SORRY TO LEAVE YOU ON A CLIFFHANGER. I HOPE YOU'RE ALL ENJOYING THE STORY SO FAR.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. ENJOY CHAPTER 4!

Chapter 4

Mai's POV:

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.

A moment later, both flashlights flickered and shut off, plunging us into darkness. I couldn't help it. I screamed so loudly, it echoed off the walls and hurt my own ears. A strong hand clamping over my mouth caused me to scream louder against the hand. "Mai, shut up. It's me."

I sighed in relief, noticing that his voice was closer. He removed his hand. "Naru, what happened?"

"The cellar is drafty, it could have been the wind."

"The wind couldn't have come from the direction it would have to to slam the door shut. There's a solid wall there. And what about both our flashlights breaking? What if it's the ghost? I think I'm going to be sick..."

"Mai, stop panicking. The only thing you're at risk of is getting fired if you scream in my ear again." He said in a slightly harsh tone.

"How did I scream in your ear? I thought you were standing when the door slammed." I asked in confusion. I knew he was slightly closer now, though I wasn't sure why. Did he instinctively kneel down beside me when the door slammed shut?

"Don't ask stupid questions." It sounded like he was using that subtle tone that tells me when he's slightly flustered. "Stay still. I'm going to check to see if the door will open."

"Why do I have to stay still?" I demanded to know as his footsteps started to become a little fainter.

"Because it's pitch black in here. You're bound to trip on something. Maybe the air around you."

"Baka." I muttered. The word echoed around us.

"Anata ga hoshii." (A/N: Translates to 'I want you')

Shivering, I looked in the direction I heard the whispering voice and then in the direction I remembered Naru walking. I laughed nervously. "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything, Mai." Naru's voice was still near the door. I began to almost violently shake.

"Please come back over here. I heard something." I told him in a panicked tone.

His steps became louder until he was standing right next to me. I felt hands grab my upper arms in the dark. I thought it was Naru until I was violently pulled in the opposite direction. I screamed. "Mai?"

"Help me!" I begged. Whatever had a hold on me was dragging me to the far side of the room. The air was knocked out of me as I was lifted from the ground and held against the wall. I could feel the hands go from my shoulders, over my breasts, down my torso and to the hem of my skirt.

The hairs on my body start to stand on end and I felt my hair begin to wave around me dramatically as a light began to emanate from Naru, outlining his figure as he came to stand in front of me. A blinding light came right for me and I tightly shut my eyes. The intense fear I felt began to dissolve when the cold hands I felt inching under my skirt disappeared and the terrifying presence seemed to fade. As my hair settled back on my shoulders, I slid down the wall and hit the ground with an audible thud.

"Ow." I muttered, my butt smarting from the fall. I opened my eyes to see darkness once again. "Naru?"

"Are you alright, Mai? Do you still feel the ghost?"

"No, I think he's gone. Are you alright?" I asked him. He sounded winded, tired even. "Was that you? Did you get rid of the ghost using your PK?"

There was silence for a long few seconds before he answered. "Yes. I advise you to keep that fact away from Lin."

I frowned. "It's dangerous for you to use it. It could kill you. Do you feel alright?"

"I'm fine, Mai." He enunciated each word, ice in his tone. "It wasn't that bad this time."

As offended as I was because of his tone, he did just save me. I sighed. "Thank you, Naru...for stopping it."

"I usually have to save you on cases. It was because you insisted on checking out this room that we're in this situation."

I glared into the dark. "A simple 'you're welcome' would suffice. You have to admit one thing."

"And what's that?" He asked after a silent few seconds.

I grinned. "I was right. I told you there's something here."

"Is your flashlight working now." He asked before turning on his own. Sounds like he's ignoring my statement.

"I dropped it when the ghost grabbed me. It's back by the chains."

"I'll get it." He said before I could hear him standing. He walked away and, when he returned, dropped the flashlight in my lap. I turned it on and shined it on him.

"Mine works again." I said before raising an eyebrow. He was giving me a really strange look. "What is it?"

"You have bruises on your upper arms, directly beneath your shoulders."

Gasping, I looked down at my shoulders barely covered by my short sleeved shirt and saw bruises in the shape of hands. Touching one arm, I winced. "Ow, that's painful."

Instead of jerking me upright like he had when I tripped over the chains, Naru held out a hand for me to take. Surprised, I placed mine in his and let him stand me upright. He let go right away and began walking for the door. To my immense relief, it opened this time. "Come on. We need to tell the others. If they ask, tell them the ghost left on its own. No word of PK. Not one."

"Geez, I get it." I said in a lighter tone as I left the creepy room with him. He shut the door behind us.

"Can you lock this door back? We shouldn't let the tribe know we went in here."

Taking the already bent open bobby pins from my pocket, I knelt down and locked it back. It took longer than unlocking it but wasn't impossible. "There. Let's go. I'm getting more chills."

The feeling that something was watching us did not leave me until Naru and I had entirely left the house. The sun had already set over the trees, giving us little light to see to return to the tent. I kept my flashlight on, shining it on the tent. Masako was sitting on a tree stump beside it while Lin san was pulling a third camera from a bag.

"What took you?" Lin san asked Naru softly as the younger boy went to stand by his assistant. Lin san's eyes went to my upper arms, taking in the bruises that were barely visible with the minimal light.

"We were locked in that room by the spirit. He tried to attack Mai."

