While you love the trails and streams that seem to meander everywhere in this little slice of rural living, you should probably spend some time with the family before disappearing into your solitude. Even if it's kinda expected of you as a teenager. You smile up at your grandmother.
"Something to drink sounds lovely," you say and your grandmother nods. "I have some barley tea ready--come out to the dining room when you're done unpacking and we can all catch up..." You nod and she heads out of the room, leaving you to finish up. You neatly shove your bag into one corner along with your camping gear and move to stand in the doorway, looking out past the out-door breezeway to the inner courtyard that has your grandparent's meticulously maintained garden. You're a little worried about where this conversation might go, but you think things should be okay. Mom won't make a scene in front of your grandparents, right?
Closing the door behind you, you head down the corridor to the entrance room-slash dining space where your grandmother is setting out a large pitcher of cold barley tea on the table along with some snacks on a low table. You sink down at the table and gratefully take a gulp of the glass your grandmother sets in front of you. In a few minutes the whole clan has gathered around the table. Your father is chatting with grandpa about the project he's been working on and your mom leans over towards you and grandma with a smile.
"Hanako's been doing very well at school this year, I think she has an excellent chance at getting into a good university." You do your best to smile. You're a good student but it's exhausting and sometimes you really wish you could be one of those kids who slacks off. Grandma smiles and nods.
"She sounds like you when you were her age, then. Your mother was always in her books--she barely made time for anything else. I hope you do, though, Hanako." Your grandmother says with a sly little grin. Your mother sighs.
"Of course she does, mother. She runs a club and always seems to be out of the house for one thing or another--she keeps very busy. I hardly see her with my schedule, honestly." She shakes her head. "Corporate life can be a lot."
"Mmm, but that's the choice you made, isn't it?" Grandma replies before she looks back to you. "Tell me about your club, dear. Is is still that one you were in last year? Occult Club?"
"Occult Studies Club," you mumble, always a little embarrassed to admit that you're part of something so out-and-out odd to your grandmother. Still, she seems pleased.
"Oh? Are you hunting ghosts?" Her eyes twinkle. "We have one around here, you know." You straighten a little at your grandmother's words.
"Mom, don't fill her head with more of that, you know how she gets." Your ears perk a little and you roll your eyes at your mom.
"It's a hobby, Mom," you retort. "I'd love to hear more, grandma." Your grandmother smiles and taps her fingers together as she seems to be trying to remember the start of her story.
"There's an old shrine up in the hills a little ways from here," she begins, smiling. "And in the days of the civil wars it was a place of safety and prayer where those in need could go to get the assistance of the gods or to find a place to hide. One of the people who came there was a young woman who was fleeing the destruction of her home. Her groom-to-be, a warrior, had said he would find her there once he was victorious in battle and they could begin their life together. So she went there, prayed to the gods, and waited. And waited. She had been waiting a month with no sign from him when looking out at the valley, she saw the banners of his lord's army approaching!" You wiggle a little in your seat. You wish you were recording this but you'll have to write it down later.
"She ran to the shrine's gate to meet her lover but instead it was one of his comrades, wounded and battered. He sadly told her that her young man had been killed in the battle against their enemies and that the army was in full retreat. Stricken by grief, she threw herself from the cliffs around the waterfall that's near the shrine. They say if you go to the pool at the hour of the Bull*, you can see her throw herself from the cliff, but she vanishes before she hits the rocks, trapped forever between this life and the next as she still grieves for her lost love..." You're enraptured, tail twitching a little. That has to be something you explore now. Maybe even tonight--you don't have any plans. Mom sighs behind you and Dad laughs.
"Spooky. Do people still use the shrine?" he asks.
"A few, but it doesn't get many visitors these days. One of our neighbors maintains it I think." Your father nods.
"Maybe we can hike up there one day. I'm sure the view from the waterfall is beautiful. Though I think Hanako might want to do an overnight expedition," he chuckles and winks at you. You blush a little. He can totally see right through you, can't he? Grandpa sounds amused, just like your dad.
"Just be careful. Ghosts aren't the only thing you have to worry about--sometimes fox spirits pass by these parts." You make a little noise of excitement that is entirely undignified and your mother groans a little.
"I know it's just a hobby but you really shouldn't encourage these sorts of superstitions in her, you two."
"Superstitions? I'm just making sure she knows to be careful out in the woods. You never know what sort of spookiness you might run into." Your grandfather's reply makes you giggle. They've always been a bit indulgent of your hobby and it's nice to know. You're not sure you actually believe this stuff but mom can be such a killjoy sometimes.
"Anyway. I have some beef for dinner," grandma says, looking at your mother. "Would you help me get it ready? You can tell me all about whatever it is you're working on at the office."
"Oh, sure..." Mom gets to her feet and follows your grandmother into the kitchen as you sit back to listen to your dad and grandfather continue talking about... whatever it is they talk about. In a few moments though, the conversation has turned to your recent fishing trip. You feel a little nervous but dad mostly talks about how happy he is that the pair of you managed to land some fish this time. The three of you start to talk about fishing lines and sailing and soon enough mom calls you into the kitchen to get some dishes and help set the table for dinner. Afternoon shadows are growing long now and you resolve that you're going to check out this supposedly haunted pool tonight if you get the chance. Not like anyone can stop you, right?
Dinner is delicious of course and afterwards as your dad and grandfather share beers you slip back to your room, scribble a quick note that says you've gone out, then shoulder a backpack and head out the door. It's summer, so it doesn't get dark until late and according to your phone it's about 7:30, which means it won't be dark for a couple hours yet. Still, you're happy to be in the outdoors. You follow a well-worn footpath towards the hills and where it splits, you take the lower path that winds into the dimness below the trees. You pat your backpack to reassure yourself that you have your flashlight and continue on down the trail.
It leads you deeper into the woods and it grows a little darker as the path switches back and forth then passes over a stream before turning to follow towards the hills. You're walking with careful measured tread and by the time you finally reach the pool, you're sweaty and panting a little. That must have been a few kilometers at least. Maybe you should start working out more. You check your phone--it's been forty-five minutes already. Feels kind of good to lose yourself like that, honestly.
The pool itself is wide and dark in the fading evening light as twilight grows closer. You peer upwards at the waterfall which seems to tower overhead a good thirty meters or more (you think you see the place this ghost is supposed to have jumped from), water crashing down into the pool and the rocks here before it spreads out, then trickles away into the stream at the other end. It looks beautiful here. Peaceful even. Hard to believe it might be... haunted. You shiver a little at the thought--it's nice to think about, isn't it? Probably not really haunted but hey. You sit down on a flat rock near the edge of the pool and take a swig from your water bottle. Even if there's no ghost, this is a pretty place to be and it's relaxing--a nice break from family and the city and... all the crap in your life. You lean back, watching as a few fireflies have started to flit along the surface of the water--then your ears perk up. Your sensitive hearing has heard something rustling further down the path away from the direction you came from.
You sit up a little straighter, peering out into the darkening woods, but can't make out anything. Is someone out there? Or something? You tighten your grip on your water bottle and swallow, then you see a bobbing light further off and your mind flashes to what your grandfather said. Fox spirits! Oh. Crap. The light is getting closer!
[ ] Hide! It's a fox spirit and it might want to like, eat your flesh or something!
[ ] Stand your ground. You're not afraid of any ghosts!
[ ] Hanako, calm down. It's probably nothing to be too worried about you big nerd. Plus ghosts totally aren't real.
*2:00AM - 2:30AM roughly.
