Chapter 17
Case 2: Shòujīng Souls
Day 4: 2:39 P.M.
Everyone was back in base, but Najin was with her brother and mother in her room. Mr. Ma, Ying-jeou, was with everyone in base. No one was saying a word, they were all waiting to see how Nashi was doing from Ayako. Najin kept trying to think of anything else she could remember to help them figure out how her and Nashi switch place. It didn't sound anything like and astral projection but almost PK like power.
'Think, Najin. Think. What happened when we switched places? Right when it happened, she screamed my name, held out her right hand to reach for me, then I felt and odd feeling. It was so quick, but it was bright… Bright? Why was it bright?'
"Hěn míngliàng."
Everyone looked at Najin, confused except for the Chinese speakers.
"She said, 'it was bright.' Probably meaning when she switched with Nashi."
Najin nodded her head.
"What else Najin?"
"It was odd how I suddenly remember it now, but it was bright, and I felt many think strings like things pulling on me."
Just then, one of Lin's shikis became visible and everyone heard a laughter followed by a woman saying, "Wǒ hái méi zuò wán."
"She said, 'I am not done yet.' Najin and Nashi are still in danger. And probably Ms. Ma too."
Naru shook his head.
"No. Rei is a young adult; Mrs. Ma is much older than her. So far only Najin and Nashi have been attacked and injured badly and they are around her age."
All nodded but Mai saying something to Najin brought everyone's attention onto said girl.
"Najin why are you staring at Lin like that?"
"That thing around him! I saw it. The white light it had a face, similar to that! That's what moved me!"
Everyone was shocked but Naru and Lin knew it made sense. It wasn't an astral projection but maybe the shiki could do it is a manner similar to what Najin described, but before Naru could voice anything, Mai's phone started to ring.
"It's Yasu," Mai answered as she picked it up, "Hey Yasu? What's going on?"
"Hey Mai, yeah well Nashi is awake now, she isn't too clear on what happened right now, but she will be released today."
Mai tuned to Naru and said, "Nashi is awake and will be released today."
Everyone let out a breath they didn't even know they were holding, and Mai went back to talking to Yasu.
"How bad are her injuries Yasu?"
"Surprisingly not too bad. Ayako was completely right, she needed stitches in both her head and arm and man did she need a lot. She has 34 stitches on her arm and 15 on her forehead, which is a lot apparently for a facial injury. She has a moderate concussion from the head would and being presumably slammed into that bars. She had a hairline fracture on her right wrist which seems to be from her trying to support her body weight after she cut open her right arm. And she has a fracture rib on her left side and multiple bruised ribs from hitting the bars. But she is currently being treated and we should be leaving in a few more hours."
"Are you coming back here!?" Mai asked as everyone just looked at her before she got Yaus's reply.
"We have to. All the roads are bad with snow and most roads into the city are closed or bad as well, so we have to bring her back. Unfortunately."
Mai didn't like this, and she didn't try to hide it.
"But she is in danger here much like Najin. Why can't she stay overnight?"
Naru answered for Yasu since now he had asked Mai to put Yasu on speaker, "Probably because her injuries see not so life threatening and they are suspecting they need beds. Also, the hospital here seems to be considerably smaller than the Shibuya hospital."
"Yes, they said they could keep her, but they see no sense in it and we're prefer she doesn't for the real emergencies. Trust me Mai, I don't want her anywhere near that house again since it seems like Dashu is out to hurt her and Najin."
"Yasuhara, it's not Dashu who did it. It's Rei. She was the one who attacked Nashi and Najin. This makes it a bit trickier because I could see her brother blaming her for his death but why is she wanting to kill others like her or other Chinese with brothers?"
"Who knows? Oh, I have to go the doctors is calling Ayako and I back in. See you guys later."
"Bye," everyone one chorused in before Yasu hung up the phone and Naru's last come t had everyone wondering…
Why would it be Rei and not Dashu?
—
About 3 hours later, everyone heard the front door open. All went to go see who it was, even though they all knew who it was coming in. Mai was defiantly the first one out of base, since everyone, including the Ma's, were staying in there as a safe area while Monk made some charms for everyone. Especially for Najin and Nashi when she returned since they were already attacked once and were most likely to be attacked again.
