As is customary for me when beginning a new story I often like to explain my thought and development process. Well, this story obviously came to me while listening to the ELO song of the same title. It also reminded me of an old fanfic that has not been updated in years. There may be some similarities between this fic and that one.
Also, this opening chapter was written originally on my iPhone. I tried to fix any formatting issues when transferring it to my laptop.
Chapter 1: A Strange Sense of Familiarity
Setting: Present-Day Japan
A statue overlooked the peaceful city park. It had stood amidst the park forever. Some say the park had "built itself up around it". That would definitely explain why everyone seemed to bustle right past without even a second glance to the artwork.
"I heard a legend about this statue," a girl told her friends one sunny afternoon as the group walked through the park on their way home from school. "It's called 'Love Lost' and that the monk it portrays actually existed. Well, to be more specific, he is said to be a monk who lived and traveled during the Feudal Era. Legend says that his family lineage was cursed by an extremely powerful demon long before his birth and the curse passed down from son-to-son. Because of this curse, the monk was known to be a bit of a charmer and a flirt, much unlike a typical monk. The legend goes on to say that, though he was a flirt, this monk did come to fancy a girl, a traveling companion of his. Due to his flirtatious nature, though, he did not know the best way to tell her how he felt. Was he supposed to show her or should he come right out and just tell her the complete truth? It turned out that the monk's advances to other girls grated on the nerves of this girl, a legendary demon slayer, just one too many times and it led to heartbreak."
"You don't actually believe this stuff, do you, Michiko?" Sayuri scoffed at her friend. "I mean, come on, demons and demon slayers? You can't tell me that these such things happened during the Feudal Era."
"You never know, Sayuri," the girl's other friend, Asami replied. "Demons are said to be 'practically immortal'. There might even still be some living amongst us today," she finished, pushing her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose.
"Hey! I'm not finished!" Michiko yelled, gaining the attention of her two friends once again. "Anyway, the heartbreak was too much for the monk and he turned to stone. It's said that his heart hardened first and then it worked its way outward until he was fully...well, statue-ified."
Sayuri rolled her eyes. "Great story. Gotta love when artists make up elaborate tales to 'explain their masterpieces'. Can we go home now?"
Sayuri's two friends obliged and continued down the path. She didn't know why, but Sayuri took one last glance up at the statue of the weeping monk. Looking closely, Sayuri noticed the minute details upon the statue, especially on the face. Small droplets like teardrops were set upon the carved monk's face. So realistic, she noted.
"Sayuri, are you coming or not?" Michiko called back to her.
"H-Hai!" Sayuri answered, rushing back from the statue and accidentally bumping into an older man with long white hair.
"Gomen nasai!" Sayuri quickly apologized as she rushed back to her friends.
In her haste, Sayuri never heard the man's reply. "Yeah, sure, whatever," he had answered while adjusting his baseball cap.
888
That night, Sayuri could not stop thinking about the monk statue in the park. Surely that stupid "legend" isn't real. Still, though, why do I keep thinking about that statue? It's just some stupid piece of artwork...right?
888
Sayuri walked home from school by herself the following afternoon. Michiko and Asami both had to stay after school for some club and Sayuri did not feel like hanging around on the school grounds to wait for them. The sooner I get home, the faster I can get my homework done.
The path through the park was a shortcut so Sayuri decided to take it. Besides, she wanted to stop by the monk statue again, this time by herself. She still couldn't stop thinking about it.
Stopping in front of the statue, Sayuri stopped to look at the plague on the front of the pedestal on which the statue was situated. The plague stated much of the same things that Michiko had mentioned yesterday afternoon.
Sayuri ran her hand along the words on the plague. "Could that story possibly be true?" she muttered softly to herself. "Michiko and Asami seem to think so, but..."
"Well, think for yourself. Do you believe it?" a rough voice asked her.
Startled, Sayuri jerked back from the statue. Stammering as she tried to think of an adequate response, Sayuri turned and noticed the person who had spoken. "Wait a minute. You're the person I bumped into yesterday." Strange. His voice...it...doesn't sound old. Yet his hair is completely white...and so long. Even stranger, though, is...he seems oddly...familiar. "Excuse me, but, do I-?"
Sayuri's words were cut off by a black-haired girl who spoke up, apologizing for the borderline-rude behavior of the white-haired man. "I'm Kagome, by the way," she introduced herself. The white-haired man did not give his name.
"Ka...go...me," Sayuri pronounced slowly, thinking over each syllable as she spoke. The other girl probably thought her strange, but the name-unique as it may be-felt so familiar to Sayuri, as if she'd spoken it many times.
"Yeah, that's it!" Kagome smiled.
Sayuri caught a glimpse of something strange, a feeling that she couldn't quite name, in Kagome's eyes. "Uh...well..." She stuttered, uncomfortably as she tried to find a way to leave the park without associating too much longer with Kagome and her mysterious friend.
"With your hair pulled up like that, you look very much like someone I used to know, a good friend of mine from long ago," Kagome spoke up, catching Sayuri's attention.
"Huh?" Sayuri reached up to run her hand through her hair. She had tied it up in her usual high ponytail this morning before leaving for school. Seeing Kagome staring back at her, Sayuri just shrugged. "You must be mistaken. I'm no one special. Just Sayuri, a high school girl from Tokyo."
Kagome continued to stare back at her and Sayuri felt herself growing nervous under the other girl's gaze. "Uh...look, I need to be getting home. Lots of homework to do tonight."
Briskly, Sayuri walked from the park without a backwards glance. What was that all about anyway? she wondered. I could've done without that strange encounter today. Still, she could not stop thinking about Kagome and the mysterious unnamed man with the long white hair. He was here yesterday. I know this park is a popular place to hang out, but what are the coincidences of seeing him at the exact same spot in the park two days in a row? And…why do they both seem so…familiar?
Well, that is chapter 1! I hope that everyone enjoyed. I'll tell you, this story has been "in production" for a long time (several years). It's been so long since I've watched or read this series, but I am planning to watch the anime again someday.
Thank you all for reading and supporting Turn To Stone!
Posted: April 16, 2016