'I feel so light.'

'Where am I?'

'What happened?'

'Am I floating?'

'So peaceful…'

'Huh? There's a light up there…can I touch it?'

A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

'Wait! No! Don't take me away…I-' He looked down into the depths below. Something was tugging on his ankle.

'It's pulling me down?' He looked back up at the light. The hand on his wrist tightened, and he suddenly remembered falling.

'Then this hand….' His eyes widened.

'Shizu-chan?' The tug on his ankle stopped, and the strong hand pulled him up.

Shizuo shot out of the water, gasping as he fell over the ledge, coughing and spluttering. "Shizuo!"

Shizuo grunted and coughed again before he clutched onto Kadota's hand.

Shinra sighed heavily and knelt down to help. "Where's Izaya?"

Spluttering again, Shizuo felt a heavy pull on his hand and realized he held the raven. Shizuo heaved his arm up. "Don't…worry, I got…him," he managed to breathe out raggedly before pulling Izaya up from the water.

Izaya gasped for air, coughing harshly as he desperately reached the surface. Shizuo pulled him forward, and Kadota helped him out of the water. Izaya clutched onto the ledge, and Shizuo and Shinra pulled him out. The raven coughed the water left in his lungs, and Shizuo leaned forward, hands on his knees as they took heavy breaths.

"Are you both okay?" Kadota asked with worry in his tone, positive they were underwater for at least five minutes.

"You scared the crap out of us," Shinra added, kneeling down beside Izaya, a hand on his back.

Kira ran out with blankets and handed them to Kadota. "I've started the fire in the living room."

"Thanks," Kadota replied and handed a blanket to Shizuo. The blond took it gratefully and wrapped it around himself before frowning down at Izaya. What the hell was that? He definitely didn't just stumble into me just now. Did he see something?

Kadota handed Shinra the blanket, and the boy wrapped his friend around the shoulders. "Izaya? Let's get inside, can you stand?"

Izaya nodded, tugging the blanket tighter around his shivering body, and stood up. He lightly batted Shinra's hand away from his arm. "I'm alright…." Izaya glanced at Shizuo and then made his way toward the house.

Kadota and Shinra stood beside their friends as Izaya and Shizuo sat near the fireplace, still wrapped in the blankets, their hair damp and their shirts hanging over the mantle. "What happened?" Shinra asked.

"That's what I want to know," Shizuo said, causing them to look at him weirdly. He glanced at Izaya sitting opposite him. "You saw something before, didn't you?"

Izaya remained quiet.

Kadota and Shinra looked at him. "What did you see?" Shinra asked.

Shizuo frowned, stood up, walked toward Izaya, and hauled him up by the blanket. "What the hell did you see, flea! Whatever it was almost fucking killed us! So I think I have a right to know!" Izaya frowned but avoided his gaze, and Shizuo released him with an angry huff. Izaya slumped back to the floor.

Kira stood awkwardly at the side. "I'm - I'm just going to check on my sister." She left them in the living room and made her way upstairs.

The four were silent for a moment, and Shizuo had taken his seat back on the floor opposite the raven. Nobody knew what to say or where to start next. Shizuo kept his glare on Izaya.

"I saw a hand," Shinra finally spoke, breaking the silence that no one else dared to, all attention on him now. "In the kitchen. It slapped the glass, but looked like it came from the outside."

Kadota sighed. "When we shone the torch at the window, there were several handprints, and not just from the one Shinra saw."

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. "Do you think there's several spirits here or something?"

"Looks that way. Would explain the things Kira told us."

"But only one has shown up so far," Izaya spoke quietly. He couldn't get the image out of his head.

"What do you mean?" Kadota asked. From the way Izaya spoke, whatever he saw had frightened him.

"You did see something, didn't you?" Shizuo asked with less anger in his voice.

Izaya nodded, took a breath, and glanced at the stairs, ensuring Kira wasn't coming back yet. Izaya leaned back against the couch and explained what he'd discovered.

"That can't be right, Kira said her sister hasn't spoken in months," Shinra said.

Izaya frowned at him. "She was talking, Shinra. I was about to confront Kira, and that's when I saw it…." Izaya wrapped his arms around his legs.

Shinra gulped. "It…?"

