GH: THE MISSING ARCHIVES II

Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful support.

I hope I can live up to your expectations.

I will do my very best. If you guys think there is any game, movie,etc that you would like me to consider for future cases let me know.

Please enjoy this chapter.


DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from Ghost Hunt, or any concept from the games mentioned before.

File 001: Can you see me in the dark? #2

"Temperatures were a little in low side, but it was pretty constant in all the spots," I said, giving Naru the clipboard with my annotations. "The house seems to be on leveled ground, too."

"Considering our location and the state of the building, low temperatures wouldn't be rare," Naru replied. "What about your camera?"

I shook my head.

"There was nothing in the photos." I shrugged.

"I see…" Naru nodded. "Let's call it a day. Yasuhara will ask around town tomorrow, and we'll decide what to do next once we have the results from today."

I nodded, and the rest of the gang did the same. We were all gathered at the base and considering the size of the room; it was a miracle that we all fit inside. Suddenly, Rei jumped to her feet and stretched out her arms, and then began rubbing her neck.

"You okay, sis?" Kei asked.

"Uh, I'm fine. I just need some fresh air, so I'll go for a walk, if that's alright with you, Shibuya-san."

"Do as you please," Naru replied, "Just make sure to stay in touch."

"Hai…"

"Then I'll go take a bad. Heaven knows how much I need it." Ayako said, and we all left for our rooms, leaving Naru and Lin in the base.

ooo OOO ooo

tapa… tapa… tapa…

Footsteps?

tapa… tapa… tapa…

Yeah, those were definitely footsteps. They sounded like bare feet running from side to side on a wooden floor.

How strange, I thought. Who could be running around the house at this time? I tried to get up to see who was making that sound, but my body didn't move. No matter how hard I tried to move, my muscles just didn't respond.

Suddenly, a strange smell hit my nose. It was like a mixture of damp leaves and musk, and a terrifying sensation flooded my senses. Something in my insides shouted at me that I should get up; that I should move and run otherwise something terrible was going to happen.

I tried to scream, but my voice didn't come out. I felt the temperature around me drop, and it was so cold that I could see my breath in my face. The sound of footsteps had stopped and in its place, I could hear a soft tap instead: one tap, then two, a pause, and then it began again. It was as if someone was tapping the window with a fingernail. The sound made me shudder. I heard the safety of the window click, and the frame slide open with a quiet hiss. Whoever had been at my window was coming in. Panic filled me, and I screamed silently with more desperation.

The smell grew stronger, and then….

I woke up. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the entire room and dazzling me a bit. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the entire room and dazzling me a bit. Someone was shaking me to wake me up.

"Mai… geez. You sure are a heavy sleeper."

"Aya… ko?" I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Yes, who did you expect?" Ayako smiled. "Come, get up. Naru won't be too happy if you sleep in. "

"Right… sorry." I said getting up.

I was so tired. I felt like I had run a marathon the day before. My muscles were stiff and hurt if I moved suddenly. My head was light, and my vision was a little blurry.

"Are you okay?" Ayako asked, worried. "You look a little pale."

"Yeah, I am a little tired that's all."

"Mmm…"

Ayako didn't seem convinced. She rested her hand on my forehead and bit her lip.

"Well, you don't have a fever, I guess that is good," Ayako said. "But I guess I will tell Naru to go easy on you today…"

"Ah! No, that's unnecessary!" I said, shaking my head vigorously. "I'm just a little sleepy, that's all. After washing my face and having some breakfast, I should be ready to go."

"Are you sure?" Ayako asked. "If you're not feeling well, you should say so. Even Naru isn't that mean to force to work if you're sick."

"For real, I am fine. Really."

Judging by Ayako's gaze, she didn't believe me, but I jumped up trying to show her that everything was fine. The movement made my muscles claim, but I managed so that the pain was not reflected on my face.

Mrs. Shinzo had prepared a nice breakfast for us. Unfortunately, I could not enjoy it properly. I had to force as much as I could into my stomach so that Ayako wouldn't be alarmed, but the act made me feel a little sick. I was hoping that I would feel better as the day wore on.

