Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Fan Fiction ❯ The Skeleton Key ❯ Mysterious Voice ( Chapter 1 )

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

Disclaimer: I do not own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Funimation does, nor do I make money from my stories. They are for entertainment purposes only, in agreement with Fair Use.

“Ghost talking”

Reading

‘Thoughts’


Fate’s POV

“I can't believe how exhausted I am. I never thought moving would be this tiring.” A mousy brown haired woman stretched out on a couch.

The two of us that were carrying the couch looked at each other with raised eyebrows. As we approached where the couch was supposed to be placed, we both smiled at each other and then simultaneously tipped the couch forward catapulting the young woman laying on it to the floor, where she rolled a few feet away before they set it down.

“HEY! Chrono, Fate! What do you think you're doing? I could've gotten hurt!” The woman got up off the floor and made her way over to one of the chairs in the living room.

We had carried the couch in from the truck all the way into the living room both collapsed onto it exhausted from having to carry both it and Amy. I tried to catch my breath as my brother and I had been doing all the heavy lifting, whereas my sister-in-law Amy had only been doing light work of some cleaning and carrying in small boxes.

“It sounds like everybody could use a little tea break. Green tea anybody?” A woman with teal colored hair came out of the kitchen carrying a tray.

“That sounds great mom thanks.” I smiled.

A tray with four cups and the teakettle were placed on a small table. Pouring out the tea, she handed it to each individual. After pouring her own she started heaping sugar into it and then she poured milk into it. The other three shattered as they watched her fix her tea. They should have been used to it by now as she's done it for years. But it never amazes me every time she sees her mom ruin such a delicious drink.

After a few minutes of enjoying the refreshing drink, Amy pipes up. “Hey did you guys read the information I dug up on this place? I mean some of that crap was really scary.”

“Amy, language.” Lindy smiled over at her daughter-in-law.

“Sorry mom I'll try and remember. But back to what I was saying. Have you guys read any of that information I dug up about this place? It’s creepy man. Nobody has been able to live here for more than a few months and anybody who does live here longer ends up going insane or dead. Are you sure inheriting this place is a good idea Fate? I mean come on this place has some serious spooky history.”

“Amy I only intend on staying here the six months that is required to take ownership. Once I've taken ownership then I plan on selling it taking the money and getting someplace that I really want to be in. Do you really think I would want to stay in this big old mansion? I mean really, it's just me. I have nobody in my life so why would I want to have someplace big like this?”

“Yeah, but sis, according to Amy's info nobody's been able to stay to take ownership of this place. It makes me wonder if some of the things she's found out are true after all.”

“Yes I was disturbed by some of the things that I was reading in that file. I didn't realize that the last two people that tried to take ownership ended up committing suicide. That was quite the shame that they decided to end their lives in such a tragic way.”

I slightly paled at what everyone else was talking about as she hadn't had a chance to read what was in the Manila envelope that Amy gave her last week. “What do you mean they committed suicide? And that you mean by spooky history Amy?”

The looks on the other three faces would have been comical if this wasn't such a serious discussion. “Fate please tell me that you read all of that before deciding to move in. I dug all of that up so that you would be informed so that you can make an intelligent decision. Not a spare of the moment thing like you tend to do.”

Looking at the floor I cleared my throat. “Well I planned on reading it over the next couple of nights just to catch up on some of the history of the place.”

“Fate this place has been haunted for over 100 years, ever since the original Warlord committed suicide after his geisha wife left him for another man. It stayed empty for about 50 years and then relatives started to come in thinking they could take it over. No one has been able to stay more than about two months. Three at the most. I'm not talking about your Casper the friendly ghost type haunting either I'm talking about poltergeist.”

I must've paled even more as the others looked at me with grave concern written all over their faces. I had a healthy fear and respect for the supernatural. As a child, I would see and be able to talk to ghosts and not all of them would be friendly. Most of them in fact ended up being mean and cruel.

It had gotten so bad that I refused to leave my room even to go to school. Mom had brought in a specialist (hypnotist). He had told me that it was all in my head and that what I was seeing wasn’t real. That I had a very good imagination and that it was time to stop using it. Shortly after this, I stopped seeing them and then eventually I would stop hearing them.

