Here is Chapter 4. I would normally be in class, but i'm unfortunately sick and unable to drag myself to class and to keep myself from going crazy and to distract myself from my strange and crappy symptoms I have been writing fanfiction.
Chapter 4
Mai had been dealing well with the rehearsals. She had come up with a way to keep the crazies away from her. She would bring Yasuhara with her. He was good at repelling the unwanted attention.
She and Naru were back to normal. Mai was doing the laundry. She was pulling the clothes out of the dryer and folding them when she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of a pair of her pants.
Carefully she pulled out the wrinkled paper. It was an envelope with her name of it. "I don't remember this." Mai said as she examined the envelope closer. The envelope was long and folded. Her name looked like it had been printed using a type writer or something.
"I guess there's only one way to find out what it is…" Mai said and began to rip the envelope open. She pulled out the sheet of paper and unfolded it. It was a typed letter. She began to read it.
Dear Mai.
Do you know who this is from? I'm your secret admirer. As much as I love you, I also have a keen interest in puzzles and riddles. I happen to have very superior problem solving skills. Well then my love shall we play a game? I know how much you love them. Follow the clues and go to the place that they point to. There is a surprise waiting for you at the finish.
Mai looked at the note and wondered who it was from. "It must be from Naru.." She turned the note over and examined the clue. It was a picture of her kitchen with an arrow pointing to the freezer. She read the line out loud. "Late at night you come to find me. I'm your favorite delight. You always slop me on your shirt…." Mai got up and went to the freezer. She knew it was talking about her ice cream.
She pulled out a carton and looked it over. She lifted the lid to find another note wedged inside. "Ewwww…." Mai said as she pulled the sticky envelope out by the corner and dropped it in the sink. She put the ice cream back and turned her attention to the next clue.
"You read me last week. You were so frightened that you doubled checked the locks and left the lights on at night." Mai walked over to her bookcase in the living room and pulled out a book from the shelf.
It was a large leather bond book that looked worn and beaten. The title read "Listen for the Whisper."(it's an actual book that I have read. It was good.) Mai flipped through the pages and pulled out another envelope.
"You wore me the other day with that black dress skirt and that purple top with the beading around the collar." Mai thought about this one. It could be a number of things. She thought back to the other day when she wore that outfit. She went to the bedroom and looked through her jewelry.
Nothing to find there. She moved on to the closet. "Maybe it's my shoes…" Mai said to herself. Just then she heard Naru come in.
"I'm home." He called to her.
"Upstairs." Mai called to him. "I'm trying to solve your scavenger hunt." She laughed. Naru was coming up the stairs.
"Scavenger hunt? What are you talking about?" he asked her as he made his way to their room.
"You can stop playing innocent." Mai teased as she shuffle around shoe boxes till she found the right one. "Here it is!" she sang out. She lifted the lid and heard a shriek. She dropped the box and scurried to her feet. It was only then that she realized the scream had come from her.
She collided with her husband as she tried to run out of the walk in closet.
"Mai what's wrong?" he asked her anxiously. She pointed into the closet as she trembled. Although what she had seen in the box had horrified her, that was not what terrified her.
Mai realized that it was not her husband who had left all those little notes. It was someone else. That someone had been in her home. They had been watching her at night and knew everything she had been doing.
She broke away from Naru and ran about the room pulling the curtains shut. She huddled in the corner of the room. She placed her hands on her head and sobbed as the memories flooded back. That horrible summer. That monster of a man named Katsumi. Gene's death. She could see him floating in the water. She could see herself pulling back the sheet to look at his body.
Naru hurried into the closet to see what had horrified his wife and sent her into a panic attack. He knelt down next to the over turned shoe box. He carefully picked it up. The contents pilled out on to the floor. Naru almost cried out.
The box had been jammed with tiny dead birds with their heads twisted, but Naru saw something else. Mai had only been looking at the top of the box. When she ran out, she had tip the box over. What was shoved underneath the birds might have sent Mai out the window.
Naru felt his emotions bubble as he picked up one of several photos. Photos that brought back the haunting memories of that summer. Naru want to scream he was so angry. He wanted to know who did this and how. How could they have gotten these pictures. They were crime scene evidence.
