Each chapter will take on the role of the three main protagonists respectively. Kinda similar to the game itself. Nevertheless, it should be easy for readers to keep up with some of the chapters. With that outta the way, enjoy another haunted chapter!

Chapter 3: The Unrequited

Ume Fujiyama found herself drawn to the lonely town of Matsumura. She'd been troubled by Aimi's behavior lately. The last she heard from her best friend, Aimi said she was going to the abandoned village to look for Naoki Sugitani, another good friend of theirs. The whole thing gave her a bad feeling that before she knew it, Ume was heading to the town herself to see if she could be of any help. She should have come sooner. Ume didn't like the idea of her best friend roaming around this creepy village all by herself. As Ume stepped into the town of Matsumura, luckily she didn't come alone.

Her big brother, Shou Fujiyama stepped up beside her and he too was gazing around the empty houses with a look of concern. Shou was tall and his raven-black hair a little unkempt. He wore a casual short-sleeved light-blue collar-shirt with double-pockets, along with navy-blue jeans and black shoes. Shou was a kind and thoughtful young man whose likable personality enabled him to get along with anyone. Ume had the same hair-color as her brother, but she liked to wear her long sleek hair up into a ponytail. She was wearing a lavender-purple lace tank-top, adorned with a white ribbon, while wearing a matching red-violet shorts and white flat dress shoes over black stockings. Ume was outgoing and headstrong, and fiercely loyal to her loved ones.

As Shou stood close by his sister's side, he looked around the dark and lifeless town of Matsumura. "Aimi…" he whispered gently. He knew she was here. He won't rest until he found her safe and sound.

"Are you okay?" Ume asked him. Shou nodded his head distractedly and this brought a fond smile on Ume's face. Her brother was no doubt thinking about Aimi again… "Don't worry. We'll find her, ok?"

Together the two Fujiyama siblings began their own exploration of the town. Shou led the way and they walked along a different trail that took them into the neighborhood of empty unoccupied houses. While Shou was keeping a lookout, Ume was holding on to a precious family heirloom… the Mystic Mirror. An old silver hand-held mirror said to possess spiritual powers. Her mother had passed it down to her and said the mirror had the ability to "reveal the truth" to those who seek it. For some reason, she felt the need to bring the mirror with her. Maybe the Mystic Mirror could help lead her to hidden clues?

Ume was looking at her reflection in the mirror while her brother Shou was going up to some of the doors of the abandoned houses and trying to open them. Most of the doors were either too rotten or boarded up. However one house seemed to stand out from the others. It was certainly in better shape than the other little houses and looked well-lived in. Maybe someone important lived in this house? Shou tried opening the door but saw that it was locked. They would need a key… While Shou was searching around, Ume went over to the mailbox and was able to read the name written on the side. "Genda…" Ume investigated further by opening the mailbox and to her surprise found pieces of notes inside. Was it mail? She pulled them out and saw that they contained interesting information about the town of Matsumura.

Genda's Note 2

The Tsuchiya Cemetery is located in the woods on the western part of town. From what I was able to learn, the cemetery is where the noble family members of the Kimura Clan are buried. When I first visited the cemetery, the scenery was absolutely breath-taking. But what stands out the most in the cemetery are the red spider lilies that grow rampant among the ancient tombstones and graves.

The red spider lilies hold a lot of symbolism in the town. They're known as flowers of death and for good reason. It's believed long ago that these flowers were first planted around tombstones to prevent animals from disturbing the grave in any way. It was even believed that red spider lilies guided the dead to their next reincarnation. There are a lot of superstitions about the flower but perhaps the most popular one is told in the town for generations.

Some legends have it that when you see someone that you may never meet again, these flowers will bloom along the path. I can't help but wonder. For each spider lily I see, does it mean each one is an abandoned love, never to be seen again? The cemetery is beautiful but has a very lonely atmosphere to it.

Shou was walking over to her just as Ume was finished reading. "Find anything?" Shou asked her.

