Inori seemed to be in an excessively good mood.

"So, are you coming to spend the night with me at Grandma's old spooky temple?"

Chiori sighed and Keiji rolled his eyes. He flinched visibly when Inori raised her hand as if to hit him and the girl smirked victoriously. She draped her arms over Chiori's shoulders and stuck her tongue out at him. "You still can't come, Keiji. Don't you have something important to take care of after school almost every day anyway?" Keiji did not look happy about being reminded.

Chiori could not understand why Inori felt the need to ask her over and over again. She'd already told her that, yes, she would be coming over. Chiori even had an extra bag slung over her shoulder to prove that she was really coming with her.

"I'm just making sure you haven't changed your mind." Inori clarified, smiling to herself all the while. She seemed to notice how exasperated Chiori was becoming. She rocked Chiori back and forth with her weight and Chiori let her with little to no complaint though her expression looked less than impressed.

"I don't understand," said Keiji. "Why doesn't your mom just sell the apartment and live at the Temple with you and your grandmother, the place is definitely big enough." Inori snorted at him.

"Oh yes," she snarked, "Move back in with grandma, she'll take that suggestion real well." Keiji clicked his tongue in response and Inori shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she admitted, "Actually, I don't think my mom likes it there too much and Grandma keeps saying she doesn't need anyone trying to take care of her...at least, not yet."

Understatement of the century, Inori's mother and grandmother did not get along at all. Inori chuckled though there wasn't much humor behind it and then pouted as if something had just occurred to her. "Oh, I forgot to ask, how was that performance or whatever you guys went to?"

The night before Don Kanonji, a self-proclaimed exorcist, hosted one of his shows in Karakura Town. They shot live at an abandoned hospital and Chiori had been convinced to come to the turn out. Just the thought of the boisterous crowd and host had Chiori shaking her head. She was embarrassed to even admit to herself that she'd gotten sucked in after watching a few episodes with her sisters.

Seeing the man in person only served to reinforce her opinion that he was too silly for her to take seriously. Chiori clicked her tongue before relaying her thoughts to both of her friends and Inori sighed wistfully at the fact that she'd been unable to go.

Chiori recalled seeing the dark-haired girl from the trip to the cemetery hanging with Ichigo and his friends from high school. She learned from Ichigo that her name was Rukia. They never would have thought that Ichigo would ever come to something like Don Kanonji's performance, but there he was with everyone else. She figured his classmates had managed to convince him somehow.

Inori shook her head and slid her arms off of Chiori's shoulders, letting them hang at her sides. "I'll see you guys later." Said Keiji before lightly jogging away and down the opposite street. "...He's such an idiot." Inori whispered. Chiori scowled and swung her bag into Inori's side. "He is!" Inori insisted and Chiori shook her head as she readjusted the strap on her shoulder

Inori grinned suddenly and Chiori slowly returned it. "Let's go." She said and waved Chiori along, leading her to Kamakura Station. Honestly Chiori was not very enthusiastic about taking the train. It was much too crowded for her tastes, but it was the only way to get to Kagamino City in a decent amount of time if one didn't own a car. Riding a train was a lot less taxing for her if she had company.

They made it through the doors just as they were about to close were immediately pressed together by a throng of people. It wasn't too bad, but still uncomfortable and Inori giggled when she noticed the flush in Chiori's cheeks. Thankfully, Inori eventually took pity on her friend and helped her hold on as the train began to move.

People eventually began to filter out of the train and the two young girls were able to sit down and rest their legs. They took out Chiori's mp3 player at some point during the ride and shared earbuds, listening to whatever came up on shuffle.

The ride didn't take very long, but by the time they left the station the sun was already beginning to set. Chiori felt mildly uncomfortable with to prospect of traversing the unfamiliar area in the dark, but Inori knew the way by heart and they made it to the property without any problems.

They passed under a red torii framed by trees and climbed a tall, stone staircase bordered on both sides by woods. Upon seeing who awaited them at the top of the staircase, Chiori's eyes lit up and a smile broke out across her face. Mei Yuzuhara or Grandma Mei was a short, solid, old woman barely taller than they were.

