Hello! I'm Zeedmillenniummon, and this is my first story. I went back and forth on what I wanted my first fanfic to be, and I decided that this would be the easiest. I hope it is to your viewing pleasure. So please, enjoy.

CH.1

Because I'm not popular, I'll get lost and fall in a pit!

It was a beautiful day outside.

Flowers where blooming, birds where singing.

On days like these, a kid, like the one where about to meet.

...Was actually kinda miserable.

It wasn't because of anything wrong with the day itself. It was partially because...

"AUGH, HOW DID I GET SO LOST!?" The kid shouted out loud to no one in particular (But still hoped that someone near by would hear her. But alas, nobody came).

Said kid, or young ADULT as she would be quick to correct you, is Tomoko Kuroki. Although 16 years of age, you would never have guessed it looking at her. With her diminutive height, thin and delicate build, flat chest, and childlike face, you could be justified for thinking she was 4 years younger. She had raven, messy and mildly oily medium-length hair. Pale skin, and tired green eyes with large bags underneath them. Her unkempt appearance wasn't due to being lost in the wilderness for a long period of time (She was lost for an hour at most) but simply due to poor daily hygiene on her part. She was wearing brown knee length shorts, black sneakers, and a yellow short sleeved hoodie with a blue undershirt. She was lost in a mountain forest, trying to find the trail she was walking on some time ago.

'how did I get so lost? I only wondered off the path for barely a minute and now I can't find it again!' Tomoko thought bitterly as she tried to find the mountain trail.

'Maybe if I climbed higher up? Then I would most definitely manage to spot the trail again! Its a brilliant plan!' Tomoko praised herself as she comes up with a plan to solve her current predicament.

How Tomoko found herself lost on a mountain miles from home is because she and her family are on vacation. They traveled to a inland city named Ebott. A city that has a rich history and mythology that surrounds it and the neighboring mountain, Mt. Ebott. If the legends are to be believed, hundreds of years ago humanity went to war with a race of strange yōkai. And Ebott, or more specifically Mt. Ebott, was the place where the race made their last stand. Tomoko's mother thought the city to be a nice place to spend a family vacation at with it's rich history, beautiful scenery, and fun festivals. Plus it could be a great way to get dad to spend more time with the family since he spends so much time working.

'Stupid vacation! They never once considered my say on this whole thing. I wanted to stay home and do things I wanted to do. not go to some place I never even heard of before.' Tomoko thought as she continued on in her journey to a higher part of the mountain in hopes of finding some sign of civilization from there.

'But noooo. Mom had to go on about how "It will help us spend more time together as a family!". What is she even talking about? We spend plenty of time together! Me, her and Tomoki see each other every day! And we see dad almost every night when he comes home from work. What more could you want?' She continued on to mentally voice her displeasure over this "vacation" as she climbed over a fallen tree.

'Although I have to admit, the story about this place is pretty cool! It would probably make for an awesome anime!' Tomoko thought as she decided to give credit where credit is due.

As for why she was hiking on the mountain in the first place. As said earlier, her getting lost was only partially the reason why she was so irritable.

'And stupid brother! Being friends with people he didn't even know before coming here!' Tomoko continued with her mental rant as she trudged through the wilderness.

