Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume 5 Chapter 5 (section)

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When Ayako came out from the bathroom, I turned towards the door and shouted.

“Masako, come back in.”

There was no reply.

I opened the door and saw Masako standing just at the corner, looking out of the window there at the outside.

“Masako.”

When she heard my voice, Masako lifted her head at once, looked in my direction and left the window. She hurriedly used her sleeve to cover her face and turned towards the other end of the corridor.

“Wait a moment, Masako!”

… Yeah, really, this woman.

Ayako and I both hurried out of the room, chasing after Masako. After turning the corner it was a long corridor; at the corner at the end of that corridor we could see a light blue colored sleeve turning the other way.

“Masako, we’ve said before we cannot act on our own!”

We ran, chasing after that sleeve. At the corner was a flight of stairs; at the top of the stairs was a corridor that stretched in both directions. Walking up the stairs, I looked both left and right. Which direction did she go?

“Won’t it be faster if we split up and searched?”

“No. Haven’t we said we can’t go off on our own?”

Just as I replied this, light running footsteps could be heard behind me. Bou-san and John walked up to the stairs.

“Yo, how much more time do you need to pack your bags?”

“Bou-san, Masako walked off somewhere!”

John and Bou-san exchanged a glance, and sprinted up the stairs. 

“… You say she walked off somewhere…”

“That is not down the stairs. Hey, John, you and Ayako search that way.”

Bou-san pointed to the right. Then he ran to the left while saying:

“Mai, this way!”

Despite our repeated calling Masako’s name up and down the corridor while we searched for her, we couldn’t find a trace of Masako. I thought she must have walked towards the right; we went back to check, but John and Ayako said they did not find her. We searched more carefully down that end, but still couldn’t find Masako. We hurriedly ran back to base, and reported this incident to Naru.

“Hara-san, she…”

“We only let her out of our sights for a moment then she disappeared! Let’s hurry to find her!”

Naru threw down the wound up cable and stood up. All of us went back to the second floor to look for Masako. Despite calling Masako’s name there was no reply. Opening every door, walking from one end of the corridor to the other; despite this we couldn’t find Masako. An hour passed, then two.

Masako had vanished.

“Why did you let her go off on her own?”

Naru scolded me.

… If only I had stopped her it would be OK. I should have been more forceful. Waves of regret beat upon my heart.

At base, Naru opened the floor plan.

“If I have to say she is in a particular place, she can only be inside the void.”

He pointed at the countless blank spaces left on the floor plan.

“… What should we do?”

Bou-san asked.

“Now we can only knock down the wall to go in to take a look.”

Just as everyone was nodding in agreement, as usual, someone knocked on the window. It was still some time from dusk. It was very bright outside; we saw Yasuhara and Mori-san standing outside.

Naru succinctly explained the situation to them. We would destroy our way into each void one by one starting from the nearest, this was the order we had decided upon. Ordering everyone to carry the equipment and set out, Naru called Lin-san to him.

“Lin. Follow me.”

“Naru?”

“We are going to take a look at Hara-san’s luggage. You guys go first.”

We carried the equipment to the nearby void. Just like this morning we set up the equipment. After a while, Naru returned.

Is it OK to investigate slowly like this? How is Masako now? All the people who had vanished are all dead. Could it be that Masako, too…?

“Hey, let’s not investigate it one by one; isn’t it faster to knock them all down systematically?”

I asked. Naru replied.

“In the end it is still faster this way.”

… I understand this. But.

I helped to connect the equipment, and gradually became frustrated. While we are doing this type of thing, Masako could have been killed by them. However, despite our haste, it was a fact that the rate at which the walls were knocked down would not increase.

In the same order as we had done in this morning’s job, first was investigating the wall’s thickness, and boring a hole at the weakest point. Next was sticking the camera inside. The first void was a simple hole; there was nothing inside at all. We carried the equipment to the next void. Getting frustrated by the constant running about, just like this we investigated the blank spaces one by one.

“Why did you come?”

Naru asked Yasuhara while carrying the equipment.

“After returning from doing interviews, there was a message left at the hotel’s reception. It said we were withdrawing. Then we thought we would come to help pack up…”

Good thing we came, Yasuhara mumbled.

“Then? Have you found out anything?”

“Ai?”

“Your interviews. Did you collect any new news?”

Yasuhara nodded.

“I went to the Old Folk’s Home once more. This time I thought there might be someone associated with the hospital or the facility. Then I really found one – a living witness.”

“The living witness you speak of is…”

Naru placed the equipment on the floor while questioning Yasuhara.

“A person who had helped in the facility when it was sealed in Meiji 40.”

“… Really?”

“Yeah. He was thirteen then; he’s ninety-six now. Although he is suffering from severe dementia, he still remembers events from the past very clearly. Then, despite my asking, he had forgotten practically everything related to the hospital and the facility. Except people frequently disappeared from the facility, he remembered only this.”

“People… disappeared?”

Yasuhara spoke while deftly untangling a cable.

“Although the facility guaranteed supplying its residents’ clothing, food and shelter, it apparently wasn’t completely free. People who left the facility were obligated to repay the sum of the things received during their stay at the facility. There were many who ran away like thieves. However, there was an incident that was famous amongst the staff. Amongst those who had run away, some were brought to the mountain villa, and then just like this, they never returned.”

They were brought here…

“That old man was apparently frequently threatened by his seniors, ‘if you laze of and not work you’ll be brought to the mountain villa’. That’s why it left such a deep impression on the old man.”

“… So that’s the case.”

They were brought here, and then to the execution room. In order to satisfy Urado’s twisted desires, their lives were forfeit as sacrifices.

… Masako. How is Masako now? She hasn’t already been made into an offering, has she? Or rather is she still safe and sound now?

Please you must be safe. Somebody please protect Masako…

Smashing open the voids all around, we still couldn’t find a trace of Masako. We had even investigated the X floor facing the North Block. The time on the clock had long past midnight.

We used the radar to verify the 10 walls that we thought faced the void. Whichever wall we looked at, they were all relatively thick; it was probably not possible to open a hole using simple equipment.

Looking at everyone who patiently worked repeatedly, I felt I was exhausted. I leaned against the wall, and slowly sank to the floor unmoving. With heavy labor all night, it was impossible not to feel tired. This must be the case for everyone. Despite this, once we thought of Masako, everyone worked non-stop. Furthermore everyone felt very impatient; there were continuous altercations and mistakes made all round.

I sat down and blankly stared at everyone. Ayako came to my side and bent down.

“… Tired?”

“Yeah…”

“Do you want to take a nap? I’ll accompany you.”

“But.”

“We could get some information. Whether Masako is safe or not, confirm it for us.”

I smiled. If only I could control my powers as I wished like this.

I hugged my knees, and let my head rest on my knees. I tried shutting my eyes. Only closing my eyes. My consciousness felt like drifting far away. I felt very conflicted. Clearly at a time like this. Clearly… at a time like this…