She stood at the very top of the staircase framed by a large red torii identical to the one at the entrance of the path that led to the stone staircase. Her hair was a silvery grey and though time had been rather kind to her, the lines in her skin were deep. She dusted her hands against her red hakama and righted the long, silver braid that hung over her left shoulder before holding her arms open for a hug.

"There you are." She sighed happily, enveloping Inori in a strong hug. When Inori reluctantly pulled away Chiori was pulled into a hug of her own before the old woman took Chiori's hands in her own. "Chiori, my dear, it's good to see you." Her voice was slightly raspy but pleasant and Chiori was reminded of a time when Grandma Mei had been reportedly very ill. At least it seemed she was doing much better now for Chiori could not see even a trace of illness in her.

The old woman turned around and began to lead them both toward one of the old buildings, chattering idly with them as they walked. The buildings surrounded one central structure or main hall. Most were constructed using 'post and lintel'; a form of architecture where the horizontal support of a building is supported primarily by two vertical columns.

Paper thin walls framed by smooth red wood supported gently sloping roofs the color of pine needles and Inori's grandmother ushered them up the stairs of the central building before leading them inside.

"How is your father?" she asked Chiori, smiling softly as she slid the shoji doors shut. Chiori nodded her head, mouthing the words 'He is well.' And Grandma Mei chuckled in return, satisfied with her reply "Alright," said the old woman, pausing in front of the doors with her hands clasped behind her back, address them both with calm eyes.

"I have one rule to lay out and I want you both to heed me. Inori, I know you already know the rules but this is for Chiori's benefit." Both girls nodded in unison and waited for her to continue.

"At night, I want the two of you in your rooms, no excuses. I don't want you wandering the property, it's not safe." Grandma smiled reassuringly then, seeing the apprehension in Chiori's eyes. "The property is quite large and surrounded by woods full of wild animals. I would feel better knowing you are both safe in your rooms."

Chiori and Inori nodded their heads in understanding and after a few moments were waved off to go do what they wanted until dinner. Grandma Mei watched them dart off and silently wondered if it was really alright to have them both spending the night. Chiori had visited before, but she'd never actually spent the night at the Shrine.

A shiver down Grandma Mei's spine and she sent a harsh glare down the opposite hall to her left. There was a creak in the floorboards and the old woman grit her teeth. "You be quiet and be sure to behave." She hissed and a breeze ruffled her clothes in reply despite the fact that she was inside and all of the doors and windows were shut tight.

"I won't have you pulling any of your mischief this night." Mumbling under her breath, she stalked off with the intent to check on some of the wards and make sure they were secure. After all, she had guests to attend to.

Inori cackled as she dragged her friend along by the hand, their bare feet thumping loudly against the hardwood floors. Chiori took the time to glance at her surroundings as they walked. Everything looked much like what she remembered, from the walls, to the floors, and the rice paper of the shoji.

Chiori smiled and turned her attention back to Inori just as they reached the door to the room they would be sharing. "Okay, here we are!" Inori cried, sliding the shoji open and splaying her arms wide.

Inori's room was the only place in the entirety of the grounds that didn't fit. Everything was decorated in bright colors and there were teddy bears, among other things, strewn everywhere. She ambled into the room, kicking articles of clothing out of the way as she went. It was messy, but not horribly so and it wasn't like Chiori could complain considering how often her own room looked about the same.

Chiori shook her head and followed Inori into the room, remembering to shut the door behind her before dropping her bags by Inori's futon. Inori was busy digging in her closet for a futon and growled audibly when the bedding just wouldn't come loose.

She heaved with all her strength only to pull what looked like the entirety of the closet down on herself. It was an entertaining sight and Chiori snickered softly at her friend's antics as she watched her struggle with the bedding. "A little help here?" she cried as her head popped out of the bedding for a gasp of air. Chiori rolled her eyes before rising to help.

She held out a hand for Inori to take, but it only resulted in getting tugged into the pile herself. They wrestled a bit before crawling out of the pile moments later, laughing until their sides hurt. Inori threw herself onto her own futon while Chiori remained on the floor almost completely motionless save for occasional tremors of laughter.

They began to talk about whatever came to mind and Chiori eventually rolled onto her back in order to stare up at the ceiling when they both heard something strange. "Do you hear that?" Inori questioned, pausing to lift her head and listen. They both went completely still in an attempt to hear whatever they'd just heard again.

