Chapter 8 – The Ultimatum

When we arrived back at the base, the sight that met us was rather shocking; one of the maids was sitting on the couch, crying into a tissue. I ran over to her and put my arm around her shoulder, an attempt to comfort her further. "What happened?" Naru asks the group.

Ayako turns to him, "She went into the kitchen and found something you need to see for yourself," she replies sadly.

Wondering what this was all about, I followed Naru to the kitchen to find out what was making Ayako say we needed to see for ourselves in such a sad tone. We walked into the kitchen and the sight made me gasp, even my usually stoic boyfriend's eyes widened in horror. In the middle of the room was the last pregnant maid, gutted like an animal, but what really made me cry hard and lean into Naru, was the writing on the wall in her blood:

'I will take your life Mai, or the child will die.'

All kind of questions were running through my head, 'which child?' 'mine?' 'if so, then is my child going to die either way?'

Then another thought came to mind, I gasped and ran back to base, Naru screaming my name as he chases after me. I bang open the door, searching the room for the person I was looking for. Upon not finding him, I turned to Madoka, "Madoka, where's Sora?" I ask.

"In our room," she replies with confusion written on her face, but I was running out the door before she could ask why.

As soon as I reached my destination, I saw what I feared I would see; Madoka and Lin's three-year-old boy was not where he was supposed to be. "MADOKA," I yell out to her.

Not ten seconds later Madoka and Lin come rushing in to see what I was yelling for, but upon seeing their son not there, she breaks down into tears and presses her face into Lin's chest. Lin held her tightly as the others make it to the room. They turn to the weeping mother in confusion before realising the missing child. "Where is he?" Lin finally asks.

"Rina has him, Sora is the child that she said she would kill if she couldn't kill me," I whisper painfully.

How could she do this to a three-year-old boy who has nothing to do with her pain and suffering. He's only here because both his parents are here. She is making me choose between myself and Sora, how dare she. I move over to Madoka and hug her from behind; whispering in her ear that we will find him no matter what it takes.

I then go over to Naru and finally let the tears out onto his now soaking shirt. He pulls me tighter to him in reassurance that we would indeed find him and that he wouldn't let anything happen to me either. Everyone else, not believing what was happening, silently stood there, Masako and Ayako also crying onto their own love's shoulder, Yasuhara with a rare serious look in his eyes.

After several minutes of crying, we make our way back to base to see Akira and Shinta sitting on one of the couches; seeing as her eyes were red, it seems Akira was crying for her maid. They look up at our entry, noticing our tear-streaked faces, Shinta asked what was wrong.

"The ghost has taken the child that was with us, the bloody writing on the wall was an ultimatum for Mai. The ghost is saying that either Mai dies or the boy dies," Naru answers them as the rest of us aren't in the right state of mind to do so, Madoka took it the hardest; as she would, no woman relishes the disappearance of her three-year-old son.

The older couple's eyes widen in horror at this revelation, I can see in Akira-san's eyes that she couldn't believe that he was taken after Naru had told her he would be fine the day we met her. Remembering first meetings, I recall the maid that let us in, I haven't seen her since then and we have been here for three days already; I'm getting a bigger feeling that she isn't who she says she is.

"I want this ghost gone, how dare she give you such a horrible choice. I hope that you get her before either of you are hurt," Shinta-san says with the last part directed at me. "I hope your son is returned to you soon," he says to Madoka and Lin.

She manages a weak smile as a thank-you to his words. Lin manages a weak 'thank-you' before the dreading couple makes their way back to their room. "Naru, please tell me you'll let them be for awhile," I whisper up to him.

"Of course," he then turns to the couple still sitting on the couch. "I apologise for being unable to solve this case before your made was…killed, in order to solve it though and save my girlfriend and godson, I would ask you please to be patient with us. I don't want to sound rude, but could you please leave so we may do so?" he asks them.

They nod their heads solemnly and make their way out of base. We all manage to make our way onto a couch to just sit in silence in the hopes that Sora hasn't been harmed. Before long, I'm asleep, with my head resting on Naru's shoulder.

I find my self in darkness, again, but soon I'm Rina again. I watch as Kiseki accuses her of cheating, she pleads again and he pushes her off the edge.

I again watch as he runs into his brother's room and accuses him of trying to take his wife away from him before stabbing him.

I watch him enter the study and shoot himself again. These images won't leave my head, I'm now watching as the first pregnant maid is drowned in the bathtub, the next possessed to hang herself, the next being pushed down the stairs and finally, I watch as the last maid was sliced all over by a floating knife.

I close my eyes tightly when I suddenly feel strong arms wrapping around me. I look up to see someone I wasn't expecting. "Gene."

I know that doing that to Sora was evil, but I wanted to get him more involved, I've haven't mentioned him much. I promise you he will be fine, I'm not that evil. Anyway, R&R please.

Seza, over and out.