(A/N): Hey everyone, here is chapter 24! Enter the return of the adventurous trio from ages back (you'll see what I mean later) This chapter wasn't too hard to write...So this chapter is called Shiver. There's a song called Shiver by Lucy Rose, and it's a very nice song - guess what I listened to while writing this - but the video is really sad. My sister showed it to me, and I found it very sad. I think she found it sadder. Some people would just say, "I don't see how it's sad," but I guess we find those kind of things sad. (How many times can I say 'sad' in this A/N?)

Oh yeah, the Death Note reference is because there is a character in it, and nobody knows his name, so he is just called L. This will make sense later.

Well, here it is, another chapter of some amnesiac fun. Thank you for all your reviews, favourites and follows. Most of all, thank you for reading! I never thought my story would get so many views :) Thanks so much!

First thing was first. There was a place I wanted to visit, a place that seemed to reappear constantly in our investigation. The abandoned house. I needed to see what about it kept the location under surveillance from the colleague, and why there were so many spirits there. What's more, I wanted to speak to Sayomi…apologise…not to mention Kazuki was there. There were some questions I wanted to ask, and this time, I was determined to get answers.

Getting to the abandoned house would be a problem. I had been lucky to get a taxi over here, but there was no way I could risk that again. My driving abilities were non-existent, and it wasn't like there was a car I could use, even if I was able to drive. Riding a bike would take too long, and again, there wasn't one I could use. So that left either by bus or by train. It would be risky, but there would be a lot of people around, so it would be harder for Saburou or anyone else to attack me. Nonetheless, it would still be difficult.

There happened to be a bus system in the village. I checked the times, and it turned out I would be able to get a bus to a different village, about 10 minutes away from the abandoned house. Now that I thought about it, Rin and Hayate lived near this village. Those teenagers Lin and I had questioned probably lived there, too.

The bus did not take long to arrive. Waiting in a line with a few other villagers, who glanced puzzled, at my scruffy appearance, I stepped onto the bus when it arrived and the doors opened. At once, my gaze searched the bus, trying to spot anyone suspicious. There were a few people already on board the bus. However, no one really stuck out. So, handing over the last of the money I had to the bus driver, I bought a ticket and went to sit down. No one really noticed me; no one sprung out to attack me. Even so, I was filled with adrenaline.

It felt like two hours had gone by when the bus finally reached my destination, even though it could not have been more than twenty or thirty minutes. Hastily, I stepped off the bus and watched it as it drove away. Again, no one followed me out. Satisfied, I turned and started to walk briskly towards the direction of the abandoned house.

The village was small and sheltered, with mostly houses than any other industrial buildings. Few cars drove down the narrow roads, and the verges on either side of the tarmac were overgrown with weeds and wildflowers. Where exactly was the abandoned house again…? It had felt like so long since I had been here, my sense of direction had been disorientated, and I struggled to remember which way I had to go.

The sound of a bicycle bell caught my attention. Three teenagers were riding on their bikes and as they cycled past me, they threw me odd looks. Strangely, they seemed familiar, as they weaved down the road casually, with no fear of oncoming traffic. One of them skidded up to me. It was a boy, maybe a bit younger than Mai.

"Lost?" He asked, grinning, as he circled around me. "You look a bit lost."

"Yeah, I am." The more I stared, the more familiar he seemed. One of the girls cycled over.

"Hey, do we know you?" She asked, giggling. The last one, another girl, tugged on her companion's sleeve and whispered something. Finally, it clicked.

"You three…You were at the abandoned house, weren't you?" I realised.

The boy froze. "Uhh…"

The girl gasped. "You were the one who questioned us, weren't you? With the tall guy." She then whispered something to her friend, and laughed nervously despite herself and slapped her gently on the arm. I think she had said, "He was hot."

"Yeah, I was. Don't worry." I added quickly, as the boy looked alarmed. "I'm not here to pester you about trespassing or anything. Actually, could I ask you a favour?"

The boy and the second girl looked uncertain, but the first girl shrugged. "Yeah, sure. What is it?"

The second girl grabbed her sleeve and frowned, but the first girl brushed her aside dismissively. "Oh come on, Yumi-chan. He's hardly going to be some criminal in a trafficking ring or something, is he?"

"All I want to know is how to get to the abandoned house. That's it."