"How did you get away?" Even I could hear the skepticism in Lin san's voice.

"It left on its own, possibly because of my presence there. It might have been a different story if Mai had been locked in that room alone."

"Don't lie to me, Noll." Lin san whispered so low, I hardly heard it. "How badly did it affect you?"

Naru glared at Lin san. Not the glare he uses on me or the one he uses on everyone when they're being too hyper in his office. This glare was the kind a child would give his elders when scolded. "I have it under control. I've learned more than you think."

"No matter how much you've practiced controlling your abilities during this past year, a year is not enough to use them in an uncontrolled setting. And what if you had missed and hit Mai? You're lucky she isn't dead."

"Enough." Naru demanded loudly enough that it alerted Masako, who was still sitting on the tree stump with a vacant expression. She finally look up at me.

"What was in the room?"

"The spirit that's been hurting these girls. It was waiting there. I think it's the room the spirit rests when it isn't attacking."

"Mai, repeat that." Naru ordered.

I blinked. "Uh, I said I think the room that we were locked in is the spirit's hiding place. Where it lies and waits for another isolated victim. It's where its presence can be felt the strongest."

He was silent for a moment before turning to Lin san. "Go down to the cellar again and make sure the camera we have down there is facing that door. Miss. Hara, Mai and I will take the last camera and set it up in the woods where Miss. Hara feels the strongest presence."

Handing the camera remaining to Naru, along with a tripod, Lin san headed directly for the oldest house, leaving us to do our own jobs. It took her a moment but Masako finally found it in her to stand. She wobbled and fell into me. "Naru, we need to take Masako back to Mr. Kiba's. She's exhausted."

"I'm alright." She insisted, but didn't stop using me for support. I helped her follow after Naru until I couldn't support her weight anymore. I leaned against a tree as her eyes began to droop.

"This is too much for her, Naru. She needs sleep. If you won't take her back to Mr. Kiba's house, I will."

Naru's glare used when dealing with me returned. When he kept it on me long enough to make me avert my eyes, he walked past us. "Come on."

This guy is freaking unbelievable. Putting an arm around Masako, I helped her back to the tent, where she sat back on the stump. Lin san was already there. "Lin, I'm going to escort Miss. Hara back to Mr. Kiba's house. Watch the monitors and keep Mai out of trouble."

"Alright." The Chinese man murmured before unzipping the tent and crawling inside.

"Mai, stay with him." Naru ordered, giving me a hard stare before helping Masako up. I watched just a little jealously as he helped her all the way out of the village before getting into the tent myself. Chances are, none of us will fall asleep tonight, but it's always a good idea to open up my sleeping bag, just in case Naru thinks I should sleep for a chance to dream about the case.

For a good twenty or more minutes, Lin san and I were silent. He watched the monitor while I doodled in the sketch book I had thought to bring. I really didn't expect for us to exchange a word until Naru returned but Lin san decided to ask a question I'm sure has been on his mind for a short while.

"What really happened in there? How hurt was he after he saved you?"

The suddenness of his question made me nearly mess up my drawing. I looked up. "Naru? He was alright. He sounded a little winded is all. It wasn't the same thing he did that time he wound up in the hospital."

"I know." The older man said simply, not even looking away from the monitor.

"You know?"

"You didn't have to drag him out of that cellar. He used his chakra but not enough to seriously harm himself or you."

"Chakra?" I raised an eyebrow.

"The time we were all in that cave, when you first saw him use it, do you remember the light you saw around him and how everything seemed to be charged?"

I nodded, though it did little good since Lin san was still watching the monitor. "Yes, I remember."

"The charge in the air is him pulling energy from the air around him, the light around him is that energy amplified into a weapon. It doesn't have to be a weapon but with Noll, it is. He doesn't know how to use it for anything else. That's why I tell him not to use it."

After a moment of silently chewing on what Lin san told me, I looked back up from my drawing. "How does it affect Naru? What about it hurts him so badly?"

"When he uses it, he isn't just pulling the energy from the air around him, he's using the energy he already has. Taking extreme amounts of energy from the body can cause exhaustion, black outs and even heart failure."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd not talk about me behind my back, Lin." Naru said as he unzipped the tent and stepped inside. "Any activity?"

"None. The temperature in the cellar itself was forty degrees when the camera was near the stairs. Now that it's closer to the wooden door, it's dropped fifteen degrees."

"It will probably be a few hours before we get any activity." Naru removed his shoes, just like Lin san and I had done and knelt on the floor by the monitor. They talked a bit more about the readings and silenced as we all settled in for a long night of waiting.

Around eight thirty, a villager came out to our tent to let us know that a meal had been prepared for us and was waiting in the house we had met all the elders in earlier. When we had put our shoes on and arrived, only Hana's father was waiting at the table. He smiled kindly and beckoned us over.

"It's not often that I have so little company. I normally have half, if not all, of the village at my table. I figured you all would feel more comfortable if there wasn't a crowd."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"I also made sure it was just us so that I could ask you about your discoveries so far."

Naru took over. "The cellar has strong readings coming from an old wooden door in the back. What's in there?"

He paled. "Nothing for you to concern yourselves with. It's just another part of the cellar. Right now, it's empty."

"What do you normally store in it?" Naru asked, not one to be easily deterred.

Sighing, the elder man sat his fork down. "It's a dark, cold room for storing jars of preserved fruits and vegetables during the Winter, when the temperature outside is too cold for us to farm."

