Ghost Hunt Fan Fiction ❯ The Debacle of Harmony ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

John's POV

We were halfway to the Shibuya Psychic Research office and Layelle had been quiet the whole time. She looked deep in thought and I assumed she needed time to process the news of her former sister-in-law's death, so I let her be. She seemed to have a lot on her plate right now with her haunting and what ever post-divorce troubles she may have. I thought about her gift of being able to see auras. I never met anyone with that type of ability before. I thought it was fascinating. Layelle seemed to watch my aura as we talked. I wondered how feelings look in aura form and if it made it any easier to read people to get along with them better. Layelle finally looked up at me, her green eyes sweeping over my aura and stopping at where our shoulders were touching in order for us to both properly be under the umbrella. She blushed when she noticed me looking, and looked away. She started to rub the back of her neck sheepishly. What what that about?

"Am I feeling something horrible or embarrassing that I'm unaware of?" I asked nervously. She giggled and shook her head.

"You've just been sending out waves of curiosity every two seconds. I just pictured you with a bunch of question marks popping up over your head. It was kinda cute," she said. I felt myself blushing. "Anyway, what's going on in that head of yours that would be embarrassing?"

"Nothing that I'm aware of. I would like to pick your brain about auras when we get to the office if you don't mind. I think the others would be interested as well," I said. Layelle smiled.

"I wouldn't mind. I haven't really had anyone to talk to about this stuff lately," said Layelle, sighing. "My family moved back to the USA last year after my dad retired from the air force, and the Yamadas that knew about my ability were scared of it."

"No worries. You'll have an entire group to talk to. We're a mixed bunch. We have a monk, a shrine maiden, a medium, a latent psychic, an onmyoji, and a ghost hunter. And me," I added.

"Wow. You guys must throw amazing office parties!" Layelle said jokingly. I laughed.

"Speaking of that, I forgot to ask what do you do for work?" I asked.

"I'm a teacher. I teach English to elementary and middle school kids," she said. "I love working with kids."

We reached the office and I held the door open for her. Mai was there to greet us.

"Good morning, John!" Said Mai cheerfully. She noticed Layelle. "Oh! Hello and welcome! I'm Mai Taniyama."

"Hi, I'm Layelle Shaw. Nice to meet you." Layelle seemed to smile as her gaze went over Mai's aura. Mai noticed and eyed her curiously.

"I met Layelle this morning at the diner near my flat. It seems that she needs our help. She's also a spiritualist," I explained.

"I can see people's auras and kinda read them," added Layelle. Mai's eyes widened.

"Oh wow! What does mine look like?" asked Mai eagerly.

"Yours is a bright amber color that expands around you like John's, so that means you're a spiritualist, too." Mai was about to ask another question when a voice interrupted her.

"Mai? Who are you talking with?" called Kazuya Shibuya from his office. "And where's my tea?"

"We have a new client, Naru!" Mai called back to him. "She's a friend of John's and a spiritualist."

"I'll be out there shortly. Make tea." Mai stuck her tongue out in the direction of Naru's door.

"Be right back! You guys should sit down and relax." Mai said, going to the kitchen.

Layelle's POV

I watched Mai leave the room, her bright amber aura trailing her out. Mai seemed really young. I started to wonder, but movement from the office door caught my attention. A tall, dark haired boy with all black clothing stood peering at me. His aura wasn't as big as Mai's or John's, and it was a weird, shiny gray. The edges didn't fade to softness like theirs either.

"Good morning, Kazuya," said John with a grin.

"John," said Kazuya, nodding a greeting. His voice was quiet and steady and his aura was the picture of calm. His eyes settled on me. "I'm Kazuya Shibuya. Pleased to meet you." He bowed.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Layelle Shaw," I said, bowing back.

"Forgive me if I'm too intrusive, but isn't your name Layelle Yamada?" he asked. John looked between us nervously from his seat on the sofa. Mai walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray for tea and began setting it down on the table between the sofas.

"I'm guess you overheard my introduction earlier and googled me," I said. A tiny ripple in his aura confirmed it. "My teacher profile wouldn't have my name change yet since my divorce was only finalized about two weeks ago. It's the middle of the semester and would confuse my students."

"Divorced? You're too young to be married, let alone divorced!" said Mai incredulously, taking a seat across from us.

"Thanks!" I said, grinning. "I'm 21. I got married at 18. It's a horrible mistake. Don't do it."

"Wow. I didn't know that you were older than me. I'm 19," said John, looking at me in disbelief. A priest at only 19? I assumed he was at least my age. I remembered that moment earlier when we were walking under the umbrella and I looked down at our shoulders touching. The aura between us had been bright orange. The same orange when we shook hands for the first time in the diner. The last time I saw the color orange like that was maybe the first few months of last year of my marriage. I sighed.

"Back to business," said Kazuya, a wave of annoyance rolling through his aura. "Why do you need our help, Miss Shaw?"

"Well, what I told John at the diner earlier isn't even the beginning of it. For the past year or so, I've been experiencing increased paranormal activity in the house that I'm living in now. First it was just random gray aura apparitions, temperature drops, doors opening and closing on their own and stuff like that. More recently, I've been seeing this spirit of a woman and she's hostile. Her aura is completely black. At first I would just hide under my covers at night with my rosary and pray and the worst that would happen was hearing footsteps and feeling an icy breeze and maybe seeing her staring at me if I peeked out. Last week was the first time she attacked me. She scratched me." I held up my arm. "It was when I was leaving and didn't have the rosary with me. I came home that night and the beads from the rosary were scattered all over the floor. That night I tried praying without the rosary and she tried suffocating me. I escaped and went out to Shibuya and got another rosary, but it was destroyed when I got home yesterday." I sighed and looked around at everyone. Kazuya's aura was buzzing with thought and Mai's and John's auras held fear. "And this morning is when she literally chased me out of my house."