Izaya nodded slowly. "I don't know what it was. The shape was human…but it was all shadowy like it didn't have a normal body. It…. looked right at me, and it knew I could see it, and that grin… its eyes were yellow…."

Shizuo looked at Izaya; he looked absolutely terrified. Shizuo sighed, feeling slightly guilty that he'd yelled at him. "Was that the thing you saw in the study?"

Izaya looked at him. "He ran right toward me."

Kadota took a breath and said, "That would explain how you both fell into the pool."

Shinra furrowed his brows in thought. "I think we should tell Kira and her family to stay somewhere else for a couple of days. What if one of them is attacked next?"

Kadota looked at him. "You have a point, but what are we supposed to do?"

"We'll get the laptops and start researching the house, and if we stay here, we might be able to get an idea of what we're really dealing with."

"You're kidding, right?" Shizuo asked, and Izaya blinked at him in surprise, not expecting the blond to object so quickly. "This isn't a game. We're not qualified to deal with this."

Kadota placed his hand on his shoulder. "I know how you feel, but do you really want to walk away now and leave Miasaki and her little sister alone with all this?"

Shizuo slumped. "No, but they need professionals."

Izaya stood up and made his way over to the fireplace, grabbed their shirts, and threw Shizuo's to him. "They can't afford it, Shizu-chan. We're their best hope now." He placed his now dry shirt back on.

Shizuo frowned at him, his own shirt back on, slightly relieved by the warmth. "You're okay with that?"

Izaya gave him a grin. "Worried?"

Shizuo rolled his eyes. "As if."

Izaya chuckled and caught sight of Kira making her way into the living room.

"She's sleeping now," the girl told them.

Shinra smiled. "That's good. Erm, listen, we're going to go back and-"

Kira's eyes widened. "You can't leave!"

"No no, don't worry. We're coming back. We just have to get our laptops. And also, is there somewhere else you can stay for a while? We don't want you and your family in danger."

"I don't know if-" All five turned to the front door when it opened. Kira's mum walked in, and they sighed in relief. She shut the door, toed off her shoes, and made her way toward them. "Hi, mom. You're home early today."

"I got off early." She hugged her daughter and glanced at their guests.

Kira stammered an apology and began to introduce them. "Mom. These are my classmates from school, the ones I was telling you about who want to help us." She gestured to Shinra first. "This is Shinra Kishitani, Izaya Orihara, Shizuo Heiwajima, and Kyohei Kadota."

The woman looked at them with suspicion. "I thought you were grown adults with experience."

"Mom," Kira protested.

"Don't you have any equipment? There's not even a priest with you. You're just high school boys looking for a way to earn some money."

"Mom, no! They want to help us."

Shinra walked toward her when he could sense Shizuo about to lose it and smiled at her. "I know we don't look like much, but you'll see there's a lot more we can offer if you give us a chance. Would it help if I told you a little about us?"

The woman folded her arms, frowning down at the boy. "If you must."

Shinra nodded. "I've been studying the paranormal for most of my teen years. I don't take anything as a joke, and I'm not just some kid playing around. I really want to help you. Izaya is our spiritualist, and he's already sensed things that explains what you've been experiencing. Shizuo actually comes from a shrine, so technically he is a priest, and Kadota – well,"

"He's the muscle," Izaya added with a slight grin toward him.

Kadota rolled his eyes and said, "I don't know a whole lot about spirits and paranormal stuff, but I guess you could say I'm the level-headed one. I like to think that my friends know they can rely on me for whatever reason."

Shinra and Shizuo smiled.

Shinra turned back to the woman, who seemed more relaxed now. "I know we're young, but we're going to do everything to help."

Her expression softened slightly, and she gave him a little smile. "You make a rather convincing argument, and I must admit, your confidence is reassuring. I hate to say it, but I think I'm willing to give you boys a chance."

Shinra's smile widened. "That's great! We'll do our very best!" Kira smiled in relief, letting out a sigh. "We want to stay here, if that's alright, but it would be a lot safer if you and your daughters stayed somewhere else for a few days. Maybe a hotel or something that's close by?"

Miasaki smiled sadly. "That's very nice of you to say, but it's out of the question. The money we have left needs to be spent wisely."

