So here it is, friends! My seconds attempt at writing a chapter story! This time, I have pre-written all the chapters ('all' as in 'three') to ensure that there isn't any disappointment. There may or may not be a sequel, but please don't waste your effort in pressuring me to write more, 'cause if I write anything else, it'll be because I want to. Now please enjoy!
The world was smothered by a thick grey blanket. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled. All across Japan, no, all across the world, there had been floods, tsunamis, typhoons, storms, and just the steady downpour of rain. The Sahara Desert shouldn't be expecting it's annual rainfall in another eight months or so, and yet it was flooding. Rivers burst their banks and oceans invaded the land, hurricanes ripped at the cities, hail and even snow storms were unseasonably tearing across the face of Japan.
Yuuko Ogino, who sat huddled in her little home, could make neither head no tale of it. She was trying to watch the weather forecast, but the connection was playing up and anyway, the weather as about as unpredictable as it was soothing.
Yuuko jumped as another peal of thunder sounded from outside. This weather was... unnatural. If she had been a superstitious sort of person, then she would have believed that something might be... happening. Something strange. There were certainly many people who did believe that something was going on. From the guy who worked at the till of the local corner shop to priests and priestesses at the local temple, there was a whole collection of people who seemed to be... expecting something.
Lightning flashed and thunder clashed. Just how Akio could be sleeping in this weather was a complete mystery to Yuuko. She had been utterly unable to sleep that night, what with the noise going on, so she had come down to the sitting room to watch (well, attempt to watch) the late night weather forecast. She at least hoped that Chihiro was sleeping well...
...Oh...
It was strange how she still did that. It had been years since Chihiro had disappeared, but Yuuko could still sometimes manage to think that her daughter was still in the house. She would make an extra meal, buy extra food, even lookup to say something to her daughter, only to remember with a pang that Chihiro was gone. The police had long since stopped searching, and she had been presumed dead. Case closed.
Then the doorbell rang. Again. It was the fifth time that day. Yuuko nervously eyed the pile of 'gifts' that lay strewn across the coffee table. Most were nice things, like scented candles and rare herbs. One was even a glorious blue-and-green kimono that was obviously very expensive. Others, however, were a bit… well, odd. Strange stones, and packets of things that had no label, and even a small pouch of what looked and smelled suspiciously like powdered bone. Yes. They were odd. As had been the people who delivered them. Some had been more than a little intimidating, dressed in the rich fabrics of the most expensive kimonos. Others had been more plainly dressed, but in a way they were even worse, for they each wore a strange mask, depicting an animal of some sort.
Nevertheless, as the doorbell rang again, Yuuko got up and went answer it. Cautiously she opened the door, afraid of the rain but also afraid of the visitor. What she saw came as a surprise. The person outside was small, and looked about fourteen. She wore a simple kimono, pretty yet sensible, of earthy-red and woodsy-brown. Her hair was deep brown and cropped to about cheek level, where it curved outwards in little spikes, giving her thin face an innocent, though slightly elfin, look. Her strange eyes, green flecked with brown, started calculatingly up into Yuuko's. Then she smiled stunningly.
'Greetings, Mrs Ogino-sama,' the girl said, bowing low. Like all the others, she knew Yuuko's name without being told. 'I have come to give my respects and to congratulate you. I am sure you must be very proud.' The girl held out a small basket, filled with what seemed to be flowers and herbs. Yuuko felt slightly flustered. Many had said much the same thing, if they even spoke at all. Seeing Yuuko's discomfort, the smile on the girl's face widened and her eyes twinkled.
'I-I'm afraid I don't know what you mean,' Yuuko stuttered, feeling her face flush slightly.
'Really? Has nobody told you? Oh, you poor thing! You must forgive us, Mrs Ogino-sama, for intruding upon you like this, but we merely wanted to pay you our respects and give congratulations.'
'Yes, but congratulations about what?' Yuuko asked, slightly exasperated. It all vanished, however, at the girls next words.
'Your daughter, Mrs Ogino-sama,' she said. Yuuko froze. Chihiro had vanished about two years ago now, and all attempts at finding her had been useless. It was as if she had simply vanished of the face of the earth.
'W-what do you know of Chihiro?' Yuuko whispered. She knew she must have gone pale and she gripped the door frame tightly. 'I-s she ok? Has something happened to her…?'
'There is no need to sound so worried, Mrs Ogino-sama,' the girl laughed. 'She is quite well. Better than well, in fact, now that she is giving birth to the child of a God.' Yuuko felt herself go completely white. She thought she was going to faint.
'Giving birth to a… to the child of… of a God…?' her voice was less than a whisper. Yuuko looked down at the girl, who stared passively back. 'I think you'd better come inside,' she whispered hoarsely.
OXOXO
'I just don't get it!' Akio Ogino stormed, pacing up and down the living room. The girl, who had said her name was Saki Moriko, was calming sitting in an armchair, sipping hot chocolate. Yuuko stood to one side, feeling rather helpless, as her husband raged. 'Chihiro would never just run off like that! And with a God? HA!' Akio turned to glare at Saki, face nearly purple with rage, and pointed an accusing finger at her. 'She's been kidnapped, hasn't she? And no doubt the bastard who did it has raped her and forced her to bare his spawn!'
'No,' Saki said calmly, putting down her hot chocolate and looking Akio calmly in the eyes. 'Allow me to explain: fifteen years ago the God in question saved her life when she fell in his river. The river, however, was soon after destroyed, and so he fled to the Spirit World. For five years he remained there until you, your wife, and your daughter stumbled through the tunnel. Whilst you two were enchanted, she remained human, and managed to stay there until she could free you. She fell in love with the God and saved his life. She then freed you two and departed from that world. Unable to cross over since the demise of his river, the God sent messages over to this world via his sister, Izumi. Your daughter made frequent visits, and then made the very difficult choice of leaving this world to join him. It has been two years here, but four and half there. The decision to bare his child was entirely her choice. Indeed,' Saki's lips curved into an amused smile. 'I believe he argued rather firmly against it for quiet some time.' Akio didn't quiet seem to know what to make of this. Saki turned to look out of the window. 'This storm grows old,' she murmured softly. She picked up her hot chocolate and finished it off. 'Tomorrow morning, I think,' she said, even more quietly.
The first chapter! Incidentally, the reason I have used both honorifics (Mr/s and sama) is so that there isn't any confusion between who's being spoken to.
Oh, and Saki means 'blossom' in Japanese :) just thought you'd like to know. I usually choose my character's names for a reason.
