Chapter 7
After landing and filing off the plane, the team found their luggage waiting for them with a beaming stewardess. While Lin and Bou-san headed for the car rental agency, the rest chattered while Mai wandered off to the side to buy something to drink, her throat feeling particularly dry.
After grabbing a bottle of iced tea and a Fanta, Mai ambled up to the counter to pay, smiling at the elderly lady behind the counter, who gave her the total.
Reaching into her handbag for her wallet, Mai felt more than saw a black clad arm reach around her head to hand the cashier some money, causing her to startle, jumping to the side to face the owner of the arm, who she identified as-
"Is your new hobby 'hovering'?" Mai muttered out, staring up at him in exasperation.
Glancing down at Mai, Naru turned on his heel and sauntered back to the group, his hands in his pockets and Mai glaring at his back.
Finally snapping out of it to grab her drinks and the change, Mai marched back to the group, Naru standing off to the side.
"Here," Mai said, pushing the hand full of change to Naru, who looked down at it before looking away, unconcerned.
Sighing, Mai put the bag of drinks on the ground before reaching towards Naru's front blazer pockets, and promptly sliding the change inside.
Giving him a final eye roll, Mai walked back to the group, handing Yasu the Fanta, making him squeak in happiness, before taking a drink of her iced tea.
"Thanks, Mai!" he chirped, before gulping down the sugary drink.
Bou-san, who had just arrived back at the group, promptly placed his finger on the end of the upturned bottle, making Yasu splutter and promptly jump backwards.
"The cars are here", he grinned, before grabbing one of the trolleys and walking to the airport doors, leaving an angry, red faced Yasu behind.
After loading everything into the vans, Mai climbed down from where she had been arranging the equipment in the van, before finding herself promptly steered to the front, and into the middle seat.
Glancing to her side, Mai saw Lin waiting patiently behind the wheel, sending a slight smile her way. Narrowing her gaze, Mai flicked her gaze to her other side, eyeing Naru, who was sliding into the remaining seat.
"What was that for?" Mai asked, bewildered.
Naru glanced at her, before placing a folder on her lap, causing her to grip onto it, and glance down at it.
"Study up," he said, opening his leather case filled with paperwork and newspaper clippings, settling in for a long drive to the inn, which was going to take the rest of the day to travel to, being somewhat isolated in regards to Hokkaido.
Closing her eyes and praying for patience, Mai flicked open her folder, flicking through the information she already knew, not understanding what she was really meant to be looking for. Pulling out a photocopied map, Mai looked at the areas that had been searched, highlighted in red, showing a small amount had been searched.
Glancing up and around at the passing scenery, Mai could understand why it seemed like such a small area had been searched. As far as the eye could see, thick forestry surrounded the roads, curving into hills and snow capped mountains, the snow having just started to sprinkle again.
'But it's so beautiful,' Mai thought to herself, sitting back against her seat and the minuscule space left between the two tall men, her knees held together, though that didn't stop her legs from brushing the other two in the gentle curves the van took on the road.
Resting her head back against her seat, Mai felt a wave of sudden fatigue fall over her, making her eyes slide shut to the gentle tones of the radio that was playing in the background.
'A nap couldn't hurt,' was Mai's last groggy thought, as the gentle rocking of the van pulled her to the land of dreams.
Opening her eyes, Mai looked around at her surroundings, noting the warmer temperature and the shining sun.
Pine trees surrounded her, the forest spanning as far as her eyes could see. It was a beautiful area, yet it was so quiet. Unnaturally so.
Spinning slowly in a circle, Mai looked for a break in the forest or a clue as to where to walk. Feeling a pull to her left, into the darkness of the forest, Mai felt her feet pulling her forward, seemingly knowing where to go.
Stepping over fallen branches and bits of debris, Mai kept walking for what seemed like miles. She didn't have the mind to stop or change direction. She knew where to go.
Finally seeing movement up ahead, Mai broke out into a jog, coming to a small break in the trees, where a small clearing sat. Coming to a halt, Mai finally saw what made the movement. A girl. A woman to be correct, stood gazing at the forest with unsure, frightened eyes. She shifted from foot to foot, before reaching into her pocket for her phone.
She couldn't have been much older than Mai, with dark brown hair, reaching mid-back, and dark brown eyes. She was a pretty thing, but it was hidden by the terror as her hands shook, raising her phone to the sky, trying to get a signal, but seeming to fail, dropping her arm in defeat and scrubbing a hand over her face.
Gazing down at her phone, she seemed to have heard something, her head snapping up, glancing around in a certain direction.
"Hello?" the woman called, looking unsure, taking a step back.
Mai watched the woman, before feeling her vision tilt, and finding herself in the woman's position, gazing out into the forest in fear, her cell phone in her hand, her heart racing in her chest.
The forest was so silent. Yet she could feel something was there. It was watching her.
