Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3

Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids

1

After I woke up from my nap, I went back to base to watch the video. That's when everyone started to discuss the case.

"What's up with all that wailing?" Bou-san asked. "There were so many voices; it's not just one or two. It's not just Minnie."

Ayako agreed, "There are other ghosts here besides Minnie. But no one can see them except Ayami-chan."

"Those are the kids that Minnie brought over..."

"Well, isn't that the case?" Ayako asked Naru. "We can't just guess like crazy. Why don't we call Masako?"

Naru's face was stern.

Bou-san urged him as well. "I say, Naru— Why do you hate Masako so much? She's pretty, and didn't you say that she was really capable?"

"There's no need," Naru replied, his voice steel hard.

"Ha ha," Ayako laughed happily. "I know, I know. It's because she has a terrible personality."

...Do you have any right to say that?

John said, "...Well, let's put that to the side for now. I believe Minnie is a jibakurei, right? There must've been a strong reason for Minnie to become a jibakurei. She's one of the kids who died here, right?"

"Most likely." Bou-san nodded. "Minnie is a jibakurei. She died here as a child, and since she's lonely, she wants friends. That's why she brought all those other kids here. The kids that die here become her playmates. Then they turn into jibakurei too..." Naru considered the idea. "Yes...that would make sense, but..."

"But what?"

"The problem is why is it just kids? If a child wants to find a playmate, then it wouldn't be limited to just kids. A motherly figure, a sister figure, or anyone who can be comforting... These should suffice as well."

"You do have a point."

"But those spirits only care about Ayami-chan. If Noriko-san and Mai were also targets, then it would make more sense. But Ayami-chan is the only one they want."

"...Ah..." Bou-san contemplated. "It's strange... What can be the motive of those spirits..."

"Yeah, Shibuya-san. The kids who die here become jibakurei. Minnie is the boss of those kids. What about the first kid who died here?" asked John.

"It's possible... Lin."

Lin-san silently took out a notebook. Naru took it and flipped through it.

"Try an exorcism again."

"How do we do that?" Ayako asked mockingly.

"It's Bou-san's turn."

"Mine?"

Naru handed the notebook to Bou-san. "The first child who died here was Tachibana. The birth and death dates are below the name. The child was in the Buddhist sect. Below that is her post-"Buddhist name"."

Bou-san stared at the notebook, his eyes open wide. "...You sure did thorough research... All this is from seventy years ago..."

"This is a simple task for me. I'm not the same as you."

What a confident tone. This jerk... Is really too into himself.

Bou-san went to Ayami-chan's room to start the exorcism.

John and Ayako stayed in Noriko-san's room to protect Ayami-chan.

Naru, Lin-san, and I were in base watching the screen.

Bou-san put his hands together.

"Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan sendamakaroshada sowataya untarata kan man."

"Mai, pay attention," warned Bou-san.

"I know."

Unnerved and anxious, Naru stared intently at the screen.

"Naumaku sanmanda danan on boron."

"Naru, the temperature is decreasing," informed Lin-san.

"What about the sounds?"

"Right now there's nothing different... In fact, it's eerily quiet."

"On sunba nisunba un bazara un hakku."

"The temperature decreased by... Two degrees. Especially the temperature near the bed. There are no abnormal sounds."

"Naumaku shittiriyazibikyanan sarabatataagyatanan an birazibirazi."

"...The rapping sounds have started. Should I transfer them?"

"Not right now."

"Makasyakyara baziri satasata saratei tairatarai bidamani sanbanzyani taramati siddariya taran sowaka."

"The temperature is decreasing dramatically... Especially the bed's surroundings. It's about ten degrees now."

I looked at the thermography screen. Taking a closer look, I noticed a deep blue color surrounding the bed."

"How are the rapping sounds?"

"They're still continuing... Nothing else is unusual."

"Oh..."

Naru said absently.

I almost felt like dozing off in front of the TV, but then I noticed something strange.

"Naru! The living room!"

I pointed at the screen.

A white wispy fog clouded the room; it was eerily quiet.

Naru stood up immediately. "Lin, what's the temperature of the living room?"

Lin-san shifted the computer slightly. "As of now, the temperature is negative two degrees."

"Negative...?!" Naru looked at Lin-san in disbelief.

I asked breathlessly, "Why the living room?"

"How would I know!"

"What's the smoke?"

"I don't know... It could be because of the sudden temperature drop..."

"Naru, I've directed the sound here." Lin-san had connected the microphone.

The room was completely silent.

The white mist... The fog... Was swirling around.

A circle... It looks like a child's face...

"Isn't that a child...?" I asked breathlessly.

It looked like a wispy child's face.

...I'd rather say it's scary than say it's sad.

At that point, the living door room opened.

"...What?"

A small figure came through the door.

"Ayami-chan...!"

Ayami-chan?! What is John and Ayako doing?

Ayami-chan looked at the wispy smoke, then walked to the middle of the room. She woke up and started to move.

The speakers transmitted Ayami-chan's laughter.

"What? They brought me here, " Ayami-chan said as she looked at the smoke.

"No one wants to go to sleep? It's late, but they still want to play? They'll be reprimanded."

...Ayami-chan...!

I stood up.

"Mai, you can't help if you go!" Naru shouted.

I ignored Naru's advice and dashed out of the room. If I don't go, if I don't go...!

Naru stood up and faced the microphone. "Bou-san, go to the living room! On your way there, look into Noriko-san's room and find out what those two idiots are doing!"

I rushed toward the living room. The moment I reached my hand toward the door, static electricity shocked me and my hand bounced back. Naru reached his hand out. He had covered his hand with a jacket so unlike me, he was able to open the door.

"Ayami-chan!"

The room was filled with smoke. In the middle was Ayami-chan, standing there in a daze.

"Mai-chan...?"

Too scared to enter, I called out to the little girl from the doorway. "Ayami-chan, come here to my side!"

"But they want me to play with them."

"You can't. You can't play with them."

"But..."

The smoke entwined Ayami-chan. The thickening smoke had Ayami-chan trapped in a daze.

"Ayami-chan!"

"They won't let me go!"

When she shouted, a black figure came from behind Ayami-chan.

...That's not a child. Is it a... Woman?

The black figure reached her hand out toward Ayami-chan.

"Ayami-chan! Your back!"

Bou-san held onto my hand, preventing me from springing into the room. His hands were crossed.

"Child, come here."

"No! Mai, I'm scared!"

"Don't be scared! Calm down and come here!"

This time Naru grabbed onto my hand. Let go!

"No! Mai!"

Bou-san raised his hands. "Ka."

He chanted again as he changed his hand position.

"Naumari saba tatakiyateibiyari sarabamokkeibiyari sarabata taraku..."

Ayami-chan...!

"Senda unkikikiki sarabahisananun tarata kanmun!"

The fog started to disperse, and in a moment the black figure disappeared.

Ayami-chan ran toward me. "Mai-chan!"

"Thank goodness..."

I embraced Ayami-chan. Her body was freezing, her teeth chattering.

"Is it gone?" Naru asked Bou-san.

"No, it only released its grip..."

2

"You idiots! We told you to watch Ayami-chan!" Bou-san shouted angrily.

"Sorry, that was so embarrassing..." John admitted, bowing his head.

When Bou-san got to Noriko-san's room, he found John and Ayako fast asleep on the bed like a pair of pigs.

Ayako's voice was sharp. "It couldn't be helped. I just suddenly felt sleepy. When I realized what was happening, I was already asleep. It must be those ghosts' fault. There's no other explanation. I just suddenly felt sleepy... It couldn't be helped."

Meanwhile Naru was examining the tape, his earphones already in place.

"Bou-san, did you see that black figure?"

"I did. It was a woman, not a child."

"Maybe that living room has..."

"A woman."

"Let's not jump to conclusions. Now we know that something is there, and it's not the same kind of spirit as the one in Ayami-chan's room. The lowest temperature recorded was negative twenty degrees— If this were someone else's results, I would not believe them."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm not sure." Naru suddenly stopped the videotape.

"What's wrong?"

Naru rewinded the tape.

"Did you notice something?"

"Quiet. Listen."

We turned toward the screen. Sounds of the cries of children came out of the speakers.

Bou-san stood up.

In the midst of the white fog, a sudden wail sounded. The voices overlapped so that they were unclear. But one thing was true: the children were in pain.

It was saddening just to hear them. They sounded like they were suffering.

In the video, Ayami-chan went into the center of the living room. The cries grew louder.

The children are calling Ayami-chan. They're lonely, sad, and in pain, so they want Ayami-chan to play with them.

"No one told me!" came a woman's voice.

Then there was Bou-san's chanting.

"...My daughter..."

When Bou-san recited the chant, the children's omnipotent cries faded away. The chant had stopped their painful wailing.

"That sound just now...!" Ayako cried out, crossing her arms. "The one in the living room is their boss! That woman, right?!"

"Seems like it," Naru agreed.

Ayako stood up, "Since things have gone this far, call Masako. We must find out that woman's identity."

This time Naru didn't object. "So it has come down to this."

Masako received Ayako's phone call and came here by sunset.

John and I opened the door and welcomed her.

Once we opened the door, the doll-like Masako just gaped at us.

"...Masako, what's wrong?"

Like the last case, she wore a kimono. Her shoulders shuddered.

"Hara-san, do you feel uncomfortable..."

Masako interrupted John's question. "What's wrong here?"

"Huh?"

"It's so strong... It's the first time I've seen a house this bad..."

Huh?

John and I lead the chalk-white girl into base.

The moment we entered, Masako looked at Naru.

...Hey, just give up already...

"Hara-san?" Naru looked at her, his face stoic as usual even though it wasn't with the intention of making her leave.

"It's so... Strong... I feel uncomfortable."

Not particularly caring about the girl's discomfort, Ayako helped her get into a chair to sit down.

"What did you see?"

"I can feel the spirits of many children gathered here. They're all children. On my way here, I saw three children headed toward this house. This is like a congregation of ghost children."

Naru asked Masako, "Can you call them out?"

"There's no need to call them out. All of them are wailing so loudly that I want to plug my ears. What do you want to ask? No matter how much you ask, I'm sure I can help you."

"Minnie... The first child who died here is Tachibana. Call her out."

"If I try to call her down over here, I'll be possessed by a different spirit instead. So please wait a moment. She's called Tachibana, right?" Masako asked as she reached her hand out toward Naru. "Can you lead me to the hall?"

Naru raised his eyebrow, but took Masako's hand.

...Masako, you sly vixen!

We left base and arrived at the hall.

Masako held onto Naru's hand (sorry, I can't help but notice this) as she looked up at the ceiling.

"Tachibana, are you there?"

She said to the ceiling.

"...Excuse me, but please quiet down."

She spoke again, to the ceiling.

But I didn't hear anything.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew Masako's hair.

"Please, listen to me. Will you please answer my questions? ...What did you say? Please speak louder..."

Suddenly Masako's eyes became unfocused, her face expressionless. Her small mouth opened and closed.

"...Really...so that's how it is? ...Yes, I know now... So that's what happened."

She's talking to herself. It's kind of scary, almost as if she's possessed.

"...Who... Is it? ...That can't be... It's not like that. You can't believe... Right... You can't."

Suddenly a sound came from the floor.

"......!"

We all waited for the moment to come.

What? The sun still didn't set?!

The room began to sway while the rapping sounds started up again. The chandelier rocked along. Bang! Knocking sounds rapped through. Everything was noisy.

"What, what is this!" Ayako shouted.

John ran to the stairs.

"John?!"

John kept going up the stairs, then turned around. "I'm going to check on Ayami-chan!"

The rapping sounds almost completely covered up John's reply. Knocking sounds on the walls and stomping sounds of the floor filled the air.

The floor swayed, and the temperature dropped.

Suddenly

"Tomiko!"

Shouted a voice in the distance.

The sound came closer.

...Masako?!