The noise sounded a lot like footsteps and by the sound of it, they were getting closer. Chiori figured it was just Inori's grandmother and she gave Inori an odd look when the other girl continued to stare pointedly at the shoji doors.

The footsteps seemed to stop just outside the doors and there was a long pregnant pause before it slid open to reveal Grandma Mei's smiling face. Both girls breathed a combined sigh of relief and Inori stood from her futon with a grin. "I've made dinner for you two," Said the old woman, "Come along now before it gets cold."

She turned away and Inori raced after her excitedly, but neither noticed Chiori lingered in the room. Frowning, Chiori shook her head and followed after them, but her pace was much more leisurely than Inori's. She pulled a hair tie off of her wrist and bound her long black hair as she walked past an open doorway with a platform/ walkway that connected to another building. She glanced at the walkway fleetingly before continuing on, but something made her stop abruptly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Chiori could have sworn she saw something move and she stared across the platform to the connecting building in confusion. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end and she wondered absently if her mind were playing tricks on her again. Oh get a grip, Chiori thought, scrutinizing her surroundings before continuing down the hall.

At the table, Inori's grandmother placed a bowl of rice among various other dishes. The smell of food managed to dispel any negative thoughts Chiori may have had previously and she happily began to dig into her food once she was prompted as the old woman told them stories about the property. They were ghost stories mainly and though Chiori could not say for sure that she'd ever seen a real one, the stories still managed to give her chills. It helped that the property was reportedly said to be very haunted.

Chiori figured that what she'd seen had just been a figment of her own over-active imagination. Considering how completely at ease Grandma Mei seemed, she continued to tell herself not to worry. If anything odd happened Chiori knew that she could always bring it up to Inori's grandmother personally and with those thoughts in mind, returned her attention to her food.

She did not eat as quickly as Inori who had taken to wolfing down her portion like a starving animal and instead chose to side-eye her friend, practically waiting for her to choke. Inori eventually did choke and Chiori reached over to thump her on the back, wondering if the other girl would ever learn.

"Have some manners, girl." Grandma Mei groused, reprimanded Inori with a sharp look. It slowed Inori down quite a bit afterwards and her grandmother took to asking questions about family and how they were all faring. Eventually it switched to something else and got on the subject of Ichigo's new companion, Rukia

That part of the conversation had Inori dissolving into a fit of laughter at the prospect of Ichigo having a girlfriend and they moved on to the live show hosted by 'Don Kanonji. Grandma Mei did not look particularly pleased in regards the man's reckless exploits into the supernatural and Chiori refrained from mentioning how odd the old hospital grounds had felt as the show began to pick up. It had been wholly unsettling.

There was little talk after that and they all returned to their rooms after dinner. Almost immediately Inori assailed Chiori with ghost stories about the temple as well as other places and it was alright until Inori got on the topic of Ouija boards and games like the Midnight Game. Chiori absolutely refused to participate and Inori pouted until she finally realized that Chiori was not going to change her mind.

"Fine, fine, you scardy-cat," Inori relented, slumping her shoulders in defeat. There was a short stretch of silence before she chose to speak again "Ya know," she began, "something weird happened to me." It was the first Chiori had heard of it and she immediate perked up in response to the admission. "It's actually got a lot to do with why I've been bugging you to come and stay with me so much."

Chiori's head tilted and she put the pencil she'd been fiddling with down on top of her sketchbook. Inori chewed her bottom lip before speaking. "I'm not sure, I just-" She paused for a moment to stare at the opposite wall and one of the candles in the room flickered briefly. "I keep seeing things out of the corner of my eye."

It appeared difficult for her to admit to whatever had been happening and that unsettled Chiori because Inori was usually so forth-coming with whatever happened to be on her mind "I would go back to the apartment, but I really don't want to be alone."

Chiori definitely understood, but she wanted Inori to loosen up again. In an attempt to lighten tension in the room, Chiori lightly shoved Inori's shoulder with a smile. Inori returned it and laughter ensued and it would have continued on at that same pace if not for all the candles in the room suddenly going out.