Izaya looked up from his phone while Shinra continued to convince the woman. He knew he'd have to be the one to bring up a certain important detail. "What Shinra said is true that we will do our best, but has your daughter told you about the fees?"

Everyone looked at him, and Shizuo narrowed his eyes; he couldn't believe they were charging someone for help when they were clearly struggling and probably scared. He opened his mouth to retort, but he didn't get the chance.

"I knew there would be fees, but that was before I realized none of you are professionals," the woman said.

Shizuo grinned. Take that, flea! The blond thought with amusement.

Izaya remained calm and placed his phone back in his pocket. "I realize your concerns, but you said it yourself that you're willing to trust us. We're trying to start a business, and everyone has to start somewhere, so I don't think it's unreasonable when I say that we require only a deposit fee that's non-refundable, simply for our efforts. If we're able to solve the problem, then the full charge of the fee will imply."

Shizuo gritted his teeth. "You-" Kadota held his hand up, trying to calm Shizuo down. Shizuo growled but didn't say anything more. They watched as Izaya and Miasaki stared at one another, neither willing to back down.

Shinra wanted to bring the money into the conversation, but he wasn't assertive.

Miasaki finally receded and frowned. "I suppose we don't have a choice. I can't afford a professional, and I know some of them charge by the day, so what you're offering seems fair. What amount do you require for a deposit?"

Izaya smiled in triumph and turned to Shinra, but the boy didn't have any idea. He's hopeless. Izaya turned back to the mother. "A full charge of 40,000 yen will stand if we can solve the problem. A deposit of 16,000 will cover us. Leaving the remaining 24,000 to be paid when this is over."

Shinra flinched.

"Izaya! That's ridiculous!"

Izaya ignored Shizuo for now, waiting for a response from the woman. She looked at him for a moment longer and nodded. "I'll get my cheque book." Then she left the room.

Kira frowned. "I wouldn't have come to you guys if I knew this would be the fees you'd charge." She looked at Izaya, almost glaring at him, but the raven didn't care and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"She's right, you're taking advantage of their situation!" Shizuo yelled at him, and Izaya narrowed his eyes at the blond but didn't reply.

Shinra smiled nervously. "Maybe we can come up with another arrangement."

Izaya snorted. "What we've asked isn't unreasonable. We're the ones risking our lives. We've had one incident already. Of course, we can always back out now." They didn't respond. "Didn't think so."

Miasaki came back, still unsure about the amount, but she handed Izaya the check. The raven looked at the amount, satisfied it was right, and nodded. "Good. Now-" and then he surprised them all and ripped it up in front of her. "Use that money to go and stay at the 020 licensed apartment. I've already checked the availability. There are rooms available. It might be a little more than the deposit fee, but it was the best I could find."

Everyone fell silent. Nobody expected what just happened. Izaya grinned inwardly, feeling the surprise practically radiating off his friends. Sometimes, he wished they had more faith in him. Miasaki smiled softly. "I didn't expect that. I apologize for misjudging you."

Kira lowered her head. "Me too."

Izaya shrugged and turned to the others. "We'll get our laptops and some supplies, then come back in a couple of hours." They could only nod in reply, still too surprised to speak. Izaya turned back to the woman. "You should leave now while whatever is haunting this place has retreated for now. Do you have a spare key?" Miasaki nodded. "Would it be alright if we take it?" Miasaki retrieved the key from a drawer in the living room cabinet and handed it over, and Izaya gave it to Shinra to keep safe.

"I still have my doubts about you all, but please be careful. While you're staying in my house, I feel responsible."

Shinra chuckled a little and rested his arm on Izaya's shoulder. "Don't worry about us. We'll manage."

…

Night 1:

After confirming with their own families that they'd be staying at one another's houses for a couple of days, excluding Shizuo, the four were back in the house alone.

Shinra, Izaya, and Kadota brought sleeping bags with them, and since Shizuo was the tallest, he would sleep on the couch, much to Izaya's disappointment. Shinra and Izaya had brought their laptops and researched everything they had witnessed and learned about the house.

Shizuo wasn't sure what to do, so he checked around the house, and Kadota went with him. They started in the kitchen where Shinra had first seen the handprint. "Are you able to sense anything spiritual?" Kadota asked after a few minutes of looking around.

