Kaname didn't know how many of her fellow classmates took notice of the noises that had drawn Sousuke away from the fire.
Most seemed intent on going about business as usual. Still, the crowd around their fire had nearly doubled. The conversations were hushed, not jovial.
The trip had all started out so favorably. The charter buses had dropped the class off in the historic castle town of Matsumoto. She had been forced to school a certain sergeant repeatedly with the halisen, reigning in so that he wouldn't keep wandering off towards the castle.
That was not why they had all come this far.
Now, she wished more than anything she was behind the thick walls of that fortification.
She wished that Sousuke was by her side.
It was hard to force her thoughts back to the memories earlier that day, and the days before.
Kamikochi was a beautiful park, situated on a plateau 2000 meters above sea level in the center of the northern Japanese Alps. The drive up to the park in the smaller town busses was breathtaking. It had almost felt like being in a different world. A wild bear was seen running across the road. Monkeys scampered hither and yon. A wide variety of birds flitted from tree to tree.
It had looked like paradise. The type of paradise where everything was peaceful, and nothing could possibly go wrong.
The boys and girls on the school sponsored trip had stopped one night at a facility of rotenburos-outside hot-spring baths. Unlike Kaname, some of the students had racy tales to tell after that.
Kaname threw a stick into the fire. Sparks flew upward, taking on the shape of Sousuke's face to her eye. Damn him! She had even brought the white bikini! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!
Oooooh, Sousuke!
"Sousuke, please be OK..." No one heard her whispered plea. "Think about something else, Kaname…." Following her own advice, she though back to a small hotel they had all stayed at.
Many of her fellow students had wandered around outside, taking in the scenery, and barbequing their meals at the adjacent camp site. It was a wonderful time, full of teenage tomfoolery and surging hormones. The initial hike after that was slow and easy.
After stocking up on food and hiking further up the mountain, they all stayed in a large hiker's hut. Hundreds of campers from other walks of life were bunking there, sleeping in a seemingly endless number of cots and hammocks.
Sherpas discussed their trade... families listened to tales from across the country and around the world... youths talked excitedly about the adventure ahead of them. Some of the older men had frightening stories to tell, but no one wanted to waste their time listening to old wive's tales or musty and moldy legends.
At the insistence of the girls in the group, the Jindai High School classes had strolled along the river, visited scenic ponds and shrines, and took in the wide expanse of wildflowers peeking out from under the leaves on the forest floor. After that, the boys were intent on scaling the tall peaks and navigating the knifelike ridges.
Not content with the first few groups of cabins they had come across, the kept pushing onward and upward.
Finally, they reached a lovely series of huts and cabins just before night fell. The view was spectacular. The air smelled so crisp and clean. Even the food they bought tasted heavenly after the long and arduous climb. A few groups of boys went out exploring, making certain the class wasn't anywhere near the edge of any worrisome chasm.
Before Kaname had known what was going on, the more industrious students had cleared a large area and Sousuke had helped start a number of huge fires. Kaname had been in such a wonderful mood…… and had been so weary in the limb….. that she did not chastise Sousuke for using incendiary devices to initiate the blazes. The boys who later snuck such devices from Sousuke's bag deserved their singed eyebrows and smoking hair.
When night fell heavily, and the cold crept in so quickly, Kaname had began to feel uneasy. This was a rugged area. Comfort was not a standard item. As an athlete…… and a student representative…… she had been determined to lead by example.
She would keep a cheerful face and deal with the hardships as they came.
It was hard to keep a smile on now. The scary stories. The frightful prank. The howling and the screams. Sousuke's departure. Things were not quite the way she had imagined when she voted to approve this trip.
Kaname bit her lip.
She had almost vetoed the trip. Why? Because of Sousuke.
He was certain that the excursion would be a good way to improve the strength and endurance of the entire group. Also, one could never tell when mountaineering skills would come in handy. Terrorists did not confine themselves to flat ground.
For the rest of that afternoon, Kaname had confined him to a garbage can she tossed him into.
She sighed repeatedly.
Kaname didn't want to listen to the conversation taking place at the fire.
She couldn't help herself.