"Nashi! I…" Mai started but stopped as soon as she saw Nashi, her words seem to have escaped her. She knew Nashi had been hurt badly but to see it now, after everything was cleaned and fixed, for a lack of a better term, it looked so bad and painful. All the stitches on her forehead we red and still bleeding in some areas since they were covered with gauze still, her arm was covered by her sleeve but you can see through where her sleeve was ripped, they was white bandages around where her stitches were at. Her right wrist was in a soft cast since it wasn't a full break and just a fracture and she was using, or trying to, use her right hand to brace the left since of her chest.
'Bruised ribs and fractured ribs… must be painful,' Mai thought.
"I know Mai, I look bad. Don't worry I'll be ok. I feel better than when I got injured on my case."
Nashi's words were very quick and in short bouts of talking.
'Her ribs must be hurting her a lot for her to talk like that.'
Najin came up and started saying something to Nashi thought Nashi, for a moment, had a hard time understanding and finding how to respond.
"I think it's time to take her back upstairs so she can rest some. Naru do you mind if Yasu and I stay up there with her for now?"
"Yes. That is fine. Wards were made by Takigawa and should be in place in the bedrooms, kitchen and base, but still be careful."
Yasu and Ayako nodded before they took Nashi up to the room, she was staying in.
"Naru, do you think Rei will attack her again?"
Naru didn't respond to Mai at first but as he turned to walk back into base, he stopped in the doorway before he answered. He looked at Lin on the computers.
"Yes. I think she will at least try. I have a hypothesis as to why she is doing this, but I can't say for certain. Mai comeback to base, everyone else, get some food and protect the Ma's."
Lin real quickly asked Mrs. Ma about food and she replied that it wouldn't take long and should be ready shortly.
-Upstairs-
"Ugh…this is really a pain in my side," Nashi said as she finally sat on the bed Ayako had been using.
Yasu just shrugged.
"That's what happens if a ghost takes an interest in you. How could you already be cheating on me Nashi?! Where is my one true love, Monk, at?" Yasu said using his dramatic voice that he uses on Monk.
Nashi looked up, gave him the craziest look as if she was saying, 'What the hell is wrong with you?' before speaking.
"Well if what you and I are doing is just dating, then Rei and I must be married already."
Ayako and Yasu just stared at her, shocked, before Ayako started to laugh followed by Yasu falling out onto the floor from the bed in laughter. This caused Nashi to start laughing some but is sure did hurt.
"Ok…Stop it…it hurts to l-laugh…" Nashi got out as she tried to calm herself down.
"Sorry Nashi, but that was amazing. I must be rubbing off on you," Yasu commented as he stopped laughing and came back to the bed to sit next to her.
"No. you just don't know me well enough then."
Ayako died laughing again as Nashi carefully leaned over to give the stunned man a peck.
-Base-
Naru walked into base and went straight to Lin as Mai shut the door.
"What was that Lin?"
Mai had to cringe at the tone of hid voice. Naru was harsh like that to her and the others before, but not to Lin. Or at least none that she has seen.
"What are you talking about?"
"Nashi," was all he said, but it must have struck a nerve in Lin as he flinched at first then tensed his body up.
"And what is the matter with her? We found her, she's been treated and she's here. Nothing else to talk about."
Mai was boiling on the inside as she tried to stay calm but Naru wasn't as his usual calm and composed self.
"Lin you just yelled at her over her being Japanese and speaking Chinese and that was just racist of you. And I know this is not the first time, but it seemed like you moved forward from it."
Lin spun around so quickly and noticed finally that it was not just Naru and him in the room. Mai was there.
"What? You told him?!"
Mai was dumb founded at Lin, but that was it for her.
"No! Lin I never did because we worked it out and overcame it! But what you did to Nashi was way worse than me. You didn't even ask how she learned Chinese or anything! Then when she mentioned her dreams, she was having that were exactly like mine, you blew up, again. Do you really think we would have believed her if she would have told us? No! just like you and Naru didn't believe me and then what? She wouldn't have been here to translate; she would have been with Najin and she wouldn't have been there to protect her and save Najin's life!"
"If she had just told us maybe we would have learned from meeting you."
"Seems like we didn't."
Both looked at Naru as he spoke.
