"You are beautiful, Hana!"
[H- Huh!!? What are you suddenly saying?!?]
Hana suddenly starts stuttering and flailing around seemingly nervous and embarrassed by my sudden words that appeared out of no where.
Though I am not saying a lie, she really is beautiful. Her face perfect and pale with her being a spirit and all, her long silky brown hair, and her graceful voice.
Not to mention after digging through her memories, her body and the way she does things are somewhat as close as a princess.
"You've gone through a lot, Hana."
[Wha- wha—???]
She is left speechless, a bright aura emanating around her ghostly form.
She really had endured so much, despite her life being turned upside down. She was fired from her modeling job, and her boyfriend left her because of the scar.
Usually all those would be enough to cause someone to hold a grudge and might become spirits with hatred or even evil spirits.
"Please do not ever hate yourself. Infact, that scar of yours shows how capable you are of your beauty."
[. . .]
Even despite all those prejudice and and her depression, she still became a kindred spirit. The only reason she hasn't peacefully moved on to her eternal rest was because.
She had doubts, she didn't know what to do. Left to ponder whether she could be beautiful even in her rest.
Though shamans can be rarely seen in this time of age, I a shaman. Who's job is to bring peace to both the human and spiritual realm, that is what grandma has taught me.
"You do not need to have any lingering doubts or fears, Hana."
Though usually a normal persons body would pass through any non physical being, I was gifted with the power to comfort spirits in need to the fullest making me able to interact with them as if they were human.
Though I do not feel any warmth from her, nor does she feel any from me, I still hold her in my arms.
"May you find peace and move on to your eternal slumber."
And with those words, a tear drops from her face and she closes her eyes. A smile can be seen from her beautiful face as she disappears in thin air leaving bubble like ripples.
***
I forgot I was on a train and missed my stop.
Sigh well I was able to do my job as a shaman... In training...
I ended up having to stay a night at a motel. It wasn't that comfortable due to how cramp the rooms were, but atleast it was cheap.
It's Saturday tomorrow anyway so I guess I have time to myself. Hmmm, wonder what they have for breakfast at that nearby convenience store.
I awaken from my sleep, who knew just comforting a spirit would put a burden on my body.
I step out of the motel and take in the early morning breeze, the sky streaked with orange, the sun peaking through the tall buildings and clouds.
Vroom vroom!
Beeeep!
Rattle rattle.
Ah the sound of the city early in the morning, but of course you can't forget the spirits who are wandering about.
[Mama! Can we sleep at someone's house?]
[We can't dear, that's their home.]
[Ah I'm bored! Why did they stop doing theatre play!]
Spirits from different times loiter around, some with harmless traits and some that aren't dangerous to humans, but can still wreak havoc.
Walking around this unfamiliar side of the city, I find a graveyard. But a specific tombstone caught my eye, it was Hana's.
'thats her tomb stone huh?' Yoru thought.
I walk up to the grave after buying some flowers I had seen nearby, it was blue kind of flower which she liked after I saw through her memories.
May You Find Peace In Your Eternal Slumber.
Tap. Tap.
Startled, I flinch slightly and look back to see an old man tapping my back. He also had the same blue flowers that Hana liked.
'could he be an old friend of hers' thinking a bit, then the old man spoke.
"What's a young one doing here?"
His voice was gentle and smooth for his old age, not to mean any offense but it was pretty surprising.
"Those flowers, she liked these flowers y'know. The bluebells. It meant humility, constancy, gratitude, and everlasting love."
I keep quiet as he lays the flowers down on her grave, brushing the dust off with his wrinkled hands.
"Ah, sorry for saying such nonsense. You probably don't even understa—"
"It matches her perfectly."
The old man's eyes widen, he was confused and surprised by my answer. He wanted to speak but his mouth was left agape.
"It really does match her. Now if you excuse me, I'll be taking my leave."
I stand up and start walking away, the old man couldn't respond at all he was just left there sitting Infront of the tombstone.
Well it was alright anyway, it's best that he doesn't know how or why a random highschool kid brought his auntie her favorite flowers.
Yes, that old man.
It was Yosuke.
* * *
I've been coming to her grave every month and every year.
I was the only one who does so, my family not even her friends or sisters came to visit her.
