I HOPE EVERYONE HAS BEEN ENJOYING THE CHAPTERS SO FAR. HERE'S CHAPTER THREE!
Chapter 3
It took about half an hour after Naru and I returned from questioning Miss. Tomo and Hana before the cameras were set up everywhere. Each were equipped with the ability to take normal video and temperature sensitive video. I didn't have to be in the pairing that took a camera down to the basement and for that, I'm grateful. After just hearing Hana tell Miss. Tomo's story, I'm a little freaked out to go down there.
I'm sure it's acknowledged that I'm a virgin. Based on her age, I doubt Ayako is and I'm not sure at all about Masako. She comes across as delicate and ladylike but she is eighteen. Though the only guy I've ever seen her give the time of day to is Naru and I think we'd know if he were secretly in a relationship with Masako. He doesn't even call her by her first name, something that Masako has pointed out before. It drives her insane that I'm the only one he's on a first name basis with. Besides Lin, that is.
After the cameras were set up and we had finished lunch, Ayako put the charms up at random places in the house and even put black onyx safety charms around the necks of each virgin in the house. I fiddled with mine constantly while I began copying all the notes Naru took onto a word document on a computer so that it could be added to the other case information once I managed to organize it.
At three, when the sun was very high in the sky, Naru returned to the base from wherever he was. "Miss. Hana will be guiding us to the village in just a few minutes. Lin, Miss. Hara and Miss. Matsuzaki will come with me."
"Why not me?" I asked in curiosity. He gave me a smirk.
"I'm only bringing with me those who will contribute. Lin is our defense, in case the villagers become unsettled by our presence and try to run us out, Miss. Hara will guide us to where the spirits are most strongly sensed and Miss. Matsuzaki's abilities are always strongest when surrounded by nature."
"Alright." I shrugged. "Enjoy taking your own notes."
My words made him pause in the doorway. Without even turning around, he answered. "Try not to fall behind."
Giving the back of his head my own smirk, I grabbed a notepad and pen and quickly followed them out the base's door. "Sure thing, boss."
The walk to the village was beautiful but a little long. We had to walk a full mile and a half before we broke through the trees. Looking at all the wooden houses, I laughed inwardly at myself. And here I was picturing a bunch of little huts. It was less a village and more a very small town. I counted ten structures total, all branched out over a large field.
"Stay close." Hana ordered as we walked past a few people not in their houses, her dark eyes cautioning. "The village elders are suspicious of outsiders and it was no small matter getting them to agree to your presence here on the island."
"But doesn't the island belong to Mr. Kiba?" Ayako asked.
"Yes, technically. When Japan's government claimed it and tried to evacuate the village by force, Mr. Kiba bought the island and agreed to let us remain here as long as he could build what he wanted on the opposite side of the island. He was aware of what would happen to us otherwise."
I smiled. "That was very kind of him."
Hana smiled back. "It was. He's protected our way of life. We can continue to live in peace here, away from cities and people that do not understand our traditional ways. Come. The elders are all at my father's house, awaiting your arrival."
Following her up the porch steps of a two story house, she opened the door and let us walk in first. My eyes took in the rustic decorations around the house before settling on four men standing before a fire, their voices hushed as they spoke together. I had expected them to all be dressed in a tribal manner. Instead, they wore modern clothing, though maybe a tad outdated. Three of the men looked to us with a mixture of concern and curiosity, the fourth man openly glared.
Hana stepped forward to stand between us, ready for introductions. "My honorable elders...father...these are the experts who can help rid the island of the malicious spirits that haunt it."
"Your names?" The glaring one asked, his eyes taking each of our faces in.
Naru took a careful step forward, half hiding me behind him. "My name is Kazuya Shibuya. I own Shibuya Psychic Research. I've brought with me my assistants, Lin Koujo and Mai Taniyama, along with television medium, Masako Hara, and shrine maiden, Ayako Matsuzaki. I have more helping me but they are back at Mr. Kiba's home."
One of the kinder looking men stepped forward and put a hand on Hana's shoulder. "I'm Hana's father, Akatsoi."
The next man spoke. "I am Echi."
"Ritsu."
"Konoho." The glaring man spoke, his piercing eyes making me shrink even further behind Naru. "What do you think you can do to drive these spirits away that we haven't? Do you think your technology is somehow superior to our traditional methods?"
"Konoho..." Hana's father said softly. "We have tried our methods and they have not worked. How many more girls must suffer before you truly accept what we are doing to stop it?"
