"Something the matter?" The owner's husband asked, his figure peering out from a few doors down. He came out with a futon draped over his shoulder and another in his hands, the old man almost smothered in the bedding. Mai stood there for a moment longer then let out a small chuckle, almost as if she had just been pulled out of a daydream.
"Of course not, would you like help with those?"
"No, I'm alright, an old man like me has to get a workout somehow" He laughed and the two waved goodbye as he rounded the corner. After he was gone she pulled her bedroom door open and once inside collapsed onto the ground, gasping for a ghost was down the hall was enough to scare her, but the voices and the almost hallucinations was enough to send her heart racing out of her chest. It seemed even her powers had a scare, grabbing her suitcase and flinging it across the room, in the process scattering her clothes. At least it wasn't the ghost; the presence was gone, almost seeming to have wandered off from the scene to another location. No, this was her own powers flipping her futon and throwing the suitcase back and forth across the room. Surprisingly, no one seemed to notice as her powers continued on till her heart rate settled and finally stop moving everything in a fit of terror. She sighed just a moment before sitting back up and set to pushing all her clothes back into the suitcase and pulled the futon back to its original spot. She had just managed to get changed and pull everything back to place when there was a knock at the door.
"You done yet?" Ayako complained and Mai let out a grin at the older woman before closing the door quickly behind herself and running after her into the hallway, then out the door. The sun was at its fullest point of the day and with the new heat Mai was finally able to peel off her coat and replace it was a tank top and shorts, even putting on a pair of flip-flops to her own glee.
"It's so warm out, we should stay here a while" Mai said, groaning as she stretched her arms up into the cool air. They were heading down a rocky path that lead to the village center, which then would take them to all the houses where there were people who needed interviewed. Naru had left a map for the two of them, but they ignored it for the most part, seeing that it was a very easy hike.
"You wearing clothes like that reminds me of when you were younger. You were such a rowdy kid, I don't know how you turned into the woman you are today." Ayako sighed, the two arguing about exactly how annoying Mai was a good year ago. The older of the two called her a rascal, but Mai just defined herself as stubborn. By the time they had finished their conversation they had made it to the town square and stopped to eat some ice-cream before going to the interviews.
"Are you and Bou-san getting married yet?" Mai asked the woman and she gave her a glare, obviously not in the mood to inform Mai that they were not ever, not in the slightest, ever, going to get married or have a relationship. Of course, any logical person knew the woman was just making up words to hide how well she and the monk were getting along.
"That doesn't matter, besides you should mind your own business when it comes to relationships. You have Naru on your hands, he is a handful" Ayako snorted and Mai looked up at the clouds thoughtfully.
"He isn't too bad, I guess he still has his way of getting on my nerves but you have to admit he is turning into a better person" She said, and with that the two woman ate their ice-creams in silence, Ayako seeming too shocked to say any more. Once up again though, they went to talking about school, cake, plans for summer. Ayako wanted to take Mai to America during her break, to give her real life experience and probably just to try and buy as much foreign clothes that her suitcase could hold.
"America isn't the place for me" Mai said, the two marking off their fifth person to interview. The locals were very cheerful people, they didn't have much to say, just about the weather and when asked about the ghost it seemed almost like it was the same story over and over. They didn't remember anything bad happening, the town was quiet, and they defiantly didn't want to bother business. "I'm starting to think the owners of these shops planned this out, it seemed too similar. Someone would at least have gossip or some old wife's tale to tell"
"I think so too" Ayako mumbled, frowning. They decided to not interview anyone else, the pattern being too obvious and instead headed back to the hotel. It was dusk by the time they got back, the boys had set up a few cameras down by the lake, discreetly, and some recorders for sound.
"Welcome back Jou-chan!" Monk shouted and shook her body around like a rag doll before she was set free by the force of the Miko. She walked over, stumbling to Naru, a bit dizzy from the action and plopped down on the couch beside him.
"We're back Naru" She grinned, hair frizzed up from the older man's grip on her.
"Try to call next time you come in when it is getting dark, I'll send someone to come pick you up" He said, putting out his hand for the list. She handed it over with a pout and the two sat there for a moment, Naru quickly reading over the delicate handwriting of Mai and the small side notes put in Ayako along the way.
"As you can see the story is the same thing over and over again" Mai grumbled, and stretched her legs out, bones cracking.
"It seems so, I thought the owner's story was a bit strange but it seems everyone in the town is in on this." He sighed, glancing over at the young woman as she stretched her legs out. "You're only eighteen and you act like you're eighty" Naru said with a raised eyebrow, Mai kicking his leg lightly.
