Case: Eyes in the Dark

Chapter one: The Past Comes Back to Haunt You

~Mai dozing~

Mai stumbled along in the darkness. She was with the group at first; however, when she turned around she was alone and surrounded by a thick darkness.

The darkness seemed like it was alive. It pulsed with a deep hatred. A hatred that Mai could not understand came out of the darkness. In the distance, a small red glow began to grow and expand until it became two giant, solid red eyes.

Mai took a step back as she stared deeply into the eyes. A malicious laugh sound out of the darkness. "Mai, did you think you would be safe once you escaped?" A growling voice drifted out of the darkness.

~Mai wakes up~

"Mai! Mai!" Naru's voice snapped her out of her doze. Looking around the office, Mai's eyes stopped on Naru, standing in the doorway of his office. "Naru?" she quizzically said.

With a sigh, he repeated his command, "I want my tea now," and then he returned to his office without another word.

"Of course he would want his tea now. Does he really care about his workers?" Mai whispered to herself, as she got up from her desk. She looked at her messy desk and wondered how late she would have to stay today. With another sigh, she went to Lin's door and knocked.

From deep within the office, a male voice called out, "Yes?"

Mai opened the door to find Lin planted in front of his computer as usual. "Would you like some tea too?" she asked.

"No," Lin answered as he returned his attention back to his work. Mai backed out of his office, and closed the door after herself. She was half way across the room when Naru's voice called out, "Mai, where is my tea!"

"It's on its damn way!" Mai yelled back as she entered the little kitchen. Once she had filled the tea kettle and placed it on the stove, she allowed her thoughts to wander back to the dream she had had.

"What did it mean by 'did I think I was safe'? What was it anyway? It cannot be human... can it? There is no way it can be; it was huge. It felt evil – so evil that it felt like I was going to be killed." Mai thought to herself.

She finished making the tea, and gave it to Naru. "Mai make sure you finish all the paper work before you leave tonight, even if it means staying late," Naru stated without looking up at her. Mai gave him the death glare, before she left his office. Sighing, she made her way back to her desk, dreading the work. Picking up the first file, Mai began entering the client's information onto the computer.

Once the files were all computed, it was required to file it under the client's last name. "The process of computing and filing the client's information is a long and boring job," Mai thought to herself as she made her way slowly through the multiple piles of files.

Lost in her work, Mai did not notice that Naru and Lin both left their offices each carrying another pile of files that needed to be computed and filed. "Mai, make sure to get all of these done before you leave. Lin and I are going to be leaving now; make sure that you lock the door before you leave," Naru said as they grabbed their coasts and walked out the door.

The time ticked on as Mai made her way through the files she had left. The office was eerily quiet when Mai was alone in it. As she worked, Mai felt something watching her from behind; however, she decided to pretend that she never felt it. Slowly two giant red eyes appeared behind her. Mai, feeling something behind her, quickly, without thinking, twisted around in her chair to find nothing behind her. Sighing, Mai thought to herself as she went back to the files, "I'm just tired."

Mai finished the files and proceeded with the locking up process that she normally went through these days. After making sure she had turned out all the lights, she locked the door behind her and made her way to the stairs that lead out of the building.

She was at the top of the stairs, getting ready to go down them, when the malicious voice that she heard in the dream said, "Mai, did you really think you were safe?"