Chapter 6: Takayama Mines
Upon entering the Shrine of Oath, Aimi could feel her sixth sense taking over her. It happened sometimes… when a place held powerful memories or emotions. Aimi followed her instincts and allowed her sixth sense to guide her. Before she knew it, she'd wandered into what was known as the Covet Courtyard and felt drawn toward the gazebo that sat on an isle in the middle of the pond. There Aimi stood and gazed up at the luminous moon while sensing strong powerful emotions that were not her own. Her mother once explained to her that it was the power of Empathy. The ability to feel and sense the feelings and emotions of others… especially restless ghosts… Here in this dark and abandoned courtyard, Aimi sensed all kinds of emotions emanating from the grounds. Happiness, Sorrow, Heartache, Confusion, and Anger…
It often left Aimi feeling out of it and unable to be aware of her surroundings at certain times. But finally she managed to mentally clear her mind and keep the ghostly emotions at bay. But somehow being here in this lonely courtyard…she was unsettled by the one emotion that kept creeping up on her. "Pure Hate..." Holding the Camera Obscura in her hands, Aimi continued to explore on her own. The Shrine of Oath held interesting information about rituals called The Soul-Bonding Ritual and The Severing Ritual. Even though she was able to keep her Hanahaki Disease under control, she feared it wouldn't last forever.
"Not as long as I continue to love him," Aimi thought sadly to herself. Again, Aimi thought about her feelings for Shou. She wondered if he could ever love a girl like her. A girl unlike others… Every time she thought about him, her heart would pound and her lungs would ache. She had to find a way to save herself from the Hanahaki Disease.
Aimi decided to leave the Covet Courtyard behind and headed for the door that seemed to lead back out into the mountains. There Aimi began to follow a mountain trail while putting the Shrine of Oath behind her. She was so high up that she wondered where exactly she was. As Aimi used the flashlight to look around the wooded area with its tall trees and plants and shrubberies, a sudden sound startled her. Aimi stopped walking when she heard what sounded like someone mumbling to themselves. The mumbling sounded more like chanting of some sort, and it grew louder and louder until it seemed to echo around her.
And as Aimi looked wildly around her while trying to locate the source of the scary sounds, that's when a pale-white man suddenly appeared from behind a tree and seemed to wander aimlessly. Aimi stood perfectly still so as not to alert the ghost to her presence… The ghost appeared to be dressed entirely in white, giving him a very ghostly glow, and he was carrying a walking staff in his left hand. He seemed to have been a monk once… But the thing that made Aimi uneasy was realizing the Mountain Monk was covered with bright red roses that covered his whole body like boils. Another victim to the Hanahaki Disease…
With her eyes on the Mountain Monk, Aimi thought she could somehow slip away undetected. Until her pink mary-jane slipper stepped on a twig with a loud "crack." Aimi's heart thudded fearfully when this caught the ghost's attention at once. The Mountain Monk immediately turned in her direction and she saw his deathly eyes glare viciously at her. To her horror, the Mountain Monk started for her and Aimi knew she had no choice but to fight back now. Aimi held up the Camera Obscura and looked through the viewfinder to capture the ghost in the lens…
The Mountain Monk's chanting became much more frenzied and malicious as he advanced upon Aimi. Aimi steadied the camera and pressed the shutter button to capture the ghost's in the photos. Upon approaching her, Aimi saw the Mountain Monk raise his staff at her. Aimi let out a startled cry and barely dodged the sharp thorny rose being shot at her like a dart. She had to be careful… Being careful not to slip over the steep hill she was on, Aimi raised the Camera Obscura again and pointed it at the hostile ghost before letting off another powerful flash. Then she captured another photo while keeping her distance from the Mountain Monk.
Keeping her eyes on the ghost, she watched as the Mountain Monk again raised his hand to her and summoned another red rose that soared through the air like an angry bee and Aimi had to lower the Camera Obscura to avoid the red-rose that seemed to pursue her. Taking aim, the rose shot at her like a dart but Aimi was able to dodge it this time. Aimi screamed when she realized too late that this distraction was all the Mountain Monk needed to reach her. As Aimi fought to throw off the ghost gripping her by the wrists, being this up-close, Aimi got a good look at the monk's face and was disturbed by what she saw.
