This is a fanfic of Fatal Frame I. It's going to be about the life of Blinded, her life before, during, and after the ritual. The story will be in her perspective. I also made up the name for her cause nobody knows her real name.

This chapter describes her short life in the mansion and goes up to the beginning of Onigokko (Demon Tag). Hope you like it.

Blossoming Friendship

I woke up early on the cold October morning. It wasn't even light outside yet. I don't remember falling to sleep in the doll room, of all the places in Himuro mansion to do so. The cold eyes of the dolls had frightened me and had pervaded my sleep, making me feel as if I were being watched constantly, not being allowed to leave. This was how I felt anyway when I passed the priests and especially when I passed the family master when I first entered this place.

My parents and I were given the opportunity to come visit the mansion. It was clear to my parents why, of all people in the surrounding village, we were chosen and they seemed slightly anxious by this news. I, however; was kept in the dark about the reason but at least I wasn't the only one not thrilled about going. My parents had said that, "It is too complicated for someone so young to comprehend. We'll tell you when you're older." There seemed to be more for them to tell me, but the priests had whisked us off before they could finish and the matter was dropped.

That was at the beginning of the month, now it was the 29th. I haven't seen my parents for the past three days now and I started to feel abandoned and lonely. There were other kids about my age that roamed about the mansion, but I get too shy around strangers so I keep away from them. I resolved to myself that today, I'll be courageous enough to ask someone where my parents have gone. And if they tell me that they've left, I'll go straight home after them. I don't feel like spending any more time here. This mansion makes me feel strange; it feels….unfriendly and full of anger.

Sounds could be heard outside, creaking from the wood mingled with voices. I felt sudden rushes of panic and I looked for a place to hide. I didn't want to hide behind or under the doll displays for fear of any sudden movement I make might disturb the fragile dolls. Looking behind me I saw a small closet under two shelves in which I could possibly fit in. Quickly, I grabbed the blanket I brought with me from home, which kept me warm despite its lightness, and dashed to the closet. I closed the door just as the other door slid open. It was a tight fit but I could manage being perfectly still so not as to make any noise.

The door shut silently and the low murmurs of voices were dying away. They were going past the room! But someone was still in here, I heard them. The soft, light patter of their feet and the swishes of a kimono. A child? Not one of the ones that I've been hiding from? Why were they in here? To look at the dolls, maybe?

I wanted to see who it was and what they were doing, so I slid the closet door open quietly and just enough for me to peek through to see. The room was darker than I had thought with the paper shade lamp in the center of the floor and a candle in the child's hand. I could see the girl wore a pale kimono with flowers and a yellow obi. She was staring at the kagome dolls on the left, probably the ones that were on a pedestal of some sort. After looking at that, she turned and looked at the sacred doll in a white kimono that was next to the closet where I was hiding. Was she looking for something or just staring at the dolls?

The black haired girl seemed transfixed with the sacred doll. Her eyes didn't leave it for a short while. I could feel my right leg going numb from sitting on it and I silently wished the strange girl would leave. Suddenly the girl's hand twitched and a soft cry came from her. The sudden movement and noise almost made me jump, but still I stayed perfectly motionless. I imagine the candle must have burned her hand. I couldn't see if it did because she strayed out of my sight.

After a slight rustling the girl turned to leave, but stopped just in front of the closet. Something had caught her attention. What was it? The door wasn't open enough for anyone to see a small child hiding within. She leaned down and pulled at a gray colored fabric. The tugging sent my hand forward and I looked at what it was. My blanket! A piece must have been left outside in my rush to hide! I grew panicky again when I realized there was no way out of this. I hastily grabbed my blanket back from the girl's grip and, making sure it was all there this time, I shut the door and held it tightly.

"Who's there?" the girl asked, surprised and even a little nervously. "Come out of there!"