"I know what we need to-"
"Konoho!" Hana's father said harshly, his voice hushed. Whatever he had stopped him from saying, I had a feeling would help us solve the case that much sooner. Writing down the names of the elders and a little side note about talking to Konoho specifically, I looked back up to find him glaring at me specifically. He began to smile slightly. It was such a dark smile, I cringed. Scary...
Hana's father spoke again. "Mr. Shibuya, why don't you tell us what you plan on doing?"
"I'd first like to allow Miss. Hara to walk around the village and some of the surrounding forest. She's sensitive to the spirits around her and can tell us where the presence is strongest."
He gestured to the door. "Of course. We'll wait here."
Bowing to each of the elders in respect, we followed Hana out of the log cabin-like home and into the center of the village. Naru turned to Masako. "What do you feel?"
Said medium closed her eyes, her kimono sleeve placed delicately in front of her mouth. "There is a presence here...It's weak, sad even. I don't think I am sensing the spirit that has attacked these girls."
Hana glanced behind her at a fringe of forest before quickly looking away. Trying to memorize exactly where the fringe of forest is located, I followed everyone as we walked around the village. There were many people that we passed but none would talk to us. The children even looked afraid. After half an hour of just getting the feel for the village and for the homes, we paused outside the last home, all a little tired.
"The violent spirits only come at night, I think. Perhaps you will not sense them until then." Hana murmured, noticing how frustrated Naru was becoming. "Once we have checked this house, let us return to the elders. I will ask on your behalf that you be permitted to stay in the village."
Naru looked deep in thought. After a moment, he nodded. "Yes, we'll do that. If I'm correct and this violent entity is originating from this village, the only way to rid the island of it is to combat it here."
We had just stepped inside the last house and were following Masako down a small hallway across from the door when she let out a soft 'oh' and collapsed. With only Lin near enough, he had to catch her and help her to the ground, where he leaned her against the hallway wall. I leaned down in front of Masako.
"What is it? What did you sense?"
She shivered, her wide eyes filled with legitimate fear. "So much pain...So much fear...I feel it trying to crush me..."
"How long has this house been here, Miss. Hana?" Naru asked and Hana, who was looking worriedly at Masako, turned to Naru.
"It is the oldest house here. It burnt down decades ago and was rebuilt before any of the other houses were. That was back when this village was filled with huts. Only the tribe leader could live in the structure that was here before this house. After his death, it became tradition for the village to be ruled over by the strongest members. Those are the elders that you have met today."
"How did the old tribe leader die?" Naru asked when he saw that I had written everything that was said down.
"He died in the fire that burned down the old structure here. That's what my father told me. He was forty when he died."
When there was a lull in the conversation, I returned my gaze to Masako, who was looking at the end of the hall in fear, at a door there. Standing, I opened it to see a set of stairs in the dark. A very cold chill drifted up and I shivered violently for a second. "Is this a basement?"
"Yes, it is." Hana replied. "It is where everything the village is not using is stored, especially during Winter."
"Don't go down there." Masako begged me softly. "I feel it...So much fear..."
I had never seen Masako act this way. She had been rather dramatic on former cases, wanting the attention of Naru, but this is different. She seems to be genuinely frightened. Shutting the door, I turned back around. Naru was staring in my direction. I blushed, though it was a lot easier to control than it was a year ago.
"If it would be alright, I'd like to set up a camera in that basement." Naru told Hana. "If your village's elders agree to our presence here for the night, I'd also like to set one up in the center of the village. We can get together some camping gear so we don't take up any of the space in your homes."
Hana nodded. "Of course. Come, let us return to my father's home."
Back at the first home we entered, we found the elders still standing around the fireplace. It had been stoked, so that the room was made all the warmer. Hana's father nodded to us before gazing at his daughter. "What have they said?"
"They feel something coming from the basement in the old house. Would they be able to set up camp in the village? Perhaps be able to enter the basement?"
Konoho glared. "No! These outsiders shouldn't even be here! Akatsoi, control that daughter of yours! She will lead this village to ruin with her foolish requests!"
"Konoho, do not speak in anger. I will let them set up camp and enter the cellar for a few minutes. When they realize that it is just a dusty old basement like any other house has, they'll leave it. What do the rest of you say?"
Something told me that Hana's father was lying. I had opened that basement door myself and I felt something, something dark. It takes a strong force for me to feel it that clearly when I'm awake.
"I suppose I can agree to it." The one called Echi said.
