Chapter 5: The Severing Ritual

In her dream, Ume walked among a field filled with nothing but brightly lit red spider lilies. There were millions of them as far as the eye can see… At first she didn't know where she was, but by looking around her environment, she could see that she appeared to be somewhere underground. A deep dark cave filled with pitch blackness. The glowing red spider lilies seemed to provide the only light. Ume felt like she was standing in a red ocean… She didn't know what this place was but she felt like she belonged here. It felt like… this was going to be her final resting place.

Ume started walking forward; her feet automatically taking her further and further into the fields of flowers. She didn't know where she was going and the field of red spider lilies seemed unending. Eventually she did seem to come to the end of the field where beyond she saw nothing but blackness. But something about this darkness was unsettling. The air was thick and Ume was chilled to the bone. Something about the atmosphere in here was depressing. She felt like she's been abandoned. Ume was tempted to walk further into the darkness when a sudden echoey voice stopped her.

"You mustn't walk into The Void. Only those who choose death may do so."

When Ume turned around, she saw a pale-white transparent man standing off to the side. From the looks of it, this man appeared to be a priest as he wore the traditional garments and wore an eboshi hat. The man was a ghost…and yet his voice was surprisingly soothing. Whoever he was, he wasn't a hostile ghost. Ume gazed over at him until the man disappeared. Ume stood where she was and wondered if this was what she truly wanted.

In her heart, she never stopped loving him. She continued to love him each and every day. And inside her heart, violets grew stronger and stronger until it threatened to suffocate her. It was at this very moment that Ume knew… This was where she would be last seen. No point in going on if she couldn't have love in her life. But importantly of all, if she couldn't love him in life, perhaps she could love him in death… Perhaps this was the only option left to her now. To allow the blooming flowers of emotion claim her. And as Ume entertained the idea of death, that's when she heard "her" voice again.

"You will never be loved. Always alone…forever…" The woman in the orange-kimono… Standing among the dark fields, the Unloved Woman seemed to shine with the red spider lilies. As Ume stared at her in frozen fear, the ghostly woman only looked back at her bitterly. Her entire body was covered with red spider lilies. And that's when Ume knew… This was the Unloved Woman's resting place. Ume didn't know how she knew that, but she knew now she wouldn't be able to go back.

Ume gasped as violets unexpectedly burst out of her neck, choking her as she gasped for air.

Ume woke with a start inside the car. After a moment of trying to calm herself down and wait for her heart to stop thudding so much, she was able to remember where she was and what was happening. Her big brother Shou had gone back to Matsumura to look for Aimi. She didn't know how long she slept but one look around told her that Shou hadn't returned. She hoped Shou was ok… As Ume sat there, she started thinking about the odd dream she just had now. A dream about a field of red spider-lilies… A place where people go to willingly die from Hanahaki Disease… The very idea was disturbing but it did make Ume wonder if such a place like that existed.

Now that she was awake, Ume was feeling much better. Her chest didn't hurt as much and she wasn't vomiting up any more petals. But she was still worried. She still had the disease… As Ume sat in the passenger seat, she happened to look in the rearview mirror and gasped aloud at what she saw. There was someone standing behind the car… At first she didn't recognize him, but then Ume realized who it was. It couldn't be him… He was dead. And yet there he stood… Ghostly white and pale, he was just standing there and gazing back at her with those soulful eyes. And as Ume stared at the rearview mirror in shock, she saw him and turn away and head toward the direction of Matsumura.

Before she realized what she was doing, Ume was getting out of the car and hurrying after the young man. And as she went after him, her emotions got the better of her. Ume felt the pain again in her chest, deeper and stronger this time. Already she was on the verge of throwing up again but tried to hold it in. Ume decided to head back to the town of Matsumura. She had to go. She had to see him. Even though she didn't have the Mystic Mirror to defend herself against evil spirits, Ume still bravely ventured into the town by herself. This was her only chance. It was the only way to save herself from the disease.

