LSoH Voices from Beyond

Tanya - 1. place

Dreams

Chapter one- dreams
At the age of 21 Kami Peterson thought she had her life together. One thing still haunted her thoughts, the horrible dreams, the recurring nightmares that made her nights hell. In order to understand and end her nightmares she researches dream, nothing. The nightmare always started the same way, bodies and blood surround her on the floor and her being drug away from a small shack , a new born baby girl left crying in the distance. She feels herself fading away. the next thing in this strange sequence is an image of a house with the word Himura engraved in the stone of the entryway. The only other thing Kami can recall from the dream is roaming through the halls of a great mansion filled with sorrow crying and screaming please kill me.

Kami didn't understand these dreams, she has a good life. She was born into a privileged family living in an upscale neighborhood. She had a wonderful fiancé , Matt McGill, and a promising future. In fact the only negative thing in her life was that she never knew her mom, who killed herself when Kami was still a baby.
she had no reason to even consider ending her life. So why were the dreams still haunting her.

One night after waking up in a cold sweat from another horrible dream she immediately goes to her computer and googles the name from her dream….Himura
The search comes back with several hits. The first one she clicks is cryptic and eerie. But that is what bothered her was that the image on the page with the article was of the mansion in her dreams. It didn’t say much just meaningless talk of urban legends and old wives tales about ghosts and haunting, but id did give the houses location.
5F,Himura mansion 2-12-2 Kioshi, Himura Tokyo,
141-0021 Japan
TEL: +81-3-5423-4511 FAX : +81-3-5423-4450
She writes down the address and telephone number and lays it on the desk not sure what to do with the new found information.

Weeks later
“Kami I think you need help, it was only a dream!”, Matt screams.
“You just don’t understand! There is more to this than I know I can feel it.”, Kami yells back.
“look your being overly dramatic, every body has nightmares but most people don’t let them control their lives like you do”
“ Matt please try and understand I’ve got to figure this out”
“ then figure it out on your own Kami because I cant do this any more.”,

Matt snaps. back as he walks out the door. Kami sits down at her desk crying so hurt that her would actually just leave when she needed him the most. After she cried every tear she has she dries her eyes and sees a small piece of paper lying on the desk.
She picked up the paper and instantly knew what she had to do. She started packing her bags . She was taking a trip to Japan to get more information about her dreams and hopefully end them. After all she had no reason to stay with matt gone and no one else to turn to. She boards the first flight to Tokyo.


Chapter 2 ~Tokyo


As Kami stepped off the plane at Tokyo international airport she is filled with a since of dread and fear. She didn’t know the area so she rented a car at the airport and drove around for a while. Everything seemed to look the same to her. She saw a small hotel with a vacancy sign lit up so she when in and rented a room. It was small and dirty but it did the job somewhere to stay while she researched her nightmares. She didn’t even bother unpacking, she was so overcome by jetlag that she just fell asleep. This was the first night in years that she did not dream.
She woke up refreshed and ready to start the day. She went to a local restaurant she sat-knelt on a silk floor cushion in front of a lacquered tray table, and a graceful kimono-clad waitress began serving a series of dishes and covered bowls, each one more delicate and beautiful than the last, most containing something delicious. She was so hungry she could have eaten almost anything .but she was pleasantly surprised , however when she tasted the delicious and satisfying meal before her.
She went back to her hotel room and dug the small crumpled piece of paper out of her purse. she just stared at it while trying to figure out what to do next. Should he call the number on the paper or not, she was unsure. After think for a bit she was almost certain she would never find the house with out directions. So she hesitantly opened her cell phone and began dialing the number written on the paper.

“Himura enterprises, can I help you?”
“ yes ma’am in looking for someone by the name of Kioshi, Himura “
“I’m sorry Mr. Himura is in a meting right now can I take a message?”
“can you have him cal Kami Peterson back at 867 530 9489 please?”
“ ill be sure that he get gets the message”
“ thank you “
“ your very welcome have a nice day.”

While she waited on the call she decided to go to the library and continue her research. After hours of pouring through old file and books she returned from her hotel roo0m feeling exasperated like maybe the whole trip was for nothing. She didn’t find anything about the house she didn’t already know, and Mr. Himura hadn’t returned her call. She decided to take a short nap. Hours later she was awakened by the sound of her cell ringing on the nightstand.

“ hello”, she answered hopefully.
“Kami?”, a raspy male voice questioned.
“hi Matt yea its me”
“so its true you really did go”
“ Matt don’t want to fight about this . I have to understand why I’ having these dreams. Besides it was you that just walked away from the relationship so why are you calling ?”
“Kami I really care about you , I wish you would just let this go.”
“ you know I cant do that, oh hold on there is some one on the other line.”

