One Thousand Cranes

by grafitti

Every fold was a word, and every crease was a thought. So, that made every crane a wish. (100Themes chronological vignette series telling the tale of Ginko's life from beginning to end, to fill the spaces left in-between his memories from Mushi-Shi and Celadon Cicadas.) Can be read as Stand-alone. Eventual Ginko/Adashino

11. (75) Shadows

(75) Shadows

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The edges of his vision scuttle like bugs. Flickery, black shapes move out of the corner of his eye, barely noticeable, and into the dark recesses of the pond. A dark blob, like a hole in the pond. Empty, shadow-like, and mysterious. All the fish in the pond where white, with a single green-eye, much like Nui. She had told him it was because of the mushi residing in the pond, and that he should stay away from the water at night and at daybreak.

Still a greenhorn in all things mushi, Yoki had nodded his assent. He was still wary of the mysterious creatures, but had not learned too much about them besides that they were not spirits, and nor were they simply Lights.

Yoki had no desire to become a one-eyed fish. It seemed like the sort of thing that came with a heavier price, and he was afraid of what that may entail. He wasn't as scared of the mushi as he was a week ago, but he wouldn't fault himself for being cautious. Leaning on his walking stick, he watched Nui from afar, to see if he could catch her off-guard.

And he did. She was threshing rice reeds, her white hair falling past her shoulders like a waterfall. Every few movements, Yoki could see the dark shadow that existed in place of Nui's other eye. The one she kept closed. It was a dark hole; empty, shadow-like, and mysterious.