Reading the notes did give Ume an idea. "Let's go to the cemetery. It's the other side of town," she suggested. Shou nodded and led the way. They left the Genda residence. They weren't able to get inside for now.

Ume and Shou continued their journey and along the way came to see there were an empty elementary school and an abandoned hospital in the town as well. There was no way to enter either building because it was locked up and inaccessible. Now Ume and Shou were leaving the houses behind and walking along a Floral Trail. They had a nice view of the river from here and could hear the sound of flowing water. And on the other side of the river was the towering mountain. Ume and Shou couldn't sight-see for long. They've finally reached Tsuchiya Cemetery. Standing before the big Torii Gate, they were about to enter a place filled with the dead… The two siblings hesitated before Shou gave Ume an encouraging nod. There Ume stepped through the gate first, followed by her brother.

Despite its dark and forlorn appearance, Tsuchiya Cemetery was a beautiful old-fashioned woodland cemetery with millions of gravestones, tombs, stone-lanterns, and Jizo statues. As Ume and Shou gazed around in awe, at the same time, it was spooky to wander around a cemetery around this time of night. But they were here now and decided to explore. They walked along a well-paved cobblestone path that led them through countless aisles of graves. Some of the stone lamps were lit, enabling them to see the path and make out some of the readings on the tombstones.

There were many graves of religious leaders, feudal lords, military commanders and even older gravestones. Some dating back to the 1600 century… There was a lot of history to be found here. The Tsuchiya cemetery was large and all its paths were labyrinthine by design. Ume and Shou weren't entirely sure what they were supposed to be searching for.

"Stay close," Shou instructed Ume. "This place is like a maze. We could easily get lost…" Shou got no response. "Ume?" he turned around to see that his sister had stopped walking and was staring down at the mirror in her hand with a look of amazement. "What is it?" Shou asked.

It wasn't her imagination. Ume could feel the Mystic Mirror grow warm in her hand. And when she tried looking into it, she saw something else entirely. The mirror was reflecting a tombstone but Ume saw something different. Carefully positioning the mirror, she held it up near the tombstone and saw something was hidden. Something that couldn't be seen by the naked eye… Shou was watching in fascination as the mirror revealed a hidden item sitting invisible on the top of the tombstone inside its reflection. Suddenly the Mystic Mirror let off a flash and the item materialized right on the tombstone for real. Ume picked it up to see it was a stone-mirror...Amazing. Ume and Shou looked to each other and both finally understood the secret of the mirror. The Mystic Mirror could reveal hidden objects and expose any ghostly activities. It was a useful item after all…

Walking along the path, it wasn't easy traveling through the cemetery because some pathways led to a dead end. While exploring, Ume was holding the Mystic Mirror up and watching everything that was being reflected in it. But she didn't see any other hidden items. As she was following her brother, Ume couldn't help but look at each of the tombstones and read the names of the deceased. Suddenly it filled her with a familiar depression. Being in this gloomy cemetery was bringing back memories for her… Ume Fujiyama was dressed all in black and was staring unseeingly at the ceremony taking place before her. She almost didn't come but now that she stood here and watched it happen… it all didn't seem real to her. But now as she watched his body being cremated and his soul being put to the rest… the harsh reality finally hit her hard. He was gone. He was really gone. And Ume never stopped loving him, even in death…

Ume's sad thoughts were interrupted by Shou's voice calling to her. The Fujiyama siblings found themselves in a different section of the cemetery. It was here they saw countless red spider lilies growing around every grave. This looked to be the ancient part of the Tsuchiya cemetery. The tombstones looked older and were covered in moss; their scriptures were too illegible to read. From what they were able to make out, some of the tombstones dated back years and years. No doubt old noble clans and their family members were buried around these parts. Just as it was described in the notes, the red spider-lilies growing among the graves were a pretty sight to behold, but it was also creepy too. Especially considering what the red spider lilies represented…