The Mountain Monk's ghostly eyes were bleeding from the thorns growing around his face. Sharp thorns that cut deep into his deathly-white skin, making every movement painful for the ghostly monk… Aimi could only imagine how painful his death must have been to have sharp thorns growing from within. She let out a pained grunt as these sharp thorns also scratched her as she struggled to break free from the ghost. Using all her strength, Aimi was able to extract herself from the Mountain Monk's grip but it left a lot of scratches on her. Without a moment's hesitation, Aimi raised the Camera Obscura and delivered its final fatal shot…
The Mountain Monk let out an agonized wail while backing away from her immediately and finally vanishing altogether. When it was safe again, Aimi lowered the Camera Obscura and felt so weakened from her ghostly encounter. That drained a lot of her energy that she was already reaching into her bag to pull out Herbal Medicine. Aimi took the time to heal herself before going on any further. Before moving on, Aimi spotted the glowing red rose sitting abandoned on the ground. Out of the curiosity, Aimi went over to pick it up. Here she was able to look into the heart of the Mountain Monk.
(Flashback)
It was the middle of spring, and the Covet Courtyard was overflowing with flowers of every variety. From his favorite hill, he was usually able to see the courtyard in the shrine from here. But today, he couldn't keep his eyes off of the woman who he could see standing by the sparkling grey-blue pond. He's loved her from afar for a long while now. Although he never had the courage to approach her and let his feelings be known to her. Only today would he pay the price for his silence.
With a heavy heart, he had to watch the woman he loved declare her love for another. It hurt him a lot more than he thought it would. But suddenly living a life without love depressed him. Was it true that for some, love was not in the cards? It certainly made him question life. And it only made him lonelier. Even now when she was in love with another man, he continued to think of her. His love for her was all that he had left. He didn't want to give it up. Even if it did cost him his very life…
Aimi watched as the red rose crumbled into petals before disappearing altogether. It was a sad thing to see. And it only reminded her of her own feelings. Would she suffer the same fate too? She thought about Shou and wondered if she could give up loving him. She couldn't think about that right now so she turned and continued trek up the mountain. A few minutes later, Aimi seemed to reach the top and found in front of her what appeared to be train tracks.
Stepping onto the tracks, Aimi looked both ways but she didn't see any oncoming trains. And then she remembered the mountain contained caves that were once harvested for their gold, Iron and zinc. Matsumura used to be a coal-mining town long ago. With the flashlight to guide her way, Aimi decided to follow the tracks along the mountain. Surely they had to lead her somewhere… She didn't have long to find out. Soon Aimi saw that the train tracks led inside the entrance into the mountain itself. She's reached the Takayama Mines… Despite the sign with "Danger" written on it, there was nothing stopping Aimi from approaching the entrance and trying to gaze inside. It was pitch black inside the mine and Aimi couldn't see very far into it.
Aimi hesitated and wondered if it would be wise to go in. Who knows what kind of unspeakable horrors could be lurking around in the mines? But she didn't see where else to go so Aimi prepared to brave the dark abandoned mines. Ignoring the fear creeping into her heart, Aimi stepped into the Takayama Mines… It was so pitch black inside the mine, her flashlight wasn't bright enough to light up the entire cave. At least she could continue to follow the train tracks deeper into the mine. Aimi let out a startled cry when she bumped into something in front of her. But then she was relieved to see that it was only an abandoned mine-cart. She walked around the cart and went further on.
Shining the flashlight up ahead, one tunnel went to the right while the other continued straight ahead. Aimi decided to explore the tunnel on the right. Hopefully she didn't get lost. However this led to a dead-end. Moving her flashlight around, all she saw was some abandoned rusty tools and a pile of rocks that blocked the entryway, preventing Aimi from going any further. Aimi felt uneasy. She heard too many stories of cave-ins and the Takayama Mines certainly has a way on making anyone claustrophobic. Then Aimi spotted some very old newspapers sitting among the tools and one of them caught her eye.
Takayama Mines Closes for Good
It has been announced today that the Takayama Mines were no longer profitable. The mines have officially been closed down due to the mountain running out of any valuable minerals. The Takayama Mines was first discovered in the 1600s and has led to the foundation of the town. For years, miners have worked to harvest coal, gold, iron, and zinc, which led to the town of Matsumura being built to house the families of the miners. For centuries, the mountain mines ensured prosperity for the town. The town of Matsumura saw a lot of success throughout the years that it reached a population over 3,000. But sadly in recent years, due to the mines becoming unstably dangerous and less minerals to dig up, it was decided today to close the mines for good.