“ Hello?” she says to the new caller.
“ Hello is this miss Kami Peterson?”
“ Yes this is Kami, can I help you?”
“ This is Kioshi Himura returning your call.”
“Oh Mr. Himura I’m glad you called. I know this sounds silly but I need to ask you about a house”.
Kami read the number off the paper, “5F,Himura mansion 2-12-2 Tokyo,
141-0021 Japan”.
“Ah yes the old mansion are you responding to the for sale ad in the paper”
Hesitantly she responded ,“yes as a matter of fact I am, I was curious If you would be interested in rent the place out for the summer?”
“Quite possibly since there has been little interest in buying, how about meeting me for dinner and we can go over the terms”
“That sounds wonderful , when and where?”
“How about 7 at the Golden Dragon, do you know where that is?”
“Yes actually I had breakfast there this morning, I will see you then”
“Sayonara miss Peterson”
“Thank you sir, goodbye”

Kami hung up and started to walk away when her phone started ringing again.

“hello”
“Kami”
“Oh Matt I am sorry I forgot you were on hold”
“Thanks a lot” replied Matt sarcastically
“Matt I have to go, I am meeting someone for dinner”
“Kami, baby just come home”
“Stop it Matt you know I need to do this, I am not going to argue with you. I am seeing this through and that’s final”
“You know I wish you would let it go but at least be safe about it. Let me come join you and we will research together”
“I thought you couldn’t do this any more”. Kami sighs “Good bye Matt I have things to do”
“Goodbye Kami I will call you tomorrow”

Chapter 3. Mr. Himura

Kami arrived at the Golden Dragon at 7:00 on the dot. .She was startled when a large hand grasped her shoulder firmly, with a sudden jolt of shock she let out a small gasp.

“You must be Kami ”, said the tall dark haired man. Though he looked to be about 40 and had classic good looks something about him gave her the chills. “You must be Mr. Himura” she replied.
He took her possessively by the arm and lead her to the table. They were seated and began discussing the old mansion. “So what brings a beautiful young girl like yourself to Japan.” Himura started.“oh, I’m only on holiday sir, so you said you might be willing to rent the mansion” “hmm right to business I like that. To lease the place for the summer it will be 354,840.00 yen, can you afford that?” ”yes sir I can write the check right now” she said as she reached for her checkbook. He stopped her and said, “first things first lets enjoy our meal.”

Though the restaurant was beautiful and the food was delicious meal Kami couldn’t enjoy meal. she just couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that chilled her bones. She once again reached for her checkbook. He didn’t stop her this time , instead he handed her keys and an envelope. She handed him the check .“ these are the directions” he said. “ Thank you, well I should go its getting kind of late. ” Kami replied. “ yes of course” he said dejectedly and stood to get her coat and see her out.
Kami went back to the hotel and got a good nights sleep .she was going to move in to the mansion tomorrow.

The night was filled with terrors as usual, she was relieved when morning finally came. When she woke up she had a breakfast of coffee and a bagel and grabbed her suitcase luckily enough she never unpacked her suitcase so thee move would be easy. She followed the directions given to her by Mr. Himura and arrived at the house at 10:00 am.
She slowly walked past the open wrought iron gate to the extravagant entryway. As she walked by she saw the all too familiar stone with the name Himura engraved on it, it gave her a strange chill. She inserted the key into the lock and turned it, a hollow click was the response. The door swung open into the dusty old house. The house was completely furnished, in fact it look as though it’s former occupants had just vanished long ago. There were cobwebs in the corners and the occasional spider crept by. As she walked down the extensive hallway she felt hollow and empty. She noticed a small door to the right and walked in. there was a large canopy bed with red bedclothes that looked like they was new. Other furniture was scattered and large as well. She decided that this is where she would sleep so she set her suitcase on the bed and put all her clothes in the antique armoire.
After all her things were put away she went to explore the rest of the house. As she turn to leave the room she was shocked to come face to face again with Mr. Himura.

“Mr. Himura, you startled me. What are you doing here?” Kami asked
“My beautiful Kami, I assure you I did not mean to frighten you.. I simply wanted to be sure you found your way” he replied. “Well as you can see I have”, Kami said as she walked back toward the front door. “Thanks for stopping by Mr. Himura, I’ll be fine. “Please just call me Kioshi, I suppose it is time for me to leave, have a nice day Kami I will be seeing you and do not hesitate to call me” “Goodbye Mr. Himura”