"And I." Ritsu spoke.
After a long moment of brooding silence, Konoho finally consented. "Fine, but they must leave this village at sunrise."
"We should know all we need to know at sunrise." Naru assured them.
"You may lead them back to Mr. Kiba's house to collect their things." Hana's father told her.
Once we had all bowed again, we left the house and the village. Monk and John looked worried when we returned to the base. Monk quickly hugged me. "We were worried. How did it go?"
"We met the village elders and followed Masako as she toured the village. The elders have agreed to let us set up camp in the village." I explained.
"That one elder, Konoho, he gave me the creeps." Ayako murmured and I nodded.
"Yeah. The phrase 'If looks could kill' kept coming to mind. He looked like he hated to have us there." I added.
"Will we all be camping in the village?" Monk asked. "At least one of us has to stay here and keep an eye on the monitors."
"Lin and I will be staying in the village for the night, as well as Miss. Hara and one other person. The less people we bring, the less at odds we'll be with the elders."
"Draw straws for it?" Monk recommended as he grabbed a few from a table that had been set up with all the makings for tea, hot coco and such, including a kettle sitting on a hot plate. Taking a moment to turn away from us and cut the straws different lengths, he turned around and allowed for John, Ayako and I to take our pick of them. Waiting until I had seen the straw lengths of everyone else, I opened my hand.
"Mai won." Ayako said in slight surprise. "I'm not sure how I feel about Mai and Masako camping alone with just Naru and Lin."
"The girls will have their own section of the tent. The one I've packed for this trip has a divider in the middle." Naru explained, sounding like he didn't really care how Ayako felt about the situation. "The sun sets in about four hours. Put only what you'll need for the night in a bag and return to the base."
"I'll come with you." Ayako told me as I started to leave the base. Arriving at the room I was to share with Ayako and Masako, I unzipped the bag I had packed my things in and started selecting what I'd need. "Mai, please be careful tonight. Don't try to run off on your own or anything. I realize you're seventeen and old enough to make smart decisions, but-"
"Ayako don't worry." I cut her off, giving her a convincing smile. "I may have been overly reckless a year ago but I've grown up a lot more than people realize. I'll stay near the group and make sure that Masako doesn't disappear like she did on that case with the demonic blood-draining monster."
She smiled. "I know you've grown up, Mai. It's kind of scary just how much."
Finishing putting my overnight things in a small plastic bag, I returned to the base with Ayako. "I'm ready, Naru."
"Naru?" Ayako called to him, the tone in her voice telling me she was being very serious. He took his time making himself a thermos of tea before looking up at Ayako. "Take care of her. I'll drown you in the ocean if you come back without her."
He merely gave her an intimidating glare, which Ayako effortlessly deflected. We had spent long enough seeing only Naru's bark to realize that he really didn't have a bite. He had his PK but he knew better than to use it.
"Let's get going." He commanded. "Each of us will be carrying an extra bag on their back that contains either a camera or a monitor."
Accepting a bag that felt heavy enough to only contain a camera, I put it on my back and started the walk.
"Mai, I've put a walki-talki in the bag on your back. If you need me for anything, I'll have mine on all night." Ayako told me just as I rounded the corner.
"She babies you." Masako murmured as we walked down the stairs. "It's pathetic."
"I'd rather be babied than have no one concerned about me." I said a little more venomously than I meant to. I could tell by the tensing of her shoulders that I had offended Masako. I sighed. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."
I'm just glad that Naru is too busy talking to Lin to have heard that. He'd think I was being childish. Mr. Kiba actually made an appearance as we were leaving. Naru explained what was happening.
"Very good. I'm glad things are getting sorted. Who have you left here with me?" Mr. Kiba asked.
"Hosho Takigawa, a monk with experience in expelling spirits, Ayako Matsuzaki, the shrine maiden and John Brown, an exorcist. We'll be back shortly after sunrise."
"Very well. This is a safe island with little people. Seeing as I don't expect a village member to try to come in and take my things, I'll leave the doors unlocked all night."
A minute later, we left the house and were on our way to the village. The walk took thirty minutes, which wouldn't have been so bad if not for the cameras and monitors on our backs. I was pretty tired by the time we arrived and had to sit on a nearby tree stump for a moment. Masako temporarily forgot our rivalry and say on the stump with me.
"We have to get walking. I want to have the campsite set up by nightfall." Naru ordered.