The boy frowned. "Why would you want to go there?"

"I have my reasons." I told him vaguely. He hesitated, then turned to his comrades. They whispered together for some time. Finally, the first girl turned back to me.

"Ok. We'll take you there. It's not far."

The three of them rode slowly on their bikes as I walked alongside them. They did not seem particularly worried, although Yumi looked a little worried about me. She seemed wary about me, a stranger. Meanwhile, the other two – the girl was called Tomoko, and the boy was called Ichiro – were constantly asking questions.

"Are you foreign?" Ichiro asked.

"Duh, he's foreign." Tomoko scoffed at him. "What Japanese person looks like he does?" She turned to me, and looked at the hood that hid my hair. "What colour is your hair?"

I frowned, and pulled it tighter over my head. "Why do you want to know?"

"Where are you from?" She went on to ask immediately.

"Germany."

"Do you drink beer all the time?"

"Not really."

"Really?"

I nodded. She continued. "What's your name? I don't think we ever found out."

"J…" I decided that revealing my name might not be a wise idea, and stopped myself. They waited expectantly and when they got no answer, the teenagers frowned, bemused.

"…J…?" Ichirou stared intently.

"J." I repeated. "Call me J."

"Ok, J-san." Tomoko nodded in understanding, as if she knew my entire situation. I heard Yumi mutter, "Is this going to be like Death Note or something?"

"Hey." Ichirou peered at me. "Why aren't you at school?"

"Huh?"

"Like, shouldn't you be at school, J-san?"

"No…why would I be at school?"

Tomoko scoffed. "Because it's the law."

I realised where they were coming from. "Oh, right. I'm 20."

Yumi raised her eye brows. "You sure about that?"

"Um, yeah."

She laughed disbelievingly. "Whatever you say, J-san."

"You can't be 20." Tomoko tilted her head. "You look too young."

"Do I really? A lot of people say that."

"Yeah. Are you a run away?"

In a sense, I was, but not in the context she was thinking of. "No."

"Oh…are you homeless?"

Yes, as of now. "No."

"Why are your clothes so dirty, then?" Ichirou asked.

"I fell."

"Oh…are you hurt?" Tomoko asked in concern.

"No, not really."

"Oh." She fell silent, and edged closer to me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. With a sudden speed, she tried to grab my hood.

"No." I side stepped out of the way, and she grasped thin air. "I saw that coming."

She pouted. "Why won't you let me see your hair?"

"Why are you so interested?" I asked her back, amused.

"Just curious. Are you blonde?"

"Not telling."

"Red head?"

"Not telling."

"Brunette?"

"Not telling." Her insistence drove me to not tell her. "I can keep up with this all day, you know. I have three siblings."

"Are they German?"

Yumi pulled a face. "No, they're Indian. Of course they'll be German. Hey, J-san. I was wondering…Where is everyone else?"

"Hm?"

"You know, all the other people?" Ichirou continued. "The ghost hunters. Where are they?"

I faltered. A pain stabbed at me in grief. Everyone else…I would not be seeing them for a while. Would I ever see them again?

Sensing they had struck a sensitive topic, Ichirou laughed nervously and pointed.

"Hey, J-san. We're here!"

There was the abandoned house, looming a short distance away. Like always, it emitted an ominous atmosphere that made me uneasy. The sign was still there, slightly weathered and chipped at the sides. As for any vehicles, Saburou's white van was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, here you are." Ichirou stared at the building nervously. "No one's there, right?"

"I don't think so." I confirmed his assumption. "Thanks for taking me here."

"That's ok." Tomoko smiled, fiddling with the bicycle bell. "Are you…going in there?"

"I have to. Promise you won't tell?"

Ichirou grinned. "Promise. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"There's something I need to find out, that's all." I looked to the building. Kazuki was in there. I had to find him, and ask him about what happened. This time, I needed answers.

"Ok, then…" Yumi looked anxiously at the house. "Is there anything else…? Or…"

"No, it's ok. You can go now, if you want. Thanks again."

"One last thing." While Yumi and Ichirou looked ready to go, Tomoko stared at me stubbornly. "J-san. What colour is your hair? I really want to know now."

I sighed, and pulled off the hood. It didn't matter if these three saw my appearance, really.

"Blonde!" Tomoko grinned. "I knew it…" She whispered dramatically.

