Author's Notes:
Hey guys! I'm back! I wanna thank you all for keeping me inspired about this fanfiction XD. Yes, I replayed fatal frame too just to watch Kei get up and see the rising sun. Yes!! And now, With honor, I present to you, the 4th hour. Enjoy!!
Chapter 4
Kei wasn't himself. He just kept catching his breath, staring at one thing, the clock which just striken 7 pm. He remembers that he's still working in his office.
"Mr. Amakura?"
Suddenly, his secretary came knocking at his door.
"What is it, Mika?" he asked. Then, a woman with long brown hair with bangs entered his office, carrying a cup of coffee.
"The weather's getting cold so I presume you might want a cup of coffee.." she said with a worried expression on her face. Kei just paused for a while and stared at the cup of coffee.
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"Its so embarrassing for you to take me out on a coffee, Mr. Amakura." Mika said as she looked up at Kei who was at the chair infront of her.
"It's alright… I needed time to relax too." Kei answered, and just took a sip of the coffee.
"Uhm…. Sir..? Is it alright if I ask you a question?" Mika said.
Kei paused for a while, cause he did not quite hear his secretary speaking for he had his mind wandering about. "Sure. What is it?"
"Are you alright sir? Seems like you're not yourself this past few weeks." Mika asked, with pure concern within her.
Kei sighed at first, not knowing what to answer, and having to hold his forehead with his palm.
"Mr. Amakura?" she asked, again.
"You know what, Mika? I'm really lucky to have a caring secretary like you." Kei answered, out of nowhere with a smile.
"S-sir?" Mika blushed, as she couldn't believe her ears.
"I'll be fine.." Kei added.
The two just watched the night pass them by, the busy streets, at least it was something that got Kei out of his nightmares. Just living in the normal city, no ringing of the bells, and no children singing. What more can one need to relax his mind?
Ting!
Kei suddenly snapped back to reality when he heard a tingling of a bell.
"Mr. Amakura? What is it?" Mika asks. Little does she know, that a child carrying a hammer is right behind her, wearing those old Japanese tradition dusty kimono of a priestess, and wearing a smirk on her face.
"Mika!" Kei acted quickly enough to pull his secretary out of her chair. Out of the fuss, Mika's envelope fell to the ground and her files were all scattered on the floor. Even the other people took their time to look at the two.
"Mr. Amakura, are you alright?!" she asked, but Kei was still looking at the direction where he last saw the pacifier.
"Mr. Amakura?!" she called, once again, this time, catching Kei's attention.
"Are you-…?" she asked. Kei wasn't able to speak, thus, stammered.
"I-I… I-I'm s-sorry…. I… must be…" he shook his head, before noticing the pile of papers on the ground.
"I'm really sorry to have caused you such a mess." He finally straightened himself out and got himself to help Mika.
While he was busying himself picking up the papers on the ground with his secretary, a photo from the envelope somewhat startled him.
This woman…
He picks the photo only to realize that it was that woman who haunts him in his dreams every night. The woman inside the cage seeking for help.
"Mika..? Do you… know her?" he asked as he turned to his secretary who was standing up.
"Raikka… my best friend.." Mika replied.
"Where is she..? Is she alright?" Kei asked, as he clearly remembered what was happening inside the Manor of Sleep. Seeing that woman there, something must be wrong. The Manor is a passage for the souls to cross the rift… therefore seeing her there must mean something.
"S-she…" Mika wasn't able to clear her head to get a straight answer.
"Mika?"
"She had a car accident with her family. Fortunately, her brothers and parents are alright, but something seems to be wrong with her. It's her fourth night of not waking from her sleep. Her parents have tried calling a specialist, and a doctor about it. Still… they can't seem to find what's wrong with her." Mika explained the whole thing to her friend.
"Mika, do you know where she lives?" Kei asked.
"I have a photo of her home with her address written on the back…" Mika said as she reached inside her bag, but no prevail.
"Strange… I'm sure that I have that photo with me today.. where could it have been…?"
Kei's eyes widened.