Masako's face was pale. Her expression was hard to describe, but it was almost like a mask of hatred. Normally her face wouldn't be like that.

And right in front of my eyes, she reached her hand out toward Naru.

"Masako!"

Her hands almost clutched Naru's neck, but then Naru grabbed her. "Bou-san! Stop her! She's been possessed!"

Bou-san stuck his hands together and chanted, "On asanmo ginei un hatta!"

After his recitation, Masako's body became limp.

The rapping sounds stopped.

Bou-san carried the unconscious girl.

3

Masako, now unconscious, lay on the sofa in base.

When we were rewinding the tape, Masako woke up.

"How do you feel?" Naru asked.

Masako shook her head, her face still deathly pale. "I'm fine... I seemed to have been possessed."

"It was due to my negligence. Sorry— Did you find Tachibana?"

"Yes."

Masako nodded, then looked each of us in the eye. "There is a woman's spirit here."

She continued slowly. "The evil spirit is that woman. She's hidden deep inside... At least that's what I think. However, I'm not sure what kind of ghost she is. But I'm positive it's a female spirit."

Masako paused for a moment. "The children's spirits have been gathered here. They're tired of this place, and they want to go home, but they can't because they're lost... Does everyone follow?"

"So basically, the children are stuck here?"

"Yes. The woman's spirit had gathered all the children here. She's pretending to be their mother, and she keeps bringing more kids here. Tachibana realized that she isn't her mother."

...Pretending to be their mother and calling them out here...

"That woman isn't only tricking those kids, but she's also making them bring more children here. She's making the kids pretend to be friends, so that they can bring in more living children. Tachibana is the leader of the children, but she also can't take it anymore. She says she's tired, in pain, and that she can't stand it anymore."

...That's too much.

Naru asked Masako, "Do you remember calling for Tomiko?"

"Tomiko..." Masako said dazily. "Yes, I remember... That's the woman's child, a daughter in fact... That female spirit is looking for her daughter, Tomiko. That's why she's calling in more children."

"...I see," Naru said quietly before standing up.

"Naru?"

"In other words, that woman is searching for her own daughter, but in the end, she is simply collecting all these children." He said in a hard tone. "Since she can't find her own child, she tricks all these other innocent children into coming, and not only that, she's also utilizing them as tools."

I remembered the children's painful cries of sorrow.

"Those children cannot pass on. That woman won't let them go. They're simply wandering in Chuute... They can't go anywhere," Naru continued.

"...Ah," Bou-san nodded in agreement.

"Ghosts that are lingering around do not know that they have died. It's the same with those children. To those children, they believe they are lost, not dead. That's why they want to go home..."

"That woman knows this and is using it to her advantage by pretending to be their mother. She knows that she's not going to Heaven, and that she will just suffer."

The children already know they're trapped. But they can't escape. Even though they've had enough. Even though it's painful, that woman won't release them.

Naru picked up his jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going out for a while. I don't know when I'm coming back. Take care of Ayami-chan."

"Naru!"

I didn't even have time to call out to him.

And like a gust of wind, Naru left the room. We quietly saw him off.

4

"What is that guy doing?!" Bou-san shouted.

"...What does he want to do anyway. It's almost dark."

Bou-san said to Ayako in a sarcastic manner, "It doesn't matter what he wants to do. In the end, he always puts all his effort into his work."

Then he looked up. "Well, let's just do this then. Tonight Ayami-chan should sleep in a hotel."

"Wouldn't that create problems?"

"At least it'll be safer than sleeping at home. John can stay at the hotel. Last time, John's prayer gave that guy a hard time finding Ayami-chan. If the distance is greater, it might be more effective. Make a charm, get Ayako to help, and place the charm on the hotel room. That way, those spirits won't be able to enter."

"Okay."

"Ayako, go to the hotel and help John. I still haven't seen you be useful yet. Can you really exorcise ghosts?"

Ayako replied gruffly, "...Perhaps I have something up my sleeve."

"Then you can be John's partner. Masako, go with them." Bou-san turned around and looked at Masako.

"Me?"

