Post by Obscene Dango [Maa] on Dec 14, 2007 2:12:25 GMT -5
White Flower..
"Promise of the mist spirit, Kasumi." by: Maa
The soothing air brushes by the luscious greenery, causing them to shake and rattle. Scattered amounts of tiny rays of light peek through the thick foliage revealing the uniquely patterned stone path underneath. The air remains thick for it was summer and quiet humid day. On some parts of the denser forest mist was rising from the ground as water evaporates, only to be condensed and pour back down as random drizzle.
It was days like this that always brought a memory from this woman's childhood days. This memory had its similarities to a bitter and sweet feeling, like biting into one of those candies that are sweet yet with a spicy chili center. This was the memory of a summer that she will not soon forget and she pulls out a tiny book turning to a page where a tiny white flower lays pressed among the pages. Several years ago up on this hilltop sat a young girl on the porch of this abandoned home:
~~~~~~~~~~
“Ugh I cannot take it anymore! This summer is too damn hot and it’s too damn boring!”
A girl yells out with the fury of the gods, as she looks out at the foliage below. Cursing at her dull boring life, she stands up immediately only to kick rocks at the humid air. If only her mother knew that she was at the abandoned old house; a very sever lecture would have been in order. Which was one of the main reasons why she ran off, away from her air conditioned home; her mother never permits her to do anything 'fun.' Besides, the young child was yearning for excitement, wishing for an action packed summer, she just needed out.
However, as quickly as she wished for excitement, she just dubbed it, as ‘it’s never going to happen,’ if she just stood there doing nothing, that is. Lowering her head down in disappointment, the young girl trots down the hill on the stone path that was laid down many years ago.
“Lovely, just lovely. I’m running out of ideas here! Come on oh holiness-es; give me a reason to believe! Give me something fun to do!!”
She yells at the sky, her tone filled with longing.
Bringing her head down, a figure of another being seemed to be lurking just beyond the thicket of kalopanax trees.
“Could this be, a reply to my wishes?”
The girl ponders, with curious eyes that widen every step she took closer to the shadowy silhouette. Pausing for a brief second, the girl lets out a gasp in happiness.
Sleeping against one of the older kalopanax trees, was a boy, slightly older then her. She saw it as an opportunity to make a new friend. Stepping closer, easing toward him, her lips part to whisper some words trying to spark a conversation.
"Hey hey, you shouldn't be sleeping here.. You can get really bad bug bites."
The young boy opens one of his eyes and directs his attention at the girl.
"It's alright, the bugs cannot bite me.."
His tone sounded quiet confident, it intrigued her as she ponders who this boy was. She had lived in the area for so long, yet never laid eyes on him before.
"Well that's interesting,"
She mumbles, not sure what else to say to the boy.
At that moment, a brisk flow of wind carries up the mist to where the two children were. It distracts the girl for a few seconds as she looks out at the obscure view once a thick blanket of white covers it completely.
"Hey, well......... huh? Where did you go?"
As soon as she turns back to ask him a question, he had disappeared. Her once jovial expression dulls down to sadness.
Maybe he just saw me as annoying.
She thought as she stood up and walks back to the old stone trail in order to continue her journey.
Still though. I wonder where he ran off to..
~~~~~~~~~~
After a while of walking and enjoying the intricate songs of the local cicadas, the young girl came to a stop as the path led through the middle of the forest of bamboo trees. The summer before, she would have not entered this part because of the fear she had of coming across a demon or some apparition or so her father said. Then again, her father was really into story telling unaware of the consequences it had on his daughters psyche.
"Pff, there are no such things as demons or apparitions! Only babies believe in the load of crap."
She assured herself one more and took a deep breath, before taking off down the trail. Her pace was rather brisk as she rushes passed the bamboo shoots. All she could focus on was reaching the other side, to see what natural beauties were hiding.
As she got toward the end of the forest, churning water from a nearby river could be heard. Looking up ahead at the clearing, she suddenly got the urge to run to see the water. Approaching the edge of a steep river edge, she stares at the water violently running down toward the west.
"Amazing!"
She says as awe fills every fiber of her voice. Her eyes caught a single leaf flowing down the river, as she watches it flow away, she sees a bridge nearby in the mist.
It was an amazing sight that she instinctively began to dash toward it. Getting closer and closer to it, she sees a kid sitting on the edge, in the center of the bridge, focusing to catch a glimpse of his face her eyes widen in surprise.
