Hi everyon! finally chater 8 is here...I really hope that you will like it...still i apologize for some grammatical errors.
By the way! Thank you very much for those who are Following, Reviewing and Making this story their Favorite...Thank you very very much
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!
Chapter VIII: " Ritual and Sacrifice"
Naru's P.O.V.
I reach the base while still holding the letter that okuda handed over to me and which is from mai. I wanted to know why did mai wanted me to be happy with masako but whatever contains this letter may be the answer to all my questions. I started to open the letter and read it, the letter says:
Dear Naru
It's been a while since I last saw you, and unexpectedly you are now engage to masako. I know that you were all looking for me all this time but I just kept ignoring it. 5 years ago, I already knew my true feelings towards you but I know that you would deny me that is why when I receive a call from the orphanage regarding the adaptation. I decided to meet the person who will be adapting me then after so much thinking, I decide to accept the adaptation and leave. I am so sorry that I left without notice but thanks to the family who adapted me and re-adapted me that I achieve so many things and finish all my studies and all. But now, we met again even if it's not a good time, I am still grateful that all of you are fine. I just hope that we didn't meet in this kind of situation. I gave you this letter knowing that masako would not allow you to meet me. I just wanted you to know that you need to find a way in order to destroy what is within this house. In the letter I handed into bou-san there contain the ritual sign that you will be needing to use in order to purify him. Charles would explain it to you everything when you meet him again. For now, what I told Charles to say to you about masako is true that is why please don't worry about me and just focus on finishing this case
~ Mai
After reading the letter of mai which still kinda confuse me but enlighten me up in solving this case. Now I am much determine to solve this case and save mai after that I would try to arrange everything about this engagement. I would explain it clearly to mother and father that I would want to marry the girl who I have been searching for 5 years, the girl whom my heart seeks and that is non other than mai. Minutes later, everyone has arrive at the base while I just sit down near the monitor.
"naru-bou…this letter that mai gave me….i think it also need to be seen by you…." Said bou-san
"I know…mai said it to the letter I just read…but I'll be reading it later…" I said
"naru…you won't be reading anything…you just need to see this…" lin handed over a piece of paper were in I can see a mark that I don't recognize.
"what is this? Is this the ritual mark that mai is talking about...lin what does this mark mean?" I asked
"well…a while ago when you left…bou-san happened to be reading the letter already and okuda saw this…He said that this is a ritual sign who would be needing a sacrifice in order to purify the souls within the house…"said lin
"a sacrifice…who would that be…?"
"that we don't know…" said mother.
"may I see that paper…" asked father, lin handed it over to father.
"this sign…lin…do you know something about this?" he asked
"I'm sorry professor but I don't know about it or rather I don't recognize this at all…this is the first time that I saw this kind of sign…"
"that would be expected since that sign was made by me and mari…" said okuda who just enter the base.
"created by you and mai? When? And how did you do that?" asked father
"simple…me and mari had a small organization whom was acknowledge by some temple around here and even the abe family was able to acknowledge all the ritual signs that we were creating but we aren't yet ready to expose all of it to the public."
"how many ritual sign have you created?" i asked
"only 3, that one is just one of it…"
"then…bou-san said that this ritual needs a sacrifice…what do you mean by that?" I asked.
"if the soul is not that difficult then a simple prayer can do but just like this one…the one in this house who is now hurting mari the most then a great payment would be needed…that's when the sacrifice is needed…"
"what kind of sacrifice?" asked ayako
"actually I don't really want to use that ritual since it isn't completed yet but mari insisted and said that it is the only way…the sacrifice would be a human…"
"a human sacrifice?!" shouted almost everyone in the room
"okuda you know that kind of sacrifice isn't allowed in our industry and if it is really needed then we could use a wooden doll"
"I know that but mari was the one who originally made this and said that it is one of the most dangerous ritual if a mistake occurred…it may killed the sacrifice in just a second…"
"then why do we have to do this? And who would be the sacrifice?" said ayako
"the sacrifice would be the one who has been hurt by the spirit…"
"who has been hurt…then that means!" shouted bou-san
"yes…it is mari herself who would be the sacrifice….this is why I totally disagree in using it…"
"then why do we have to do it…isn't there any other way?" asked ayako
"we can still find another way if we want to since I know that you still need to do some investigation in finding out what is within this house right?"
"yes…but that may take time…will mai be alright?" said yasuhara
"she would be fine…I will keep her safe and oliver…mari still wants to talk to you before we perform the ritual if we failed to find another way…"
"fine…lin I trust you in finding another way in solving this problem…that goes the same for you father…yasuhara and keichi-san begin researching or investigating about this house while the rest do you usual routine... but ayako make some charm to protect everyone"
"you can also have this…" said okuda while giving me some paper which I presume are charms made by him.
