Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt
Mai finds herself being pick up at her apartment by Sayuri. "Naru called," The older woman waits as she gets into the car, "we have a case. Naru, Lin, me, you, and possibly Monk. He's going to show up later since he has a show to do."
"What about Ayako, John, and Masako?"
"That's why I'm going," Sayuri laughs, "she's got some thing to do with her family. Ayako has a date. And John had to go out of town for a emergency."
"Emergency?" Brown eyes stare at her.
"Minor," Sayuri pats her on the shoulder, "he's taking over for another priest who came down with flu. No big deal."
"So just us four until Monk shows up," Mai rolls her eyes, "fun."
"Oh you know you like working with Naru," Sayuri pinches her cheek, "You like him..."
"No I don't!"
"Yes you do!" Sayuri laughs at Mai's blushing face, "It's obvious Mai. You like that narcissist jerk face."
"He has his moments," Mai sighs before looking serious again, "which far and few in between."
"De-nial is a river in Egypt, Mai," Sayuri glances at her GPS, "we should be there soon."
"What's the case about?"
"Poltergeist activity at a family home," Sayuri pulls up a long drive up a hill, "the family is at their wits end. They've been having spiritual activity for over six months. Everyone they had called that could come in immediately left the house as soon as they tried to figure out what it was. Most of the people were hurt in some way."
"So now they finally called us?"
"As I said, they called pretty much everybody before they called us."
"Well we've seen some pretty odd stuff," Mai pumps her fist, "we can handle anything."
A three story home comes into view, surrounded by lush gardens. Leaves blew around the dark house.
"Creepy," Sayuri grins, "like out of one of my books. It look innocent but I bet there is a-"
"Sayuri!" Mai makes a face, "enough of your sadistic, creepy mind. Let's just get inside and help the guys out."
"I'm sadistic?" Grey eyes blink.
"Very," Mai walks inside the house, "you tend say the creepiest things. It sometimes makes Naru nervous."
"I doubt I could make Naru nervous," Sayuri rolls her eyes, "now pretty girls? maybe...like someone I know of."
"Shut. Up!"
"Excuse me," Naru coughs, getting the attention, "but we're in here so please stop goofing off."
"We weren't," Sayuri pretends to throw a invisible dart at Naru's head. The two follow him into a dark green walled room that looked like a den. A couple is seated across from them. A young woman with light brown hair is sitting in a plush chair with another older woman behind her. The other woman appear to be the grandmother.
The Tenshino quickly explain their paranormal problem. Since six months ago when they moved into their new home, strange things have been happening. The family had called in every specialist on the matter to figure out what was wrong with the house. Many priests, monks, shrine maidens, psychics, mediums, and anyone else have had their lives threaten, scared, or possible injury. Each left the house frighten of what was in there. No one had been able to make a clear claim on what was exactly going on.
"A friend of mind finally handed me your card, Mr. Shibuya," Eiko squeezes her husband's hand, "she said that you and your team had helped in the past at her sister's home. She said that if anyone can find anything, it can be you and your team."
"We've had everyone up in this house before," Eiko's husband, Akira looks exhausted, "nobody has been able to figure out what is going on. It's also that many of the people we have ask for help have gotten hurt in this house. The worst one was the recent medium that was pushed down the stairs by something that wasn't there. Please, we are begging you to do something about this menace."
"Please, we speak on behalf of the safety of our family," Eiko points to the chair, "My daughter Yume and my sister Natsumi are afraid to sleep at night. My mother is only here for support. She refuses to stay in this house."
"It is curse," the old woman speaks up, "this whole family is cursed."
"Enough mother!"
"We just need a room to set up in as base," Naru is escorted to a library office just off to the right of the den. The place was huge and had enough room for all the equipment. Mai helps set up. No one was saying anything about the case at the moment. Sayuri glances over the list of what was going on in the house. It seem simple at first with doors opening and closing and footsteps and objects being moved around to people being pushed, dragged, smack, and one person was nearly burned by the stove shooting up flames.
Mai receives a text, "Monk is on his way."
"Good," Naru double checks the wires, "you and Sayuri go set up the cameras upstairs."
The two girls grab the cameras, heading upstairs.
"This is actually a nice house," Sayuri admires the woodwork, "too bad it might have a poltergeist."
"Naru will have a experiment perform," Mai looks up and down the hallway, "to see if it might be one of the family members."
Sayuri nods, "if not one of them, then maybe the old woman was right and this house is cursed."
"Let's not hope for that," they begin to set up video in the hallway.
Mai helps adjust the camera before turning around. The teenager is startled as the daughter Yume is standing at the stairs. Light brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail tied with a bow. Quiet brown eyes stare at her. She was dress in a white blouse, grey sweater, and dark pants. She look so thin and had dark circles under her eyes.
"Oh you startled me," Mai could tell Yume was about her age, "I'm Mai and this is Sayuri. Sorry if we're in your way."
"You're not," Yume shyly answers.
Sayuri gives the girl a comforting smile, "nothing to worry about. We'll find out what's bothering your house. That way you'll have peaceful dreams at night."
"I guess," Yume tugs at the hem of her sweater.
"I know you probably have heard that from the others, " Sayuri pats her shoulder, "but I've dealt with some weird things and so have the other members of SPR. Don't worry, we can be prepare to do anything."
