Chapter 4
Monday, April 30th
"Finally!" Mai threw open her condo door and collapsed on the floor "Finally home, six hours of shopping; I'm beaten."
"Come on Mai, get off the floor, it wasn't that bad," Ayako said as she and Madoka walk in behind "Your going to hurt your shoulder again."
Mai lifted her head "Right, can one of you help me up? My legs feel like jell-O" Madoka slowly helped Mai to her feet, careful not to jostle her shoulder.
"I'm putting your bags on the sofa. Remember to wash everything. You never know who else tried the clothes on." Ayako said to Mai.
"Okay."
"And please, please don't strain your shoulder. I know it wasn't that big of a gash, but it was a deep one; lifting anything over eight pounds can easily open the stitches up."
"Ayako, she's a grown woman. She's not five, have some faith in her" Madoka chimed in.
"Thank you Madoka" Mai smiled brightly
"Though sometimes, she can act like a five-year-old" Madoka laughed to herself, Ayako adding in a few giggles.
"Thank. You. Madoka" Mai huffed with annoyance "Really Ayako I'm fine. Now can we please go and meet Bou-san? I'm starving!"
"Mai, did you forget?" Ayako questioned, "It's our anniversary" she stated.
"What?! No that's next Thursday!" Mai yelped
"No sweetie, it's tonight. I swore I reminded you."
"Is everything okay?" Madoka asked coming back from grabbing a bottled water from the fridge.
"Yeah. I just completely forgot. And I also forgot to go food shopping" Mai sighed as she slumped on the sofa; causing bags to fall and spill out their contents.
"Mai you have to be more organized. Monk and I got you a smartphone. Use it. Download a planner app or use the calendar. Or better yet old school it and buy a planner and write out your week." Ayako scolded.
"Ayako calm down. I am usually organized. Its just been a crazy week that's all. Naru has me working more hours since school is on break. And I'm trying to get all the work that is due when school starts up again done before we go to England."
"Well welcome to adulthood Mai" Ayako's face was becoming a shade of red, which only happens when she's upset, angry and or embarrassed. And Mai can only guess she's angry with her, maybe annoyed if she was lucky.
"Ayako" Madoka put her hand on her shoulder. Which seemed to relax Ayako a bit.
"I'm sorry but this is why I wanted Monk and me to move in. We're worried for you." Mai bounced off the sofa, ready to defend her freedom.
"We're all worried for her Ayako. But she's having a crazy week. We all have those. Mai has been on her own for a while now. She can handle herself. You gotta trust her" Madoka said calmly
"Ayako please- I'm sorry. I'll go to the store shortly. I don't need you and Bou-san to move in. I appreciate the both of you looking out for me and being my guardians. But please I need you to trust me as Madoka said, we all have messy weeks." Mai pleaded with Ayako. She looked at Mai for a few moments, before sighing and slumping her shoulders
"Fine." Mai jumped with joy and gave Ayako a hug.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"Careful!" Ayako barked. Madoka laughed as she pulled at her phone and began to text
"Oh, right! Sorry!" Mai guilty giggled
"Okay, time to leave" Madoka pipped up. She gave Mai a squeeze "Lin and I have dinner. Last night his parents are in town. So hard to plan a wedding in a different country. Gotta rely on people you know."
"Oh. My. God! Look at the time! I still have to get ready!" Ayako squealed as she looked at her phone.
"Well, I hope the two of you have fun at your dinners. Tell Lin and Bou-san I said hello" Mai said as she walked them out. Giving them both one last hug
"I will. See you tomorrow Mai" Madoka said
"Get dinner," Ayako said sternly as she and Madoka walked out and down the hallway together.
Closing the door behind her "Yes" Mai said to no one, already exhausted.
"Cute clothes" Mai dropped the pile of clothes; startled and turned around. There standing behind her was the same spirit from earlier that day "When I was alive us girls had to wear corsets and hoop skirts. Not pleasant I may say. You all have it lucky"
"Why are you here?" The woman took a step forward and Mai took a step back
"Relax Mai, I'm not going to hurt you" she walked around me. The bottom of her gown passed through my left leg, leaving it as cold as dry ice.