These newspapers were pretty old and this one was dated 60 years ago. Finding nothing else of interest, Aimi had to go back down the tunnel. Aimi followed the tunnel straight ahead and realized that the darkness seemed to get thicker. Despite the musty air, it was cool inside the mines. Finally Aimi reached the end of the tunnel and entered a large cavern with more curving tunnels and a deep abyss in the center. Aimi carefully stepped over the ledge and tried to gaze down into the pit but it was too dark. No way to see to the bottom… Luckily there were some lanterns hanging on the rocky walls and were lit. Wooden platforms had been built to provide safe passage around the mountain. The old wood creaked underneath Aimi's feet as she followed the spiral staircase upwards.
Soon Aimi reached the top floor where she saw a large tunnel loom in front of her. Aimi started to make her way down the tunnel where lanterns helped light the path. Aimi took a couple of steps in when a sudden terrifying sound stopped her. What sounded like unnatural howling seemed to echo around the tunnels and caverns. It sent shivers down Aimi's back as she gazed all around her, trying to locate the source of the animal-like howling. That's when she realized it seemed to be coming from in front of her. Her sixth sense was on high alert… Appearing from out of the shadows, that's when Aimi saw it…
Was it a ghost? A shadow? Aimi couldn't tell. Even in the beam of her flashlight, the ghost was black… A ghostly being coated in pitch blackness that it blended perfectly in the darkness that surrounded it. The Black Ghost appeared to be shaped like a person so maybe it was human once? All Aimi could focus on was those two pinprick eyes staring lifelessly back at her… Whatever it was, it was hostile and moving toward her with its bone-chilling howl. It was blocking her in the tunnel so she had to fight it off.
Aimi brought the Camera Obscura up to her eye and aimed it at the approaching Black Ghost. It wasn't easy because it was so dark in the tunnel and the Black Ghost could easily blend into the background. She was able to snap a few photos but then the Black Ghost would vanish out of sight. Aimi had to use her flashlight to quickly locate the elusive ghost. Hearing its ungodly wailing continued to give her chills. And then Aimi quickly got an idea. Using a special lens on the camera, Aimi used the FLASH to draw the ghost out. It worked. The bright flash stunned the Black Ghost, exposing its presence. Aimi was able to get in powerful fatal shots as she snapped one photo after another…
With one final shot, Aimi finished off the Black Ghost. Letting out its ghastly howl, the Black Ghost vanished for good and all was silent in the mines once again. Aimi lowered the camera as soon as it was safe again. Hopefully she didn't encounter any more scary black ghosts around here… Now Aimi proceeded down the lit tunnel while keeping a close eye out for any other dangers. Eventually Aimi came upon a wooden door. Unfortunately the door was locked; Aimi could see the padlock that kept it closed. What was beyond the gate?
And then Aimi seemed to get her answer. She could sense a ghostly aura emanating around the padlock. Perhaps a clue on where the key was? Aimi raised the Camera Obscura and took a photo of the padlock. Once the photo popped out, Aimi waited a moment for the picture to become clear. In the photo, she saw something very strange. It appeared to be somewhere in a cavernous chamber. But what really interested Aimi was a deep dark hole that was roped off with shimenawa. It was surrounded by candles and appeared to be a sacred place. Where exactly was this?
With the photo as her main clue, Aimi turned around and headed back to the Cave Center. Now she began to make her downward along the spiral staircase. Every now and then, Aimi tried flashing her flashlight down the chasm but she still couldn't see what was down there. She must be inside the mountain itself… Aimi passed the second floor of the mines. She'd already been here, so it was time to explore further down. She kept heading further and further down until she reached the 1st floor where she spotted another tunnel. This tunnel was especially rocky that Aimi had to crouch in order to get across and then squeeze between the narrow rocky tunnels. Finally the tunnel widened and Aimi followed the rail-tracks where she spotted another abandoned rusty mine-cart flipped onto its side.
Soon Aimi saw another tunnel curve to her right, but this time she decided to keep heading straight. She could feel the wind blowing from this direction which meant that this tunnel led back outside. Aimi reached the end of the tunnel and stepped outside where she could see the inky-black sky, dotted with stars along with dark clouds. She couldn't see the moon from here. Looking around, Aimi saw that she'd come to a dead-end. The railroad tracks had crumbled away, preventing her from exploring the mines on the other side. However while enjoying the view from up here, Aimi looked down and happened to notice some dirty newspaper caught between some rocks. Using her flashlight for a better look, Aimi discovered another note with familiar handwriting on it.