"These two idiots are too susceptible to the ghosts. If things end up like before, we'll really be in trouble. Go with them. If a ghost shows up, wake the two up."

"I got it." Ayako stood up. "Then, what about you?"

"Since the prayer seemed to be effective, I'm going to try an exorcism." He said before shooting a glance at me. "Jou-chan, help me prepare."

It was already dusk, and the night was imminent. I would have to be faster with the preparations than usual.

Noriko-san packed up and took Ayami-chan with her to a hotel.

Before they left, Ayako had made a protective charm— With a pen, she wrote some strange characters— Right now, Ayami-chan is holding it.

"This way, those spirits won't be able to see Ayami-chan."

Skeptical about Ayako's charm, I asked Masako, "Do those things work?"

"Those charms seem to be effective. —Don't worry. Those ghosts didn't even notice."

We saw the five people off, then started to prepare for the exorcism. We spent a good amount of time moving all the furniture out and setting up the altar.

"Hey, Bou-san, what's a Chuute?"

I asked him while taking out some equipment.

"The crevice between the living world and the after world."

"I don't get it."

Bou-san sighed. "You still don't understand anything— Give me those three handles."

"This?"

"It's a crevice. In Buddhism, after someone dies he will stay in this place for forty nine days after his death. It's a place where one cannot be cleansed. It's like a bridge between the living and the dead. Now do you understand?"

"Kind of."

"This doesn't always happen to people facing death. It's like going around the Gates of Hell and then coming back. Haven't you heard of this before?"

"Yeah, I did."

"The experience of near death. Some people will say they've experienced something like this: They're standing beside a river, and there's a bridge. Many people are crossing the bridge, but they themselves do not cross it. Then they wake up."

"Yeah, yeah." I've heard that before.

"So in the end, when the deceased person crosses the bridge, he goes into the other world. After crossing the bridge, he will forget all the pain he's experienced in this world and start a whole new life in the next world. But some people do not want to cross the bridge because they have some unfinished business."

"Like finding your daughter..."

Just like that woman who's trying to find Tomiko.

After dying, your spirit stays in that place.

Since you didn't cross that bridge, you can't forget the pain you suffered when you were alive. Your hardships and fear can't be forgotten either.

"So that's what a ghost is...?"

"Correct."

"Since that woman wants to find her daughter, she didn't cross the bridge, and that's why she called all these children here. She's not releasing the children, and that's why they aren't able to see the bridge."

"...Isn't that infuriating?"

"Don't be angry," Bou-san said.

I looked into his eyes.

Bou-san managed to put a smile on his face. "Aren't we trying hard to get her to see the bridge?"

"I guess so."

After helping out Bou-san, I went over to Lin-san and moved the equipment in Ayami-chan's room to the living room. After I finished moving the equipment, I went to base to help Lin-san make preparations. When we finished making all the wire connections, Bou-san started his exorcism.

Good luck~ Cleanse that woman, set the children free~

And let Ayami-chan live a normal life.

A few moments after Bou-san started his exorcism, sounds filled the room. At the same time the temperature dropped.

The cold air accumulated along the floor. In the thermography graph, the floor was blue.

The video camera moved too, and combined with the thermography chart, we could see the places where the temperature was the lowest.

The video cameras faced the middle of the room and the floor right in front of the window.

...The temperature is lowest at...

Suddenly a sound came from the living room, a rapping sound. It was almost like a shock wave. The floor rocked, as did Bou-san.

And then a sound vibrated through the entire room.

Stomp, stomp, stomp... The sound of somebody running. A smoky substance started to fill the room. The thermography chart showed a dark blue color.

The altar swayed, then fell to the ground.

"Bou-san, forget it! Leave the living room!"

I shouted into the microphone.

"Idiot! How can you ask a man to run away!"

Is now the time to argue about that?

The smoke thickened, and Bou-san's body became hard to see. The mournful cries of the children filled the room.

I stared at the TV.

A black shadow appeared in the middle of the room, behind Bou-san. It slowly started to form into a shape.

"Bou-san! Your back! It's that woman!"

Bou-san turned around and looked straight through the black figure.

