EDITED
18 year old Mai curled up into a frightened ball. Her clothes were heavily ripped where she had untended injuries. Dried and wet blood stained what wasn't. A stark reminder of why she was hiding.
The small basement closet was dark and airless. Barely a metre wide in each direction. The walls felt like they were closing in on her in an overwhelmingly claustrophobic wave on top of her already panicked and frightened state. She wanted more than anything to open the door. To get fresh air.
But leaving the closet wasn't an option either. Things were worse outside that door.Much worse. The current dead heavy silence was much scarier than the screams of pain and fear that Mai had been hearing from her friends and coworkers for the last 24 hours.
Tears streamed down Mai's bruised and cut face as her lungs heaved painfully, trying to breath. She was alone now. No one else was left. She would be next as soon as that monster found her. More tears ran down her face as she remembered how the case began. How it quickly got so out of control. Memories flashed through her mind at that moment.
They thought they were dealing with a normal spirit gone bad. They had no clue that what they were really dealing with was a demonised god who loved terrorise and torture his victims.
Yasuhara died first. His body found mangled and broken on the ground outside where he'd fallen out of a third story window. His glasses lay a metre away, almost pristine, not even a scratch. He'd had no powers to defend himself with. Sweet and funny Yasu. Mai's tears dripped faster and she remembered his flirty teasing antics over the years, particularly at Bou-san.
Ayako went next. Sarcastic, motherly Ayako. Her body had been found less than two hours later in the bath completely cut up and drained of blood. The water she lay in, fully clothed, was a dark pink colour caused by her blood mixing in. It clashed with Ayako's vibrant red hair. Mai shuddered, remembering the exact colour. She'd never be able to look at that shade of pink again without that horrid memory.
Masako and Takigawa soon followed. Her rival in love and her big brother figure. Both were found chopped in pieces by the butcher knives in the kitchen that night. Their body parts were so mixed up that Mai couldn't tell which piece belonged to whom.
Mai couldn't understand why Naru didn't pull the team out before it got to that stage. She supposed his stupid, idiotic, stubborn, narcasistic pride got the better of him. Although by the time he did decide to pull out it was far too late. No one could leave then. That monster had locked them in.
Innocent, angelic John had been found the next morning displayed in an upside down cross on the wall in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Mutilated in a bizarre and sickening comedy of the Catholic cross he wore around his neck.
Lin's death had been the result of the third and second floor collapsing only an hour after finding John. The floor planks and support beams had penetrated his body in several places. He'd bled out before Naru and Mai could free him. Thank goodness Madoka was been back in England with her and Lin's new born daughter. Mai had no idea how she'd explain what happened if she ever survived this whole nightmare.
That brought her to Naru. A keening sound escaped Mai's lips at the thought of Naru's death. He'd used his PK 2 hours ago to give Mai time to run and escape. Naru didn't have a mirror to merge his power with his brother, Eugene, either. It had broken much earlier in the day. His death was probably the most peaceful and the most heartbreaking for Mai.
After all these years, Mai still loved him. Not that she had ever told Naru that. Not after the one and only time she ever confessed her love and Naru responded with "Me or Gene." That was her little secret. Not that she blamed him. The timing sucked being just after finding out who Naru really was and his real purpose in Japan. Mai never really had the courage to tell him a second time.
She wondered if Naru had joined his twin brother in the afterlife. Whether Eugene would now be move on since Naru had joined him.
"It's not fair!" Mai whimpered. "Why us? Why should we die!"
Her whimpering soon turned into full blown screams.
"None of us wanted to die. I wish we could start over again. Live our lives again!"
Mai's screaming had alerted the demon god to her location. Soon her frantic screams became full of pain and fear as her body was ripped to shreds.
Her last thought as her eyes dulled in death was, "I would do it all again to be with these guys. I would make it even better. Live more. Have more courage. Do more. Try harder. Just... more... Once... more... Please... Someone... "
Then everything went black.
- Ghost Hunt -
3 years prior.
15 year old Taniyama Mai woke up in a dead cold sweat, screaming. Her neighbours were banging on their joined walls and yelling for Mai to shut up. Taking a deep breath Mai stared at her clock. It was 5:30 am. No point going back to sleep now.
"What a horrible dream! It was... just a dream... wasn't it?"
Mai wasn't sure. It had felt so real. So real that she could still feel where each piece of flesh had been ripped from her body before she had died. Still remember the feeling of heartbreak at Naru's sacrifice to give her time to run.
Shivering, Mai got up and had a long hot shower to wash away the cold sweat. Getting dressed and entering her kitchen she noticed the calendar. She stared at today's date.
"If that dream was real... If I really have turned back time to the beginning... Then today is the day I first meet Naru in the AV room while telling ghost stories."
After breakfast, Mai cleaned up her kitchen and headed to school. She was early. Ironically, she had never used to be late until she met Naru. He seemed to be the catalyst to all her future lateness that he often complained about.
Her day was one big deja vu. She knew all the answers to the questions that the teachers threw at her. She could mimic word for word in her head everyone who spoke to her. Then came the ghost stories in the AV room.
