The House in Which Nightmares Dwell 9.5

[touchturnfly]

5

"-- Naru!"

He opened his eyes and sensed the tatami mat below his cheek. His eyesight was blurry. He had a terrible headache.

"Are you alright?"

"Just barely made it..." he said to himself.

"-- Naru?"

"... ... I'm fine."

There was a hand on his shoulder, but when the fingertips lightly lifted up it got the better of him. It felt like he could throw up if he moved his body right now.

"No need to worry. ... ... My body just got shocked somewhat."

After blinking a couple of times and waiting for his vision to clear up, he moved. Lin's worried face was nearby.

"Naru --?"

"A child was killed here."

Lin took a short breath. It was breath of relief and at the same time a breath of resignation.

"Then, it's that child?"

Naru nodded. It still felt like his nerves were snapping apart in some places in his body. He became able to move very slowly. Using his mouth was tough as well.

"Then it means that this was his treasure. Perhaps this used to be his room."

"Seems that way... ..."

The room that contained charming secrets belonged to a boy who had the habit of daydreaming. Kosori crept out of his nightmares and stepped into his room. One hand held the hatchet that murdered his parents.

"The culprit is a man. There was a female accomplice. ... ... The ones killed include at least three people, the parents and the child."

"A family was murdered. How could Midori and her mother have not at least heard that an event like this happened?"

At the moment when Naru slowly nodded, they heard that scream.

Hirota who wasn't doing anything in the base, lifted his head. He could hear the scream from the speakers. He discerned it came from upstairs and promptly leapt out of the living room and ran up the stairs. When he arrived upstairs, he found Lin standing in front of Midori's room.

"-- What happened!?"

When Hirota rushed in, he saw Mai sitting up on the futon in Midori's room. Masako was putting her arm around her shoulder. Midori and Reiko anxiously watched over them nearby.

"-- What happened?" he asked, but Mai's eyes didn't look at Hirota.

Her teary eyes wandered past Hirota in a daze.

When he was about to ask whether she was okay, he heard footsteps rushing vigorously from behind him and the person Mai was looking at came into focus.

"What happened!"

Hirota frowned as he was practically pushed aside by Takigawa who rushed into the room. Mai looked obviously relieved.

"... ... Bou-san."

She looked up at the man who leaned in next to her.

"... ... I saw a dream."

"Huh," Takigawa said and looked at Mai's face.

"A boy was killed in that dream. A monster named Kosori came and killed the father, the mother and that boy."

"Oh, it's just a dream," Hirota took a breath, but Takigawa and Masako's expressions were rigid.

"... ... I see."

"The man was holding a hatchet. His upper body was bare and covered in blood. There was another knife on his belt... ..." Mai said in hesitation and teared up. When Takigawa placed a hand on top of her hanging head with a plop, Mai looked up at Takigawa.

"-- Why?"

"Mai?"

"Why am I seeing a dream like this? -- We even had multiple investigations while Naru was away, but since summer, there was not one time that something like this happened? And yet, why!"

"... ... Mai."

"Nothing like this happened! Why am I seeing a dream like this? In spite of that the person who guided me wasn't there!"

Mai cast her head downward. Her hands covered her face.

"-- Even though Gene is no longer here... ...!"

When Masako embraced Mai lightly, they heard an extremely calm and monotonous voice.

"... ...What's wrong?"

---

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