The town of Matsumura looked the same as it always did. Empty, abandoned and barren… She wondered where Shou and Aimi were. Maybe she would run into them somewhere? Now that she was here, she wondered where to go. As if sensing her tribulation, he appeared to her again… Ume didn't know if he was real or not. She didn't care. She willingly followed him through the town, his haunting ghost guiding her to where she needed to go. She loved him so much, she'd follow him anywhere. Soon Ume found herself being lured to the mountain…

Luckily she didn't encounter any hostile ghosts lurking around along the way. Instead she focused on following the handsome young man that seemed to lure her up a dirt trail up ahead and then vanished altogether. Ume stopped walking when she saw before her a signpost with different directions on it. The Takayama Mines, Shrine of Oath, and the House of Severance… Ume stared at the signpost and although she didn't know why, the House of Severance stood out to her. And so Ume went in the left direction…

Ume carefully walked along the path which curved around the mountain, where looking down below, she could make out the little houses and buildings of Matsumura. She was so high up; she could even see the Tsuchiya Cemetery in the distance. Looking further up the mountain, Ume could see big-looking boulders and rocks. Hopefully she wouldn't have to worry about rockslides… After climbing up the mountain, Ume was already out of breath and took a moment to rest. Then she noticed a long flight of stone-stairs that seemed to lead up to a shrine that appeared to have been built into the mountain itself. It was the same house that could be seen from the Old Cemetery Hill. This had to be the House of Severance…

Now Ume began to slowly climb up the stairs. She gazed up at the shrine in awe. And as she drew closer, that's when the man first appeared to her from the entrance. As if he'd been waiting especially for her… "You must cut all ties…" he said wisely to her. Ume immediately recognized the ghost. It was the priest. The same man she'd seen in her dream.

The Shrine Keeper disappeared but his words still lingered in Ume's mind. Upon reaching the entrance, Ume took a deep breath and entered the house. Once inside, Ume found herself inside the foyer. But walking further in, she soon came upon a sunken hearth. It didn't look like it's been touched in ages. And it was here that the Shrine Keeper appeared to her again. "Is this what you truly want?" he asked her gently. His words resonated with Ume… Ume thought about the boy she was in love with. Every time she pictured his face, her heart would ache with pain. Thinking about her unresolved love made Ume want to throw up petals again. The Shrine Keeper had disappeared, but for the first time ever, Ume thought about what was best for her heart.

"Do I really want to forget him?" Ume wondered to herself. "Can I really stop loving him?" Ume had to find out. She needed to explore more of the house. Before moving on, Ume spied a note sitting on the side of the sunken hearth. Upon picking it up and unfolding it to read it better, Ume noticed the handwriting looked really old and was written entirely in Japanese.

The Severing Ritual

When one is unable to let go of their love and affections for another, they come to the House of Severance to rid themselves of these feelings forever. This has also become another method on curing oneself of the Hanahaki Disease. The local priest takes it upon himself to bless sacred shears and use them to cut away the flowers that bound to a person.

This ritual comes at a high price. Once the roots have been fully removed from a patient; that person's love will fade away forever. Afterwards, they then plant their flowers at the Shrine of Longing. However not everyone is keen to perform this ritual. Sometimes a patient's love is so strong that they can't bear to stop loving the object of their desire. It's a scary thought, but tragically, many people are willing to die than give up the love they harbor in their hearts. Because of this, patients are lured to the mystical "Shadow Meadow" to embrace their fate.

"The Severing Ritual…?" Ume contemplated the idea. "Is this what I really want? Can I stop loving him?"

Again Ume felt her stomach rumble painfully, and she couldn't contain it any longer. Ume coughed uncontrollably where violet-petals scattered everywhere on the ground. Once it was over, it left Ume feeling shaky and scared. She couldn't go on like this. Ume went on ahead where she came upon a long hallway with many doors to choose from. Opening the first door to her left, Ume entered what appeared to be the living-room where guests could relax at their leisure. A tea table was in the center of the room but was dirty and rotten from years of neglect. Ume saw a shelf filled with dusty tea-cups and an old-fashioned teapot.

On the other side of the room, Ume studied a tattered scroll hanging in the alcove along with a blue vase. Sitting around the alcove was another note. Ume picked it up and saw that it contained familiar handwriting.