"You're the one acting like an eighty year old"
"Yes but that's normal for someone like me. You're supposed to act like normal Japanese girls, go to karaoke and eat those weird snacks of yours"
"I think I stopped fitting into the normal crowd when I joined SPR" Mai chuckled, and seeing that Naru had taken up the stool to put her feet on she moved to lay her legs over his lap and pulled out her video game. He paused for a moment, watching her then moved his folder to sit on her legs and the two sat in silence, everyone else too busy to notice the couple. Dinner came around and everyone went into the dining room of the hotel, gathering around the table. While it seemed one-sided Mai could feel a bit of tension coming from the gang, knowing that the entire town was working against them so they wouldn't succeed in the case.
"So we have talked to some more locals" Naru said, a good ten minutes having passed since dinner had started. Mai quickly looked over at him, shocked that he was going to meet them head on.
"Oh really? Did you find out any new information for your case?" The owner asked, giving a smile of false security.
"Yes, we believe we will be able to leave very soon, probably in a few days" He said, and the entire room was thrown into silence. The woman's smile remained, in fact it seemed almost to grow larger with enthusiasm for them, but didn't ask more into the subject. Instead they talked about things to do in the city, how their first day at the village had been. Now of course, the tense feeling wasn't just from the gang, instead both parties were on high guard.
"Thank you for the meal" Mai said, everyone leaving the room one by one.
"No problem darling, I'm glad you enjoyed it" The owner smiled, her eyes crinkled with delight but even then it seemed unfriendly and she left the room with a bad taste in her mouth. It seemed everyone else was already down the hall, whispering among themselves, and she listened to them decide what they were going to do.
"Don't talk to anyone about the case, don't go anywhere alone either. If someone asked about the case just say that we have it under control and to not worry" Naru said in a low voice. Everyone nodded and headed to their rooms for the night, though they all looked very wary. Mai headed for her bedroom before Naru grabbed her and she looked at him curiously, he glanced around for a moment before the two walked to her bedroom and he closed the door.
"What is it?" She asked, and Naru reached into his pocket to reveal a small bottle, which he held out to her firmly.
"Take this"
"Pepper Spray?" She asked with shock, yet slowly took it from his hands. "You think someone is going to attack me?"
"Everyone else is ready, with the town's behavior there is some involvement in this haunting and they don't want us to continue our investigation." He said, yet the small woman still frowned, feeling a bit nervous about the object in her hands. Reaching down she slowly placed it by her bed and looked back up at him, the man looking around her room with an expression almost of concern.
"Don't worry about me Naru, I'm stronger than I look you know" She said, trying to assure him
"I don't like the idea that we aren't right down the hall from one another"
"Well we kind of are" She interjected yet it still didn't seem enough for Naru. Still, he said his goodbye and left the room. Waiting a moment longer Mai pulled on her pajamas and slipped under the cool sheets of the futon. Looking over she glanced at the pepper spray and sat up to look at it. It seemed Naru had picked the extra strength one, one spray from this and a grown man could lose eye sight. It seemed a bit extreme, but Naru was always prepared for the crazy events that happened every time after all. Staring a bit longer she heard her door open slightly and looking up quickly she stared into the eyes of the owner, peering into the bedroom.
"Just checking if you need anything darling"
"No I'm alright, thank you" Mai said breathlessly, and the woman closed the door. They were not welcome.
The next morning Mai woke up to knocking on her door and sat up to Yasu hoping into the bedroom with swimming trunks on and a tube around his middle.
"Come on Mai, we have to get going! The sun is rising, the fishes are singing, the water is rising to welcome us! Let's go!" He said, and with that statement she was up and kicking Yasu out her room to put on her swimsuit. She and Masako had just gone to buy one last summer, the black haired medium refusing to go to the pool with a woman who wore the same bathing suit she had gotten in middle school. Of course, it hadn't been her school swimsuit but it was still very childish, and it been thrown into the trash even if it still did fit the petite woman. Now she had a light blue set that was plain, and to her taste, expect for a large bow on the back of the bottom piece. Masako had insisted on it, even though Mai felt a bit embarrassed by what attention it would attract. Yasu had already smacked her butt and whistled the first time she wore it when going to the water park, it had taken a good thirty minutes for Masako to get her out of the dressing rooms after and Yasu had made a grand apology out of it.
"Coming!" Mai shouted to the banging on the door and opened it to Naru, the two looking at each other in surprise. Mai could have sworn she heard a gulp. "You said we could go swimming today"
"I was coming to tell you that Yasuhara-san seemed to be having a seizure outside while waiting for you" He said, eyes narrowed as if disapproving of her attire. Still, he slowly let her pass and she ran down the hall, not daring to look back at the man as she felt his eyes watch her round the corner. Yasu was waiting with impatience, but once she was outside he up and ran with her to the shore, the two shouting out of excitement.
