Taryn walked down the mansion’s quiet halls, only being accompanied by the groan and creak of the floor as she went. The festival was still ongoing, with faint sounds of music and the waft of food from a distance, but there had been some signs it was nearing its end. At least from what Mie told her, she had even apologized for not asking if Taryn knew Japanese when they first met. The story had gotten out that both Taryn and Rachael could speak it, but in Mei’s mind, she didn’t bother to check in and continued to apologize.
Taryn told her that no harm was done and that she wished to change back into her everyday clothing. Making the story that as lovely as it was to wear such a wonderful kimono, she couldn’t stay in it forever, mainly when she wasn’t used to it.
A disheartened Mei helped her change out of it, but not before asking to take a few photos. Something that Taryn didn’t mind doing since Mei had helped her when they met.
Now back in her regular clothing, making things far more comfortable for her to move around the mansion. While walking the border, she noticed clouds forming in the distance. Even from where she stood, she could smell the scent of rain with it.
If it rained, it would cause everyone to return to their homes for the night. Meaning even those who were in the mansion’s employ would also return. From what Mei had described while assisting in undressing, many of the staff had gone into the village. Though Mei hadn’t due to knowing that someone, like Taryn, might come back wishing to change, and since they didn’t know how to remove a kimono, they would need help. It also gave Taryn the chance to ask about Yoko, where the woman had gone since Taryn hadn’t seen Yoko since Taryn dressed in a kimono. Something like that kept causing alarm bells to go off in her head.
Mei merely explained that she didn’t know; she assumed that Yoko had also gone down to the village like the others. Yet Taryn hadn’t seen Yoko in the village. Or any of the other staff for that matter.
If they hadn’t gone to the village, where did everyone go?
It was just like that night when she had gone for a walk after that nightmare where she ran into Toya. There wasn’t a soul than either.
Something about this didn’t feel right to her.
Her ears tuned in to the slightest noises as the hair along her body began to stand on end. Blue eyes scanned what she could see.
This feeling pushed her further. She needed to find this place that June had mentioned, as well as Yoko. The woman knew things, things that she wasn’t able to share. But if there was no one listening, perhaps in some way or another, it could ease her nerves. That is if Taryn could find her.
Just where in the world had Yoko gone to?
Her body suddenly felt tense as Taryn continued to walk forwards. At this point, she was now in a part of the mansion she was unfamiliar with.
Walking further in, she felt a sudden sense of foreboding, reminding her of when she had walked around the mansion alone at night. But this was different from then. This time it was of great unease. As though everyone had simply vanished.
Such thinking sent a chill down her spine before she shook that thought away, now was not the time for that. As she was just about to turn into a connecting corner of the hall, another person collided with her. It was a maid, one who gasped in surprise and dropped some clothes that she had been carrying.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Taryn said in Japanese as she went to help pick up the clothes, folding them up and handing them back to the woman. Though someone whom Taryn had not seen before, the woman merely stared at her before giving a faint smile. Something felt off with the woman. When she handed all of the clothes back to her, they briefly connected, their hands coming into contact.
Taryn frowned as the woman then stood and gave thanks before going on her way. “Excuse me,” Taryn called out in Japanese. “I’m looking for Yoko, a woman who works here. Have you seen her?” the woman shook her head. Drat. “Then what about a room where dolls are made? I overheard from someone here that somebody makes ball-jointed dolls, and I wondered if it would be okay to take a look?”
“It’s fine,” the woman said softly in Japanese she then pointed in the direction where she came from. “The room is at the farthest end of the mansion. Follow the current hall and look for a sliding door with images of white cranes. You won’t miss it.” She then bowed slightly and went on her way.
Taryn paused in her venture to look back at the woman; something was odd about her, mainly the woman’s eyes. They looked like they were glassy. Weird, it might have just been the lighting of the hallway, yet something about that nagged at her. However, that didn’t matter to her currently, for the whole thing with June outweighed this random encounter.
With that in mind, Taryn followed the woman’s directions and soon enough found herself now standing in front of a sliding door with the images of white cranes.
Her whole body became stiff once more, and the feeling of unease returning caused the muscles along her shoulders and back to tighten. Faintly, she could hear the sound of rain in the distance, for she was now in an area of the mansion where no outside could be seen. If it wasn’t for the mansion’s lighting, she would have been entirely in the dark.
Slowly, Taryn let out a breath to ease some of the tension within herself before reaching for the door and sliding it back to reveal its contents.
From just opening it partway, she could see ball-jointed doll parts scattered all over the floor along what looked to be a sort of low work table, many tools to craft small body parts by hand, individual moulds, limbs, eyes, wigs and heads of various sizes. It reminded Taryn slightly of Rachael’s room, where she would draw her art, both digital and traditional. Such a comparison was something that really should not have been. But it was all that could come to mind as Taryn winded her way through the room, stepping over some of the scattered parts. Parts that had either been a mistake or weren’t what the creator had intended.
