Chapter 23 – The First Dream

It's been a month since we found out we were having twins and I'm six months pregnant. If I felt like a balloon last month, then I feel like blimp now. I can't imagine how big I'll be when I'm due; I don't even want to at this stage.

Right now we were on our way to a case that just happens to be five hours away from Shibuya. This was also the last case that Naru is going to allow me to be on; he refuses to let me be on a case this close to the end of my pregnancy.

We had just left, so I decide to take a nap while using Naru as my pillow.

When I opened my eyes, I realised I was having 'one of those' dreams and Gene was nowhere to be found. "Gene!" I yell out into the distance.

Just when I was about to lose hope, he appears in front of me. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived, but the ghost is almost as intent to keep me away from you as the ghost from the Koiya Case," he tells me as he walks starts to walk towards a door.

"Is this ghost not as powerful as Rina was?" I ask him as I follow.

"No, it's more powerful," he states disdainfully.

"Then how did you manage to get here?" I ask in awe.

"This ghost doesn't really care all that much whether or not we talk; it doesn't see me as a threat, yet," he answers as we both stop in front of the door. "Open the door and go in."

Without a word, I did as he said. When I went in, I was in a room that looked an awful lot like a hospital room. The door to the room suddenly opened and in comes a man who appears to be a doctor, followed closely by a man carrying someone in his arms. When I get a better look, the person in his arms is a woman, but she's is definitely conscious. "Put her on the bed," the doctor orders the other man.

The other man places the woman on the bed and leaves the room. The woman looks towards the doctor with fear in her eyes; whatever is about to happen can't be good. The doctor walks towards her with an evil glint in his eyes. "Do you know why you're here Arisa?" he asks the woman.

She doesn't say anything, she only shakes her head. "Then let me tell you," the doctor starts. "You have been a very naughty girl; you have tried to escape the asylum far too many times for my liking."

Her eyes widen the slightest fraction, but they return to normal soon after. The doctor then moves closer to her and leans over the bed. He then grabs the shackles that were hanging off the sides of the bed and locks her wrists in them. Her eyes widen to saucers as fear registers across her face. Without warning, he starts ripping her clothes off and I now know what he intends to do.

I try to look away, but I'm stuck with my head facing them. Tears start to flow from my eyes as he rapes her and there is nothing I can do. I keep telling myself to wake up, but it doesn't help. When he's finally done, everything starts going dark.

I wake to see the blue eyes of my fiancée and they were filled with worry. I launch myself into his arms as more tears stain my face. He whispers words of comfort in my ear and he rocks me slowly from side to side. When I finally calm down, he asks me to tell him what happens and so I do.

By the time I had finished telling him about my dream, we had arrived at the asylum where the case was to take place. The client had come in yesterday saying that every time they get construction workers to destroy the building, something weird happens. He said things like banging doors, lights turning on and off, and a range of other paranormal occurrences. Naru decided to take the case since I pleaded for him to take it; my excuse was that this was the last opportunity I would have to take a case before he wouldn't allow me to go.

So here we are, ready and able to take the case. A few minutes after we had arrived, the others pulled up as well. Naru had to get in front of me before Bou-san pulled me in a bone-crushing had that could damage the babies. "Takigawa, I have told you many times before that you are not to hug Mai so excessively while she is pregnant," Naru grounds out through his clenched teeth.

"Sorry Naru, but I haven't seen Mai-chan in soooooo long," Bou-san whines.

"We only saw each other two days ago, it hasn't been that long," Naru replies as he heads towards the small cottage outside the asylum.

I follow him while Bou-san continues to weep where he stands. I hear a resounding thump and turn to see that Ayako had given Bou-san a good knock on the head with her purse. "Stop winging you stupid Monk; if you hug Mai the way you always do, then you'll kill the babies," she screeches at him.

I let out a giggle and turn back to Naru who was already knocking on the cottage door. I quickly catch up as the door is opened by our client. His name is Ryou Taichi and he looked to be in his late forties with salt and pepper hair. His eyes were brown and showed kindness, but they were also lined with worry when he saw me. "Is it safe for her to be here?" he asks Naru.

"Mai is valuable asset to any case and she wished to come on one more case before I refused to let her come. She is very stubborn," Naru replies with a sigh.

"Very well, she'll be okay won't she?" he asks as he opens the door wider.

"She'll be fine, she may be a danger magnet, but I'll refuse to let her out of my sight," Naru answers and from the tone, he will definitely do it.

We follow Taichi-san into the living room where he says will be the base, Naru turns to everyone, "Start bringing the equipment in and we can start the investigation," he tells them as he starts to re-arrange the room to his liking.

I'm sorry that it has taken so long for me to update, but I started another story and I was on roll. I know the dream was really scary, but there is a reason. I can't think of anything else, which is sad since I have been having bad progress with AN's. Anyways,

Seza, over and out.