Play with me...

A solemn whisper called out from the dark trees. The sky was completely dark with grey whispy clouds hovering about. A low fog hovered over the ground. The sounds of bugs and animals had vanished. The only thing Ken and Leo could hear was the sound of their feet crunching the dead leaves beneath them, the occasional whispers, and Ken 's heavy breathing.

"Will you stop breathing like that?" said Leo.

"Aren't you afraid...?" asked Ken.

"No..it's just a forest that only seems haunted based on its appearance. I'm sure Hongbin just...felt the need to stay longer because he was onto something. So don't be scared okay?" Leo waited for a response from Ken but when heard nothing he turned around to see that Ken had stopped walking. His expression remained blank as if he were in some sort of trance. Leo took a few steps towards him slowly. "Ken?" Ken's eyes never met Leo's, and just as Leo drew near, Ken began walking slowly forward, without a word. "Ken! What are you doing??" He called after, but Ken remained silent as he trudged forward, following the mist. Leo ran after him frantically as Ken disappeared into the fog. When Leo only saw the faint silhouette, he reached out to grab his shoulder, stopping him from moving any further. The fog slowly lingered away when Ken stopped. "Ken!!" Leo shouted directly into his face. Ken finally looked Leo in the eye.

"Huh?" he said.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?? Why'd you run off like that??"

"Leo..what are you talking about?"

"Just now, your eyes didn't look normal, you didn't answer me and you wandered off into the fog."

"I did...? Leo there's something here...I think it called to me, possessed me to follow."

"Do you think I'm stupid?? Are you acting just so I'll believe the ridiculous stories about this place?? You're really trying to piss me off.."

"No Leo I swear I had no control over myself just now...I-I didn't even realize what had happened!" Ken pleaded.

"Liar! I knew coming here with you was a bad idea. We should separate. I'll do my research and you do yours. Stay out of my way," Leo said pushing past Ken. Ken quickly grabbed Leo's arm.

"Leo please no!! Please don't leave me..I don't wanna be alone out here I swear I didn't do anything!!" Ken begged almost on the verge of tears. Leo snatched his arm out of Ken's grasp and started walking away. Ken quickly followed behind him.

"Stop following me!!! Go away!!!!!!!" Leo yelled. Just then, they heard other foot prints other than their own. The crunching leaf sound came from the other side of the trees. The sound of a branch snapping made Ken jump and wrap his arms tight around Leo. "It's probably just an animal. Get off me," Leo snarled. Ken refused to let him go, causing Leo to shove him hard to the point where he fell the ground. As he fell, his hand touched something. He pulled it up from the ground. It was a notebook labeled "H.B."

"Leo...I think this is Hongbin's!" Ken cried as he stood up dusting himself off. Leo took the notebook from Ken's hands and shined his flashlight on it. He opened it and read the pages.

I don't understand why it's so cold in the middle of summer. The clouds have darkened and I have no idea where I am. I keep hearing strange noises, like a girl laughing and footsteps. I even heard a music box playing an ominous tune. Something is definitely not right in these woods...

I out. When I came to, I looked around and when I eyed the ground, I saw a white lotus. It was shining...how is that possible when there's no light illuminating it? It seemed to appear after the fog dissolved...what does this mean?

I heard singing...and then it stopped...

I have to figure these things out...and I'm not leaving until I do.

"Why would he leave this behind?" asked Ken.

"....Maybe he wanted someone to find it. He's still here somewhere in the forest and he knew someone would come looking for him! I knew he wouldn't just disappe---"

"Leo..." Ken said cutting him off.

"What?" Ken pointed to the ground with a horrified expression on his face. Leo looked to where his finger pointed. A white lotus. Shining in the dark. "It's just like Hongbin said in his note..."

"Notice that this...this seems to be the only lotus here. We passed all of them a while ago. What a strange flower.."

"Leo....." Ken gasped in horror.

"What now?" said Leo. Ken pointed again, this time towards the trees.

"L-Look...." Leo turned to where Ken was pointing and they saw a figure of a woman. Standing there. Watching them. Then the figure disappeared...soon after the heard a soft voice humming a melancholy tune in the distance.

"What was that..." Ken choked out.

"I...I don't know....I don't know," Leo said in disbelief. There was no way he could make excuses and deny it this time. They had just seen a ghost. The ghost of woman had appeared near them and vanished into thin air. There is no logic.

"Leo...I'm scared..." Ken said as he huddled close to Leo. Leo was still in shock and couldn't get his thoughts or words together. 

"We should...stick together, " he finally said. Ken nodded his head repetitively and hooked his arm around Leo's staying close to him. "Let's go find Hongbin."

They continued walking further into the woods where it only got darker. Ken remained attached to Leo the whole time as they walked.

"Would you stop shivering? It's making me feel uneasy," said Leo.

"I can't help it...I'm really freaking out right now...we just saw a...a..."

"Don't say it..."

"...ghost."

"Just relax okay? Just pretend like you didn't even see it," Leo said trying to calm Ken down, but it wasn't working. Leo's flashlight, at the moment began to shine on a piece of white paper unfolded, sticking to a tree. That wasn't there a minute ago....was it? Leo walked over and took it down.

Ayame's Notes:

I remember when mommy used to sing me a lullaby every night before I went to sleep. It was a beautiful melody and I often sung it myself. Mommy bought me a music box not too long after that. It played that song...only...somewhat sadder...

After that, mommy stopped singing to me...

She never played with me anymore...

"Okay this Ayame is really freaking me out.." said Ken.

"Hold on...a music box, singing...all mentioned in Hongbin's note," said Leo.

"Please stop, you're freaking me out," Ken said still shaking and attached to Leo.

"All I'm saying is it's a coincidence right? Maybe the person who's writing this is---"

The sound of a music box broke out, interrupting Leo in mid sentence. The melody was loud and echoed all around them. The solemn notes of the tune danced around their eardrums then began to slowly fade out. 

Both of them froze in silence and glanced at eachother with fright in their eyes. Just then, Leo's flashlight began to flicker on and off. He quickly slapped it against his wrist to get it to stay on. "The flashlight..." he said helplessly trying to stop the flickering. But a few seconds later, the flashlight went out. Leaving Leo and Ken in complete darkness.

(Play for Ayame's Music Box)