There was only one real source of light in the room, which came from an overhead desk lamp. Which shined down on a low table, illuminating the current creator’s project.
She paused when reaching the low table to look at the doll which had been left sitting upright. The skin tone was pale as the body shape was slightly thin, albeit the bust is larger than standard types that would be in equal proportion. Taryn couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing since her body was like that. The doll had no wig, and its sockets were empty as an assortment of paints and brushes were left next to it. Faintly she could see something of an outline on the doll’s forehead, but she wasn’t sure what it could have been without a closer look. Taryn dared not to touch it, in both not wanting to mess something up or be accused of theft if something went missing. As a child of parents who worked in law enforcement, she knew the severity of that type of crime. Even if it only looked like she did something, Taryn wanted to actively avoid it.
This doll’s interest slowly began to fade as another feeling pushed the first aside, the faint smile she had melting away as a blank expression took its place. The feeling of being watched began to creep along the back of her spine and up her neck. A familiar feeling, one that she had felt not an hour ago. Back when she had discovered June’s note in her room. A sense of foreboding, regret, and anger began to weigh heavily on her shoulders, causing her to become completely still.
This was not June; it was the same woman as before in the room she shared with Rachael.
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When she turned around, Taryn saw a dividing door that she had not noticed right away due to the room’s darkness. Now that she looked at this door, she could see a faint glow of light coming underneath the door.
With a slight frown, she slowly stood up and quietly inched her way over to the door in question. She tried to peer through the crack but could not see anything that could tell her what was there.
She stared at the door to go in or not to go in. On the other side, it could be an assortment of dolls, dolls which could have very well been made in the room she was in now. Or it could be nothing. What if there’s another note? Was a thought that lingered in her mind.
One that she couldn’t shake no matter how hard she tried. In this room alone, it looked like there was nothing left by June, or if there had, it had been removed or lost a long while ago. Not to mention the time it would even take to try and sort through this room without displacing anything that the owner would notice.
With that in mind and the feeling she had previously, she reached for the door to see what was on the other side.
* * *
Robert was hunched over a desk writing in the room that he shared with Stephanie back in his regular clothes, though things had been strained since his actions with Taryn, he kept trying to work up the courage to speak but any chance he got she wasn’t alone.
What he said was too far, something he’d normally never do. Yet he did, and he regrated it immensely, but no matter what he wrote, nothing was coming out right. He needed to apologize, regardless of if she accepted it or not, hell she was in the right to sock him in the face for his actions. Like she almost did with Paul at her brother’s funeral. He didn’t side with his friend then, something Paul seemed to hate, but what he said to Taryn was out of line.
She was in the right to be that angry, just like now.
Did I get this from him? He thought. No, that’s just an excuse… what the fuck is wrong with me? His hazel eyes glanced to the window as it was now pouring rain.
When the festival started to conclude, it began to rain, so before it became too much, he, Stephanie and Taryn’s friend all headed back inside the mansion. But now, after things had calmed down, that same scene kept playing in the back of his eyelids.
The one of Taryn. And that man. And of how he looked when Robert saw him, the expression he gave. The look of confidence in his smile was followed by a strange look in his jade-green eyes before turning away.
Robert felt conflicted.
The man genuinely seemed to care for Taryn; it felt weird to him. Why would that man like her to such an extent in such a short amount of time? And that damn smile he gave. It was as though he was silently telling Robert that he won.
But why would that even be the case?
He and Taryn weren’t dating. It wasn’t some type of contest to see who could win her over like a rushed romance plot; that would be stupid. Was it because they were no longer together? Could that have been it? When Robert told the man while in the bath that Taryn wasn’t seeing anyone, Robert caught the distinct tone of interest that came from him. Although Robert couldn’t see his expression at the time, his voice brought him pause. What went on between his ex and that Japanese dude was none of his business.
So why did it keep bugging him this much?
A frantic knock brought him out of his thoughts as Stephanie got up from her seat and went to see who it was. “Rachael? What’s wrong? Why are you out of breath? Did you run all the way here?”
“Have you seen her?” She ignored the question about herself, as her breathing laboured. “Have you seen Taryn at all tonight since you came back to the mansion?” Robert left the desk, taking the paper with him and stuffing it into his back pocket; a frown creased his brow as he looked at Stephanie’s back.
Stephanie shook her head. “No, sorry. I haven’t.”
“Oh great…” was all Rachael said in response in a soft voice. “I know Taryn left early, she said so. But I haven’t seen her since she told me that.”
Robert stilled. What?
“Do you know if she returned to the room your guys are in?”
She gave a quick nod. “There were signs that she had come back, but nothing else. Not even a note.” Robert frowned; that didn’t sound like something Taryn would do.
“Have you tried calling her?” Stephanie asked.
“A few times, but it won’t go through. I know just getting a phone call can be tricky, but this is ridiculous. It’s not like she’s that far away; I should be able to get a hold of her. I know she took her phone with her. I’ll just… I’ll just try again. It might go through this time.”
“She might be with that guy. The one with the long hair and earing?” Robert said and drew looks from both women before he shrugged. “I saw him with her a bit before she went back into the mansion. Maybe she went to go speak with him? He’s been pretty close with her since we showed up. Or maybe she just got lost exploring the mansion again. Either one could be an option.”
But Robert stopped short when seeing Rachael’s expression. A look of dread was clear on the woman’s rounded face as she seemed to grow pale.
“I hope not…”
Those words from her made his spine straighten. Something was off; she was keeping something to herself. Something that bothered her enough to have such a reaction. Again, he recalled the look of that Japanese man. At that moment, he realized what that feeling was; it was unease. Something about that man had Robert unsettled.
“I’ll try calling her,” Stephanie offered as she went to get her phone. The three fell quiet as she heard it ring a few times before she was given an automated voice telling her that the person she was trying to reach was unavailable or the phone was off at this time.
“Why don’t we go looking for her?” Robert offered, now completely unable to shake this feeling. “If we do that, we might be able to find her. Or maybe someone who saw her.”
Rachael looked at Robert with surprise, but her worried outweighed whatever she thought of him and nodded. “I was thinking of doing that if you guys haven’t seen her.” But she hesitated in leaving, looking at the door. Another red flag went off in his head.
“It’d be faster if we all went together,” Robert said as he walked past her. “This place is huge; we wouldn’t want you getting lost either. Do you have any idea where she might have gone too?” Rachael shook her head. “Okay then, let’s just start with places we know. Then work from there.”
They all left to look with Rachael leading the way as both Robert and Stephanie hung back a bit to talk. “What’s wrong?” Stephanie asked him in a soft voice.
“Nothing, it’s just…” he looked up at his girlfriend. “Doesn’t this seem a bit weird? The way Rachael is acting. It’s like she’s expecting the worst.” That or she discovered a bomb.
“I think you are exaggerating a bit; she’s just worried for her friend. Besides, for a guy who got into a petty argument with his ex over blood ties, you also seem concerned.”
She had a point. “I know Taryn has a bit of a pension for getting lost when she wanders about; she was like that even back in high school. But I know she isn’t the type to forget to leave some kind of note or something to let other people know where she’s gone too if cell reception is total shit. Something about this puts me off. I can’t tell you why exactly, it might just be that guy…”
“You mean Toya?”
“Yeah, something about him doesn’t agree with me; I can’t tell you why, though.”
She gave him a smirk. “Sure, it’s not jealousy? The man clearly likes Taryn in that kind of way.”
He scoffed. “I’m pretty damn sure it’s not that.” Maybe. He thought to himself but wouldn’t say it aloud. He honestly didn’t know what to think of that man. Only to stop when Rachael came to an abrupt halt, he looked past her to see only a maid, the same maid that went and had scratched Taryn on purpose.
“Excuse me!” Stephanie called out in Japanese when Rachael had gone oddly quiet, walking past the woman to get to the maid. “I have something I need to ask you!” the maid stopped to look back at them with a rather snide smirk.
What a bitch. Robert thought as he watched his girlfriend converse with the Japanese woman. His eyes then fell to Rachael, noting how she almost seemed to shake. He heard that Rachael suffered from anxiety. Something that could be extremely detrimental to someone if they were not careful. “Try to relax, okay?” he told her, causing her to jump slightly before looking at him. “Look, I know you’re worried about her, but…”
“Hey, would you stop?” Stephanie called out in English, grabbing the woman suddenly by the forearm. “Look, we’re just trying to see if you know where our friend went too! What the hell do you even mean by that?”
With a click of her tongue, the woman snatched back her arm and said something in Japanese to the three of them before going on her way.
“What the hell was that about?” Robert asked, only to them look at his girlfriend, who now seemed to stare at her hand in confusion. “Stephanie? What’s wrong? That woman didn’t do something weird, did she?”
Stephanie shook her head. “She felt… cold.” She said suddenly before looking at them. confusion filled her dark blue eyes. “Her skin felt like ice. Like she wasn’t even alive.” It was weird; people weren’t supposed to be like that, so what would even cause such a thing?
“What did she say to you, though?” Robert asked his voice tense. “You asked her what she meant by that, what did she say?”
This snapped Stephanie out of her thoughts. “She said that no matter where we look, we won’t find her. So good luck with that…” She shook her head. “Why the hell would she say something like that?”
Rachael’s whole body tensed as she turned even paler as she hugged herself tightly before walking past the blonde woman. “We need to find her. Now.”
Robert didn’t know what to say in response to Rachael’s sudden demand as she now walked even faster, in another direction than that of the Japanese woman. His worry increased, what the hell was going on?