Chapter 4 Exploring

Kami decided not to waste another second and begins exploring the old mansion. As she walked she noticed that the house wasn’t what she expected. Instead of being nice and well maintained like the bed room it was old, decrepit, and musty. The long wide expanse of hallway was dim and dusty. When she reached the stairs not much had changed. she climbed the spiraling staircase to the top and looked around. The empty landing led into a sitting room, just as dark as the rest infact she had to light an oil burning lantern she had found just to see. As she ran her fingers across the binding of the old books in a massive book case a gust of wind blew out her lantern. It was enough to make the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
Be rational Kami she told herself, ghosts aren’t real you are an adult.
She flipped open her cell phone so she could see to relight the lantern.8:13 PM that was the time displayed on the screen of the phone. She realized shed been exploring all day and decided to go grab a bite to eat then go to bed. She used her phone as a lamp to see down the dark staircase and back into the hall she was about halfway down the hall when she heard it, the ominous voice from her dreams.
“just kill me”She looked over her shoulder, her heart stopped for a second. Did she see the woman? It couldn’t be, she was here alone… wasn’t she? She thought to her self I must be imagining things. real or imagined she was scared now and ran as fast as she could to the safety of her room. She slammed the door behind her and let out a sigh of relief. she slid, her back to the door, onto the floor. She was exhausted and decided to just go to sleep and deal with it all tomorrow.
She awoke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, screaming at the top of her lungs. The woman, she now knew died a horrible, lonely death. In her dream the woman cried and just wanted to die. She didn’t know why but her life was miserable. Try as she might she just couldn’t fall back asleep. The nightmares were too real, too vivid they felt like she was there. When she dreamed she felt suicidal, and it scared her.
She eventually fell asleep but it was a slumber filled with terror and fear. She tossed and turned all night just to wake up in the morning glad to see the daylight. She had coffee and a donut at a local coffee shop for breakfast and went back to the house to finish exploring. She climbed back up the stairs and to the book case. She pulled a few off the shelf to read the subjects and returned the. She turned around and noticed a room to the left that she hadn’t noticed last night. She went toward it and opened the door slowly. She walked in and surveyed the room. She saw a cord in the center of the room and naturally assumed it was a light. She pulled the cord and suddenly the ceiling opened up and a set of stairs clattered down. Dust filled the air around her, so much so that it made her cough and sneeze. As she dusted what could only be hundred year old soot off of her clothes and face she climbed the stairs. The stairs led into an old attic. It was dark and dusty but she felt compelled to continue on into the room. She was walking around when her foot slammed into an old trunk after she got over the pain she opened the trunk. There were stacks of paper in it. She sifted through the old papers and came across a haunting image. It was an old photograph of the woman in her dreams, it bore a startling resemblance to her own appearance. The woman was smiling in this photo, which surprised her as shed never seen her happy in her dreams. The woman was standing in front of an old cottage with an older couple and a young man. The woman she now noticed had a hand rested on a pregnant tummy. Now she was really confused, she thought that it might not even be the same lady. In her dreams the woman had no children nor was she pregnant, most importantly she never smiled.
The gleam of a buckle caught her eyes. The cleared away the dust and paper to reveal a black leather bound book with a gold lock on the cover. She set it aside to take with her later and try to open. She closed the trunk and looked around some more. Seeing that there was nothing more in the attic she went back down to her room to clean up and have dinner. She grabbed the black book and left the attic and went to her room. Once in her room she sat the book on the dresser and went to take a bath, she would have preferred a shower but this ancient house there was only a bear claw bathtub. She started to fill the tub and decided to call matt just to hear a familiar voice.
It rang once, then again, and again, and once more when she just hung up with out leaving a message. She gathered fresh clothes then went back to soak in the tub. The hot water of the bath soothed her tired muscles and felt so good she couldn’t help but think that maybe this was even better than a shower after all. As she was relaxing in the tub she absent mindedly fumbled with the necklace she always wore, it was the only thing she had left of her mothers. as she held the small antique key charm in her fingers she wondered if she might be able to jimmy the lock with the key. She decided it was worth a try. after she got out of the shower and dressed she went back into her room, grabbed the book, and sat on the bed. She took off her necklace, then placed the key in the lock to her amazement it fit perfectly. It turned and opened! She was amazed, the necklace was the key! She opened the book, her fingers trembling with anticipation.

May 18 ,1906
Dear diary,
I meet a wonderful boy today, he is the cutest nicest boy I ever meet. He is here from Japan! He is only here for the summer then will be returning to Japan. This saddens my heart because I just love him already momma and daddy think I’m crazy but this is love at first site ..It just has to be. His name is Kenji Sato, isn’t that exotic!!!
Elizabeth Williams

June 1 ,1906
Dear Diary
The most unbelievable thing has happened. Kanji has announced he was going to court me! Not only that but my father approved! I am the happiest girl in the world right now. I will write more later.
Elizabeth

June 8 ,1906
Dear diary,
I write this with a heavy heart and a shaky hand. The earthquake has wiped out everything. my family is gone to be with God. The authorities are saying this is the worst earthquake in history. People are looting, it just isn’t safe to be here any longer. Kanji has asked me to be his bride. I have accepted and we leave for Tokyo tomorrow. I am not sure when I can write again but until then god watch over momma and daddy.
Elizabeth


Kami, almost in tears and her heart breaking for the woman who wrote the diary, skipped a few pages of sorrow. Flipping through the pages she finds an entry that appears to be of a happier time

December 8 , 1907
Dear diary,
My baby is due in 2 days and I couldn’t be happier. I’m married to my soul mate, having a child and my family loves me . Today , however while we were walking I ran into a man named Kioki Himura. We said a few words and I moved on. As the evening progressed I felt eyes on my back, like I was being watched and he turned up every where I was. He scares me in a way. Maybe I’m overreacting , I’m not sure what to think .
Elizabeth Sato

Himura, Kami thinks, how odd that the name came up. It was even stranger that this Elizabeth got that same weird feeling from her Mr. Himura that Kami got from the Mr. Himura she knew. Kami shook the odd feeling and continued reading.