The room was plunged into darkness and they froze where they were as the candles smoked lazily on their stands. Inori scrambled away from Chiori, her feet thumping against the floor as she searched for something.

The silence stretched on for what felt like ages until finally the glow of one solitary candle returned to chase away the shadows. Inori eventually re-lit every candle in the room, grumbling about the temple's lack of artificial lighting. "Like that!" she exclaimed, flicking her wrist to put out the match in her hand and returning the matchbox to one of her bags.

"That's been happening a lot and does it feel colder?" Chiori could only shrug her shoulders and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. There was a muffled creak in the floorboards and both of the girls froze on the spot once again, listening.

They glanced at each other before simultaneously deciding that it was probably best if they turned in for the night. After all, they did still have school in the morning. Chiori curled up on her futon, intent on going to sleep when she heard what sounded like a faint whisper. It was difficult to make out and she tried her best to ignore it.

It was probably just her mind playing tricks on her again. She watched Inori go around the room blowing out all of the candles and hugged her knees close as Inori climbed into futon right beside hers.

Sleep settled upon Chiori with one last lingering thought of the chill that had begun to settle upon the room. She pulled the blankets around herself a bit more snugly and fell into a fitful sleep. At first it was simply a dreamless sleep: deep, black, and endless. But eventually it began to change into something...not quite right...

There's someone here with us...

The voice had returned again. Chiori slowly opened her eyes only to realize she was no longer in the same place she'd fallen asleep. Instead she found herself lying on the ground somewhere on the temple grounds. It could have very well been the center of the property, but Chiori could not be sure and had absolutely no clue as to how she'd even arrived there in the first place.

I have to be dreaming, she thought upon sitting up. Her head spun as she scanned her surroundings before climbing to her feet in a hurry. Hands trembling, she dusted them off against her night-shorts and it only took her a moment to notice how washed out everything looked.

It all looked wrong and much older than she remembered. A heavy feeling in her gut and a glance towards the sky told her that even the moon was all wrong. It was too full and much closer than she'd ever seen it in her entire life.

She's listening, said the voice urgently. Its tone made it seem as if it were on the edge of panic. Chiori noticed one of the shoji doors had been pulled open, but it was too dark to see inside. Her only source of light was the overly bright glow of the moon, but even that didn't make much of a difference.

Barefoot and trembling in only her night-shorts and a t-shirt, Chiori made the decision to make her way towards the open door and peek inside. It was a mistake. As soon as she took one step in the direction of the door her vision tunneled violently. She swayed on her feet and shut her eyes as a cacophony of voices assaulted her ears in various tones.

It was all too jumbled up to make any sense of anything they said, but the sound of a crying woman was the loudest of all. Chiori covered her ears in a desperate attempt to block out the voices but it was no use.

Something made her look towards the open doorway and the voices suddenly began to die down. A deathly pale hand reached out of the darkness and slowly raised its index finger. It pointed directly at Chiori and she could only stare as fear took her heart in its icy grip. "Do you see me?" said a voice. This one was different from the one she'd been hearing in her head as of late. This one felt...off. Wrong.

"I see you."

Chiori awoke from her dream to an empty room and the light of day filtering in through the ricepaper. She was sweating and her body still trembled in the wake of what could only have been nightmare. "Wakey, wakey!" Inori chimed from the doorway, already in her school uniform.

"We need to be up earlier so that we can get to school." She was so preoccupied with pinning up one of her pigtails that she didn't notice the state that Chiori was in right away. Once she did, she gave Chiori her full attention. Inori took in the sight of Chiori's sweaty clothes, and baggy eyes, and her own good mood shriveled up a bit.

"You had another bad dream."

Chiori did not respond, chewing the inside of her cheek and looking away so that she did not have to make eye-contact. She could taste blood in her mouth from chewing the flesh on the inside of her cheek too harshly and she quietly pulled herself from the blankets twisted around her legs to get ready for school.

(A/N)

I was actually hoping to get out a chapter around Christmas or something at the very least, but that didn't turn out too well. I also apologize for any long delays, I have problems with writer's block.

Maiko: Priestess in training

Shoji: a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood which holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo.

Hakama: loose trousers with many pleats in the front, forming part of Japanese formal dress.

Torii: a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred.