The starlit sky gradually succumbed to a curtain of clouds painted in delicate hues of purple and blue, veiling the moon. Hoshiyo, under this shroud, tilted her head back and unleashed a piercing scream into the heavens. Her eyes glowed a fiery red, a beacon that attracted other Yokai to converge upon her. Tears cascaded from her eyes, resembling a fountain at the heart of an ancient village, unable to contain the overwhelming pain within her.
In response to the commotion, Hiroshiro raced from the mountain with Hanako's father, both frantic to understand the tragedy. As Hiroshiro reached the house, he urgently inquired, "Hey, what's going on?"
Hanako's father, in despair, repeatedly called out his daughter's name. Collapsing to his knees at the lifeless form of Hanako, he sobbed inconsolably. His cries echoed through the village, drawing in the concerned villagers and merchants. Accusingly, he implored, "What happened? What did you do?"
Hiroshiro, placing a comforting hand on Hoshiyo's shoulder, addressed the grieving father, "I'm sorry for your loss, but don't blame my daughter. You informed me that Hanako had been struggling to walk, and her health had deteriorated. Despite your efforts, the headaches and dizziness had intensified, but regrettably, the medicine couldn't save her. At least now, she doesn't have to suffer anymore."
Through tearful whispers, Hoshiyo confessed, "She fell over and stopped breathing. I didn't know what to do. It's my fault; I couldn't save her."
"No, sweetie," Hiroshiro reassured her. Kneeling before Hoshiyo, he gently continued, "She had been sick for a long time."
The villagers stood in stunned horror at the little girl's body, but they chose to craft a makeshift stretcher to help carry her. The father clung to his daughter's lifeless hand, uttering silent prayers for her departing soul. A compassionate woman in a Yukata knelt before the grieving father and his departed daughter, offering solace, "Your wife is on her way. We can assist you in carrying her back to the village whenever you are ready."
Overwhelmed with grief, the father could only nod in acknowledgment.
Beside them, Hoshiyo sat quietly beside Hanako's father, observing his tender gesture of combing her hair with trembling fingertips. The anguished cries of Hanako's mother pierced through the air as she pushed through the crowd, collapsing at her daughter's side, her tears intermingling with Hanako's brown locks. Noticing Hoshiyo on the other side, she inquired through her tears, "You were Hanako's friend, weren't you?"
Hoshiyo, fighting back her tears, replied, "We were talking, and she fell."
Hanako's mother questioned, "What did she say before she died?"
Hiroshiro, protective of his daughter, intervened, "Please don't ask my daughter such questions. She's only ten years old."
"It's okay, Daddy," Hoshiyo whimpered. Turning to Hanako's parents, she shared, "She pointed to the sky and said her daddy told her on the night of the festival, two stars that were separated from each other would be together again on that special night. Then she said she hoped no matter where we were, the stars would bring us back together again."
Hanako's parents, overwhelmed by her words, wept even more painfully. As Hoshiyo finished recounting the conversation, Hiroshiro gently pulled her away, guiding her back inside the safety of their home. Glancing back, Hoshiyo knew it would be her last time seeing Hanako. With a heavy heart, her father closed the door, leaned against it, and released a profound sigh. He slid his body on the floor.
Hiroshiro's voice trembled as he said, "From now on, you'll come to work with me. Do you understand? I don't want you to be alone."
Hoshiyo, still moist with tears, asked, "Can we go up to the mountain?"
"I'll tell you what," Hiroshiro replied gently, "if you'd like, we could go during the festival. Rumors here say there will be shooting stars. Only if you're feeling up to it, of course."
"Okay," Hoshiyo replied, wiping away her tears.
"You are so strong, my beautiful daughter. I'm so sorry you have to go through this again. When your mother died, I was so scared, and I couldn't live there anymore. I'm not strong like you."
Hoshiyo, looking for answers, questioned, "Why did Mommy have to die?" Her father sat beside her, playing with her hair, attempting to choose his words carefully.
Despite the strict social hierarchy, her mother loved being a housewife because it meant she could spend more time with Hoshiyo. She was a loyal wife who refused to be treated like property, and Hiroshiro never treated her poorly, allowing her more freedom. However, when she returned home, she started feeling ill. It started with a high fever, and the symptoms only got worse. A disturbing rash developed all over her body, and the headache was unbearable even while lying on the ground.
A doctor diagnosed Hoshiyo's mother with smallpox and declared there was no cure. They couldn't stay with her anymore for the safety of her spouse and daughter. Hoshiyo and her father did not get to say goodbye. It was so sudden, but the smallpox was spreading fast. To protect Hoshiyo, her father packed up everything and ran as far from the island of Japan as possible.
The next day, when Hoshiyo awoke, the smell of vegetables cooking on the stove filled the air. The first thought in her mind was the loss of her friend. Wondering if she could see her again, she opened the front door. Her legs involuntarily walked out, slowly opening it to see if everyone was still standing outside. But only shoe prints and pieces of her Yukata remained in the dirt.
Hiroshiro called to get her attention, "Hey, don't worry about Hanako. They took care of her. Come sit and eat breakfast with me."
Hoshiyo gently closed the sliding front door, finding herself in the family room. She settled on the quilted leg warmers at the table, contemplating a future without Hanako. Hiroshiro, her father, approached, placing a bowl of steaming white rice and perfectly melted butter in front of her.
