CHAPTER 3

Chihiro's eyes snapped open, the problem was, she couldn't recall ever closing them. She found herself still sitting on the same toilet she was on when she walked into this room. Her body was slumped over to the left and her face was smashed against the wall of the bathroom stall. Her body felt heavy, as though it were still half asleep. Just what had happened? Then a new detail shocked her fully awake; on the stall door in front of her was something that clearly wasn't there before; a vibrant red question mark, it's crimson paint still dripping.

Panic had now set in; Chihiro's legs fullyregained their function and allowed her to stand up. The sudden rush of blood to her brain brought back her a new wave of dizziness, and the memory of what happened. She remembered the stranger who enterd the room, and the canister of knock-out gas. Had someone kidnapped her? And if so, who would do this to her? Chihiro decided that she wouldn't find her answers in this stall, she had to get moving. She slowly unlatched the bolt lock on the door and even more slowly, creaked it open.

Upon taking in her surroundings, one thing was evident strait away; this was not the same bathroom she had entered the first time. This one was much more delapidated; it looked as though it hadn't been used in ages, no way anyone would actually come in here.

Chihiro's footfalls echoed back at her as she took her first tenative steps around this grimy place. When she reached the door, two more things jumped to her attention. On the door to the room, written in the same red paint as the stall door, were the words:

TRUST IS KEY

Chihiro's breathing grew heavier at reading this, was all this some kind of joke? That notion was shot down by another detail she noticed, a small tape recorder hanging from the door's handle. Chihiro wrested it from it's place and held it in her trembling hands. Written on the device were the words 'PLAY ME'. Whatever was happing here, maybe this tape held some answers. Chihiro pressed the play button and immediatly felt her spine run cold:

"Hello, Chihiro. You don't know anything about me or what's going on around you right now, but I know all about you. I know all about your little fear, or in your case, phobia. Not just of men, but of all those around you. Over the years you've done your best to shut out the rest of the world; you've never made an attempt to trust any of those people you try so desperatlely to shut out, the very same people you interact with each and every day. Well today, Chihiro, you will learn the true meaning of trust.

Inside this place you will find five people in dire need of your help. The means of their survival have been made readily availible to them, but their fate's are in your hands, Chihiro.

You will have one hour to not only save thier lives, but your own as well. when the timer reaches zero, the doors will lock, and this place will become your grave. Remember, Chihiro, trust is key. Let the game begin."

Chihiro let the recorder drop from her limp hand. This wasn't a joke anymore, someone had gone through the effort of making this all too real. She rested against the door and sobed loudly. she had never meant to shut anyone out, who was she really hurting? Now she had to suffer through some little phycho's revenge? None of this made any sense. But if what the message said was true, then she had to get moving. She slowly pressed on the rusted metal door and it slowly squeaked open.

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Karasuma knuckled her eyes and yawned. She had opted to work late tonight, to further investigate the murders related to case number zero. She had been clicking her way through file after file on the STNJ's database, but was still unable to find any solid leads.

"Having much fun?" said a bored voice from behind her.

Karasuma knew who it was without having to turn around, "Time of my life," she said back with another yawn. "We missed you at the murder scene today, how come?"

The new entrant leaned over Karasuma's chair back and rested an arm on the computer table, as to lean closer to the screen, "I was on another call. A man named Ryotaro Dojima asked to see me. He said he was the boy's uncle."

"Amon, why would you keep something like that from us?" Karasuma asked.

"I just told you didn't I?" Amon drawled back. "Find anything out?" he said with his eyes sweeping the computer screen.

"The only things that draw these cases together are those numbers on the bodies. If we could figure out what they meant..."

"Maybe it's a chronological thing."Amon offerd.

"No, it just doesn't sync up." karasuma counterd. "If that's the case, then why would we find number seven first?" Karasuma's eyes lit up suddenly. "That boy, Altair, is he still at the station?"

"As far as I know."

"Good. I need to talk to him again."

"No, just leave that to me." Amon steadied her.

"Any particular reason why?" Karasuma asked.

"I have the boy's uncle coming in from Inaba, I'll be able to talk to them both in the same place that way." Amon rose from his position and walked to the door, "I'll phone in the verdict." His black trench coat swished through the door and he was gone.

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Chihiro had been wandering these dark halls for what felt like forever. Above her, ancient light fixtures crackled and flickered, barely clinging to life. she walked past several locked doors, then she noticed something; a wheelchair. What was something like that doing here? The old wheelchair sat next to what she reconized as an IV machine. Wasn't that medical equipment? And that's when Chihiro realized where she was; she was in the hospitals' abandoned underground expansion, but how could that be? It was supposed to be sealed off. Question after question ran through her head, none of which she had any answers to. The only escape, was to abide by the rules.

