It was so tight here.

So dusty that she couldn't stop coughing.

Please. Please, she just wanted to live a little longer.

Please.

Mai awake to the sound of pounding on her door, and at first she thought it was part of her dream that was fading away in her mind. She couldn't even exactly remember what happened in it, who was she? Where was she? Well it didn't matter, the first matter of business was to answer the door because it was just growing in strength and she pulled herself out of her bed, shivering at the cold surface first before running to the door and opening it quickly to stop the knocking.

"You know, when someone doesn't answer it normally means they won't" She said with a huff as Naru walked in like he owned the place. Well technically he did, though he wouldn't directly admit it to her.

"I knew I had to keep knocking to wake you up" He said, settling down into one of her chairs and looked at her expectantly. "Tea Mai." And her day had started, she went to the kitchen, and set the kettle on the stove, then back into her bedroom where she changed quickly and grabbed her suitcase. At least Naru had enough manners to stay in the living room, looking around at her class books spread out on the floor, a year ago he would have looked through the home, snooping.

"I had a dream Naru." She started, pouring out his tea after it boiled and walking back into the living she sat it down in front of him, choosing to sit on the couch.

"I though you said you didn't dream anymore" He said with a bit of a curious expression, not even bothering to pick up his cup. When Naru left a year ago her connection through her dreams were completely cut like a pair of scissors to a wire. Lin had tried to reconnect her but it seemed impossible and was very apologetic about it, it seemed even Naru had pitied her when she had told him about the dark dreams the first time. His hasn't exactly showed a sad expression but he had at that time stopped drinking his tea and his eyebrow had been knitting in such a strange way. In fact he was doing it now, as if trying to explain this new development.

"I thought so too, but tonight I dreamt about something. It's very vague now, I just know I was somewhere small and dusty, I couldn't breathe very well" She said with a thoughtful look at him and his expression seemed to soften a bit, as if he felt pain at the thought of it. Then he drank his tea down and stood up, grabbing her suitcase.

"Come on Mai, Lin is waiting for us. We have a good hour on the road" He said as he pulled his jacket on and he mimicked him and pulled on a hat and gloves.

"But Naru I haven't even eaten breakfast yet." She moaned though still following him out the door after slipping on her boots, glad she did once she found herself in an inch of snow. Last night it had to have snowed at least three inches. Mai couldn't contain her grin as she reached down to pat the snow after her removed her gloves, giggling at the feeling of it brushing her fingers. She didn't even notice Naru watching her with a fond expression.

"I brought some food for you in the car since I knew we wouldn't have time." he said, trying to show they needed to get moving. "Put your gloves back on Mai and stop playing in the snow, you're working right now" Naru stated before heading down the stairs slowly, glancing back at her to make sure she was coming along.

"I know, I know." She grumbled and slipped her gloves back on and followed him down the stairs, grinning when he waited at the bottom and offered his hand to her on the last couple of steps. He had grown into some sort of a gentleman, at least sometimes. He opened the door for girls and wouldn't let her carry heavy boxes anymore. His parents had somehow gotten him to be a better man in that year, or maybe it was maturity, he wasn't a boy anymore. He had grown a couple of inches in that year and his shoulders were even stronger than before, Naru was officially a man now.

"I know I'm attractive Mai but stop staring." Naru said smuggling and she retorted by sticking out her tongue and looked away.

"I was just thinking that you look a lot older Naru." She said as he opened the van's door for her and she hoped into the middle while he set her suitcase in the back. She of course said a good morning to Lin who handed her a rice ball which she began to nibble on by the time Naru was back. Of course he would buy rice balls; at least they weren't strange flavors.

"Of course I look different Mai, time has passed after all." he said, referring to her last statement. He then scolded her for not wearing a seatbelt and once the three where settled they were off, at first it was just city but then it became countryside and Lin had to drive very slow because of all the snow. Mai considered complained that they should just go home but she didn't want to disrupt Lin's focus which was utterly on the road in order not to kill them, so she stayed silent for the ride, looking up at the ceiling then over at Naru's book and out the window. Speaking right now could get them killed and at that moment she wished she had taken this into consideration and brought a book with her. At least that would keep her entertained for the ride. She considered going to sleep for a while and she moved around a bit, trying to get comfortable, but her old ideals of being able to sleep anywhere was gone.

"Naru, are we almost there?" she whispered, willing to give up a little safety for the boredom that was increasing.

"Does it look like it?" He answered with another question of his own, and she shrugged her shoulders, glancing back over Lin's window, then Naru's, then back. There was a few homes showing up here and there, and from a distance she could see a town forming, she tried reading the name of the city but even that was covered in snow. There was a school and a bakery, not many people where walking around and it seemed even for the children school had been canceled. Then they stopped and she hopped up and down in her seat, trying to get Naru to move a bit faster, once he was out she jumped and stretched.

