Hello! First I would just like to say I am so very sorry I have not uploaded for absolutely ages, I know how annoying it is to just be getting into a story and then the author just stops. Secondly I am doing my A levels so don't hate me too much! And if anyone else is doing theirs as well, good luck and you'll know how incredibly stressful it is so hopefully you'll understand. Anyway this chapter was supposed to be longer but I figured I kept you waiting long enough without me having to get over a little bit of writers block so enjoy and as my exams are over I should be updating more frequently. Byyyyeeee!

Chapter 4
"WATCH IT!" squeaked Mai as the papers continued to fly around, some floated out the door.
"Ah, sorry!" Yasu grinned, slightly embarrassed by his clumsy entrance. Mai ran out to gather up the papers that had floated out the door. She scooped up the last one triumphantly before turning round and walking straight into Yasu, who had followed her out. She started to fall back but he grabbed her waist and pulled her in close.
"Watch it yourself, troublemaker" Yasu murmured into her hair. Mai felt herself blush slightly as Yasu's breath fluttered her hair, warming her skin. She drew herself away from his embrace, laughing nervously.
"YASU! MAI! HURRY UP WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO!" came the irritated cry of a monk. Mai opened her mouth to stammer out a reply but Yasu beat her to it.
"COMING MY LOVE! DID YOU MISS ME?"
Mai heard Monk groan and she let out a giggle. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, What was that about? she thought, Does Yasu . . .? Noooo.
"Mai? Are you going to stand out here all day?" Ayako asked as she leant against the door frame.
"Ah! No, coming!"

"Why's your face all red?"

"Huh? Oh, um, I, Uh I am, uh . . . really out of shape, yeah. Since I don't have a school to force me to do it anymore, things just . . . anyway" Mai dashed through the door. Ayako raised an eyebrow and, deciding not to tell Mai she had seen the whole thing, followed her back inside.

8:00 pm, At The Corner

Mai fidgeted nervously with the hem of her skirt. They had received permission from the manager to carry out an exorcism, even though the manager himself didn't believe in such things, but if it made his staff feel more at ease then what harm could it do? Monk and Ayako were dressed in their ceremonial robes respectively and were each preparing for their own exorcism. The plan was to try and cleanse the ghost first and foremost but if that failed they would hit the ghost with Ayako's exorcism, followed by Monk's, before Mai would join in helping the two throw 'everything we've got at this sucker'. Mai was feeling extremely uneasy about the whole thing. She had voiced her feelings to Ayako who had reassured her but pointed out they were going to have to deal with the ghost sooner or later. She kept telling herself it wasn't the first time they've exorcised a ghost without Naru but . . . A sudden bang brought Mai out of her day dream, making her jump. Yasu grinned goofily and held up his hands guiltily.

"Sorry! I accidently knocked over your magic stick Ayako."

Ayako huffed and mumbled something under her breath, she had lost too many arguments with Yasu about the correct name for the 'magic stick' and she wasn't going to start another one now.

Mai sighed in relief and concentrated on how she was going to take down the ghost. Ya know, if it does need taking down.

A headache started to play up in Mai's head and she winced as it worked itself from the unreachable middle depths of her brain towards the solid confinement of her skull, slowly and methodically pounding against it. She raised her hand to attempt a soothing massage. Monk was waiting in the middle of the locker room where Mai and her friends had been attacked. He was hyperaware of his surroundings as he waited for any indication that the ghost was present. He heard a soft thump and he whirled around expecting to see some sort of paranormal activity. Or Yasu knocking Ayako's 'magic stick' over again. Instead he saw Mai sprawled out on the floor.

"MAI!" came the simultaneous yells of the conscious occupants of the room.

Ayako was first to reach the girl and she immediately checked her pulse and pupils.

"She seems to have just fainted but we should really get her to a hospital now, especially since she had her seizure not even a week ago."

"Okay. I'll carry her out to-"

The light bulbs in the locker room suddenly blew out, fragments of glass rained down upon the team. Yasu and Ayako dropped to the floor, their arms above their heads. Monk covered Mai with his body. The temperature started to lower and the lockers began to shudder.

"Crap! Seriously? Now?!" Monk yelled at no one in particular.

"Houshou we need to get Mai out of here!"

"Agreed but-"

A low growling sound suddenly interrupted Monk. The ghost was not happy.

"Come on! Let's go!" Yasu shouted.

Monk hesitated, eyebrows furrowed furiously as he debated with himself whether he should stay and try and fight the ghost alone.

"HOUSHOU!"

Monk looked up noticing that several inanimate objects were whirling around the room, a chair came hurtling towards him, he only just managed to duck out the way in time.

"Argh! Okay. EVERYBODY OUT!"

Monk scooped Mai up into his arms and turned, running towards the back door. Yasu reached the door before Monk and yanked the handle down. It didn't budge. He tried again. And again but the handle remained stubbornly stiff. Monk cursed and lumbered over to the other door that led into the main building of the restaurant. It was locked too.

"Ah, c'mon. C'mon!"

All of a sudden the lockers stopped shuddering. The temperature plummeted further. The breath of the living came out in heavy, ragged clouds of vapour. Monk subconsciously pulled Mai closer to his chest. The three regrouped with their backs to the wall. The darkness around them seemed to grow heavy. Yasu and Monk started to brace themselves for whatever was coming. They looked around the room, searching frantically for another escape route. Ayako however, was currently staring at the corner of the room. A face was staring back. The face was twisted and pale and sat atop a ghastly, disintegrating body. It widened its eyes and pulled its mouth upwards into a grotesque smile. Ayako grabbed Monk's arm, her fingers digging in to his skin, and pointed to the corner. Monk followed her gaze and further tightened his grip on Mai. The growling grew louder.

"Ayako." Monk said calmly. "I need you to take Mai. I'm gonna create a distraction . . ."

"No, you ca-"

"Ayako NOW!"

Without warning Monk thrust Mai at Ayako and bolted to the left, brandishing his prayer beads and chanting, the bulging eyes in the twisted face followed him, smiling. Monk's chanting grew louder, more complex. The smiling stopped.

Ayako struggled to hold Mai whilst Yasu hectically tried to kick down the nearest door. The face noticed the noise, and a sudden dark entrail shot out to stop it. The entrail slammed Yasu into the door before wrapping round his torso and throwing him across the room. Monk whirled round at the sickening thud of flesh against concrete.

He gritted his teeth and carried on chanting. He ran towards the corner the ghost resided in and, thrust the beads straight at the face whilst he shouted the final phrase of the exorcism.

The ghost screeched and disappeared.

But not for long.

Monk's eyes widened in horror as the grotesque face in the wall, reappeared next to Ayako and Mai.