Genda's Note 6

This was my first trip to the House of Severance. It looked more like a residence than an actual shrine. But the priest kindly told me that this was a place where those with a broken-heart go to be comforted. While enjoying a tour of the place, the priest even showed me a sacred object that helps him cure those of Hanahaki Disease. As a doctor, I was skeptical about how this was actually done. But the priest patiently explained that with this shear, he was able to cut the flowers at their source, thus freeing a patient.

While here, the priest ended up telling me an interesting story from long ago. The Spiritual Shears, he explained, originally belonged to the Kimura lord long ago. The shears was the only thing the lord had left to remember his daughter by. Sadly, his daughter was the first person to succumb to the Hanahaki Disease where it's said her body was buried at the mountain. It happened centuries ago that it made me wonder if such a thing really occurred. The priest did mention that at the Mist Mountain, prayers were offered at the Hollow of Comfort to mend the princess's heart.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the place locals have called the "Shadow Meadow." A place where those with a broken-heart are buried. Does such a place even exist?

So far Ume kept seeing the words "Shadow Meadow" cropping up in those cryptic notes. It reminded her of her dream… A field filled with red spider-lilies. A place where you'll never be seen ever again. Ume felt a chill coming on and hastily collected the notes and hurried on her way. Opening the door on the other end, Ume found herself back in the same hallway from before. Now she decided to try the door on the right side. Here Ume found herself entering what appeared to be a bedroom of some sorts. Maybe this was where the priest slept? The futon bed was filthy and hadn't been slept in for years. There was an altar where the priest practiced his Buddhism. There were the usual candlesticks, incense burners, bells and platforms for offerings such as fruit, tea or rice

While exploring around the shelves, something caught Ume's eye. Hanging on the wall by the string was what appeared to a Gold Key. Ume reached for it and held it up to her face for a closer look. It looked ordinary enough. Wondered what it unlocks. Ume decided to take it with her. She didn't find anything else of interest in this room and so she returned to the hallway. Nowhere else to go but straight ahead… Soon Ume came upon two staircases, one leading to a second-floor and one leading down. Ume was startled at the sudden appearance of the boy she was in love with.

He appeared so suddenly to her that Ume wondered if he was really a ghost. Was he even real? But he was real to her. Ume saw his ghost walking down the stairs…as if he too was guiding her. Without hesitation, Ume hurried after him. "Wait for me!" Ume called to him. "Please… I have to tell you. I have to tell you how I feel!"

She didn't care about the pain building in her heart, and she didn't care about the violets threatening to bloom inside her. She'd come a long way… Ume needed to see him. This time she would tell him how she felt… Ume hurried down the stairs and came upon a long dark corridor. She didn't know where this corridor would lead her, but somewhere along the way, her memories were all coming back to her. She had to remember him. Deeper and deeper into the cavernous tunnels, Ume remembered the day she lost him…

(Flashback)

He was a little older than her… that's why Ume was always afraid that he would reject her. But she fell in love with her math tutor anyway and treasured every moment she'd spent in his company. He was smart, patient, amicable, and could always make her laugh with his sense of humor. How could she not grow to love him? Despite her uncertainties, she didn't want her love for him to remain a secret. So one day, Ume finally decided to tell him how she really felt…

Ume told him to meet her outside their favorite café where they shared coffee together. Ume was late arriving at her destination that day but upon arriving at the café, she noticed a crowd of people gathered around the street-corner. Even more upsetting was the badly wrecked car that had swerved onto the pavement. With dread in her heart, Ume pushed her way to the front of the crowd….

The man she fell in love with lay lifeless on the cold pavement… Ume stared and stared down at him and for a moment she seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. She was numb at first and before she realized it, bystanders had to catch her before she fainted to the ground. It wasn't until later that she learned that he died in a traffic accident. Ume went to his funeral to pay her final respects to him… Btu since then, Ume hadn't stopped loving him. And she was robbed of the chance to confess her feelings. Instead she continued to love a literal ghost…

Before she knew it, Ume finally reached the end of the corridor and stood before two double-doors. Standing there before her was the man she never stopped loving. Even now, he still looked the same to her. After all this time, she still loved him. As Ume gazed fondly back at him, she felt tears in her eyes as she realized how much she missed him. He stared back at her with those gentle eyes. Powerful emotions overwhelmed Ume that she couldn't hold it in any longer. Ume threw up more violets from her mouth while her stomach continued to twist painfully inside her. She didn't care if she died now… This was her only chance… Ignoring the growing pain in her heart, Ume took a step forward, her eyes on the ghostly man before her. This was her last chance…