Naru got to his feet and hurried to his wife. Mai covered her face and sobbed. Naru grabbed the phone and called Ayako.
"Hello." Ayako answered cheerfully.
"It's Mai. Get here as soon as possible!" he growled into the phone before he hung it up. He then called for the police.
Naru picked Mai up in his arms and carried her downstairs to the living room. He placed her on the couch and wrapped her up in a heavy blanket. Mai had passed out.
Ayako barged into the room with Monk trailing behind her. She immediately positioned herself at Mai's side. "What happened? Did she have an attack? She hasn't had one in years." Ayako asked her voice was angry.
"Not exactly." Naru said. "Ayako, would you stay with Mai while Monk and I go deal with the police?"
"Police?" Monk and Ayako said at the same time. There was a knock at the door.
As Monk and Naru showed the officers upstairs, Ayako stayed by Mai's side. She was still unaware of what had happened. 'Did Mai have an episode? She hasn't had one in years. What could have triggered it?'
Hours went by and finally Monk and Naru came back down stairs with an officer. Mai was beginning to stir. "What's going on?" Ayako asked. The concern showing in her voice.
Monk shook his head. He looked grim and angry. Naru had the same impassive look as always. Naru took this time to speak.
"Someone was in the apartment. I'm not sure exactly what happened. Mai was hysterical when I got to her. I came home and Mai was upstairs in our room. She said something about trying to solve my scavenger hunt, which I did not set up. Then I heard her scream and she ran out of the closet. I went to investigate and found a turned over. shoebox." He said as he kneeled down next to his wife.
"What was in the box?" Ayako asked. Naru didn't answer her. He took Mai's hand into his and pushed back her hair. Ayako turned to Monk and asked again. "What was in the box?"
"It was horrifying." He said as he ran his hand through his hair. "It was full of dead birds. They were just shoved in there, but that's not the worse part. In the bottom of the box were pictures." His voice trailed off as the anger began to bubble up again.
"Pictures?" Ayako said. "Pictures of what?"
"They were of Mai. They were the pictures that Katsumi took of her." Naru's voice growled. He hated this man. This single man had managed to hurt so many people that he loved. Gene, Mai, Peter, and those who cared for them.
Ayako gasped. She covered her mouth with her hands. She had seen those pictures. They had all seen the pictures. It was enough to make her sick. The fact that it was Mai made her feel even more sick. They had worked so hard to get past it and now it was back.
Mai stirred again. The officer chose this moment to speak.
"Mr. Shibuya, we have gathered as much evidence as we can for now. We will need to question your wife. Do you know when she might be able to? The sooner the better." He asked in a stern voice.
"She won't be awake till at least tomorrow and even then this is a sensitive subject. You can't just tell her that not only has someone been through her private belongings, but they managed to get their hands on the pictures documenting the hell you've been through!" Ayako had screamed at the officer before Naru could answer.
"I understand that, but in order for us to get the whole story, we must get her statement. Also considering that we do not know how the perp got inside, I think it would be best for you to not stay here." He finished.
"That's fine. I trust that I can leave Mai in your care?" Naru said as he turned to Monk and Ayako.
"Of course." Ayako assured him. Monk reached down and picked Mai's sleeping form up as Ayako went to gather up some of Mai's belongings.
"I'll wait with her in the car." Monk said to them and went out the front door. Naru took this moment to talk to the officer in private.
"I would like an explanation of how police evidence would end up here?" Naru's voice was cold, but his anger was very clear.
"I don't know, sir. The evidence would have been stored away. It's a closed case. If someone had signed the material out there would be a record. We'll look into it." He assured Naru.
"I would like for this to be kept quiet. My wife is very sensitive on this subject and we would appreciate if there was minimal media coverage. She doesn't need to relive everything again."
"I understand. It would be best for the details of what happened to be kept quiet."
The officers wrapped up their investigation and Naru returned to his family.
Ok so I had started this chapter before i had started this semester and did very little till recently so i hope if flows together alright. Hope your liking the story. Please Review. :)