December 14 ,1907
Dear diary,
Baby Kimberly is here! Me and Kenji couldn’t be happier! She’s so perfect. She is just beautiful. The future looks brighter every day.
Elizabeth Sato

December 20 ,1907
I haven’t been able to write lately, baby Kimberly has been keeping very busy. She is a very demanding child, But when she smiles it is all worth it. The only thing is that the young man, Himura that I met has been following me every where I go. I want to tell kenji but I don’t want to upset him.
Elizabeth Sato


December 22 ,1907
Himura approached me again today. He said I was attractive and I thing he asked me to dinner. I politely informed I married and had a daughter. He looked like I ripped his heart out. He scares me now I will have to tell kenji.
Elizabeth Sato

The diary ended there. Kami thought it odd that it just stopped. She decided to investigate more tomorrow and went to bed.


“ don’t! no! kenji!!!” Elizabeth screamed as a man stabbed kenji with a brutal quickness. Blood covered the floor and walls a he moved on to kanji’s mother and slit her throat and let her die where she stood. Kenji’s father grabbed a sword of the wall and tried to defend himself. Himura advanced on him with a predators speed and knocked the sword out of his hand. When kanji’s head hit the ground it made a sound like a bomb going off in her head. Himura then turned to her. He grabbed her up by the wrists and pulled her out of the shack. She was so happy that he didn’t kill her baby that she left without saying a word’’ Kami woke up in a cold sweat. She now knew why the diary stop so abruptly. Try as she might, she could not fall back asleep. She sat awake, staring at the ceiling all night. It wasn’t until 8 am when she finally slept. She woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing at noon. It was her father.

“Kami?”
“this is her.”
“hey honey, how you doing?”
“hi daddy. I’m fine, how are you.”
“I’m fine just worried about you. I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“ummm…actually in in Japan”
“ I know matt told me I don’t understand why are you in Japan?”
“well you remember that dream I have?”
“yea what about it?”
“well I came here to figure it all out”
“Kami why would you do that?”
“I need to know why I have the dream.”
“I think you are over reacting, its just a dream honey you need to come home.”
“ God dad you sound just like matt. Look the lady in my dreams has a name, Elizabeth sato. She had a daughter named Kimberly and a husband named kanji. Himura killed her husband and his family and kid napped her. I also found a diary written by her, so I know she’s real. The weirdest thing is that moms key opened the lock. Now I only need to figure out why I have these dreams. I know you don’t believe me daddy but I need to know.”

The only sound now was silence on the phone.

“ Dad? Are you there?”
“yea honey I’m here its.. Just….. Umm….”
“ what is it?”
“Kimberly sato is your grandmothers name. she was adopted and came to the states from Japan as a baby. She also gave your mom that key, it was given to her by her mother as well.”
“what are you saying dad?”
“I’m saying its not safe for you there I think you should come home.”
“ok dad ill come home. Ill check when the next flight is and take it okay?”
“good, well work it out when you get home I just need you here so I can protect you.”
“ okay dad I love you, can you tell matt I’m coming home if you see him?”
“you mean matt’s not there with you? I heard he went with you”
“no I haven’t seen him and he didn’t come with me.”
“I'll call around and try to find him call me when you get home.”
“ ok I will bye dad I love you.”
“bye Kami I love you too.”

Kami hung up the cell phone. She called the airport and booked a flight home the next morning.
She wanted to look around one last time before she left so she went back up to the old attic. She looked around and in the trunk once more and found nothing. She decided to go back and pack because there was nothing else to be found. She started packing up her belongings. She took her things out of the armoire and folded them and put them in her suitcase. As she grabbed the last article of clothing out of the armoire she saw a red piece of fabric stuck ion the back of the armoire. She pulled it but it wouldn’t budge. She put all her weight in it and it lifted into a door that led into another room. She followed into the next room. It was fully furnished with a canopy bed all in red. She went to the bed and was startled by what she saw. The bones of who she knew was Elizabeth Sato. With a knife lying beside her. In the rush of seeing the bones she had a vision of Elizabeth stabbing herself in the heart. And Himura carrying her up to this room and laying her on the bed. She turned to leave when she saw Himura in the doorway of her bed room. She ran and hid under the bed Elizabeth was laying on. Himura came into the room and walked around.
“Kami, I know you are in here.” Mr. Himura called out.
She was shaking all over. Himura went to the bed and looked under to see Kami. He pulled her out from under the bed and into a forced embrace. Violently he pressed his lips against hers. She cried and screamed for him to let her go but he kept a hold of her arm so tight she knew it would bruise. She clawed and scratched at him to get away. Out of no where matt burst in the room. He sung both fists at Himura. With a swift blow Himura was on the floor. He got back up and grabbed a sword off the rack on the wall. Kami grabbed the dagger from the bed where Elizabeth’s bones lay. Himura sung the sword one last time and this time matt’s head rolled off his shoulders and on to the floor. Himura turned to Kami and grabbed her arm and started to pull her out of the room. She gripped the dagger tightly and plunged it into his back. His body hit the floor with a thud. She stepped over the bodies and ran out of the room. She grabbed her suitcase and cell phone.. After she got to the front steps she called the police and told them what had happened, they told her to wait where she was so she did. She picked up the phone once more and called her dad.

“hello?”
“hi daddy its Kami, its all over I’m coming home.”