"Would it surprise you to know that the spirit that is harming the young women of this island is lurking in there?"

He let his jaw drop for a moment. "How do you know?"

"The medium that was with us earlier today could strongly sense it." Naru told him and Hana's father gave everyone a nervous laugh.

"Maybe the young girl was just imagining things. People that young often mistake a bad feeling for something spiritual."

"She really sensed it sir." I defended, causing Naru to give me a hard stare. I ignored him. "It was so strong, she fainted, which she only does when the spirits around her are very strong and very near."

Even Hana's father look slightly unamused. "Alright, young lady. If you feel so strongly that the spirit is in there, I'll give you the key to go inside tonight. You get until midnight to try and exorcise the room. Can one of you three perform an exorcism?"

"No, but we have a skilled exorcist back at Mr. Kiba's." Naru told him. "We can have him here and ready to perform the exorcism an hour from now."

Without even a trace of humor, Hana's father nodded, passed the key to Naru, which looked very old, and proceeded to finish his food. After dinner, we immediately returned to the tent. It was determined that Lin san would watch the monitors while I went with Naru to get John san. Naru wanted to leave me with Lin san but I wouldn't take no for an answer.

"You act like you can't stand to be around me." I told him as we walked through the village. For two minutes, he didn't respond. When we were out of the village and beginning to walk through the woods with the same flashlights we had used earlier, Naru responded.

"You're easier to be around when you're not freaking out over everything."

I fought the desire to run ahead of him and ignore him for the rest of the walk and kept my stride as even with his as I could without hurting my legs. "You don't know what it means for anyone but yourself to feel hurt, Naru. If you did, you wouldn't be treating me this way. You're trying very hard to make everything the way it was before you left but it won't work."

"Remember who you're talking to, Mai." He said dangerously but it didn't deter me. Not this time.

"I know exactly who I'm talking to. I'm talking to the one who got me fired from a decent job, who never gives me a scrap of thanks for anything I do, who never cared in the past if I graduated or not, who up and left everyone around him for a year without saying why he left. I'm talking to an ass."

He actually froze in place, making me do the same. I didn't bother shining my light on him. I didn't need to. His expression was easy enough to guess. "What did you call me?"

I rolled my eyes. "I said you're an ass, Oliver Davis."

I could have sworn he gasped. "Where did you hear that name?"

"I know how to use a computer. You and your family are all over the web. That's where you grew up. I knew that beforehand but the fact that Kazuya Shibuya is just an alias kind of surprised me."

"You had no right to research me." He said darkly. After a few seconds, he began walking and I quickly caught up.

"You had no right to get me fired from Shishu's. Now we're nearly even."

"Nearly?" At least his tone was starting to lighten up. He seemed to be over his initial shock that I know his real name.

"Something will eventually come up that will even us out."

"You're entertaining the idea that you're somehow above me right now." It didn't sound like he was mad right now, but he didn't sound that amused either.

"No, just that you owe me." I said with a smile in his direction. Whether or not he saw it in the dark was unknown to me. After a full two minutes, I looked back at him in surprise. "You're not arguing with me. You feeling okay?"

Okay, now I really am starting to get worried. I'm used to our petty fights and Naru's cold but potentially clever responses but silence? He never lets me get the last word in. After another half minute of only the sound of our shoes crunching the Earth below, he responded.

"You're wrong, you know."

I raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"About me not realizing the people around me hurt. I'm not stupid, Mai."

"I never said you were. And can you blame me for making that assumption? You haven't done a single thing to prove me wrong. If anything, you're constantly proving me more and more right."

"You're under the assumption that I left without looking back."

"I know you did." I didn't mean for my voice to sound so accusing but it came out that way. "I know you hate facing it and want nothing more than for me to pretend it never happened but you..."

"I what?" He asked after I had trailed off. I wanted to finish but I couldn't. My eyes were already stinging. "I broke your heart, Mai?"

Something inside me fractured at the almost careless way he said that. Unable to stand beside him for another moment, I ran. I wasn't even sure if I was going the right way. When I ran into a huge tree I know I never passed on the path from Mr. Kiba's house to the village, I turned right and tried looking for some form of familiar landmark.

He was chasing me. I could tell by the heavy steps behind me. Unable to glance over my shoulder just in case I hit a tree, I ran harder and called back to him. "Stop following me!"

"You're going the wrong way! Mai, Mr. Kiba warned me not to go this way! It leads to a-" My scream as I fell blocked out whatever he was warning me about. Dropping my flashlight, I hit the ground and blacked out a second later.

While blacking out helped me forget what I was running from, the piercing pain on the left side of my body was more than enough to make me wish I had never ran. Blinking my eyes as I came to, I winced and groaned. "Ow...That hurt."

"Baka..." Naru muttered. "There's a cliff, I was telling you."

After a few moments of letting my eyes adjust, Naru's face came into view. He didn't look even remotely pleased. "Oops."

He managed a wry smile. "You're still an idiot. How do you feel? Close your eyes and assess the damage."

Doing as he said, I felt where the pain was the strongest. My left hip and left arm hurt the worst, as well as a distinct stinging on my left leg. Other than that, there was just a dull ache. "It's the left side of my body. Arm, hip and leg."

I felt his hands begin to gently squeeze up my arm. When he got near the part where the hand shaped bruises are, I winced. "It's just a bruise."

