Authors note :
Hello,
I'm Himari, and I'm learning English. You might notice some grammatical errors in my writing, but I'm doing my best to improve. Thank you for your understanding.
I will update my story once per week !
Have fun !
The Awakening
Harukas life was a tragic and short one. She never had any close friends in school and her family mostly abandoned her since her brother was far more sucessful than she was.
An earthquake took her life while she was just 16 years old and never really had the chance to be happy. However, compared to her life, death was a welcoming change for her...
A calm wind gently blew against her face. Her body lies within a cozy bed made out of leafs and moss. She opened her eyes weakly and looked up to the strange trees with blue leafs attached on the blue wood. The whole place was as whimsical as it gets.
>>What is this place...?<<
As she stood up from the ground, she noticed that her body was dressed in a dark Kimono with white flowers engraved in the fine material. The silent splashing of water can be heard in the distance, the only noise that wanders through the forest.
Carefully and slowly, Haruka approached the direction in which the sound came from. The more she walks around in the forest, the more Tori gates she can spot. The big red gates stand in the dark forest with all their pride.
Her feeling of time was completely lost. She doesn't know how long she was walking until she finally reached the glowing purple sea in front of her. Curiosity caused her to move closer to the water and touch it carefully.
Instead of getting wet, her hand remained dry. The water went through her hand like its made out of air.
She gasped and quickly pulled her hand back.
"Eek !"
She screamed out in pure horror. The strange place finally went through her nerves and caused her to panic. She fell on the ground and looked at the shiny blue water in pure shock.
A strange bulge appeared out of the mysterious water. As the water flowed down from the bulge, Haruka notices a demonic fish-like face that looks at her with yellow glowing eyes.
"You...why are you here ?"
The creature spoke with a dark and distorted voice that sent a chill down her spine.
"What even are you ?"
Haruka asked with a shaky voice. Her whole body was frozen out of pure fear. Her breath was heavy and her heart pounded like sledgehammer inside her chest.
"You should know what i am."
The creature spoke in a rather calm voice that still contained the dark and distorted tone.
"Look at my face. Your kind has seen beings like me quite often."
Haruka shook her head in disbelief while she carefully looked into the face of the strange being. Finally, she got it. Haruka noticed the facial structure of the being.
"T-This can't be...you are a kappa ?"
The creature giggled and stepped out of the shiny water. Compared to its head, its body was quite small, nealy as high as Harukas knees.
"Finally, you got it."
The kappa looked at Haruka with an analysing expression while it slowly raised its eyebrows - or whatever the things are, that resemble its eyebrows - and nods.
"You are quite smart for a human...but i've never seen a dead one as alive as you are."
Haruka gasped.
"I-I am dead ?"
"Of course ! How do you think a human ends up in the spirit realm ?"
The kappa said like he was somehow mad at Haruka for not knowing where she was.
"I can't be dead ! You are lying !"
She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Huh ?! You think i am lying ? Your kind shouldn't even be able to walk around here in the first place."
Haruka raised an eyebrow.
"But i am walking around. I am breathing, i can feel my heartbeat."
She proudly said while demonstrating how she breathes air.
The kappa doesn't impressed in the slightest and let out a small sigh.
"So the strange trees, the glowing water and my existence hasn't convinced you at all ?"
It said in an annoyed tone while tapping with this foot like the kappa is waiting for something to happen.
Haruka closes her eyes. She tries to remember why she got there...
The dim sunlight from her hometown shined on her head. Her noose smells the salty scent of the mighty blue sea in front of her. She had quite the nice view from the top of the bridge.
But then, everything vanished. She doesn't remember anything after that. The image of the Ocean in front of her was engraved in her head but there is nothing after that.
As she opened her eyes, the impatient kappa still stood in front of her.
"So ? Do you have a clue now ?"
Haruka sighed and shook her head.
"Not really."
She cleared her throat and then looked around.
"You said that my kind usually doesn't walk around here like that...what do you mean by that ?"
The kappa sighed in annoyance.
"Usually, the souls of humans live here. They kinda look like blue fireflies, not like...well...you."
After she heard what the kappa said, her eyes wandered through the obscure landscape that surrounded her.
"So...i am special ?"
She asked while smiling slightly.
"What ? I mean, I guess so ? Why does that matter ?"
Haruka shook her head while still maintaining her smile.
"Ah, nevermind."
The creature cleared its throat.
"Anyways, you must visit the boss. He doesn't like it if beings just wander around here without introducing themselves to him."
Her eyebrow rose.
"Your..boss ?"
The kappa nodded.
"Yes. Follow me, i show you the way..."