When we entered the base, everyone was already there, and the twins seemed to be having an argument between them.

"Kami, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that sort of thing?" Kei said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Didn't Shibuya-san tell you to call on us?"

"Shibuya-san said, stay in touch. Which I did," Rei replied. "Seriously, if I had waited for you to come, I could have lost its trail."

"Well, you lost it anyway, so…"

"I didn't lose it, I just couldn't follow it any farther," Rei replied.

"Isn't that just the same? That was reckless anyway…"

"I had to do it."

"Yeah, but not alone. Lin-san, can you give me some back up here?"

Poor Lin. There was nothing worse than being dragged into the middle of an argument between the twins. To his credit, Lin managed to appease both sides, maintaining neutrality very easily. Which made me think that perhaps this was not the first time that he had been dragged into a fight between siblings.

"What's going on?" Bou-san asked.

"The cameras caught some activity last night. Rei-san spent the entire night chasing after the entity." Naru explained.

"Wait, did you say? What do you mean with ´chasing´?" Bou-san asked.

"I think you are intelligent enough to know what that word means," Naru said with a raised eyebrow.

"Rei-san chased after a spirit?" John asked, surprised. "Literally, chased?"

"Uh. I noticed its presence a little after 2: 00 am," Rei said.

"That was about the time the camera captured activity," Lin informed.

"Which cameras?" Naru asked.

"6, 7, and 8," Lin answered.

"Those are the cameras in Shinzo-san's yard, aren't they?" Naru said, and his expression darkened. "Did the cameras in the abandoned house catch any activity?"

Lin shook his head."

"Those are the cameras in Shinzo-san's yard, aren't they?" Naru said, and his expression darkened. "Did the cameras in the abandoned house catch any activity?"

Lin shook his head."

"The only activity was seen at Shinzo-san's," he replied.

Naru rubbed his chin.

"It seems that Shinzo-san was right about the hauntings moving," he said.

"Is that possible?" I asked, ignoring the discomforting feeling I had.

"I've never seen it before, but it doesn't mean it is impossible. Matzusaki-san, Sasaki-San. Could you please check on Shinzo-san and his wife? See if they experienced anything last night. Yasuhara-san… "

" Yes, boss. I'll be going around the town to see if I can find any info about the hauntings."

"Thank you. Even if there was no activity in the cameras from the abandoned house, we will leave it for another day just to be sure. If there's no activity, we can move them somewhere else. Takigawa-San, Brown-San, go with Rei-San and look around the areas that she ran through last night. See if you notice anything, in particular, the rest of us will remain in base. "

I sighed. Excellent, so I was on guard duty today. Well, it wasn't that bad. My body was aching so badly that the mere thought of moving made me shudder.

I dropped myself in front of the monitors and began running through a bunch of papers.

"Someone looks like she didn't get any sleep last night, again." I heard Kei say. He dropped in the chair next to mine and turned to the computer. "are you making a habit of pulling all-nighters?"

"Nope, I sleep all through the night yesterday."

"Ok, then why do you look worse than the past three days that you didn't?"

"Gee, thank you," I said, punching his arm. Bad decision, as soon as my first touched his arm, I felt an electric pain run all over my body.

"You… Okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a headache," I replied "Probably caffeine abstinence."

"Yeah, you sure ease odd with the coffee for a while. It's not good, especially when you are a psychic."

"Really?"

"You can ask Shibuya if you want. Caffeine increases brain activity, makes your psychic sensitivity go on overload." Kei explained. He stared at me for some seconds with a frown. "are you sure you are OK? You look a little green."

"I hope green suits me, then."

"Yeah, not your best color. Maybe you need more sleep. Your sleeping pattern has been a mess for the past two weeks."

"Really, and how would you know that?"

"Because your room is a cross of mine and you're noisy when you're frustrated."

"Ah, sorry…"

"No, problem. That's why I have earbuds. For real though, even if it was the end of the semester, that was a little too intense."

"It's over now. I just need to get back into my normal circadian cycle and all good."