"We just meet her; we've known her for how long? A few months? At best 5? She had no reason to tell us about her dreams, I bet she was about to tell Mai but then this fight with you and her, and her getting kidnapped. She helped Mai save not just Najin but herself. We know she has skiki like you and they helped in that sensing how she felt. And on that part, you need to help her Lin. Like it or not."
Lin was about to interrupt Naru, but he stopped him.
"Enough! You said, 'You don't work for us! And I don't think the Japanese have any right to learn and speak Chinese!' but guess what? She offered her help, which is her services and I accepted. So that is technically a work contract with us for this case."
Mai flinched and Lin just went silent but turned back to the computer, though Mai spoke one last time.
"She told me why."
Lin and Naru turned to look at her.
"What?"
"Lin, she told me why she didn't leave that night you got here. She couldn't bring it in herself to just go. She had a bad feeling about this case she couldn't shake and was worried that as soon as she left something would happen. And something did but she help prevent it. Shes a kindhearted person and she couldn't stand to hear that they were still getting hurt. She heard Mr. Ma's recount of what happened, and she conducted the first interviews here. She heard their fear, saw their terror and anguish, and felt their pain. Shes a kind person Lin, what you did, made you out to be someone I can't even recognize."
Just as Mai stopped, there was a knock on the door as Naru told them to come in.
It was Monk and John.
"Hey, food is ready. I've already told Ayako and she's coming down as Yasu stays with Nashi."
Just then Ayako poked her head in and waved.
"How is she Ayako?"
"Alright for now. She's tired but…"
Suddenly a long, white creature came into the room through the wall, as if it wasn't there. Most recognized it right away as it went toward Lin.
"You sent out a shiki, Lin?" Mai asked as naru and everyone just watched it form into what looked like a mini long dragon.
"No. This isn't one of mine. And the Ma's have no onmyouji in their family."
Then it started to talk in Chinese so only Lin heard and understood it.
"Nashi is in danger! Rei is coming back for her. Help her!"
Lin jumped up, scaring everyone.
"It's Nashi's shiki. She's in danger, Rei is coming back for her!"
Everyone knew if Lin was worried and shouting it was bad.
And everyone knew that meant Rei wasn't going to stop.
Till Nashi was dead.
—
-With Nashi and Yasu-
"Ok, so do I really not know your sense of humor as well as I think I do?" Yasu asked from his spot on the left of Nashi as they sat on the bed, waiting for Ayako.
"Many there are many sides of me you don't know. I mean hell, I do have these supernatural powers that I thought was a joke in my family. But it's true, I have them…"
Yasu put his hand on her hand and before anyone could say anything, the right got cold.
"Did the heat go out? Or is a window open?"
Nashi shook her head before feeling something weird, both Yasu and Nashi has their hair stand on ends.
"Yasu…"
But she didn't get to finish as Rei appeared in front of her and pushed her to the sorbet of the bed which was in the corner of the room. Nashi didn't know what to do but scream.
"Nashi!" Yasu shouted but as he tried to go near her to grab her, Rei just pushed him back with a blast of air.
"No!"
"Yasu?!"
Yasu looked toward the now open door and saw Naru, Mai, Lin and the rest standing near the door inside of the room or in the doorway.
"Rei pushed Nashi toward the corner! She's going to kill her!"
"We were already coming up when we heard her scream. We thought that was a bad sign."
"Wait how did…"
"Nashi has shiki like I do. One came and appeared before me to tell us she was in danger. Rei was coming after her." Lin finally said as he spoke up.
"Rei let her go. She didn't cause you pain!" Naru tried.
"She didn't but she is as bad as me. Causing people, she loves to get injured or die! All because of her powers! People like her couldn't help me then, they probably don't even know I'm dead, let alone missing! Their powers could have been used to save me but no we are Chinese in Japan. We are hated!"
"Ahh!
Rei used her hands, which appeared to have claws on them, and her green mist to cut Nashi's arm. Luckily not the one with stitches.
"Stop Rei!" As Nashi shouted, white orbs and strands formed I the air around her and tried to push Rei back some, which worked but no one knew for how long. Now she was confused but she knew enough about Chinese culture to recognize shikigami.
'Are they my shiki?'
"NO!"
Nashi jumped. It shook the whole room and pictures fell of the wall.