"The Orient is plagued by many forms of spirits," one girl claimed. Her father and grandfather ran a temple outside of Tokyo. "Or I should say, stories about spirits and the undead. Most of them do not have corporeal bodies. Many are just free-floating souls. But, some are capable of taking on a tangible form."
One boy snuck up behind Kyouko and growled. She screamed and grabbed onto Shinji. Shinji promptly fainted.
"Yes, like the Sennin. Looking like ordinary men who are too lightly dressed, they wander the mountains, trapped in the mortal realm as a punishment for misdemeanors carried out by one of their kind eons ago. They offer a wish to anyone who can find their missing soul, but no one has ever been successful. They often give a gift to those kind enough to try." The girl smiled. As a child, she had always dreamed about winning a wish.
"That doesn't sound so bad..." Maya said, looking around the campsite.
"I know what Mizuke would wish for!" One boy said.
"You mean other than someone whose name rhymes with Shirai?" A girl smiled wickedly.
Mizuke looked ready to go ballistic.
"Yes." The boy held his hands out in front of his chest. "Mountains…… instead of molehills."
The boys all laughed. So did some of the girls.
Mizuke blushed.
"Ah, but most spirits aren't so benevolent." The girl's answer shattered the temporary mood.
"The Baku aren't so bad." When the one boy mentioned the word 'Baku," Kaname thought of 'Baka,' which naturally had her thinking about Sousuke.
"Sousuke," she whispered.
"They looked like large majestic lions, with elephant heads. When they came across a sleeper in their dream realm, they would challenge them to a fight. If they were victorious, they would devour the sleeper's nightmares."
"I'm still awake," Ryo said, bighting her nails. "But I have a nightmare I wish they would take away."
A number of girls nodded their heads.
"She's not talking about Sousuke," Kyouko said, trying to reassure Kaname.
"Hmmppff!" That was all Kaname could manage. Kyouko's expression showed that she knew her friend's reaction had been forced.
She began to worry too.
AHHHROOOoooooooooooo AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooo
The howl came from far down the hillside.
"Wh-What is th-th-that..." Shinji almost sprained his neck turning around.
"A dog. It's probably just someone's dog." One boy sounded certain.
"A big dog. A really really big dog..." Another boy's eyes said he wasn't so certain. His clenched fist was a clear indication that he wished he was.
For a long moment, the only sounds at the campsite came from the other fires and their surrounding students.
"Then there were the Kappa. They lived in stagnant pools and meres, close to human settlements. They considered meat of all forms to be food. Grappling with victims and displaying hideous strength, they would drag the unfortunates to the depths of their lairs."
The girl had a strong need to hear herself talk. That was the only thing she wanted to hear.
"Only if the water spilled out of the bowl-like depression oh their head, would they be weakened enough to deal with successfully. Unbelievably polite, they would always return a bow, spilling the water and temporarily crippling themselves. The trick only worked once for each opponent." The girl yawned. Like many of the other students, she was growing very sleepy.
But, like some of the others, she didn't know if she would be able to get any sleep... or if she wanted to close her eyes for more than a couple of seconds that night.
"What about the Tengu?" One boy asked. "I heard they were part man and part crow. Or something like that."
"Yes, they looked like winged humans with huge beaks or terribly long noses. They relish the appearance of men in their mountain ranges, considering them fair game for the pranks and practical jokes they so love. They often like to steal items of great beauty."
"Well, that means Chidori is safe."
Kaname looked around. That had sounded suspiciously like Shirai. Where had he crept in from? It would be in his best interest if he had crept away soon after. Maybe his group had booted him out. Some things never change.
"The Tengu are otherwise harmless, content to live a peaceful existence. The same could not be said for the Buso." The girl shuddered saying that name. She had suffered numerous nightmares after her grandfather's tales of the ghoul-like creatures.
"B-B-Buso?" Shinji didn't really want to know, but he couldn't control his own curiosity.
"Yes. Flesh-eating spirits. Thought to be the spirit of someone who died of starvation. They roam the dark alleys and deserted areas of cities and camps looking for a walking meal. Vicious talons and sharp pointed teeth make short work of the unfortunate men or women they come across."
