** This chapter has to do with some more mature content.**
Chapter Seventeen
The brunette stared down at her hands nervously after retelling the events that transpired within the past hour. The sound of Lin's typing filled the room as he wrote down everything she had relayed to them, recording it in the notes for their case file. Ayako gave the younger woman a sympathetic smile and reached over to squeeze her hand comfortingly.
Oliver closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, something he found himself doing more often ever since he met Mai. His head was pounding. This spirit was clearly targeting it's aggression on Mai while it targeted other intentions on himself. Throughout the day, anytime he was alone the spirit would either try to touch or irritate him and quite frankly it was getting old. If Lin wasn't breathing down his back, he would have used his powers on this spirit already. On top of that, the spirit had even gone and tripped Mai the previous night, breaking their teapot so his tea withdrawals were getting rather out of control. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Mai had made him a cup.
"Mai, from now on you're not allowed out of anyone's sight. Having three instances with this spirit over the course of one hour is concerning. We know it is capable of killing since it nearly did so with Mrs. Miller so I don't want to take any chance. It's taunting you like a cat with a mouse before it strikes. Ayako, I need you to make a protection charm for the bathroom. That will be the only place you're allowed to be alone, Mai," he informed tiredly.
Mai nodded in understanding. "Sorry, Naru," she said softly.
He closed his eyes again and turned toward the computers. "It's not your fault."
Lin stopped typing and closed his laptop before looking at the two women. "Yasuahara called before the attack." Mai looked at him expectantly, curious as to what her friend had called to inform them. "He mentioned that this house used to be an underground brothel of sorts."
Ayako snorted. "A brothel? That would make sense for why you had those dreams last night, Mai."
The brunette nodded with stained cheeks. "Thanks for reminding me. It would be great if I didn't have any more of those particular dreams tonight."
Oliver stood from his seat and turned to Mai and Ayako. "It is already late. After we eat dinner the two of you can head to bed. The spirit hasn't been staying in one location so it has been hard to pinpoint where to do the exorcism. Hopefully your dreams tonight can help us understand where the spirit's body is so we can end this case once and for all." A buzz from his mobile caught his attention. After reading the message, he turned to his friend sitting next to him. "Lin, I will be right back."
Lin nodded while Oliver made his way out of the base.
"Lin," Mai's nervous voice reached his ears.
He looked over at her questioningly.
"What if my dreams can't help us?" she asked in self doubt.
"Mai, your dreams have proven quite helpful on multiple occasions, but do not feel as if you need to have a dream to be helpful. We have been doing this for years without the aid of post-cognitive dreams and we have yet to fail a case. We will solve this," he stated.
Mai smiled gratefully up at the man.
Oliver came back into the room holding a large paper bag that smelled of curry. "Eat up. After this we'll call it a night."
Mai laid in bed that night, nervous about what she was going to see in her dreams. A soft snore came from beside her and she knew Ayako was already asleep.
She closed her eyes and followed the steps Lin had been teaching her. Even though it didn't work all the time, the steps did prove very helpful and she found herself getting better at them. The first thing she did was focus on the case and what she knew about the spirit. She then began to breathe in slowly for four seconds, and out for three. She continued this until she could feel herself growing tired. Feeling sleep pull at the back of her mind, she tried to think about the dream realm.
Mai felt her body relax and when she opened her eyes, she smiled proudly to see she had done it correctly. She was standing in darkness, surrounded only by light blue glowing orbs. The will-o-the-wisps flowed around her smoothly, almost like fish in water. She stood there for a moment wondering what she was going to see. Lin had refused to teach her how to control the visions themselves because that was what could be dangerous for her.
The darkness began to fade away and Mai was left standing in a dimly lit room. A musky smell filled the air and Mai turned around to see where she was. She paused when she saw a man and a woman laying on the bed, covered by a sheet.
Mai's eyes narrowed curiously after realizing the woman from this dream was a different woman from her previous dream. The dream she had last night focused on a woman with jet black hair. The woman in her current dream actually looked rather similar to herself. She was petite with long auburn hair and brown eyes.
The woman looked up at the man laying next to her with love in her eyes. "Peter, when?"