"Yeah. It attracts a lot of attention, doesn't it?"

"Hmmm…I guess…" Tomoko tilted her head. "Is that why you were hiding it?"

I nodded "Mmhm."

"Well, good luck with whatever it is you're doing, J-san." She cycled over to Ichirou and Yumi. "Bye!"

The three of them cycled away, waving and calling, "Bye, J-san!" Then they were gone, and I was left alone. For a second, I half expected to turn around and see Lin, with his notes and already turning to head back inside. Or to hear Kazuya making snide remarks at the others. Mai and Yasuhara laughing together. Ayako's confident voice, or Masako's quieter comments.

Takigawa.

I shook myself. This wasn't the time.

Inside, the house was still cold and unnervingly silent. I was glad of my footsteps and the creaking of floor boards to break the quietness as I walked in. Sweeping my gaze across every inch of the room, I could not pick out anything suspicious, but it would be foolish to drop my guard. Last time I was here, Kazuki told me that a trap door had been connected to an alarm, and it was this that alerted Saburou of our presence. That meant that even the act of walking into the house could have triggered an alarm. I had to find Kazuki and leave as quickly as I could.

Already feeling the adrenaline pulsing through me, I trod quietly through the rooms. Every slight movement of dust put me on edge. How many spirits were here again? At least thirty, according to Masako.

The spirits did not keep me waiting for long. Within ten minutes, I felt a sudden chill creep onto my skin. The temperature was dropping rapidly. Then a noise came – a quiet whisper that was barely noticeable.

"Hello?" I called nervously into the house, my breath condensing.

The whispering ceased almost as quickly as it had begun, although the temperature did not rise. I walked into a room that was barren and empty, save for a single, plastic cheap table in the middle. This room had once been base.

I stood for a moment, straining me ears for any more noises. Nothing. Not the slightest murmur or whisper.

"You came back."

I spun around. Behind me stood a woman, in her twenties, wearing a blue uniform. Sayomi.

"S-Sayomi-san…" I breathed a sigh of relief. Sayomi regarded me with her vacant eyes, and then looked around slowly. After a minute, she spoke up.

"…You are alone. Where is everyone else?"

The pain inside of me came again. "They're…gone."

She nodded slowly. "Do you remember? Do you understand?"

"Partly. I remember Mattaku." She flinched at the word. "I remember you and your grandfather. We were both transferred there, weren't we?"

She nodded. "That's what I heard."

"Also…I remember a man called Kazuki Brooks."

"Brooks-san…" She looked lost in thought for a moment. "Yes, Brooks-san. He was kind. He tried to convince me not to do it. I listened to him at first. But…"

"Sayomi-san, I'm so sorry." I bowed my head. "I promised I would save you, but I failed. I can't apologise enough. I let you and your grandfather down."

She did not say anything for a little while.

"…You could do nothing. It was a promise doomed to fail."

"But –"

"You came here to see Kazuki, didn't you?"

I nodded. "I need answers. I'm running out of time."

She turned, and walked slowly out of the room. "…They're after you, aren't they?" She paused at the door.

"Yes."

"Then you better hurry. Or else…you'll end up like me. You'll end up like all of us."

With that, she left, leaving me to remain there, unsure what to do. Should I stay here? Anxiously, I peered into the corridor. How much time did I have left, before someone inevitably found me here?

The coldness struck at my skin, and I wrapped my jacket closer around me, shivering slightly.

"Australians and the cold."

I knew that voice. This time, when I turned around, Kazuki was standing only a few inches away from me.

"They're not very compatible, are they?" Kazuki. I had missed him, so much.

"…It's April." I tried to keep control over my precarious emotions. "It's not meant to be cold."

He laughed. "I guess you're right."

I bit my lip. "Kazuki…You were right. I'm alone. I…I shouldn't have trusted…anyone." Something held me back from saying 'him'.

Kazuki sighed, and turned. "…That's what he does. He turns people. It's easier than you'd think."

"I came here for something important, though. I came here for answers."

Kazuki stiffened. His demeanour tensed and he did not turn around.

"We went to your apartment. And we found some documents. About…about a man called Matthew Forcit."

Still, Kazuki remained silent, and did not look at me, so I continued. "He was a police officer investigating Mattaku Psychiatric Ward, and then he disappeared two years ago. He was transferred there. Like I was."