"Last time I checked, you did. In your earlier appearance. Had to get a few stitches in my shoulder. So I believe I have every right to be a little couscous around you."
"Please. Mai darling you act like I cut off your arm. It was a simple push which happens to result in an injury. So" she turned towards me "for that I do apologize."
Dumbfounded the mystery woman's apology, Mai picked up the fallen clothes and dumped them into the running washer "Um- Thank you"
"What is that thing?" asked the spirit
"Its a washer machine. It cleans your clothes" Mai explained
"It is like magic! So fascinating" her face lit with wonder as she watched the washer fill with water as Mai measured the detergent.
"Not magic. Technology. Welcome to the twenty-first century."
"Wow, the twenty-first century? I was born five years before the end of the eight-teeth, and I was killed sixteen years after the nine-teeth" she looked as though she was sadden
"You were only twenty-four" Mai did the math in her head. She was so young, just a few years older than I.
"Yes, I was-am? It is so hard to believe that I have been dead all this time. Kind of strange, in a way. When you pass, you don't have a sense of time. Years could go by and it only feels like a few short moments." she explained to no one—more like herself. "It felt like a short time ago I was brought to your mother. So very short indeed."
"My mother?" Mai questioned, knowing she wouldn't get an answer "Can you please tell me who you are?" Mai pleaded "And why you are here?" The spirit looked at her with sadness in her eyes "Maybe I can help you-"
She smiled "You already know who I am Mai. We've meant before. Some time ago. All you have to do is remember. I am bound to your mother on a promise that I would not revile myself to you. You are the one who needs my help. The time is coming closer, but not close enough to what you are to face." she looked passed me
"You have a visitor, love"
"What? No, I-" the doorbell cut Mai off. The woman began to fade "Wait! Please, I don't understand!" Mai pleaded
"I must go. My energy is depleting. Please, Mai, remember"
"W-wait!" but it was too late. She already vanished into the spirit realm. The doorbell rang again "One second" Mai yelled to the mysterious visitor. She closed the washer lid and jogged to the front door.
"I'm sorry-" there standing behind her door was her boss. Oliver Davis. Or also known as Naru.
"N-Naru" confused "How do you know where I live?"
"Employment records" he stated coolly
"What?" he sighed
"You wrote down your place of residency when you began working for me Mai"
"Oh, right" Now she felt stupid "So what brings you out this way?"
He lifts up a bag "Madoka mentioned to me that you didn't have dinner."
Blushing "Um yeah. I forgot to go food shopping. I was just going to order out, especially since we have to leave tomorrow for a case, no point in going shopping now."
"How do you forget to do such a simple task Mai" Pushing past Mai he lets himself in.
"H-hey! You could say excuse me! And I'll have you know, if it wasn't for you having me working so much, maybe I'd have some extra time to go food shopping. You have me getting done work when all the stores are closed."
"Last time I checked, you have a day off and if it wasn't for the long hours that you work you wouldn't have the money for the food you have to buy."
Sighing, Mai made her way to the kitchen "Are you staying for dinner?"
"Seeing that I had to feed you cause you can't do it yourself, I had to miss a dinner. So that would be nice if I can have what I bought." Naru said as he looked around. Always analyzing.
Mai's face grew red "All you had to do was say yes."
Naru turned to Mai with a photograph of her mother in his hand "Yes." Mai grabbed some dishes and walked to where her boss stood 'These are your parents." He stated.
"Uh —Yeah" She set the dinner wear on the table and started unpacking the bag of food. "My father Caleb, he passed away when I was five as you already know, so any memory of him is a little hazy. My mother Mira meant my father when she was in America looking for her birth parents. She ended up getting really wasted at a local bar. My father was the man who arrested her" Mai laughed as she poured water into the glasses.
"And from then on they were unstoppable, as my mother used to say. They traveled the world, got married, lived in many different countries, ended up having me. Then one day, my father was killed. Afterward, she and I moved back to Japan. My grandfather on my dad's side also came to live with us, after my grandmother passed away. He helped my mom a lot, with her working more than full time at the university. A few years later when I was eleven, he got really sick, he refused medical help and soon lost the battle. So then it was just mom and me till three years ago..." Mia trailed off
They sat at the table eating in silence, till Naru spoke up "Did your mother find her parents?" Mai looked up, a little surprised
"To be honest, I don't know. She never liked talking about her past. My mom was really secretive. She always kept her bedroom door locked and I always had to call ahead to see her at work. When she passed, there were these two people who came into our home-here- and took all her paperwork and certain books—like she had it all planned. They knew exactly what to take and didn't even blink an eye at anything else. I was told by her secretary that is was university stuff."