When the Kuroki family first arrived at Ebott, Tomoko decided to resign herself to the trip. 'If I have to go here, then I should at least try to enjoy it.' She thought as she helped with moving into the hotel everyone was staying at. After unpacking, she decided to go to her younger brother, Tomoki. "He's probably just as unhappy about this as I am. Maybe we could try suffering through this together." She told herself as she went up to him in a attempt to get him to try exploring the city with her. And after much pestering, persuading, and some encouragement from mom (she did wanted to go on this vacation to bring the family closer together after all), he reluctantly decided to go with Tomoko on her trip through Ebott. Sure, she could have done it by herself, but she had a feeling that mom would chew her out for leaving to go out on her lonesome on what was supposed to be a family trip. And besides, her younger brother may end up liking her more by the end of it. However, while walking around, they ran into someone that Tomoki knows somehow. Apparently they where a friend of his that moved away after they graduated middle school. It infuriated Tomoko to no end. That even out in a city they had never heard of before, she had to be reminded that Tomoki still has a better life, and more friends, then her! Luckily (for Tomoko), he was currently going somewhere else in a hurry, so their reunion was brief, and Tomoko didn't need to say anything more then a weak "H-h-hi..." to him before he went on his way. Tomoko thought it was the end of that, but no. The next day, Tomoko and her family went out to have fun in Ebott. After a while of exploring, they split up into two groups, and Tomoko and Tomoki where once again walking around Ebott together. That is until Tomoki's friend appeared again. And this time, he wasn't going anywhere AND he had friends of his own! He motioned them to come over, which Tomoki did while Tomoko stood back and watched. Tomoki took a liking to each of his friend's friends rather quickly, and finally manage to sit down and catch up with him. Tomoko meanwhile stood where she was. Seething in anger and jealousy as she watches them talk.

'How DARE he!' Tomoko thought as she watches on. 'Even all the way out here, he STILLS tries to show off just how much better his life is compared to mine by not only showing that he has friends in a city neither of us has ever heard of but ALSO by just walking up to, chatting to, and getting along with a bunch of strangers he has just met as if they where friends for years! You think you're better then me? Well... I don't NEED you OR your stupid friends!' Tomoko finishes as she storms of by herself. which ultimately results in her walking to the start of the Mt. Ebott trail which was nearby.

And finally that leads up to where we are now. With Tomoko getting lost sometime after starting her rather angry walk across Mt. Ebott.

"GAH! Dammit!" Tomoko cursed as she cuts her leg against a bush of thorns. 'This is all his fault! If he hadn't ditched me for those losers I wouldn't be here!' She continued to complain as she finally made it to a rather high part of the mountain... Or so she thought.

"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT TREES!" Tomoko shouted as she looks on from the point of the mountain she climbed too.

And it was a accurate statement. As all that can be seen is a sea of trees. There wasn't even any sign of Ebott!

'Did I walked all the way to the opposite side of the mountain?' Tomoko questioned her self as she looked around.

'I ain't even that high on the mountain.' She realized as she turned around and looked up. Seeing quite a lot of mountain above her.

"Stupid vacation, Stupid brother, STUPID MOUNTAIN!" Tomoko shouted in frustration as she begins the long trek back to the other side of the mountain.

As Tomoko walks through the forest, her anger gradually subsides and gives way to another feeling.

Fear.

'Didn't I hear somewhere in town that this mountain has a reputation of people going up it and disappearing throughout the years?' Tomoko begins to worry.

'M-makes me wonder, am I... Going to disappear too?' She begins to ponder what sort of cause could be responsible for the disappearances.

'Maybe they where people that got lost wondering off the trail like I did?' A cold sweat begins to breakout on her face as she is too deep in thought to pay attention to where she is going.

'Maybe they just never found civilization again and eventually died due to the elements?' Tomoko looks up to see what time it is. she estimates it to be a few hours since she left Tomoki. Hopefully he and her parents aren't too worried right now.

'...O-or maybe there could be some truth to that legend. And there is a surviving monster that is still alive today. Hiding on this mountain, waiting for people to wonder deep into it so it can exact it's revenge on humans by catching them and-' She audibly gulps. '-EATING them!' She begins to quiver as the thought frightens her.

Suddenly she turns around quickly when she thought she heard a noise behind her. Seeing nothing but forest, Tomoko still remains on guard and continues on at a much faster pace.

'T-th-this is like a horror movie! I know I heard something back there (and maybe seen something too? I think?). M-maybe its stalking me right now! Maybe it's-' "GAHHH!" Tomoko is interrupted from her thoughts thanks to a Fallen tree branch she tripped over.