It's dangerous! He can't see her!

I quickly stood up.

"Taniyama-san, don't go!" Lin-san shouted as he tried to stop me.

How can I not go!

I ran to the living room and opened the door.

And just like yesterday night, the room was covered in smoke...

"Bou-san, are you okay?"

"Idiot! Why did you come!!"

Because...

The room swayed violently. I lost my balance as the floor distorted.

It's dangerous!

"Bou-san! Hey, you have to leave!"

I walked into the room.

I can't see... The dark figure... What do I do? I could only see it through the video camera. I weakly walked toward Bou-san.

When my hand reached out toward him, it felt like my hand went through something. The air felt cold and sticky.

And then I heard some words in my mind.

...Do not hinder me.

...How dare you.

...This is inexcusable...

Suddenly my body froze, and my hand, which was reaching for Bou-san, wouldn't move.

A pair of hands encircled my neck... Icy-cold hands.

Her? ...Is it her?

I grabbed the woman's hands around my neck.

Bou-san turned around and pulled out some golden beads.

"Na u ma ku sa man da baza ra dan kan!"

The hands clutching my neck disappeared, and all that was left was a cold feeling.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded and grabbed Bou-san's hand. "Let's go! Forget it! It's too dangerous!"

This time he stood up and ran toward the door. Because now, the floor was swaying so much it was almost impossible to stand up.

The floor was rocking, distorting.

Ah—! Suddenly my feet caved in.

I tried to crawl as if I were swimming. The floor beneath my feet was giving away.

"Mai!"

When I was trying to crawl forwards, the floor cracked again.

Bou-san steadied me and pulled my hand. He then tossed me to the door the way someone would toss a cat or dog.

After Bou-san left the room, the noise in the living room stopped.

We were speechless as we sat almost paralyzed in the hallway.

The smoke in the room faded away too.

After the smoke faded away, we noticed there was a hole on the floor in the middle of the room, right in front of the windows. The floor cracked open, revealing a huge hole.

It was the place where the thermography indicated was the coldest. The origin of the cold.

Bou-san abruptly ran out.

"Bou-san?"

"I'm going to call Ayako. Those ghosts might've gone to find Ayami-chan again."

"Ayami-chan's location... Why..."

"When I ran out of the room... What was that! It felt like I went through that woman's body."

...Ah! Me too!

"That woman just came in all of a sudden. Maybe she knows where Ayami-chan is."

5

When Bou-san ran to the telephone, the telephone rang.

...My heart felt heavy. I had a bad feeling about this.

Hesitating, Bou-san slowly picked up the phone.

—The ghosts found Ayami-chan.

What they were doing was very clear and simple.

They suddenly appeared out of nowhere and tried to push Ayami-chan out of the window from the fifteenth floor.

John quickly held onto Ayami-chan, and the two were violently tugged toward the window.

What saved them was neither Ayako nor Masako.

The window in the hotel was thick and strong, and that is what kept the two safe from the ghosts' attacks.

At dawn, we stared at the pit in the floor.

In order to confirm the disaster from last night, we went to the living room again, with the exception of Naru. He still didn't contact us.

There was a well beneath the hole.

The diameter was about 1.5 meters, and the opening was made of stone. The depth was about three meters.

"This is a well that had been buried underneath the house," Bou-san told Ayako.

"Seems like it. It's also rather old."

There was nothing in the well. Of course there was no water either. The only thing there was some dry dirt and some tools that dropped.

I poked their shoulders. "Hey, could this be..."

"The well that she died in...?"

"Yes."

"I don't know, but that might be the case," Bou-san replied.

Ayako added, "It'd be easy if that were true. All we have to do is dig up the corpse."

"Ah...but if you want to dig it up, we can't just rely on ourselves. We'll need to call in the specialists."

Masako looked at the well with a dazed look. She must be seeing something from the other world. Suddenly her face paled, and she moved away from the well.

"What's wrong?" asked Bou-san.

"I don't think... I can see the bottom of this well."

Huh?

"Deep inside the well... The ghost children are at the bottom... It's almost as if countless corpses have been piled on top of each other..."