"It's my body, I think I'd know better." I opened my eyes and looked up at him. He ignored me and started checking my hip. It hurt just a bit more there but even I could tell Naru was probably right. On top of that, my breathing sped up feeling his hand on my hip. He let go almost right away.

"Another bruise. Your leg has a gash on it that will need to be bandaged once I get you back to Mr. Kiba's. After that, you're to stay with Miss. Matsuzaki until further notice."

"Why?" I asked quickly, trying to sit up. "I thought I was helping at the village?"

"You were mildly assisting. You're better off resting. If you let yourself get hurt further by insisting you come back to the village, you'll be no good on this case. Let me help you up."

Glaring, I flinched away. "Don't touch me. I can get myself up."

To prove I wasn't lying, I forced my self to sit up entirely and began to stand up when I unfortunately fell to the side, right into Naru's arms. He was expecting it and already had them waiting. He didn't even ask my permission to take control and hoisted me right up, one arm around the middle of my back, the other under my knees. "Don't start flailing or I'll drop you."

I glared up at him as he started walking to a lower part of the cliff that would be easier to climb up. "You're a regular prince charming, aren't you?"

"Hold on, I'm going to step up here." He told me and I listened this time around, holding onto his neck for dear life as he stepped quickly from one rocky ledge to another before making it to the solid, grassy grown above. Only when we were a good ten feet from the cliff did I loosen my grip.

I was kind of surprised. A year ago, he needed both hands just to hoist me up when I manage to fall into a hole, now he's lifting me like I weigh nothing and it doesn't even affect his balance to move around with me. Maybe it has something to do with the training Naru's been doing to control his abilities.

"Everyone is gonna freak when we get there." I told him as the house came into view. He glanced down at me but didn't respond. As soon as we were up the stairs, Hana, who was still awake, opened the door for us, a shocked look on her face.

"What happened?"

I gave her a nervous smile as Naru sat me in a nearby chair. "A lot. I was almost attacked by the ghost and then I fell down a cliff."

She gasped. "Oh my! Is there anything I can do?"

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Naru asked her and she nodded.

"There's a bathroom through the arch on the left side of the staircase. Each bathroom in the house comes equipped with a full first aid kit."

Without even thanking her for the assistance, he quickly lifted me back up without my permission and headed in the direction she told him about. "I'll need the rest of my team to be informed that we're here."

Hana gave him a slightly offended look before hurrying up the stairs. I glared at Naru. "That was really rude. You obviously can't muster a please or thank you with me but she's a stranger and an employee of our client."

"Your mouth obviously wasn't injured in the fall." I wasn't sure if he was attempting humor or just being mean. I decided it was probably both. Crossing my arms, I refused to look at him as he sat me on the closed toilet seat, turned on the light and removed a first aid kit off a shelf above the toilet. He first took a tiny flashlight from it and shined it in my eyes. A moment later, he turned it off and placed it back in the kit. "Doesn't look like you have a concussion."

"I don't need stitches, do I?" I asked him warily, my eyes on his hands as he removed an antibacterial wipe, a roll of gauze and a small bottle of peroxide from the kit.

"No, it's not that bad." He told me before setting right to work. I winced as he poured a small amount of peroxide on the wound, a wash cloth under my leg to catch the droplets that missed. Drying it a little, he leaned down until his face was only six inches from my leg. Blushing, I squeezed my thighs together. If he looked up, he'd see right up my skirt. "There's something in the wound. I'm going to have to remove it."

"Mai?!" That was unmistakably Ayako.

"Mai!" And that would be Monk. A moment after hearing their voices, both of them, along with John san, appeared in the doorway of the small half bathroom. "What happened? Did you really fall off a cliff?"

"It wasn't really even a cliff." I assured them, waving my hands around a little. "More like a big ledge. I dropped five feet, bruised the left side of my body a little and cut my leg."

"And your stomach." Naru added. "I didn't notice the blood until now."

"Blood?!" I squealed as I saw the splotch of it around a rip in my shirt. With shaking hands, I lifted my shirt up just enough to display the wound. I almost sighed in relief. It didn't look nearly as bad as my leg. It mostly looked like a bloody scrape.

When I looked back up at the worried faces in the doorway, Ayako looked furious. "I told you to take care of her, Naru."

"Falling off the cliff is entirely her fault. She ran ahead of me and wouldn't stop." He told Ayako without looking away from the kit. Finally locating the item he needed, he presented a small pair of medical tweezers. "I'm going to remove the debris from your leg and then I'll check the other cut."

At the sight of the item, I began to shy away, pulling my leg closer to the other and pressing my back against the toilet. "No way are you digging into the cut with that!"

He gave me a firm stare. "Do you want to leave the rock in there?"

Biting my lip, I looked down at the cut, seeing just the tip of a thin rock jutting out. I balled my fists tightly. "Alright, make it quick."

Ayako, bless her, grabbed the tweezers before Naru could proceed. "Let me. I'm the medical professional here."

He didn't object. Instead, he went to lean against the far wall, the doorway too full of people for him to leave. I felt as much as saw his eyes on me as Ayako set to work. Monk went to kneel beside me, giving me his hand. "Squeeze if it hurts."

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, which turned into a gasp as the tweezers lightly nipped at the flesh in an attempt to get it out without any digging. It slid out, to my immense relief. She cleaned it again and wrapped it tightly in a bandage before turning her attention to the scratch on my stomach. I lifted up my shirt enough for her to see it properly, a little embarrassed that everyone looking in could see a full five inches of my belly.

