The House in Which Nightmares Dwell 10.4

[touchturnfly]

4

"Eugene was there?"

Mai nodded at Takigawa's question.

After waking up from the short dream, Mai headed straight to the base.

Even though she told Midori and Reiko, who kept accompanying her, to sleep a little more, the two went to the kitchen after getting up again as it was already morning. Currently it was already morning and with the exception of those two, everyone had gathered in the base.

"Although he could see the exit, he wasn't able to leave. He said it had been that case since the very beginning."

The one who clicked his tongue was Hirota as usual.

"Good grief--"

All members pierced Hirota with cold glances the moment he muttered that. Hirota reluctantly held his tongue. No matter how much he thought about it, he was at a disadvantage as one denier against five believers. Nevertheless, leaving this place or get chased out wouldn't make him happy. Because Hirota had the duty to observe these people.

Even though he was hearing about how she met his deceased older brother's spirit, Naru merely frowned lightly and let out a sigh.

"... ... What could be the reason? -- On top of that, he really is a fool."

"Do you really use that way of talking about your older brother?"

"This is my straightforward opinion, Taniyama-san. -- And? Didn't that guy provide any clues for the investigation?"

"He said there were five people."

When Mai said that, all of them slightly inclined their heads.

"He said that five people died at this house. An elderly man, a married couple and two children."

"All of them were killed?"

Mai nodded at Takigawa who seemed a bit angered.

"Gene said so. Also, it's not the end yet. Something bad might happen, so he said to be careful," Mai said, conveying the message to Naru.

"I see --"

Hirota glumly sat in a corner of the room, while Mai conveyed a message from a deceased person in detail or talked about a scenery she saw in a dream.

"Something bad... ..."

In reaction to Naru who muttered as if he wasn't fully satisfied with what he heard, Takigawa also tilted his head in doubt.

"What could that be?" he said and looked at Masako. "Say Masako-chan. Do you know anything about this?"

Masako sulkily looked away at these questions.

"I couldn't know something that even Eugene doesn't know. I am not nearly as proficient as he is. ... ... At any rate, I didn't even know the amount of people who died here."

Hirota couldn't help but wryly smile. She was quite a prideful young lady.

"No one even said anything like that, right?" Takigawa said to pacify the situation, but Masako kept looking away. Takigawa shrugged his shoulders at this and looked at Naru.

"I don't get it. -- Wasn't this family merely warning us? Masako-chan did say that they're harmless. Just what is and how is it getting bad?"

Naru looked puzzled once again.

"Let's sort out the situation. -- In the past there was an event in which a family was killed. Those killed were five people in total. An elderly man, a married couple and two children."

"Because they were killed by someone who broke in. The murder weapon was a hatchet. -- But, on the night of the murder, only the girl hadn't returned to the house yet. I wonder if the elderly man was killed on that very night."

"I wonder if he wasn't. There's nothing beyond the three rooms on the second floor. The boy, his parents and his sister seemed to be using the second floor, so the elderly man must have been downstairs."

"A room on the first floor, uh, ... ... Wait, is it this room?"

Takigawa looked out over the base.

"That's possible. -- The criminal went up the stairway and probably broke in from the first floor. The chance is high that he was killed before that."

Hirota reflexively adjusted his posture. Although he didn't believe in psychic powers, he couldn't help but feel somewhat solemn now that he was told that a person was likely killed in the place where he currently was.

"After killing the elderly man, he went upstairs and killed the parents. This means he attacked their son after that."

"I see. -- The daughter wasn't around that night because she was out. However, she came back soon after. Those who were killed are going to that daughter to warner her. -- You must not come back."

Naru nodded.

"... ... However, eventually that daughter was going to be killed anyway. The parents and children are locked up inside the night of the tragedy. For this reason they keep sending out warnings."

"Then Midori-san and her mother moved to this house. It is her mom who was drawn to the mother who got killed. They are similar, because they are both mothers with daughters," Takigawa said and then stared at Naru. "-- Well? Then why and what is dangerous?"

Without answering this, Naru looked at Mai. Mai received his glance and waved her hand in a fluster.

"I don't know even if you look at me. I'm merely a messenger after all."

Naru sighed with exaggeration.

"You really are of no help."

"My bad."

"Anyway," Naru muttered after casting a cold glance at Mai. "I'll wait for John to take care of the spirit who possessed her mother. On the other hand I'll reconsider the past of this house. -- Hara-san."

"Yes."

"Couldn't you persuade the family? Tell them there's already no meaning to sending out warnings."

"Wouldn't it be Mai who is more suitable? Because Gene is with her too," Masako said sullenly. It seemed she was sulking after all. "I am not particularly able to do that much."

"What do you mean by that much-"

Naru looked at Masako, ignoring Mai's protests. Masako looked back at Naru with her eyes glancing up slightly.

"If you don't mind I can try... ... But please don't expect too much from me."

"I'll leave it to you. -- Lin, what about you?"

Lin, who was sitting silently at the computer, shifted his attention to Naru.

"This morning, approximately when Midori met the child, the temperature also dropped in the bathroom. This is not a value that I would call to be clearly strange."

"And in the other places?"

"It appears that something came in this room," Lin calmly said. "I sensed that someone came into this room. They did it many times. Then I placed a thermometer, but the temperature is also somewhat low."

"I see... ..."

"At least it appears certain that something is becoming active."

"Understood."

After saying that, Naru looked at all of them.

"For now, given the urgency we will be conducting an exorcism. I'd like you to refrain from telling Midori-san and her mother about the theory that something bad will happen. -- There's no point in making them anxious."

"Aren't you withholding clues from them by doing that?" Hirota maliciously attempted to say. Naru only smiled on the surface.

"So you are acknowledging the view that Mai met and was informed by a spirit by the use of psychic power as a clue?"

Hirota could only keep silent at this.

"Even if you put pressure beyond this, it probably can't be helped. For now, I will explain the other circumstances to Midori-san myself. -- Mai."

"Yes."

Naru sent a cold glance to Mai who adjusted her posture with a jerky movement.

"Go to sleep. If you meet that foolish wandering ghost, tell him to hand over more accurate information."

Everyone who was in the base took a breath in amazement.

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