"Rei…"
"Naru what are we going to do? Nashi's shikis are holding her back for now but it won't hold forever."
Naru looked toward Lin, knowing he knew the best about shikigami, then back to the scene at hand. Could Nashi try talking to her?
"Nashi talk to her. See if you can get her to calm down."
Nashi looked at Naru as if he had sprouted 2 heads. Could she do it? It was worth a shot, since if it didn't it would cost her her life.
"Rei, how did you know? How did you know I had powers like you? Or any powers for that matter? All I knew is I was having dreams that apparently meant something. And Mai has them as well."
"You don't know! Your lying!"
"I don't! I never knew I had any spiritual powers or anything!"
Rei's powers surged as she sent another blast of wind at her and this time it cut her left leg.
"Shit!"
'This seriously hurts! What is her power anyway with this green mist?'
"I really didn't! If my parents knew they sure didn't tell me. And I'm sure you're like the same. Your birth or foster parents didn't tell you anything and that scared you when something did happen which made you upset then angry!"
"Shut up! You don't know me!" And with that she blasted the whole room, and 2 of her 3 shikis released her just enough for her to come right at Nashi. Nashi Let out a yell as she was grabbed around the neck again and Mai screamed because of the wind and her going after Nashi. Yasu did the only thing he could think of, as dumb as it was. He ran over to the girls and grabbed Reis arm, startling her enough for her to loosen her grip on Nashi and the green mist appeared. It wrapped around Yasu from the feet all the way to his chest and it threw him again the wall by the door. Monk and John started their chants and Ayako used the nine cuts and then began her chant. Lin sent out some of his shiki to help hold her back off of Nashi till they could exercise her or even pull her completely off of Nashi. They were able to pull her back some so she wasn't choking Nashi, but it wasn't enough to get her completely off of her.
Nashi has a surprise for everyone including Rei.
"Look I may not know you, but you and I are alike. I had my parents die when I was 5 along with my brother to a car accident. For years, YEARS, I blamed myself and said it was my fault when I wasn't even there when it happened. And if they k ew anything about these powers I have now, they sure took it to their graves! I will never know if they knew."
"Your lying!" But Rei seemed to be faltering with her powers and emotions. She almost seemed to be having second thoughts.
"No and I know you can feel I am not," Nashi started to have tears running down her face, but it wasn't her crying, more like the emotions she was feeling. "I'm mad, I'm upset because I had no idea, I had this for the first 16 years of my life. Not a single sign I had powers or anything. Nothing thill I met this team and it somehow awakened them. First it was just the dreams of the past or retrocognition, and nothing more. Now here it's morphed into astral projection and shikigami."
"No… we are not alike…"
"She's actually getting through to her. Naru how are we going to get Rei to leave?"
Naru leaned over closer to her as he spoke so Rei would be less likely to hear all of it.
"No matter how much Nashi calms her down, she's isn't going to leave on her own. She will have to be cleansed or exercised unfortunately. And I don't think she can be cleansed. Lin has a plan which is why his shiki are placed there already, but not all of his shiki."
Mai just nodded as she helped Yasu stand as he finally was able to get up after the throw.
"You alright Yasu?"
Yasu held onto Mai's shoulder as he steadied himself. "Me? Physically fine but I will not be ok until we get Rei away from Nashi."
Mai nodded as she just looked back to Rei and Nashi, the concern and feeling that something terrible would happen soon bubbling in the pit of her stomach.
'Please let me be wrong.'
"Rei, I saw you and your brother when it first started happening. You were afraid. Why?"
"I…i was afraid I would hurt someone, especially my brother. Even our new foster mother and father, I loved them."
Nashi felt the air turn ever so slightly. She had to do something fast.
"And they didn't k ow what to do when your powers came out in front of them. They were afraid as well…"
"Of me!" Rei shouted as she almost broke one arm free but cause the temperature to drop.
"Rei! They weren't afraid of you; they were afraid for you. And Dashu."
Rei turned her attention to Naru as he said this, sporting some book in his hand, she instantly knew what it was.
"You know what this is. What this means to your foster parents. They were afraid of the bullying you would get in school because you were Chinese, and then your green mist came and they became even more afraid," Naru opened the book, a journal from her parents as he made it seem, and read something from it.