Shizuo leaned against the fridge as he spoke. "Dunno, but I've never really tried."

"Do you think our guess is right about there being more than one spirit?"

Shizuo shrugged and walked over to the sink to retrieve a glass of water. "Maybe. Who knows? Those handprints could have been from owners before."

Kadota had to chuckle at that. "You could be right. I didn't see what Shinra saw, but he was pretty freaked."

Shizuo frowned as he replied, an annoyed expression crossing his features. "I don't doubt that something is here. I can't deny what happened upstairs. Something did attack us…. or at least…. Izaya."

Kadota noticed Shizuo's hesitant tone and looked over at him. "Something wrong?" Kadota walked over to him.

"The water isn't coming out of here."

"Really?" Kadota looked down, and Shizuo turned the tap once more to prove his point. "Plumbing acting up?"

"It's possible."

Kadota nodded and tilted his head toward the doorway. "Let's check out the-" Kadota was cut off when they became engulfed in darkness, and everything soon became quiet. "Now there's a power shortage?" He almost flinched when a hand touched his shoulder.

"Relax. It's just me," Shizuo quickly reassured him. "Let's go back to Shinra and Izaya for now."

"I suppose it makes sense to regroup and-" Kadota was interrupted again by a loud scream.

"Let's go!" Shizuo grabbed Kadota's wrist and made his way as quickly as possible back to the living room miraculously without bumping into anything. When they reached the living room, they were relieved to see the fire still burning, so they at least had some light. Izaya and Shinra were fine, but they were standing in the middle of the floor, and Shinra practically clung to the raven as they stared up at the ceiling. Kadota couldn't help but ask the question. "Are you both okay? We heard a scream."

Izaya nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the ceiling, and this caused Shizuo and Kadota to look up. "That didn't come from us," the raven finally replied. "There's something in the ceiling…."

"In the ceiling?" Kadota asked.

"It started in the walls at first, and now…." Then they heard a loud scratching sound stretching across the living room.

"Okay, I heard that," Shizuo commented, moving closer toward his other two friends protectively. Kadota shuffled closer, feeling slightly vulnerable standing by himself.

Knock knock knock.

They jumped.

It was loud and seemed to come from more than just the ceiling; there was thudding in the walls. The four glanced around hastily, neither of them willing to move. It suddenly stopped, and an eerie silence followed. Shinra mumbled an apology and finally released Izaya's arm.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," Kadota said once they finally relaxed. "The power is out, so there's not much we can do tonight. It's too dangerous to explore this place at night, and we should remain together until day at least."

Shinra nodded, very much liking that idea. "I agree."

The three spread their sleeping bags around the fireplace, and Shizuo lay his thin cover over the couch.

"We'll start again tomorrow. Everything always looks different during the day," Kadota said as he doused the fire and the room covered in darkness. They settled into their sleeping bags and hoped for at least one peaceful night.

…..

Izaya opened his eyes and frowned in confusion when he found himself in the study. How did I get here? Regardless, he took the time to look around, noting it was light outside. That's weird. It's already morning. Izaya looked over at the doorway and noticed a woman standing there, and she looked at him with an agitated glare. Her mouth opened to speak to him, but no sound came from her lips. She then disappeared down the hall, and Izaya followed her. Once they were downstairs, Izaya noticed the house looked different. The next thing he knew, something akin to a broom was thrown at his feet. He looked at it and back to see another person other than the woman. This time, it was a man, and again he spoke, but no sound came out. Izaya frowned and opened his mouth to say something back, but the man walked away. Izaya picked up the broom and made his way into the living room without thinking.

After sweeping the whole floor, Izaya found himself standing in front of a grandfather clock. There was a cloth in his hand, and he felt drawn to the clock, rubbing a smudge from the glass. He turned his head when he felt someone grasp his arm. It was the man again, and this time he was yelling, or at least, it looked like he was. Izaya tried to yank himself away, but the man pointed at the clock and shoved him away from it. Izaya watched him walk away, confused by what the man wanted. He looked at the clock again and moved his hand to touch the glass's handle. He suddenly pulled his hand back, noticing something there, and frowned. A hex?

