its been forever! lol sorry for the crappy beginning but it gets better lol srry but i had lost inspiration for this case but i have it back,

DISCLAIMER: i do NOT own ghost hunt nor the lyrics mention in this chapter i looked up something generic and they came up when i asked a friend for lyrics enjoy! :D

Chapter 2-Lullaby

The same glowing blackness surrounded her once again. Another dream? she wondered to herself, searching for the one person who could confirm her suspicions.

But he wasn't there. It seemed like with each case Dream Naru was appearing less and less, and her visions becoming more and more vague, nothing as clear like when they were at the mansion with Urado, or cases before that. It was as though Dream Naru wanted Mai to figure things out for herself.

He wasn't coming this night. Nothing was. No visions. No images. No one telling her to get out. Nothing. She was just standing in the black background, not even a foxfire to keep her company. Then she heard it!

Two voices singing.

It sounded like a man and a little girl. What were the lyrics they were singing?

She couldn't quite make out the lyrics but the melody was sweet and would certainly get stuck in her head the following morning. However those lyrics just seemed so close and so warm, she was surprised she couldn't really hear them.

The melody just seemed so happy and carefree and she wanted to remain in that moment for as long as possible. Memories of her mother and father popping into her head as she felt safe and comfortable. Did she really have to wake up?

September Day 2, 8:00 A.M.

"Mai! Get up!" a certain cranky priestess ordered, shaking the girl slightly.

"Huh?" Mai woke up groggily rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"About eight." The priestess continued to get herself ready for the day. "I need coffee…"

"I could go for a cup, too," Mai mumbled gathering her clothes to change into.

"John and Monk said they'd wait for us downstairs."

"Okay."

Lin and Naru had spent the night at the Gensai residence, hoping to capture any activity. By the time the four had gotten there, Jinru was up in her room studying, despite it being her day off from school and Yasuhara called stating he was nearly finished with research and would be picking Masako up shortly. For the time being, the rest of the group was going through evidence and possible ideas, as Nishi ran off to run a few errands.

"What do you guys think is going on here?" Monk asked the girls and John while Naru and Lin were over by the monitors.

"I don't know what to think," Mai responded, placing her head in her hands. "Nishi-san told us about a vicious spirit that has physically harmed her, but I feel perfectly safe here!"

"Yes, this house isn't like other places we've investigated," John added with a shrug. "And judging by those two I don't think we caught anything yet either."

"The only thing we really should be wary of, is if her claim of Jinru levitating. But judging by them I don't think they found anything like tha-" Ayako began as Lin's eye's widened.

"Naru, take a look at this," Lin said out of no where. Naru leaned over and the rest of his team migrated over.

On the screen was showing Jinru's room, according to the time stamp it was about three in the morning. Not much seemed to happen, she just rolled over. "What are we looking-" Ayako demanded, but was shushed by Monk and John.

A mist made its way into the room, finding Jinru within moments. It surrounded the sleeping girl, wrapping around her shoulders and where her knees were under the blanket. Slowly, her body began to rise, as if someone was holding her. Mai found herself swaying side to side unaware of the rest of the team's eyes on her.

"Mai? Are you okay?" Ayako asked her as she continued to sway.

"Mai, Earth to Mai?" Monk called, waving a hand in front of her face, but she was too focused on the paused video.

"Is she possessed?" John found himself asking.

Naru stood up and looked into her glazed eyes, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mai?" he asked just as her eyes closed and she passed out and into her boss's arms.

"Mai!"

Nothing. There was nothing around her, just like her dream from before. A melody came again, same as before, only it sounded so sad. Not warm and inviting. She felt like she wanted to cry.

Words slowly came into her head, but she forgot them easily. They just couldn't stick. Hearing her name being called, she tried to follow the familiar voice, but her mind and body wouldn't move. She couldn't form any words. It was like she was paralyzed.

The melody seemed to stick in her head as she simply floated there, unable to do a thing. So helpless. So dependent for something to stop this. So…weak. Yeah, that's how she felt. Too weak to stop this sadness. Too weak to get over it herself. Too weak to stand back up. It was a horrible feeling, she just wanted wake up from this feeling.

The voices singing became louder and sadder, as if they were almost crying. It was so jumbled the words slipped her memory yet again as she fought off this never ending feeling. She felt her struggles seem to give as she could finally squirm. She had to get out! Someone help her!

September Day 2, 1:00 P.M.

"Mai. Mai. Are you going to wake up or what?" a certain monk's voice rang through the air just before the little brunette shot from her spot on the couch. "Easy there."