I felt lonely, I felt as if it was my fault and my arrogance that made her life a living hell.
Ever since she got that scar, her modeling job fired her, her boyfriend broke up with her, I couldn't help her since we rarely visit each other anymore.
I've been placing those same flowers for her for that last 70 years. No one even bothered offering a flower even though most of her family and friends were nearby, when I asked them to do so they just picked the cheapest kinds of offering and hurriedly left.
But this kid...
This kid was different, he appeared out of no where offering the exact flowers with the exact same amount of flower heads.
'how could a young kid like him know about Hana, someone who died over 70 years ago?' I thought
It was probably just a prank, I was about to yell out furiously until the kid muttered out something which left me speechless.
"May you find peace in your eternal slumber."
It was that moment I felt warmth in my heart, even if he didn't know who she was decades ago, he still puts his hands together muttering out words even I couldn't understand.
Out of habit, I started telling him about Hana. But he looked at me as though he already knew that, so I decided to tell him what the flowers meant.
He gave a small smile and responded.
"It matches her perfectly."
Huh?
How did he know? How does he know that?
I was unable to respond at all, how does he know about Hana? A young kid like him? He doesn't even know what she looks like, she hasn't appeared anywhere. So how?
It was only then I felt as if something cold yet warm was hugging me from behind, a gentle but familiar voice I haven't heard the last 70 years.
[Yosuke, thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful.]
"Hana!?"
No one was there when I turned around, but I was sure of it. That was my Auntie wasn't it?
"I'm going crazy... You're welcome, Hana."
* * *
The memories of when I put Hana to rest were still clear in my mind.
Present day
"Yoru! Happy birthday man!"
"You got any parties you can invite us to?"
I simply shake my head and they laugh it off while patting my shoulder, they were quite nice.
'being 23 and an adult is a pain, maybe I shouldn't have wished for highschool to fly so fast' I thought to myself
I'm now working as a Forester and ecologist. They sound boring which they are, but being out in the forest brings me sense of ease, though there are some spirits wandering around.
[Oops I got lost again.]
[Meow~!]
Animals and humans alike, some died of natural causes and are stuck in a loop, some got killed by either animals or humans, who knows maybe even both.
"Uhmm mister?"
I turn my head to see a kid looking distressed, did she get separated from her group? Jeez these damn school teachers aren't even caring about their kids on a school field trip anymore.
"How'd you end up here, kid?"
"Some wierd looking man dragged me out here."
Weird looking man? What was she talking about? Wait never mind that, how did she even find her way this far? The lodging is atleast 200 meters away.
[Hohoho, what are you doing with my kid?]
I feel a strange chill run down my spine, the voice low and scratchy.
Even though I haven't looked at it directly, it was clear he wanted to hurt me.
" Uhm! Please don't hurt us—!?"
In instinct, I grab the kid and put her on my shoulder as I run full speed weaving through the tall trees.
[GIVE ME MY KID BACK!!]
The angry spirit reeks of dead rotten flesh, I felt like I could vomit. But this kids safety is my priority, who knows what'll happen if she gets taken.
A sudden memory from when I was a kid appeared in my mind, when grandma and auntie were fighting those two spirits off. It caused a shiver to run down my spine making me want to get the hell out of here.
Creak!
Crash!
"Mister above!"
"Huh!?"
BOOM! CRASH!
The spirit had enough will to slash the trees down making them fall towards me, or even to block my path.
[Kids now a days don't know a damn thing!]
Tree trunks start falling left and right, several almost landed exactly at us but we were still somehow safe.
' We're close!' he thought.
A tree was thrown directly towards me that could kill me and the little kid, I suddenly toss the little girl high up into the air making her yelp in surprise.
WHOOOSH! CRASSHHHH!
"Urghhh..."
I was able to duck down before the large trunk pierced a hole through my body, I swiftly stand up and continue running and catch the girl who was about to fall.
"P-please don't ever do that again!"
"I won't."
This keeps going on and on, my legs are already starting to give out. The adrenaline pumping through my veins were dissipating, the cabin was already close to see and perfectly hear what the others were doing.
The angry spirit loses sight of us after we hid behind a small hill.
[KEKEKEKEKE!! You're only delaying the inevitable!]