I was able to live my life normally, but I did miss some of the kids that I would meet that were spirits. After all they were my only friends at the time so in a way I turned my back on them. I always felt guilty about that.

The silence in the room was starting to become uncomfortable. Mom leaned forward with a smile on her face. “Well we’re almost finished so why don't we finish unpacking the truck then we'll go out to dinner. Does that sound good everyone?”

We all agreed and within an hour the truck was empty, swept and ready to be returned. We all went out to eat at a local restaurant. No one wanted to bring up the earlier subject so I decided to keep my trap shut until I was able to read the paperwork that was in my suitcase.

Driving up the long drive I noticed that at night it looked foreboding. It was almost like the exterior was trying to tell me to turn my car around and never come back. But I couldn't do that. Not if I wanted to be able to keep this place and then resell it. That's when I noticed that there were no lights on. I could've sworn that I had left a light on so that it wouldn't be dark when I got home. I must've forgotten but that was all right. I had a flashlight in my car just in case.

Stepping out of my car, I slowly start to walk up to the front door. Using my flashlight, I shine it all around to make sure there were no surprises. After all, I was a woman who is now living alone out in the middle of nowhere. I was 5 miles away from town and my nearest neighbor was probably just as far.

After making sure that I was alone, I started walking up the stone steps to the front entrance checking the door to make sure it was still locked. I pull out my key. It was a strange looking key as I had never seen anything like it before, but then again this was the original door from over 100 years ago. The key almost looked like it was made out of bone instead of metal. It was long and slender and if you didn't put it in just right, you couldn't unlock the door.

The quiet of the night had me stop and I closed my eyes to take in the sounds of the night. It was so peaceful out here. So unlike the busy city that I had been living in up until today. I could feel my body relaxing in the quiet.

“So beautiful.”

My eyes popped open and I swirled around looking for where the sound came from, my heart was racing. “Who's there? Come out and show yourself. I know you're out there.” I know I just heard a voice but I don't see anyone. It almost sounded like a woman's voice. After making sure that I really was alone, I decided to get into the house just to be on the safe side.

Upon entering the house I took my shoes off and slipped on my slippers. Making my way to the kitchen, I decided a glass of warm milk would probably help me sleep. After I was done, I made my way up to my bedroom. Deciding to let my milk cool a bit, I went in and took a nice hot shower to relax myself. Drying off, I head over to my bed and sit down.

I settled myself into bed enjoying the feel of the cool silk sheets against my naked skin. I love this feeling. It was like a lovers touch without the lover. Grabbing the envelope I opened it and pulled out the papers. The first part was simple history of the place; not very interesting by the looks of it.

There had been a great warlord that decided to settle down and try and make an honest living. After acquiring property, he had the locals build him his palace which in today's standards would be considered a mansion.

After it was completed, he went out looking for a wife. He went near and far until one day he came upon a young geisha girl and she captured his heart. He bought out her contract and brought her home and they were soon wed.

It seems they had been happily married as she bore him three fine sons. Then something seems to change and he began to become paranoid that his geisha was seeing another man. After a year of this paranoia, his wife disappeared without a trace. He told his sons that she must have run off with her lover and he was going to go find them.

After six months, he returned without her saying that he never found them. He sent his sons away to the Imperial Army, so that they could become good strong warriors like he had been. After a few months, the locals decided to check up on their Lord as he had not made any appearances. They had found his body; it looked like he had committed suicide from the shame of his wife leaving him for another man.

The sons never returned, instead they married and had children of their own. After a while some of the family members decided to try and come back, only to be chased away by angry spirits. Priests had been brought in to cleanse and purify but it didn't work. The family decided to leave it unoccupied and hope that the spirits would be appeased.

After a few generations, they decided to try again bringing it up to date with electricity and indoor plumbing, but again the spirits became angry, torturing and sometimes even causing death of the ones who tried to stay there. The last two relatives that had tried to stay here in appearance seemed to have committed suicide, but was it really suicide or something else? Dun, Dun, Duuun!