I didn't answer her first question and there was no way I was going to leave until she was out of the room. As if the girl had read my mind, I heard her feet retreat from my hiding place and I could hear the door open then close. I waited and strained my ears to hear the noises outside. I couldn't hear anything, no creaking of the floorboards like the last time. Maybe because there was only one person this time. Who knows?

Slowly, I opened the door and crawled out of the closet. My blue kimono was a little dusty from being in there and my right leg was completely numb. I held my blanket tightly and limped out of the room, brighter than before now because the sun had just risen. I looked past the lattice outside and saw the cherry atrium. It would have been more beautiful and colorful had I been here in earlier months, but now it was very bland, almost gray. I turned to my left and at the end of the hall the black haired girl was there, waiting. She smiled and waved at me. I smiled back weakly then looked down at the floor.

"What's your name?" she called. I looked up at her but didn't answer. She walked over to me and leaned in front of me. Startled, I took a step back. The girl giggled. "You're very shy, aren't you? Haha….well, I'll start the introducing then. My name's Kirie. I live here and I'm a descendant of the Himuro family." She paused; she said all this in one breath and needed to take another. "I don't remember ever seeing you…. are you from the village?"

I nodded and hugged the blanket closer to my chest as if it would protect me from the girl's never-ending questions. 'Maybe she'll leave me alone if I answer her questions,' I thought to myself. "I'm Akiko." I said quietly, looking back at the floor.

"Akiko…so you're one of the visitors that the master was talking about then? Where are your parents?" I looked up at her. "They didn't let you come all the way here by yourself, did they?"

"Er….no. They were here with me, but they left a couple of days ago. I haven't seen them since." I looked back down at the floor. Why was I telling this stranger everything?

At this Kirie seemed to be confused and her tone changed a little, it was more sympathetic. "They just left you here?" I shrugged that I didn't know. "Well, that can't be right. Why would they leave you here?" Kirie paused and seemed to be thinking. "I have an idea," she said, grabbing my hand. "Come with me. We'll go ask one of the priests if they know what happened to your parents."

Surprised, I looked up at her and before I could say, 'Wait, you don't have to do that.' she was pulling at my hand and was forcing me to run behind her. Kirie led me around the other side of the lattice and we ran to another door at the other end of the hall. Quickly, I passed a glance to the other side of the atrium that I couldn't see. There was another small building with the Himuro crest on it, and there was a balcony above and to the left of it that could be reached from somewhere in the house. I could also see a door in the far part of the atrium built into a wooden wall. Briefly, I wondered what was behind there.

Kirie suddenly stopped and I almost collided into her from not paying attention to what she was doing. She opened the door and we both passed through. A few people were in this room but none of them seemed to notice us or didn't seem to care we were there. Instinctively, I closed the door and looked at the people. There was an air of excitement about these people for some reason. With my left hand, Kirie never let go of the right, I tapped her shoulder. She abandoned her search for a priest and turned to me questioningly.

"Who are these people and what are they happy about?" I asked, repeating twice more so that she could hear me.

"These people work for the family master," Kirie said, with a slight air of importance as if what she said was a secret that no one else knew. "They're happy because a new Shrine Maiden's going to be chosen soon." I was very confused and my face must have shown it because Kirie started again, louder. Loud enough for a man a few feet away to listen to what she was saying. "A Shrine Maiden is very important for the Himuros and the village. They protect everyone from the Cala-…."

"Kirie!" a demanding voice shouted from the top of the stairwell. His voice was so powerful that everyone in the hall, including Kirie and I, stopped talking and looked up.

I gasped and hid behind Kirie when I realized who it was. Hiding was completely useless though, the family master had seen me and his anger overpowered the feeling of anticipation that was there moments before. He waved a hand to the servants, bidding them leave. They all filed through the door Kirie and I came through even though there was another door across from us. It was possibly locked. Only after the last person left and the door had shut did the family master step down towards us.