Suddenly, he was overcome with a wave of dizziness and closed his eyes, but he was outside near the pool when he opened them again. Izaya blinked. There was a rake in his hand now, and he looked over the pool and started to rake out the fallen leaves. As he bent down to retrieve his gathered pile, a hand grabbed his head and forced him into the water. Izaya flailed his arms, trying to push away, but the hold was strong, and he felt his lungs burn. He opened his mouth to scream for help, but water rushed through his lungs. His ministrations to get free slowed down and then stopped completely.

Izaya bolted up from his position on the floor, breathing rapidly, and his hands fisted around the bag, trying to calm down. "Shit," he whispered and couldn't stop shaking. His friends were still asleep, and he was somewhat grateful he hadn't woken them up. He looked at his phone: 05:43. Izaya swiped a hand over his hair, a small grimace on his face when he noticed his hair was damp. He gasped lightly. In his dream…. wasn't he….in water? Izaya shook his head. He squashed down his fear when he realized his hair was damp from sweat. "Get a grip," he muttered to himself. Izaya soon realized that he might have had another post-cognitive dream. "Not again." Izaya looked over at his friends sleeping soundly and sighed before standing up.

Izaya decided to take a wander but took his phone with him. It was lighter now, and they hadn't heard anything during the night, so for now, he felt safe. When Izaya stepped into the hall, he glanced at the grandfather clock against the wall.

Izaya frowned. Why had he been so drawn to it in the dream? And what was with that hex?

He reached up to grasp the small handle of the glass case when a loud shuffling sound caught his attention.

His head snapped up to the side, but there was nothing there.

Frowning, Izaya made his way across the floor and climbed the stairs.

Shizuo shifted on the couch and opened his eyes blearily, and, realizing it was still a little dark, he turned over to go back to sleep but suddenly noticed one of the sleeping bags was empty. Shizuo sat up and looked around the living room floor. "Izaya," Shizuo sighed at his concern. He probably woke up to use the bathroom. Shizuo decided he might as well go now that he was up anyway. "He's fine," Shizuo muttered, but he couldn't shake the worry. Sighing again, he stood up and left the room quietly to not wake the others. No point in waking them up for nothing. He shuffled up the stairs sluggishly, still sleepy, and made his way toward the bathroom. It wasn't occupied, but he shrugged, muttering that everything was fine.

After relieving himself, Shizuo stalked across the landing.

When he passed the little girl's room, he caught sight of someone standing in the center and halted, but nothing was there.

Shizuo frowned and shook his head. "I can't see spirits. My mind's playing tricks on me." Shizuo bit his lip; no, he definitely saw someone there but decided to go in search of Izaya instead. "Where is that flea anyway," he muttered as he left the room.

Izaya stood beside the window of the balcony. The door was shut, but he couldn't help wondering why his dream started from here. "This was where our accident happened…." It was possible he just appeared here from his own memory.

A sudden creak on the floor caused him to freeze, and he glanced up into the reflection of the door's window, but he couldn't see anything.

His heart sped up, and he gulped when he heard the creaking again, but louder this time.

Izaya turned around, half expecting to see the shadowy figure from before, but nothing was in the room. Sighing in relief, he leaned against the window and then -

Izaya~

The raven froze.

Izaya~

Izaya flinched and clenched his eyes shut. "Go away!" he shouted.

Shizuo stopped when he heard someone yell, and his instincts kicked in when he remembered who he was looking for. "Izaya!"

Izaya opened his eyes again, and his blood ran cold.

Right in front of him was that same figure from before with eyes staring straight into his, pinning him in place.

It was too close to run away from.

"Please….please go away…" his voice was quiet. A hand reached up toward him, and Izaya followed it with his eyes when it reached for his throat, but he just couldn't move. He closed his eyes tightly, and just as the hand almost closed around his neck -

"Izaya!"

The hand immediately retreated.

Shizuo ran into the room, and instantly, the figure disappeared. The blond ran toward the still form of Izaya and grabbed his arms. Izaya instantly started to struggle against him. "What the-"

"No! Let me go! Get off me!"

Shizuo noticed Izaya's eyes were shut and shook him. "Izaya! It's me! Calm down! Open your eyes!"