The man laid on his back with his eye closed. "When what, dear?"
The woman sighed. "When will we get married? You asked over six months ago but nothing's changed."
Peter turned to look at the woman. "Katherine, I love you. You know that. It's just hard right now, you understand that right? With you being what you are. How would my parents feel about me bringing a prostitute home for a wife?"
Katherine's eyes teared up. "B-but you've always known this about me. You met me here. I don't even want to be here. Just give me the word and I'll leave!"
Peter pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled softly at her. "It's a tricky situation. We need more money in order to elope and with the way my job is right now I think it would be best for you to continue working here for a bit longer. Don't worry, I'm setting aside everything you've been sending me. You'll be out of here in no time, darling."
Mai had an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She didn't trust him. She watched as the woman smiled lovestruck up at the man and rested her head against his chest before falling asleep.
Mai could feel a pull in the back of her mind and knew the dream was ending. She felt the familiar wave of darkness wash over her as the dream disappeared and she went on to have a dreamless slumber.
When Ayako and Mai entered the base the next morning, the first thing the brunette noticed were the dark circles under Oliver's eyes. He looked exhausted. Had he not been sleeping?
"Good morning," she greeted with a smile.
The two men grunted in reply without looking up from their laptops. Ayako and her shared a look.
Ayako looked over at the younger man. "Hey Naru, do you need me to do anything? Take temperatures? Mend a wound? Anything?"
Oliver continued to look through camera footage from the previous night. "Lin, take Ayako with you to gather temperatures."
The older man nodded tiredly and gathered the thermometer and clipboard with the red-haired woman in tow.
"What's his problem?" she whispered to the tall man.
The man smirked to himself, "What isn't?"
Oliver leaned his head in his hand and rubbed his temples. Mai stood from her spot on the settee and made her way to the seat next to her boss.
"Are you okay, Naru?" she asked in concern. "You look really tired."
He shot her a look but then closed his eyes. "I haven't been getting much sleep," he admitted.
Mai's brows creased. "Are you feeling ill?" She asked and placed a hand to his forehead.
"No," he sighed.
She pulled her hand back. "Would you like some tea?"
He shot her another look and she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot the teapot and cups broke."
"I'm fine, Mai," he replied.
"I don't think you are. And I also don't think you're keeping me informed. Lin had told me we are all a team and we can't keep things from each other if we want a case to go smoothly," she stated knowingly.
"Mai," Oliver warned.
"No. If I had to tell the lot of you about watching a woman shag a whole bunch of men, I think you can tell me what's happening to you," she said firmly.
Oliver looked over at her. An unreadable expression crossed his face before he closed his eyes and sighed again. "It appears that the spirit has grown rather fond of me and ever since I denied her advances she has been acting like a child throwing a tantrum."
Mai stared at him wide-eyed for a moment before glaring at the computers. "Advances? What -" she gasped when realization struck her. "Why that- Who does she think she is?"
"Anyway," Oliver continued, slightly entertained by her reaction, "I've barely slept much the past two nights and on top of that she was also the cause of my lack of tea."
Mai chuckled softly. "Then let's show that spirit who's boss, hm? Then I'll make you a nice cuppa once we get back."
A small smile pulled at the corner of Oliver's lips and he turned back to the monitors. "Precisely why I'm trying to locate where her body might be. I had been thinking her body was under the new addition since the haunting started just after the Miller's began construction. However, there has been no sign of activity there. Once we find her body we can perform the exorcism."
"That's frustrating," Mai muttered.
Oliver grunted in approval. "Did you have a dream last night?"
Mai frowned slightly. "I did but I don't think it was very helpful. It showed another woman and a man. The woman's name was Katherine, his name was Peter. She worked in the brothel and they were engaged but there was something fishy about him. I think he was playing her. He had her giving him money so they could elope together."
The dark haired man rubbed his chin in thought. "Perhaps Katherine and her didn't get along. I'll inform Yasuhara of the names and see if he can find information on the two."
Mai nodded. "Is there anything I can help with?"
Oliver hesitated for a moment before handing a second pair of headphones to the woman. She smiled and quickly placed them on her head before studying the video footage with him.