"This one just needs ointment and a bandage." She assured me and set to work on dressing it. I stared at the small blood stain on my shirt and sighed. I really liked this shirt. As the final dressings were complete, she stood and smiled. "There, all done."

"So I'm good to go?" I asked hopefully. If Ayako told Naru I was okay to work, he'd be less likely to protest, since it was more difficult to argue with two women than one.

"You're good to rest." She told me firmly. "Masako's already in the room, being looked after by Kitsune. You go too."

I wanted to complain, I nearly did as I gave her a last pleading look. But she was firm. Sighing, I worked my way out of the crowded bathroom and, after assuring everyone I was fine, went upstairs. Well, this sucks...Though maybe it's for the best. If I spend any more time alone with Naru, I'll probably say something I regret. Either that or he'll say something that hurts me worse than he did before I ran from him...

Opening the door to the girl's sleeping quarters, I was so dejected, it took a moment to notice anyone other than Masako, who was sleeping soundly on a bed, a light quilt draped over her. The maid sitting in a chair beside her had a young, slightly tan face with slender features. Her figure was lithe but slightly buxom and her hair, done up in a ponytail that trailed down her back, was a bright shade of fiery red. She looked very bored, even as she stood to give me a quick bow.

"Good evening. Would you like to rest too?" She asked in a tone that held much disinterest. As much as I didn't want to upset Ayako by disobeying her, I really wasn't tired. Even the left side of my body, which had been sore for a while, was feeling better. I bet it would feel even better after a bath.

"Is there a bathroom in this room?" I asked, eying a partially open door.

She nodded. "Yes, it's right there. Should I find someone to accompany you? I've been told not to leave Miss. Hara's side."

I shook my head, just wanting a moment alone, even though the moment consisted of a maid and a sleeping Masako being right outside the bathroom. "I'll just be in the bathroom. I'll take ten to fifteen minutes tops."

As I spoke, I gathered a change of clothes, since my pajamas were currently in a bag sitting in the tent in the village, and my favorite light blue towel from my main bag and shut myself in the bathroom. It was a nice one. It had a large sink sitting on a marble counter and a shiny clean toilet to the right. To the left was a simple bath and shower combination, though the materials and the tiling against the wall around it were expensive looking to the say the least.

Wasting no time, I stripped down and nearly startled myself as I turned around to see a full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. I blushed a little, having not taken much time to look at myself in the mirror this way before. If I was honest with myself, my self esteem was kind of smashed after Naru rejected me last year. I was paler now than I had been when I first met Naru. Thinner in both frame and face. Almost all the childish roundness that had been there last year was gone and I wondered, if only a little, if this change was as obvious to the others as it was to me. Unable to look anymore, I turned my back and went to start the water.

As the water filled, I glanced in the cabinet doors under the marble sink. There were a few different kinds of mini shampoo sets usually found in hotel bathrooms. Maybe Mr. Kiba had them placed here for our use. Grabbing a shampoo and conditioner set and one of the clean, folded rags, I placed those things in one of the tub rim's corners before turning off the water and stepping in.

As I sunk into the water, I sighed in bliss. The aches I've felt since I was first attacked in the village cellar faded away, leaving only warmth and contentment. After a few minutes, I washed my hair and body before sinking back in the soapy water. I really had meant to be out in fifteen minutes, as I had told the maid I would be. But the water, combined with the pleasant quiet, kept me where I was. Before I could sink further into the water, I heard voices in the other room.

"Kitsune, where's Mai?" This voice came from Ayako. She must have come to find me.

"She's in there. She said she wished to bathe." Kitsune explained in a bored tone. "I offered to find someone to look after her but she refused."

Ayako knocked on the door. "Mai?"

I sighed and sat up in the water. "Yeah, Ayako?"

"Don't take too long, okay? As soon as you're out, you can eat if you're hungry. After that, I'd like it if you kept an eye on Masako. She still hasn't woken up."

"I'll be right out." I called to her. Standing, I wrapped myself in my towel and started combing through my hair with a comb I had found under the sink, still enclosed in a plastic package. When not a knot remained, I finished drying off and changed into dark colored jeans and a Caribbean blue t-shirt before exiting the bathroom. Ayako was sitting on the bed closest to the bathroom, looking worried. Sitting beside her, I put on a pair of white socks.

"You shouldn't have refused an escort, Mai. I know that having no privacy is annoying but it's the price you pay to stay safe on this case." Ayako gently scolded.

"I just needed a minute to myself." I whispered, sure my tone sounded merely tired. Apparently, I was wrong.

"What's wrong?" She asked maternally. She widened her eyes, as if she were just noticing something. "We never should have taken this case. Since we got here, all it's done is weaken Masako to the point of exhaustion and get you injured. In fact, we shouldn't have taken any case until you felt ready to be alone with Naru for any amount of time. It's affecting you more than you let on."

I tried to give her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, really. I'm just tired. It's been a long day and I'm a little worse for wear. I'll feel much better in the morning."

I didn't fool her, the look on her face said that much. But before she could say anything further on the matter, Hana appeared in the doorway. She curtsied. "I hope you're feeling better, Miss. Taniyama."

"Much, thank you." I smiled. She was much easier to convince than Ayako.

She smiled and put her hands together. "Wonderful. After such a trying first day, Mr. Kiba wants to show his thanks for everyone's help and sympathy for your injuries by having me bring you any snack or meal item you may wish for. He's currently on the phone with a business partner, otherwise he'd relay this message himself."