...God...

"Do those ghosts look like they'll come out?"

"I don't know... But they won't be coming out as of now..."

Shivering slightly, Ayako let out an exasperated sigh. "Where did that Naru run off to!"

...How would I know.

"When will he be back!" Ayako demanded again.

"Oh, Ayako, do you feel uneasy when Naru's not around?" Bou-san chuckled while Ayako threw him a hard look.

"Do. Not. Joke. Around. You make it sound like I'm a little child who needs protection."

"You mean you're not?"

"Of course not! How would that happen!"

...Ayako, you're overreacting a bit.

"Eh... No matter how I think of it, you'll just like a ten year old." Bou-san smiled wryly.

"It's only a six year age difference."

"Whatever the case, your ages do not match," Masako interrupted.

Ayako glared at Masako, "Don't you know that guys his age tend to go for older girls?"

"Does that line of reasoning even make sense?" Masako shot back.

"Oh, so now you're showing your true self? Masako-chan, what can you be to Naru anyway?"

"I hoped you wouldn't talk me like that.. In any case, Matsuzaki-san, you're already so old, yet..."

"Stop playing around with me. I know that with your personality, there's no way Naru would fall for you."

"My personality is better than a certain old woman's." ...You guys need to stop right now! Don't you agree that now isn't the time to be talking about this?

John interceded, "Shibuya-san puts his heart into his work. So about what you two are saying... He shouldn't be interested, right?"

"Right," Bou-san agreed, smiling, "with the way he is, he must not be dating anyone."

...Well said.

I thought.

"He went on a date before," Masako asserted.

...What? How would you know?

"We went out together numerous times." The doll-like girl smiled.

"...You're kidding." Ayako's eyes were open wide.

"How rude. Well, you can go ask Kazuya-san yourself."

...Kazuya-san...?!

For a moment there, I had to think about who this Kazuya-san was. When I realized it was Naru, everything became black.

Everyone stared at Masako.

After calming down, Ayako continued, "But it's because of work, right?"

...Yes, yes. That must be it.

"Well, movies and concerts are not related to work."

...Movies? Concerts? Naru, who doesn't even watch TV, went out to see the movies? But, when you put it that way, isn't that a date!

I immediately pictured Masako's evil grin in my head.

Shocked speechless, we didn't move.

The first one who recovered was John.

"Well, Shibuya-san's at that age now so dating is a regular notion. Anyway, when is he coming back?"

...John, you don't sound confident yourself.

"So basically," Bou-san resumed solemnly, "when Naru comes back doesn't concern us."

He looked around at everybody. "It doesn't matter if he's not here. He's not a psychic; he's just a paranormal researcher. Even if he is here, he can't exorcise ghosts or protect Ayami-chan."

"...But!"

"Things are going to be the same, whether or not he's here. Right now, we must decide if we're going to exorcise the ghosts or run away."

"......"

Everyone was thinking.

"Let's try it again. Ayako, John, which one of you will take up the challenge? Speak up clearly. Those ghosts in the living room are tough."

Ayako glanced at Bou-san.

"So you're saying you want to do it?" asked Bou-san.

Ayako responded, "Go to Ayami-chan. I can't protect her. Also, John, you should be there protecting her as well."

"Got it."

6

Bou-san and I pulled the altar out of the hole and helped Ayako prepare for her exorcism.

"Can we still use this?"

"Well, I guess."

After we set up the altar, Bou-san and John went to the hotel. Ayako, I, and that person who drifts off to different places— Lin-san, were left behind.

Ayako changed into her priestess kimono in base.

"Hey, Mai-chan?"

Huh? ...Mai...-chan?

"Do you want to stay in the living room to watch me do the prayer?" Ayako asked with her back turned towards me.

"Ah, you're scared. What kind of medium are you~"

"I'm not scared!"

She turned toward me, her face hard with determination. Sadly, that same face crumbled.

"I'm not...scared...only..."

"It's okay. I'll go with you."

"Thank goodness."

She looked at the mountain-pile of equipment. "Lin-san, can you..."