TitaScorpio - 2. place

Lanira

I still see her watching me. Her voice has been silent now for months, maybe forever. But I still catch a glimpse of her just out of the corner of my mind’s eye.

It was a lovely summer day when I came to Shikoku. I had come to this small island in Japan to do research on the legend of Himura Mansion for my next romantic novel. I was making my outline about star crossed lovers set in the mid nineteenth century when my friend, Sammy, told me a little about the old legend from his village. I knew it was the perfect setting for my story. Two months later, I was staying at the home of Sammy’s cousin, Lin, just down the mountain and a few roads away from the main road that leads to Himura Mansion.

Shian, the little village where Lin lives, is mainly a seaman’s port. Fishing is the main industry. And the people are among the friendliest I’ve met, until mention is made of the mansion. Then a troubled shadow crosses their faces as they look askance, and then slowly walk away, never answering any questions. Lin had warned me about talking to the villagers about the mansion, but that was my only reason for being here. The more secrecy that veiled the mansion, the more I needed to know.

On the third morning of my arrival in Shian, an old man appeared at Lin’s home asking for me. Sammy had known about the resistance I would get from his people, so he had contacted Mr. Sing and asked him to intercede on my behalf. Mr. Sing was a very polite and quiet man, taller than most of the villagers, nearly six feet tall. His eyes were dark, obsidian orbs, reflecting nothing, but taking everything in. I would have been wary of him on almost any occasion except that he was my only hope of information. In a quiet but refined authoritative voice, Mr. Sing informed me that he would answer any questions I may have about the mansion and its legend. He also offered to accompany me if I wished to visit the old place. Something inside me cringed with a sudden, irrational fear and foreboding but I quickly squashed the impulse and enthusiastically thanked him for his kindness. We sat in the courtyard of Lin’s home under a pleasant sky. Lin had brought us tea and some almond cookies. I noticed that she tried her best to politely avoid any contact with Mr. Sing. Lin was a gracious woman and very beautiful, in that serene, natural beauty common to many Asian women. I also tried not to notice the scrutiny Mr. Sing was placing on me. In my most cheerful voice I asked if he was ready to tell me the story. After a momentary pause, Mr. Sing looked at me then slowly looked away into the distance. His eyes clouded over as a look of quiet anguish crossed his face for a moment then was gone. His voice seemed to be speaking from another place, far from this moment in time. It was a wistful yet melancholy voice:
“Lanira was so beautiful, more so than any other woman who had ever lived in our village. All the young men wished to court her but though she was polite and cordial to them she refused. Lanira did not wish to marry. She was an unusual woman for the time. She wanted only to study at university and enrich her knowledge so that she may somehow enrich the lives of her people. A doctor is what Lanira wanted most to be. But, though not poor, Lanira’s family was not rich either, and a college education was beyond their means. I was a young and very enterprising man then. And I was a family friend to Lanira’s kin. I saw an opportunity to grant Lanira’s greatest passion and profit from it as well. You see, for a long time in our village’s history, Himura Mansion has stood at the top of La’Un Mountain. The Himura family own the mountain and most of the land in the village. Some say they are among the richest families in all Japan but extremely reclusive. In fact, no one had seen a Himura in over a decade, only the mansion’s staff was ever seen leaving and entering the mansion. But I had accidentally discovered that the lord of the manor, Eric Himura, was seeking a wife. Since he never socialized, he was willing to pay a rather hefty fee to whoever secured him a wife to his specifications. Once married to the heir of the Himura fortune, Lanira could very well afford to do anything she desired, or so was my thinking and I would benefit as well. Yes, it was a very well thought out plan, sure to succeed and bring to both Lanira and myself all we desired. I had arranged a meeting and it went just as I would have predicted. Lord Eric was instantly enchanted. Lanira and he were married within the week...
Not more than a month after that, we attended Lanira’s funeral. Her body was not laid out for display; merely a portrait of her on her wedding day was placed in the small temple on the Himura estate. The coroner had ruled the death a suicide. Lanira had slit her wrists and bled to death. That was over fifty years ago. Lord Eric died shortly thereafter. He stumbled down the stairs of his estate and broke his neck. The family fortune was distributed among the remaining relatives scattered over Japan, except for the mansion. That was left to Lanira’s family. But since they could not easily afford its maintenance, it stands in ruin way up on La’Un Mountain. Some claim to hear a woman’s screams coming from the deserted house on very dark nights. Others say that Lanira’s shadowy form can be seen through the windows on moonlit eves. I cannot say if these stories have truth in them as I have not returned to Himura since Lanira’s death.”