"That's very nice of him." Ayako told her. "If it's not too much trouble, do you think you could bring up something to drink and possibly a few snacks?"

"I'll make a spread." She said with another friendly smile before turning around and leaving the room. Almost as soon as she had left, Monk leaned half his body into the room, his eyes shut.

"Everyone decent in here?"

I giggled. "We're decent. Come on in."

Opening one eye experimentally, he opened the other, grinned and stepped inside. "So, how's everyone doing? Has she woken up yet?"

He was referring to Masako. Ayako answered. "Not yet. If she doesn't wake before we go to bed tonight, I'll get out my smelling salts. Right now, she needs rest. When Naru brought her up here, he said she had woken and and passed out again on the way back from the village."

Monk looked to me. "Mai, what do you think happened, exactly? Do you know?"

"There was this door..." I explained softly, remembering how she had dropped like a stone. "An old door in the back of the cellar under the oldest house in the village. When I managed to open it, she fainted so fast, no one had time to react. We've determined that the spirit likely uses that room as a resting place."

Monk looked surprised. Before he could respond, his pocket began to ring. He took out a cellphone and answered it. "Naru?...John's watching the monitors...I don't know...Sure, just a second."

He brought his phone from his ear and clicked a button. Naru's voice was suddenly projected from the phone loud enough for everyone to hear. "There's something happening in the cellar. Takigawa, Lin is going to tell you how to set a monitor up that will stay connected to a camera in the village from that far away. If we can do that with all these cameras, I'll change the location of the one in the center of the village and then we'll head back to the house."

As Monk left the room, I got up and followed, Ayako hurrying after me. We walked to the base, where everything that was partially set up last time I entered it was now neatly set up against the far left wall. There was a table with several chairs in the center of the room and a table against the far right wall containing all the supplies to make tea, including an electric kettle. I sat at the table with Ayako while Monk and John san listened to Lin's instructions through the phone. After a few minutes, a perfectly clear picture of the camera set up in the cellar appeared.

I gasped. "Oh...my..."

The camera was capturing video of the ghost of a young girl. Her transparent figure was huddling in the corner of the cellar, near the door to the empty room with the shackles. She was crying, her whimpers echoing around her. She was whispering something, but it was too low to make out. Reaching for the volume, I turned it up. "No...No...Don't leave me with it...Please...Please, papa..."

The apparition faded after repeating these exact words once more. I shivered. "That poor girl..."

"Her words tell us that she's clearly the ghost of a victim, but a victim to what?" Monk murmured.

Ayako stood up from her place at the table. "I've been thinking on this since shortly after arriving on the island. Based on all the clues we've seen, this is clearly the work of an angry Earth spirit. Seeing as we're around so much forest, it makes sense."

"How could it be an Earth spirit?" Monk asked incredulously. "Earth spirits don't often act on lust."

Though she looked like she really wanted to, Ayako fell silent, her eyes holding a look of concentration as she tried to figure out what to say next. Naru spoke through the speaker of Monk's phone, startling us. "Did everyone see that?"

"Yes." John san answered softly.

"Then we'll do the same for the rest of the cameras. Lin and I should be back at base in half an hour or less. We'll put the monitors on auto at one in the morning. Until then, someone has to watch them."

The phone made a noise, signaling that Naru had disconnected the call. Monk closed his phone and looked at each person in the room before grinning. "Well, are there any volunteers to stay up till one or should we draw straws?"

To answer his question, I grabbed a few stirring straws from the cup in the center of the table. "Anyone got a knife or know where scissors are?"

In answer, Monk brought out his pocket knife and came to take the straws from me. He cut them in various lengths and mixed them behind his back while John san came to sit at the table with us. Bringing them forward, Monk reached in my direction. "Pick first."

Taking a straw, I kept it clasped in my hand, not bothering to look at the length while everyone else chose theirs. As we all opened our hands at the end, John san had the longest and I had the second longest. He smiled, but the look in his eyes told me he was disappointed. He looked very tired. I grabbed his straw from him. "Get some sleep, please. You've been watching this monitor since shortly after we arrived on the island. You shouldn't strain your eyes that way."

"You've just had a bad fall. You need to sleep too." Ayako told me sternly. I gave her as firm a look as I could, a convincing smile on my face.

"I'll be fine. After a fall like that, it's recommended I keep awake for another couple hours anyway, even if I don't have an apparent concussion. I need the alone time."

My words caused a nerve to pop on the side of her face. "I didn't get too upset when you took a bath without anyone to keep an eye on you but you are not, under any circumstances, watching the monitors all alone in here for any amount of time alone. It would be the perfect time for the spirit to attack you."

I frowned. "I guess I could keep you with me, if it'll make you feel better."

She nodded firmly. "It would."

"And nobody has to worry about the ghost attacking you since he only wants virgins." Monk teased Ayako and earned a slug in the face from her. I gasped as his cheek almost immediately bruised.

"Ayako, did you have to hit him?" I asked in shock before hurrying over to the tea stand and wetting a napkin with water from a pitcher before going to place it over Monk's cheek. "I'll go ask Hana to get you ice if you want."

He laughed and took the napkin from me. "It hardly hurt. No need to baby me."

"If it hardly hurt, maybe I need to hit you harder." Ayako huffed, clearly still upset over the snub.