"Wow, I didn't expect you to throw me a circadian cycle reference… Auch."

"Next time, it'll hurt more."

"No, but really. If you're feeling ill you should try to rest. I'm sure Shibuya could spare you for a day."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Kei - san…"

"Yes, Shibuya-san?"

"Something is wrong with the power bank from the cameras in the abandoned house, could you check it up?"

"Sure," Kei replied he turned to me and said, "I'll be right back. Try not to fall asleep and drool over my keyboard would you?"

"Ha… Ha…" I laughed sarcastically. " Try not to fry those circuits."

"Fried circuits are my jam, you know it."

"Yeah, that explains why you're still single."

"I'm too sexy for my circuits," he smirked.

I felt very tempted to throw him something, in fact, if my body hadn't been aching so badly I would have done so, but I limited myself to roll my eyes and watch Kei leave the base.

Thirty minutes passed. It was only Naru, Lin, and I. My two companions weren't the most talkative bunch of all, but considering that horrible headache I was having, the silence was welcomed.

I finished typing the temperature readings and checked my cellphone's clock. It was a good time to make some tea. In fact, I was surprised that Naru shouted for it in the past minutes. I brewed three cups, set one by Lin's side (he gave a polite ´thanks´ in return. It was nice getting some gratitude for a change), and then delivered to Naru's. He was absorbed into the pile on f notes he was reading and barely acknowledged me. I waited a couple of minutes for the ´´ thank you´´ that I knew wouldn't come and then sighed. Why did I even bother?

"You're unusually quiet," Naru said, without looking up from his notes.

"Am I? Well, I thought you liked it quiet," I smiled.

Naru's blue eyes looked at me. His expression, unreadable.

"Did you notice anything last night, Mai?"

"Last night…?" I repeated. "No, not really. Why?"

"Rei-san sneaked out of the room to chase the spirit, but her antics would have woken someone. Matzusaki-san said she noticed her leaving the room. What about you?"

I hadn't felt anything. I had completely slept through it and I couldn't even remember if had dreamt or not.

"Sorry. I guess I was tired and slept too deeply. Why do you ask?"

"I wanted to see if you had felt the spirit."

I shrugged.

"Sorry. I was totally knocked out."

"Once again, your ability to sleep surpasses my expectations."

"At least I can impress you with something."

ooo OOO ooo

The rest of the day went by without any relevant updates. Ayako and Aki talked to the Shinzo. They had slept for the first time the night before. The charms that Ayako had given them had done its trick, at least. Our two doctors did a quick health check of our clients and concluded that they were fatigued and dehydrated. Whether it was directly related to the case, that was yet to be confirmed.

Rei, Bou-San, and John returned a little afternoon. They had followed the spirit's trail into the forest, and after walking around for half the day, they came up with what seemed like the ruins of a manor. Most of it had been collapsed, so they had only surveyed the outside.

Yasuhara had yet to rerun from data collecting excursion, but we hoped that his return would bring us some enlightenment about this case. As for me, the headache had grown worse, and I considered asking Ayako for an analgesic several times.

"Did you see anything of interest in those ruins?" Naru asked.

"Well, not exactly. Judging by the size and the design, I'd say the house must have been of someone important, but the place is so broken down that it wasn't safe to go in," Bou-San said.

"Rei-san said that she chased the spirit to this place last night, but after that, it's presence vanished," John said.

Naru nodded and took some notes.

"So the spirits are hiding inside those ruins?" Ayako suggested, but Bou-San shrugged.

"We didn't feel anything there, so saying yes would be a long shot."

"Did anything happen while we were out?"

Naru picked the clipboard and turned the pages in it.

"No," he answered. "It seems the activity is limited to the nighttime."

"A nocturnal ghost. What a surprise," Bou-San sighed. "Well, Naru-bou, what's our move?"

"We'll have to wait until nighttime to see if the activity resumes. Where are Kei-san and Rei-san?"

"Kei replaced the power bank with the spare one we had, but he's currently trying to fix the old one," I replied. "Rei went to check the temperature recorders and the cameras, under Lin-san's request. Do you want me to call them?"

