Dangerous Souls

Shoji no Noroi

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The scream interrupted all thoughts as the three of them sprang to their feet.

"That was Ayako!" Mai exclaimed, not really to anyone, more just for emphasis.

The three of them raced down the hall toward the stairs. Ayako lay before them as Masako came running down the stairs and Monk came running down the hall. "Are you okay! What happened!" the chorus of questions bombarded the young woman as she groaned, trying to push herself up.

"I'm fine, it'll take more than a fall like that to take me down," she said, pulling herself to sit on the stairs as Yasuhara and Monk helped her.

"And yet, at Mai's school a locked door was enough to get you down-"

THUNK!

"Ow!" Monk rubbed his head.

"Thank you, Kiko," Ayako said, smirking in said girl's direction.

"Just trying to be of service," she smiled with a salute.

"We should get you back to Base," Yasuhara offered, helping the woman stand.

"I'll go make tea," Masako offered, heading down the stairs.

"I'll go with you," Kiko offered, following.

"Mai, you go, too. Stay together there's safety in numbers," Monk ordered, as he and the college student helped the shaken woman down the hall.

"Right." Mai followed the other girls, only to run into Akahana carrying a tray.

"Are you all, all right?" she asked worriedly as Kiko offered to take the tray out of the woman's hands. "I heard Ayako-san scream, I had already been making tea to offer to you and as I started for the stairway I heard all the commotion."

"We're all fine Akahana," Mai said, smiling and taking the tray from Kiko's hands. "Thank you for making tea, we were just about to do that."

"Are you sure you are okay?" The woman was clearly worried, this whole ordeal was taking a large toll on her.

"We are fine, Mrs. Ishikawa," Masako confirmed with a comforting smile, even though it was forced. "You needn't worry about us."

"But-"

"Akahana, you should rest," Kiko interrupted, kindly placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You and your husband have been through quite a bit recently, I'll walk you to your room and you can take a nap."

"Kiko was you name, right? I can't just sit around while you are all in danger of being hurt on my husband and mine's property. I couldn't forgive myself."

"I assure you, any injuries that we sustain during our stay in your hotel are not your fault, in our line of work we have come to know that we should be ready for any kind of danger we many face, if we are injured it is our fault," Kiko explained calmly, turning the woman to face the direction of the lobby. "I'll walk you to your room and you can try to rest, but if you're still jumpy in a little bit, I would love it if you could give me a tour of that beautiful garden in the back." Slowly the girl guided the young woman towards the direction of the woman's room.

"Wait, Kiko, should you really-" Mai began but the girl turned around.

"I'll be fine, I have these." She held up a piece of paper and a beaded necklace with a cross on it.

One of Ayako's charms and a rosary she must have received from John.

She turned back around a led Akahana away.

"It is probably best we don't speak of any specific details of the case around her," Masako commented, as she and Mai headed back to Base with the tray of tea.