Woken by the yelling, Shinra and Kadota quickly shot out of bed when they realized neither Izaya nor Shizuo was with them.

Izaya tried to pull away from Shizuo's grip, but the blond wouldn't allow it. "Izaya! It's me, open your fucking eyes, damn it!"

Hearing a familiar voice that wasn't his own, Izaya's eyes snapped open, and he stilled all movements. "Sh-Shizu-chan…?"

Shizuo let out a breath, and his grip loosened. "What the hell was that?"

Izaya didn't answer him, and his hand came around Shizuo's arm and gripped it firmly. "I - I thought…that thing…he was here…."

Shizuo frowned, glancing around the room. "I don't see anything." He berated himself for his stupidity. Of course he didn't see it, but…. back in that room…

"It said my name….."

Shizuo looked back down at the raven. "What?"

"My name….it said my name, Shizu-chan…." Shizuo felt Izaya tremble under his touch and then heard footsteps coming toward the room. Shizuo snapped his head up with a glare, tightening his hold on Izaya.

Shinra and Kadota ran into the room, panting. "Are you both okay!" Kadota shouted.

Shizuo sighed in relief but was startled when he felt Izaya cling to him and bury his face against his chest. He's really scared. Shizuo couldn't help but wrap his arms around the smaller male. "You're okay. It's alright now. You're safe."

Shinra's fist clenched unseen, a slight hint of jealousy in his eyes as he watched Shizuo comfort his friend. Honestly, the two weren't even really friends, so what gives? Shinra shook his head, his fist unclenching. Why am I even jealous? This is ridiculous. He followed Kadota into the room, deciding to focus on Izaya. "What happened?"

Shizuo looked over at them, keeping his arms around Izaya since the raven made no move to pull away, but his trembling had stopped. "He's alright, but I think we need to be a lot more careful. Neither of us will go anywhere alone."

Kadota nodded and looked at Izaya. "Was it the same one from before, Izaya?"

The raven realized his position and quickly pulled away from Shizuo, slightly embarrassed that he'd clung to him. "Yes," he replied, taking a deep breath to make sure he was calm. "It said my name."

"What were you even doing up here at this hour?" Shinra asked, taking a few steps forward. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I had a dream. There was a man and a woman living here before, and they kept yelling at me, but I couldn't hear what they said. It looked like they had a servant or something."

Shinra sighed. "You had another dream?"

Izaya nodded, causing Shizuo to frown in confusion, but the raven ignored his stare and explained his dream in detail.

Shizuo tilted his head. "It makes sense. We were pushed into the pool yesterday."

Izaya sighed. He needed Shizuo to understand what these dreams might mean. "Then how would you explain the two others?" he asked, looking at Shizuo now.

"I don't know."

"I didn't tell you this before because I didn't know for sure, but this is the second time it's happened now, and the situation is completely different."

"What are you talking about?"

Shinra cleared his throat. "We think Izaya has an ability called post-cognitive dreams."

Shizuo blinked at him and tilted his head. "What?"

Izaya rolled his eyes, half-hoping that Shizuo knew what it meant. "It's when a person experiences memories that aren't their own. A memory they couldn't have known, something that's already happened. It's hard to describe, but in the dream, it's me, but it's me living the memory of another." Shizuo stared blankly at him for a moment. "Shizu-chan, did your brain malfunction?" Izaya grinned slightly at him. Yes, teasing him was better, but Shizuo didn't get angry or annoyed.

"You shouldn't go off by yourself." That was all Shizuo said to him before leaving the room entirely. The three watched him leave with surprise etched on their faces.

"What's with that?" Kadota said.

Izaya huffed and grinned. "He's probably embarrassed. I don't think he intended to hug me." Izaya chuckled and walked toward the exit.

Night 2:

The four were in the living room. Izaya and Shinra were sitting next to one another with their laptops. Shizuo and Kadota were sitting on the floor and playing cards. The power had returned during the day, for which they were grateful.

With the information gained from his dream, Izaya started researching the history of occupants that had lived here before. He grinned, silently thanking his parents for his small amount of hacking knowledge. Bingo, he thought as his eyes scanned the information. The records he found took him back almost a hundred years. Izaya clicked on a link of newsprints, and his brows furrowed when an article caught his attention. "Fuck," he said aloud before he could stop himself. The other three turned to him.