The spirit laughs maniacally, his irritating voice makes me feel as if my ears were bleeding. The little girl shudders holding her mouth shut with both her hands trying not to let a single cry or breath out.
We were both tired, but the girl still had enough strength to possibly run towards the cabin herself. The problem was the lurking spirit, he is fixated on this girl for an unknowns reason.
'could she be some sort of descendant of his? Or she looked like someone he treasured and was blinded by hope?' Yoru started racking his brains to find am answer.
"Say, little kid. What's your name?"
Startled by the sudden question the little girl answers.
"M-my name? It's, Yana Hoshino."
I calm her down a bit, but the killing intent of the spirit still screaming and cursing trying to find us scares her making her want to ball up and cry.
"Listen, see those houses up ahead?"
I point towards a house with a chimney and silhouettes of people moving around, it looked to be 100 feet away. But it was enough distance for her, I place my hands on her shoulder to prepare and encourage her for what's about to happen.
"I need you to run over their at full speed."
"Wha—!!?"
Creak~
I immediately cover her mouth to stop her from making a fuss. His laughter and the sound of trees falling right above us grow louder, his steps rather heavy for a spirit who passes through physical things.
"Listen to me. If you don't run over there, we both will fall under that horrible man's hands, okay?"
"B-but, I'm scared sob sob..."
The kid start trying to wipe her tears away but it won't stop coming out. I give her a small towel and I prop her up again placing my hand on her back, the sound of the spirit growing closer leaving goosebumps over both of us.
[COME OUT COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!! KEKEKEKKEKEKEKEKE!!!]
I lean over to whisper on her ear as final words for what I'm about to do to protect her, and future passerbys.
"Don't look back. Run and you survive, don't then we both die."
THUD! THUD!
CREEEAAAAAAAAAAKK~!
The little girl gulps a lump that was stuck in her throat as she readies herself to run the fastest she's ever done.
With a push, she takes off running and speeds through several fallen trees better than when I was carrying as if they were nothing. The spirit sees her and readies itself to throw one of the logs at her.
" You sad pitiful soul of a spirit."
Those words were enough to cause his non physical body to burst a blood vessel, he turns around and swings a giant log at me, luckily dodging in time I lunged at him and pale flames emitted from my body.
[YOU—!?]
They weren't as strong as grandma, but they were enough to subjugate and paralyze them at a touch.
Moonlit flame: Paralyze
Though auntie Eiri was able to do this without drawbacks, as I was only an apprentice, it caused a great deal of stress, fatigue, and damage to my body.
[SO YOU'RE ONE OF THEM YOU BRAT!?]
The ability was only able to work on spirits with bad intentions, but this spirit who's rage is undescribable, was able to fight against the ability that my grandma's side of shamans used to protect themselves.
CRASH!
THUD!
"Keugh—!?"
[Pesky little brat!]
After he threw me against a tree he quickly picks me up and slams me hard on the ground, blood starts splattering out, a sight I haven't seen in a while.
'this should be enough ' I turn to look at the far away houses noticing the girl is already out of sight.
[You're more pitiful than how I died KYAHAHAHA!!]
Pitiful indeed.
Dying on the hands of spirits is a shamans fate, there was no avoiding it once you walked this path.
"Kugghh— you died after getting caught about to violate another human being."
The furious spirit looked at me annoyed, he clenched his fist and start making his way towards me.
[How do you know about that you—!!?]
A sudden sensation coursed through his astral body, the sensation like thunder striking down on him.
"I'm sorry grandma, but this scum of a human being does not deserve to rest peacefully without repenting."
Grandma always said in her books.
-never hurt the souls of the dead.
-always comfort them and put them to rest when needed.
But this scum of a man.
CRACK. CRACK.
The spirit is already breaking free from the earlier enchantment and starts stomping his way over and throws more tree trunks at me.
[ARRGH IT HURTS!]
The earlier spell was only meant to stop his movements a bit, but it's true purpose was to deal stinging pain over a human and/or a spirits body.
* * *
Over at the cabin houses.
The girl has made her way back to her group.
"Yana? Where were you? We haven't seen you anywhere at all, we started to get worried!"
The teacher gently scolds her, she grabs the teacher by the shirt pulling slightly as she's out of breath from the long exhausting run.
