Chris: Okay, Mayuka. You can move now.

"Itsuki-kun!"gasped Mayuka. she ran around the mosquito net and threw back the covers of the mat her brother was laying on. Kneeling dwon, she pulled him into her arms and shook his shoulder. "Itsuki-kun! Wake up!"

His eyes fluttered open, and he gazed up at his sister.

"M...Mayuka?"

"Itsuki-kun! Ah! Arigatoo, Kami-sama(thank god)!"

She hugged him close, tilting her head so her cheek rested atop his head. He moved closer, his arms encirclng her wast, his face pressed into her chest. A series of blissful sensations overtook her at the touch, at feeling his warm breath against her breasts.

"Mayuka,"he whispered into his sister's chest. "I was so scared..."

Mayuka pulled back, brushed some black hair from his eyes. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

He nodded, and held tightly to her shoulder as he stood unsteadily. Holding his elbow, Mayuka led Itsuki back into the sunken fireplace room.

"So,"she asked, maneuvering them around the fireplace and several pieces of fallen wood. "Why'd you come here?"

"Someone was calling me,"he murmured. "A boy. He was saying 'If it was to come to this, we should have done the Ritual'."

"Ritual?"murmured Mayuka, pulling at the entrance door. "Kuso (damn)!"she cursed. "It won't open!"

She turned and glanced around the room. "Maybe there's a key somewhere?"

"The family altar room,"Itsuki responded. "There was a key on the table. The room's across from the hall stairs."

Mayuka nodded and stepped into the hall, then turned left into a sort aof miniature hall across from the stairs. ON her right was a sliding door. The twins steped inside, and Mayuka immediately went to the low tabled and picked up the key her brother had mentioned.

"Sensei (teacher)?"said a voice. Mayuka gasped and looked around. Only Itsuki stood before her. "Naruhodo (Oh, I see). The Camera Obscura..."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Mayuka saw a large, old-fashioned camera on the ground. She piecked it up, and studied it curiously.

"Camera Obscura?"she murmured. There was a leather strap attached to the camera at either end, and Mayuka lopped it around her neck before turning to her brother.

"This is for the front doo. See? It has a ginger insignia on it. I saw a door upstairs with the same mark on the lock. This must be the key t othat door."

Itsuki nodded, then his eyes opened wide with horror, his body shuddering with terror.

"Itsuki-kun?"murmured Mayuka. "Itsuki-kun! What's wrong!"
She touched his shoulder, then gasped in horror as a vissiong swan before her eyes.

Chris:Okay. I've got a real habit for writing cliffhangers, I guess. I might make Mayuka and Itsuki a couple eventually. Put in your reviews wether you think I should or not!