A restless silence fell on us when Mr. Sing finished his tale, but then he was himself again, though more quiet and subdued than before. He bid me farewell and said he would come back for me the next day. We were going to go exploring the ruins of Himura Mansion. I was very excited yet I could not stop thinking about Lanira all day. I could not help wondering what could have happened to such a strong, determined woman to bring her to such an end. That night I saw her in my dreams for the first time…

”I have been waiting for you to come” she whispered to me. Ice cold hands caressed my face as she placed a kiss on my lips. Hers were cold stone. “You must tell them. Seek the pages of forever and bring them to the light”
I awoke in a cold sweat but only half remembered my dream. The pages of forever, a corny title even for a romantic novel, what could it have meant. I asked Lin about the phrase at breakfast. I was fluent in many of the Japanese dialects and regional languages, but I had not heard that particular phrase before.
“It is an old term used in my grandmother’s time. It refers to a young girl’s diary. The pages of forever are where every young girl writes about her dreams, wishes, desires and secret truths.” Lin explained.
Mr. Sing came for me a little after three o’clock. The skies were cloudy today, not unusual weather for summer in Japan. But I had feared our outing might be postponed. But Mr. Sing seemed not to notice. He bowed politely and directed us to his car. The drive up the mountain was bumpy. These roads had not been traveled in a long time. Once, Mr. Sing had to stop the car and get out to move a tree branch blocking the road, but soon the dark, foreboding visage of Himura Mansion came into view. For a moment I wanted nothing more than to run in the other direction. Something here was unsettling, disquieting. But I was much too curious and level headed to heed such inner warnings.
We stood in the foyer of a house whose grandeur still shone through all the years of neglect. It was hauntingly beautiful. Tattered tapestries hung on marbled walls of almost ancient design. The floor was once a beautiful Paulownia wood, whose luster still shone through in places. And there were gold, jade and ebony artifacts scattered about the room. At the top of the stairs was a portrait of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her skin as pale as light with hair black and long draped about her shoulders. Her eyes were dark coals with specks of gold light that made them dance. And her smile was so serene it made you glad to see it. She was also the woman in my dream.
“Is that Lanira?” I hesitantly asked Mr. Sing.
“Yes, it is she.” He replied.
I felt a strange sadness come over me. I wanted to hold her, comfort her, apologize to her for whatever wrongs life threw at her that made her take her own life. But all I could do was stare at her portrait.
“We must hurry if you wish to explore the mansion. It will get dark here soon with the trees blocking most of the daylight. Come.” Mr. Sing said, avoiding looking at Lanira’s portrait as he spoke.
We walked through several rooms: two parlors, a dining room, a ballroom. Then we went upstairs. All the rooms were beautiful even in their state of ruin. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for a rich man’s home. On the third floor we found Lanira’s bedroom. It was what I expected at first glance. Elegant shades of rose and green decorated her room. But when I went inside, there was a chill in the air here that I had not noticed anywhere else in the mansion. The air felt colder than an air conditioned room could ever be. The cold stung my skin and raked an unseen finger down my back. I started to turn and walk out the way I came when a scream froze my step. It was stark and shrill, filled with agony and terror. My spine tensed at the audio assault as the room got mistier and even colder. I tried to yell for Mr. Sing but I could not move a muscle. Everything in me had locked in place as if I were gag-ged and bound. Then I saw Mr. Sing, but not here and now; I saw him as he must have been 50 years ago. He was in this room with another man, an evil looking man with soulless eyes. And Lanira was here too. She was chained to the wall with some sort of shackle. Her face was black and bluish pulp, her lips were swollen and bloody and blood stained most of her naked body. Everywhere on her there were bruises, some new and fresh, others seemed healed and fading. She was whispering, sobbing, begging to be killed.
“Please kill me” she whispered again.
Was she begging Mr. Sing or the other man, or some lost forgotten god? Her head hung down as she sobbed uncontrollably, then she turned her sobbing face and stared directly at me as she said a little louder.
“Tell them. You must tell them all.”
She turned back to the men as the evil, soulless one came toward her.
“If you will not conduct yourself the way a proper wife should then I shall release you of your responsibility to me.”
And in one swift motion, he slit her wrists as she hung, helpless and bleeding on the wall.
“Are you all right Miss Kay?” old Mr. Sing asked.
The mist had cleared and I was standing there, I don’t know how long, with tears coming down my cheeks. I looked at him and my stomach tightened in anger. Without answering him I tore around the room frantically searching for Lanira’s diary. The logical part of my mind tried to ask me if this was even possible. But I knew, deep inside my soul, that everything I saw had really happened. Lanira needed me to finally help her get justice.
“What are you doing? Mr. Sing asked more forcefully now.
But I ignored him as I searched the dressers, boxes and chests in the room. Finally, in an ivory and jade box in the farthest corner of the room, I found Lanira’s treasure. I quickly skim the pages; it was all there in her handwriting.
Mr. Sing had known precisely what kind of wife Lord Eric was looking for. The sadist had made his desires clearly known. Yet still Mr. Sing had brought Lanira into that house and to that man and her eventual death. Weeks of physical torture were detailed in the pages. Torture that was done for Lord Eric’s pleasure at first, and then in cruel anger when he discovered that Lanira was planning to escape her living hell. And Mr. Sing had been present at more than one occasion, never participating but always watching.
“How could you do that to her? Why would you? How much money did he pay you to sacrifice her like that? Don’t bother denying it. It’s all here in her diary.” I yelled.
“So you have seen her too. Did she beg you to kill her also? That is what the legend speaks of: a woman’s specter that floats about begging to be killed.”
His face was twisted in a rage I did not think him capable of.
“She spurned me. She would have been my wife and done well for herself. But she wanted no part of me. So I gave her what she deserved.”
He nearly spat the words out at me with unveiled contempt. But I was looking past him now. Lanira was here, right behind him. He turned to follow my gaze and saw her. Her skin as pale as light with eyes of fire, she was deathly beautiful.
“At long last let me give you what you deserve Lang Sing” Lanira whispered harshly.
A strong wind tore through the room knocking over boxes and draperies as it picked up Mr. Sing’s body and slammed it against the walls again and again. Blood splattered everywhere as the sound of bones breaking could be heard above the silent but windy fury. Lanira’s screams now turned to shrilled laughter as the battered body of Mr. Sing was tossed about like an old rag doll.
“I avenged myself with Eric a short time after he murdered me. I threw him down the stairs more mercifully than he had dealt with me. But you wouldn’t come back until now Lang.” her words echoed softly in the air.

