Chapter Six

In the aftermath of Mai's scream came a startled silence. Everyone's head popped up and over to her. Then swung over to look at where she was pointing, startled screams escaped from the ladies as they too saw the insane spectator. The wind blew through the camp the only movement for a moment. In that space of time filled with tension it was broken by a soft snap. The barrier strung out on string broke under the pressure of nature.

The figure threw back his head and bayed. Much like a hunting dog. And then he charged.

Quickly everyone crouched down in defensive positions, the men all over by the computer equipment and the ladies at the campfire. Mai in the middle. She ran for the ladies and then in the next breath she found herself airborne flipping up into the night sky. Feminine screams filled the air. Then the vulnerable girls were gone, leaving the men with the echoes of their screams and the sound of insane laughter.

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"What the FUCK!" Bou- san was elegant in his rage. Spewing profanities as he ran about the camp collecting his monk gear. John was white. His innocent face hard and he was also gathering himself and his stuff together. As the two men got their weapons, Lin and Naru were working in smooth controlled tandem scanning the computer equipment looking for the girls. Night had fallen and this was the worst time to be running out into the forest to battle this spectator. The men knew they had no choice. If the girls weren't dead yet from being taken, then this was their chance to save them. Waiting until daybreak would ensure the demise of the girls.

"There." Naru pointed to one of the cameras. Around it the men gathered, the wind whipping their hair around, and they could see the grainy image of the girls. They had landed at the top of the ridge. Close to the bangai. The men shared a steely glance and then set off. Naru in the lead, Bou-san and John in the middle with Lin bringing up the rear. As they set off the first drops of rain started to come down.

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The landing was defiantly worse than the take off. Whimpers escaped from the ladies. I could feel a throbbing mass of pain in my side. Looking over I saw Masako whimpering over her leg and Ayako was clutching her arm grimacing. Looking up from my prone position on the ground I saw the black rolling mass of storm clouds that hanging over us. Then the rain started to fall. Great, just when it can't get worse.

Suddenly I hear movement threw the trees. I shared a frantic glance with Ayako and Masako. We group up. "What is it?" I ask. Masako answered. "The ghosts are coming. They look different from the daytime. We must seek shelter soon. They are in control of the head ghost."

I looked around. Hey I know where I am. I pointed to the bangai about 300 Meters up the trail. "We should go there! The barrier should protect us!" Ayako and I move to help Masako and we start to hobble up the hill. The sounds of the ghosts behind us get louder and we are sobbing. Pain is throbbing through me and I can hear Ayako and Masako also panting, crying trying to go the distance. I am afraid to look behind us. Some part of me knows that if I do we won't make it.

We hobble and jump and stretch racing awkwardly up the trail. It wasn't made for three people abreast. Brush and branches tear and claw at me. I can feel scratches being added to bruises and my side is on fire. Still we push on. The rain is falling soaking our clothes and mixing with the tears on our faces.

We come to the bangai. And pass through the holy barrier. The three of us collapse on the floor, chests heaving. My breath is stuttering and I feel my breath is tight. I look at my friends. I groan and rollover pain screams through me. I sit up. I can't stop now. To stay on the forest floor is to give up and I won't do that. I get the girls up. And we press on. Headed for the heart of the temple, the building in which the alter is placed. There we will find protection from the wind and rain. We make it to the porch. Turning around to look behind us, we see the ghosts pressed up against the barrier, ghostly energy lighting up the area. It was like a scene of the living dead movie. Standing in the middle of the hoard was the spectator. We stared each other. Suddenly he cocked his head and then turned, back to me. He left disappearing into the dark of the trees. The ghosts stopped moaning and clawing at the barrier and then they faded. Leaving us to the rain, wind and dark….

Ayako and I looked at each other. Masako was on the ground slumped over her leg again. She looked up from the floor. "They are going after the men." We nodded in agreement. "I can't fight right now. I think my leg is broken." "I think my arm is broken" Ayako added softly. I nodded and added "I might have broken a rib… or two… but we need to do something!" They looked at me. I thought hard. "Ayako can you do your miko thing? There are lots of trees around here."

She sighed. "Right now my arm couldn't move in the patterns I need."

Masako chimed in. "I have two good arms, I can help."

"Maybe, but it won't be as powerful…still it could help. Mai look for a bell."

I nodded and began looking around; finally the most I could find was an old wind chime. It was old and falling apart. But one of the little bells worked, ringing surprising clear and clean. Masako took it and nodded. Ayako came up behind her and took her right arm with her good one. "Masako do you know the hand movements?"

"Yes"

"Then lets' begin."

