A/N: Hi, guys! Here's another chapter for you all! OH and please can you check out my new original story on fictionpress . com its entitled Stolen Hearts by Kittenev! Please check it out!

"'Cause I see him all the time when I'm sleeping." Keitaro explained innocently. And then the rapping noise began…

Chapter Five: Hush Now

The dishes in the cabinets shook as the cabinets themselves flung open and closed repeatedly. Loud rapping noises echoed through out the house. Takigawa instantly grabbed hold of Keitaro to protect him and shouted old words that Keitaro couldn't understand. As soon as the words were said, the rapping noises quieted and the cabinets ceased in activity. Ayako, John, Lin, and Naru ran into the room a moment later. Concern for Keitaro was clear across Ayako and John's faces.

"What happened?" Naru demanded as he watched Keitaro bury his face into Takigawa's neck for security.

"The cabinet doors suddenly started to go insane and there were rapping noises." He explained going into full professional mode. The group looked between each other knowing deep down what that meant.

"So we are dealing with a poltergeist it seems." John said what everyone else was thinking.

"You said you were here to get rid of the monsters." Keitaro said in a small voice. The monk held onto the little boy tighter in reassurance.

"Yeah, I know."

After finishing up the last of her tables of the evening, Mai clocked out and drove home. As she neared, the feeling that something was off washed over her making her sped up. She got home sooner than she thought and just as she parked and got out of her car, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure waiting at the end of her driveway.

Dressed in a deep blue kimono and a tan decorated obi, Masako was beautiful as ever. Her hair had grown out a bit longer than before coming to rest delicately across her shoulder blades. Her pale features remained akin to that of a Japanese porcelain doll. If she had to admit it, Mai had always been a little bit jealous of the other's looks. The quiet psychic walked up to her with a small smile on her face.

"It has been a long time, Mai. It is good to see you." She said with genuine interest and happiness. Mai nodded back to her in acknowledgement and smiled a little despite herself. Even though Masako and Mai had not always been the best of friends back then, it was still nice to see that she was well.

"Yeah, same here." Mai said. "We should probably get inside." She added after a moment of silence between them. Nodding, Masako followed quietly as Mai led the way to her front door. The feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was wrong didn't go away as she opened the door and stepped into the house. She was met with the many stares of Ayako, Takigawa, and John.

"Mai, you're home." Ayako said. There was an edge in her voice like she didn't expect to see Mai for a while yet. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, Mai nodded.

"Yeah, I said I'd be home by this time. Is there something wrong?" She asked feeling the tension in the room rise. The question was cut off, however, when Masako came to stand beside Mai with her hand covering her mouth. Shock and fear was evident on her face as her eyes jumped all over the room.

"I can sense a very powerful and menacing spirit in this house." She told in a frightened tone. All eyes focused on the psych as she nearly doubled over. John was the first to her side, helping her stand. "He's done such terrible things to the children. He won't let them leave." She said, horrified. Swooning as if all her energy were being sucked out of her, Masako fell against John feeling faint. Everyone in the room except Mai gasped and rushed to her side. Mai's eyes went wide as panic seeped into her. She peered around the room searching for someone she knew would have met her at the door, who always had met her at the room when she came home. The children… The words echoed in her mind as her heart beat like a race horse in her chest when she could find him.

"Where's Keitaro?" She asked quietly at first. "Where's my son?" Mai nearly screamed. Everyone in the room turned their attention to her and Takigawa suddenly broke away from the circle formed around Masako and led Mai into the kitchen.

"Where is he?" She asked again clearly in no mode to be trifled with. Takigawa's lips pressed into a thin line before he sighed.

"Earlier after lunch there was an incident. The cabinet doors were slamming open and shut and there were rapping noises. Keitaro didn't get hurt, but he's been pretty quiet since then and hasn't let go of Naru. He's in the base room." Takigawa explained. The moment she heard Keitaro's location, Mai sped past the monk and ran down the hall to the base room. Her pulse was rushing through her veins as panic rose up inside of her. She had to see Keitaro. She just had to make sure he was truly okay.

Upon entering the room, Mai's eyes found Keitaro instantly. He had his little arms wrapped loosely around Naru's neck. His head was lolled to the side against the older man's chest and his eyes were closed. If not for the constant rise and fall of his tiny chest, Mai would have thought he was dead.

Seeing that he was safe and sound in Naru's arms, Mai breathed a sigh of relief. Standing from his sitting position on the couch, Naru crossed the room to stand in front of Mai. His arms were stiff and awkward as he held Keitaro. It was clear he rarely held children, if ever, in his life. Automatically, she reached for her son and tried not to notice as her arms brushed against him. The boy didn't stir as he was exchanged between the two adults. His head merely rolled to the other side to rest comfortably against his mother.