Mai was gasping for breath, finally registering the others in the room. Monk being the closest to her, she latched onto him first, wanting to cry but the tears just wouldn't come. She held him tight, her hands shaking as she gripped him. "Hey, you okay?" he asked concernedly, wrapping his larger arms around her and stroking her hair.

Mai didn't move from her spot, clinging to Monk as though her life depended on it, hoping that feeling of sadness and dread would just disappear. It wouldn't and that melody just came into her head again.

"What is she singing?" a familiar voice questioned from across the room. Yasuhara and Masako must have come when she was still asleep.

"I…I was singing?" Mai asked finally snapping out of her trance. She saw the whole SPR group standing around her, a mystified Naru making his way to sit on the ottoman across from the confused girl.

"Mai, did you have a dream?" Mai nodded, letting go of Monk and faced her boss.

"Yeah, I had one last night two, they were almost exactly the same…" she went into a description of her dream.

"Do you remember the words to that song?" Ayako asked, sitting next to her. "You were humming that same melody before you passed out."

"I was?" Mai was bewildered, she didn't remember humming at all! When the majority of the team nodded their heads, she could only sigh. "I don't remember the words, each time I hear them, I can't grasp them. Whoever was singing was so sad."

"Lin, play the audio from last night," Naru ordered as his assistant did so.

Everyone listened as the audio came to the part where Jinru was levitating. "What is that?" John asked, as everyone heard the sound of a man singing, the words becoming muffled in the speakers.

"He sounds so sad…" Masako commented as Mai began to sway side to side again, closing her eyes.

"Smile, though your heart is aching," she sang softly with the melody that played. "Smile, even though it's breaking, When there are clouds in the sky you'll get by…"

"Mai?" John took a step forward but Lin held a hand out.

"Shh!" Lin ordered, as they turned their attention back to Mai.

"Smile, through your tears and sorrows. Smile, and maybe tomorrow you'll see the sun come shining through, if you just smile." She finished, opening her eyes again. "What?"

"You just sang the song you were humming before," Monk answered, his eyes wide. "I thought you said you didn't know the words?"

Mai looked at him confused. "I sang? Really? I have no clue! And the words to that song are just something I can't remember," she shook her head, the last minute a complete blur.

"Mai, tell me, what was the last thing you remember?" Naru asked, cutting off anyone else who wished to give their input.

She raised a brow. "What do you mean? You had Lin play the audio from last night, then you guys were complaining that I was singing."

"I don't think we were complaining just merely stating a fact," Yasuhara retorted.

"Anyway," Naru interrupted after a moment, standing up. "From what Hara-san told us when she arrived, we have one spirit present in this house. And by Yasuhara's research…"

Naru motioned for the college student to continue. "From what I found out about this house, only one person actually died on the property, the former owners moved out once they found a larger building. The man who died was Gensai Tsuyoshi, husband to Gensai Nishi, and father to Gensai Jinru. He died two years ago of a heart attack."

"Well, now we at least know who is haunting this place and the possible reason for the levitation, but why the lullaby? And what reason does he have to stay here?" Monk wondered aloud.

"Weren't you the one who said something about loved ones sticking around?" Mai pointed out.

"Well, Mai-"

"Hara-san, Matsuzaki-san, I want you to do another sweep of the house and take down temperature readings, Mai I want you and Father Brown to-"

Gurglurgurop.

"Sorry, I didn't have much breakfast or any lunch," Mai smiled, sheepishly scratching her head.

"Mai, I want you and Father brown to go and get something to eat. Monk and yasuhara, I need you to change the tapes in the cameras," Naru finished.

"Hai!" everyone agreed, gathering whatever equipment they needed and heading for what ever job the must perform.

"Mai-san! You're awake! How are you feeling?" Nishi asked, as the priest and tiny brunette walked into the small kitchen.

"I'm fine, Nishi-san," Mai confirmed with a small laughed. "It was nothing serious."

"You must be starving!" Nishi exclaimed, rushing to prepare something for the girl. "I'll fix you up something right away!"

"Arigato, Nishi-san," Mai bowed and took a seat at the table.

"I'll make something for you, too, Brown-san!"

"That's not necessary-" he tried to protest, but it was futile. This woman had made up her mind.

"Give me a couple minutes and you two will have some food."

Within five minutes, John and Mai found themselves eating sandwiches. Nishi excused herself, explaining that she had a few more errands to run and took her daughter with her. Monk and Yasuhara came to join them.

"So, what made you pass out earlier?" Monk asked, sitting next to Mai.

She swallowed the bite she had been chewing and turned to him. "I don't know," she began, shaking her head. "When the video showed Jinru being lifted, that lullaby came into my head, and the next thing I knew, I was out."