Chihiro's steps halted when she came across a pair of double doors. They stood out for one reason, inscribed on them in the familiar red lettering were the words:

SHE'S COUNTING ON YOU

1 2 3 4

Chihiro recalled part of her original message: 'you will find five people in dire need of your help...' this was her first ordeal. She placed her hands on each of the doors and slowly pushed them open. Complete darkness was the first thing that met her, but she had the feeling the space she was in was big. suddenly the double doors slamed shut behind her and the blinding lights flared on. The scene that met chihiro's eyes was one she couldn't hope to make sense of. Before her was an enourmous rectangular glass box, but it was the person inside the box that made Chihiro's knees go weak.

The young woman was strapped up inside the box, her head drooping to her chest. suddenly she snapped awake and screamed, "Help me!" her eyes fell on Chihiro and she she gasped. "what are you doing here?"

"Mitsuru..."Chihiro moaned weakly.

Before anything else was said, a small television set that Chihiro hadn't noticed before flickered to life on her left. Both of their heads whipped around in it's direction, as a grainy image came into focus on the screen. Who or what it was, Chihiro couldn't tell. she could best describe the image as some kind of insect, with glowing green Slowly swiveld it's grotesque face towards the two of them. Then it started to speak, Chihiro instantly recognized the blood chilling voice from the tape she first heard:

"Chihiro, welcome to your firt test of trust. The woman before you is someone you know well, someone you work with everyday. As student council president it's Mitsuru's job to make sure tasks are carried out quickly and efficiantly, when she gives an order, she expects it to be obeyed. Now Chihiro, we'll see where your obediance lies.

In order for Mitsuru to survive, she'll need your help, Chihiro. In front of the glass box you'll find a keypad, it lies between two mounted blades. Mitsuru has already been given the combination to the lock, and so have you, Chihiro. But only one combination may be used, if the wrong combination is imput, the blades will close, and you will both will be condemed to no choice is made, Chihiro, then you will have the weight of an inoccent person's death to carry with you throughout your trials. Let the game begin."

"Who the fuck is that?" Mitsuru screamed. She wriggled her body desperately, but the chains holding her in place wouldn't give. "What the hell's going on?"

Before Chihiro could answer, another set of lights flared on, these revealing a huge cylndrical object. At once the object slowly began to turn. Chihiro thought this thing looked familiar, where had she seen one of these things before?

And that's when Mitsuru let out a scream. Chihiro whipped around and saw that a thick grey liquid had begun to fill the box from the bottom up. "Jesus Christ!"

Now Chihiro knew what was in that container

"Don't just stand there, HELP ME!"

Chihiro steadied herself and observed the trap before her. To get to that keypad she had to walk between two mounted blades that ran vertically at waist level. They were'nt close enough to touch her, but close enough to remind her they were there. She slowly sidled her way between them and found she was close enough to touch the glass box. "The message said you knew the combonation..."

" 4321! 4321! God just get me out of here!" the cement had passed Mitsuru's knees and was rising quickly.

"Wait..." Chihiro remembered what was written on the door; 1234.

"Why are you just standing there? Put the combonation in now!"

"I was given one too! I just-"

"JUST FUCKING DO IT!" the cement had reached her waist; time was running out.

Chihiro thought as fast as she could. She had a stake in this as well, if she used the wrong number, the blades would close and she'd be cut in half.

"Please, help...me..." Mitsuru's screams had been reduced to desperate sobs.

Chihiro couldn't act. This whole setup was absolutely sick. She had to do something, or Mitsuru would die. Her hand quivered over the keypad as she deliberated her decision, which number? Chihiro glanced up and gasped, "Oh my god..."

"Hurry!" the cement was at her neck level now, she only had a few seconds left.

She couldn't do it. Knowing that the wrong number would cost her her life. If inaction meant she could walk out of this room, then so be it. Chihiro took a step back and burried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she moaned.

"What are you doing?" Mitsuru screamed. "Help me!" That was the last breath she took. The huge cylinder's whirring and Chihhiro's cries were the only sounds to be heard. But suddenly, there was a new sound, the device beneath Chihiro came to life. Two iron rods rose from the floor and clamped themselves around her neck.

"No! " just as suddenly as they came, they retracted again. Chihiro felt her neck and found that a heavy metal collar had been placed there. She wobbled out of the machine and nearly fell over backwards, something was pulling her head down. She felt the collar again and found a chain that was attached to the back of it. The chain was about half the length of her body and had some kind of weight attached to it. Chihiro moaned in agony, she could hardly keep her head strait, her neck musles were already cramping with the effort. "Oh, fuck!"

Chihiro cried out in frustrated pain. She could hardly move with this thing attached to her. But that's when another detail came to her attention. The electric timer above the doorway read, 46:18... and was still ticking. Chihiro cried again and slowly hobbled her way to the room's exit.