A number of the girls moved closer to the fire.
AHHHH-ROOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
The howling noise in the distance now had one girl in tears and a couple of more close to it. A number of the boys looked decidedly uncomfortable. Every sound in the dark forest seemed magnified one hundredfold.
The fog began to drift in amongst the fires, tents, and sleeping bags. Some of the cabins further up the hill had become difficult to make out.
The one girl was finally content to leave her descriptions of spirits where she had finished. The boy nearest her smiled, seeing the looks on his comrades' faces. He decided to continue the conversation.
"The Rokiro-Kubi were nothing we want to run into around here either." The boy laughed. "I hope that howling noise is not one of them."
He paused, drinking in the sound of whimpering. "Creepy fog, isn't it?"
Kaname rummaged through her rucksack. It looked like the halisen might prove useful again.
"Death by hanging lead to the creation of such spirits. As a result, they had very long necks. They are creatures of pure vengeance, existing only to inflict torment and death upon the living. Especially girls." The last part was pure improvisation. It was also an invitation to Kaname of sorts.
SMACCCKKK!
The boy nearly fell into the fire. He remembered laughing repeatedly whenever he had seen Sousuke struck in the past. It didn't seem so funny now.
Kaname sniffed. For a moment, the old Kaname was back in all her glory.
"Ow!"
The boy was defiant. No girl was going to show him up.
"They look like gaunt raggedly individuals dressed in the clothes they wore at their execution. Their skin is cold and grey... their fingers end in long talons... they tear their victims into small pieces... or they use the rope they were hanged with to strangle their prey." The boy put the rope from his sleeping bag around Maya's neck. She nearly leaped out of her skin.
SMACCCKKK! WHACKKK!
Kaname almost felt as if she were being unfaithful. The paper fan was usually reserved for Sousuke. Thinking that name made her deeply worried again. What if there was something out there. Sousuke was alone, in the dark... The boy was obviously a slow learner.
"We also shouldn't forget the Gaki. Evil spirits of possession, thought to be the souls of bodies that were not dispatched the proper way, as set down by Buddhist strictures. Appearing as dark humanoids, with bloated bellies and sickly glowing skin..."
He stood up quickly and pointed into the forest, calling everyone's attention to an eerie glowing form.
Before they realized it was a boy holding a lantern up near his face, a number of girls dove under nearby sleeping rolls.
"...Their eyes are wild. Like many ghosts, they seem to merely float through the air. The cause pain and misery to everyone they come across, attacking anyone who attempts to stand in their way. They may possess humans, forcing them to do their bidding, killing them through over- exertion and injury as they seek to put their original body to rest properly." The boy paused again for effect.
He was in complete control. He relished the power.
"As I understand it, there were countless gallows at the castle. And, Buddhist communities used to dot these hills like warts on a toad. A spooky coincidence, isn't it..."
His victory was short-lived.
SMACCCKKK!
The third halisen salvo ended the boy's thirst for mischief.
Things were quiet for a moment after that. The silence made the subsequent noise all that more nerve-wracking.
AHHHROOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo AHROO AROOooooooooooooooooo
The unease had clearly spread to other campfires.
One girl stood up, nearly hysterical. "God, I wish it would stop. I just wish it would stop!" Friends and fellow classmates looked to comfort her, but she was not the only one who was frantic with fear and unease.
With each reverberating howl, the night seemed darker and forest seemed deeper. With each falling branch in the woods, heart rates jumped. The brief hoot of an owl caused more than one student to drop their plates or bowls of food. The never-ending fog almost seemed suffocating.
Even a number of couples who had more earthy endeavors in mind left their cabin hideaways to seek a greater degree of companionship.
Most intrepid boys and their female counterparts seemed unconcerned, but the number of worried faces grew steadily.
"Well... any one up for some good gossip?" Kaname took it upon herself to change the mood. Even so, she didn't feel up for chit chat herself.
No one answered.
"I see. Let me put in a few words of reassurance." Atsunobu spoke in a self- assured quiet voice. "Even if the creatures of legend did exist, they weren't all malevolent or evil." He took a moment to wipe off his glasses, and put down the novel he was reading.
