Naru decided it was best for Mai to stay out of water for the rest of the case, and pouting on shore she watched as everyone else floated around in the lake. She questioned him on why in the world they could play in the water while held the monster, but she couldn't, and he informed her that almost drowning to death put her on swimming probation for the rest of the case, and that they were all adults. They could do as they pleased. Of course, she could tell he tried to add some humor to it, but he had almost been shaking as he led her out the water. Mai told herself it was because the water was cold.
"Poor Jou-chan, having to sit here all alone" Monk said, walking up to her after getting out the water. He was informed by Mai he had to sit on the ground so his wet feet covered in the sand wouldn't mess up her beach towel.
"It wouldn't be so lonely if Naru and Lin had stayed and sat with me" She grumbled
"Naru probably just wants to get the case done as quickly as possible, I have to say, this entire city kinda creeps me out" Monk said and she glanced to the older man who shrugged. They sat for a while longer before Mai gave him a Popsicle and while enjoying their snack Mai decided to continue the conversation.
"It's kinda weird how they sent someone for the case, but once we got here they become so unwelcoming" She said, biting the ice so it wouldn't drip on her swimsuit.
"You know, I'm not exactly sure if the town even sent someone for the case"
"What?" Mai asked, surprised.
"I heard Naru call them up about the woman and they almost seemed to be arguing about something. He obviously thought they needed someone to take care of the ghost, but I'm thinking the woman wasn't supposed to shown up to the office at all, I haven't even seen that woman again since the beginning of the case"
"So you think something bad happened to her?"
"The second time she showed up possessed she looked different, skinnier and deformed. I beat the entire city wanted to keep the ghost hush-hush so business wouldn't be bothered. They probably did something to her the first time she came back."
"I think a corpse trying to drown you is going to ruin business" Mai said and the two watched everyone else play, Yasu deciding to throw a beach ball at Ayako and see how many times it would take for her to get mad. He was on the third time when she stormed at him like a bull and he swam away, laughing through the water. It was lunch by the time everyone got out and it looked like it might rain a little, so with hurry they packed up and ran to the hotel, able to just in time miss the beginning of the storm. It wasn't too heavy, but it wouldn't be fun to play in so they all changed back into their daily clothes and gathered in the base, Lin stood guard for when the owner came by.
"I looked more into drownings in the area, there had only been a few but they are very spaced out. One is in the 1870s, two in world war two and one is in the 1990s." He said, glancing up at them, everyone quietly eating their sandwiches while listening to him.
"In the 1980s?" Mai asked, surprised. "Most of the older people in this town should remember something like that, it wasn't that long ago"
"That is the one I am most suspicious of. The police came and collected the body but no one admitted to being with him during his death though he had multiple brothers and sisters. I have looked into their whereabouts but most of them have moved away so it would be too much trouble to track them down for questioning" Naru said and they all nodded. He then sent everyone off for jobs, mostly to just wander the town to see if they could pick up on any information as they passed by. Yasu informed them that they were spies, and he tied a black cloth around his head before waving goodbye to Mai and hopped away. She was going to stay here with Naru and Lin.
"When are Masako and John coming?" She asked from her spot on the couch, and Naru paused for moment thinking.
"If we don't finish the case in the next few days they will be coming down, but otherwise they won't be needed. It would just add more people we have to make sure are safe" He said, and the room fell into silence. Naru and Lin typing on the keyboards and the soft patter of rain.
"Hey let's go swimming!" He heard someone say and he agreed. A swim would be good on this summer day. They ran down to the lake, laughing, he could see the long hair of his sibling just out the corner of his eye.
"It's cold" He laughed and stepping he felt a hand on the back of his neck, it sent chills down his spin. Slowly turning around his face was shooved into the water, his arms flailed, trying to escape to breath. The hands pushed his deeper into the water, shallow enough to push his face into the sand. Finally he could not handle it anymore and his body sank to the floor, eyes fogged up as he breathed in the substance, the liquid filled his lungs. His sibling left the lake and washed their hands in the water, all while watching him. They stood up, and in the darkness he watched them walk away.