Mai had to cover her mouth to hide the grin at the other girls' obvious fright in the 2 stories beforehand. She wasn't sure at what point Naru would start eavesdropping on them but rather than tell the same story she told in her previous life, Mai decided to talk about one of the cases they had worked in the past. She figured the doll house case would be a good story. It would be a nice surprise for Naru down the track if he was listening in.
"There is a house where children often die. Every child that enters between the ages of 6 to 12 years old are at risk. None can escape."
The other 3 girls trembled with fear. Mai's voice turned creepy as she spoke.
"Legend has it that a young girl was abducted from her home by a tall strange man. Her body was found 6 months later in the nearby pond. Her mother, Hiro, was so distraught at the loss of her daughter, Tomiko, that she threw herself down the well and died. And ever since then, she has been killing the children who enter the house built above her well and calling their spirits to her side. Trapping those children in the house. Forever stuck, helping her collect more and more."
Mai turned off her light.
" Ugh, Mai, I swear that's the creepiest story you've ever told!" Keiko whined, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.
" I hate when you use that creepy voice!" Michiru exclaimed. Her light was the only one left. It didn't take long for her to finish her story about the old school building and then she was flicking off her light.
"One." That was Yuuri.
"Two." Came Keiko's voice.
"Three." Mai's turn.
"Four." Said Michiru.
'Now should be Naru'. Thought Mai.
"Five."
The other three girls screamed and clung to Mai. Then the light switched on and there Naru stood in all his cold glory.
'Called it!' Mai thought, covering her face to hide her smirk. Though there was no hiding the gleeful glint in her eyes.
That glint caught Oliver Davis' eye when he glanced at her. 'Weird.' He thought to himself.
Keiko asked, "W...was that you?"
"Yes... did I do something wrong?"
A nice peaceful voice. 'So fake!' Mai thought to herself as she rolled her eyes.
Michiru sits down relieved.
"Ahh, that surprised me. I thought I was going to die."
"Excuse me. The lights were off so I thought there was nobody in here, but suddenly I heard voices... so I just.."
"That's... it's alright!" Keiko says joyfully, "Are you an exchange student?"
He paused a little. "...is it like that, I wonder..."
Mai snorted. 'More like the furthest thing from it.'
Oliver glanced back at Mai again, having caught the snort.
"A first-year?"
"...I'm seventeen this year."
Mai rolled her eyes again at his response. Oliver's brows narrowed slightly when he caught it.
"So, you are a senpai." Keiko says that with a lively voice. Her attraction to Naru's good looks was obvious.
Mai began packing up her stuff and decided to ignore the three puppy-like girls wagging their imaginary tails at Naru.
Michiru said with a smiling face. "We are sorry to have surprised you too! We were telling ghost stories."
"Heeh…" He said and smiled. "Would you mind if I joined you?"
The three puppies screamed in delight.
"Please, please... Sit here." Michiru pulled his arm. "What's your name?"
"Shibuya..."
"Not!" Mai muttered under her breath with another snort.
Now Oliver was very confused. 'Does this girl know me? I've never been to Japan. Maybe she met Eugene?'
Keiko's eyes formed a heart at that moment.
"Shibuya-senpai, do you like ghost stories too?"
"Sort of." He smiled.
'He still doesn't smile with his eyes.' Mai felt sorry for Naru. 'It's not easy travelling to another country to find your murdered twin's body.'
"Shibuya-san..." Mai said with a knowing smile, and he turned in her direction. "What are you doing in a place like this?"
"I had something to take care of."
"Then we won't keep you. Enjoy the non-ghosties. We'll be heading home now." Mai responded.
Oliver raised a brow at that. 'Non-ghosties?'
"Eeh!" Keiko and Michiru exclaimed, dissatisfied.
Even Yuuri who has been quiet until now, pulls on Mai's uniform. "That Mai...Don't worry about it senpai. What is it that you have to do here? We will help you!"
"...Ah, it's only some tape dubbing..." Oliver once again forces his smile. "The truth is, I'm in a hurry right now. How about, next time you tell ghost stories, you let me join in?"
"Then, tomorrow after school!" Keiko wags her tail. Mai rolls her eyes and picks up her bag.
"Alright. Where?"
"Our homeroom! Room 1-F!"
Oliver smiled, bowing his head in assent.
"Okay, then we are off. Goodbye." Michiru stood in an unusually graceful manner.
"Take care."
"Yess."
Mai could see the hearts practically floating out of their eyes. Before she could leave the room after the others, Oliver grabbed her wrist.
"Mai, was it?"
Mai looked up at him. For a moment her eyes reflected sadness as she remembered his death yet again. "Yes... Shibuya-san? Is there something I can help you with?" Mai said with a cheeky grin.
"Do... I... know... you...?" Oliver asked in an uncertain voice.
"Not yet! But you will soon enough, Naru-chan. Say hello to Lin-san for me. See you tomorrow!"
Mai pulled her wrist free while Oliver stood stunned and skipped out the door. She couldn't wait for tomorrow!