.
I took a breath and nodded.
"But did you hear that? The voice? Didn't you hear it?" I asked.
Hajime frowned, glancing around. "Hear what?"
Typical. Of course he didn't hear it. I had to play it cool. Obviously I was overreacting to his story. Anyone could have dreamt of a yueri.
"Nothing… I'm just pulling your leg…" I replied smoothly, smiling. I should be an actor.
"Oh! Why yes! Of course. I knew that."
I smiled at him. "Oh I got you that time!"
"I got you first! Well, let me continue. I awoke a little later, and I found that my alarm was broken. I must have swiped that clock when I bolted awake. The funny thing was, it was broken at precisely 7:15…"
"What's so peculiar about that?" I asked.
"Well, I forgot to tell you yesterday, and forgive me, but a package arrived for you at the office. The return address was 715 N. Winston Street. Chicago Illinois, 60625. All the way in America. I think it may just be coincidence sneaking up on me again though. We can all see what's up when we get to work today." Hajime picked up his thermos and sipped the coffee. He'd completely forgotten about it I guess.
I however, remained silent
"Ohayo (Good morning) Mafuyu-chan!" called out a young girl. "O genki desu ka? (How are you?)"
"Hai, genki desu. (I'm fine) Anata wa?(And you?)" I asked. I really was just being polite. Before we started our little… how shall I say? Game? Mwahahaha!
"Yoi…(Good…). Did your head shrink over the weekend? It doesn't looked as big as it did… OH! It could be that I left my contact lenses at home this morning…" Hana-chan replied.
"Funny you should mention that… Someone accidentally sent me a hat as a promotional item. I couldn't wear it because it was double-wide in size. A 37XXX I believe. But I saved it for you. Should be a little too small, if I'm not mistaken…"
We both snickered for a second, Hajime staring at us. Then we erupted into a fit of laughter. "ALL RIGHT!" we yelled.
Hajime smacked his forehead.
"You two are impossible. And I though Mafuyu and I were a bad pair to put together…" Hajime-san said.
Later on, when I was situated in my office, Hana-chan came back up to me, her bouncy brown hair glowing. She was a teenager from America, and boy was I not in love with her if that's what you're thinking so don't think that.
So… Hana dropped a big dirty package on my brand new desk.
"What the heck is this?" I asked.
"Well… I found this thing in the woods this morning. I thought that you guys would like it. I know all you get to do is file paperwork about nasty skeletons and artifacts, so I brought you all a reel to watch."
I nodded, as Hana left the room. I put the package on the floor, and started again to record the results from the analysis on a skeleton that we'd exhumed from a forest. There's an unusual story about that, because the authorities had thought that the body was one from a murder. But it turned out to be a young maiden from an era way back when.
Boooooriiing… It gets tired after the first ten maidens. -
As my fingers tapped away on the keys, I heard something weird… eerie. A young woman's cries. I frowned, wondering what was making such a horrible sound. Stupid kids running 'round the stupid office and stupid fell , that's what.
I was going to show them, skipping stupid school and/or daycare! I wrapped up my report, rolled up a newspaper for hitting, and walked out of the office.
As Hatsumoura Kato is my lawyer, a kid with a package ran up to me. I was getting ready to snap when she raised it to me.
"This is yours Mr. Mafuyu. Hajie-san said to give it to you. But I've got to go," she said.
"Hold it! Are you and those other kids runnin' round the office?" I asked.
"No! No not this time Ma-chan! I was sitting in Kotano's office this time. Swear!" the little girl ran away.
I grunted. Stupid kid was probably lying… but she was a cute little bad girl! Even though on two separate occasions she made me spill my coffee…
Defeated by a kid, I took the box to my desk. There was no return addresser on the box, but it came from a 715 address in America. Curious, I opened it. An old scent rushed toward me as soon as the last piece of adhesive had fallen away.
"Whoa…(cough!)…" I gasped.
No one heard me, so I shrugged, and placed my hand on the box again. Underneath a lid, there was a tape recorder in tissue paper. I've seen tape recorders a lot, and I've been to therapy, and they still give me the creeps.
Shivering a little, I peered at the dark object in the container. I slit my eyes as I saw the play button beckoning me. I don't like that word… do NOT like that word… My fingers sweated as I lifted them to the buttons. Depressing Play, I listened intently. The cassette inside, even though I didn't know it was there, crackled to life. I didn't hear anything peculiar but the whirring of the tape. I listened for three minutes before I laughed to myself. What was I expecting? Honestly!
I rewound the tape and set it aside, listening to the machine go.
I continued to type my report.
I was startled by the click of the recorder. I nearly jumped outta my skin! I was finished with my report (I'd been nearly finished for two days…), and had began to randomly search the Net. So maybe being startled was because of the guilt of not working… nah!
That's when I realized that the crying had began again… or had it ever stopped? Puzzled, I did the smart thing, and grabbed that recorder. Obviously the cassette was a blank, so I could record the noise.
I walked into the hallway, since the sound was muffled and far away. It sounded louder outside indeed.
I walked down the hallway, casually. The recorder was old and crusty, so it could easily pass for a new project.
I was on my way into a janitor's closet, where I could hear the cries the loudest. In the small room, there were towels and spray bottles, cleaning appliances and concentrated cleaners.
I set the tape recorder on the fluffy towels, and listened. Cries, yes, but that was all…
"Maf! We've found an old projector! Come on… what're you doing in there?" Hana asked. She'd snuck up on me.
"Looking for bleach, now come on!" I said. Here's my first thing: Better to agree and split, than to explain that you're hearing things in a janitor's closet, as I always say.
I pulled her arm, and led her back to my office.
Once there, I picked up that old reel, and Hana was immediately looking at the old box.
"Hey, 'd'you get a package?" she asked. "What was it?"
"Recorder… let's go now… so we can get to this projector which is not work."
"Oh! I understand. You haven't even been working this week anyway, so what difference will this make!"
Hana left the office. That's my second thing: when in doubt, change the subject. Works everytime. Look how fast she came and left. Oh I am a genius!
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
I settled in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs that you find in every classroom at school.
Hana was still up with Hajime trying to hook up that reel. Hajime used to watch reels anyhow, so he should have known. He's as old as dirty bedrock. I mean dirt. - That's one of my best friends though, honestly.
"Aah! I've got it!" Hajime exclaimed. At first, I thought he hurt his finger.
"Great! Can we watch the movie now?" I asked.
"Yes, the switch should power up the projector. Want to do the honors?" Haji said.
"Sure why not?" I agreed. I smiled as I stood up to flip on the ancient machine.
5…4…3…2…1…/
A home movie… It was…
A/N: Suspense, finally. I can't wait for you guys to read the next two chapters. Chapter four is very very veryveryclose. You guys are going to like it. I'll get it up one day this week! Mwahaha!
Lakija X