"I left it there to record data," Lin-san informed us in a cold tone.

"...What a personality. Just like the boss. That "lady-killer"."

"Huh...?" It seemed like Lin-san didn't understand Ayako. His eyes were open wide in confusion.

"Oh, nevermind. I was just saying your boss is a pervert— Mai, let's go!"

Ayako grabbed my hand and pulled me out with her.

...Hey, Ayako, you don't really like Naru that way, right?

Under the rosy afterglow of the sunset, Ayako started her prayer. The scarlet light lingered in the room. It gave me a bad feeling.

"Here I humbly offer a modest cleansing ritual and enshrine this temporary altar..."

When the exorcism started, faint sounds filled the room.

A chill covered the floor. Sitting near the door, I felt a chill on my back. My feet became colder.

I looked at the video camera, which was facing the old well. The cold air must be coming from that well.

As the swaying became more evident, noises arose from the floor.

Ayako's voice was terse. "In the sacred presence of his Majesty... Emperor of... Yamato, who reigns..."

It was freezing. And I had three layers of clothing on. The trees in the courtyard swayed, casting a shadow into the living room. A dark mist conjured in the middle of the room.

"Ayako! Don't stop!"

"Don't say that so easily!"

Quickly Ayako regained her composure. Rapping noises sounded nearby. It was getting colder. My breathing came out as white fog.

"Over the Land of the Eight Grand Islands as the living god..."

The sun was sinking as Ayako proceeded with her prayer. Soon the room was covered in darkness. The only light left was the flickering of the candles.

A wispy gaseous figure came into view. Frightened, I could hardly breathe.

"Ah!" Ayako screamed, jumping up.

"Ayako!"

"Someone touched my shoulder!"

Don't jump because of something small like that!

"Calm down! You're a priestess!"

I felt a cold presence tug on my hands.

I shrieked.

Someone's breath. I felt completely surrounded.

The room swayed incessantly as thumping sounds restarted.

Ayako and I slowly tried to step out of the room. We had to give up.

"Mai, it's too dangerous here! Let's go!"

"Yeah...Yeah."

Ayako dashed out.

At the same time, the floor swayed intensely. I fell onto the ground.

The floor rocked back and forth.

I touched my injured kneecaps.

"Mai! Hurry up!" Ayako called out from the door.

"Okay!"

The moment I tried to stand up, the floor swayed harder. I can't stand up!

"Mai!"

I tried to stand again, but then a pair of hands grabbed my feet.

I shrieked.

Turning around, I saw the wispy smoke encircle my ankle.

Using all my strength, I tried to shrug off the smoke, but it didn't work. It felt like someone was clutching my feet. My hands were sweaty. My ankle was freezing.

"Ayako! Help me!"

"Mai!"

I was being pulled backwards.

Behind me was the well.

Another pair of hands grasped my ankle as I was tugged backwards into the hole.

"No!"

I yelled as I grabbed onto the floor with all my strength.

Ayako screamed frantically.

"Taniyama-san!"

Lin-san rushed in.

"Help me!"

He ran to me and stretched out his hand. But I couldn't reach it.

The eerie hand grabbing my foot pulled harder. My bones almost cracked. I was going to fall into the well.

"...Lin-san! Ah! I'm going to fall!"

"Taniyama-san!"

Lin-san leaned forward and stretched out his hand. Right when our hands almost touched, a force pulled me down. My waist was already inside the well. Save me! I'm going to fall!

I remembered their nest. The center of the cold. The depths of the well. All the little children, stuck down there.

The floor swayed violently, taking down Lin-san and Ayako. Then I was falling. The well was up to my chest now as I grabbed onto the floorboards.

No, I'm going to fall!

It was hard trying to hold onto the hard floor. The rough edges cut into my hands. I felt helpless. "Mai!!"

Suddenly a force pulled me backwards, my body fell past the opening of the well, and my hold on the floor broke.

.........!

I didn't even have time to scream.

I reached my hand out toward the opening as I lunged down into the darkness.

I could hear the voices of two people.

But their words were unclear...

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