"Those are the same charms which I gave to mari but that one is a bit different from her since the one that I gave to her is for her to be able to see while this are to protect everyone" he said
"ooohhh….is this another one of your creation? Asked bou-san
"yes…its my most useful charm and it will surely protect you all since it always been useful to mari who is a very danger magnet"
"hahahaha! Right! Mai is a danger maganet! Even in the past when she is still with us…she was always into an accident" said bou-san
"really? What kind of accident?"
"well…she fell into a well alone then she also fell in a manhole with naru-bou…then I remember finding her unconscious in a chemistry room at the school of yasuhara then it also happen there that the ceiling at the nurse room where mai is resting collapse and naru is with her too then I also remember that she was possess by a kid in a church"
"hahaha…that's very much like her but the danger she is facing is much more than that…I remember one time that she almost face her death but her boyfriend was able to save her, she was lucky enough that she just got some minor injuries and that the same goes to her boyfriend too after that I gave her that charm so that she will be safe anywhere but after she broke up with him because of the engagement she stop asking for one but I presume that she made one protective charms for herself and that was the third one of our creation…"
"you mean that mai made a charm by herself?" asked mother
"well…not totally by herself since when she nearly finish it she ask for my help but everything was made by her…"
"hmnnn….then okuda will you give this to mai?" I handed the paper that contains the ritual sign
"eh but…oliver this is…."
"tell her that we will find a way to purify the spirit here so until then she must keep that and tell her that she must consider in protecting herself and stop using that dangerous ritual that both of you invented…" i said
"hey! This ritual isn't really dangerous but in this case it is, since mari was the only one who knows about this ritual and oh! Also the present young abe omnyuji know about it since he and mari kinda became so close that mari taught him about this ritual while I was gone…that is why we could contact him too so that he can help us here."
"then do you have any contact number of that person?" asked lin
"yes…but I will just use the phone of mari since he would rather want to talk to mari than me…"
"then…contact him while all us must now proceed to what we have to do is that clear everyone?" I said
"then…I'll be taking my leave now…I must be by mari's side now…and i will just keep this...if i gave it back to her...she will surely hate me" said okuda
"hate you?" asked john
"yeah...mari hates it when i return something that she gave, especially when its about this case..."
"ok…be careful okuda-san and please promise to keep my sister safe…" said yuu-san
"of course…" said okuda while leaving the base. When he left I felt a pain in my chest that he will be the one who will be by mai's side instead of me. All I could do is to find a way to finish this case quick in order to save mai so that she would be mine alone.
"Noll…why don't you and masako talk" said mother
"and what are we going to talk about during this time when we need to focus in this case…"
"but noll…"
"mother…I want to focus in this case so that we can finish it quickly and stop the painful things that is happening to mai…I don't want to see her hurt anymore…you know my feelings towards her mother…so please…let me just focus in this case and I'll just talk to masako after all this" I said before focusing into my folder. I want to do everything in my power to save mai in her miserable life. Mother knows that I love her more than myself and that I was looking for her that I refuse to get engage to masako but they didn't listen to me and just continue with it. I'm so mad when I got engage to the girl who I don't even love that is why mother please understand that I don't plan on marrying masako no matter what. That even if I talk to her now and pursue her to trust me won't do anything since she alone knows that I love mai more than her.
Mai's P.O.V.
Charles just came back from the base and just sat down beside me. I know that he was upset about the fact that I decide to use the ritual sign that we made and what's more is that I would be the sacrifice. I know that even naru is mad about it but I just can't think of anything other than that method but if a mistake occur the payment will be severe.
"ne…charles…" I said
"mari…you being blind is enough BUT! You being a sacrifice in that ritual is too much!" he shouted
"but! I can't think of any other way to solve this case"
"just leave everything to them…they are your past team…trust them and they will succeed for you…"
" I know, i do trust them but….i don't want yuu-nii and the other to be in danger…"
"the one in danger is not them but you! Mari! You are the one who is in danger! You know I can't afford to lose you neither oliver can…I know that he loves you more than his own fiancé…that is why I trust him that he will do everything for you"
"no…he isn't …I lost jin for good and made him feel miserable…I just can't let masako be hurt because of me…they are now engage and I will accept it even though I love naru…he now belongs to masako…"
" *sign* I really can't win against you….and by the way…one of the SPR team named yasuhara knew your friend from nakajima family and he also knew jin became your boyfriend…."
"eh? Yasuhara?"
"yeah…he also said that Jin will held his engagement here in japan and intends to invite you…"
" I see…I will attend if he really want me to attend…I know that it is a payment to what I did to him"
"but…mari…"
"you will be my escort by then…since after all this I will break my engagement to that man and then go back to London…"
"mari…"
"I want to forget him and start a new…."
"what if…I myself would seek for your hand? Are you going to accept it?"
"we have talk about this already…and my answer will still be no…"
"why?"
"I just want to be free for now… and i just don't want to ruin our friendship"
"but…I can help you forget everything…since we are now doing another ritual that will be about erasing ones memories"
"about that…Charles do you remember the time when you found me in my condo already swimming in my own blood?"
