Hoshi stared at her reflection in the mirror, running a brush through her silky, raven black hair. She had a pride for her hair the way some people had a pride for their children. It was thick and long, reaching all the way down to her lower back. Should she do something different with it tonight, with all the guests coming over? She experimentally twisted it up into a bun, shook it out, tried weaving it into a braid and then unweaving it. No, it looked naturally perfect. Nothing needed to be done to it. She resumed brushing.
"Hoshi, we need to go clean the great hall to prepare for the guests tonight," Shina, a fellow servant in the Himuro mansion said as she entered the room she and Hoshi shared.
"In a moment, Shina. You go ahead and start without me."
"No! Come on, Hoshi, it's a big room and takes more than one person to do it, and some of the children ran through there earlier when they were playing and muddied it up even more. I can't do it all on my own."
"You won't have to. I told you, I'll be right there."
"No, you'll just stand here the whole time brushing your hair while I do all the dirty work. Can't you stop being vain long enough to help me!"
I am NOT vain!" Hoshi exclaimed, whirling around, her hair whipping her face. "Just because I care about my appearance does not make me vain, Shina."
"Fine. Whatever you say. If you aren't vain, then, come with me and help me clean up. Now."
Reluctantly, Hoshi set down her brush and followed Shina.
After three hours of sweeping, scrubbing, and polishing, the girls were done.
"Now was that really so bad?" Shina asked, grinning.
"Yes! I got cobwebs in my hair! I need to go wash it before the guests arrive."
Shina rolled her eyes but said nothing.
That evening, the guests began to arrive. The servants stood respectfully at the entrance to greet the guests. Several young men stared admiringly at Hoshi, who smiled back flirtatiously and ran a hand through her hair.
Once everyone had arrived, the servants led them downstairs, to the entrance to the demon mouth, where the Himuro Family Master stood waiting with his priests. Everyone gathered around, while the servants stood back with their heads bowed.
The first priest stepped forward. "Give thanks to the five gods' protection. Place the stone, representing the five mirrors, in the correct location."
An attendant approached the priest and handed him the stone mirror, and the priest raised it above his head for all to see. The next priest stepped forward.
"On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month a maiden, cut off from the outside world for 3,669 long days, shall be torn apart to give power to the rope."
Kirie, who had been standing behind the others and flanked by two attendants, was brought forward. The guests exchanged uneasy glances, averting their eyes from the rope shrine maiden.
The third priest stepped forward. "Show the maiden no mercy. Cast the rope on her limbs from the right arm, then the other, from the right foot, then the other."
An attendant approached and gave the ceremonial ropes to the priests.
The fourth priest stepped forward. "Bury the rope maiden's spirit. Place the five buddhas within her damaged limbs." Yet another attendant approached the priest and gave him the ceremonial case containing the five Buddha statues.
The Himuro family master finally stepped forward. An attendant approached him and handed him a white porcelain mask, an expressionless face. He raised the mask to his face, and the moment it touched his skin it began to change. The blank expression was transformed into a truly horrifying face, with narrowed, menacing eyes, a twisted grin, and demonic horns. The guests gasped and backed away, staring fearfully.
"Please make way for the Ceremony Master, his priests, and the Shrine Maiden, for the cleansing in the moon well," an attendant announced. The crowd parted as the small group made their way out of the demon mouth to the moon well. The attendants went through the connecting corridor to the entrance of the hell gate to meet them. The guests, now quiet and pale, were led back up to the mansion.
Hoshi sat quietly under the tree in the cherry atrium. She could hear people talking inside, and she knew she should be inside helping the other servants, but she needed some time alone. That poor girl…she knew the ritual was necessary, but imagining what Kirie's fate must be like sent shivers down her spine. And she had heard the priests whispering the other day about the ritual. They sounded worried. Did they expect something to go wrong? She anxiously twisted a strand of hair around her fingers.
Just then a tremor shook the earth. Hoshi stood up. What was that? She heard people screaming inside the mansion. The earth shook again, and Hoshi nearly fell over. Suddenly the door of the moon shrine well burst open, and the Himuro family master strode out, still wearing the mask of reflection, still in the form of a demon.
"Master Himuro," Hoshi called nervously, "what hap…" her voice trailed off. The family master whipped his head around at the sound of her voice, then unsheathed a sword. He began laughing maniacally-a high pitched, bone-chilling laugh. Hoshi ran, stumbling up the porch steps, and towards the staircase room. She heard the family master running after her. She threw open the door and ran down the hall towards the fish tank room. If she could make it to the backyard, maybe she could make it through the woods, away from this mansion. She threw open the door. Awkwardly, she stepped onto the first plank and slowly walked across it, trying not to lose her balance. She sighed once she made it across. She was about halfway across the second beam when the door burst open.
"No one leaves this house alive!" the Himuro Family master cried. Not bothering with the first wooden plank, he leapt across to the second one. Raising his sword, he slashed Hoshi across the chest. She gasped and fell into the cold, murky water. Her long, silky black hair billowed around her, her blood mingling with the water surrounding her staining it.
Fin
Well, hope you all liked that one! Next up will probably be the Floating Head, requested by Word Spinner. And yes, I will do characters from FF2, but I'd like to start out with FF1 for now. Keep the requests coming, folks!
The Dancing Emu