While exploring this section of the cemetery, Ume and Shou discovered something of interest. Separated from the other graves and standing alone in between cedar trees was a little shrine. The hokora looked ordinary enough and was resting on top of a carefully pile of cobblestone rocks. Shou approached the little shrine and peeked inside its opening. Oddly the little shrine appeared to be empty with the exception of a shimenawa with shide wrapped around the outside. He wondered what the shrine was here for. Ume was instead staring at the Mystic Mirror which had grown warm in her hand again. That's when she knew that something must be hidden at this shrine. Now Shou watched as Ume held up the mirror and positioned it until it was perfectly aligned with the shrine. Ume and Shou looked into the mirror and they saw something strange.

The mysterious shrine in the mirror's reflection was filled to the brim with bright glowing flowers of all kinds. Roses of all different colors, morning-glories, carnations, pansies, hyacinths, daisies and more… As Ume moved the mirror even further, she also saw that most of the colorful glimmering flowers were planted in the ground around the shrine. How odd that these ghostly flowers couldn't be seen with the naked eye. What did it mean? And that's when Ume found something hidden inside the shrine. When the Mystic Mirror exposed its existence, this time Shou was able to reach in and pull out old-looking documents that looked like it was written from long ago.

Genda's Note 3

Shrine of Longing

During my exploration of the Tsuchiya cemetery, I stumbled upon a little shrine located in the oldest part of the cemetery. According to what the groundskeeper told me, it was known as the Shrine of Longing. It turns out that those who suffer Hanahaki Disease could have their roots cut out to stop the flow of flowers. Then the patient brings what remains of their flowers here to bury in the shrine. In other words, forever casting away their feelings of love…

The shrine was empty but I had the funny feeling that something was here. Every so often, prayers are offered and sacred water is sprinkled around the ground here. No doubt this was done to appease those with unrequited love. It was a sad thing to see. To know that even love is capable of dying. Or perhaps the shrine stands as a symbol of moving on. I wonder what ritual is done to rid one of their feelings. The groundskeeper informed me that the local priest would probably know.

After reading the notes, Shou looked back at the shrine and his thoughts began to wander. "The Shrine of Longing..? A place where people bury away their unreturned love," he thought. Then this made him think about Aimi… Suddenly Shou felt a sharp pain inside his chest that he placed a hand over it.

"Shou? Are you ok?" Ume asked, noticing her brother's momentary pained expression. She stepped up beside him and looked him over with concern. Somehow she couldn't take her eyes off of the shrine after learning of its supposed purpose. A place where one can cast their love away forever… Somehow this forced her to think about her own unresolved feelings…

"I'm fine," Shou said reassuringly. The pain in his chest subsided but it did worry him. "Let's move on." Ume nodded and holding the mirror in both hands, followed after Shou, leaving the Shrine of Longing behind.

They kept an eye out for their friend Aimi anywhere, but for now, Ume and Shou continued to wander further into the Tsuchiya Cemetery. They too wanted to learn more about the mysterious Hanahaki Disease. They've managed to explore most of the cemetery. But then Ume stopped walking when she felt the Mystic Mirror in her hand grow warm. The mirror seemed to be responding to some ghostly activity… Shou looked up when he also saw the Mystic Mirror reacting to something. Ume looked around using the mirror's reflection to explore all around the area. At first she didn't see it but eventually the Mystic Mirror revealed it to her…

There was a grassy hill to their left, but according to the Mystic Mirror, there was a hidden path. Stone-stairs that led to the top of the hill… A path most likely concealed by the ghosts… But now that the Mystic Mirror exposed its existence, Ume and Shou found themselves looking up at the flight of stone-steps for real. From what they could make out, there appeared to be another cemetery on top of the hill. Ume looked to her brother who gave her a brave smile. Then Shou went up the stone-steps first with Ume following close behind. As they went up the stairs together, they both wondered the same thing. Why was this cemetery hidden away like that?