"That is odd," John commented, taking a sip of his water.

"Speaking of odd and Jinru, what do you guys think of her?" Monk asked, leaning back. "Like, what's your impression of her?"

"She's extremely shy," Mai replied, taking another bute.

"More like terrified," John added.

"Yeah, she's shyer than Kiko," Yasuhara commented, causing his friends to stare.

"Kiko? As in Kimura Kiko? Shy? Now, I don't buy that for a minute! She practically forced Naru to take that case at her house," Monk laughed, raising a brow at the younger boy.

"It's true, Her first year of high school, my second, we were in a majority of the same clubs, but she never really said a word. In fact it was only just before she left Rokuryou that we actually spoke to one another. She was very reserved, but Jinru is even worse," Yasuhara explained.

"But, that's being reserved, there's a difference from being shy," Monk pointed out. "And I still don't believe you!"

"Wait. What's the difference?" Mai asked, holding her hands up to stop the monk from continuing.

"People who are shy are just that, shy. However, people who are reserved like to take in their surroundings before jumping in, sort of like some animals," John explained, as Mai nodded.

"Okay, but what's making Jinru so shy?"

"Think about it, Mai," Monk cut in, stealing the last little bit of her sandwich. "Her father died two years ago, it's probably still on her mind."

"I guess…" Mai responded looking down.

"Not to get really personal, or anything," Yasuhara began. "But, don't you remember what it was like after your father died?"

Mai looked back up, trying to remember. "Not really, I was really young when he died and I don't remember him much. But my mom, yeah I remember that perfectly."

"Just remember what that was like, it's probably harder for her. Her father being in her life until right before she starts high school. It's a little nerve-racking to even think about it."

Sighing, Mai remembered exactly that. She knew exactly what Jinru was going through, even though she still had a mother, Mai knew the pain of losing a parent. It wasn't something you simply got over. It lives with you day in and day out. It all depends on how you deal with it, and that's how she ended up the person she was. And for Jinru, it may take longer for her to be able to be as open as she had once been, to be able to accept what happened, and to get on with her life, like her father would want. So be it.

"Yeah," Mai could only say, feeling a consoling hand grip her shoulder lightly. She looked at the blonde foreign boy and smiled. "Thanks, John."

With time to kill, why not wander around the house? Mai had that idea as she wandered around upstairs, killing time while settling that natural curiosity she had, seemed like a good idea. The house seemed calm and peaceful and welcoming, a pleasant change compared to the utter despair she felt not too long ago, but why the sudden change? It wasn't as though this spirit had crossed over already, but why did she feel so safe and secure?

"Mai?" Snapping out of her reverie, she turned to see the snobbish medium walking towards her.

"Oh, hey, Masako," she replied.

"I thought that was you walking around," Masako commented, placing a kimono sleeve at her mouth.

"Yeah, so what do you think of this house?" Mai asked, trying to make conversation.

"It's odd, When both Jinru and Nishi-san were here, there was a somewhat threatening presence, like anger almost. When it was just Jinru, that presence wasn't really there, just a feeling of regret. And now that they are both gone, the house seems so welcoming. It's very odd, indeed," she explained, looking from corner to corner of the hallway.

"Wow," Mai gasped, she had never seen the medium so confused. However, before she could respond about her intake of the house, something caught her eye. "I thought I closed that door?"

"Excuse me?"

"A couple doors behind you, I was just in there, I could have sworn I closed the door," Mai explained, her head cocked to one side in confusion.

Masako turned to see the now opened door to Jinru's room. "Come to think of it, I just walked by and it was closed…"

Curious, Mai marched herself up to the sixteen-year-old's room. "Hey, did someone just open this-" she stopped mid sentence. The room was empty. The lamp was turned on.

"What is it?" Masako ran up, noticing the empty room. "Did Monk change the battery just now or something?"

"I don't think so, we would've heard footsteps, and I don't think he would be able to just go back downstairs without saying hi or something."

Out of no where, the lamp began to flicker, causing the girls to gasp. Come on, Mai, there are many logical explanations for something like this, she told herself, remembering the lesson she had from Naru about how not everything is paranormal. Faulty wiring.

It continued to flicker.

The bulb isn't screwed in all the way.

The flickering became more erratic.

The bulb is going out.

The flickering stopped and the lamp was lit once again.

The plug may have been a little loose.

With a small sigh of relief uttered by both girls, Mai went to turn the lamp off and exit the room. Out in the hallway, Masako stopped walking. She just gasped and looked down the hall in fear. Mai looked that way to see nothing, and turned back to see Masako shaking. "Masako? What's wrong?"