I rolled my eyes at Amy’s humor. I was growing tired now that I was fully relaxed, so I placed the papers next to my empty glass and turned out the light. Sliding down into my bed, I got comfortable and drifted off to sleep. Little did I know that someone was watching me.

I've been in the house now for about a month. Not much activity in the paranormal sense, although I have noticed that some things get moved around on me. But that could just be my absentmindedness instead of anything supernatural. At least that's what I was thinking until I heard that voice again.

“Please leave before he finds out that your here and hurts you.”

“Who's there? Show yourself. I know you're here somewhere. If you come out now I won't press charges on breaking and entering.” I was looking around for the person that spoke.

“You can hear me?”

“Yes I can hear you, so step out into the open and we can talk about this. I don't want to get you into trouble if you're hiding from someone.”

“I am hiding, but it is you that is in danger if you stay here in my home.”

“What you mean that I'm in danger? And I didn't know anybody had been living here. I was told that it was vacant. Maybe we could live here together. I don't mind sharing especially if you're a woman.”

“You are very thoughtful and kind, but as I cannot leave, it would be difficult for me to go anywhere else. You see I have lived here for many, many years. Ever since I died I have not been able to leave and be with the one I love.”

“Wait, are you saying that you’re….” I swallowed hard. “a ghost?”

“Yes, my husband murdered me after he found out that I wanted to go back to my lover I had had before him. He then went looking for her and killed her also. Then in his crazed mind, he realized that he had reunited us with death, and then killed himself to keep me here so I could never see my Alicia ever again.”

“So wait... you're that young wife of the original Lord that disappeared?”

“Yes I was a geisha before he found me. He courted me, promised to take me away from the life of the geisha, and then he bought out my contract and made me his wife. I bore him three good strong sons but it was not enough. Over time I realized that I did not love him and I wanted to go back, back to my true love Alicia. But he found out that I was planning on reuniting with her and running away together. In a rage he killed me and dismembered my body so that I will never know peace.”

She sounded so sad that it made me want to put my arms around her to comfort her, but alas it was impossible because you can't touch a ghost. So I allowed a single tear which ended up turning into many to show her that her story touched my heart.

“If were going to be living together, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Fate. It's a pleasure to meet you even if I can't see you.”

“My name is Nanoha. I've been watching over you trying to keep your presence undetected, but I fear that he will soon find out that you’re here and once that happens, I don't know if I can protect you from him. He is very strong and powerful. He's become a specter almost to the point of demonic. I implore you please leave before he comes and finds you because if he finds you, he will kill you. Just like the others he ended up killing them as well.”

“If I leave then how will you ever know peace? I have an idea, if I can find your dismembered body and put it back together then you'll finally be able to go to the one you love.”

“That's too dangerous Fate. Don’t worry about me. Save yourself and get away from here while you still can. Please I need you to be safe.”

“No, I want to help you and the only way is to find and put you back together. Then you can finally be with your Alicia on the other side. I'm sure she's waiting for you, Nanoha.”

“You are too kind Fate, which just might end up being your demise someday.”

“Can you show me the different places that he buried you so that I can dig you up and give you a proper burial?”

“Most of my body was buried in the root cellar. As for the rest of me, I do not know where he buried them. I can not leave my home. I’m bound to it.”

“Well let me go find a shovel and you can point out to me or at least tell me where your body is buried, then at least I'll know what I'm looking for when I go looking for the rest of you.”

After finding a shovel and a pair of work gloves, I made my way down to the old root cellar. After Nanoha described where she last knew her body to be, I started to dig. It didn't take me long to end up finding some bones. Careful as not to harm the body that was unearthing, I started to use my hands to move the dirt away.

When I was done, I had most of the body of a young woman lying in front of me. From what I could tell, it seemed that only her head was missing. That was going to be easy as all I had to do was find it then move her to a proper place for burial and then she'll be off to be with the one she loves. ‘How hard could this be?’

Little did I know what exactly I was getting myself into.


Authors Notes: Thank you for reading my story; please leave a review and tell me what you think, positive criticism is always welcomed, flamers will of course be ignored.

In Love & Light,

Zona Rose @};-