The rest of the dinner went by slowly and silently. Naru got up to put his dishes in the sink and Mai began to wash.
"Would you like some tea?" Mai asked as she set the last of the dishes to dry. Naru grunted and walked to the bookshelf by the television. The tea didn't take long. Mai handed him his cup.
"Sorry, you had to miss a dinner. You didn't have to listen to Madoka. I would have been fine."
"I didn't do it for you or Madoka. I didn't want to go to the dinner. You were the escape route." Naru sipped his tea
"Wait? What?! You used me?" Mai screeched
"You can say that. I'll see Lin's parents in a couple weeks."
"Oh, you were supposed to go to the dinner with Lin and Madoka. Last day they are in town and Madoka is freaking out cause she has to rely on them and others for the wedding planning"
"She knew this when we were coming back to Japan. Lin told her she should stay in England"
"Right. I couldn't imagine planning the biggest celebration of my life in another country." Naru didn't answer her, just stared at the bookshelf
"You have my book." Naru pulled the black canvas book from the very top shelf. Mai blushed hard.
"N-not me! My mom, she was into all of that stuff. Big fan of yours, let me tell you! She couldn't stop talking about how a 15-year-old could be so talented. She gloated about you like she knew you or something" Mai waved her hands about "If only she could see me now. Standing next to the great Oliver Davis, let alone work for you. She died all over again." Mai drank the rest of her tea. Remembering her mother so excited when she received the very book Naru is holding. She danced and jumped for joy...
Walking through the front door wasn't unusual, what was so unusual was seeing her mother home from work so early. But it just got weirder, her mother was dancing and jumping. Mai couldn't help but laugh. Her mother looked so beautiful in that movement, she was always so tired and stressed about work and some side project she was researching. Her mother was a happy person, but lately, she hasn't been herself and seeing her mother smile once again and be back to her old self, it was a blessing in Mai's eyes. How much she missed her mom being happy. This was something she wanted to remember.
"Mai!" her mother heard her and is now looking straight at her daughter "Look! Look what just came in the mail sweetie!"Her mother held up a black book. A plain black book. Mai was confused
"What is it?" Mai sat down her school bag and took the book from her mother's hands
"What is it, the young witch asks? Well, my darling Carpe" She always calls Mai those silly names. And Mai never knew why always guessed it was because her mother loved the supernatural. But she never knew what Carpe meant and every time she asked her mother, she would just brush her off.
"This is a book by the great Oliver Davis! Can you believe it, Mai, I got a copy! Only a select group of people got their hands on this book and I was one of the lucky ones. It pays off to know someone important." Her mother explained happily
"OOOkay? I'm still confused. Who I Oliver Davis?" Mai asked her mother who was walking around the room holding the book like it was the new 'Lion King'.
"Who is Oliver Davis?" Her mother said his name like Mai should know who he is like he was some celebrity
"Oliver Davis is a fifth-teen-year-old genius. Well, he has always been a genius and very gifted since he was a very very young boy. His twin brother also, they call him the 'perfect medium,' I do hope he writes a book also. But Oliver Davis is an adept researcher along with his family. This book that he wrote, right after he received his doctorate degree, is about his vast knowledge of physic phenomena, and how to study it. He states that "Paranormal research is difficult to study, it must be treated as a science in order to gain credibility." But not only is he a young genius paranormal researcher, but he is also a strong psychometrist. One of the strongest in fact! And his PK levels are through the roof Mai!"
"Uh-huh. Well, I don't know what any of that meant, so I'm going to go do my homework. Enjoy your book" Mai grabbed her bag and headed to her room "Don't read it all in one sitting"
"You know I will! I'm going to make some coffee...and dinner. We need to eat" Mai heard her mothers laughter as she shut her bedroom door.