The lights in the hallway began to flicker. "So sad…"

Something was not right. As the air got colder, Mai got the feeling that there wasn't a logical explanation for the flickering. She grabbed Masako's hand and forced her to rush down the stairs, had they stayed any longer, who knows what would've happened.

"What's gotten into you two?" the priestess asked, as the two ran down the stairs and into Base out of breath.

"Something spook you?" Yasuhara asked.

"Door opened…Jinru's lamp…temperature drop…" Mai panted.

"Okay, calm down," Monk chided, sitting both girls on the couch. "Take a deep breath."

Naru casually walked over to the two and sat on the ottoman. "What happened?" he asked after the girls had calmed down a little.

"We were upstairs," Masako began, turning to Naru. "And Mai said she saw Jinru's door open-"

"I didn't see it open, I just remember closing it and when I looked back it was open again-"

"We walked in there and-"

"The lamp started flickering-"

"We turned it off-"

"I turned it off-"

"And went into the hallway, then the lights started flickering-"

"And the temperature dropped-"

"And the spirit was there, he was so sad-"

"Something was gonna happen so I grabbed Masako and ran out!" By the time they finished explaining, they were out of breath once again.

Naru stood up, assuming his thinking pose, trying to come up with his next move. John came into the room with tea for everyone, Mai took the cup grateful that for once she wasn't in charge of making tea. "Mai and I will be spending the night here," Naru declared.

Mai nearly choked, almost spit out her tea. What!

"You sure that's a good idea, Naru? I mean we all know how she's a magnet for danger," Monk asked, sitting down in one of the available chairs.

"She is still in the room," Mai mumbled bitterly. Why did people have to talk about her while she was still in the room?

Naru turned to her. "You said so yourself, your dreams were more vague while you spent the night at the hotel, and when u had the dream this morning it was a little clearer. If you spend the night, you may have a more vivid dream," he explained.

"That does make sense," Mai confirmed with a sigh.

"Mai, you can't be serious," Ayako argued, standing up.

"If I have a more vivid dream, it might help us on solving the case. If it's Gensai Tsuyoshi who's haunting this place, we have to find out what's keeping him here. And I think it has something to do with that lullaby," Mai retorted, standing her ground. "I think Naru's right."

"And probably one of the few times she'll ever admit it," a very soft mumble came from the Chinese man typing.

"What was that, Lin?" Yasuhara inquired turing back to him.

"Nothing…"

"After supper, I would like John to drive Mai to the hotel to gather her things and bring her back. Mai, you will stay in the guest bedroom upstairs, I'll stay in base, any objections?" Naru explained, returning to the wall of monitors.

"Who would've thought Naru was enough of a gentleman to offer to sleep on the couch," Ayako noted softly, turning to the monk next to her. "Would you do that?"

"For you? Hell no, you Old Ha-"

THUNK!

"Do you ever put that thing down!"

The two continued to argue, leaving everyone else with sweat drops on their heads.

Everything felt cold and lonely, even the purple glow of the black background wasn't comforting to her. Once again her friend didn't seem to be showing up, but the melody from before always seemed to find her.

Smile, though your heart is aching…

So that's what those lyrics were! She could finally remember the song just as her long time no see friend appeared. "Mai, wake up!" he ordered, startling the girl.

"Naru, it's not that easy for me to just wake up, it's like I have no control," she retorted, her eyes curious. "Why does this place seem so warm and inviting one second but sinister the next? And why the lullaby?"

"Mai, I can't explain everything right now, but you need to wake up, I can't protect you here."

Mai's eyes widened. He can't protect me from my dream? Or from the spirit? "What do you mean?"

"Something will happen if you don't wake up and it's-" He never had the chance to finish. He disappeared before he could even try.

"Naru!" Mai exclaimed, suddenly pain just shot through her body.

Burns. Aches. Feelings of being physically hit. Over and over again until she just…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH!"

Kiki: i'm baaack!

Yasuhara: Kiki, that's not even funny

Kiki: after everything u went through with SPR that movie scared u?

Yasuhara: shut up!

Monk: for a two week delay it turned out pretty good

Ayako: i still can;t believe you said you wouldn't sleep on the couch

Monk: and give you the bed? no way if you were Mai i'd let her have the bed

Ayako: you little!

Masako: is there a full moon?

John: i have no clue

Lin: Kiki would like to thank everyone again for reviewing and favoriting and following

Mai: she really appreciates it especially XxHate's-A-Strong-WordxX thanks for keeping in touch :D

Naru: review...

Kiki: with more feeling!

Naru: *glare*

jaa nee! XD