Upon getting up, Tomoko sees she has fallen in front of a mysterious cave on the side of the mountain. The cave entrance was rather tall, standing at 12 ft and being almost twice as wide. The cave was well hidden, being completely surrounded by trees and boulders. Looking into it, one can see it goes only a short distance into the mountain. However, one can also see a beam of light coming from the ceiling deep inside at the end. Shining down on a part of the floor that is obscured by rocks and roots. Tomoko was quite captivated by the natural beauty of the cave. So much so, that she forgot that she may or may not be being stalked by a monster that may or may not exist.

"This is so cool! This is like the prologue to some anime or video game! Our heroine, after getting lost and stalked through the woods by a unknown assailant, finds a mysterious cave hidden deep within on the side of a mountain!" Tomoko said as she went inside to look around the cave. Only to remember the situation she's in.

Tomoko, being cautious, went back out to look at the forest around her, making sure their isn't a monster or something hiding between the trees.

'Heh. If this was really like a horror movie, the monster would be standing at the cave entrance right as I turned around to leave. And not only do I see no monster anywhere in sight, I can even see some of Ebott from here! I was worried over nothing!' Tomoko thought, now being relieved that there was nothing to worry about.

"Well, since I know which way to go to return to civilization, it wouldn't hurt to explore this cave a bit first." Tomoko said as she turned around to go back inside.

After going all the way to the back of the cave, Tomoko soon realized that the spot of ground that the light was shining on wasn't ground at all!

"A pit!" Tomoko exclaimed. Standing precariously close to the edge of it.

The pit was very wide. Almost as wide as the cave itself. It was surrounded by rocks and plant roots that obscured it from the entrance. The natural skylight overhead was shining light almost perfectly down the middle of the pit.

"It looks so deep! I can barely see the bottom of it even with the light sh-" Tomoko froze up mid-sentence when she heard a noise that sounded like a pebble being kicked behind her.

She can feel the presence of someone or something behind her. See it's shadow on the wall in front of her, hear it breathing ever so slightly.

'OhGodohGodohGodohGod! I was wrong! something was following me through the mountain and now it's RIGHT BEHIND ME! I should of booked it to Ebott when I had the chance! Is it some sort of psycho? Is he going to kill me? Rape me? TORTURE me? O-or is it the monster? I-I don't want to be eaten!' Tomoko started to panic in her head. She was beyond terrified. She was crying, her legs where shaking and on the verge of buckling, and she was drenched in a cold sweat. What was she going to do? How was she going to get out of this alive? Could she get out of this alive?

She slowly turned her head to look at her would-be killer. When she sees it in the corner of her eye, she could only make out a few details. It was standing right at the entrance of the cave. Due to the light shining in, the figure looked almost entirely black. However, she can see that it had faintly glowing red eyes. She can also see that it was actually smaller then her, almost looking like a child. But those eyes, those aren't the eyes of a child, or any human for that matter. Finally, in one quick motion, Tomoko turned around and sees that its...

Nothing...

'Did I imagined that? No. There was definitely something there! I think I had enough of this cave AND this mountain! I should go back now before the really horror movie-esque things happen.' Just as she began to walk away from the pit, her foot gets caught on a plant root.

She trips and falls to her side. Landing on one of the large rocks around the pit, only to slide off and into the abyss below!

'NononononoNO! I"M FALLING IN! I got to grab something!' Tomoko thought as she grabs onto a dead root dangling off the ledge of the pit.

She held on for dear life! Trying to pull herself out of the pit with all the strength she had. However, do too her rather anemic and nonathletic build, it was a slow and exhausting ordeal. And it was about to get worse.

'I-it's coming out...' To Tomoko's dread, the root was breaking away from the side of the pit. Until finally, it snaps.

Tomoko screamed as she fell. Looking up to see the rapidly receding ceiling. Feeling that the light coming form it will be the last light she'll ever see again. But before she blacks out due to fear, she sees one last peculiar thing on the edge of the pit. It was the figure she thought she saw at the entrance of the cave. It was looking down at her, peering into her with those same red eyes. However, she could also make out other details this time. Like what looks like a small, uncomfortably cheery smile, and pink blushing cheeks...

Then every thing went black.

Till next time.