Nothing. Kazuki stood with his arms folded tightly.

"And a woman who was found near a village called Shiroku. She had a number branded on her back. Like I have." My finger touched my back, where the number 9 was branded. "Why did you have those sheets? Why is there a number branded on my back?"

Finally, he spoke up. "…I was suspicious. About who he was. So I researched. I found the same document you did – the autopsy report about the woman found in the woods. He was researching it, too. The FBI agent."

"…Why? Why were you suspicious?" Did I really want to know? Did I already suspect Kazuki's involvement in this situation?

For a long time, Kazuki refused to speak. I shifted anxiously.

"Please. Tell me. You have to tell me. I don't have – I need to know. I don't have much time left. They're coming for me. Please."

He exhaled, and turned to me. Grief was etched into his face.

"Do you really want to know?" He asked slowly.

"Yes. I have to know."

As he moved forwards, he made no movement. The floor boards beneath him did not make a noise. He stopped, even closer to me than before.

"Remember." He breathed. "Remember."

"I can't."

His hand moved closer to me, and rested on my forehead. Before I could ask, I found myself falling to the floor.

The morning comes quickly. Before 9am, Matthew tells me nervously,

"Listen. I don't know who'll be covering roll call today, but stay quiet. Don't make eye contact, unless you're told otherwise. Got it?"

I nod nervously. Soon, footsteps resound on the hall way, and our door is unlocked. An orderly stands in the door way.

"Roll call." The instruction is simple and unexplained. Matthew heads out first, and I follow closely behind.

We line up on the corridor, arranged into alphabetical order by some orderlies with other patients. Some are whispering to themselves, while others are like me and Matthew – staring at the floor and remaining silent.

Suddenly, it is completely silent as more footsteps sound against the hard floor. Then I hear a familiar voice, a voice that is calm and pleasant, yet sends shivers down my spines.

"Aname, Ritsuka?"

There is no reply, but the voice moves on anyway. "Aizawa, Yoko?"

Each time he calls a name, no one replies. Maybe everyone is too afraid to speak up. Not all the names are Japanese.

"Blair, Eric?"

The person stops in front of me. Unlike before, he does not say my name immediately. Strangely, he chuckles.

"Brown, John."

I dare not speak, or even look up. He laughs again.

"I know you. I met you once, didn't I?" When I do not answer, he sighs.

"Look up when I'm speaking to you."

Remembering Matthew's advice, I do what he says. Reluctantly, I look up. When I see the face, I try to stifle my shock.

Saburou Osaki. He stands there, looking down at me with an amused expression. No…a sneering expression.

"Surprised?" He asks, his voice still honeyed.

Still reeling from the shock, I do not answer. However, he does not try to hassle me further, and moves on with the roll call. By the time he has finished, there is a realisation buzzing in my head that I am desperately trying to ignore. No. It can't be.

"Get them back to their cells." I hear Saburou tell the orderlies. Matthew reaches me before they can usher us away.

"Are you alright?" He asks, anxiously. "Who was that?"

I cannot answer before an orderly approaches us.

"Come on." She says, simply. However, someone places a hand on my shoulder. The grip is tight.

"No, it's ok." The musical voice says. "I'm bringing him to his session."

I do not have to turn around to know it is Saburou. I glance at the hand, and the scars are clear.

The colour drains from Matthew's face. "It's not time yet." He speaks up. "His session is tomorrow."

The grip tighten painfully, and I bite my lip to stop myself from wincing. "Oh, his has been brought forward a day, that's all." Without another word, he pulls me away and leads me down the corridors.

After a while, he stops in front of a door. "Here we are." He takes me inside. It is exactly the same as the room from yesterday.

"Sit down." He instructs, so I do as he says. When I have, he opens the door and says, "Now, stay here like a good little boy, or else I'll have to put you in solitary isolation. Got that?"

I nod. Satisfied, he leaves.

I am left waiting for a mere few minutes when the door opens again. I do not dare turn around in case it is Saburou again. This time, though, the person freezes at the door. Then, after a while, they walk slowly into the room. I stare at the floor. The person walks around me and sits behind the desk. I hear the sound of rustling paper, frantic and confused.

"I…I don't understand."

The person, a man, speaks in English. Frowning, I look up.

I wish I hadn't.

Every fibre of me seems to break down and become numb.