Holding him close, Mai looked back up at Naru who seemed a little bit worse for wear. He had never been the type to do well with others especially not children. His hair was slightly tussled and his posture was slouched. This was the closest he ever got to looking really human. Vaguely, she wondered how he would have handled being a dad. However she quickly banished that thought and her eyes turned serious.

"Did you find anything out about the house yet?" She asked.

"No, not yet." He said as his eyes flickered over her face. "But, we will." He added. Before Mai could say anything in return, Takigawa suddenly rushed into the room looking panicked.

"Masako fainted. John and Ayako are taking her to the hospital." He said.

"What do you mean she fainted? When did she arrive?" Naru demanded clearly irritated that he hadn't been informed of her arrival.

"She came in with Mai then she started saying things like there is a powerful spirit in the house and that he did terrible things to children." Monk explained, looking between the two. Naru let his eyes wonder over to Keitaro as he processed the new information.

"Children…" He said quietly to himself as if he were trying to find a place to put that new piece of the puzzle. Mai's grip on Keitaro tightened protectively as a cold shiver raced over her skin. There it was, confirmed by Masako.

"I'm…I'm going to put Keitaro to bed." She said quietly. She had to get away from this situation somehow shield Keitaro from this unseen force that was slowly closing in around them. The two didn't have a chance to say anything in response as Mai exited the room with Keitaro still asleep in her arms.

The house was quiet as Mai ascended the stairs. There was a small creak here and there as she stepped on the old boards. When she had first moved into this house she had loved it here. Before all the paranormal activity had begun, she had really thought that this would be a good home to raise Keitaro in. It was quiet and in a safe neighborhood. A few families even had some children around his age, but he hadn't had the best time making friends with them.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Mai turned and began to bounce a little as she walked, gently rocking Keitaro back and forth as she had done when he was a baby. Looking down at his peaceful face, Mai tucked a loose brown strand behind his ear. He looked like an angel, her own personal angel. From the moment he had come into the world, she loved him more than anything else. Making her way down the hall, she went into his room and made her way to his bed. Gently Mai unwrapped her son's arms from around her neck and softly placed him in his bed, pulling up the covers around him. Leaning down, she gave him a small peck on his forehead.

Pulling up a rocking chair from across the room, Mai set it down next to Keitaro's bed and sat. She'd watch over him, while he slept just as she had done when he was a baby. She wouldn't let anything hurt him. She'd protect him until her dying day.

"I love you." She whispered. The room grew colder suddenly as if the warmth had been sucked out it. A shiver ran across her skin causing goose bumps in its wake. Before Mai could move, she felt an ice like grip around her throat. She gritted her teeth as the pressure increased from the invisible hands. Her breath turned swallow and her hands gripped the arms of the chair hard turning her knuckles white as she struggled to breathe. However, while she had been terrified before, there was no fear behind her eyes now.

"You will not hurt my son." She bit out as she endured the pain.

"You do not give me orders." A whisper of a voice brushed past her ear. It made her blood run cold. The door to the room burst open with Takigawa. He shouted something that Mai couldn't understand and suddenly the grip around her neck disappeared.

"Are you ok?" He asked as he came to her side. Nodding, Mai immediately went to Keitaro who woke from the shouting.

"Momma?" Keitaro asked as he stirred from his sleep.

"Hush now, its ok. Go back to sleep." She tried to ease his mind. It took a few minutes to calm Keitaro down enough to get him back to sleep. Takigawa stood on the sidelines watching as Mai took to her mother role like water as she hushed her son's worries and tucked him into bed once again.

Naru stared intently at the monitor that was set on Keitaro's room. He had been the one to see that something was choking Mai and had told Takigawa. He knew he wouldn't have been fast enough to save her like Takigawa would be. And so, he sat on the edge of his seat watching as Monk barged into the room and had forced the spirit away. The tension didn't leave his body as Mai began to tuck her son back into bed.

"Lin, I want all the records on this house. Now." He demanded. Without any reply, Lin immediately began typing away. They already had some records, but Naru wanted all of them. He needed to find out what was going on in this house before it was too late.

"It's growing bolder." Lin said from beside him. Naru clenched his hands together in his lap until they shook with the force.

"I know." He gritted out. He couldn't believe this was happening. Noticing his behavior, Lin stopped his typing for a moment.

"We'll find something." Lin said to give him a bit of reassurance. Naru's jaw tightened as he forced his eyes away from the monitor.

"We better."

Thank you for all your support. As always please review! And PLEASE check out my original story on fictionpress . com entitled Stolen Hearts by Kittenev