Chapter 3: The Headless Ghost
I got such a positive response to my last chapter and I'm sorry if any of my re-edits made any of you like it less, but it's much better for where I want my story to go. But I still hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.
Once Monk, Yasu and Mai had returned they asked to see both the footage from the living room between the time the camera was set up and when they returned to see the axe missing, and the floor plan of the house. After explaining their experience, everyone was a little apprehensive of the axe and wondered what they should do with it.
"We can't just leave it in the room with us." Ayako looked at the axe as if it had personally offended her.
"We need to keep an eye on it though or it could disappear again and come after someone unexpectedly." John took the axe form Monk to examine it to see if there was anything physically special about it. The handle was made out of wood and the blade had an old rusted look to it but still retained its sheer sharpness. "I don't think it's by luck that this axe has missed its two targets."
Yasu shivered involuntarily. "Can we please not talk about that?"
"Naru, come and see this footage of the living room." While the others had discussed the axe, Lin set to reviewing the cameras to see if it caught anything weird. Naru had begun to unveil the floor plan of the house. The Akiyama's already received one form the local library and left it among others things for the team.
They all crowded around the wall of TV screens to see what Lin had found.
They watched from when the camera was first turned on. Mai and Ayako crossed in front of the screen idly chatting before they hear the door shut from the room and then silence. After a few minutes of nothing everyone watched in amazement and slight terror and the axe removed itself from the wall as if an invisible person had ripped it out and then walked away with it.
"See it's a good thing we brought this with us. Obviously it's the only axe this thing has or it wouldn't have bothered to retrieve it."
"Maybe, but this spirit has also proved it likes to toy with us. Either way the spirit couldn't try anything with all of us in here." Naru concluded.
"I would know if she was in here." Masako told everyone sipping some of the tea Mai had made earlier.
"So we're sure the spirit we're dealing with is a woman?" John asked looking at Masako, thoughtfully.
"Her presence is the strongest and the dark one I felt upon my arrival." Masako affirmed leaving no reason for anyone to argue with her.
"Yasuhara, what did you want the blueprints for?"Naru suddenly turned to the glasses wearing teen. Yasu walked back to the table with the house's blueprints and found the appropriate page.
"Here…" He began and pointed to the room he, Monk and Mai had explored last. "According to this, that fireplace in that room is on the outer edge of the house. If there was some kind of secret door behind it, it would go outside." Yasu showed the others.
"So they would go through it and plummet to their deaths." Ayako supplied pointing at the fact the room was on the second floor. "Doesn't seem like it would be very useful." Ayako supplied.
"It would if you were trying to kill someone." Everyone ignored Yasu's morbid comment.
"I don't think we need to delve further into it since it doesn't pertain to our case."
"But it's so cool! This mansion has secret passage ways too. I wonder if the Akiyama's discovered any of this…" Yasu wondered as he studied the plans further.
"Give it up kid, he doesn't care if it's cool." Monk stopped Yasu before he could geek out over the house any further.
They woke up early the next morning after a pretty restless sleep and set out to explore more of the house. Naru set Lin to investigate the floor plan of the house further, and perhaps what was on the west side of the building where things had not been structurally sound, while everyone else went on a scavenger hunt for clues.
Mai, Monk and Naru were currently examining the attic door that wouldn't budge.
"Why don't I just knock it down?" Monk asked placing a hand on the smooth wood of the door.
"We are not here to vandalize the house. We'll just need to find the key." Naru scolded.
"This house is huge, and you expect us to find a little tiny key?" Monk asked crossing his arms, looking at Naru as if he were nuts.
Any further argument was lost on Mai as she wandered over to the window rolling her eyes. The view was incredible as it looked upon the large yard. The vegetation took over everything. Vines dropped like spider legs from the branches of the old trees. The roots creeped over rocks and Mai could make out the edge of the cemetery Yasu had mentioned the day before. Even with the sun high in the sky there was an eerie mist that covered the grounds making Mai shiver. It really was like a classic horror movie.
Mai was about to turn away when something caught her eye. There was a man, dressed in a single-breasted suit and a bowler hat, standing at the edge of the cemetery looking up at the window. Mai could feel the chill that seized up her entire body as she remembered Hisa's story. She felt like the man was staring right at her and Mai found herself unable to move as if his gaze had frozen her feet to the ground. She tried to call out but her voice refused to work. The man began to say something and pointed to the ground beside him. Maid didn't understand and the man pointed again more harshly. And then, just like that his head suddenly vanished.
