Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1 (section)

===5===

The flower vase on the table was still in the same place. It didn't move into the circle on the table. 

"How's it going?" I asked, watching Naru use the video camera. 

"The flower vase didn't move." 

"As expected, nothing here either. There are no responses." 

Once we got back to base, I asked Naru, "Since the flower vase didn't move...Does that mean the people who live here didn't cause the poltergeist activity?" 

"Yes." 

"Hey, can the culprit be Noriko-san's older brother who's overseas right now?" 

"That would be impossible because he's not here. I've never heard of a case where a middle-aged man is the culprit. Even if it is him, the poltergeist activity would've left when he left. If that were the case, the poltergeist activity would occur whereever he is staying at." 

"Then... Is it because of a ghost?" 

"I can't be sure on that yet." 

...Please, just tell me if it is. 

Naru turned around to me, "That can't be determined right now. Mai, check the temperatures of each room." 

He then turned around to face Lin-san, "Lin, check the foundations of this building." 

That quiet, un-amiable man responded, "Okay." 

Lin-san stood up. 

In the afternoon, while I was measuring the temperatures of each room, Ayako started her exorcism. 

The location seemed to be Ayami-chan's room. When I passed by our base, I saw Ayako in a video camera, standing in front of an altar. Behind her was a confused-looking Shibata-san, Noriko-san, and Kana-san. A Shinto prayer started to come out of the microphone. 
"I humbly invite you to come down onto this heavenly altar..." 

Bou-san sat in front of the equipment, obviously at ease. Lin-san went out to investigate the well, while Naru went around the house to investigate. 

"Please cleanse the sins..." 

"Bou-san, aren't you going to do something?" I asked him. 

...What a sly guy. He's the only one acting carefree. 

"Come on," I urged him. 

"Are you saying you know Naru's conclusion?" Bou-san replied. 

I wanted him to do something since I didn't think he'd act so laid back, "That's right. Even though it's okay if you relax a bit, you shouldn't just sit back and not do anything." 

...Bastard. You only know how to gain from others. 

"Oh, mighty heavenly God, I beseech you to come down..." the prayer continued. 

Hearing Ayako's voice again, I left the room. Bou-san ran up to me, "What? Jou-chan? Aren't you going to stay longer?" 

"I'm busy, unlike a certain monk." 

...Hmph. 

"You... Act more like Naru-chan everyday." 

"Well, yeah. It's like they say. The manager and his parents are alike, just like the employer and employee are alike." 

"What are you talking about?" Bou-san asked, "well, I'm going to keep watching. Good luck." 
...And you still act like you have a lot to boast about. The least you can do is help out. 

After Ayako finished her prayer, she turned towards Kana-san, a confident smile on her face, "Tonight you may sleep with ease." 

What's going to happen now? 

"How's the situation?" I asked Naru as I handed him a piece of paper with the recorded temperatures of each room. 

Now it's ten o'clock. 

"The temperature in Ayami's room is somewhat low," he responded. 

...When a spirit shows up in a certain place, the temperature decreases. 

Naru placed down my report, then looked at a layout of the house. 

"This house isn't slanted, and the foundations are solid. Although water flows under this house, it does so smoothly. In addition, the water level hasn't decreased." 

Poltergeist activity can be a result of the house being slanted or land subsidence. But after a day of investigation, it turned out to be neither. In other words... 

"It's a ghost?" I asked him. 

"That's a high possibility." 

...Oh. 

He... Said that in such a carefree way. 

Actually, I'm really scared of ghosts (blabbering). A lot of poltergeist activities are caused by humans so I'm not completely scared. But I've never seen a ghost before. When I told ghost stories with my friends, I wasn't scared either. 

But I'm getting scared now... I really do have an extraordinary job. 
—And then, Shibata-san's shrill cry rang through the air. 

On our way to the kitchen, we bumped into Noriko-san. When we got there, we were frightened for a moment. 

The pipe was on fire! 

Noriko-san screamed. Shibata-san was frozen stiff with fear. 

I quickly looked around. 

The fire extinguisher. Where's the fire extinguisher?! 

The huge flames almost engulfed the opposite wall. 

Naru and Bou-san pulled Shibata-san out of the way while I reached for the fire extinguisher by the refrigerator. 

"Noriko-san, don't you have any other fire extinguishers?!" I yelled as I turned the fire extinguisher on. Mist sprayed into the surroundings. Noriko-san ran grabbed another fire extinguisher and helped. 

Using the two fire extinguishers, we finally put out the fire. Noriko-san shut off her fire extinguisher. 

Noriko-san and Shibata-san slumped onto the floor. 

"Thank... You." 

Shibata-san continued to tremble. Bou-san tried to comfort her. 

"Madam, are you alright?" 

"Ah... This kind of thing... Happened." 

"Well, let's end this for today. Do you want me to give you a lift home?" Shibata-san reluctantly nodded. 
I was about to praise Bou-san for being so caring, but then the air suddenly became cold. 

Someone's at the window... 

Even though the room was lit by a small light, I was positive there was a child there. That child looked at us from the window. 

Then it suddenly disappeared. 

"Naru!" 

"What?" 

"Did you see that just now?" 

Naru looked at the direction my finger was pointing at, "What was there?" 

"I saw someone there..." 

Naru ran to the window and looked outside, "No one's here." 

"Someone's there. I'm sure of it. And it was looking inside too... It was a child." 

Everyone became nervous. 

"Was it Ayami-chan?" 

"I don't know. I couldn't see the face." 

"But, Ayami-chan's already asleep," Noriko-san said uneasily. 

Naru turned his intense gaze downward onto the floor, thinking carefully. "Let's look at the situation first." 

Ayami-chan slept in Noriko's room again tonight. The lights were off in Noriko-san’s room, however in the dimness we could see Ayami-chan wasn't asleep... In the dark room, she was sitting up in the bed, playing with her doll. She placed a small quilt on Minnie. 

A girl playing with her doll in the dark. It sounded sad. 

Ayami-chan raised her head. 

Noriko-san turned on the lights, then sat by her, "Ayami, were you in the kitchen just now?" 

Blinded by the lights, Ayami-chan blinked her eyes before shaking her head in surprise. She looked uncomfortable under Noriko-san's interrogating gaze. 

"No I wasn't." 

She shook her head furiously. 

Noriko-san let out a soft sigh. A loud sound came from the ceiling. It was almost as if something was hitting the ceiling. 

We looked up at the ceiling. The sound didn't stop. 

"I didn't do it!" Ayami-chan cried out. 

"I didn't do it!" She cried again, tears brimming in her eyes. 

The thumping sounds continued, as if they were responding to Ayami-chan. 

The chandelier swayed, making a creaking sound. 

The thumping sounds grew louder and louder. 

The bed and furniture rocked too. 

"Noriko-san, it's dangerous here..." Naru warned. 

Right after he said that, the bed flipped over and the bookshelf started to fall. 

"Noriko...-san...!" 

The bookshelf and toys on the bookshelf started to tumble onto the frightened woman. 

I couldn't help but scream. 

Ayami-chan screamed too. 

As if on cue, the lights went off.