DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ghost Hunt

She wasn't sure how it had happened but Mai Taniyama new she was dying. The blood was pooling around her unmoving form and her breathing was becoming shallower with each breath.

She could hear everyone's panicked voices around her but everything sounded as if she was under water.

Her cinnamon brown eyes stared upwards and she lay waiting for the end. She didn't want to die . . .

She was too young to die, she had just found a new family, she had just found people who care for her in their own special ways.

Ayako mothered her while Bou-san acted as the over-protective father. She had Masako the snobbish sister, Yasuhara the teasing best friend, Lin the silent uncle, John the caring brother and Naru, possibly the most complicated and annoying man Mai had ever met but he was also her first love.

A tear rolled down her face and into her hair as she thought about their laughing and smiling faces. They wouldn't laugh if she left them, who would make sure that Ayako and Bou-san didn't kill each other, who would make Masako and John finally share their feelings for each other and Naru . . . who would make his tea for him.

She tried to open her mouth to tell everyone she didn't want to die but then an image of her parents flashed into her mind. She would finally be able to see them both again. She would be able to hug them and tell them all the things she couldn't when she was awake.

The more she thought of her parents the more she realised they wouldn't want her to die so young, they would want her to live. They would want her to have a family of her own.

She had always wanted children, if she died she wouldn't be able to have any. She wouldn't even be able to have her first kiss if she died now.

She could feel herself growing weaker and her thoughts were racing around her mind.

She felt her heart stutter a beat and she new it was happening.

Her heart was failing.

She was breaking down.

She was dying.

Blackness seeped into the corner of her eyes and she slowly closed them as her breathing slowed.

She was in so much pain, everywhere hurt.

She could barely remember what happened to her.

She had heard a scream . . . a child scream. A little boy's terrified scream to be precise.

They were on a case. It wasn't as bad as the Urado case . . . No where near as bad, so why did it all go wrong? What happened to Mai that made her become the bloody and unmoving form on the floor between all of her terrified friends.

Even Naru was showing his fear, Masako was crying in John's arms, Bou-san was staring at Mai as though he was willing her to keep breathing. Lin and Naru were kneeling beside Mai watching a sobbing Ayako trying to stem the flow of blood seeping from the whole in Mai's chest.

Another tear slid down Mai's face and Naru reached out to stop it. He whispered something to Mai and her brown eyes flew open to stare into his blue ones.

Mai realised he was silently crying as one of his tears dripped onto her cheeks. She ignored the pain in her chest as she lifted her arm to cup his cheek. He leaned his face into it not caring that everyone was there to see them.

He voice was so low that Mai wasn't sure if she had heard correctly "you promised me Mai, you promised me you wouldn't leave me".

Mai felt her already broken heart shatter into so many tiny pieces that she was sure her heart would never be whole again. Not in this body and not in spirit.

She let her hand drop weakly to her side, it landed beside her head but she didn't care. She had lost all feeling in her hand now, she couldn't even feel her legs anymore.

More tears were sliding down her face as she finally managed to talk. Her voice sounded hoarse and she barely recognised it as her own.

"I don't want to . . . die"

She felt more then saw everyone break at those words.

She didn't want them to break but she wanted them to know that her choice was to stay with them rather then leave them.

She turned her head to the other side and saw Ayako hysterically crying as she held a cloth to Mai's chest.

Images of what happened flashed through Mai's mind again.

The little boy had screamed in terror as something sharp flew at him. Mai wasn't sure what it was but she quickly ran to him. Pushing him out of the way just in time as the object pierced her chest.

She had heard cries of "Mai" come from the corner where the door was. She didn't have time to turn as she fell to her knees. She glanced down at her chest to see a pipe sticking out of it. It looked so close to her heart she knew that she wouldn't survive this.

This wouldn't be another near death experience.

This would be the end of Mai Taniyama.

Just as she was about to fall backwards arms wrapped around her and gently laid her down. She let out a very painful breath and cried out in pain. Ayako rushed to her side and began checking.

"Thank God! It missed the heart, but it was a really close one" she reached out to the pipe and I gritted my teeth. My eyes were flooding with tears but I wouldn't let them fall. Ayako looked down into my eyes before glancing at the group who must have rushed to her side "Someone call for an ambulance. I'm going to have to pull the pipe out and stop the blood . . . Some one go get my medical kit, I need a cloth. Some one give me something to stop the flow of blood" Her commands carried on but Mai felt a tug at the back of her mind.

She was getting weaker and weaker. She blinked her eyes and that was when the first tear slid down her face.

She hadn't realised that Naru had grabbed her hand until her gave it a squeeze.

Mai didn't take her eyes of Ayako though because she knew what she was about to do and it was going to be painful.

Ayako hesitated before grabbing the pipe with both hands. She looked down at Mai and Mai could see the tears falling down Ayako's face. She new Ayako didn't want to do this because Mai would be in pain so Mai nodded that she was ready.

It happened quickly but the pain was too much. She screamed so loud and her body pulled from the ground along with the pipe. She could feel it as it was pulled out of her body and then flung to the side out of the way. She was still screaming in pain as Naru squeezed her hand and Lin held her shoulders so she didn't move again.

Ayako held a cloth tightly to the wound but it was soon covered in blood and she was screaming for more cloth.

Mai's screams of pain finally stopped and she felt herself black out for a minute and when she woke up she found everyone in tears and she was contemplating her own death.

So she new there wasn't much hope.

Her ragged breathing was slowing, she was starting to lose feeling in her body and she just wanted to sleep.

"I'm so tired"

"No Mai!

"No!"

"Don't sleep Mai"

"C . . . come on, p . . . please be s. . . strong Mai" She could faintly see the little boy trembling beside Masako and John.

She smiled weakly at him before looking up at Naru again "Kiyoshi" she took a deep breath that hurt so much she cried out "take him back to his parents". She new her voice was so quiet that he could barely hear her but he nodded and looked back at Lin.

She heard sirens in the distance as Lin carried young Kiyoshi out of the room.

She wasn't sure how long she had stared at the ceiling before people in bright yellow coats were swarming the room. Ayako and Naru were gently removed from her side and people were swarming around her, cutting off the only air she felt she could get.

Her breath hitched and her head fell to the side to look at her friends who were all huddled together watching her mournfully.

They were already mourning and she hadn't even left yet.

She suddenly felt at piece and she smiled at her friends before her final breath left her.

She felt her eyes glaze over before everything turned black. The last thing she heard were voices hysterically calling her name.

Mai Taniyama had died.

Ok … I wasn't sure whether to make this a one shot or actually into a whole story . . . like this could have been a prologue for what's to come.

Please tell me what you think and if I should just leave this as it is or create a story …

Please review and tell me your opinions :)