Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2 (section)

===7===

The exorcist had arrived by sunset. 

Clothed in priest robes, John came by taxi. 

John Brown is a Catholic exorcist. 
John looked at us with his blue eyes. Although he's nineteen, he looks like he's sixteen or seventeen. He's Australian. 

"Long time no see." 

He learned Japanese in the Kansai area. 

He ran toward us. "Shibuya-san, where's the doll and child?" 

We dove into action. 

"Ayami-chan's on the second floor, sleeping. The monk is guarding the doll." 

"I wanna to see Ayami-chan first. Can one of y'all take me to her?" 

...John's the same. He still talks in a strange way. 

We went to Noriko-san's room and saw Ayami-chan asleep. 

After John was introduced to Noriko-san, he examined Ayami-chan's sleeping face. 

"I'm not sure if I can help out, but I'll try my best." 

John read the bible, then used holy water to draw a cross on the wall and door. When he drew a cross on Ayami-chan's forehead, she budged slightly. John took out a silver cross, then placed it on Ayami-chan's body. 

"I'm not sure if this will help out, but better this than nothing." 

"Thank you." Noriko-san bowed to him. 

Smiling, John turned around to ask Naru, "Shibuya-san, where's the doll?" 

Something surprising was awaiting us. 

Naru strictly asked Lin-san, who was watching over the equipment. "Lin! Where's Minnie?!" 
Lin-san looked at Naru, surprise evident in his face. "If you want to see Minnie, she's right..." 

His hand stiffened as he pointed to nothing. 

Minnie's not there. She was supposed to be on the shelf. 

"...Did it run away?" 

"Sorry." Lin-san bowed his head. 
Naru bit his lip, then reverted back to his stoic mask. "It'll come back... Definitely." 

It was 2:00 a.m. 

Suddenly the house started to shake. The poltergeist activity started. It was almost as if it was looking for something in its rampage to turn the house upside down. 

All the furniture moved, rapping noises started, and stomping sounds could be heard. 

"It's so... Strong," John murmered uneasily. "The degree of it is so high." 

Bou-san stared at the equipment. "Looks like John's prayer is working." 

...Seems like it. Minnie was practically searching everywhere for Ayami-chan. 

"In other words... This boundary is effective." 

"Boundary?" 

"In simpler terms, it means a place that the spirit cannot enter." Bou-san almost went into a laughing fit again. 

...Oh. 

Not really understanding, I nodded and then looked at the equipment. In the middle was one TV screen, shining bright red. The microphone was transmitting sounds. 

"Naru! Machine #6 is receiving sound!" 

"Switch it." 

"Okay." 

Sound overflowed from the speakers. 

—It's a child's voice. 

There were knocking sounds on the bed and walls. And though unclear, there was definitely a child's voice amidst all this, crying out. 

"That's... Ayami-chan's invisible friend..." I whispered. 

Naru nodded, "Most likely. It's so noisy. How many children are there?" 

The ghostly sounds faded earlier than usual, and soon a dark silence was looming over us. Nothing changed. 

"It disappeared... Why?" 

"I'm not sure, but..." Naru stopped short. 

Because he soon understood. 

Ayako, who was supposed to be watching Ayami-chan, ran toward us. "Naru!" 

"What's wrong?" 

"Minnie came back!" 

What did you say? 
Ayako handed a bundle wrapped in bedsheets to him. 

"This. It's too scary." 

John came over and unwrapped the bundle, closing the doll's marble eyes. 

"When did it appear?" 

"Just now. Noriko-san noticed a bundle under the blanket near Ayami's legs... She unfolded it and found Minnie." 

"Is Ayami-chan okay?" 

"...She's fine..." 

Just then the ghostly sounds stopped. Even though the sounds were so loud and serious this time, why did they stop? 

—Because Minnie found Ayami-chan. 

It's 4:00 a.m. 

John had finished preparing an altar. Minnie was placed inside, underneath a silver cross of Christ. John took out a glass bottle, then started to pray. 

"In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God..." 

Minnie was wearing a blue skirt, her skin pure white. Her marble eyes were closed, and her teeth ivory white. It felt like a nightmare. 

Minnie's an empty vessel that's possessed by a spirit. 

And also, she wants to hurt Ayami-chan. 

Why? 

"Please look over us and protect us." 

John was speaking softly. The small silver cross had been laid across Minnie's forehead. 

And in that moment. 

Crack. 

The sound of the cross breaking. Minnie's eyes fluttered open. 

Behind me, Ayako took in a deep breath. 

It couldn't have opened its eyes. Dolls are inanimate objects. 

John shifted around slightly, then continued his prayer. 

Minnie didn't move again. Its hands were stiff, its marble eyes still. 

"All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made." 

John opened his thick bible and raised the glass bottle. 

"In the beginning..." 

John read and moved the glass bottle. He sprinkled holy water onto Minnie. 
Minnie's body rumbled. 

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." 

John read and sprinkled holy water at the same time. 

Finally, a wisp of smoke rose from Minnie's forehead, followed by a cracking sound. The doll's skirt fluttered in the wind. 

"The light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." 

Minnie's marble eyes rolled down, and the cross on its forehead slid down. There was a scar of the cross on its forehead. 

"The exorcism was successful," John announced as he stopped his prayer. He turned around to look at us. "However, the ghost did not disappear. Just to be safe, I think we should burn it." 

Naru nodded and handed the doll to Bou-san. 

Bou-san burned Minnie in the backyard. 

This time the doll was easily overtaken by the fire as it burned to smithereens. 


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