Chapter 3 – The Haunted House

It's been some time since I've seen the majority of the SPR team, I believe it was our last case; I've only seen Ayako and Masako since then. Naru and Lin I've seen daily, naturally, I live with and work for one, and work with the other. But now, since we have a new case, I'm going to see them all again. Bou-san, John, Madoka, Sora (Lin and Madoka's son) and Yasu. Bou-san is an ex-monk from Mt. Kouya, John is a Priest from Australia, Madoka was Naru's teacher and Yasu is a college student who helps us with investigations.

This is the SPR team, but they are also my family.

Today is the day that we plan on going to Koiya home to investigate the strange occurrences that have been scaring and killing their maids. Naru, Lin and I are waiting for the rest of them to arrive so that we can leave; we have packed and are ready to go. I look over to Naru and notice his impatience as the others are all late; he's not a patient person. I decide to make him some tea to see if that will calm him even just the slightest, so I make my way to the kitchen to make all three of us some tea.

I take the tea back into the sitting room and place a cup in front of the men and sit with a cup of my own. We waited a full five minutes before the door slams open to Madoka looking she had just ran a marathon; a 3-year-old Sora in her arms. "I'm sorry I'm late, Sora wouldn't stop pulling my hair every time I put him down to finish the packing; I should have let Lin take him," she explains.

"It's so good to see you again Madoka," I say cheerfully before my pissed off boyfriend can say anything stupid.

"Hello Mai, it's good to see you again too, I hear you have something to tell everyone…wait, where is everyone?" asks Madoka.

"You are the first to arrive, everyone else is also late, I'll tell you what it is I want to say when everyone else gets here," I reply.

"Okay, well then I'll just…" Madoka started before she was interrupted by the banging open of the door; again. In walks the rest of our team, also looking like they had run a marathon, besides Masako of course who was slowly making her way up the stairs. "Well, everyone is here now," Madoka states the obvious.

"Sorry we're late, John and I both got caught in traffic, seriously, some people can not drive," Bou-san explains between breaths.

"That's okay Bou-san, you're here now, that's what counts," I quickly say noticing that Naru was, again, going to say something stupid. "We don't have time to say anything else, so let's just go."

With that, the whole SPR team decide to just head to the Koiya house to start the investigation. As usual, Madoka and I sit in the back of the van as Naru and Lin sit in the front, Lin driving. In Bou-san's car is Bou-san, Ayako, Masako and John; Yasu is going to meet us there. I decided since it was going to be at least a 3 hour drive, that I would get some sleep. With my head against the window, I drift into sleep.

~Mai's Dream~

I opened my eyes and realised the blank space of 'one of those' dreams. I looked around to see if I could spot Gene, upon complete inspection, I realise my spirit guide isn't here. Without warning, I get thrown into another scene, but this time, I'm in the body of someone else. In front of the woman whose memories I'm experiencing is a man with raven black hair and deep blue eyes, and he's looking at her with serious hate. "You betrayed me Rina; you cheated on me, with my own brother. I loved you, I cherished you and you betrayed me," he exclaims.

"I didn't, I love you and only you Kiseki, I do not love your brother and I didn't cheat on you with him, I swear," Rina replies in a scared tone.

I realise that she's walking backwards when she runs into something. When she turns around, I realise he has backed her onto a balcony rail. She turns back around to see Kiseki about to push her off the edge, he manages to do so and as Rina goes over, she screams.

~End Mai's Dream~

"-ai, Mai," I open my eyes to see Madoka right in front of me, staring into my eyes. I burst into tears and hug her tightly. "Oh, Mai, it's okay, it was only a dream. Nothing's going to happen to you, you have me, Naru and Lin here and we're not going to let anything happen to you," whispers Madoka in a soothing tone.

"Is she okay?" I hear Naru ask from the front. I pull away from Madoka, to look at him and give him as reassuring a smile as I can give him with my tear-stained face.

"I'm okay, just 'one of those' dreams," I reply softly.

"Lin, pull over, I'm going to swap with Madoka," he orders Lin.

Lin pulls the car over to the curb, and Madoka and Naru swap places. As Lin starts driving again, Naru pulls me against him, putting my head against his shoulder and putting his head on top of mine. "Like Madoka said, we're not going to let anything happen to you; I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he whispers into my ears as I drift into a dreamless sleep.

"Mai, it's time to make up," I hear a voice whisper in my ear. I open my eyes to see the owner of the voice; Naru. "You're awake Sleeping Beauty."

"Wow, you never call me that," I point out as I realise we're pulling into a driveway to one of the biggest houses I've ever seen; house isn't even the word, mansion is more like it. "This place is huge," I whisper.

"Well Mai, when you think about it, would people living in an ordinary house have maids?" Naru whispers in my ear.

I blush crimson as I feel his breath tickling my ear, "Naru, that tickles don't do that."

He chuckles lightly, "Why do you think I do it," he says before making his way out of the van, leaving me there with a tomato-coloured face.

I decide to leave it for now and get out of the van. I stand in awe as I look over at the gorgeous Victorian style mansion in front of me, it's a pale beige colour with a slightly more darker shade of beige on the roof. There's a huge fountain in the middle of the ring that is the Koiya's driveway, it's a massive three-tiered fountain with angels standing everywhere. There we flower beds surrounding the fountain and covering almost all of the front lawn surrounding the driveway. This house does not look in any way haunted, usually a haunted house looks gloomy, but not this one.

This was no ordinary haunted house.

I'm sorry that took a little longer to put up than I had hoped. But, some things I can't control. Anyway, R&R. Oh and in my fanfics, I say that Lin is Lin's first name and Koujo is his last name. This one seems a little strange but oh well. Madoka is on the case since ever since she married Lin and had Sora, she decided she would go on cases with them, and Yasu can gather all the information.