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The men managed to get half way up the Cliffside. Far enough that they were by the ravine. Wind and rain bit at them and soaked their clothes. Lightening pulsed against the sky and then the hoards came. Out of the ravine the poor lost souls came at them with teeth and claws. The men grouped together as much as possible and then sent their mantras, spirits and holy objects out like bullets and swords, intent on protecting themselves and eventually rescuing the women.

They were failing. The vast hordes of spirits were overwhelming them. Panting the men kept at it. But they were losing. Standing just off to the side watching them with a look of enjoyment was the spectator. Every time a spirit got a cut in or blood was spilled he would give a little chuckle of joy. Neither group noticed that the spirits were leaving slowly one by one….

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Ayako and Masako were working in tandem. Chanting and signing. But it wasn't enough. Ayako was directing it but it was going through Masako. And her power has always targeted the individual not a mass amount of people. Thankfully there were a lot of trees around because they had already chanted through three times…

Ayako shook her head. "This isn't working. We are exhausting ourselves and I don't have much more in me."

"Can you use me?" Mai asked. "Have you ever done this before?" Masako asked a bit scornfully. Mai shook her head regretfully. "But I have watched you and I know the signs and words now!" Ayako shrugged and Masako sighed. Pain pinched their faces and everyone was worn down. "Why not?" Masako and Ayako agreed.

"We will have to step out of the barrier though… I don't think you have enough control to work around it properly." Ayako pointed out.

Mai shivered and then nodded in agreement. The two women stepped out of the shrine into the rain. Masako had to stay behind. Her broken leg would make it too hard to retreat if that became necessary. Chilled and thoroughly wet the two women came to the barrier. The gate to the bangai that was guarded by the foxes. The barrier was the only right now keeping them from the spectator…

"Ok Mai" Ayako began holding her arm still to her chest. "I am going to direct my movements with you and the pray with you, you will make the movements and prayer at the same time. Then I will throw my power through you, and then you will release it." Mai nodded.

The two began, chanting and signing their prayers, and then Ayako threw her power through Mai.

(Point of view change!)

I was stunned when Ayako's power hit me. It was just like before, a warm red light. It pulsed at me. I am sure that when Ayako sends out her power in prayer to the trees this is what they feel like. Like the sun is calling them out. Right before I sent it out into forest I had an idea. This is what I do with Naru take his power amplify it and send it back to him and then he sends it back and then so on and so forth until he can blast with it. OR I take the over surge and ground it into the earth…

With a tiny personal prayer I through it back to her. The power she had just given me. Only it was MORE. Surprise flickered across her face and then she threw that power back to me. I did it again. Even more irritated she threw it again. I did it one more time. "MAI" she ground out. She threw it one more time and I knew this was it. By now the prayer and the heat of her power was almost too much for me. It burned. I threw that heat into the night. Into the dark forest around us.

The forest lit up. Ringing that bell together I saw hordes and hordes of ghosts around us coming to our call. Ayako and I called to them. She directed the tree spirits and I called to the ghosts in every way I could. And they CAME! We kept ringing and ringing and still they came to be cleansed. I think we even got some of the sailors who had crashed into the sea miles away. The power was so great and so strong. It hurt to keep calling. My ribs were heaving in pain and exhaustion. Finally it was complete. Just in time. Spots danced in front of my eyes and I staggered. I ran into Ayako and we both fell back and down. Pain shot down my chest, back and legs and then I know no more.

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The men were losing. Unable to keep up with the sheer numbers of ghosts. Bou-san and John slung holy items/chants like bullets. Lin sent out his arsenal of rainbows, in a beautiful deadly whistle and Naru was also flinging out premade sutras. It wasn't enough. All of the men sported a large number of cuts and bruises. Suddenly the forest lit up. Red and orange. The light called and danced through the trees. And ALL of the ghosts turned as one and left. The spectator howled in fury and turned too. But Lin dashed out his spirits and cut off his retreat. Bou-san and John quickly leaped to block him and the four men had him pinned as they stood like sentinels to the four directions. With a steady and sure movement, both Bou-san and John read their exorcisms. Keeping him pinned was Lin. The spectator howled insanely and then was gone. Seconds after a flash of light and a sonic boom threw the men down to the ground. Just ten feet away in the ravine lighting had struck, tearing apart rock and starting a fire even in the wet of the rain. Smoke began to billow.

The men began to pick themselves up and then they ran from the smoke and flames. Naru stopped for a moment and watched the flames that had began where some many had died. Then he too hurried after the others up the trail to the Bangai.

There they saw the crumpled up figures of Mai and Ayako at the gates. Carefully Bou-san picked up Ayako and Lin picked up Mai. They took them to the shrine where Masako was holding the door open. Unable to go out to help the women she still had tears of helplessness running down her face. John came and helped her up as well. And then the group shut the door to the dark rainy forest and the smoke and flame that were purifying the ravine in the distance.