She passed away shortly after.
"All I accomplished at that time was straight A's and I learned to crochet," Mai said "Sometimes I felt like a failure. Like I was never good enough in her eyes. She was so crazed by anything supernatural or paranormal. And I was her normal child. Nothing special. She never showed any indication of that, but its how I felt."
"Good grades are important Mai" Naru opened my mothers/his book and quickly jotted something down on the front page. Closing the book he placed it back in its spot on the very top shelf and sat on the sofa. Sipping his tea.
"H-hey you cant just to damage someone else's property!" Naru continued to ignore her. She sighed. He sipped his tea, once again. She looked at the book once more, her mother's favorite book. By the great Oliver Davis…
"Naru, may I ask you something?"
"You just did." Ignoring his smart-ass remark, Mai huffed and asked her real question.
"Now that we all—the SPR gang know your real identity, would you prefer to be called Oliver, Dr. Davis or Naru? Madoka said that back home in England everyone called you Oliver or Noll"
Naru looked at Mai and sighed "I prefer to be called Oliver, close family and friends call me Noll. But here in Japan, I need to be called Kazuya Shibuya to keep up the persona. I don't want anyone besides the people who know who I am, to know who I am." Naru got up and walked to the front door. He handed Mai her/his cup and opened the front door
"You're leaving?" Mai asked
"I have work to do before we leave tomorrow. Don't be late."
"O-oh okay. Well thank you for dinner" Mai smiled. He began to leave but stopped short
"Naru," Naru said. Not looking at her.
"Huh?"
"Naru is fine to continue calling me"
"Oh, well good night Naru" Mai smiled once more
"Good night Mai" Naru closed the door and Mai was once again alone.
May 1st
Case 1: Day 1
The car ride to the Mataki's home was very short since it was outside of the city of Tokyo. Once we passed the gates to their home we piled out of the van and Bou-san car.
"Oh my God!" Mai said gaping at the mansion in front of her.
"Didn't Mrs. Mataki say her home was small?" Ayako asked.
"If she did I wonder what she was comparing it too," Bou-san added. Naru and Lin were already at the front door. Once everyone was at the front, Naru rang the doorbell.
"Hello?" A small figured girl stepped out; she had short dirty red/brown hair that went a little past her shoulders, bright green eyes that you couldn't miss. Clearly, she was a maid.
" I'm Kazuya Shibuya, the president of the Shibuya Psychic Research. Mrs. Mataki hired us."
"Oh. Yes, yes please come in, I'm truly sorry." We followed the maid to the main corridor. "Mrs. Mataki will be back shortly she's picking the younger children up from school, the oldest is upstairs. And Mr. Mataki is away on a trip to England."
"The oldest didn't go to school?" Mai asked.
"Ever since her birthday she refuses to back to school, we have no idea why... her parents are becoming worried"
"Worried?"
"Well, she never comes out of her room and when she does it's for meals. She has deep purple bags under her eyes, and scares running up and down her arms...and when her mother took her to the doctors they found writing on her back" Before Naru could ask any more questions a faint voice fell into their ears.
"Tiana, I'm home...I saw a van parked in the driveway is anyone here." We all turned to the front door and saw Mrs. Mataki and two kids, a boy, and a girl.
"Yes ma'am Shibuya Psychic Research just arrived moments ago" She quickly walked to help the children with their coats and bags.
"Oh, thank you, Tiana." Mrs. Mataki hurried down to meet us. "I'm truly sorry, I thought I should pick up the children before you arrived, I hope Tiana made you feel welcomed. Please follow me." We followed her to a large room; I'm guessing it was the living room. Once we took our seats, Naru began to speak.
"Mrs. Mataki, before we talk about you, your children and the hunting, I would like to know more about Tiana."
"Well Tiana isn't from around here she's from America, her mother and I were once good friends before her mother had passed away a year ago, and since she had nowhere else to go I took her under my wing..but she refused to be a freeloader. So I gave her a job here as a maid...But I still treat her as my own daughter instead of an employee of mine."
"How old is Tiana?"
"She's 16, born on June 6th"
"And her mother, how did she pass?"
"Out of nowhere, she got really ill and later died in the hospital a week after."
