Chapter 2-Old Friend
July day 2 9:00 AM
Mai and Monk split the number of people to call. Mai called Yasuhara and Ayako, while Monk called Masako and John. Needless to say, no one was happy with being woken up at one thirty in the morning, but they all agreed to head over later that morning.
Now, Sakura had Satoshi dropped off at soccer practice, and was with Sakurako at a play date. Naru and Lin were reviewing evidence, while Monk and Mai were hanging out with Kiko in the living room.
"How's your shoulder, Kiko?" Mai asked as Kiko brought in some tea.
"It stings a little, but nothing too bad," she replied.
"Well, we have one answer to our vast amount of questions," Monk mumbled.
"Which would be?" Kiko asked, sitting down in the chair across from Mai.
"That none of the activity in the house is cause by living beings," he replied.
"Right, teenage girls undergoing stress can create poltergeist activity," she answered.
"It's not that we wanted to think you were the cause, it's just in the vision there were twelve people, you were the only one who knew about the eight of us," Mai added.
"I see, how do you know it wasn't a human?"
"That light Naru had you watch last night," Monk started, sipping his tea, "was used to hypnotize you, we locked the room up and the lamp we left never moved."
"Wow," Kiko sighed, slouching in her chair. "You guys sure are thorough."
"It was Naru's idea," Mai finished.
Kiko sat up. "Someone's here," she said, walking towards the door, her guests awestruck. "Calm down, I just saw a car pull up, I'm not that freaky with my powers."
She opened the front door revealing Ayako and Masako. "Wow, so you weren't lying about Masako being on your team," Kiko joked, gesturing the two inside.
"There really is a foul presence, blood thirsty," Masako commented.
"You must be Kiko," Ayako said, smiling. "I'm Ayako Matsuzaki, priestess."
"Pleasure to meet you," Kiko smiled, before Monk cut in.
"Aren't you a little old to be a priestess?" he called, walking into the hall with Mai.
A loud thump and cry of pain were heard. "Not again," Mai sighed.
"How can something so small be so painful!" Monk whined, as Ayako's purse swung, dangling from her hand.
"What about a brick?" she asked.
"Oh, there's plenty of them in your head!"
As the two continued their squabbling, Kiko leaned into Mai. "So they always do this?"
"You get used to it," Mai sighed.
"Okay then, why don't we go into the living room," Kiko offered, as she and her teenaged guests left the quarreling adults.
"So, what's it like being a medium? Weren't you scared at first?" Kiko handed Masako her tea.
"I didn't understand that the spirits I was seeing were deceased souls, so I was more confused than afraid," Masako replied, accepting the cup.
"Just a question, Kiko?" Mai asked.
"Yes?"
"How do you know so much about the paranormal?"
"Oh." The young hostess smiled. "My great-grandmother wrote many books before she died. I own a copy of nearly every one, as well as some Oliver Davis novels. Here, I'll go get them." With that, before any protest could be made, Kiko was out of the room and the doorbell rang.
"I got it!" Monk called.
"Looks like John and Yasuhara are here," Masako commented and Mai sighed.
"Meaning that we're going to get to work soon."
John and Yasuhara walked into the room. "Long time, no see, Mai," Yasuhara said with a wave.
"Hey guys."
"How've you been?" John asked, sitting on the couch next to Mai.
"I'm okay, but this case is getting strange, the oldest daughter, Ki-" Before the girl could finish the hostess walked into the room.
"Okay, so I've brought a couple of them, there's more in the back if you're interested." She only saw Masako, but her instincts made her turn just enough to see her new guests. The books in her arms dropped instantly. "Y-Yasu?"
"Kiko?" Confusion fell upon the room as Yasuhara knelt down to help pick up the books.
"You two know each other?" Monk wondered aloud.
"Actually, yes, we-" Before an explanation could be given, Sakura and the rest of her children walked in.
"Kiko! Did the others get here safely?" she called, seeing Yasuhara. "Yasuhara! It really has been a while! How've you been?"
"Um, hi Mrs. Kimura, I'm doing well, how about you?" Yasuhara extended his other hand, helping Kiko up.
"Great!"
Lin walked in, stopping all conversations. "Naru wants us at base," he said, turning to leave.
Mai let out another sigh. "They're such workaholics."
***
"Last night, when Kiko gained a new mark, there was activity in the playroom," Naru explained, pointing to one of the screens. "I made sure Sakurako didn't go inside."
Lin fast forwarded the tape during the time Kiko was attacked, everyone was in her room when blood appeared on the wall. "Plus erit immolatus," John read aloud.
"What?" Mai's response.
"It's Latin," Masako answered.
"That's right," John added.
"What does it mean?" Monk scratched his head.
"'More than one shall be sacrificed,'" Kiko answered, earning several pairs of eyes on her.
"She's correct," John smiled.
"When did you learn Latin?" Yasuhara inquired.
"My new school offered a Latin course and I got into it," she answered. Naru turned in his seat, not amused.
"No one is to be alone in this house, is that clear?" he said, the faintest hint of irritations in his eyes.
"Yes, sir."
"I want Miss Hara and Miss Matsuzaki to go around the house and exorcise whatever you find." Naru turned toward John. "John, I want you to stay with Mrs. Kimura and Sakurako, we believe the ghost will go after them next. Stay with them even when they leave the house, we don't know the full potential of this spirit yet." He turned to the last few members of his team. "I want you three to do further research on the property take Kiko with you."
