Chapter 3

Case 1: Hoshikawa Manor

Day 1

~In the base~

"Hey Naru…" Monk was going to ask what he did to Mai but he was scared.

"Hm…"

"Well we… Ow!" Ayako had hit him in the back of the head. "I mean I was wondering what did you…"

A loud explosion was heard from somewhere in the house, followed by 2 girls screaming.

"That was Mai screaming!" Ayako shouted getting ready to run to them.

"As well as Nashi! And I smell smoke!" Kori yelled, worried and fear all over her face.

"Lets not stand here! Go!" Monk said running out followed closely by Naru, Lin and Yasu then all the girls, John and Michu. When they approached the kitchen they saw some smoke coming from with in it.

"Mai! Nashi!"

When Monk, Naru, Lin and Yasu ran through the door they saw the 2 girls on the floor staring at the now on fire stove and adjacent cabinets. When Monk looked around the room for something to put the fire out, he saw a fire extinguisher to his left and immediately grabbed it. Lin, Naru and Yasu all helped scoot the stunned girls further from the fire as Monk put out the fire.

"What the…?" Ayako started but froze as she saw the scene in front of her. The whole stove was burnt and falling apart, assuming it was the source of the explosion. The adjacent cabinets were burned and there was scorch marks on the ceiling and wall about the stove and on the hard wood floor by it. She looked over and saw Lin looking over the girls and went over to help them.

"Lin I go them. Go get a first aid kit."

Lin stood up but Michu spoke and ran off before Lin could, "I'll go get it I know where one is at very close to here." Michu came back and handed it to Ayako.

"Wow you 2 are lucky. You only got a few small, minor burns and some cuts and bruises. Thank goodness."

"Mai, Nashi. I want you to tell me what happened exactly." and even though Naru's voice was still cold, Mai picked up a hint of some other emotion she couldn't recognize. And he was kneeling by Mai looking at the 2.

"Well I'm not really sure are you Nashi? It all happened so fast."

Nashi nodded. "Yes but I think I have an idea or know of what."

~A few minutes ago~

Nashi and Mai stood a slight ways from the stove, just talking but Nashi got this sense that something was wrong, very wrong, Mai picked up on that.

"Nashi? What's wrong?"

"Something's not right Mai."

"What? What do you mean?"

Nashi opened her mouth to answer but was stopped by a high pitched whistling noise that turned in to a loud explosion of flames and metal and flames were soon everywhere on the cabinets by wall.

"Mai! Get down!" And Nashi pushed Mai to the ground as another, more forceful explosion happened sending the tea kettle flying just mere inches above Nashi's head into the wall and the girls screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Both Nashi and Mai started coughing from the flames and smoke, what the heck had happened just then?

"What the…"

"Its just exploded…"

Both were dumbfounded but Nashi had a feeling she knew, she knew what no. she knew who had done it. ''

"Mai! Nashi!" Monk's voice called out.

"And yeah," Nashi said recapping things in the kitchen before they came, "It just exploded but I don't think it was an accident. Before it did, I got this feeling we were in danger, which is why I had us stand more towards the middle of the room. Then I heard, I don't know if Mai had heard it or not, but a whistle. A very high pitched whistle I heard that turned into the explosion. I just hollered at Mai and pushed her down to the ground with me."

"But who…?"

"What don't we let them go to base and then they can finish," Ayako said interrupting Yasu, but he nodded in agreement as did the others.

"Ok."

Monk and Naru, surprisingly, helped Mai up and to base while Michu and Yasu helped Nashi since both were kinda on jelly legs after that firghtfull experience but Nashi looked back once more. Andin that split second she swore she saw this long spirit right in front of the stove, glaring at here even if the figure had no face.

'What was that? Was that the spirit causing all of the attacks?'

~Base~

Both girls we relaxing on the 2 couches Nashi had put in there for the team while Lin typed up what had happened and recorded the time for reference.

"Now what I think Yasu was going to ask before was, who you want to harm you? And why?" Naru just stared at Nashi replied. "Its simple. The spirit. Over the past few weeks the attacks have escalated, maybe earlier but they have been more violent. I would bet I am right on this. If you go look at the stove and the kettle, where ever that went to, nothing will be defective or damaged or tampered with."

"Yasu, John go check it out now," Naru ordered and they wordlessly went.

"That kettle hit the wall on he opposite side of the wall. From where it hit and the way you and Mai were laying on the floor, the kettle missed hitting you in the heard by only a few inches, Nashi."

"Oh my…I would have a lot more skin to bandage if she had gotten hit."

"Guys!" Yasu ran into the room, out of breath and shocked too it seemed.

"What?"

"Naru, the…the stove wasn't tampered or…or broken in anyway!" he took a deep breath to return his breathing to normal from the sprint the just did from the kitchen to base. "Everything was in perfect condition. Even the kettle wasn't warped or broken, cracked or such. It wasn't an accident nor was it tampered."

"What? Nashi may be right then."

