No Need for Arguments
By Kain
Disclaimer: Most of the characters in the following story are not mine and in no way do I claim them to be. Nor do I claim that I created the universe that the characters are placed in. The characters and the universe remain the property of Hitoshi Okuda, Pioneer LDC, INC and Kadokawa Shoten Publishing CO. Please do not sue. This is a fanfic and is nothing more than a show of my appreciation to the creators of Tenchi Muyo.
"Some say no evil thing that walks by night,
In fog or fire, by lake or Moorish fen,
Blue meager hag, or stubborn unlaid ghost
That breaks his magic chains at curfew time,
No goblin, or swart fairy of mine,
Hath hurtful power o'er true virginity."
John Milton
Prologue
Night was a liquid filtering through malleable and lanky grass made black by the darkness like the legs of spiders. Night came as musky as a horse's mane thick with sweat and dripped downward through the sagging and swaying branches of the trees where it seeped into the ground. Night whispered words through the thick and humid midsummer air and conjured the calls of nocturnal insects whose creaks, twitters and screams made the night uneasy, dark and tense. Night brought the sound of thunder far in the distance but fast approaching.
The Masaki house was held in the cradle of night and the approaching storm rattled the windows ever so slightly. The wind was casing the trees to dance now and the water of Funaho Pound was somewhat frothy. But all seemed safe for now.
Then the calm hit.
There are calms before all storms and this one was no different. First the wind fell away and the trees ceased to dance and took their seats, their limbs hanging limply with parched leaves, mouths open and begging for the rain that was to come. Then the sounds of the insects died away and left the night devoid of sound. Finally the light of the moon was stolen away and the Masaki household was shrouded in darkness total.
Yes, there are calms before the storm, but this one was cut short. It was the whispers, sounding human but not quite, which came in dark waves from the shadows that tore the stillness in two. The whispers were almost giddy in tone and could not be discerned as male or female but were rather androgynous, like the giggles and murmurs of young children trading secrets. Though the speech was child-like there was no innocence in the tone and it was enough to turn the hot night cold. At first the whispers formed no words but then, as strange shadows darted from tree to tree around the Masaki household, the whispers became words and sentences.
"Look it's the house."
"It's a pretty house."
"So pretty."
"Pretty house, good house."
"I can hear them sleeping can you?"
"Yes I can, some are dreaming, I can hear it."
"One is having a nightmare, I can smell the fear rolling off her brow."
"So can I."
The whispers continued for a while, as light and airy as fall leaves but also thick with evil and perverseness. The shadows continued to dart from tree to tree as the unseen whispers moved closer and closer to the Masaki home.
Then, once the shadows reached the tree closest to the house they suddenly ceased to exist. They were there one moment and then gone and never had the owners of the shadows made themselves visible.
With the lack of whispers the night returned to calmness and then with a loud boom the long awaited rainstorm proclaimed its presence. Soon the water was coming down in buckets and soaking the desiccated earth and drowning out all other sounds.
To be continued…
By Kain
Disclaimer: Most of the characters in the following story are not mine and in no way do I claim them to be. Nor do I claim that I created the universe that the characters are placed in. The characters and the universe remain the property of Hitoshi Okuda, Pioneer LDC, INC and Kadokawa Shoten Publishing CO. Please do not sue. This is a fanfic and is nothing more than a show of my appreciation to the creators of Tenchi Muyo.
"Some say no evil thing that walks by night,
In fog or fire, by lake or Moorish fen,
Blue meager hag, or stubborn unlaid ghost
That breaks his magic chains at curfew time,
No goblin, or swart fairy of mine,
Hath hurtful power o'er true virginity."
John Milton
Prologue
Night was a liquid filtering through malleable and lanky grass made black by the darkness like the legs of spiders. Night came as musky as a horse's mane thick with sweat and dripped downward through the sagging and swaying branches of the trees where it seeped into the ground. Night whispered words through the thick and humid midsummer air and conjured the calls of nocturnal insects whose creaks, twitters and screams made the night uneasy, dark and tense. Night brought the sound of thunder far in the distance but fast approaching.
The Masaki house was held in the cradle of night and the approaching storm rattled the windows ever so slightly. The wind was casing the trees to dance now and the water of Funaho Pound was somewhat frothy. But all seemed safe for now.
Then the calm hit.
There are calms before all storms and this one was no different. First the wind fell away and the trees ceased to dance and took their seats, their limbs hanging limply with parched leaves, mouths open and begging for the rain that was to come. Then the sounds of the insects died away and left the night devoid of sound. Finally the light of the moon was stolen away and the Masaki household was shrouded in darkness total.
Yes, there are calms before the storm, but this one was cut short. It was the whispers, sounding human but not quite, which came in dark waves from the shadows that tore the stillness in two. The whispers were almost giddy in tone and could not be discerned as male or female but were rather androgynous, like the giggles and murmurs of young children trading secrets. Though the speech was child-like there was no innocence in the tone and it was enough to turn the hot night cold. At first the whispers formed no words but then, as strange shadows darted from tree to tree around the Masaki household, the whispers became words and sentences.
"Look it's the house."
"It's a pretty house."
"So pretty."
"Pretty house, good house."
"I can hear them sleeping can you?"
"Yes I can, some are dreaming, I can hear it."
"One is having a nightmare, I can smell the fear rolling off her brow."
"So can I."
The whispers continued for a while, as light and airy as fall leaves but also thick with evil and perverseness. The shadows continued to dart from tree to tree as the unseen whispers moved closer and closer to the Masaki home.
Then, once the shadows reached the tree closest to the house they suddenly ceased to exist. They were there one moment and then gone and never had the owners of the shadows made themselves visible.
With the lack of whispers the night returned to calmness and then with a loud boom the long awaited rainstorm proclaimed its presence. Soon the water was coming down in buckets and soaking the desiccated earth and drowning out all other sounds.
To be continued…