Thank you to Maiden Warrior for the horror story used in this chapter! It fit perfectly for what I wanted! And thank you to Ochineko who gave me ideas for a group bonding exercise! You will more than likely see at least one of those ideas used in a future chapter!
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When all the regulars finally got outside (after realizing that it was past midnight and they had nothing to be scared of) Ryousuke explained the rules.
"There's an old temple about half an hour away by walking," He said, "Follow this path," He shone his flashlights' beam on the entrance of the path. "You'll see a set of stairs on your left. Go up them and it'll take you to the temple. Everyone has to leave a coin inside the temple and get a picture of yourselves in front of it. Then you can come back. Anyone who doesn't complete this will have a punishment prepared. We'll go in ten minute intervals. Everyone is to wait here until the last pair returns. We'll draw for the pairings like we did for the sleeping arrangements last night."
He held up the sticks and allowed everyone to draw. In the end, the pairs were: Eijun and Miyuki, Tetsu and Haruichi, Jun and Kuramochi, Ryousuke and Masuko, and Tanba and Furuya. Chris had opted out, saying he was tired.
"Then the order will be Haruichi and Tetsu, then Tanba and Furuya, followed by Jun and Kuramochi, then me and Masuko and finally Eijun and Miyuki will be last." He nodded to the first pair and said, "Whenever you're ready."
Haruichi took a flashlight and turned it on before heading toward the path, Tetsu close behind. The two wandered down the path, neither talking and the only sound the crunch of the gravel beneath their feet. It took them about twenty minutes to reach the staircase and another eight or so to climb the long set of stairs leading to the temple.
The temple itself was rundown, paint peeling and cracks in the walls. The roof looked about ready to collapse. "It's better than I thought," Tetsu said, staring thoughtfully at the building. "I didn't think it would be standing."
Haruichi chuckled and said, "Well, it's standing for now. Let's get the picture, leave the coin and head back before the next group catches up." Tetsu nodded and they entered the temple. Haruichi put the coin down and waited for Tetsu to take a picture before he took one of the captain. When that was done, the two started to make their way out.
Just before they left though, a moderately strong wind blew, shaking the building. Haruichi covered his head from the dust and pebbles raining down. When it stopped, he waved a hand in front of his face and coughed, trying to dispel the dust.
When it had cleared enough for him to see, he swung the flashlight in Tetsu's direction, only to find nothing. "Senpai?" He called out. He looked down when he heard a groan and found Tetsu lying on the ground, unconscious. "Senpai," He called, shaking the captains' shoulder. When he didn't get a response, he sighed and looked around.
He found a large piece of wood that had fallen from one of the walls and smiled. When he heaved it over to his fallen captain, he struggled to roll the third year onto the makeshift sled before he took an old and fallen rope and tied Tetsu to the wood and gave Haruichi an easy way to pull it.
He heaved the rope and pulled his captain outside. 'Now what?' He checked his phone and sighed when he saw that it didn't have a signal. 'I can't take him down the stairs, so I'll have to find another way down. I don't want any other groups coming and thinking Senpai is dead, so I'll hide him while I look for another path.'
When he made up his mind, he quickly put a few bushes in front of Tetsu, in case the next group came while he was still looking. That done, he quickly went to search the surrounding area.
Tanba and Furuya stared at the temple in front of them. Neither spoke as Tanba placed the coin inside the temple. After they got their pictures and were heading back though, they heard a rustle in the bushes and a moan. They both tensed and looked at each other.
"I'm sure it's nothing," Tanba said, his voice barely shaking. He didn't want the first year to get scared, after all. Furuya didn't say anything, rooted to his spot. His eyes went wide though, when he spotted fingers jutting out from under the bush.
"Oi!" Tanba yelled, catching Furuya before he could hit the ground. "Hey! Hey! Wake up! What happened?! Hey!" It was no use though, as the first year was out cold. Tanba looked back at the bush and felt his face drain of color and heart stop when he saw the hand. He tossed Furuya over his shoulder and ran as fast as he could back toward their temporary home.
Haruichi frowned and looked down at himself. He'd fallen into a mud pile when he missed the small cliff. He looked around and wiped his hands with a few leaves before wiping his eyes. 'Let's just find another way down so I can get back and take a bath.'
Jun was nearly jumping at every small rustle, and Kuramochi seemed to be a walking statue. By the time they reached the temple, they were exhausted from the blood pounding through their veins because of the fear.
"Finally," Jun sighed, about ready to drop. The thirty minutes seemed to have taken thirty years. And they still had to go back! Jun nearly chucked the coin into the temple and snapped a quick photo of Kuramochi and then turning and taking one of himself, since his partner couldn't seem to do anything.
Jun turned and was about to leave when a moan came from behind him. His mind seemed to shut down and Kuramochi jumped nearly ten feet in the air before grabbing Jun's wrist so hard he nearly broke it and dragging him back down the stairs and back along the path.
Haruichi frowned as he looked around him. 'Where am I?'
Ryousuke smiled as he walked along. Masuko was stone faced, but the short third year could see how scared he was. Being the nice teammate he was, he kicked a few stones into the bushes, causing them to rustle and Masuko to tense up.
On the way up the stairs he casually said, "Do you hear that?"
Masuko froze. "H-Hear what?" He asked.
