I. Lost
It was the season of the Obon Festival. The time when the days are long and the evenings short. The time when the air is a little too warm for comfort during the day, but pleasant and cool at night. Tree leaves lining the pathways shone with sunlight, glistening in shades of vibrant green. The hum of cicadas reverberated all around and mixed with the collective murmur of excited conversations.
The occasional woman's handbag hit me as the owner paid no attention to her surroundings, too deeply engaged in a rousing conversation with her friends. Little children ran in zigzags and chaotic circles, dashing through the dusty streets. College kids burst out laughing nearby. A tiny girl wailed at the sight of her spilled ice cream. A troupe of traditional dancers, decked out in uniform kimono and simplistic hairstyles, spun and swayed to the beat of a thundering drum. Tourists flashed their cameras.
It was a beautiful day. A beautiful day to stay at home and rest. But Ino did not want to let me go.
"...It's even better than last year! Damn, look at all this... Holy shit, did you see those hot college guys over there? Do you think we should go over there and talk to them? Oh my god, I think one of them looked at me! Sakura, he's looking at me! Sakura!"
My eyes, which had been calmly observing the festivities, broke away from the passing people and caught the gaze of two sapphire orbs rimmed with thick black lashes.
"Yeah, what?"
"What do you think? Should I say hi to them? I think they're smiling at me." Ino paused for a moment to glance back at them and toss a sultry look, giggling. When she noticed I wasn't responding, she sighed and turned to me. "Sakura," she said, immediately forgetting the boys' existence upon turning to me. It was almost funny how easily she could direct her attention from one thing to another. "You seriously need to lighten up. Last year you had no fun 'cause you kept thinking about that damn hospital of yours."
I frowned. "You know that I take my work seriously. And it's not like I'm thinking about it all the time. I'm just tired. I wanna go home. Spare me the torture of walking around in this heat, Ino. Please."
"No! Are you being serious right now?" the blonde huffed. "I got you all dolled up and let you borrow my yukata, all for what? So you could leave in the first hour?" She crossed her arms.
Somehow, putting on makeup and wearing a cute dress only made me feel more exhausted than I already was.
"I never even asked to borrow it!" I countered.
"God, Forehead. You only have grandma clothes in your closet. I can't have you walking beside me looking ugly. God, and it took me forever to make up your face, especially that gigantic forehead of yours!"
"Wow," I said with narrowed eyes, barely able to keep from smirking in amusement. "What a low blow. I don't even call you a pig anymore. Did you really just go there?"
"Welllll... at least red looks good on you," she smiled sweetly, curled eyelashes batting.
Ino, I could tell, was just happy that I had agreed to accompany her to the Obon Festival. After about a week's worth of begging, I had given in. She knew not to aggravate me further and consequently refrained from insulting me too much. For that, I was grateful. Despite her innumerable moments of candid boldness (which often got her in trouble), she was a keen girl—perhaps even so keen that she was manipulative. She usually got what she wanted when she wanted it. With a single glance she could detect one's true character, figure out which buttons to press to her advantage. It was almost as though she could read minds. I knew she could read mine easily, especially since I made no effort to hide my displeasure of being here.
As we strolled past a shop window, I scrutinized the glass and found a complete stranger staring back at me. There stood a girl, no older than seventeen, with stained lips, a powdered and spotless face, with perfectly sculpted hair. Pretty, yet alien. I almost couldn't recognize myself, for I had been forever convinced that I was nothing special, nothing to look at. It was amazing what a bit of color could do to improve a girl's appearance.
"Alright, we all know you're hot. You don't have to fall in love with yourself," Ino said smugly, proud of her handiwork. "You can just thank me now or later, with interest."
I scoffed. "Says the girl who ditches class to put on makeup and stares in the mirror all day, every day. I bet you don't even know what interest is."
"You say it like it's a bad thing! I actually enjoy making myself look good, unlike you. And I do know what interest is! It's that extra money that the bank gives you because, like, you put money in and... Whatever! Just because I'm blonde, it doesn't mean I'm dumb!"
We laughed and carried on, buying little trinkets and eating snacks and trying our luck at rather luckless games. Our feet shuffled aimlessly through the twists and turns of the festival grounds. After a while, the sun had begun to dip lower and lower in the sky. In the sun's place, lanterns cast over the town a warm glow while bright neon signs blinked on and off in jubilant rhythm.
I'll admit. I had some fun, even if that meant having spent time with Ino. Although she could be an insufferable brat sometimes, she was without a doubt my best friend, someone who I felt like I had known forever.
"...and I was, like, all shouting and stuff because she majorly messed up my nails, right? Ugh, I swear, it was horrible. She wasn't even apologizing! And she even knocked the nail polish bottle and it spilled all over my hand! Ugh. And then..." The blonde took a brief moment to inhale and then opened her mouth to continue on. She stopped mid-sentence when her eyes lit up at something in the distance. "Shikamaru! Chouji!" she eagerly called out to the two approaching figures.