"Guys, no more fighting." I said with a little too much irritation in my voice. Noticing the surprised looks on everyone's faces, I tacked on a "Please."

Ayako put a hand to my forehead. "Are you feeling alright? You haven't been yourself since Naru brought you back. You feel a little warm."

"I just took a bath." I reasoned, looking out the window to avoid their worried eyes. "The water was pretty hot."

Seeing her reflection in the window, I turned around and watched as Kitsune helped a tired looking Masako into the room. The maid curtsied. "She just woke up and asked to see everyone."

"You shouldn't be out of bed yet." Ayako scolded, going to help the kimono clad medium into a chair. Despite the glare on Masako's face, she accepted the help.

"Oh, hush. I'm perfectly fine. Just a little tired."

"Are you sure?" I asked gently, hoping she'd stop being defensive and actually admit to how she was feeling.

"I could take you back to bed and have Kitsune tell Hana to bring food up to you too." Ayako offered.

"I'll stay awake a bit longer, thank you." Masako murmured, only a slight edge in her voice. At least it seemed like she intended on resting again soon.

Hana appeared in the doorway a second later, a large serving tray in her hands. She placed it in the middle of the table. "I've brought some lemonade and glasses with ice. The rest will be right up."

On cue, the maid who was assaulted, Tomo, stepped into the room with a tray loaded with food. She was a bit shaky and Hana had to hurry over and help her. When it made it safely to the table, Hana laid the dishes out for us while Tomo kept a safe distance from the men in the room by standing in the doorway.

"These are sugar biscuits and these darker ones are coffee flavored mochi." Hana explained. "There's also some cheese, summer sausage and crackers to make little sandwiches and some actual tea sandwiches for anyone who wants something more substantial. If any of this is unsatisfactory..."

"It's wonderful, thank you." I assured her before turning to Tomo. "Thank you to you both. It all looks great."

Tomo smiled softly, though it was laced with sadness. "I made the mochi..."

"Tomo makes great mochi. You'd love the kind she makes in early Summer. It's a mango flavor." Hana said with a smile. "We'll leave you to eat now."

Before they could leave, I spoke up. "Hana, our boss and his older assistant are returning from the village now that the cameras are set up. Could you make sure the door is unlocked for them?"

"They're leaving the cameras there?" She asked in surprise. I couldn't explain the tone in which she said this. I wanted to question it, but she was already backing away towards the door. "Um, yes. I'll make sure they're even greeted. Kitsune, you can do that, right? As soon as they return, you can show them upstairs and go to bed."

The red headed maid nodded and left with Tomo trailing after her. After another bow, Hana left us to our food. "That was weird."

Ayako was the one to speak and I nodded in agreement. "She looked surprised that we were leaving the cameras. Do you think the village will try to keep them?"

"Let's hope not. We're getting more from the camera in the village cellar than we have with all the other cameras combined." She said with a sigh.

"It is the first night." I pointed out after finishing a mochi. "Sometimes it takes a couple days to see any evidence of activity. The spirit is also less likely to present itself now that it knows not to..."

I trailed off. I had said too much. Until now, I had carefully kept hidden that the ghost had attacked me personally. With a slip of the tongue, I now had curious eyes on me. Well, except for Masako. She already knew, though maybe not. She was mostly unconscious when Naru and I returned to the tent.

"What do you mean?" Ayako asked in both curiosity and concern. "Why does the ghost know not to show up?"

I bit my lip, looking down. I was so determined not to meet anyone's eyes that I didn't notice everyone enter the room until Naru spoke. "She had a run in with the spirit. Though it left before she could be harmed."

I sighed and lifted up the sleeves of my t-shirt, showing my bruises. Ayako gasped. "Mai, why did you keep this from us? You were nearly assaulted and you chose not to say anything?"

I flushed. "The thing didn't get far so I figured it didn't matter."

"Of course it matters." Monk raised his voice. "The maid, Tomo. She was nearly attacked once and the ghost was interrupted. It came back to finish the job. Do you think you're really safe?"

I shivered, not realizing what nearly being attacked truly meant until now. "I didn't think of it that way..."

"Why would the ghost just decide to go away? Did someone scare it off?" Ayako asked, looking first to Lin san, and then to Naru.

Lin answered softly as he went to sit in a chair in front of the monitors. "Naru was foolish."

The older Chinese man's words caused a very angry look to cross Naru's face. I spoke for him, afraid if I left it to him, he'd say something biting in response. "Naru used a lesser form of his PK to temporarily banish the spirit. It's not like the time he destroyed the god in the cave. He's fine."

There. That answered any questions that anyone might ask. My simple response was enough to partially relax Naru's facial expressions until he was back to using his signature mask. He looked first to the monitors and then to the half eaten spread of food before us. I motioned to a chair at the head of the table. "Are either of you hungry? There's plenty left."

He turned halfway towards the monitor. "We ate dinner with Miss. Hana's father at eight. You shouldn't be hungry yet."

"It's already eleven." I pointed out. "When one stays up later, they get hungry. Hana will eventually clear everything away and you'll not get a chance to eat until breakfast."

"Who's helping watch the monitors until one?" Naru asked, ignoring anything I've said.

I sighed. "That would be me. Everyone else has been staring at the monitors while we were at the village and need to rest their eyes now."

"And I'll stay up with her." Ayako said firmly. "She can't be alone."

"You can catalog everything while Lin and I watch the monitors." Naru told me. "Whether Matsuzaki stays up with you is none of my concern. As soon as the rest of you eat, go to bed. You'll need your rest."

