A/N: Sorry for the extraordinary long time between updates. Life happened and then I forgot about this story. I have just gotten back into the love of Ghost Hunt again!

Chapter Four

It was the sad look on his face that eventually made little Mai slow down and stop swinging. She couldn't stand to see anyone in pain. With a quick look at her mother she assessed the situation. Her mother didn't seem to be paying particular attention to Mai just glancing every now and then while she talked. Mai hopped off the swing and made a mad dash back to the sand pit. Her mother watched her and then smiled as Mai played in the sand. Mai then made a big production of finding sticks and leaves for playing with and slowly made her way over to the man by the fence.

He smiled at her. "Clever."

She grinned back. Happy to have made it over without making her mother suspicious. All though she didn't know why she felt such a need to conceal her intentions from her sweet mother.

"Why are you sad?" She asked the young man.

He looked at her with a very serious expression. "Do you know that you are in danger?" She looked at him carefully and then looked at her mother who was talking to someone. Mai quickly moved to pick up some sticks and took them to the sand pit. Her mother looked over and Mai grinned holding up the stick. Her mother smiled and nodded and then kept on talking.

Mai made her way back to the man. She nodded at him.

"Yes. Something is wrong with my mom. But I don't know what it is. She is not smiling at me right."

He nodded. "That is not your mother."

Mai's eyes got big. She let out a long breath and then nodded. "Yes, I can feel that." Mai looked carefully at the young man in front of her. "I know you, don't I?"

"Yes, I am your Guru. It is time for you to fight back. You have been caught in a web. You will need to wake up from this dream. Right now your body is vulnerable and you are growing weaker."

Mai looked scared; her big brown eyes looked even bigger in her little face.

Gene looked at her and got down on his knees, no longer worried about "Mom." "Mai you need to run. Get away from that woman and then wake up!"

Alerted to something wrong the woman stood up no longer talking to anyone. The other woman had disappeared. Mai looked at her, this woman who resembled her mother and yet did not. Then she looked at the kind man. She turned and ran as fast as her legs could go, out of the park and down the street. The woman yelled and then ran after her.

Mai ran, her legs pumping and her hair getting into her eyes and mouth. She could hear the woman shouting at her from down the street. She ran as fast as she could dodging people and telephone poles. In the distance she could see a building, it glowed a bright white. She ran for it. Up the stairs and through the door.

It was dark in the office and smelled of black tea. Her little body panted as she leaned against the door. She looked around and then realized there was a familiar woman on the couch. The little girl came closer.

When she got within five feet a shadow started to form over the woman. Frightened she took a step back. The dark shadow looked at her and then smiled a frightening wide grin.
"Mai, it's your mother."

Little Mai screamed.

Behind her the door slammed open.

"Mai!" A deep voice called. Two men came rushing in. Little Mai gave them terrified eyes and then ran to hide in a dark corner, putting her head on her knees and covering her eyes.

Naru watched her run to the corner and then turned to face the shadow over the body of Mai.

The shadow woman bared her teeth at them and crouched over the body of Mai.

"Lin!" Naru called.

Lin nodded and whistled. Directing his shiki-gamie and the light of their souls swirled around the shadow. The shadow screamed. Naru darted in and grabbed the body of Mai. The shadow screamed again in anger and pain. Then the shadow was swallowed back into the phone Mai had picked up earlier that night.

Lin said a mantra and placed a talisman on the phone to keep the spirit inside the phone.

The office grew less dark, the malevolent shadow no longer infesting the office. The streetlights then casting a gentle light into the office. Naru gently placed Mai's body back on the couch. Then he went to the corner of the office where little Mai still crouched.

He went down on one knee.

"Mai."

Little Mai looked up at him. Her big brown eyes leaking tears and her little mouth quivering. Quickly she got up and dashed into the man's arms. Naru held her little spirit. He sighed. " Mai."

He waited.

She looked up at him when she was done crying. "That wasn't my mommy."

He shook his head.

"I wanted it to be my mommy. I miss her."

Naru looked at her and then quietly said. "It is ok to miss her, Mai." Then he looked over at her body on the couch. "You need to back to your body now." Little Mai gave him an impish smile and softly kissed his cheek. "Ok." He gave her a tiny smile.

He stood up and took her by the hand. Then walked over to the body and Mai's child spirit glowed a soft pink and drifted back into her body. Mai gave a deep breath and opened her eyes. Naru was standing over her with a concerned look in his eyes. She gave him a soft smile. "I knew you would come Naru." She closed her eyes and turned her body. "I knew it…" she sleepily said. Then fell asleep with a soft sigh.

Naru shook his head and looked at Lin, who shrugged and then turned on some lights. Naru took in the blood on the couch and Mai's body. His blue eyes hardened and he looked at the phone. Lin looked at him and then the phone. Then he picked it up and took it to his office and closed the door. Soft chanting could soon be heard.

Naru went to the kitchen and got a pan of hot water and a cloth. In the soft light of the office he washed Mai's sleeping face of the blood, working slowly and carefully to the sound of Lin chanting and the street from the open windows.

(Mai's Point of view)

I woke up on the couch of the office. I had placed my face on a wet cold spot. It smelled faintly of soap and blood. Huh?

I looked blearily around the office. Everything seemed in place. My head hurt and my body ached as well. I shivered and sat up, pulling the blanket up and around my neck. I looked towards Naru's office. Last night was a blur to me and I couldn't remember why I had decided to sleep at the office. Last thing I remember is getting ready to leave.

As I sat there contemplating what had happened I saw Naru's door open. He is back! I smile at him and hope he can tell me what happened. Uh Oh! He looks grim. I look around again frantically. What happened!

"Lin will be opening all mail from now on."

"Whhaaatt?" I woozed out, still confused.

"It seems that instead of coming into the office to ask for help some people are just sending us their haunted things." He looked pretty upset about that. I suppose this means we can't charge them for our services if they just mail us the stuff without leaving an address.

"Ok" I said it meekly hoping he direct his anger at me. He watched me sitting on the couch. Shook his head at me. "Mai go home and take the day off. I looked at him stunned. A whole day off?

"Lin will take you home. You look like you were in an accident." He turned and went back into his office. I looked down. There was blood all over my shirt. I looked back up. Lin was leaning against his door. He nodded at me. I sighed. Got up and went to put my coat on.

Lin took me out into the van.

"Lin what happened?" He looked at me from the corner of his eye as he drove.

"It seems that while we were out someone sent in something that was haunted. Of course it latched onto you. When Naru called into to check on you it was determined that something was wrong. We came to office to find the haunting had forced out your soul and was trying to take over your body, using the energy of your soul to do so. We got rid of it and Naru got your soul back into your body."

"Wow!" I was unsure what to say to all of that.

I looked down at my bloody shirt. "Where did all the blood come from?"

"As far as we can tell you had a nose bleed, probably from the stress."

I felt my face. Lin noticed, deadpan he said. "Naru cleaned you up."

"WHAT!"

I blushed a deep red all the way home.

When I got out of the van, Lin leaned over and looked at me. He gave me a soft smile. "See you tomorrow Mai."

Yes! See you tomorrow!