When they've finally reached the top, Ume and Shou quickly saw that this cemetery especially looked old. It was filled with ancient grave markers and headstones that were so moss-covered that the writings on it had long rubbed off. Even the trees up here looked just as old as the graves. As Ume and Shou began their exploration, they studied some of the grave markers with fascination. By the looks of it, this looked like a family grave. Shou was studying the grave markers when he happened to look up and realized he had a good view of the mountain from up here. Ume was slowly walking around the gravestones while holding up the Mystic Mirror in case anything was hidden from view.

And then the Mystic Mirror did pick something up. Ume looked into its glassy depths to see what appeared to be a sotoba that was giving off a strange ghostly aura. How odd… Ume pointed over to the sotoba and Shou went over to investigate it. It looked normal at first glance but there was definitely something here. For some odd reason, the Mystic Mirror could only expose its ghostly aura but nothing else. Perhaps another tool was needed to reveal the secret to this old tombstone? Shou felt a strong presence emanating from this gravestone.

"I think this might've been the Kimura family grave," Shou said over his shoulder to Ume. "Most of the gravestones here have the surname Kimura written on them. The Kimura family must have been an influential clan here in town once." Suddenly Shou heard his sister let out a loud gasp. "Ume?" Shou spun around on the spot at the sound of Ume's frightened cry.

Ume's fear had frozen her that she couldn't move. Her heart was starting to race and her hands couldn't stop shaking as she couldn't tear her eyes away from the Mystic Mirror. Because inside the mirror, she could see it clear as day… Somebody was rising out of the dirt ground among the graves. Someone very pale….Someone very dead. Shou hurried over to Ume and he also caught the image reflected in the mirror. Then he looked over just in time to see the ghost make its ghoulish appearance. It appeared to be a ghostly man. A man covered head to toe in dirt and mud. The man's expression was one of open-mouthed horror as his face was covered with dirt-stains that smeared his features. His clothes were rotten and tattered and it was hard to tell who he might've been in life. A ghost who refused to stay buried…

Ume and Shou backed away fearfully as the Buried Man turned its dead sight on them. With a bone-chilling groan, the buried man turned hostile, and began moving in for an attack. Shou instinctively moved in front of his little sister to protect her while Ume still held the mirror in her hands. Ume was distracted by frightening ghost when she realized the Mystic Mirror was glowing warm in her hands. It grew so hot that she feared the mirror would her. But to their surprise, the Mystic Mirror let out a bright flash that seemed to stun the ghost and make it back off. Shou and Ume both stared down at the silver mirror in wonder.

The Mystic Mirror didn't just have the ability to reveal hidden items and ghostly activity. It was capable of exorcising ghosts in its own way. Now fully understanding the full purpose of the mirror, Ume boldly stepped around Shou and prepared to take on the ghost herself. Holding the mirror with hands, Ume carefully pointed the mirror at the Buried Man who was moving toward them again. Catching the ghost's reflection, she could feel the mirror heating up again before giving off another powerful flash that sent the Buried Man reeling again. Somehow the Mystic Mirror seemed to absorb the ghost's spiritual energy thus rendering it weak. Ume felt her brother's shoulders on her hands which gave her the inner strength to fight back against the malicious ghost.

As Ume waited for the Buried Man to swoop in for another attack, instead she watched as the groaning ghostly man seemed to take a moment to reach up and grab at the dirt and muck that covered his being. Then as she watched warily, Ume cried out in alarm as the ghost cunningly tossed patches of dirt in their direction. Ume looked down to see the Mystic Mirror covered with dirt and realized its power was starting to wane. She frantically began brushing off the dirt and tried wiping the mirror clean. Ume looked up and screamed upon seeing the Buried Man's dirt-riddled hands reaching out for her neck. Instead Shou leaped in front of his sister and the ghost grabbed for him instead.

"Ume, now!" Shou shouted while grappling with the attacking ghost.