"I normally don't have trouble walking half an hour but we're carrying heavy things and walking on uneven terrain. Cut us some slack." I told Naru bravely, not really thinking how he'd react. On previous cases, he'd usually reply with a slam against my intelligence.
"Mai, I'm your employer. If I tell you to do something, you do it. Now stand up and follow me." He said in a low, almost cruel tone. Taken aback, I shakily stood and followed after him. Masako followed after me a moment later. Risking a glance over my shoulder, I saw a look of surprise on Masako's face. She had never seen him get so short tempered with me before either.
"I'm surprised Hana didn't come with us." I said casually as we started walking through the village, trying to lighten the darkening mood.
"She has responsibilities at Mr. Kiba's home, Mai. You know that." Was all Naru said before we arrived to a clear patch of grass about twenty feet from the oldest structure, near the outskirts of the village.
As Naru began to remove the tent supplies from the bag on his back, Lin turned to us. "Miss. Hana has given us permission to enter her family home when we need to use the restroom and for dinner tonight. Other than that, we'll be stuck in the tent. Try not to enter the house any more than necessary."
I nodded, smiling. I have nothing against Lin. "Sure thing."
The tent ended up being just big enough to set up a battery powered monitor and still have room for us to sleep. When it was finished, we grabbed the cameras and set one up in the center of the village. It was on an automatic revolver, so it would move in the direction that it began to pick something up, while still circling until then.
"Are we all going into the cellar to set up the second camera?" I asked as we started heading back towards the tent.
"Unless you're too afraid." Naru murmured, sounding faintly like he was teasing. I resisted the urge to cross my arms and waited until I was sure my voice would be even before speaking.
"Not at all. I'm actually interested in seeing it. I can sense something down there." I told him honestly.
"Your ability to sense spirits is dim. It always has been." Naru told me, making me feel even more insulted.
Glaring, I finally crossed my arms. "How would you know? You've been gone for over a year."
That did it. He paused in his walking, his back becoming rigid. Both Lin and Masako wisely kept walking, leaving Naru to possibly yell at me in peace. When he turned around, he gave me the coldest stare I've ever seen. "Get that walki-talki out and get Mr. Takigawa or Miss. Matsuzaki to come and get you."
I didn't move. It took a lot not to cower under his glare. "I'll stay, thank you."
"If you want to stay, you're going to have to learn to get over things."
Both of us knew what he was referring to. He rejected me and broke my heart, leaving me to grieve for a year while he ran off to England. Now he's back and he wants me to pretend it all never happened. Well, it's not that simple...It's been a year and it feels like only weeks...When a person is in love, they don't just forget and go on with their life like it never happened.
When it became clear that I wasn't going to say anything about it back to him, he turned around and continued to walk towards the oldest house. Following, I tried to think of something to say, in hopes that I could at least break the awkward silence I felt, but nothing came to mind. What could be said, anyway? I love him and he knows it. He doesn't love me and I know it.
Fighting down the urge to cry, I followed everyone inside the oldest house and straight up to the door that led down to the cellar. Masako stood beside me and shivered, the wide eyed look returning. "I'm frightened to go down there, Kazuya."
He looked over his shoulder, the door already opened by Lin. "If you'd like, you can remain up here. But it would be wise to come with us. There could be something more to sense."
I wasn't exactly on good terms with Masako, but I wouldn't just leave her alone to explore a haunted cellar. I tried giving her a friendly smile. "I'll stick by you, Masako. Buddy system."
She scowled before quickly hiding her mouth with her sleeve. "I'll pass. I can handle myself."
Lin san handed each of us a flashlight from the bag he had carried with him that also contained the camera for the cellar. As soon as Naru and Lin san had walked down half of the steps, Masako followed and so did I a moment later. Shining my flashlight around, I caught sight of a few items that would be naturally found in a cellar, especially one of a modern day tribe. Barrels, a large plow, some rakes, hoes and shovels. Some things were covered in tarps even.
It took until I was at the bottom of the stairs to realize that the cellar was huge, even more so than the house it sat under. There were bookcases blocking it about halfway that I had to step around. I gasped. "Guys, check this out."
Naru reached me first, followed by Lin san and then Masako. They shined their lights in the same direction I had mine, illuminating a large piece of leather resting on the floor. It had been used as a canvas for a painting, one definitely not found in most basements. It was of a hellish looking beast holding a figure in both hands. Both were screaming and one was being brought to its mouth for it to consume. Around the beast were several people with hair and skin much like the tribe members, their arms raised in the air, red smeared on their faces.
Naru turned to his older assistant. "Lin, what do you think?"