"How old is your house?" asked Kazuya. He had gotten out a notepad and was taking notes.

"I would say two years. There was an old apartment building that was demolished to build the house and I've been living there since my ex and I separated. I tried researching the land and any tenants that may have lived in the old apartment but was unable to find anything," I said.

"Where is it located?" Mai asked.

"In Yoyogi by Uehara Elementary," I said. The front door to the office burst open and a tall man with long sandy brown hair with a guitar strapped to his back came into the room. His aura was light red, almost orange and it glowed bright with the cheerful mood he seemed to be in. Could it really be him?

"Hey guys, how's it going?" He said, taking off his shades. I got a full view of his face, but he didn't seem to notice me yet. He went to sit next to Mai. I stood up and John looked up at me curiously.

"Monk, we are with a client, so-"

"Hoo-shoe?" I asked, cutting Kazuya off. Houshou Takigawa froze at the sound of the old nickname and turned to face me. Surprise and disbelief were etched on his aura and his face.

"What the...Tex? Is that really you?!" Houshou nearly whacked Kazuya with his guitar trying to cross to my side of the table.

"Are you kidding me? Look at you! You strutted in here looking like Bono!" I said jokingly.

"Come here, you!" He pulled me into a bone crushing hug. "Where's Nobu?"

"Yeeeeeah...about that…" I cringed. "We're not together anymore. We got divorced." He froze and then held me out at arm's length and looked down at my bare left hand. His aura flushed with relief.

"Whoa. So you're back on the market..." he said, smirking at me.

"Ew. Three years gone by and you're still creepy, Hoo-Shoe," I teased. Mai and John didn't even try to hold back their laughter at Houshou's nickname. I started calling him that because apparently I was never able to pronounce Houshou correctly. He called me Tex since I seemed to inherit my mother's western accent and that he simply sucked at pronouncing 'Layelle.'
Kazuya cleared his throat. "Monk, I need to finish interviewing Miss Shaw. Either leave or be quiet until I'm done."

"Right. Sorry, Naru. Tex, scoot over," said Houshou, nudging me with his guitar. I scooted over to the middle of the couch so he could sit down. In typical male manner, he sat with his legs sprawled and proceeded to jab me with his knee to scoot me over further. I ended up snugly sat between him and John and was painfully aware of the orange border between me and John.

"Mai, take this to Lin and call Miss Hara and Miss Matsuzaki to the office." Kazuya gave Mai the notepad and she walked off towards a door near the back of the office. He focused his gaze on me. "Miss Shaw, you're able to see auras?"

"I am. I see everyone's aura as a different shade according to their essence or personality. I can read most emotions, feelings, and moods. At times, I can read interactions between people. Like, if friends were to sit next to each other, where their auras would interact, it would be orange, no, yellow. Sorry." I hit the butt of my heel against my forehead. Seriously, brain? Houshou laughed at me.

"Nice one. Can't even get your aura colors straight," he teased. He blocked my jab at him with his hand.

"So, yellow is friendship. What would orange be?" prompted Kazuya. I turned scarlet.

"Orange would be desire or attraction. Dark red is romance. Pinks are familial love. These show up either between two auras or within one aura if someone is thinking something to evoke those feelings," I explained.

"Ooooh. So, who are you feeling orange for?" asked Houshou. I growled and made to backhand him, but he pushed my arm the opposite way and I ended up accidentally whacking John on the top of the head.

"Owww! That hurt!" John whined, touching his head feebly.

"OHMYGOSH! I'm so sorry John! I didn't mean it!" I yelled, gently rubbing his head where I struck it.

"You poor thing! I feel horrible!" I looked up to see Mai walking back to the room raising an eyebrow and Kazuya trying his best to ignore us as he sipped his tea. Houshou was too busy laughing.
The front door opened and two ladies entered. I stopped rubbing John's head to look up at them. The taller of the two was a pretty redhead dressed in a fashionable dress and high heels. Her aura was a nice light green. The other one had short black hair and wore a dark purple floral kimono. Her aura was a pretty shade of lilac and seemed to be buzzing with activity. This one was probably the medium.

"Miss Shaw, this is Miss Ayako Matsuzaki our shrine maiden and Miss Masako Hara, our medium," said Kazuya. "Ladies, this is Layelle Shaw, the client in our new case. She is also a spiritualist and is able to see auras."

"A pleasure to meet you," said Ayako.

"Miss Shaw, a pleasure," echoed Masako. I smiled at both of them. All of a sudden a tall black haired man came out of the room in the back and stood beside Naru, silently handing the notepad back. I stared at him. This man had a shining silver aura with the edges lined in a faint white light.

"This is Lin Koujo, my assistant. Lin, this is our client Miss Layelle Shaw," said Kazuya. Lin just nodded slightly at me as if he were nonchalant that I was staring wide-eyed at his awesome looking aura. "We'll gather all the equipment and head for the investigation shortly.
I took a deep breath. This was finally happening!