Beside her, Hiroshiro enjoyed his meal—a bowl of tempura vegetables soaked in melted butter, generously poured over hot white rice. In their meal, he spoke, "On the mountain base, I spotted a strange animal, but I'm unsure what it was. I think it could be a goat or an antelope, maybe somehow related to a cow. Would you like to help me find the pack today?"
Hoshiyo nodded, a sense of purpose returning as she replied, "Yeah, let's do it."
"Okay, we have one week until the festival. So, let's do as much research as possible in that short timeframe, so we don't waste any more time," he instructed. Hiroshiro spent the morning preparing his gear, stacking it neatly by the front door. Meanwhile, Hoshiyo, learning more chores, cleaned the family room and hand-washed all the dishes.
Once her tasks were complete, Hoshiyo stepped outside, craving the touch of the breeze against her skin. The confines of indoor spaces made her feel trapped. Kneeling where her friend's body had been before being taken away, Hoshiyo, despite their brief acquaintance, felt a sisterly bond with Hanako. She let out the remnants of her tears, draining the reservoir of her sorrow until she could cry no more.
The Tanuki appeared out of nowhere, fixed its gaze on Hoshiyo, and inquired, "Hey, kid. What's with the gloomy face?"
Hoshiyo whimpered, "My friend, Hanako. She died yesterday. We were talking, and she dropped to the ground and never woke up."
"Oh no, I'm so sorry you had to see that," The Tanuki sympathized, "Shinigami attach to those who are either dead or dying."
Hoshiyo questioned with a tremor, "Where did she go?"
"She's a Yokai now, lingering between your world and mine until she decides whether or not she wants to reincarnate. But the price of reincarnation is that you won't remember your past life. That's why so many Yokai remain in both worlds," The Tanuki explained.
"What happens to those who decide to move on to the next world?" Hoshiyo inquired.
"They live and become one with the Kami who created them in a faraway land," The Tanuki said, "There are hundreds of Kami spread across the world."
Hoshiyo probed further, "So you decided to stay here. How come?"
"I still have unfinished business here, and besides, I don't want you to think I care about you, but I want to help you," The Tanuki admitted.
"Help me how?" Hoshiyo asked.
"You're living in two worlds at the same time, you tell me," The Tanuki chuckled.
"I wish I could meet that Kami up in the mountain," Hoshiyo expressed.
The Tanuki's eyes lit up with a thought in mind. He suggested, "I have an idea. There's another wolf, Kami, in the next village. Maybe you could convince your father to take you."
Hoshiyo glowed enthusiastically, saying, "Do you really think it could work? He wanted to see and hear about those goat antelopes today."
"Those weird-looking animals are heading in that direction. They're finding a new home because it was getting too crowded where they came from. Those guys only stopped by here yesterday for a break," Tanuki explained, "That's convenient, right? Go ask him."
Hiroshiro slid the front door open and yelled, "Hoshiyo, give me a hand here."
"Okay," Hoshiyo replied, waving goodbye to the Tanuki.
Hiroshiro handed her a few lightweight bags for her to carry. He pointed to the horse next to the house and said, "It's a long journey to the mountain base, so let's have the horse help us out too."
"Wait, daddy. We can't go to the base of the mountain," Hoshiyo cautioned.
"Why not?" Hiroshiro asked. He looked at his daughter in the bright sunlight and noticed her eyes were slowly changing color. Once dull gray, they were now naturally turning red. His eyes grew wide as he dropped his luggage. He grasped his daughter's face and said, "Hoshiyo, I don't know why I hadn't noticed yet, but your eye color is turning red. We should get you to a doctor."
Hoshiyo pushed her father away and said, "No, I'm fine. The wolf gave me his eyes so I could see Yokai."
Hiroshiro's heart raced. He couldn't make any sense of what she told him. He asked, "A wolf, how could that be possible?"
She feared her father wouldn't understand. So instead, Hoshiyo said, "The wolf was a Kami, and I asked him if I could see the Kami, and he gave me his sight. That's why I can see them and speak to them now."
Hiroshi looked up at the mountain and frowned. He said, "I'm not sure what to say. I need some time to think about this. In the meantime, tell me why we can't go to the base of the mountain."
Assisting her father in transporting their belongings to the horse, she remarked, "The Tanuki said the goat-antelopes are moving to a new home in the next village. They left early this morning, so there would be no point in going to the mountain."
"Well, the next time you see Mr. Tanuki, you can thank him for us. I guess we're traveling to the next village. I didn't know the goat antelopes migrated. Usually, animals like that don't do that. We should find out what's going on. The journey will be a long one. It might take us a few days. Are you okay with that?" Hiroshiro replied, efficiently securing empty crates to the horse's back with bamboo and rope.
Hoshiyo's eyes sparkled for the first time since Hanako passed away. She said, "Yeah, let's go."
Hiroshiro mounted the back of the horse and reached for his daughter's hand. He smiled and said, "Let's ride."
Hoshiyo held her father's hand as he lifted her to sit up front. They headed west on the path beside the mountain, passing miles of harvested fields with hardworking farmers. Hoshiyo knew this journey wouldn't be easy, but she had her father, and that's all that ever mattered now. Little by little, her eyes grew red as they journeyed closer to the next village. It was miles away, but it would be worth it.