While going to the paddy, Keith observed the treetops. Most of the flora was turning yellowish. But that's not what we was looking at. He stopped his track and fixed a weak tree, there wasn't even a shivering on the leaves nor a chirp from a bird.
'There's no wind today, such an unpleasant weather again.' He thought.
He used a stone paved walkway to join his mother, he could see deep crevices on the dirt that filled the fields and a lot of weed.
Then he saw his mother a few dozen of meters away.
"I'm here, please share your seeds with me."
He said, stretching out his hand toward her mother's folded apron.
"The sun is going to hurt your skin, why didn't you take the straw cap?"
"I just wanted to join you fast enough. I'll brave it's shine for you, don't worry."
She sighed and while looking at the plown dirt, she said.
"You better be in shape tomorrow too, we'll go to the stream near Seoni, we'll get some eel or dried fish before heading back to Kodra."
"Sure, I'll bring the blanket and my shirt with the wheelbarrow to wash them." He replied.
They heard a few footsteps and a high-pitched voice laughing.
"Ublee! Don't run, you'll fall on your head!"
Two children followed by a tall man went their way, they were the neighbours. The mother waited for them to be at hearing range with a smile before asking.
"Good morning Yotoh, Domi and- ! and ...? What's your name young lady? I cannot remember it, my memory is very bad, can you help me?"
She faked a blush and hid her mouth behind the back of her hand with a swift gesture.
"You forgot again auntie! I'm Ublee! U-blee!"
She said with her tongue sticking out and a frown. Her older brother laughed. He already knew this trickery.
The mood lightened a bit thanks to them. The village was very small and most people farmed the same thing, rice. For themselves and bigger villages.This season hadn't began as smooth as expected and weeds started to grow everywhere.
In order to teach her, Domi crouched near the young sprouts and questioned his sister.
"Tell me Ublee! Which one is the rice? Can you tell?"
"Yes! It's those ones!"
She pointed her finger toward what looked like thick, deep green grass with a very serious look.
"Of course not! Everything here are weeds, we will pull them out when they grow a little more sturdier, they will be easier to get rid of. We usually grow it in water, because weeds cannot survive this environment and won't grow at rainy season."
She was surprised, she pinched the plant she designated earlier and tore it off. Keith looked at her chubby cheeks with deep dimples and smiled at them.
'Thankfully we can see them quite often, their spirit is lovely, I should do the same.'
The neighbours began their work while Ublee played with the weeds. Domi was already eight and could help his father while Ublee was around three and spared from chores. Keith was six, and had begun easy work, he was involved in what he was doing.
The day went on smoothly as the sun was setting, the two groups parted away.
The silence came back. The lack of wind made the sound of his pant sleeves and footstep a lonely rhythmic music. His head was a bit dizzy, the skin on his shoulder and back was dry. Ample movements were unpleasant to do.
'If I stretch too much, my skin might open a wound, darn it, this sunburn is severe!'
After eating some vegetable soup, Keith brought back the blanket in the room. It still had the smell but that was better than sleeping on the bare floor. His mother and him were both staring at the ceiling.
Like yesterday, his mother fell asleep easily. But he had to sleep on his stomach. Focusing on something else than the stench or outside noises was hard. Adding the pain and warmth emanating from his skin didn't increase his difficulty falling asleep by much.
The energy depleted by his recovery added to the one he spent farming had tired him. His eyes forcefully closed and so he slumbered.
But something was wrong within Keith's abdomen, it was painful. As if something was grabbing it from within. The ache woke him up. He sat on his bed.
'Night again! Why do I want to eat so badly? I had a full meal not long ago.'
He looked over the window's wall, hoping to see the weird guy again, rubbed his eyes, but to no avail. There was nothing unusual this time.
The planks under his hands slightly sunk and the floor creaked. He turned around just to meet the gaze of the dark and dense mass again, this time it was squatting next to him, an arm length away.
"Coming inside people's house without their permission is rude, if mother wakes, she'll say that. Who are you? What are you?"
He whispered his questions and his thoughts... The silence fell again. He gathered his courage and tried to touch the thing, he only felt a cold atmosphere. The lights appeared its head again.
"I can feel! You're real? Are you a ghost or a shadow?"
The thing backed off, and its head tilted with the top of his body on the right, this was clearly an exaggerated movement. The boy had a doubtful stare. He gently cleared his throat and asked.
"You.. you can't speak right? I have a request, I know it's out of the blue but listen! Could you please stay by my side tonight? Sun's curse's on me because I didn't wear protections while working today, it's hard to bear. I'll return the favour to you some day."
The thing hadn't even changed it's posture, it was still tilted giving an impression of unbalance. Nothing at torso level moved, it wasn't breathing.
An arm came out of the mass, it was thin and pointy like a rusty fire pike. It touched the ground and its finger spread out. A second arm came out from it's right side, the unknown beast seemed misshaped from the location of its arms.
It advanced, creeping on two lean sticks. The head had a straight trajectory toward Keith face. An unexpected third arm appeared and circled the boy's body.
Keith's heartbeat raced as he thought about his mother's words, his eyes widened. He closed his eyes, waiting to feel something touching him. His heart missed a few paces.
He woke up with a jolt. Soaked in sweat and short breathed. There was not only sweat under his pant, for the second time in a row. He heard a sound next room and checked his mother's bedside.
'She's already awake! How lucky... Right where is he?'
It was nowhere to be seen. He moved his arms from left to right, bottom to top, but there was no cooler place around him either.
'Maybe shadows live in shadows. I could speak with him, I want to give him a name next time he comes.'
His stomach grumbled. He went in the kitchen for his breakfast after wiping the floor, taking out the blanket and his shirt, having it ready for today's long walk.