"'Daishou and I are worried. Today we found out Rei is showing some supernatural power involving a green mist. We have heard about other kids and teens who have suddenly started showing powers but never thought our own would. We…well mostly I, were worried that they would be tormented and bullied in school because they are Chinese but if this gets out, I'm worried what would happen then. So far things have been alright with them at school but what if it's not just Rei? What if Dashu starts to show powers too that are different than Rei's or the same. That green mist does things, almost as if it's of its own volition, takes things, moves. I know Daishou is unable to understand this and wants to lock them up. I have convinced him not to but if it hurts one of us, he will lock both of them up in the basement. He is already.' See? Your mother, Miko was worried about you, your father, Daishou, is the one who freaked out. He locked your brother up first, not sure why but. By the time you went onto that basement he was already dead. Fracture to the back of the skull causing internal bleeding. The day he was supposedly put in that room was around when the coroner estimated his time of death was. Someone did find your bodies after they had left, teachers from school and neighbors, all Japanese and all with both but sweet and kind things to say about you and your brother. Your mother, Miko, was admitted to the hospital the day before Dashu was locked up and killed."
Rei's apparition slacked up some in the shiki's hold, as if she had a read body and she was going limp. "No… that's not true. She was there!"
Nashi looked at Naru confused but a thought forming in her mind.
"Naru, what happened to Miko? Why did she go into the hospital?"
Naru flipped to the next page in his file and continued on, "Miko Shigeru, was admitted to the hospital with the complaint of severe heart burn and numbing in her right hand. Once in the hospital, her lips started to turn blue and oxygen levels were dropping at a significant rate. Blood work was run but unfortunately only 5 days after being admitted, she had a massive heart attack that they could not resuscitate her from, and she passed away. And the day after she passed would be about the time you were taken into the basement to be locked up."
"No! No… that's not true I remember her being there!"
Naru turned to Mai then Nashi, asking them both the same question: "In the dream you where Rei was taken to the basement, did you ever see or hear a women's voice that could be Miko?"
"No." Was the response that he received from both girls. Rei just looked at them, about to have a meltdown if she was alive.
"But that would mean she protected me!"
And as soon as she was gone, Daishou probably blames you for her death and threw you in the cell and left the house complete. In the police report, it's stated that when after 4 weeks and multiple calls and visits to the house unanswered, since Miko was hospitalized, and neighbors told the teachers that Daishou Shigeru had moved out and the kids were not seen with him, police were called. The school was asked why had they not called sooner, they said it was because Daishou had called and told them that you and Dashu would be out for 2-3 weeks due to the hospitalization and death of your mother."
Rei got angry but this time it seemed to be at Nashi and Daishou.
"This is what happens! And it will keep happening to everyone here you love!"
"No, it won't!" Nashi finally sat up straight and with minimal fear, "Because I know everyone here has me. Ack and will help me. They also care for me even though I am part Chinese and they are Japanese. Just as your mom, Miko, did up until her death and your neighbors and teachers from school."
Before Rei could say anything as she lurches forward toward Nashi, Naru began talking again.
"Daishou Shigeru was apprehended just 6 days after the bodies of his foster children Rei and Dashu Shao were discovered. It was shown that Dashu suffered from blunt force trauma to the back of the skull which cause his brain to hemorrhage and pass away while his sister Rei suffered from starvation and what appeared to be asphyxiation due to a toxic gas."
Rei was in shock. And she wasn't the only one. Masako has to stay in the hall because she was feeling terribly sick because of Rei's malevolent spirit, but now she was doing better. Monk asked something that everyone was wondering, loud enough for everyone but Rei and Nashi to hear. Though he wasn't sure if even Naru, Lin or Yasu heard him because they were so focused on Rei and Nashi.
"What is Naru trying to do. First, he wanted Nashi to try talking her down, but he even said that may not work and she may have to exercise her. Now he is trying to talk her down to do what? Rei is such a malevolent spirit is there any point in what is being done now?"
John started of explaining, "Kazuya, if I understand what I'm hearing and seeing, is trying to cleanse her so he doesn't have to exercise her. When she was talking to Nashi, he saw something, sympathy and you can't have that if you are a completely malevolent spirit like Urado or the one at the Hoshikawa Manor. She's not gone or a lost cause."