Hearing a noise behind her, Mai spun on her heels, and felt her heart stutter.
Standing across the clearing from her, just barely on the edge trees, was a figure of a woman, its back facing her. It was covered in what seemed to once be a white dress, now covered in dirt and what seemed to be blood, standing inhumanly still among the trees. Its hair was knotted and frayed, a dark and putrid colour, falling to mid-back.
Mai gazed at the figure, which was a stark figure compared to the darkness of the once bright forest. Finally building her courage, Mai croaked out a "H-hello?"
She would learn to regret it.
Immediately, its head snapped around to gaze at her unnaturally so, its body still facing the opposite direction. Mai could hear the horrible sound of its neck snapping from across the clearing. Its face was gruesome; bits of flesh were falling off, the off-white skin a contrast to the discoloured teeth grinning at her. Mai thought all of this within a millisecond as the thing started to move.
Still contorted, the figure was now racing towards her, it's legs seemingly blurring together in its speed. Its mouth was open in a wordless screech, the sound raising goose bumps along Mai's arms and legs, her heart stuttering in her chest. The way it was hunched and contorted made Mai believe she was in some sort of horror film, or her worst nightmare.
Tripping backwards, Mai couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. 'RUN,' he mind screamed, 'GO. GO. GO. NOW.'
But it was too late; the thing was meters from her now, Mai now being able to see minute details of the figure as she desperately tried to scramble backwards, her mind turning a mile a minute, not knowing what to do except watch in horror. To its pale eyes and its seemingly unattached jaw hanging open at an uneven angle.
Rapidly approaching her and not slowing down Mai's ears were ringing from the unnatural sound coming from the things throat.
'I'm going to die,' was Mai's last thought.
Mai finally let lose a blood-curdling scream, her arms slipping from underneath her to protect her face, the things blood stained nails reached her neck-
Jolting awake, a scream still coming from her throat, Mai vaguely felt the car come to a screeching halt, the momentum pulling her forward, but Mai was pushing back into her seat and away from what she remembered coming towards her.
"Mai!" she heard Naru yell, her scream cutting off.
Feeling her body shudder, pulling long drags of air into her lungs as she gasped for air, a strangled sob escaped her as she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.
'What was that?' she thought, breathing deeply, tears leaking from her eyes.
That thing. She'd never seen something like it. It was like something from her worst nightmare.
Feeling someone grab her hands from her face, where she hadn't realised had been covering her eyes, Mai flinched away, pulling her arms away.
Looking up, she realised it was just Naru, who was kneeling through the open door, his brow furrowed in worry. Staring into his eyes, Mai took some more calming breaths, slowing her heart down, and took a look around.
Lin had pulled onto the side of the road, the sun beginning to set on the horizon. Mai realised she must have slept for most of the trip for it to be this late.
Leaning back into the seat, Mai gave a final sigh, avoiding looking at the forest.
Feeling something on her cheek, Mai's eyes opened to see Naru wiping the wetness from under her eyes and cheeks.
"What happened?" he asked, his eyes staring deeply into hers.
"A dream. A girl. She…" Mai trailed off, remembering something. Grabbing the folder Naru had given her from the ground, Mai rapidly flipped through the papers and newspaper clippings, before coming to a specific one, holding it open for Naru to see, jabbing her finger at it.
"Her. I dreamt of her. Her death. She died," the sentence came out jumbled, Mai stumbling over her words, "A monster, thing. It killed her."
Naru glanced at the article of the missing girl, grabbing the file from Mai.
"Umiko Sato," he read out loud, glancing at Lin, both sharing a look before Lin headed back to his seat. Naru finally closed the folder and put it with his things, about to jump into the van.
"Hey, what's the hold up?" they heard as Bou-san parked behind the van, walking around the van, "we're nearl- Mai? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Bou-san started to fret, noticing the tear-stains on her cheeks, her eyes red, "What did Naru-bou do?!"
Giving a watery chuckle that did nothing to convince him, Mai waved him off.
"I'm fine! Just a nightmare, is all," she said as she slipped back into the van, clipping her seatbelt, "let's go!"
After saying a few words to Bou-san, Naru finally returned to the van, settling himself in before the van set off again.
Feeling Naru's eyes on her, she glanced at him, making eye contact. His eyes had softened from the hardness he had in his eyes after the fright she had given him, making his eyes warmer. Mai felt a calm begin to settle over her, her head resting back against the headrest, feeling Naru do the same, his side coming to rest along hers, neither bothering to move as his warmth seemed to further calm her.
This time, Mai kept her eyes open for the rest of the drive.
Ok guys, pretty much the sure way that this story's going to get updated is if I get some of good ol' reviews! I have no clue who is actually still reading, and would love some indication!
Tell me your thoughts! I'm really trying my best with what I have, I'm no 1# New York Times Best Seller!
Really hoped you guys enjoyed it so far!
All my love to you guys, and I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday! xx