Chapter 3

Miku grabbed the lantern and smashed it over the ghosts head, it set alight instantly, and roundhouse kicked it across its face, breaking its neck, knocking it down dead. She observed her surroundings, the mansion. She had had constant nightmares of this place ever since, her brother was killed here, four years ago. She was too young to help anyone back then but now she had been training, honing her fighting skills for four long years, waiting four long years to return to this place and exact her revenge. Her friends were somewhere in this house and she would not let the same fate befall them as her older brother. She didn’t have the camera obscura but she didn’t need it, she would do whatever it took.

Mio carefully and softly walked down the dark corridor, every now and then she felt a draught and with it carried whispers of the night. She clutched the pebble the man had given her, her only defence, and she didn’t even know if it worked yet. She saw a small rotting wooden door at the end of the corridor, a red light was seeping through the cracks. She warily slid towards it. All of a sudden an apparition formed in front of the door. It solidified into another angry spirit, its arms and legs looked stretched and rubbery once again with ropes around its arms and legs.

‘Get out!’ moaned the spirit, swinging its rubbery boneless arms into a wooden support beam to its left

She froze as her body started to shake due to the adrenaline. She inhaled defiantly and walked towards the ghost holding out the pebble. It shone a beautiful white, the light forcing the ghost to flee, it couldn’t get the door with the red light open, as much as it struggled, it screamed horribly as the light from the pebble destroyed the spirit. She dropped the stone, the blood curdling scream still reverberating in her mind.

Alex sat quietly on the mats as Scott conversed with the girl.

“What’s your name?” asked Scott

“Mayu” shakily replied Mayu

He put his frosty blue hands on hers, cooling her hot adrenaline fuelled body.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, look at me, everything gonna be fine” he said looking, pulling her face up to his

The strangers eyes were pure white, like frost, his hands soothed her, they weren’t bitterly cold, they were like a cool shower on a hot summer’s day, she felt lost in those eyes.

“My names Scott, that’s Alex” introduced Scott

“Now you say your sisters are here?” questioned Scott

“Yes, Mio and Miku are here, I know it” answered Mayu, feeling the panic rising again

“Hey, calm down, Mayu, breath, breathe” instructed Scott

He helped her breathing slow down and she calmed again.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find your sisters” he said giving her a cheeky smile and another wink

“You’ll help me find them?” gasped Mayu

“Of course we will” he answered

“Oh, thank you” sighed Mayu with relief, hugging Scott

“Any luck Alex?” asked Scott, over Mayu’s shoulder

“They’re aura isn’t like ours or Mayu’s, they don’t exert enough spiritual essence for me to pinpoint them exactly” replied Alex, still not shifting from his meditative stance

“Guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way” stated Scott standing up

“Looks that way” submitted Alex, relaxing himself then pulling himself up with the aid of his sword

“C’mon let’s go find your sisters” putting a hand on Mayu’s shoulder

The boys ventured on with an added mission and an additional member to the team.

Mio waited in total darkness, felt her anxiety rising in her mind. She was totally alone and defenceless, a strange house, looking down at the mysterious white pebble. She reached down with a shaky hand and scooped it up. She grabbed the handle to room with the red light and was surprised when she easily turned the handle and opened the door, then why couldn’t the ghost open the door so easily. The room was beautiful, the walls were laced with beautifully designed old kimonos. There was a strange magic about this room, it had been perfectly preserved, and not a speck of dust lay on the furniture. She heard soothing music ring in her ears, like the very aura of the room produced the music. She felt at peace in the room as the red lantern glowed brilliantly in the middle of the room. She took another look around the room and all along the ceilings frame were calligraphy symbols, they seemed to shift along the walls like mist. She remembered this place from her last encounter, it was a safe room.