Finally the wind abated as Mr. Sing’s body slumped to the floor in a crumpled mass of flesh and blood. I still sat, motionless, in the little corner next to the ivory and jade box, hugging Lanira’s diary to my chest. She slowly turned around and made her way toward me. Her ice cold hands once more caressed my face. Her lips as cold as stone placed a kiss on mine as she whispered for the last time:
“Tell them. Tell them everything!”

Mooninthefull - 2. place

There are Worse Things than Death: The Curse of Himura Mansion


There were no blossoms on the sakura that sprinkled the property of the Himura Mansion, contrasting starkly from the surrounding area where the pink and white flowers dominated the landscape. The gates that blocked the entrance to the mansion were locked, a rusty chain and padlock encircling its rusty bars. Vines of nightshade, their leaves a mottled brown and rotting from the stems, crept up to weave through the links of the chain and encircled the lock, as if trying to keep unwanted visitors away.

Sarah sighed as she swept the decaying plant away from the lock and chain. Muttering to herself, she slid the key into the rusty lock and turned it roughly. After a few hard tugs, the lock popped open and the chain fell from the gate.

“That idiot KNOWS that my sister’s wedding is this week. I told him MONTHS AGO!! But no! ‘This story is too important, Sarah. It’s gonna be huge!’, ‘You’ll love Japan. I hear it’s great this time of year!’, and “C’mon, Sarah, please? You’re my best reporter!’. It’s not like I couldn’t have gone after!” Sarah complained as she walked up the broken path to the mansion, avoiding the cracks and debris as best she could.

Michael, her boss and the editor in chief of Spook! (a paranormal investigation magazine), had ordered her to Japan to cover the strange phenomena at Himura Mansion at the outskirts of Tokyo. It was said that nobody that went into the mansion ever came out again.

Sarah thought it was bull, to be honest. It was the same as any other crappy story she had been sent to investigate: haunted mansion, odd noises heard from the property, disappearing visitors. It was pretty much just another cookie-cutter haunting.

“Well,” she snorted, “at least it’s a free trip to Japan, even if I AM missing my sister’s wedding.”

Sarah stopped when she reached the entrance of the mansion, starring for a moment at the peeling brown paint of the wooden door. There was more nightshade here, vines that were rotten and decayed, splayed over the walls that encased the door. As Sarah inserted the key into the lock – she still didn’t know how Michael had managed to pull this off – she brushed one of the vines and quickly yanked her hand back.

Sarah breathed harshly and starred at the doorknob. She was positive that she had just felt the vine try to wrap around her arm, but no. Couldn’t be. It was DEAD. She shivered and replaced the key in the lock, giving it a sharp turn, and pushed the door open.

Grime and dust filled every crevice of the house, sticking in clumps to the curtains and creating a thick film over table tops. She looked for somewhere half clean to lay her supplies, but settled for the dusty grey sofa that lay in the living room to the right, releasing a soft puff of dust into the air.

Sneezing, Sarah began to unpack her equipment. As she placed her equipment carefully on the grimy surface of the coffee table, she heard a waspish voice whispering frantically behind her.

“Please! Please, kill me!”

Sarah whipped around, the EMF detector she held falling from her hands and crashing to the floor. “Who… who’s there?” She called, receiving no reply. Sarah shook her head, muttering under her breath about her overdeveloped imagination. She picked up the pieces of the broken EMF detector and sighed. Michael was going to kill her when he discovered he had to shell out more money for additional equipment.

Gathering the remaining equipment from the table, Sarah quickly assembled her equipment and carefully chose suitable locations. She took her time, observing where each piece was located and the conditions surrounding it. Oddly enough, she noted the presence of several of the same dying vines that had covered the mansions gate and front door. Sarah quirked an eyebrow and shook her head; this place was badly in need of repair.

Sarah admitted now that she could see how people would have become spooked at this place. “No pun intended,” she snorted to herself. She had never really believed in ghosts, to tell the truth. Oh, she was able to fake it well enough in her articles, but a job was a job after all and Sarah had badly needed one when she had graduated.

Michael had accepted her for the job with hardly a second thought. He had been impressed by both her writing skills and her research efforts. He hadn’t seemed at all concerned about the fact that she wasn’t a believer in the paranormal. As long as she wrote the articles that sold the magazines, he was happy. Well, that and the fact that Michael had trouble keeping staff. In fact, many of them had walked away from the job while they working on an investigation. Sarah could definitely see why Michael kept her around.