"That's good..." Kaname said, trying to calm everybody down.
"The Hengeyokai... some folks just refer to them as Henge... were members of the animal kingdom who could shape shift and take human form. They usually dwelled alone, and were able to change their appearance at will. For example, one type of Henge went about in cat form, no different than any other cat. In human form, they would appear as slender and extremely agile men or women."
Kaname stood up and pirouetted, arms away from her sides.
A number of guys and girls looked at her and shook their heads. Kyouko got her camera ready.
"WHAT?" Kaname asked.
No one was foolish enough to answer.
"Quick-witted and highly perceptive, with the added benefit of their agility, several Cat Henge became members of the Ninja..."
One boy looked at Kaname again, and began to snicker.
WHAMMMMM!
"Anyone else?" Kaname asked. She wasn't just doing her usual routine. There was a method to her madness-the familiarity of the halisen attack might distract her classmates for a while.
One log within the fire snapped and popped exceedingly loud. Mizuke jumped, accidentally landing in Shinji's lap. Neither made any effort to move.
"The Dog Henge appeared as huge hounds, about the size of small ponies. In human form, they are highly muscular. Bad tempered and unimaginative, they make good warriors, but not a great deal else. Their minds are very basic, and they often resort to physical means to achieve their goals. They are fiercely loyal, protecting their friends with their lives."
"Sousuke" a number of people said or thought at once. The words 'protecting' and 'with their lives' echoed in Kaname's head.
"Monkey Henges are mischievous and inquisitive by nature, but have a fierce temper, even greater than the Dogs. When fully angry, they were a sight to behold."
Everybody looked at Kaname again. She stuck out her tongue. Someone even ventured a laugh. A few others joined in.
"There were other types written about, including Rat, Crane, Fox, and Spiders. There are plenty of stories about Kitsune, the fox women." The student council president wisely did not mention that the Spider Henge were the size of a large hound... had razor sharp mandibles... and slaughtered unsuspecting humans mercilessly.
"Other types were probably imagined as well. Like the Tanuki. We've all seen the statues and idols of the creatures looking somewhat like a dog, racoon, or badger."
A number of students smiled at that.
Their smiles were short lived.
AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The sound was closer.
A good deal closer.
"Nooooo no arrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
The scream was faint, but the words could be made out. The end of the vocalization spoke of hideous pain and anguish.
Why would anyone pretend like that?
"Sousuke. Where is Sousuke?" Kaname blurted out her thoughts. That didn't sound like him, did it?
And just what was out there?
Where was it headed?
Why?
"Th-That's no d-d-dog..." One girl began to shiver uncontrollably. "I've heard something like that before, visiting a pen pal in Russia. It sounds like a wolf."
"No. Uh uh. No way." Shinji was insistent. "I've read about wolves in this country. The last wolf in Hokkaido was shot in 1896. The last one on Honshu was killed in 1905. There are no more okami in Japan."
"That is quite correct," Atsonobu agreed, patting Ren's hand. "However, a number of groups have made an effort to reintroduce wolves, especially in areas where deer and monkeys greatly threaten farm crops. Perhaps this was one such area."
No one looked hopeful. If it were wolves, would the wolves attack people, especially in such a large group? If it were not wolves, than what was it?
AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The sound was closer yet.
A group of monkeys screeched. Their troop moved from tree to tree. Some settled high above the camp.
The students huddled closer and closer together.
AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
That noise was further down the hill.
Either the creature-or prankster-was very quickor, there was more than one.
The monkeys called out again, quickly moving away from the camp and further up the hill.
What had them so frightened?
"Please... God... nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"
That scream had a number of girls hiding their faces in their hands
Enough was enough!
Rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata at rata tat rata tat
Gunfire.
Submachine gun, to be precise.
It sounded awfully familiar to Kaname.
Steyr TMP.
That's what Sousuke had been carrying.
Just about everyone in the camp stopped what they were doing. The ante had been upped considerably. Now, only a few students were unconcerned. That minority assumed it was Sousuke over-reacting again.
Most, however, began to talk in frightened voices, wondering what they should do.
That luxury would not last much longer.