The House in Which Nightmares Dwell 14.3

[touchturnfly]

3

The moment all of them had ascended the stairs, they heard the sound of a thump.

Mai slightly felt like a breeze was stroking her hair.

-- The door has opened... ...

In a very long interval, they heard the sound of a heavy thing quietly being moved. It was the sound of that family trying to get rid of the barricade.

"They're coming... ..."

"They won't cross over that so easily."

Naru said very quietly and pointed out the shutters of the balcony to Mai. Then he showed her a type of kitchen knife which he brought from downstairs.

"Open it with this somehow. But do it quietly."

"... ... Yeah. But."

"Hirota-san, let's put some furniture on top of the staircase at once."

The sounds downstairs continued to grow stronger a little by little as they were placing two cabinets on top of the staircase,. At first it was done quietly. Making sure to keep their breaths down as much as possible. That gradually grew into irritation.

More so than the existence of a barricade, they understood that Naru and the others had realized that they were breaking in. Before long there was no doubt that they stopped being careful.

-- There must be some way.

It would be great if there was a way to repel them.

If Lin was there, it would be over quickly. His means were somewhat brutal, but he was crafty.  Even Takigawa and John at least had some brute leg strength. However, right now they were not present. Naru and Hirota were the only ones here.

-- If ... ... was here.

If he were here, he would be able to give Naru a powerful weapon.

--- Something... .... A weapon? ... ... Make a trap.

Naru looked out over his surroundings. The doors of the rooms were all open. He looked out over each room, but there was nothing special that could be a help to him.

-- The Sasakura family consists of three people. Is it only the couple or…?

If their son who was a high school student also participated, he would become a fairly strong opponent. Two against three. They were definitely holding weapons.

To what extent could he use Hirota?

-- Shall I resort to using drastic measures?

It would be sufficient to confine them or have them faint. There was no need for energy enough to blow out a strong spirit - or a place in which a spirit haunted, because they were human,. Even so -- one person. His limit was two people. Even if he tried his hand at the third person after finishing off the second person without collapsing, Naru's own life would be at risk.

-- I guess I have no choice but to try.

He thought as he let his gaze wander to search for any more weapons. Then it caught his eye..
 
Naru gazed in wonder. His feet stepped forward.

She didn't know how to open the shutters. Yet, Mai eagerly tried to thrust the edge of the kitchen knife into every gap as quietly as possible.

There was a noise somewhere in the house. She had a hunch that it grew steadily louder. Only a single thought swirled inside her head.

-- Kosori is coming.

Her hands shivered. What showed up in her mind was the shape of Kosori who she once saw. A naked upper half covered with the blood of his victims, trousers which had absorbed the blood, a kitchen knife on his belt and a bloodstained hatchet in his hand.

-- We'll be found out.

The shutters didn't open. There wasn't the slightest indication that they would open.

-- What should I do... ...

She felt like she was about to cry and looked to the back to ask for advice. Despite this, Naru was nowhere to be seen even when he was just there a moment ago. When she couldn’t help but look for him, she saw him at the window in the 4.5 tatami room where the boy died before.

She spontaneously forgot the situation and was dumbfounded.

"What is he doing... ... In this emergency."

Naru was peeking at the window. -- He was peeking at the mirror inside the window to be exact. He lightly put his hand on the mirror's surface.

Hirota also noticed Mai's shocked face, followed her gaze and was equally dumbfounded.

"... ... Is this the time to be fascinated with your own reflection!"

After he lowered his voice and grumbled to himself, 'Geez, that guy,' Naru turned around without an expression.

"-- Mai."

'Yes,' Mai stood straight after leaning over.

"Hirota-san and I will go downstairs. -- Hirota-san, you will be coming with me, right?"

Hirota nodded at Naru's question.

"Obviously."

"After we’ve descended, thrown down clothes and blankets on the staircase. That will slow down their pace considerably. And put back the furniture and build a barricade on top of the staircase. Stack all the furniture there is and bar the way."

"-- But what about Naru and Hirota-san?"

Naru didn't reply to this.

"Calm down and break down the shutter. Use the futons as a cushions and jump down from the balcony. It's not very high, so you won't get hurt."

"-- But."

"There's no time to spare or to be frightened. It would be all over if by any chance the house is set on fire."

"But, what about Naru?"

The one who asked was Masako.

"I'll be fine. If you pray, do so for Hirota-san's safety."

"But... ..."

Naru already laid his hands on the cabinet which was placed on top of the stairway.

"This is absurd, Naru!"

The one who stopped him was Mai.

Even Mai was able to imagine what they kind of weapons they could be holding. It didn't matter if they were with two people, or that one was female out of the three who were coming, it was unlikely that it wouldn't be dangerous going unarmed. Moreover, in exchange for the culprits not being able to go upstairs by blocking the staircase, Naru and Hirota wouldn't be able to go back as well.

"It will be fine. -- Hirota-san."

Naru prompted. Hirota also put his hands on the cabinet again. They created a gap that could be passed through. The irritated sounds downstairs continued.

"Do we have weapons?"

He returned a cold reply at Hirota's question.

"If you're anxious, take anything with you."

"I'm talking about you!"

Hirota knew judo and aikido. He was more anxious about his highly prideful companion, who seemed weak in all every respect.

He suddenly smiled. It was his peculiar cynical smile. Then he showed his right hand.

"Don't worry about me. Because I have a stun gun."

"Stun... ... gun?"

Certainly, it was a self-defense weapon which had become a problem since a while. The meaning of "a gun that stuns" certainly would be that two electrodes exit from the cusp of a small-sized object. When aiming at a hoodlum and the like, pushing the switch would result in a voltage of about 50,000 volt. It would paralyze their senses or make them lose their sense of balance, and furthermore it held the power to make them faint.

Although it had no killing ability because the electric current was extremely scarce, by using it for five seconds, it was said to have the potential to make the other faint over a period of three minutes. Although named a "gun", it wasn't a small arms, so it wasn't possible to take action against it with the Swords and Firearms Control Law.

"-- Is it PK?"

"I'm putting it to use."

Masako and Mai twitched their bodies at the same time.

"-- PK?"

"Naru, don't! You absolutely can't use it!"

PK would put a burden on Naru's body. It would be better if he only fainted, but in very bad cases it would threaten his life. He definitely must not use it.

"Don't do it. Stop."

"Don't."

Naru raised a hand. His white finger pointed straight at the mirror.

"-- Eugene."

Hirota as well as Midori and her mother looked blankly into the direction of where his finger pointed. Over there was a mirror. Inside the mirror he, who was pointing in that direction, was reflected.

Masaka also didn't know what Naru was pointing at. Only Mai, who stood next to her and went suddenly stiff, knew.

"... ... Mai?"

"... ... It's true."

Mai looked taken aback. She was fixedly gazing at the mirror.

"... ... What?"

"That's... ... Gene... ..."

"-- Where... ..."

Mai looked at Masako. She lightly grasped the sleeve of her kimono.

"In the mirror. ... ... It’s not reflecting Naru. That's Gene."

'Eh,' Masako looked once again at the mirror, but inside the mirror he had already turned his back.

Naru looked over to a wide-eyed Midori who looked puzzled.

"Midori-san, do you mind if the electrical appliances break down?"

"... ... I don't mind."

"Secondly, it would help if I could moisten my hands with water or something."

"Is face lotion fine?"

"Could you give it to me?"

'Yes,' Midori whispered and ran in short steps to the bathroom to get it. She came back holding a bottle she took from the dresser.

Naru took it and looked over to Mai and the others.

"After we go downstairs, bar the way immediately. Got it?"

Mai objected at once. She knew what Naru was trying to say. Even so, it didn't mean that Naru and Hirota's safety was promised.

"... ... But!"

"Bar the way."

"... ... But, -- Even so."

"Mai, who is the client?"

Startled, Mai was at a loss for words.

"Don't confuse the people who should be protected. You're the pro, right?"

Mai gazed at his expressionless face.

"... ... Understood."

---

Back to Chapter 14.2 | Forward to Chapter 14.4

Notes

Swords and Firearms Control Law: this 1958 law prohibited in principle the carrying of guns and swords and has been frequently amended ever since.