With her heart still pounding hard inside her chest, Ume managed to fully wipe the mirror clean before quickly holding it up and positioning it at the ghost. Shou managed to wrestle the Buried Man off just as Ume felt the Mystic Mirror warming up in her hands as she prepared to put the ghost to rest once. One last powerful flash from the mirror and the Buried Man was stumbling back and wailing in defeat before vanishing altogether. Once they were sure it was safe again, Ume could feel the Mystic Mirror still warm in her hands. Then Ume fell to her knees and suddenly felt queasy in her stomach. She suddenly wasn't feeling so well…

"Are you okay, Ume?" Shou asked. He gently knelt down beside her and tried to help Ume get back on her feet. Without warning, Ume threw up... And as Shou looked on in concern, that's when he first saw it.

Once her stomach stopped hurting, Ume looked down to see violet-colored petals on the ground. She was confused at first but then realized what it must mean. "This can't be right!" Ume thought worriedly. "How can I contract the disease? I'm not suffering from one-sided love!" But deep in her heart, Ume knew that wasn't entirely true. There was someone she was still in love with. Someone who would never be able to return her feelings.

Shou had seen the violet petals on the ground too. He knew what it meant. And he was more scared than ever before. "Come on, Ume. We need to leave," he urged her. "We need to leave here." Shou helped his sister to stand up and wrapped an arm around her. "We need to go now. We'll look for Aimi later. But let's get you out of here."

Ume nodded her head in agreement and allowed Shou to guide her toward the stone pathway that led back down the hill. Before they left the old hill cemetery, Shou spotted something in the distance on the mountain. Narrowing his eyes for a better look, Shou could make out a building up on the mountain. It kinda looked like a shrine of some sort. What was up there?

"Unloved forever… To be unloved…forever…" A voice…a woman's voice, cold as ice, suddenly spoke out. The Fujiyama siblings froze when they felt coldness sweep over them like a blanket. Shou got a horrible chill down his spine when he realized the voice came from behind them. "I will never be loved. Never be loved, never."

Ume was silent but Shou could hear his sister's heart pounding just as hard as his own. Shou very slowly turned his head to face the new threat. That's when they encountered her for the first time. A woman in an orange kimono. Bright red spider lilies covered half her face, her mouth, and her chest. The woman was cursing foully to herself among the old gravestones. Such coldness in her voice and her one dead eye… staring hatefully at Shou. Shou couldn't stop staring at the spider-lily ghost. Who was she? Was she the one making the air so cold? And as the spider-lily woman floated silently among the gravestones, suddenly she was aiming right for them with terrifying speed.

"You will never be loved! Never, ever loved! Lonely for life!" So much anger, so much hatred in her voice. Shou wondered what could have possibly have happened to make her so bitter. He didn't have time to think. Shou was already running down the stairs with Ume in tow. When he looked back behind him, to his horror, he saw the red-spider lily woman pursing him. The cold air also seemed to follow him. Ume started coughing again and more petals came flowing out of her mouth. It made Shou all the more determined to flee the cemetery. To put as much distance between them and that vengeful ghost…

Shou didn't stop running until he and Ume were far from the Tsuchiya cemetery. He was out of breath, his heart was still pounding, but he didn't stop until they were a safe distance. By the time they were running through the neighborhood of old houses, Shou turned to look back and saw that the red-spider lily ghost finally stopped hounding them. But Shou decided they needed to leave Matsumura anyway. He continued to guide Ume to safety. There were still a lot of mysteries to solve. What was at the top of the mountain? But most of all, who was the woman in the orange kimono and why was she so angry? For now, the Fujiyama siblings retreated from the haunted village…

I think it's pretty obvious at this point who the "main antagonist" is in my story. And don't worry, readers will learn about her story soon enough. I thought using a Mirror as a weapon is a pretty neat touch. I wouldn't mind seeing it in an actual Fatal Frame game. The mysterious of Matsumura continues! All mysteries will be solved soon enough. More updates will be forthcoming! Thanks for reading so far!