His face was what scared me the most. Usually it was something such as a mask, hiding his true feelings so that he always appeared emotionless; however, that was not true at this moment. His haggard face was contorted now. I felt as though he was going to spit fire at us. What did Kirie say that could have unnerved him so?

Kirie didn't seem fearful of him at all; in fact she seemed pleased he was here. I wanted to ask her why but I couldn't. Not now. He stood in front of us now and looked between us both. He must have been amused at the fear he was putting in me because he had a small smile when he saw me. His eyes went back to Kirie's face and his fury went back into his cold eyes.

"What were the both of you talking about just now?" his voice was calm. "Did I hear you talking about the Shrine Maidens?"

Kirie shook her head "No, of course not, sir." Kirie said, hurriedly. "I was asking Akiko about her family…" another evil look aimed at me. "…because she said that her parents are missing."

He knew Kirie was lying but went along with her lie anyway. "Missing? How long have they been gone?" This question was for me to answer. I felt that talking to him was impossible. I swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in my throat and answered. "Three days now." He studied me before he answered. "Akiko…I remember meeting you and your parents when you first came here. You remember?" I nodded. "Yes, your parents did leave three days ago. Your father fell ill two days before they left. Fearing it was contagious, they left you here until it passes. When it does pass, they will come back for you."

"They told you this?" I asked, disbelieving everything he said. They would have told me this themselves, they wouldn't leave it for some stranger to tell me.

"Yes, they did," he said, noticing the speculation in my voice. "And I told them not to worry. I told them I would care for you as if you were family. A member of my own house." The way he said 'family' and 'house' made me wonder even more about my purpose there. Why would he stress those words?

It felt as though Kirie sensed the same thing I did. Hastily she bowed her head, and I followed her lead reluctantly, and then asked if we could leave. He said that we could and he walked to the opposite door, passing a large mirror I never noticed before. Kirie walked up the stairs and I followed closely behind her. I shot a quick glance to the door through a gap in the stairs and the wall that the family master went through. As I looked, I could see that same small smile he gave me, and I thought I heard a laugh as he locked the door behind him.

I wanted to ask Kirie the questions I was wondering about but every time I opened my mouth she would shake her head and tell me to, 'Wait.' She went behind a wall that cut off half the landing and a small door could be seen through a window in the wall. Kirie opened the door but I stood on the landing looking at a small flight of stairs with another door at the top of them. There were so many doors in this place. It was very easy to get lost.

"Are you coming?" Kirie called from behind the wall.

"Where does that door go to?" I asked, pointing at it. Kirie looked at it and motioned for me to go over to her. I turned away and went through the small door and entered the 'anteroom' as Kirie called it. There were boxes in the corner next to where we entered. Drawers with some dolls on them and kimonos hung from the wall. Kirie sat on the tatami and pointed at another for me to sit on.

"The master's been acting strange today," Kirie murmured to herself. "I wonder why he snapped like that…"

I couldn't hold it in anymore. "What did he mean down there?" Kirie looked at me, confused. "When he said, 'I would care for you as if you were family. A member of my own house.' What did he mean?" Kirie sighed and looked at the floor, as if the answer was there. She sat silently in thought and despite my frustration; I waited for her answer patiently. I felt as if Kirie and I had a lot in common, as if we were sisters. It was nice to have a friend in this place; I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't.

I twirled the ends of my blanket nervously and after a while the ends were starting to fray beneath my fingertips. Kirie jerked out of the trance and I looked up at her. "I think I know what he meant," she paused as if collecting her thoughts so they made sense, then she continued. "There are many branches of the Himuro family. I'm a good example of this because my last name isn't Himuro, neither were my parents, I think." she stopped again. Did she know her parents? "But I'm a descendant of the Himuros. I told you that when we first met this morning, remember?" I nodded. This morning seemed so long ago. "Maybe you're a descendant too."