Could it be that…
That pacifier…
Kei stared at the bed, who was just staring back at him, welcoming him to the Manor of Sleep. There are a lots of questions that still hasn't been answered. And he's determined to look for that answers for himself. The answers that are just waiting for him to discover them, just waits behind the gates and the walls of the Manor…
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HOUR IV: THE SIGN
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Kei wakes up at the flickering light of the faint flashlight infront of him. Opening his eyes, everything was pitch black. He couldn't see a thing, only the clanging of the bells of the bell hallway was heard, and the flashlight was flickering out. Yes, he woke up in the middle of the bell hallway. He looks around, he could see nothing but darkness around. He somehow feels fear shaking inside his heart, then he takes hold of his flickering flashlight, which he takes hold infront, illuminating the object infront of him. Seeing nothing but a face that has been buried on the wall, showing fear and grief. The eyes of the man was already gone , perhaps it has been there a long time ago.
Kei couldn't say a word, and out of his fear, takes a few steps back. Feeling something takes hold of his shoulders from his back, he turns around and sees the pale white face of a priestess.
Save yourself…
The words he heard after his flashlight has lost its power. Then the clanging of the bells in the bellhallway.
Sleep priestess lie in peace…
Sleep priestess lie in peace…
If the priestess wakes from her dream…
Perform the rite of stakes her limbs pinned tight…
Lest the doors open wide and suffering unleashed on all…
Kei heard the same song that has been playing in his dreams and his mind for these past few days. The songs of the children singing lullabies of death.
The candles that has been dead turned somehow alive with their fires, with Kei staring at the door towards the Graveyard.
Please…
Whoever you are…
Save yourself…
Someone was calling out. Someone who knows that he is Kei. Not another person, or not another ghost of the past. She knows… she knows that he is… Real…
Kei snapped back to reality. He looked around. It was the normal bell hallway. The silent bell hallway without the bells clanging and the childrens' singing… all gone…
"Who is she…"
Kei started picking himself up and turned his flashlight on to start moving.
"That woman… she's trapped…" he told himself as he finds himself confused on what to follow. His niece or the priestess whose seeking his help.
Since the door towards the graveyard is locked, he needs to find another path to reach that certain area of the manor. One step at a time, he finds himself looking for another path towards the graveyard. He passed through the stairs , up to the room where he encountered the Brushing Woman. The room was empty, to his surprise, but he still kept the Camera Obscura close to him.
Closing the door, he went down the stairs to proceed to the place where the Sacred tree is. As soon as he was passing through the hall, a shivering voice was heard.
"Must save the priestess… must save…"
Kei turned to his left to find a soul that looks like one of the spirits of the people that he saw earlier at the procession.
"The priestess, where is she..?" he tried to ask, but the ghost just repeated what he said over and over. Seems like he was scared of something. He tried to take a shot of it, but seems like the camera didn't catch it. The picture definitely appeared empty. Kei paused for a while and was startled as soon as the ghost gasped in fear.
"She's …. Coming… she's coming…"
Kei brought his brows together to think of what was going on. Then a familiar sound of the bell tinkled. Kei's eyes widened. He knew that sound… the pacifiers…
There were two bells…
One that was calming and one that was summoning fear. Kei slowly turned to his left to find the ponytailed pacifier that was bidding him to follow her. His feet suddenly moved by their own, and followed the little girl who was bidding him to follow her towards the sacred tree. Before he could open the door, he could hear a dragging sound. The man he saw was being dragged away by that pacifier with her bangs covering her face.
"Must Kill…" she murmured…
Kei knew the fate of the man. But still , opened the door.
To his surprise, he met the empty dark eyes of the Kuze head. Just infront of him.
You must not disturb the priestess who lies asleep…!
Then a flash.
Jerking himself up, he was staring towards his desk, with the light on.
Catching his breath, he can still see the eyes of the Kuze head in his mind. It was… scary.
He held his face with his palm, then suddenly arching his back to feel the cold curse spreading up to his shoulders. He moaned and gasped with the cold pain that he was feeling.
This was the first time,
That I was scared for my life…
TO BE CONTINUED…