A single nod in unison came before everyone split up.
***
"I thought you already researched the property, Yasuhara!" Monk complained in the study on the third floor.
"I tried, however, the records at the library were destroyed," Yasuhara explained. "The librarian said the current owner actually had copies."
"Yeah, my dad wanted copies to see if there was any truth my great-grandmother's words. He never really got around to it." Kiko pulled out the files.
"As interesting as the house's history may be, I'm more interested about your history together," Monk said, addressing Kiko and Yasuhara. "Did you guys used to date?"
"What?" Kiko replied, raising a brow.
"Monk, don't you think you could've asked that, I don't know, more subtly?" Mai shook her head.
"It's fine, Mai," Yasuhara interjected. "No, Monk, we never dated."
That's odd, normally he brings up something about his "eternal love" for Monk, Mai wondered. This case is getting stranger and stranger.
"I used to got to Ryokuryou high school, but I left last summer," Kiko explained.
"So you went there, too, did you keep your abilities a secret?" Monk inquired, as Kiko handed him some files.
"I got this vibe to not say anything about it," she handed files to everyone, "but I can't stop my visions, when I knew someone would get hurt, I warned them."
"I'm sure the school board was thrilled," Mai sighed, remembering the case at that school.
"Needless to say, once Sakauchi came, the teachers became stricter. It came to the point where I had to leave the school," Kiko continued, turning to Yasuhara. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, Yasu, or anyone for that matter. My mom didn't want this following me around."
"It's fine, I suspected as such."
"So that's why you were both surprised to see each other," Monk concluded.
Mai sighed. "That story was way more interesting than researching."
"What's with all the sighing, Mai?" Yashara asked.
"Huh?" Her head snapped up. "I don't know, have I been sighing a lot?"
"Yes." A response in unison, causing the two older teens to look at each other.
"Did you have a dream or something, Mai?" Monk question.
"I don't know," was her reply, shaking her head. "I think I did, but I can't remember."
"Mai, if your memory starts going now, Naru's gonna fire you."
"Shut up, Monk!" Mai argued. "Naru's gonna fire all of us if we don't start researching."
"Actually, Mai, you're the only one he can fire." Mai's confused eyes were on Yasuhara and his retort.
"What?"
"Monk and I don't get paid by Naru and this is Kiko's house, he can't exactly fire her."
"Ugh!" Mai cried out, slouching into her chair.
***
"What did you find out?" Naru asked at Base.
"Another house stood here but burned to the ground one hundred years ago," Kiko started.
"The owner mysteriously disappeared during that time, no remains were found of him," Monk added.
"The building we're standing in now, was originally built about twenty years later," Mai continued.
"Additions weren't made until the last forty years, however the past owners of the property are a different story," Yasuhara added. "There have been a total of fifty different owners since this place was built after the fire. All of which either died on the property or went missing."
"Yet, none of the deaths or missings were publicized," Monk continued, flipping through pages. "Fearing that no one would buy the property."
"The last owner, Koji Yamada, was longest living owner aside from Kiko's family. He refused to go in the house after finding out its history and lived with family members," Mai added.
"According to his sister's testimony, during the investigation of Koji's death," Kiko continued searching her pile for something specific. "She claimed, 'he said he was going to grab some belongings, since he decided to live with me until he sold the house. He didn't come home that night, I thought he stayed there. After he didn't come home for another day I called the police.' I think you know what happened from there."
"I see, Hara-san, Matsuzaki-san, did you find anything?" Naru asked, looking in his black file.
"I attempted to cleanse several rooms, including the playroom, Kiko's room, Satoshi's room, and the kitchen," Ayako started.
"The entity simply leaves the room," Masako finished.
"How many spirits do you think we're dealing with?" Masako turned to Yasuhara.
"I sense two spirits in the house, they're hiding though. I can only sense the presence of a man and a woman, I can't tell which is the one giving Kiki those markings."
"Monk, I want you and Mai to fill John in on the history, as well as change the tapes in these rooms," Naru ordered, handing them a list. "Miss Hara, I would like you to see Satoshi, find out if anything may be possessing him, take Miss Matsuzaki with you." He glanced at Kiko and Yasuhara. "I want you two to clean up that writing in the playroom."
"Sounds good!" Kiko agreed standing up.
After Mai and Monk had finished, Naru sent Monk to guard Kiko and Yasuhara, leaving Mai alone for the others to check in with. Normal enough, Lin and his younger charge were somewhere reviewing evidence, Mai once again felt a sleepy sensation take over her. She cursed herself as she lost the battle.
***
She awoke lying in blackness. Slowly sitting up, the setting changed. "Naru!" she shouted, standing. "Hey! Naru!"
Mai now stood in a meadowy area, it was the middle of the night, stars twinkled above her. "Naru! Where are you!" she yelled, seeing the dream manifestation of her boss. "There you are!"
As she ran up to him, he placed a finger to his lips. Understanding, she silenced herself as they turned. They revealed a large cliff with an even larger lake below it.
"Watch," Dream Naru said, looking at the top of the cliff. A woman was up there, her arms tied and weights on her legs.
"Oh my God," Mai exhaled quickly, seeing a man appear behind the woman.
The man held a pipe and knocked the woman out. Mai stood there and watched helplessly, wishing she could do something. The woman simply tumbled down into the watery depths.
Involuntarily, tears fell from Mai eyes, as Dream Naru pulled her into a hug. Apologizing even as his voice faded away.