"Hey, Ino. Sakura," the two boys nodded at both of us. Shikamaru and Chouji were fellow classmates of ours. Shikamaru, with his spiky ponytail and dull voice, resembled an apathetic pineapple. The stout and ever-hungry Chouji reminded me of a big, hungry bear. The logic of how the fashionable and high-maintenance Ino ever became friends with these two completely escaped me.
"What are you guys doing here?" came Ino's unmistakably animated voice.
"Eh, Chouji wanted to eat at the stalls here. What a drag," droned a bored Shikamaru. His thin eyes squinted in the darkness.
"I'm so hungry. I'm gonna go find that kalbi place..." Chouji mumbled as he slipped away into the crowd, unnoticed by Ino and Shikamaru, both of whom were engaged in light banter.
"Shikamaru! Let's go see the bon-odori dancers!"
"Ugh, I just came here, woman. I don't feel like walkin' all the way over there."
"For once in your lazy ass life, can you please just—?"
"Can we sit down and watch clouds or something instead?"
"It's dark out! There are no clouds, stupid!"
By this point, I knew that they would be fine on their own. As much as I loved being the third-wheel, I decided I would pull a Chouji and escape while the sliver of opportunity remained. They wouldn't miss me.
I walked away from the festival, following a twisting dirt trail toward the parking lot. My skin was sticky and my feet hurt. Long-term fatigue from endless studying and sleepless nights had accumulated to the point where all I wanted was to get home and get lazy. A warm bath sounded nice. And maybe some ice cream while catching up on my latest novel. Oh, but there was so much work to be done, long lists of chores that needed to be crossed off. God, why was it so hot? The heat was just terrible! I wiped the sweat lining my forehead, only to find a thick streak of beige cream glistening on my hand. Ugh. There was also that that had to be taken care of. Did I even have makeup remover at home? Removing the mascara and eyeliner would prove to be a big pain, I just knew it.
In the darkness, my feet stumbled across dirt, rocks and uneven patches of grass. With every tired step, the deep ache in my bones revealed itself and only increased as I kept on. A throbbing headache materialized as well. This heat was to blame for my misery! It would be the last time I'd ever go out during the sun's peak hours in the summer. Fun or no, the Obon Festival wasn't that great that I had to sacrifice my comfort, that much I learned.
Suddenly, I felt a splitting pain behind my eyes, deep in my head. I took a misstep. The wooden geta barely slid from my feet, but the movement was enough for me to lose my balance. With a gasp, I tripped and landed awkwardly on my hip, with only my elbow to break the fall.
It took me a moment to collect myself as I bit back a strangled cry. As much as my body hurt, I knew I hadn't sustained any severe injuries, only surface wounds. With a sigh, I rose, brushed as much dirt and blades of grass from Ino's yukata as I could, and looked around. Oh crap.
Instead of keeping track of where I was going, I had been caught up in pointless preoccupations that had temporarily robbed me of my sense of direction, which was already horrible to begin with. And here I was, lost.
I recalled a time when I had gotten lost in a large department store. By the time I had gotten home, my mother was absolutely livid. Since then, she had bought me a cell phone. Suddenly, a burst of elation rose within me as I realized that I could use the GPS application from my phone! Pulling out my phone, I tried to access the app but was disappointed to discover that my current location was devoid of cellular signal. To make matters worse, the battery was about to die.
Where the hell was I?
Excellent. I was lost and I didn't even know if I was anywhere near home. But by the looks of it, strange foliage and tall trees were something I definitely did not see near my apartment complex. I was stuck in the middle of a godforsaken forest, alone, with no working phone. I couldn't even make heads or tails of which way was the path back to the festival. It was almost as if the trail had disappeared. I didn't understand. When Ino and I had walked together to the festival, the way there had seemed so navigable, so easy. And it certainly didn't take quite as long as it was taking me. At least, it hadn't felt as long.
Oh, but who was I to make judgments about directions? I was terrible with them. I had probably followed Ino blindly again, fully trusting her to lead us to our destination without a hitch. She had done it numerous times before. And I had followed her without question every single time. I guess this time also counted.
I let out a frustrated sigh. I had lived here for years, and I still didn't know my way home from a lot of major locations. It was absolutely embarrassing...
Somewhere behind me, I heard a rustle. Spinning around to the source of the noise, I could barely distinguish any details in the dim light. After rationalizing that it had been a squirrel, I began to walk away, phone in hand, as I tried to get better signal. The effort proved futile, however, as the bars dropped to zero. I knew it wouldn't work, but I tried calling Ino, hoping that by some miracle I would reach her. It didn't. I muttered a curse under my breath.
Again!
There was another rustle. Dread coiled in my stomach. Slowly, I turned, but again I saw nothing. I took longer, more hurried strides, anxious to get away. It's just a squirrel, Sakura. Despite what I tried convincing myself, I could not stop the little hairs on the back of my neck from rising. And I could not help but feel that I was under someone's watchful gaze.