It can't be. It's the boy from earlier!
"Hey! Hey you! Wait!"
She calls out to the boy turning the other way, climbing up a small hill to reach the entrance of the bridge. However by the time she got up on the bridge the boy was gone again. Again, she felt a sadness fill up the pit of her stomach. Why the boy left every time she wanted to speak to him, she did not know.
A little dismayed by the boy's strange behavior, the little girl walked out to the center of the bridge and stood where he once sat.
I don't think I did anyth-... what the?
As soon as she leans over to see the water below, she felt her body lock up and freeze. The girl could not move her body and she did not understand why. Unable to stop herself, she fell forward right into the water below.
Time felt as if was set in slow motion, she knew she was falling yet she could do nothing to prevent it. Glancing back at the bridge before plunging head first into the raging waters, she saw the boy looking down at her from on top of the bridge. His expression seemed to be full of sadness and pain. Her lips mutter,
"Help me.. please,"
Yet no words came out. Splashing into the water, the girl blacks out.
~~~~~~~~~~
Moments later the girl comes around and sat up instantaneously.
I feel in the river? How am I alive? I was going to die! I could have never swam against that current, or even move my body for the matter.. What is going on? What just happened? Am I just hallucinating?
Questions plague her mind as she tucks her head in between her knees.
"You're alive. That's all that matters, don't go thinking to much, for the details are just useless."
A boy sitting on a rock not far from her tells her. Turning around immediately the girl stares at the boy.
"I saw you earlier! Why did you run? What happened to me? I want to know! It just doesn't make sense!? Please tell me.. I beg you! "
The girl boisterously pleads for him to answer as her eyes began to tear up. He just looks down at her, he was a little hesitant to tell her the truth but he finally gave in.
"Whether you believe me or not. What I'm about to say, I assure you, it's the truth.... Many years ago my family resided on the abandoned house that you often visit. We owned all the land you see around here, but once our linage died away, so did our ownership. Like you I would come out to explore the area, always deeply mystified by the ever lingering mist. I too came across this bridge many years ago. However one day I was captured by a demon spawn, who was out to gather the souls of children he drowns by pushing them over the bridge. But as he attempts to throw me over, I grab his arm, dragging him down with me to our deaths."
The girl begins to quiver a little bit, she claimed earlier that she did not believe in demons and apparitions but in fact she still did. Refusing to believe she cries out,
"That cannot be true! What does that have to do with me anyways! You make no sense, you liar."
Silencing placing his hand on her lips to shut her up he utters,
"Please.. allow me to continue."
The girl became silences as she nods agreeing to let him continue.
"As soon I died, my soul became one with the mist, and the demon became one with the bridge, cursing every child that walks on the bridge to death, just like he did to you. However, I have become a guardian to protect children from the demons in this forest, including you.. Maori. Believe it or not, I've been keeping a watchful eye on you, ever since you first stumbled into my forest a couple of summers ago. And even a little while ago when I saved you from possible death. The only reason I keep vanishing on you is because I cannot remain like this for long, since the mist is always shifting."
Maori's mouth widen in shock. Slowly, what he said began to seep through her thick skull.
It has to be true, how else does he know my name. How else am I alive. How else does he know my name.."
Her eyes filled with tears, now believing every word he said.
"Thank you so much. You saved me, you protected me from harm,"
The boy just smiles warmly at her and stands up from the rock. Bringing his closed palm to her, he opens it and reveals a small white flower that blooms from the kalopanax during late summer.
"You will not be able to see me anymore, but I will remain in this forest watching over you every time you visit."
He whispers, placing the flower in her palm before stepping away.
"Wait! What is your name? I wish to know."
Maori asks immediately standing up from the ground.
"Kasumi.."
He tells her, before the mist completely engulfs him and Kasumi vanishes in the thick white blanket.
~~~~~~~~~~
From that day on, Maori believes that Kasumi would protect her when ever she was in the forest and that the flower represents the promise that he indeed is watching over her.
Even after leaving the area to live far across the sea for almost a decade. The moment she had a chance to return, she did. Only to be in tranced by that memory, of that day during a summer many years ago, as her eyes gaze at the tiny white book pressed flower. The day she met the mist spirit, Kasumi, and how her experience with him changed her the out look of a 'boring' summer.
Closing the book and looking down from the hilltop at the wonders below. The woman grips the book tightly and quickly runs down the old stone path, disappearing into the mist.
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