Mai woke up with Naru's face just inches from hers, face full of worry, his eyebrows pushed together. She stared for a moment before sitting up gasping, coughing as if her lungs were full of water again. Lin was standing beside Naru and the two men helped her sit up, then pushed her head between her knees as panic overtook her after the initial reaction.
"Just stay there till you calm down" Naru recommended, and she tried breathing in and out slowly though her heart continued to race and the visions flashed through her mind, every few seconds her throat would close up and she would start gasping again. He slowly rubbed her back in circles and as time passed she found breathing to be easier and she slowly sat up, Naru pulling her head to his shoulder.
"Someone drowned him" She whispered, and Naru's expression went stern, the case was taking a turn for the worse. "Do you think they are still here?" Mai asked him and they sat for a moment before he responded.
"It is likely; most murderers like to stay since it holds some sort of sentimental value to them"
"The murderer had long hair"
"I see" He said and the two sat there longer, Lin brought her water to sip on and the three chatted quietly in the room about things. She told them about her summer break last year, and how about Masako had been absolutely green when getting off one roller coaster. The medium had actually had to sit with her head between her knees for a while after the ride as well so as to not pass out, and without John there to carry her because he was in Australia Yasu had carried her. He actually enjoyed it so it wasn't too much trouble anyways. They had all bought shirts in memory of the day; they bought shirts at the water park too, and would go to Tokyo Disney this Summer Break to buy a shirt as well. It had become a tradition for them.
"It seems you are getting to enjoy your teenage years much more than Naru did Taniyama-san" Lin said and she chuckled.
"It's impossible for Naru to do anything as crazy as that" She said
"When he was a little boy he and Gene used to play jokes on the Davis family quiet a lot, their mother hates bugs a lot you see" Lin said and Mai looked up at Naru surprised. He looked down at her almost smugly.
"So you were a naughty child"
"My parents called me ambitious" He clarified and looking down the watch he helped Mai up, "We are meeting the others to eat at a restaurant" and they slipped on coats before running out into the rain.
I posted pretty quickly didn't I? Hehehe, not having internet can get you doing things.
Like posting. And writing a-new story? Oh, I really think it's not that good, but let's see how it does.
Oh Naruisawesome, don't worry I squealed too, as I wrote it. Hehehe
Ellabellaboo124 Oh thank you! Welcome to the reviewer group too, and ya, it is updated really slowly isn't it? Hopefully it'll get popular enough that they'll turn into a monthly thing!
Jem Juillete Jewls Jade, perhaps one more 'UPDATE' shout could be in order, hehe
BigBangTOPisVP I know, isn't strange? I mean wouldn't they want the ghost gone? I think someone is controlling this entire thing from behind the scene..but who knows? Hm.
Azrayah, oh thank you! I spent a long time putting together this story idea and don't worry, internet should be coming to my new house today! So excited!
RaixBishop oh! Sorry to scare you! I always wondered if the writer of ghost hunt would do that, just randomly kill off Mai, that would be kind of a funny ending wouldn't it? Or is that just my bad humor kicking in?
thearistcrat, haha ya I thought that was cute too, I know something like that would defiently help get rid of tension. It's funny how Mai hasn't really thought about what Naru has done either, haha, but maybe soon? I'm so happy to be in your mind everyday as well, well the story, but it counts.
dancingfingers ya, but I mean, if I worry about it I might never get to go into the ocean! Haha, ya I thought it was cute too when he came out in full attire, espically his shoes, hehe
WhisperToTheWolves haha, hope the end of this case doesn't scare you too! It is probably going to be my biggest climax considering none of my others really have had one...
Muscial Teardrops, hahaha, Ya I think he did go overload but as Mai said, he is always prepared. I think in the past he would have requested to share a room with her, but he wants to respect her privacy now. If I wrote all the cute stuff I thought of...this entire thing would be a fluff ball of fluff. I gotta hold back some.
My favorite story, 'Under The Lilac Trees' updated! Reading it just reminds me how much she has influenced me as a writer, please look into it and maybe when reviewing...mention me? I would be in tears if she wrote a review for me. Tears. On the floor. So happy. Anyways, check for the new story and the Lilac one!
Thank you for your reviewers and please continue with all your support!