"No, they will return when they're done. Everyone, have some rest for the time being. This will be a long night."

Everyone sighed reluctantly. Working with a paranormal investigator usually implied that much of the work was done in the evening hours. Knowing this, however, did not mean that everyone was happy about having to stay up late. Naru walked to Lin and the two men exchanged a quiet conversation. I sighed and leaned back into the chair, feeling the headache pulsating in my skull.

"Still feeling sick?" I heard Ayako said. Almost instantly, I feel her hand on my forehead. "No fever. In fact, you're a little too cold."

"Are you sick, Mai?" Aki asked, concerned.

"Eh? Ehehe… not really, I think the fatigue of the semester is finally catching up with me. That's all."

"Ah, the life and sufferings of a student," Bou-San said dramatically. "You should have asked for some days off, jou-chan."

"Ah, as if. Besides, it would be weird if I wasn't around with you, guys."

"But being tired makes you a little more prone to spiritual attacks, no?" Aki said. "If you are already tired, working around, won't that wear you out?"

"Eh…hehe, " I nodded. "but for all that is fair, it isn't hasn't been bad; I mean, it's day two, and all the work that Naru has given me has been typing data into our computer…"

Wait. That was odd. Usually, Naru would send me to check in the cameras or have me running around with his tea. In fact, he hadn't even asked for tea the whole day today.

"Perhaps Shibuya-san is aware that Mai-chan is tired, that's why he kept her in Base today?" John suggested.

No way. How would he know? Well, maybe he had overheard my conversation with Kei, this morning, but that made no sense. He had given me sitting tasks, even before that conversation.

"Aren't you happy, Mai? Naru is being considerate. That's new, " Ayako smirked. "You're lucky that Masako isn't here or she would be so jealous."

"What would Hara-San be jealous about?"

Yasuhara stepped into the room with his bright smile and energy. Sometimes I wondered where he got it all from.

"Naru being all caring about Mai," Bou-San snickered.

"Ah, is he?" Yasuhara smirked.

"Yasuhara-san, you're back. Did you find anything from the townspeople?"

"Ah! Yes, boss. I asked about the stories going around the old abandoned place, however. It seems the tales vary from person to person," Yasuhara said, pulling out a notepad with his notes. "Some said the spirit haunting the house is a fox spirit, while others said that is the soul of a man that committed suicide in the house some years ago. However, I found no records of any deaths in the state, so that story is probably just a baseless rumor. Regardless of the story, however, I did find some coincidences in everyone's statements. I look like all the townspeople have experienced some of the paranormal events. Most of them had been in the close vicinity of the house, which is why the activity was linked to the property."

"What sort of experiences?" Naru asked.

"Well, pretty much what Shinzo-san has already described to us, however, for what they tell me, it would seem that the other's experiences are a little less intense, compared to what the Shinzo have been experiencing."

"Ah, so…the hauntings are focused on them?"

"That is unlikely," Naru replied. "if the hauntings have been seen by all the locals. it isn't a person- focused only. Besides, Shinzo-san moved into the town only recently, and the hauntings started then. Before that, he had a normal life."

"If it was a person-focused haunting, the spirit would have been following Shinzo-san since before he moved in, right?" John said.

"Precisely," Naru nodded. "It is most likely that the hauntings have a particular like for them. The question is why? Anything else…"

"Nothing that seems relevant to our situation," Yasuhara said apologetically. "However, I noticed something curious…"

"Curious?" Naru asked.

"Uh, haven't you noticed that most of the locals are ´old´ people?" Yasuhara said, "Looking at it, Shinzo-san and his wife are among the youngest. There are no children, teenagers, or young adults either."

"Well, that's not uncommon in rural towns." Bou-san said, "Young people go to the city to work, while the elderly remains behind. They make their lives out of this place and forget about it."

"Yeah, that was my guess as well; but I found the detail curious," Yasuhara replied. "Either way, the hauntings aren't too bad, and as far as the data I gathered goes, no particularly dangerous event has ever been reported."