"Is Tiana close to any of your children?"
"Yes, she the closest to my eldest daughter Emi, who is also 16."
"Has Tiana had any symptoms of being hunted?"
"Umm, not really..but small things happen to her like she'll stay up for days end without any sleep, or she'll have random scars or burns on her. But nothing too big. Not like the other maids"
"Earlier Tiana was telling us about your eldest daughter, Emi. Can you tell us what you know so far."
"Well right after her six-teeth birthday she refuses to go to school and she locks herself in her room all day, and when she comes down for meals she looks..not herself...her hair will be airbrushed and she'll be really pale with deep purple bags under her eyes, her lips will be a gray-purple color like she's dead, and her eyes are blank." Mai looked at Mrs. Mataki who looked sadden and worried.
"Does she act the same or different?"
"Different, before she'll be a normal teenager...you know fighting with her siblings, talking about boys and clothes...she's really hyper
and outgoing, she loves to have fun but now she doesn't talk much, and when she does it's short and to the point. And she never fights with her brother or sister." The room grew quiet and the only sound was Lin typing on his laptop.
"Tiana said something about you taking Emi to the doctors, can you tell us about that," Naru asked
"Well, it was three weeks ago when Emi came down from her room for dinner and she was bleeding on her arm. I couldn't see it well because she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt. When I asked her what happened she just looked at me like I was crazy, so I pulled up her sleeve to show her, once she saw fresh gashes on her arm she freaked out like she had no idea, I asked her if she felt any pain she just nodded no. that's when I took her to the doctors to get it fixed and cleaned up. We found more gashes on her other arm and her chest and stomach. The doctor asked how this happened and Emi just said she had no idea, then he asked her if she felt pain anywhere else and then she nodded yes, he asked where and she said my back. Emi took off her shirt and on her back was writing..no not writing more like deep gashes that looked like they were carved into her..." Mrs. Mataki started to cry a little but kept calm at the same time.
"The writing on her back...what did it say?" Mrs. Mataki looked up at us.
"I had no idea, neither did the doctor it was in another language."
"Could we see Emi?" She nodded and stood up; we followed her up the grand staircase, and down a long hallway. We stopped at the 3rd door on the right; it was a cherry wood wooden door with a pink and green sign on it that said 'Emi's Room...Please knock'. Mrs. Mataki knocked on the door.
"Emi, honey we have a guest that would like to see you." We could hear soft noises on the other side. About half a minute later we heard a soft voice.
"Come in." Mrs. Mataki opened the door and we walked in. Emi's room looked like a normal teenage girls room would look like. She had soft lime green walls with hot pink long drapes on the three windows that were opened to let fresh air and sunlight in. she had her bed in the middle of the room with a desk off to the right where she was sitting doing something on her laptop, and a dresser to the left and two doors on either side of it. One had a sign that said ' Bathroom' and the other 'Closet'.
"Emi, these people are from Shibuya Psychic Research, they're here to help us." Emi turned around in her chair and faced us, she looked the same way her mother described her.
"Really, can you really help me...us?" She looked at Naru and he nodded yes. She smiled and at the moment Mrs. Mataki cried.
"I haven't seen her smile in so long."
"Emi, we heard what happened to you, but before we get your point of view can we see your back, your mother told us you had written on it," Naru asked
"Sure," Emi said softly. She turned around with her back bear and her chest covered with her shirt. Everyone walked up to her back and tried to read what it said.
"Lin."
"I don't know I can't read it."
"Let me see." Mai pushed her way through the SPR members.
"Mai, if Lin can't read it then I don't think you can," Bou-san said. Once Mai got to the front she looked at Emi's back.
"Mirtis yra na mirties, jis bus. Visam laikui prarasti ir mirę, kol ji ateina pas mane." Mai said fluently. Everyone looked at her dumbfounded.
"Mai...how did you know that?" Ayako asked
"It's Lithuanian."
"Well, Mai can you translate it?" Naru asked I nodded yes.
"Death it is, Well death it will be. Forever lost and dead till she comes to Me." suddenly the whole house shook and grew cold.
"Naru..." Mai clung to his arm. Then the lights went out and a single scream could be heard loud and clear.