"Oh god it's so cold!" Mai screamed, running into the oncoming waves. Yasu refused to let her run back to the sand though and the two went in deeper till it was to his waist and her chest. He let her go to float and then went to swimming deeper and flailing about to attempt to create an elaborate dance. Mai giggle at him, hands wrapped around the tube he had left behind.
"Isn't this a wonderful vacation Mai?" Yasu shouted out to her and she laughed, the two knowing it was anything but.
"Of course, if only we had a pool boy to admire that would b-"She started before feeling the hand on her foot. The young man turned around just in time to her face go pale before she was dragged under, a scream just making it past her lips. Water went up her noise and some into her mouth as her body hit the bottom of the lake floor, the hands grabbing and shaking her body like Monk had done only last night. Her eyes clenched up in terror as she tried to free herself from its tight grasp yet all it did was shake her around more. Finally her air ran out and she let out a gasp, and eyes opened to a floating creature. Skin was peeling off the face of the monster; small fingers were grabbing and hitting her face almost with a passion. Even in the water she could smell the rotting corpse, the eyeballs soaked in the sand and lips blue with black settling in. The sight made her fight even more knowing that the way things were going she was going to die with that face as the last thing she saw, and with one more bit of strength she pulled away from the animal. The thing seemed almost to be drowning itself, tossing around in pain. Before she could watch any longer with darkening eyes a new set of large hands scooped her up and pulled her to the surface fast enough to make her head spin; they pushed back her hair and grabbed her face, shaking it gently in attempt to wake her.
"Come on Mai, wake up" The voice almost seemed to plead, and after a few more moments of attempting to arouse her she felt air fill her lungs which were clogged up with water. It was just enough to wake her up gagging, and she coughed up water into the lake, the man helping her body lean over the murky water that held the creature that had just tried to drown her. Once her lungs were empty again she was pulled back to the chest of the man and she looked up at Naru, his black clothes soaked through. He obviously hadn't had the time to change, and moving around to wrap her arms around his stomach she felt his shoes in the sand. Everyone else was at different spots around him; as if they too had been searching for her, though most of them had swimsuits on save for Lin. He was standing in the waters, and while it was only up to his upper thigh he looked rather displeasured by the idea of getting his pants wet. Everyone shouted and waved, and she too waved back to show she was fine for the time being.
"Naru?" Mai said to the man, and he looked down at her with a stern expression, though she could tell he was at least happy she wasn't dead.
"I don't know how you could turn swimming in waist deep water dangerous"
"It's almost chest deep for me you know, smarty pants"
Moving without internet is such a terrible thing! I had to sneak back to the old house to post this for you guys, but because it took so long I was really able to read this over a few times and edit it. I hope it is a better chapter than most, I worked to make it flow much better.
Also 100 reviews? I think I might die, it's so exciting to see this! I want to post some fanart I have drawn for this stuff cause you know you can't write a story and not draw some fanart. Hehe, anyways, i'll start working on my fairytale story and post it next time I get internet, thank you for everything you do for me, it's so very special to my heart. I never thought that when I first started posting that anyone would review my stories, but the response from you has made me so happy and I feel so special to be a part of your day and to give you a boost. Thank you for the memories and lets have plenty more!
Vanilla West, welcome to the reviewer club and yes I will make sure to continue soon, hehe
BigBangTOPisVIP this comment was probably my comment of the week! It made me go crazy to post another chapter! I am so excited that my story is one you lose time to, and more excited that you love the chemistry of Mai and Naru, I want to keep building it up till we reach a boiling point for them, hopefully soon? Hm, we'll see
RaixBishop goodness, If I could get internet while on the road I would read fanfiction in a heartbeat, I'm honored that you decided to read mine and that you will hopefully continue to? ^^
Naruisawesome, doesn't he? I always felt like Naru would spoil a loved one, I mean he had the money and never really has any reason to spend it anyways. At this rate Mai is going to be living in the lap of luxury!
Musical Teardrops don't worry I will keep to this the most, it is my baby! I'm not sure when they will officially get together...but I can say the next chapter will be a big step for them, look forward to it, hehe
thearistcrat, yup. Haha, I have a ds lite too somewhere...I hardly play games anymore so it's not too much of a bother but it is really annoying they aren't even making games for old systems anymore
dancingfingers that sounds awful! I don't drown, but swimming in oceans make me think about sharks...sharks scare me a lot too, It's like a giant black hole swimming toward you! Haha, but really, avoid water.
WhisperToTheWolves I'm so sorrrryyyyyyy! I didn't mean to give you a scary dream! The case isn't going to exactly play out like that, but that is pretty cool sounding. Maybe you should make your own story based around a haunting about that?
Lets work hard to get internet and write more stories!