"Junichi…," Ume finally said his name. "I needed to tell you…on that day…" Ume winced when she felt more petals threatening to spill from her throat. "I…I never stopped loving you," she finally confessed. "I've always loved you but…" Again Ume was cut off by coughing out more violets. It was getting bad. She wondered if she would even live through this. But she would… Even if it killed her…"

"I…I wanted…to tell you…," Ume started. She gazed up at him. At Junichi who continued to watch her pitifully. But Ume wanted him to know. Maybe it would give him peace. And give herself peace too… "I love you…," Ume told him. "I've always loved you."

It was too much that Ume fell to her knees and coughed out more violets that seemed to pile around her. So many beautiful glowing violets… A symbol of her love… She knew her Hanahaki Disease had reached its peak. There was no way she could survive this. No way could she ever stop loving him. Ume closed her eyes and decided to willingly allow the flowers to bloom within her. But then something amazing happened… Warmth seemed to grow inside her. Stronger and stronger… A fire so strong that it seemed to burn inside her very heart… And as Ume felt this miraculous sensation fulfill her, she opened her eyes and raised her head in time to see Junichi standing before her.

Junichi had placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and his very touch seemed to stop the Hanahaki Disease in its very tracks. The pain in her heart subsided and all Ume could do was stare into his ghostly eyes. There was so much understanding in his eyes. Junichi smiled and Ume felt calmer. She wished he could stay here with her forever. But she knew it wasn't meant to be. He was no longer of this world… And as Junichi comforted her, he finally spoke kindly to her.

"You need to let go… Always remember me but save your love for someone who really needs it" His voice was just as she'd remembered. He hadn't changed at all…even in death. But then Ume watched in dismay as Junichi stood up and turned away from her.

"No, wait!" Ume called after him sadly. "You can't leave me again!" But she watched helplessly as he seemed to disappear into thin air. Leaving Ume to feel like she lost him all over again… But she still remembered his words to her. And she wondered if she could do it. Could she stop loving him? Would she ever meet another man like him again?

Now that her disease didn't slow her down, Ume was able to get back on her feet and looked ahead at the double-doors still in front of her. For some reason, she knew this was it. In the end, it was her choice to make. Let go of her love or clutch it to her heart forever. And as much as she loved Junichi so much, she knew what had to be done. Now steeling her resolve, Ume came forward and stepped through the doors. Inside was what seemed to be a cavernous chamber, built inside the mountain itself. In the center of the chamber was a stone-carved altar, big enough for a person to lie down on. Shimenawa ropes were wrapped entirely around the altar, labeling it as sacred. As she approached the altar, the Shrine Keeper appeared to her once again.

"Is this what you truly want?" he asked her again. In his hand, Ume saw the Spiritual Shears in his hand.

This time, Ume knew the answer. She was ready. "Yes," she told the ghostly priest. "This is what I want." Without any hesitation, Ume willingly laid herself on the altar. And as she did, the Shrine Keeper stood over her, prepared to cut away her flowers from the roots. The Spiritual Shears…

The Shrine Keeper bowed his head respectfully and Ume knew it was time to sever her bond. Feeling her heart pounding nervously, Ume could see them… Brightly beautiful violets, growing all over her body. All over arms, her legs, her waist… The Hanahaki Disease had grown strong but hadn't completely claimed her yet. Her hands were trembling but Ume closed her eyes and prepared herself. With the ghostly Shrine Keeper her only witness, Ume was going to do what had to be done. But she knew it would come at a high price. And yet Junichi's words still rang vividly in her mind…

"You need to let go. Always remember me but save your love for someone who really needs it." Taking a deep breath, Ume waited for it to be over as the Shrine Keeper held the Spiritual Shears over her heart.

The deed has been done. It looks like Ume Fujiyama was able to save herself from the disease from claiming her. This only leaves Aimi Hanazawa. Stay tuned for updates to learn the fate of the other characters involved in the story! See ya soon!