Chapter 2.1

THE VILLAGE

The treetops whip to and fro in a gloomy evening. There are alleyways and roads bordered by teetering piles of broken and damaged furniture, stowed away, perhaps, to hide the evidence of mishandled deeds.

Slowly, she opens her large, brown eyes and stares across the ocean at the moon, which has risen above the horizon only a few minutes before. Already, it has traded its reddish glow for radiant silver, which shines brightly against the backdrop of the late evening sky, obscuring the stars nearby. The moon sprays its light across the ocean, as if it had thrown a handful of glittering crystals across the water toward Japan. The young girl leans against the creaky wooden railing of the tiny dock she has spied while touring the town earlier. Here, she is mostly hidden from sight by the giant ships moored to either side of her. They somewhat block her view of the entire ocean, but she doesn’t care as long as the moon is in its position ahead of her, she has prettiest view anyone could wish for, some still with enough life in them to over halfheartedly over the mountains.

Walking behind her, he could smell salt and hear rushing waves; a light, chilly breeze ruffles his hair as he looks out at moonlit sea and star-strewn sky. They are standing upon a high outcrop of dark rock, water foaming and churning below them. Suddenly the girl yelps. The young man rushes to her side.

“What’s up, Shohane?” asks the young man.

“Oh Soujiro, mite!”

He turns to where she’s pointing: from afar, in the dim light of the moon, he squeezes his eyes to make out a figure near the seashore: it is a huge entangled fishing net that seems to have been struck by the ocean waves to lie flat on wet sand. Not knowing the reason why Shohane cried out, he steps closer and can’t help being aghast at the real thing inside the net:

It is an old man... soaked with seawater... gasping for breath.

“Ojisan?” comes Soujiro closer and unties the old man, who doesn’t have enough strength to move himself. He has lost his voice. Apparently someone had intended to murder him. His lips are moving weakly but no sound comes out. Knowing this, Soujiro quickly pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and gives it to the dying man.

While Soujiro’s searching for something to write, the old man has grasped the piece of paper with his remaining strength and writes something on it with his own blood. Soujiro is patiently waiting, feeling somewhat guilty as there’s nothing he can do to help him. Done, he remarks for Soujiro to come closer to hear the rest of his indistinct voice of will:

“Please give it... to... Gohei… in the vill…”

"Gohei?" asks Soujiro.

The old man nods weakly, then he loosens his watch and gives it to Soujiro, who accepts it with a reluctant smile. He understands that these are the last remnants the old man wants to give to Gohei-someone, and he will be doing the job of a deliverer. But who is Gohei? While the old man tries to say something else with tremendous effort, his breath goes out. Resting the old man’s body on the sand, Soujiro turns to Shohane, who returns his look with a fearful expression. Soujiro, too, understands what she means. This situation is so unexpected: Soujiro will have to deliver the letter and the watch to someone he knows not, and the old man’s strange death has clearly signals the start of inauspicious events.

“So we must cross the forest…” wonders Soujiro, who hesitantly takes Shohane into the quiet forest where he doesn’t know much about. They keep walking for hours and hours. Finally the forest passes behind, giving place to straw houses and desolate roads to appear in sight. He signals for her to stop and from the gaze of his eyes, she discerns in front of them a group of children. They are singing a folksong. Though not entirely audible, both of them can catch most of the essential words:

“...Men shall return to the begrime of soil,

Turning to ogres, forever damned to hunger

Women shall come back to the deepness of the sea,

Turning to mermaids, eternally in silence.

Only when the curse is broken

Can we truly be free.

When the curse is broken

Can we truly find happiness...”

Their song reminds her of a folktale she knew when she was a little. Not knowing why, without their singing, there is an ominous silence in the air that makes Soujiro feel distant to this village. Nevertheless, wishing to fulfill the unhappy man’s will, he keeps walking toward the children intending to ask for information while they are dispersing away with strange, fearful looks on their faces. Perhaps these children are afraid of strangers, he thinks and keeps advancing further down the road, hoping that he won’t be spending too much time figuring out who Gohei is, whom he has to deliver the letter to. It’s rather dark despite of the moonlight. Somewhere in this dimness, the lights of a nearby inn are shining brightly. They seem to be the only lights that are alive. From the outside, he can see a group of men eating and chatting jovially. Keeping himself alerted, Soujiro asks Shohane to wait outside while he approaches the most friendly-looking man in the inn, hoping he’ll be the best fit for asking questions.

“Sumimasen...” accosts Soujiro politely.

The talking ceases as the man turns to look at the stranger. The man neither draws back nor reacts wildly; his expression is kind and inviting that signals a good start.

Soujiro continues, “I’m looking for a man named Gohei...”

He hasn’t finished his saying, but feels more alerted as the expression of the man changes as fast as flashlights. Soujiro is taken aback; he can’t tell whether it’s fear or anger that he’s receiving, but the man starts to yell:

“Go back, young man! You are not welcome here!”

A/N: See you next chapter!