No. No. It can't be. There is some mistake. This can't be right.

But there is no mistake.

Kazuki Brooks sits at the table, staring at me with disbelief and sorrow.

Of course. He and Saburou work together. I heard that. But…But why would someone like Kazuki be working somewhere like this? I just don't understand.

"Why-why are you here?" Kazuki speaks up. "I don't – why are you here? You shouldn't be here."

"I could ask you the same." The bitterness in my voice puts an unmistakable grief into his eyes. "This place. Why are you here?"

"I work here. John, you aren't…" He trails off, as if unsure.

"I'm not insane." I try to contain my feeling of betrayal. "I don't have schizophrenia. Let me out of this place."

He puts his head into his hands. "It's not that simple."

"What happens to people here, Kazuki?" I ask sharply. "Why is it that everyone who comes here just seems to disappear?"

He swallows. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Remember that night? Remember the 30th January. I mentioned Sayomi Watanabe. And your reaction…it was strange. Why didn't I think of it before?"

"John…"

"Was it around then when she was beginning to think about ending it all? About killing herself?" I shake my head.

"Stop." He sounds desperate. "No. You don't understand."

"You're right. I don't understand. I thought you were my friend. I thought you were a good person. I trusted you."

He does not reply. His despair is evident. So is mine.

"…When did she die? Sayomi?"

Still, he says nothing. Instead, he stands up and walks over to me. In return, I stand up and back away. It makes him pause, but he moves very close to me.

"You…You're with Forcit?" He whispers.

I stare back evenly into those grey eyes. "Yes."

"…Do what he says. He's clever. Listen to him. Stay away from Saburou." His gaze darts anxiously to the door. "He's…Stay away from him…Everyone here knows he's bad news. All the patients. They're afraid of him. We're afraid of him. Don't let him put you in solitary isolation."

He brushes a strand of hair from my forehead. I don't react in anyway. I just stare vacantly at him. Then he moves back, as if retreating.

"You…I think you should go now…"

I gasped awake. The floor was cold. I pushed myself up.

No. I didn't want it to be true.

I realised that I was shivering. This was too much. Two people who I had trusted turned out to be the wrong person to trust. I had made the same mistake twice.

I looked up, and saw Kazuki was still standing there, and threw a glance at me. He turned away quickly when he saw my expression.

"Why…" I whispered. "Just…Why…"

He turned around. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I thought…I never thought they would take you. I thought it would be safe. I never realised they would take you."

"Did you tell them? That I was investigating Mattaku?"

His silence scared me.

I put my head in my hands. "I'm so stupid! I trusted you. I shared so many secrets with you. I barely knew you."

"Don't say that." He begged. I rocked back and forth, drawing my knees back tightly.

"So stupid…So, so stupid…" I muttered. I was going mad. What was wrong with me? "No…Why does this keep on happening? I trusted you. I trusted him. Why would you do this?" I whispered to myself. A second betrayal…It was too much. I couldn't handle this. Someone that I trusted, enclosed so much information about myself to, shared the secrets that I kept locked away, secrets of my painstaking loneliness…they had betrayed me. The trust had shattered. It was gone.

"Why…"

"John." He crouched in front of me, and placed his hands around my face. Although there was no touch, I could feel a coldness being emitted from them.

"Why would you do this?"

"Please. Listen to me. I'm sorry. But right now…you need to leave."

"Why would you do this? After everything I told you?"

"John." He repeated my name. "You're…you need to snap out of it. Come on. Please."

I shook my head, so he asked me, "Do you want to live?"

Eventually, I came back to my senses. "…Yes."

"Then listen to me. Since you were last here, a motion sensor was set up here. Your presence has been notified. Saburou could be on his way right now."

I drew a shaky breath, but it was not enough to stop me from trembling. "Where do I go? What should I do?"

"Retrace your steps. Go back to the river. You need to find the site."

The site…the way he phrased it was odd. "Saburou told me…that Mattaku burnt down. Was he telling the truth?"

"Yes, he was. But you need to go there anyway. When you've found it, call the police. They'll have to come and investigate, whether they believe your story or not."

"How do you know?"

"Just trust me."

Again, I inhaled, and staggered to my feet. There was a loud creak, and I saw Kazuki's face drop in horror.

Before I could move, someone grabbed me from behind.