A loud crash erupted from the kitchen, followed by a low moan that penetrated the thin wall that separated the living room. Sarah ran into the kitchen, cursing when she saw another of Michael’s expensive machines lying broken on the floor. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she again heard the raspy whisper.

“Oh, please, please… Kill me! Oh, please, let me die!”

Sarah felt the blood drain from her face, and she slowly turned around to face the voice. In the two years that she had been conducting these, she had never seen anything like it. Sarah *** and stepped back quickly, panicking as the ghostly specter followed her. Pale blue flesh hung off its bones, and dark rotted vines wove themselves through openings in the body. One of the vines had come out through an eye socket, pushing the eyeball to the side and causing it to become distorted and grotesque.

As it reached for her, stretching its translucent arm toward her, Sarah continued to back up. She let out a startled yelp as she dark vines rose from beneath her and wrapped themselves around her ankles, sending Sarah crashing to the floor. She glanced at the approaching figure, terror causing her breath to come in short, sharp spikes. The specter wailed once more, a somber and angry noise that filled the house, before vanishing into pale blue smoke.

Sarah continued to struggle futilely with the vines, clawing at the stems and leaves as they continued to wrap around her small frame. They were all over her now; wrapped around her hands and arms, and pinning them to her chest. Another of the vines had circled around Sarah’s face and neck, tight enough to hold her in place, but not enough to cut off her air. She felt the floor beneath her begin to give out, and the vines dragged her slowly down into the black void below.

A stench rose from the pit, sweet and sickly, like rotted meat. Even here there were vines, and they grabbed at Sarah as she fell. They reached out, yanking at her hair and tearing at her skin, and as one would draw back, another would take is place. She opened her mouth to scream and choked as one putrid vine wormed its way into her mouth, slithering over her tongue and scratching the back of her throat.

As the vines clasped her tighter and pushed themselves further into her mouth and down her throat, Sarah’s eyes swam with tears that overflowed onto her cheeks. She felt her body begin to give out and her mind start to fade. Blackness closed in around her and the last thing she heard was a chorus of voices begging and pleading to let it end.

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It was cold, so cold. Sarah shivered and tried to curl in on herself, but found that she couldn’t move. She struggled to sit up, but the vines that cut into her body allowed only the smallest movements, allowed her only to turn her head at the slightest angle. Sarah opened her eyes and chanced a look around, letting out a muffled sob when her eyes fell upon the dozens of bodies that littered the ground around her, all of them wrapped and held by the same vines that held her nearly motionless.

Mournful, angry wailing filled the underground chamber, as the chorus of voices once again begged their captor to let them die. A painful jolt to her abdomen sent Sarah reeling, and when she recovered, she was relieved to find that she was free. Hope filled her and she immediately scoured the area looking for a way out. She took a step forward and frowned in dismay as she found her path blocked by one of the specters, a young Japanese woman that had at one time been beautiful.

“It’s not what you think… not what you think! Look. Look!” The specter whispered harshly, point down at the floor. Sarah tried to walk around the insistent spirit, but found herself unable. Annoyed she glanced to where the spirit was pointing and felt her heart plummet.

Sarah’s body lay on the ground, dark rotted vines wrapped tightly around her body. There were more vines in her mouth and exiting her ears, more that were wrapped around her neck and fingers like elaborate jewelry. Sarah inhaled sharply as she watched her body twitch, its chest rising and falling slowly. “I’m… I’m… ?”

“You’re still alive, yes.” The specter whispered sadly. “We all are. The house… Himaru Mansion is alive, but it needs us to sustain it. It NEEDS us alive. It KEEPS us alive.” The spirit glanced around sadly at the other wailing specters. “Only death can free you from this prison.”

“Please, no,” Sarah whimpered softly. She looked at her ghostly form, matching exactly the physical one that lay on the ground. Even as she felt her face and the vines that entered her mouth, she wondered how it was that she was able to speak, and then dismissed the ridiculous thought. “I don’t… I don’t want to die. Please! I need to get out of here!”

The ghostly specter shook her head, the vines that were entwined in her hair twising about her face, and slowly faded away. Eventually this one too would understand that death was the only escape, and then she would crave it and beg for it like all the others whose souls resided here. But death had never come to any of the houses patrons in the long history of the house, Natsuko Himura thought as she remembered becoming the first victim of what she had once considered home. And, unfortunate though it was, she knew that death would never come.

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Michael grinned happily as he answered the phone. The shares for the stocks in his company had just skyrocketed, and sales had increased tenfold. He was going to be a very rich man.

“Yeah?” He said roughly into the phone. “It’s done then, is it? I thought it might have been. No, no. You’ve been good to me. It’s no trouble at all! I’ll send another your way in about six months or so, alright? Yeah, thanks.”

Michael was still smiling as he hung up the phone. He knew that one day he’d pay the consequence for dealing with the Devil – so to speak – but for now? He was going to enjoy this hell of a ride he was on. Too bad about Sarah though. He really had enjoyed the excellent articles she had written for his magazine. Maybe he should get her sister a complimentary vacation to Japan in condolence for her loss. He smirked. He was pretty sure that there’d be an excellent opportunity in about seven months.