"And he's telling her what she is remembering was not fully correct. One parent loved her and her brother as if they were her own. He is showing her that it was just their foster father to blame no one else. And showing her compassion from people she didn't expect such as her teachers and neighbors. This is so he can start the process to convince her to move on and be cleansed. She needs to be with her brother," Masako continues for John, giving them her perspective on the situation before she continued on, speaking loud enough for Naru, Nashi and Rei to hear. "I can feel him at times, Dashu that is. He is looking for his big sister and confused as to why he can't."
"You heard that Rei? Dashu wants his sister! He needs you. You need to go to him and stop what you are doing to Nashi and the Ma's. They haven't done nothing to you, and you are taking what happened to you and projecting it onto them. You can't find your foster parents and are using them for surrogate. You can be saved; you don't have to disappear from the world. You just need to move to your brother."
Rei was angry at Nashi, wanting to kill her but now, she knew the truth. Their mom didn't do it. And she was waiting for her too, it wasn't just Dashu. Her urge to kill Nashi, someone like her, Chinese, having powers and in the foster system too, was gone. She realized it was revenge and she almost lost herself, lost the person she loves most.
"Tell me something Mr. Kazuya I think it was or Naru. What happened to him? Our foster father, Daishou? You said he was arrested but nothing else. Where is he now? Did we get justice?"
The shiki were still holding onto her but they had lowered her to the ground to where she could stand.
Naru flipped to another page in his file before he became to summarized what it said. "He was apprehended and arrested 6 days later as there was a warrant out for his arrest in 2 murder cases and once his parents were contacted by the police and told why they were looking for him, they turned him in so fast because he murdered their grandchildren. And you were the only ones they ever had. He tried to plead insanity because he started talking about all this magic and mist, but they found him to be in a right state of mind after a psychological evaluation. He tried to then plead no contest which is essentially admitting guilt without saying I'm guilty. He was still found guilty and convicted of 2 counts of neglect and 2 counts of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 2 consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole. He died in prison on his 76th birthday from a massive stroke."
"He is gone?" Rei breathed out.
"Yes, Rei he is gone. Please Rei, I know this isn't you. You knew I cared for the Ma's and you used Najin to hurt me, but I got hurt. I would have accepted my death Rei," Rei turned and looked at Nashi, seeing the pure care and sincerity in her eyes, something she hasn't seen in a long time, "I still blame myself for what happened. I lost my brother too but sometimes we meet people that help us, make things more tolerable no matter how stubborn they are or how much they upset us. Maybe that's why I meet them," she said gesturing toward Naru and them, "when I did. They tell the truth, we fight and hurt each other but we still stick together. Please go to the other side and find your brother and mom. Naru is blunt and doesn't show much emotion but what he says he found is true."
"Yes, I never lie about facts of a case. This is what happened to everyone here. You should feel the need to harm Nashi anymore or the Ma's."
"I'm sorry. Please tell them I am sorry…" and with that, Rei disappeared, and everyone looked at Masako to see what her verdict was. No pun intended.
Masako just shook her head with a small sad smile, "You did it Naru. And you as well Nashi, she has moved on. I also no longer feel the searching presence Of Dashu here either. The house has been cleansed. Also, I think someone might want to check on Nashi."
Yasu was already on his way before anyone could even look at her, as she was looking very pale, her arm and leg were still bleeding and it looked like some of her stitches along her forehead had come loose. She also was about to pass out and Yasu managed to grab her before she fell to the right which would have her hitting her head again, making the concussion worse as well as her gash and stitches in her forehead. Ayako, Mai, and Monk ran over to her to give her a check over, making sure she didn't need to go back to the hospital. Lin, Naru, Masako and John went to go inform the Ma's of Rei's cleansing and Naru said to Ayako before he left, "Let me know if you need to take her back to the hospital, Lin will drive you in the fan this time."
A.N. Ok I am so sorry that this is so long awaited let's just say this virus has really made my life crazy. My grandma was diagnoses with dementia and her cancer is worse and she in the nursing home now and my mom passed from a heart issue and the virus. But good news is im doing better and im back to writing because I missed it and this story. I can wait to get the next chapter up; it will be short and then the next one is a big moment for this story. So please stay tuned.