Shinra peeked over at Izaya's laptop. "What's wrong?"

"I think I'm on the right track."

Kadota and Shizuo stood up and walked around to stand behind the couch. "What makes you say that?" Kadota asked as the two leaned over.

"I hacked into the house's records through its current real estate broker." Izaya almost chuckled when he heard gasps' from each of his friends.

"You did what?" Shinra was the first to voice his surprise. Shinra stared at him for a little while longer and shook his head. "What did you find?"

Shizuo frowned at Izaya's head before shifting his attention to the laptop. Sketchy flea.

"It looks like it goes back as far as the early 1900's." Izaya pointed at the headline of the article he'd found. "Look at this."

Shinra read the headline aloud, "Servant of the Tanaka family dies in a freak drowning accident." They all gasped. "Izaya, your dream!"

Izaya nodded. "And just to point out, Shizu-chan, I haven't see this article before."

Shizuo growled. "I wasn't questioning it!" Izaya chuckled and continued. "I hate you."

Izaya grinned. "Do you hug everyone you hate, Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo almost blushed. "Shut up! You clung to me!"

"Whatever."

Shinra sighed, but he was secretly pleased the two were back to normal. Shaking his head, he pointed to the screen. "Look." They turned their attention back to the page. "Mr. Tanaka dies days after servant, cause unknown."

Izaya tapped his fingers against the laptop. So far, only one death was linked to his dream, but….. "That man was in my dream too."

Shizuo clenched his hand around the back of the couch. If Izaya's dream really did mean something, and he had been right about two of the people, then that meant…. "Do you think that the servant was murdered?"

"I do."

Kadota stood straight and moved back to the front, and sat down. "Now what?"

"I'll keep looking. You said that you and Shinra saw several handprints on the window, right?" Kadota nodded, "so there's got to be more than one explanation for that."

Shinra looked at his own screen with a shrug and closed the laptop's lid. "I got nothing," he said.

"You know," Kadota began, "it could be just one making those prints."

Shizuo suddenly remembered what he had seen in the little girl's room. "Upstairs, I thought I saw something, back in the little kid's room. It was when I was searching for the flea."

Izaya clicked his tongue at the annoying nickname and then turned to face him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Shizuo shrugged. "Because I wasn't sure if I actually saw anything. You're the spiritualist."

Izaya sighed and turned back to his laptop. "You should go upstairs and see if it shows up again."

Shizuo frowned. "Hell no!"

Izaya chuckled. "Scared?"

Shizuo gritted his teeth. You're the scared one. He refrained from saying that because Izaya had been really frightened. Before he could come up with a good comeback, Kadota spoke first.

"I'll go with you. We already agreed that neither of us should explore this house at night by ourselves." Kadota grinned over at Shizuo. "Right?"

Shizuo huffed and nodded. "If you say so."

The two left Izaya and Shinra alone, and Shinra turned his attention back to Izaya. "Any luck?" He watched the boy frown as he stared intently at the screen. "What?"

Izaya's eyes flicked back and forth between the pages. "They're the same…."

"Huh, what's the same?"

"The dates…. they're all the same…."

Shinra tilted his head in confusion. "Izaya?"

"Look," Izaya pointed. "Family tragedy as teen girl dies from a fall down the stairs." He clicked the next page. "Man dies in horrible explosion due to a boiler malfunction." Next. "A boy, aged 8, dies from an unexplained illness." Next. "A woman is killed by her husband when he strangled her to death, but says he has no memory of ever doing it." Next page. "And the most recent which only happened around five years ago. A man dies from a fall from the balcony in the study. That would explain the broken wall. Shizu-chan said something about someone falling from there, and he was actually right."

Shinra shuddered. "Okay…. that's a lot of deaths for one house."

Izaya nodded. "And now we know why the place was so cheap. They knew about the people who died here."

Shinra shifted in his seat, becoming nervous. "So…. what does that mean?"

Izaya bit his lip. "I'm not sure, but every time someone dies here, they've all died on the same date. June the 12th."

Shinra gasped. "Izaya, that's in two days!"

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