Oliver's mood only grew worse as the day wore on. Anytime he would leave the base he was in a much fowler mood upon return. To make matters worse, they had found nothing useful from the video footage. Mai asked him if he wanted to rest but it only made him more irritable and dive into work even more.
All the team could do was sit around and wait, much to his annoyance.
Mai was curled up on the sofa finishing her book when she suddenly felt a pull at the back of her head. She grew lightheaded and her eyes drooped shut as the book fell softly against her stomach.
She opened her eyes and found herself back in the dream realm. The will-o-the-wisps circled her frantically and Mai looked around in caution. She began to hear a sound and strained to make out what it was. Loud moans filled the darkness and Mai quickly covered her eyes, knowing what was happening. Something about witnessing such an intimate moment between two people made her face burn in embarrassment. The darkness began to fade away and Mai dropped her hands and found herself standing in a dark room. The moonlight drifted in through the window and she could see two people fall onto a bed in exhaustion. She was grateful for the blanket that covered the naked couple.
Mai stood there awkwardly, waiting to see what this vision was going to show her. She hoped whatever she learned from this dream would actually be important to Oliver.
The man on the bed suddenly sat up and began to pull on his clothes.
"Thanks for that. Here, it's all there," he said shortly, tossing the black haired woman on the bed a rolled up swatch of money.
The woman caught the money before reaching over to her night stand and lighting up a cigarette. "Thanks, doll. Tell your friends. Bring them next time if you want," she winked.
When the man left the room, the woman's smile fell, and she listened to the sound of his footsteps disappear down the hall. She put out the cigarette in the ashtray and coughed. The woman flipped through the roll of money, with a hint of sadness in her eyes.
She began to dress herself when footsteps echoed through the hall once more and the woman closed her eyes tiredly with a sigh. "Another one already?"
The door to her room opened and she plastered a smile on her lips.
The smile fell when two women with tear stained faces stared back at her in the dimly lit room. Mai could tell the woman knew who these two women were and she wasn't happy. One had hair so blonde it was nearly white, while the other...the other was the brunette woman from her dream last night.
"What do you two want?" the woman groaned.
Katherine glared at her. "I warned you to stay away from him, Sarah," she snarled in a whisper. "Peter was mine! We were engaged! He was going to save me from this hell hole!"
The blonde also sent a wicked look towards the woman on the bed. "You even took Michael, too."
The woman took a deep breath before looking at the others sternly. "Veronica, you're too tame for this lifestyle. The men who come here are only intrigued by your innocence the first time. You had a good life and family who actually cared about you. You shouldn't be here. Michael isn't the one for you. As for you Katherine, I'm really sure Peter was actually going to marry you. Are you blind? You told him he didn't have to pay after he asked for your hand. Hell, you even started paying him! 'Money for your future?' Never pay the customer! What man would pass that up? He's a player. That asshole's even been going to all the other girls behind your back, not just me. Actually, thinking about it now, he was probably paying all of us with your money too. No offense girls, but soulmates don't exist in this profession."
Veronica began to sob into her hand, "Shut your mouth!"
Katherine glared at the woman on the bed. "You lie. Things were fine until you showed up. Peter would never sleep with the others. You and your filthy body ruined everything. I was so close to getting my happy ending." The woman's voice was eerily calm and Mai felt a shiver run down her spine.
She could feel the tension building in the room and looked over at the brunette that shared a striking resemblance to herself. She watched curiously as the moonlight glimmered off something Kathering had been holding behind her back. Mai's eyes grew wide when Katherine suddenly pulled a metal pipe from behind her and quickly hit Sarah on the side of the head, knocking her unconscious.
Everything began to grow foggy and the scene changed. Mai found herself somewhere very small that smelled of dirt and feces. She heard a groan and looked around. The brunette gasped when she saw Sarah laying on the ground. She had been bound and gagged and blood covered nearly every bit of her body from a plethora of various wounds. There were insects and spiders stuck to the blood on her body and Mai wrapped her arms around herself, remembering her own experience with the spiders.