Another rustle. This time, closer.
I began to break into a sprint. Rough branches slapped at my body. Cold beads of sweat rolled down my face. Behind me, I heard the rustles drawing closer and closer. Panicking (and knowing my luck), I didn't see the thick tree root before promptly tripping over it. I landed hard on my hands and knees and was about to stand back up until I felt a cold grip on my shoulder. Strong, thin fingers squeezed, as if to break the bone and flesh. A scream tore from my throat.
Then the hand let go. I forced myself to turn my head, only to find nothing but an empty forest behind me. There was no one in sight.
Who the hell had touched me? Was someone following me? Stalking me? Did the person want to hurt me? But if that was the person's intention, why did the person disappear? Why not just kill me then and there?
Eventually, I gathered enough courage to stand again. When I took a tentative step forward, the toe of my sandal brushed against something with a hollow thump. I sharply drew back my foot, waiting for an animal to clamp its sharp teeth around my ankles. When nothing happened, I forced myself to lightly tap it again. Then I bent forward, felt along the dirt and fallen leaves, and touched a smooth object. I rose and brought it close to my face.
I recognized it as the lacquered handle of a non-folding fan, an uchiwa. It was smaller than most fans of its kind, and it fit in my purse. Perhaps it was odd to keep such an insignificant thing, but the simple normalcy of its appearance... calmed me a little. It kept my mind off of the incident that had occurred.
For a while I wandered aimlessly, occasionally fingering the smooth handle in my purse. My phone's battery had finally gone out. I had nothing with me that could serve as emergency supplies. I was tired, hungry, and growing more and more convinced that I would die by the morning and end up in the belly of a wild animal. Just when I was about to give up and settle for resting on a bed of leaves (and risk getting mauled by whatever that had touched me), I parted a thick curtain of vines to discover a glorious sight.
Half hidden beneath the shroud of darkness and the looming trees was an old castle, its black shingled roof gleaming in moonlight. The rectangular stone body stretched deep into the surrounding forest. The structure, though partly dilapidated and seemingly abandoned, seemed to exude a majestic and solemn air. It was a little creepy, I had to admit, but it was more welcoming to stay the night there rather than in the open. Without a moment's hesitation, I maneuvered through the tall stalks of weeds and grass, burning with motivation. Finally, I could get some rest.
I approached the front entrance. The wide stone gates had been reduced to broken slabs of rock overrun by kudzu vines. Further in was a circular dirt courtyard, deathly barren in comparison. And beyond it stood a great door. There were neither knockers nor a knob. I tried pushing the door open, but it firmly remained in place.
A couple of yards away were square windows about fifteen feet above the ground, cut into and lining the castle walls. Flimsy, broken wooden shutters covered them. Directly beneath one window was a shed of some sort. If it was stable enough, I could climb it, reach for the shutters, open them, and pull myself inside.
The endeavor turned out easier in practice than I had expected. But after hoisting myself up and sliding in through the window, I had forgotten exactly how high it was and crashed onto the ground. I attempted moving but groaned when my limbs sharply protested in pain. If falling earlier in the forest had done any damage to my body, I was sure to have ruined something now. No broken bones, but I would definitely feel the full extent of my idiocy in the morning.
I rolled over, wrapping myself in layers of what felt like dust and cobwebs. But it didn't matter to me in the slightest. At least I was inside a building. Safe. Relatively. I didn't care. All I wanted was to sleep. Sleep, and wake up and worry about how to get home in the morning.
I just hoped the place wasn't anyone's private property. Or worse, a museum. Vaguely, I wondered what would happen if a curator or a janitor came by in the morning, only to find a strange girl sleeping in a storage closet, or whatever this room was. If that happened, I would apologize, explain my situation honestly, and ask to use a phone. And then I'd hitch a cab ride home and pray that my worrying mother wouldn't maim me and send me to a convent. Yes, that sounded like a good plan...
It only felt like a short while until I startled awake at the sound of something shuffling. Floorboards creaked behind me. And faintly, after straining my ears, I could hear steady breathing. And it wasn't mine.
Author's Note:
Obon Festival: Traditionally, it was a venerable celebration to welcome the spirits of the dead, its purpose similar to that of Día de los Muertos. Over the course of some 500 years, it has transformed into a huge carnival-like event.
kimono: Japanese traditional dress
yukata: Japanese traditional summer dress
kalbi: Korean BBQ; AKA, Choji's fave food.
bon-odori dancers: Dancers who perform with folk music to welcome the spirits of the dead.
geta: wooden sandals
uchiwa: A non-folding fan, usually circular in shape. Recall the Uchiha crest.
By the way, the castle is not a stereotypical, Disney enchanted castle. For example, the castle resembles the Japanese medieval castle Matsue. I am also very aware that most Japanese castles, if not all, were built on top of hills. Mine is located in the middle of a forest. I guess its location doesn't make sense, but for the sake of the story, let's just smile and nod and move on to the next chapter... (Sly advertising)