"Hiya! This is Higurashi Kagome, sorry I can't get to the phone right now, call
me back soon!" I sighed and spoke after the beep, "Hey, it's Kokoro, where have
you been lately? I've even went to your school and they said you've been out
constantly, is everything all right? Call me as soon as you can." I flipped my
phone closed and slid it back into the pocket of my blue, plaid skirt. Placing
my bag on my shoulder, I watched as the cherry blossoms fluttered by, getting
caught in my curly, brown hair. Kagome has been my friend for as long as I can
remember, and we always kept in touch, even though we went to different schools.
It happened when the new term started last year, she wouldn't answer my calls or
texts, and when I went to her house, they always had some crazy excuse on why
she wasn't there. I even met with her friends from school, they said she's been
having boy troubles with this bad boy boyfriend, and I never even knew! I can't
believe she never told me. Sighing again, I kicked the sidewalk and continued to
walk down the street. Too caught up in my thoughts, I didn't realize I had
already walked past my street and into a part of Tokyo I've never been to
before. My first thought was to turn around, but then I saw something
strange...it was an empty, grass filled lot, surrounded by buildings, it was
just there. Ok, maybe it wasn't that strange, but the fact that it was
practically untouched made me wonder. "That old place is ridden with blood,
jealousy, and death, that's why it's empty." Jumping at the voice, I whirled
around and saw an old woman in traditional clothes, her gray hair tied up in a
tight bun. "Oh, you scared me! So...do you mean this lot is cursed?" I actually
wanted to ask how she read my mind, but old people have the tendency to do that
because they've experienced so much. "No...it's just a sad place, so it's not
good for businesses. Legend says a princess was in love with a demon, and he
died protecting her from the guard who tried to kill her and her newborn child
by setting the estate on fire. The demon was wounded already, and he perished in
the flames along with everyone else. This plot is where the main house stood.
Growing up here, you often heard "legends" filled tragedies like this, but this
one pulled my heartstrings...like a sad memory. "What happened to the princess
and her child?" I asked, even though I felt I already knew the answer somehow.
The old woman turned to me, "She fled with her half-demon child and they were
both given shelter, even though they were shunned. Now I must bid you farewell,
but feel free to return to this place if you wish, I take care of it. As she walked away, I remembered my manners and quickly called out, "My
name is Yoshi Kokoro!" The old lady just turned her head and smiled, "Call me Chiyo.", then
disappeared around a corner. Staring up at the sky, I saw the sun setting, and I
smacked my forehead, I was so late! As I sprinted off I could have sworn I heard
something...words I couldn't catch, but knew.
I was standing in a dark
forest, a cold feeling wrapped around me. Urgently, I looked for someone, but no
one appeared. A little creeped out, I took off in a sprint and came to an empty
estate. "Hello?" I called as I entered the courtyard, but again there was no one
near me. As I entered the house, crows belted out in screeches in the distance
and I felt intense heat flow through the hallways. I have no idea what drove me
to do this, but I began running towards the heat, and a new sound echoed in my
ears: the clanging of swords. The more I ran, the nearer the sound got, and the
more intense the heat became, then I finally reached a door. Wrenching it open,
I cried out as flames spout out and consumed the hallway, burning the paper
doors and ceiling. My body pulsed, someone was in there! No...three people! Two
men, one in red armor, and a familiar looking one with long, white hair appeared
in the flames. A woman in a pink kimono was holding tightly to a bundle, tears
filling her eyes as she stood behind the man with white hair. Suddenly, the man
turned to me, a purple crescent moon marked on his forehead, his eyes like
golden orbs. His mouth moved, but no words came out, none that I could hear, he
seemed urgent, frightened, angry. My heart twisted in my chest, what was
feeling? Despertely, I reached out my hand, as if to beg them no to go, but, in the end, flames consumed the
three and it all vanished...turning into a green lot.
My eyes snapped open
and I felt myself sweating, even though my room was freezing. Slowly, I
unclenched my hands, which had been grasping tightly to my sheets that were
tossed around the bed. Taking a deep breath, I sat up and stared out the window,
the first rays of sunlight entering through my window. In need of fresh air, I
opened the window and continued to take deep breaths, hearing the babble of the
small creeks that weaved in my mother's garden. That dream...it was so
vivid...so, well, I don't know how to describe it. It was almost like a
memory...a dream within a dream? A memory within a dream? Shaking my head, I
rubbed my face, all this dream speaker, fortune telling stuff was confusing.
Suddenly, I remembered the last part of my dream: the green lot! It must have
been that old woman's story, but...it was barely a summary. How could it have
affected me like that? Closing my window, I threw on some jean shorts and a
cream t-shirt. I had to get to that lot, I had to see that old woman again,
there was something inside me that wanted...to change. With that, I left the
house, leaving a note of course because no girl normally leaves at dawn on a
Sunday morning, especially one who just got chewed out last night for being
late. Light peaked over the buildings, and it was a little cool, but my mind
wouldn't stop racing until I got answers. I have to change...change...change...