"yeah…you were doing some kind of a ritual to erase your memory right?"
"yes….the ritual that we are current experimenting is the same ritual that I use…I made a mistake that is why the result is what you saw…"
"MARI! HOW COULD YOU BE SO CARELESS! GOOD THING I WAS IN MY WAY TO YOUR CONDO AND SAW YOU IN THAT STATE IF I WASN'T THEN YOU COULD HAVE DIED!"
"I know…but I can't take the pain anymore during that time…I too was hurt…I love jin and I regret what I did to him…"
" *sign* what if jin still love you? What are you going to do?"
"that's impossible…"
"nothing is impossible when it comes to love mari…."
"that's not true…"
"do you know why he wants to invite you in his engagement party?"
"isn't it because that he want to take revenge on me?"
" *sign* that can be one but…it can also be that he still can't forget about you…"
"eh?"
"if he really want to take revenge then he will invite you not in his engagement but in his wedding…"
"but…"
"he could still be in love with you that he wants you to see him being engage to another girl…"
"still that's impossible…I know jin…once he love someone he will treasure her forever…he told me that…"
"and he does treasure you…"
"let's just stop this conversation… it isn't going anywhere…"
"ok…if that's what you want...then I'll just read my book here" said Charles. After our conversation, he just open his book and read it, I think since I can't see again but I heard a book being open,while I just rest in my bed. I just can't forget what we just talk about but I need to focus here more. Even though that Charles put a lot stronger barrier in this room that made me wake up from my being comatose I still think that it isn't enough since before Charles left to go to the base I lost my eyesight once again. I thought I could talk to naru with my normal self but as I thought masako didn't allow him. That is why I decided to just give him a letter and another letter to bou-san together with the paper that contains the ritual sign.
"Mari…"
"hmnnn?"
"how are you feeling now? I'm really sorry that this barrier isn't enough to make you see"
"I'm fine…besides being unable to see is fine instead of being in a comatose state…"
"right…so do you still wish to speak with oliver?"
"yes…but…it can be after all this or before we proceed with the ritual"
"we will not do that ritual and that is final!"
"you still can't be sure of that Charles"
"I know but its too risky using that…"
"you can just contact Akashi-kun…the one in the abe-clan…he knows the ritual a lot better that is why we could assure that nothing wrong will happen to me"
"and you can't be sure of that mari…since this ritual does need a sacrifice and that only means that it needs to have a payment from the sacrifice alone…What if the payment that is needed is your life huh?!"
"this ritual doesn't need that kind of payment….that is why I am willing to be a sacrifice…"
"no…you aren't willing…you are the sacrifice whether you like it or not…Mari…"
"right….anyway…I'm tired can i just go to rest now?"
" *sign* alright…rest…" said charles. I know that he is worried since that I can notice it in the way he speaks, his voice is becoming crooked when we are talking about that ritual. We originally made that ritual 3 years ago when we stayed here in japan. That is when I met abe no Akashi, the youngest omnyuji of the abe clan in Kyoto. With the help of the clan and Akashi himself we made this ritual and already tried it twice. The first time we tried it is just a simple trial within the premises of the abe clan, when we conduct a simple experiment in purifying a soul that possessed a child but during that time it didn't need any sacrifice that it made us finish the ritual well without any problem. Then when we tried it the second time during a very dangerous case that the abe clan was handling an exorcism and we tried to use the same ritual but this time a sacrifice was needed. Right there we discover that the sacrifice needed will be the ones who were hurt by the spirits. In other words it will be a human sacrifice if ever a human was hurt by the said spirit. During that time the sacrifice was the brother of Akashi which is abe no Yuya, he was hurt by an evil spirit that possessed one of the monk. And because he was the one who was hurt the most that he is needed to be the sacrifice. The payment for him being the sacrifice wasn't that too much since he just got a minor injury wherein he recieve some wounds but after months he got better. After that we were fully aware that the ritual that we made may need a sacrifice. And this time if naru and the others failed to look for another way through out this case then we all have no choice but to use the ritual and I will be the sacrifice. I wonder what kind of payment will be needed this time since this spirit here sure is an evil one for raping his victims first then murdering them after. I just don't understand why does it have to be me who is being target here, I know that I'm a danger magnet and all but still I just came here to rest and forget about that bastard fiancé of mine. *sign* if naru heard this from me he will definitely call me an idiot that's for sure. While bou-san will smack my head then ayako will hit him for smacking me while the other will just going to laugh. *giggle* Just thinking about it makes me laugh.
~To Be Continue!
Yay! Chapter is done! Hope you like it everyone! Please don't forget to leave a review...
Your reviews gives me courage to finish this story... :D
Thanks for reading "please be with me again"
and continue reading it until the end...chapter 9 will be next!
Let us all see what will happen to mai and to what will naru do...
KYOKO AOKI