I pinched my lips together, refusing to let myself respond with a retort about his attitude the way I once would. Instead, I finished the rest of what was on my plate before sitting it in the middle of the table and going to sit at a computer desk near the door. Opening a word document, I used my notes, which Naru had brought back and left sitting on the table with the monitors, to catalog the events of the case since arriving on Seishin Island.

Half an hour later, Monk and John san left the room to get some sleep. Masako looked exhausted, but kept herself firmly seated, her eyes on Naru's back. Ignoring that, I returned to my notes. Ayako finally sighed. "Mai, I'm going to take Masako to the room and look after her. If I don't one of the maids will have to be bothered. Will you be alright?"

She asked that question carefully, looking me in the eyes. She wanted a truthful answer but I knew I couldn't give her one. If I did, she'd try to convince me to quit SPR. Anyone would if they knew to what extent it hurt to be near Naru, let alone talk to him. I closed my eyes and smiled. "I'll be fine. There's just another hour and a half and then I'll go to bed. I can't promise that you'll be able to wake me before nine, though."

When I opened my eyes, she was giving me a resigned stare. "Alright. Try not to strain your eyes. Hurry and finish that and then go look out the window. That'll be a nice change."

I nodded. "I will. I'm almost done."

She leaned down and kissed the top of my head maternally, something she hasn't done since the night I told her what happened between Naru and myself before he left for England. She had let me cry on her shoulder for hours then. Ayako gave a very firm glare in Naru's direction. "Don't you two strain your eyes either. Remember, look at distances."

With that, she left the room and I returned to my work. It was mundane and tedious, trying to remember all these little facts, but I managed to finish it by midnight. Printing all the pages out, I put them in one of the folders we had brought for the case and labeled it. I placed it in front of Naru. "Done. There's an index too. The last page is basically full of hunches but you might be surprised with them."

"We'll get nowhere on hunches." He murmured. "Te..."

He trailed off and I felt my stomach knot for a second. He had nearly asked me to make him tea. I wish he had. At least I could feel a little bit normal doing the task. I had to step back quickly as he stood and walked to the tea table to make some himself. Going to stand in front of the window, I watched his reflection as he returned to his chair, snagging a sandwich as he went. I cracked a smile.

This went on for another half hour until Lin himself stood. "I'll be back to help put everything on auto."

As he left, I raised an eyebrow and looked in Naru's direction. He somehow knew I was wondering. "He's going to take a shower so he's not kept up past one. If he loses too much sleep, he won't be able to properly summon his shinigami in the event we need them."

"Ah..." I whispered, really starting to feel the ache in my legs. I had walked a lot today and been through many trying experiences. Even standing in front of the window was too much. I chose to sit in Lin's available seat. Risking a glance at Naru out of the corner of my eye, I had to look away quickly as I noticed his glancing at me too. I fought back the flush.

"Go to sleep, Mai." He ordered, his nearly emotionless voice firm.

"I said I'd help and I will."

"It's not good to look at a screen right before bed." He said after a minute of silence. "It will keep you awake and affect your dreams."

I raised an eyebrow, actually turning to look at him. He didn't look at me, and I took this opportunity to take in his features. "How do you know all this stuff?"

"I just do."

"Then what about you? You shouldn't damage your eyes."

"I'm not intending on going to bed after this."

"Why?" I asked with more curiosity than I should have.

His tone didn't let on that he had noticed. "If I've used my abilities, I can't attempt to sleep for twelve hours to make sure I'm alright."

I frowned. "You need sleep too. You seem fine."

"I am fine. But Lin won't listen. I'll sleep later." He murmured. After that, we lapsed into a silence that stretched on for five minutes. I took that time to stare at the monitor, the video feed for the village cellar. Nothing else had happened since earlier, but I couldn't help but worry something else would.

I closed my eyes when the strain of staring at the monitors became too much. I don't know how Naru is standing this. I winced as I felt the beginnings of a headache come on. "Hmm..."

"Go to bed." He said again. This time, with a firmer tone. It was his no nonsense tone. I stood without complaint and headed for the door. Before I could entirely leave, I heard movement behind me. I was nearly scared out of my wits when I turned to find him a foot from me. "I'll walk you. Even across the hall is too far considering the circumstances."

This was a shock to say the least. Giving his dark stare one last look, I dropped my eyes and turned my back to him. "Sure..."

As I stepped into the hall, I listened closely to his steps, which fell softly behind me. Arriving outside of the girl's sleeping quarters without paranormal incident, I put my hand on the doorknob and turned in his direction, not quite able to meet his eyes. It was much easier to talk to him when I didn't have to look at him.

"Your welcome." He said before I could thank him. I clamped my lips together and turned halfway towards the door, afraid he'd see my blush.

"See you tomorrow." I had just begun to turn the handle when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I looked over my shoulder in surprise. He was smirking.

"And don't leave this room without an escort. Not even to bathe."

That did it. My face flamed up and I racked my brain in an attempt to find out who had told him about what I did earlier. Possibly Ayako mentioned it in passing while I was busy cataloging the case. "W-who told you?"

His smirk lessened, but the condescending look in his eyes didn't. "Just don't do it again."

I sighed. "Really, who told-"

"Goodnight, Mai." He said firmly, and with just a little bit of humor, before turning around and walking back to the base. I spent another few seconds standing outside the room before hurrying inside to sleep.