"That ride felt super long" She moaned, stretching out her aching muscles and Naru watched smugly before glancing over at the building beside the van, she then turned to see an apartment complex . It wasn't new though, it was broken down and many of the windows boarded up, it wasn't especially tall either, just a few stories. At first confused she watched him walk over and unlock it with keys he had pulled out of his pocket. He then propped it open with a rock before turning to her and Lin.

"Bring in the supplies, we'll be working on the first floor, don't go up the stairs yet. We have to see how strong they are." He said in a stressing tone, looking at her straight on. She knew she was a bit of a handful but he didn't need to do that anymore, she hadn't gotten into trouble since he had come back, it wasn't her fault if ghost were still going after her.

"I wonder who you're talking about" She said sarcastically before grabbing one of the boxes and headed in. The place was a dump with creaky wooden floors, for some reason they made her nervous, as if they might fall in. For now she couldn't think about it, with Naru on her tail and sat the box down in what seemed to be the management office, and then looked down the hallway. There were five doors, and stairs. The stairs where missing steps and the wood seemed to be rotting, she knew for a fact she wouldn't be heading up them any time soon. Maybe they could put a ladder there instead, and just knock them down, considering there was just a giant hole in the ceiling for the stairs after all.

"Come on Mai, we need to set up most of this before the others get here." Naru called out and she walked back out, grabbing another box, catching up him.

"Where is the person who employed us?" She asked with a bit of confusion, he had pulled out the keys from his pocket without anyone letting him in. He walked into the office, setting his box then hers before answering.

"The owner decided she didn't want to be here, but she gave us the information we needed" He said but had a sour look like he too found it rather rude not to even show up to let them in. Still they continued this pace of bringing in boxes and equipment before the other car showed up with the gang.

"You guys took so long!" Mai shouted though not very angry since she hugged and welcomed all of them into the building.

"Well Miss. Prissy here decided to not answer her doorbell so I had to go and pick everyone else up and when I came back she was just standing there, waiting" Monk complained dramatically and grabbed Mai in a big bear hug. "You would never do that to me would you?! You'd answer the door" He said before getting attacked by the Miko who complained he was going to crush her. Mai didn't dare answer since she too had Naru knocking at her door for who knows how long.

"If you are all done" Naru said with a growl and they all settled in, sitting on top of the boxes. Masako had agreed to sit on John's lap and Mai had hoped onto Yasuhura's, he was in college at the moment trying to form connections for her through it. Masako, him, and her had become a close knit of friends; they had gone to the pool, amusement park, even pulled pranks on others together. Of course, through her friendship, it seemed Naru got more annoyed with Yahura, one time he even ordered him out of the building for no reason she could see. "We're going to be investigating this apartment. It was made a good twenty years ago so the base is slightly cracked, we not be going onto the second or third floor until it is inspected by me and Lin. If it is safe we'll put cameras up there, otherwise we'll have to enter from an outside ladder to get into the upper floors. We have been informed that it is safe to be in but we'll be sleeping in a hotel near by just to be safe and change out times. The customer says she has been hearing knocking sounds from the floorboards and once felt something grab her and pull her through the flooring. Everyone must have a partner at all times, there will be no exceptions allowed." He said before standing up. "Mai, go with Masako and check temperatures, see if you can feel anything." He said and she headed out with the other girl as he handed out other jobs to the other members. At least she didn't have to set up the equipment on those shelves.

"I don't feel anything" Masako mumbled with a confused look and Mai looked at her.

"Really?" She asked, a bit shocked, Naru wasn't one to pick up a case unless he was sure there was ghost inhabiting it, but maybe this woman was paying very well. "That means we'll be in and out pretty soon right? Since there isn't anything here"

"But something is here Mai, I know it is," Masako started firmly, "it's just muffled enough that all I can know is that it's here, but not actually see it." She tried explaining. "Whatever it is, I don't like it at all Mai, it's strange. Have you felt anything?" Her friend asked and Mai thought about it. Had she felt anything? Nothing in the apartment seemed to through her off but the floorboards, something about this where nerve-wracking for her and she looked at her with a bit of a sheepish look.

"The floor boards are kinda creepy."

"I feel the same way."

Oh god, I can't thank all of you enough. I posted this as a newb. To this website and the response I got left me in tears. I literally was on the ground by my first review, almost sobbing from all my feels.

Thanks to Ageha for being my first ever review, I promise not to let you guys down.

Also thanks to ShinigamiinPeru, Cooper101, and Musical Teardrops. I'm so glad you guys like it and think everyone is in character.

Special thanks to the four of you for following it as well as missgg727.

I will probably get into the routine of posting around once a week so please look forward it, for now I'm going to get this started up and everything set into place.

3 Please continue to look after me.