"S- S- Someone! Forest! Danger!!!"
She gasps and exclaims in between her panting breaths, she was unable to form coherent words that are close to understandable. The fear that was brought to her because of that spirit was immense.
Meanwhile.
The workers who are now taking a break just now realized my absence.
"Yoru hasn't come back yet has he?"
"Guess not, he's usually the one time come by here earlier but not even a hint showed he came by"
The workers wondered and heard a sudden noise from the forest along with the students and teachers, thinking it was just their imagination they all just look at each other dumfounded.
SCEEEAAAAAAAAAACH—!!
SCREEEEAAAAAAAM!!
The children were startled to bits and the teachers hard to take them back into the cabin, a glance from one of the supervisor teachers were shared with the workers.
As if exchanging words telepathically, most of the workers start making their way into the forest and the other half stands by the cabins and make calls to the police.
Pant. Pant
Yana who was on the verge of collapsing was only able to let a few words out towards the teacher before she fell and passed out.
"... BAD MAN... JEFF"
"Jeff??"
* * *
CRASH. CRASH
THUD!
More blood continues to spill from my body, the furious spirit kept on lunging powerful slashes at me after that blood hurdled scream.
Well it is fine, I've already guessed what you are after paralyzing you.
During the time I was able to paralyze him, I was able to see through parts of his memory.
He was a spirit not from someone deceased, but was created due to fear and strong beliefs.
"PARALYZE!"
Though the spell was already weak, I only needed to get some distance between us and weave through the trees.
[CURSE YOU!]
' god can this man shut up ' I thought to myself while hiding somewhere far enough to not hear my labored breathing.
I knew the stories about these woods but to think something like this would have happened, what a load of bull.
This spirit was thought after the legend ' Jeff the killer '.
Through his memories I was able to go through a part of it, though almost all of it were just the victims that fell on his grasp.
But I was sure of it.
Thud
Thud
He's definitely an original spirit.
His footsteps have grown closer but I was able to hide further away each time, making him become even more enraged.
Original spirits are the same as yokai, but have slight differences. But both are made almost the same, they are both made from strong beliefs, and wander around.
But these original spirit were also made by fear, which is the case for him. A spirit made due to this woods becoming a good test of courage for old high schoolers.
Yokai normally have distorted figures that wander aimlessly unless the beliefs that made them were specific.
But this one was made for a specific command.
To haunt, scare, and kill.
"Hey! What's your name you pale skinned vermin?"
[WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!!?]
CRASH!
As if in instinct, he immediately throws a fallen tree trunk towards the direction of my voice, luckily he threw it rather far from my left.
His heavy breathing accompanied by his strong intent to kill leaves my body shivering and shaking, I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down before speaking.
"You're honestly quite pitiful y'know?
Crack
As if he had a vein in the first place, his body starts shaking and twitching, like a TV screen glitching his body separating with each word.
"Brought to this world with no purpose than to kill, I'm guessing you waited a long time in these woods hmm?"
[SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!]
CRASH!!
Another tree was thrown to the direction of my voice, his killing intent growing larger and larger to the point you can smell or even taste it.
"Phew... I'm gonna die but it's best to die with someone or something in these occasions no?"
Stomp
[Kekeke!! Found you you brat!!]
Without warning he immediately grabs me by the throat and flails me around like a doll, his grip tight as he's punching me against a tree.
CRASH
CRASH
CRASH
Blood starts dripping out of my lips all the way down to my body, his attacks relentless and savage. He does not give me one second to even think or breath as he smashes me against the tree even more.
" Keugh! "
[What now brat!? For anything left to say??! KEKEKEKE!!]
The spirit taunts, laughing maniacally.
A sudden small white flame ignites from my palms as I squeeze his wrists, though he wasn't showing signs of pain or discomfort this was the only way to prevent any more harm around these woods.
Sizzle~
The ability my grandma used all those years ago.
[Brat! What the hell do you think you're doing!!!!??]
The ability to annihilate all souls that your deem your target
The ability guaranteed to kill both souls of the user and the spirit, a sacrifice that all shamans in my grandma's side used when there were no other option.
Intertwined souls.
Annihilation technique: Sacrificial Blade