"It's reminiscent of a tribe worshiping their deity." Lin san murmured. "I believe those that the beast are consuming are-"
"Sacrifices." Naru finished for him. "Could the spirit hurting these girls have something to do with it?"
"But the painting shows the beast consuming them. Whatever is running around is only sexually harming them." I added.
"We have a goal, then." Naru told no one in particular. "Find out who their deity is supposed to be, what this painting means and why it's hurting these girls the way it is instead of just killing them."
I nodded. "Should we keep searching for clues or set up the camera and leave?"
"I set up the camera a few minutes ago, before we found the painting." Lin san told me before looking to Naru, waiting for his command.
"Another five minutes and then we'll return to the tent. We still have two cameras to set up." He decided before turning his light towards the far wall of this section of the cellar. He illuminated a dark wooden door and immediately approached it. He jiggled the handle before looking behind him, probably wondering where Lin was.
"Let me help." I called before walking up to him, my hands removing two bobby pins from my hair. "Lin is on the other side of the books."
"You think you can open this door with those?" He didn't have any kind of incredulous expression but his voice told me that's how he was reacting.
"I know I can." I said with my own little smirk before kneeling before the door. Sticking the unfolded pins into the ancient lock, I had to use them to carefully turn the lock inside until a very audible click told me I had succeeded. Standing up, I gave Naru a smug look. He glanced from me to the door and back to me again.
"Where did you learn to pick a lock?"
"My old boss, Mr. Shishu, locked his keys in his office. I watched him use a metal chopstick to unlock it and asked him to teach me how. He showed me first with the chopstick and then showed me with bobby pins, something I'd be more likely have on me."
"You never carried bobby pins with you before." He added, though I had no idea why. "Lin, Miss. Hara, this way."
"I never had a reason to before." I told him as we waited. "I do a lot of different things now that are practical."
The conversation was cut short when Lin san and Masako showed up. Naru opened the door and shined his light in. Masako fainted. I mean seriously fainted. No pitiful sigh, no leaning on Naru. Just a straight drop to the ground, eyes rolling back. I quickly knelt down beside her. "Masako! Are you okay?"
Lin san knelt down next and placed a hand on her neck, at the pulse point. "She's unconscious. I can carry her back to the tent and let her rest."
"Stay with her." Naru ordered. "She shouldn't be alone. Mai, you can go with them."
"And leave you entirely alone to explore this pitch black room? I'll stay." I told him firmly. Firmly enough, apparently, that he didn't question it as Lin san left with a passed out Masako in his arms. Naru waited until they disappeared behind the bookshelves before shining his light inside the room. Doing the same, I tried to make out anything. The room seemed empty. The floors and walls were made of stone, which made me curious. Why would an empty room entirely made of stone be in a cellar of a tribe?"
"It's empty."
"But there's something there." I told him before he could reach his hand entirely for the door, intending on shutting it. "I feel it and so did Masako. Whatever is in this room was strong enough to actually make her faint."
"She's fainted before over less." He said in a slightly tired tone, as if he had grown bored of the cellar.
"Not like this." I defended. "She didn't swoon, Naru, she dropped. I feel it too. If I can feel it now, when I'm entirely awake, it's something to be investigated."
Looking over his shoulder, he gave me a cold stare before stepping aside. "Then go. If it must be investigated, go investigate it."
Swallowing audibly, I stared into the dark room in slight fear. Being alone in the dark wasn't exactly my favorite pass time but I wasn't about to look childish in front of him. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped into the room carefully. I had taken ten careful steps before I tripped over something, causing me to flail all the way to the ground. I winced as his light shined on me.
"Are you alright?"
"Just peachy. Are you gonna leave me to do this on my own or are you coming?" I asked before shining my own light on the ground. I had tripped over a chain. Not just a chain, a shackle. It was attached to the ground. Shining my flashlight around the floor, I saw that there were three others, all making a rectangle that stretched out two feet by five feet.
"We should go." Naru murmured, scaring the crap out of me. He had entered the room without me knowing it and was standing directly behind me. "Chances are, the tribe doesn't want us here."
"Maybe. Or maybe they don't even know what's in this room. The door may have been locked for a long time."
"Unlikely." He stated flatly. I could barely make out his hand reaching for me. He grabbed my arm and jerked me to my feet. I winced at the sudden pressure on my arm. He let go right away and started to head for the door when the scariest thing to happen in a long time happened right before my eyes. The door slammed shut.