Dangerous Souls

Shoji no Noroi

Chapter 3- Suicide

September Day 2, 11:17 A.M.

"Thank you again for your time," Yasuhara said, escorting the elderly doorman out of Base. The man nodded and was out within seconds. "That's the last of them. What now?"

"Hey, has anyone seen Mai? She disappeared after breakfast," Monk asked, walking into with Ayako and Masako behind him.

"She went to give Naru tea, and that was the last time I saw her," the priestess answered, crossing her arms.

"Well, after that, she gave me a message from Naru. So, I guess I was the last to see her," the college student noted. "If we were on one of those crime scene shows, I'd be the prime suspect."

"Either way, that was almost two hours ago. She's probably in some sort of danger with whatever this spirit is!" Ayako said, her face sour.

"Way to be optimistic..." Monk commented with a sweat drop.

THUNK!

"I'm pretty sure I can report you to the authorities for abuse," Monk grumbled, rubbing the growing bump on his head.

"It's not abuse if you like it."

"When the hell did I say I liked you bonking me on the head every chance you get!"

"Well, you're always asking for it!"

"No I'm-"

"Anyway!" Yasuhara raised his voice for a moment, ceasing the argument. "Lin, have your Shiki alerted you of any spirit activity?"

The Chinese man shook his head. "I haven't set up my Shiki around the hotel yet, I was unsure if they were needed."

"Fair enough, how about you, Masako? Have you sensed anything?"

The medium held her kimono sleeve to her mouth as she always did. "I sense many spirits, they are all roaming the property, but they are all so frightened. I sense something malicious here as well, but it's trying to hide its presence, I can't read anything from it..."

"That's helpful and not so helpful at the same time," the college student pointed out cheerily. "Naru, any ideas?"

The true black clad boss, who had completely ignored his oblivious partners, at some point had stalked off to the wall of monitors. He clicked and typed away, taking special care to observe each area thoroughly. "Well, looks like she's not near any cameras. What now?" Monk said, letting out a breath. "She's always getting into some kind of trouble."

"She can't be in too much trouble, we didn't hear her shrieking," Masako added, a slight haughty tone to her voice.

"Well, we didn't hear her shriek when she was taken captive by a sociopathic teenager and dragged into the woods," Ayako added grimly. "It is quite possible that she was knocked out before she could scream."

"What a perfect way to lighten the mood, Ayako," the college boy remarked with a grin. "And what is our Naru doing?"

"It's the footage from around the last time anyone saw Mai," Naru explained as all eyes went to the monitors.

Their eyes traced Mai's moves from when she left Base after delivering Naru his tea, to speaking to Ryouta, and wandering the halls. She suddenly stopped. Her expression was filled with shock and surprise as she appeared to be speaking with an invisible person. The sleeves of her sweater crumpled slightly at her shoulders, as though someone had grabbed them. She took a step back, her face becoming pale, just as the door to room 534 opened and Mai was dragged in by her leg. The thing anyone saw before the door close was her attempt to scream...