I stared. A Himuro? Me? It seemed impossible, but then my parents never really talked about our ancestors. Were they ashamed? I heard many stories about the Himuros and the rituals they perform. That would explain why my parents were nervous about coming here. I frowned at the floor while these thoughts swirled around my brain. Kirie tapped my shoulder and I looked up. She was smiling again as she did this morning. That same bright, warm smile that could make any pain or sorrow go away instantly. No evil could come from her, even if she was a Himuro.

"It isn't all bad, you know? Being a Himuro." she stood up and went to another door beside the dresser. "Sure we're not that well liked, but we are important. Without us this place would be…." she stopped, probably remembering earlier with the Himuro master. "Are you hungry? I know I am."

For weeks following October 29th, Kirie and I grew inseparable. People of the house thought that we really were sisters. She showed me the whole house and soon I grew confident that I could find my way through the house blindfolded. She showed me great hiding places, but I still thought my best was the closet in the doll room. Hers was under the porch that led to the atrium.

Being with Kirie helped me with my shyness as well. It wasn't completely gone but I could at least talk to people instead of looking at the ground and talk to it. I had some friends among the servants and the kids that were here as well. I could talk to the priests but my voice was still quiet and I always twirled the sleeves of my kimono. I still stared at the floor while talking to them though. Although, I avoided talking to the family master at all costs. He was the only exception to my newfound confidence.

I adored all my friends at the mansion but I still missed my parents. I now know the family master lied to me about the 'illness' that my father had. I told Kirie about my thoughts and she didn't disagree. She didn't agree with what I thought either. She seemed to have her own ideas about what happened to my parents but she wouldn't reveal them to me. Perhaps she was protecting me from something. I never asked her.

On November 25th, the family master brought every young girl in the mansion to the room with the big fireplace. There were 5 kids there, including me and Kirie, and we were all wondering what was happening. Why would he put all the children, specifically all girls 7 years old, in one room? Kirie and I sat on the stairs while everyone else played with the ball from the doll room. Two priests guarded the room, one guarded the door leading into the hall, and the other guarded the door to the tatami room.

"What do you think is going on?" I asked Kirie, quietly as a priest looked at us. "This is strange, don't you think?"

"It is not strange," she said. "They're getting ready to pick another Shrine Maiden." I frowned. Kirie told me all about the Shrine Maiden and her duties during my stay here. It was a close-kept secret that no one outside the Himuro family could know. I was the only outsider that knew, even though I was considered a Himuro now. Kirie said that it was, 'an honor and a horror.' I believed it was more of a horror, and I think Kirie did too. Neither one of us told the other our beliefs about it because it was forbidden. Even among the family.

Footsteps from behind the door that led to the hall could be heard and both Kirie and I turned quickly. The guard pushed back the door and two people entered. All the girls looked at the family master whose arm was around the woman visitor's. No one had seen this lady before and we all noticed there was something wrong with her. The lady's free hand was roaming wildly across the walls and she turned her head at any movement made.

She was blind.

As she entered the light we could all see the lightly red stained bandage over her eyes. She was so pale it was as if she hadn't been in the sunlight for years and her faded kimono hung on her loosely. This lady was near death, we could all see that. One of the young girls gasped and the lady's head turned straight towards her, her free arm reaching out trying to grab her. I turned to Kirie and saw that tears were welling up in her eyes. She brushed them away with the back of her hand and she regained her calm outward appearance. Inside I knew that she was crying. I felt the same way. There was no possible way that no one was sympathetic to this lady.

I was proven wrong when the heartless family master talked to all of us as calm as he always was. "This is the Blind Demon," he started, looking at all of us. "I imagine that you've all played Demon Tag before, correct?" All the girls nodded out of fear for talking. "Well, that's what I brought all of you here for. As soon as I let go of her arm she will chase you. The first caught shall be the next Demon, the game will go until the last girl is caught. Do you all understand?" Everyone nodded again. "Excellent."

He loosened his grip on the Demon's arm and he slowly let go…..