Her whole body shuddered and the odd claim over her was broken as a horrified gasp escaped her lips. "His head! It's gone!"
Her outburst caught the attention of her arguing SPR members immediately and they rushed to her side by the window. But it was too late, the apparition was gone.
"I saw a man! He tried to tell me something and then his head disappeared! Just like Hisa's story." Mai was a little freaked out by her experience and didn't realize her hands were shaking.
"Alright calm down, Mai." Monk commanded gently and he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What did he try to tell you?" Naru asked his eyes still trained on the yard.
"He just pointed at the ground by him." Mai answered rubbing her and finally able to calm down.
"Show me where."
Ayako and John had been stuck searching the second floor for any sign of supernatural activity or a key that could go to the attic. Yasu had also put in a request to look for more secret passage ways. Both would be lying if they claimed they weren't at least a bit curious about that.
They were already half way through the second floor and had found nothing when Ayako started to complain. "We're never going to find that key in this stupid house, it's too big!"
John resisted the urge to roll his eyes and opened the next door in the seemingly endless hallway. It was the room the axe had reappeared in and John felt his senses sharpen. He knew Lin would keep a close eye on the axe they had at base but that didn't mean this spirit couldn't come up with another one.
"Ugh, I already have the creeps." Ayako wrapped her arms around herself looking as wary as John felt. "Let's hurray up in here."
John didn't argue and the two swept the room quickly but thoroughly only skipping the fireplace as neither wanted to chance another axe attack. Just as they exited the room, the door slammed shut knocking John forward. John stumbled barely keeping his footing as he rubbed a spot on his back the door knob had dug itself in upon the impact.
Before Ayako was able to ask if he was okay the door down the hall opened on its' own and forcefully slammed shut. Ayako let out a small shriek before the door next to it repeated the motion then stopped.
"What the-?" Ayako began before she was interrupted again by the door in front of them opening and then slamming shut, the next two doors repeating the pattern, then adding on the last door in the hallway.
Ayako and John shared a glance when every door in the hallway began to open and shut repeatedly causing Ayako to cover her ears at the noise and a shiver ran up their spines. They stood back to back as the doors continued until it all stopped suddenly.
"Something's trying to tell us something." John revealed and the door next to them opened and shut as if confirming his observation. The door slammed again before the doors down the line followed.
"Follow it!" Ayako commanded and the two raced alongside the banging doors, following the noise to the stairwell. Stopping only a moment the window halfway down slammed shut and the two clambered down. They trailed after the shutting doors and windows until they ended at the big double doors that allowed access to the west side of the house. The doors opened slowly spitting out a chilly draft, the breeze almost sounding like an invitation inside. John sucked in a breath before cautiously entering.
"John, we were told to avoid this place. The floor could collapse if we try walking on it." Ayako warned but peeked her head through the door as well. The room inside was spacious and was filled with bookcases, a grand piano and a large fireplace. A staircase led upwards to another unknown part of the house, with a hallway and doors lining it. There was a sizable hole in the floor near the window that faced the west side of the yard. True to the Akiyama's statement, the room looked like it was ready to fall apart. It was chilly, dusty and straight up eerie.
"I know but something wants us to be here and I have a feeling it's not our Tin Man." John took another few careful steps before Ayako followed.
Mai led Monk and Naru to the edge of the cemetery where she had seen the spirit of the headless man. The vegetation around them was worse the further from the house they got and Mai almost tripped more than once. The cemetery had practically turned into a swamp.
"It was right here." Mai knelt down to the ground next to one of the many headstones that littered the ground. It was old and covered in overgrown roots. Mai brushed aside some and was able read the faded engraving upon the rock.
George Hightower
1847-1880
Turning her attention back to the ground where the spirit pointed she ran her hand over the dirt. Feeling a bump she dug her fingers in the mud and felt something cold and hard. Bringing it up and removing the weed and dirt Mai found herself holding an old fashioned ornate key.
"You don't think…?" Mai trailed off holding the key out for Naru. He examined it and looked back towards the attic.
"We need to find out who George Hightower is." Naru stated.
"Come on, let's get out of here, this place gives me the creeps." Takigawa helped Mai to her feet and the three made their way back to the house.
The ghost Mai had seen reappeared by the headstone and watched them go. A strange look crossed his face, one that looked hopeful and worried. He turned his gaze to the attic and closed his eyes and placed a hand over the headstone. Then the ghost faded out again.