"So, only sightings?" Naru said, rubbing his chin.

"Yup, except for the Shinzo, of course."

Naru put down his notebook and leaned against the table pensively.

"If the spirit fancies the Shinzo, it is a safe bet that it will focus the activity to them," he said. "Matzusaki-san, Sasaki-san, John…you three will stand to watch over them."

"Okay," Ayako nodded.

"What about us?" Bou-san asked.

"I want you and the Abeno ready to exorcise the spirit if it comes to it."

"Sure…"

"What about Mai," Ayako asked. I could tell she was concerned about my current status and was afraid that Naru would send me into heavy duty.

"Mai will help Yasuhara review the rest of the documents he found. After that, she will be supporting here in base with Lin and me."

"Eh?"I could not say that I did not feel a little relieved that Naru had left me a task in which I would not have to move much; the pain in my muscles was not pleasant and although I could move, my movements were stiff and slow. While sighing in relief, I saw Naru looking at me with a slight frown. Maybe John was right, and Naru was giving me the lighter jobs on purpose.

"Let's get to work," Naru said, closing his notes with a snap.

ooo OOO ooo

It was cold, very cold. I could feel the breeze caressing through the fabric of my clothes and the smell of wild and forest that surrounded me, made me feel a little uncomfortable.

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was standing in the middle of a forest, my bare feet could feel the soft moss between my toes.

What am I doing here? I thought. It took me a few minutes to realize that this was a dream. Of course, why else would I be in a forest, barefoot?

Usually, on these occasions, Gene or the butterfly would appear to guide me. I looked around, but all I found was darkness.

"Gene! Chou-san!" I called, but there was no answer.

How odd.

Tapa… tapa… tapa…

Footsteps! The same ones I had heard last night. They were growing closer. They sounded like they were surrounding me.

Tapa…

I heard a branch break.

Tapa…

Who is there?

Tapa…

No, stay away. Don't come…

The scent of damp leaves and musk reached my nostrils and then…

I opened my eyes slowly; the room was dark, illuminated only by a faint bluish light. I was at the Base, my head resting on the table, with my arms as a pillow. Something heavy was placed on my shoulders, and I assumed someone must have put a blanket on me.

"How did it go?" it was Naru's voice.

"It slipped out of our hands in the last minute," Bou-san's voice replied in a whisper. "This thing isn't a regular spirit, Naru-bou."

"Uh, exorcising it will be tricky," Rei said. "the best bet would be trying to bind it in one place. As long as it is free to move around, it will be difficult to cleanse it."

I didn't hear Naru answer, but I could picture him nodding silently.

"Shinzo-san?"

"He and his wife are safe," John's voice answered. "Matzusaki-san and Sasaki-san are with them. You were right, Shibuya-san. It seems that the hauntings are focusing on the Shinzo, after all."

So the ghost had something for the Shinzo. I had never heard about ghosts playing favorites with who they haunted.

"Did you get any of the events recorded?" Bou-san asked.

"The cameras around the house malfunctioned," Lin said. "We lost all image footage from outside the house, but we still have the audio. I will have to review it."

"How did that happen?" Bou-san asked, "Those cameras were working well earlier."

"Something messed them up, but I won't know what until I take a look at them, but that will have to wait until daytime," Kei said.

"I will leave that to you. Seems that we will have to come up with a different approach to this case. We can discuss it later. Get a couple of hours of sleep, and we will see this then."

"Well, with all this adrenaline, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep," Bou-san said. "Look at her, sleeping like a log. I envy her."

"Mai-chan has been really tired lately. It is good that she sleeps." sweet old John said.

"Yeah, I am not saying she shouldn't. I just envy how she can sleep anywhere…" Bou-san chuckled. "She's going to have a neck sore when she wakes up?"

"She's slept in worse positions," Kei shrugged.

"Sounds like you've seen her sleep a lot, young man."

"Tch…live with her for five years, and you'll understand," Kei snickered. "It's not a lie that she sleeps anywhere."

There was a soft grunt and I heard feets moving away. I would have my payback, eventually.