"Oh, nothing. Must have been my imagination." Masuko looked about ready to faint. "It sounded like music though. You know, the kind from those music boxes?"
Masuko stopped and shivered, recalling the story Tetsu had told.
Around the grounds of the training center, there used to be an old abandoned house in the middle of the woods. The house homed a little girl who plays with her doll and the kids that visited her. Though the kids come less frequently because the little girl's doll kept appearing wherever they are when the little girl leaves the room. The doll wasn't a typical girl's doll because it has two black dots as eyes and a stitch mouth and a simple white dress and just long arms and legs, no finger or feet, and black long hair. So in truth, the kids stop coming which makes the little girl sad. Then, she saw kids playing not so far away from her house so she quickly went downstairs with her doll. However, she tripped down the stairs and died. Her doll has fallen into the same exact position as her as well. On every moonless night, a music box can be heard which tells that the little girl is playing because she always opens it no matter what. The next day, a kid went missing and people began to feel terrified with the idea the little girl might done something. They went to find her only to discovered she was dead, but the doll wasn't there anymore. Inside her room, they found the doll, but it wasn't alone. Another doll was beside it, the doll looked exactly like the missing kid. A music box was closed and clean as if someone just recently using it. The people quickly buried the girl so they can leave the house. The same thing happened on the next moonless night and only a music can be heard. It was a single that the little girl is still playing in that house with her doll and she is not alone anymore.'
Ryousuke looked back when he heard the thump and smiled. "Ah, he fainted. Looks like he couldn't complete the trial. I'll have to think of a suitable punishment later. For now," He continued up the stairs and placed the coin in the temple before taking a picture of himself in front of it. He casually left, not noticing the hand or hearing a moan.
Haruichi sighed in relief when he saw the temple again. Finally, he wasn't lost anymore! He was sore from the fall earlier, tired from staying up so late, and annoyed at being covered in mud. "Screw it," He muttered to himself as he grabbed the rope again, "Stairs it is."
Eijun was shaking so badly that he could barely walk. He was practically pushed up against Miyuki, who was too content with the current closeness to notice the fear. When there was a rustle in one of the bushes, Eijun screamed and latched onto Miyuki not unlike a koala, tears nearly coming out of his eyes.
Miyuki staggered in surprise and reflexively put his arms around the pitcher. "I w-wanna go b-back," Eijun stuttered, close to tears.
"But what about the punishment? Besides, we're almost there. See, the stairs are right up-"
He cut himself off when his flashlight beam illuminated the base of the stairs, only to see an unconscious and bleeding Tetsu on the ground, a small, dark figure standing over him. Miyukis' mind went blank. When the creature turned toward him, his eyes nearly glowing, Miyuki dropped the flashlight and ran, screaming as he did.
Haruichi frowned as he stood over Tetsu. Their captain had hit one of the steps wrong and gotten a cut on his forehead. The first year looked up when he saw the light and his eyes widened in relief at the help. He couldn't move though, when the two dropped the flashlight and ran away while screaming.
"…Well that was strange," Haruichi muttered, grabbing the rope once more and starting the long trek back to their inn.
When the regulars heard running footsteps, they looked up, only to be met with a frantic Miyuki who was carrying a petrified and crying Eijun. The catcher doubled over when he reached the others, gasping for breath.
"Are you alright?" Jun asked, worry in his eyes.
"Did you see Haruichi or Tetsu?" Ryousuke asked, his voice laced with worry for his younger brother. "They haven't come back yet."
"Tetsu…b-blood…m-monster…"Miyuki gasped, still trying to regain his breath. Eijun nearly choking him with his death grip wasn't helping matters much.
All the regulars paled when they heard that. "O-Oi!" Kuramochi yelled, "W-What do you mean blood? I-Is Tetsu…i-is he…"
Ryousuke cut him off and grabbed the front of Miyuki's shirt after practically ripping Eijun off of him. He pulled the catcher down to his height and demanded lowly, "Where. Is. Haruichi."
"Did-Didn't see him," Miyuki said, afraid of the senior at the moment.
"What do you-"He was cut off when a slow dragging sound was heard. Miyuki started shaking and ran behind Jun, his breathing getting faster from the fear.
Nobody said anything as the dragging got closer and closer. Miyuki, Kuramochi and Eijun all screamed and then fainted when the 'monster' came into view, dragging what looked to be Tetsu's corpse behind it.
Ryousuke instantly recognized his little brother and sighed at his teammates reactions. Haruichi had jumped when he heard the screams but fell to his knees in relief when he saw that he was finally back.
He felt arms around him and opened his eyes to see his brother was hugging him, shaking slightly from worry. "Onii-chan," he muttered.
Ryousuke let go and poked him in the forehead. "Do you know how worried I was? What happened?"
"The wind shook the temple and some debris fell. A big piece hit Senpai and knocked him out. I tried to find a way down besides the stairs, but couldn't so I had to use them. He hit his head on one of the steps and started bleeding."
Ryousuke sighed and smiled. "At least you're alright. Come on, let's go get you cleaned up and have Tetsu's head looked at." Ryousuke helped his brother up and nearly carried him inside, leaving Tetsu and the rest of the unconscious regulars to Chris, who had come out when he heard the screams.
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So let me know what you thought and give me ideas you want to see in this fic! They're here for a week and two days are gone. Five more to go!
~Akirafanatic