"Mai go set up a camera in there."

"Wha…No! I was just in there and cause of this spirit, it almost blew Nashi and I up! You go do it yourself or someone else."

"Yes but I told you to."

"And I am saying no so…"

"I'll go. Lin let me know the angle and everything once its connected, over the walkie."

"Yes."

"Lin. What was the temperature reading when Mai and Nashi took them earlier?"

"Oddly enough it was normal like the rest of the house, 84 degrees Fahrenheit."

Naru grabbed the walkie and called Monk.

"Takigawa see what the temperature is in there."

Monk's voice responded with, "It is…76 degrees Fahrenheit."

Everyone in the room's, but Naru and Lin, eyes went wide. It had dropped.

"Kazuya?"

Naru turned and looked at Nashi, "What."

"Well… as we were leaving the kitchen, I swear I saw a spirit or something glowing and in a weird form. But it had no face and I couldn't tell the gender either but I think that's who did it. The spirit haunting here and trying to hurt or kill us."

"Are you sure you just weren't hallucinating from the experience you just had?"

Mai looked at Nashi's hurt expression on her face and then stared at Naru. 'Why is he being a jerk on this case? Worse than he has ever been. What is up with you Naru.'

"No offence, but I am sure it wasn't my imagination."

"Nashi!"

"Nashi."

Nashi looked in the door way to see Michu and Kori there with worried looks on their faces.

"Are you ok?" Kori looked like she was about to cry.

Nashi stood up, shaky at first before she regained her balance and walked over to them.

"You to need to go home now."

"What?" both asked at the same time, confused.

"Its to dangerous for you 2. You both are my family to me and I cant let you get hurt. You have to leave."

"But…"

"You might…"

"No. You have to go. Please? For me you have to go. Ok?"

"But…" Michu started to protest but Kori put her hand on his shoulder. "Michu we should listen to her. We may not like it but lets leave it to the professionals. Nashi is in good hands here I see," and she smiled at the team, "as long as Mr. Shibuya doesn't need us anymore."

"No you may leave."

"Thank you Kori and Michu." Nashi gave both of them a big hug and they said goodbye to everyone else and walked out of the room and soon enough the front door was heard being opened and closed.

"Well Naru, what do we do now? Its already getting kind of dark."

"Nashi, would you care to show us to the rooms you have for us."

"Yes but…"

Naru raised an eyebrow. "But…? But what Ms. Nashi?"

"Please just Nashi. No Miss please. And the but was because the only rooms that I have set up to be used as bedrooms are mine and the 2 rooms on each side of it. Those are the other 2 rooms that I said, along with mine, switch the furniture. I hope that is ok."

"Yes. That will be fine."

"What? Naru are you insane? You want us to stay in haunted rooms?"

"Ayako?" Ayako looked at the person who called her name, Nashi. "I know that sounds scary but I know from experience that if your on the furniture asleep, you wont be hurt or moved at all."

"Ok. I trust your word Nashi."

Nashi nodded. "Thank you."

"Nashi, you have room in you room for Mai, Ms. Matsuzaki and Ms. Hara? I want Takigawa, John and Yasuhara in one room and then Lin and I in a room. That would be manageable between the 3 rooms?" Naru meant it as a question but with his tone it sounded more like a demand.

"Yes. My room is actually bigger than most and has a few small twin sized beds with in a closet area that I can setup. All I need is a few of you to help me set them up."

"Takigawa and Yasuhara can help you with that. And the other two rooms have…"

"Yes. They both have 2 beds in them. Sorry I didn't mean to cut you off but I figure that was your next question."

"Ok. Then all of you go to the rooms and get settled."

"If you would all follow me please." Nashi motioned for the others to follow her at they walked straight down the hall till the hall came to a door and the hall itself went to the left and right.

"This is my room where we will be staying Mai, Ayako and Masako. The room to the right is the room you can sleep in Monk, John and Yasuhara…"

"Please just Yasu. I hate being called Yasuhara most the time."

"Then explain why Naru calls you it." Monk sneered, trying not to laugh but failing and soon everyone was chuckling.

"Well he is my boss so….yeah."

"Ok. You guys will be the room on the right and Lin and Kazuya will be the room on the left."

"Just call him Naru. Kazuya is such a mouth full to say but John is always polite so he is the only one who calls him Kazuya."

"Ok, again." And the group laughed once again.

Nashi opened the door to her room, now the girls' room, and everyone heard her gasp.

"Nashi?" Mai walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "What is it?"

Not saying a word she walked over to the guys room and opened the door. "No way…"

"What is it?"

"This is my room here…the furniture that is but my actual room has the furniture that should be in Lin and Naru's room." Nashi looked at the group with slight panic in her eyes.

"We need to tell Naru."

(A.N. Wow another chapter up so fast? Wow I really have to much free time. But this isn't how I pictured Michu and Kori leaving but it works. Yes so…..hahaha yeah its ok. I promise it will get better. If it already isn't good)