Mai wondered how long the woman had been in this small chamber but the sound of choking caught her attention. She knelt down next to the woman and saw the fear in her eyes. Mai could hear the gurgled breathing, almost as if she were drowning. That's when she realized the bloody nose and pity filled her. Sarah was drowning in her own blood. She tried to reach out and help the woman but her hands went right through her and before she knew it she was jolting awake in the base.
Mai quickly sat up and reached out her hands, as if still trying to help the tortured woman. Realizing she was no longer in her dream she looked down at her hands sadly and sighed. She lifted her head and saw the others in the room staring at her.
"What did you see?" Oliver asked, straight to the point. She could hear the lack of sleep in his voice.
The brunette pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "The woman from my first dream, her name was Sarah. Apparently my suspicion was correct and Peter was taking advantage of Katherine. He never intended to elope. He was taking her money and using it to sleep with the others in the brothel. She blamed it on Sarah's arrival. One night Katherine and another woman, Veronica, attacked her. They hid her somewhere and tortured her for I don't know how long. She died there."
"Where?" Oliver pressed impatiently.
"Where what?" Mai asked nervously and a little taken aback at his lack of empathy.
"Where did she die?" he asked in irritation.
"I-I don't know. I just know it was in the ground somewhere. She was surrounded by dirt and bugs," Mai stuttered, stunned by Oliver's anger.
Everyone jumped when Oliver hit a fist on the table. "Then what use are you if your dreams don't help?"
Mai froze, crushed by his words. What use was she? Was she only here because of her dreams alone? She felt tears sting at her eyes but she clenched a fist. There were so many words she wanted to say to that man right then but instead took a deep breath and sent the back of his head a glare.
"I'm going to take down temperatures. Alone," she stated and sent the others a threatening glance.
Within seconds she was out of the room.
"What just happened?" Ayako asked incredulously.
"Noll. No matter how tired you are from lack of sleep, it does not excuse this behavior. Or should I get Madoka on the phone? I'm sure she'd love to remind you of your manners," Lin warned.
Oliver looked away and stood up abruptly. "I'm going to go fix the camera in the driveway. Call Yasuhara to get an update." WIth that he left the base and slammed the front door behind him.
Ayako quickly got to her feet, intending to go find Mai, but Lin shook his head.
"We need to stay in pairs. The camera in the driveway is fine, see?" he said and pulled up the supposedly broken camera. "He will find her."
Ayako frowned. "What crawled up his butt and died?"
"The spirit has made sure he hasn't slept in over forty-eight hours. I don't condone his behavior but I also know he didn't mean what he said. He's just sleep deprived," Lin explained.
Ayako huffed. "Well he better fix things or I swear I'm going to smack him."
Lin chuckled. "I won't stop you. My wife will be next in line once she hears."
Mai found herself in the garden in the backyard. Anger and hurt battled within her as she sat on the ground and rested her head against a willow tree, surrounded by its long flowing branches. Part of her knew that he was just tired, that he was irritated because of the ghost. But it didn't take the sting away from his words.
Was she really useless? So far on this case all she seemed to do was get into danger. She was more trouble than she was worth.
She closed her eyes and let the breeze calm her and dry the stray tear that had fallen in her haste to leave the base. She listened to the ocean and the sound of the birds flying above her in the sky. Something else reached her ears too. The sound of someone crying.
Curiously, Mai stood up and looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. She didn't see anyone but a thought came to her. Maybe it was Sarah and would lead to her body. Following the sound she made her way through the garden.
"Hello?" she called out hopefully. "Sarah? Where are you? I can help you."
That woman never deserved to die the way she did. Maybe showing her empathy and comfort could help her move on like it did with Jacob?
The sobbing grew louder and she followed it to the edge of the cliff. She looked down at the rocks below and the crying suddenly stopped. No one was there.
"Mai!" a familiar deep voice rang out behind her.
Turning around, she saw Oliver running towards her as fast as he could.
Goodbye, Katherine.
Mai's eyes widened in fear as a pair of icey bloodstained arms quickly wrapped around her chest. Time seemed to stand still as realization hit her. In the blink of an eye the spirit pulled Mai backwards as forcefully as it could, knocking the wind out of her.
"Naru!" a broken whisper left her lips as she plummeted to the rocks below.