Something flickers in Yume's eyes.
"But it just seems like-"
"We're not going to purposefully provoke whatever spirit is in here, or if it's multiplies. You'll be safe. Trust us."
Yume nods, leaving the two to the cameras as she heads for her room down the hall.
"Poor thing," Sayuri sighs, "let's get moving or else we'll never hear the end of Naru's lecture."
The girls move fast before coming downstairs to find that Lin and Monk made good work on the rooms there. Happy brown eyes give both girls a wink before moving on back to base. Everyone waits for Naru's instructions for the night.
"Wait," Mai nudges Sayuri, "where's Sho?"
"Ritsuke," she sighs, "he wanted to take him out for some male bonding."
"Sounds like Ritsu to me."
The basic procedure goes without interruption for most of the evening. Everyone takes notes, and watches any activity. So far, nothing odd occurs within the two hours of watching the place. Naru even perform an experiment to which to see if one of the members of the family was causing it. It went fairly well, leaving the gang to wait.
Eiko allowed Sayuri and Mai to use the kitchen to help themselves to snacks and drink. Mai prepares tea while Sayuri had brought in a small cooler. Mai looks up just as she set the pot down to boil.
"What's that?"
"Food," Sayuri holds up the red cooler, "I made them myself."
Mai walks over as Sayuri opens it up.
"Mostly sandwiches," Sayuri digs through it, "also some small pastries I made. I'm experimenting on what to make for Sho's Halloween party."
"You're having a Halloween party? For Sho?"
"Well," The brunette makes up a small plate for Mai, "yeah...since I kinda believe in ghosts now. Plus, my house is tend to be the most creepy so I figured I just have a big thing for the kids."
"Aw, need any help?"
"Yes, if you're not busy."
"Naru can get over it," Mai pops a pumpkin pastry into her mouth, "besides I love kids-Oh my gosh, this is delicious!"
"Thank you! I thought so too but I needed an second opinion."
"What's this?" Mai pops the other pastry into her mouth, "Mm..."
"Chocolate and peanut butter candies melted into it," Sayuri laughs at Mai eats another one, "watch it or else you'll be hyper then Naru will lock you up in the van."
"Then give me a sandwich," Mai orders, laughing along with Sayuri.
The whistling of the tea pot interrupts the laughter. Mai goes over to pick it up with a cloth. She sets it down on a cooling rack as she goes to get the tea bags out. The top of the tea pot starts to rattle. Sayuri watches it as Mai has her back turn to it. Waters starts to bubble a bit through the sprout.
Sayuri!
Mai turns around to walk back to the tea pot when Sayuri steps in front of her, knocking her back. Hot, boiling water squirts out of the spout of the teapot. The brunette screams as the water hits her arm. Mai grabs Sayuri away in time as the water continues to flow out of the teapot till it runs out of water.
"Sayuri? Mai?"
Mai looks up to see Monk, Eiko, and Akira running in.
"I'm alright," Mai looks around, "but Sayuri got burned."
"The teapot decided it be funny if it squirted boiling water at Mai," Tears were force out of her eyes. Sayuri holds her arm by the elbow, staring down at the red skin that would blister.
"I am so sorry!" Eiko apologizes.
"Not your fault," Mai calms her as Sayuri tries to make it to the sink. The sensation of burning pain made her feel lightheaded. Strong arms grab her, forcing her closer. Her arm is shove into the sink as ice cold water pours on it.
"We just got something reading up on the cameras," Naru walks into the kitchen to see Monk leaning over Sayuri as her arm gets bathed in cold water.
"You don't say," Monk glares at him before whispering to Sayuri, "It's okay."
"I didn't even notice it," Mai felt her own tears coming up, feeling bad that Sayuri got herself hurt.
"It's alright," Sayuri clenched her mouth, "it was quick enough for me to catch it before you did."
"Either you are very brave or very stupid," Monk tries to make a joke.
"Both," Sayuri sighs, wincing as her arm is pulled out of the cold water bath, "thank you...Monk."
"It's okay," Monk helps her out to base, "I think Lin has something to put on that burn of yours. We'll get it taken care of."
Lin was already digging out bandages and balm when they come back to base. He tugs Sayuri out of Monk's arms, sitting her down in front of him. Whatever it was that Lin was putting on her burn, it tingled for a second before it cooled her skin. Lin begins to wrap it so she wouldn't get the balm on anything else in the house. He doesn't even look at her as he treats her.
Sayuri stares at her bandaged arm, "thank you Lin."
He nods quietly to her before sitting back down in front of the cameras.
"What was on the cameras?" Monk asks Naru.
"Not sure," Naru rewinds back, "but the monitors in that particular room spiked then settled down."
"What could be causing it?"
"Whatever it is," Naru pauses as all the lights in the house power down, "doesn't want us here."
The shadows of a thunderstorm are seen on the wall. Lightning then the boom of thunder. That's when Mai screams, jumps staring at the grandmother who stood in the doorway. She held tight to her cane, looking very solemn.
"We are a cursed family," she speaks so quietly, "we are burdened with something that you people cannot help us with unless you are prepare to face something beyond your control."
"Don't worry," Naru doesn't even look at the grandmother, "we've dealt with worse cases."
"Good luck," the old woman cackle, "because you're going to need it."