Genda's Note 7
I was able to learn more about the Hollow of Comfort. As I've suspected before, it's connected with the urban legend of the Shadow Meadow. Shadow Meadow is said to be a place where the unloved are buried in order to contain their Hanahaki Disease. The Hollow is directly above the shadowy meadow and it's believed that prayers and love tokens are offered to those who died of a broken heart. A practice that's been done for years.
Only those with special permission can visit the Hollow of Comfort. The priest often visits the site where offerings are made to comfort those who perished of Hanahaki Disease. However it is strictly forbidden to venture out onto Shadow Meadow due to its close connection with the spirit world. It is said that those who willingly choose to die from the disease go to Shadow Meadow to become one with the garden.
This is tied to the old urban legend of the Kimura princess who long ago perished from the disease and whose body was buried in the mountain. It was believed she was the first person to contract the disease and they say her soul still resides in the meadow far below.
The Hollow of Comfort is like a window to the meadow where one can see the countless red spider lilies that grow rampant in the field. There are a lot of superstitions surrounding the Red Spider Lily but one of the well-known ones is that the Red Spider Lily guides the dead to their next reincarnation. Could this be another reason why sufferers of the disease willingly choose death?
Aimi was intrigued by everything she learned so far. A legend of a princess buried in the mountain somewhere? Did that have anything to do with the origins of the Hanahaki Disease? Finding nothing else, Aimi took one last look out at the dark towering mountain before heading back inside the mine. As Aimi's ankle-flat slippers stepped over the bumpy rocks, she let out an unexpected scream when sudden loud tremor broke out. Immediately Aimi backed up into the stone-wall and froze as she could feel the ground beneath her tremble and shake. And just like that…it stopped. Aimi couldn't move and her heart was thudding so hard in her chest that it hurt. She waited a couple more minutes but there were no more quaking. Did that really happen?
"I hope I don't get caught in a cave-in," Aimi thought nervously to herself. The idea of getting trapped in these dark empty tunnels was scary enough.
Once she was sure it was safe to move, Aimi hurried her pace down the tunnel while trying to calm her still-beating heart. Aimi decided to head down the other unexplored tunnel she passed by earlier. Going down this tunnel, Aimi noticed that the tunnel seemed to curve downward. A couple lit lanterns hanging along the walls told her that this tunnel was used frequently. Soon the tunnel curved around a corner and Aimi continued to follow it. It occurred to her that she seemed to be heading further and further down the mountain. And just when she was starting to wonder how long this tunnel was, it led her to an oddly familiar place.
This appeared to be a dead-end and yet Aimi was met with an interesting sight. Before her was exactly what she saw in the photo earlier. A hollow roped off with shimenawa rope and surrounded with lit candles. There were a couple of cute wooden Japanese dolls, either for decoration or as tokens? Lovely ancient-looking vases stood together in a pile and Aimi saw that some of them were filled with water. Upon stepping further into the room, Aimi noticed the Torii gate that had been built around the entrance. Instead Aimi's eyes were on the hollow before her and when she got closer, that's when she sensed it. Using her Camera Obscura to locate it, Aimi looked down the hollow and saw a creepy ghost with multiple faces and mouths merged together gazing morosely up at her with its sunken eyes… They were probably The Heartbroken…
Taking its picture with the camera, The Heartbroken disappeared into thin air and Aimi couldn't sense its presence no more. And that's when she spotted the chain link key sitting abandoned near the Japanese dolls. Having found the key, Aimi could finally return to the locked door. Before leaving the cavern, Aimi was still curious about the Hollow of Comfort and went so far as to lean over the shimenawa rope and peered down the hole. Shining her flashlight down the hollow, Aimi tried to see if she could see the bottom. She did see something down there…
Aimi couldn't make out much but what she was able to see was what seemed to be a field of red… It was like looking down at a red ocean. What was down there? Aimi leaned over for a better look and that's when she drew back at once. Maybe it was because of her sixth sense, but Aimi could sense powerful emotions emanating from down below. Emotions like loneliness, grief, and sorrow. So many restless spirits and they seemed to be coming from down there. Aimi kept her distance from the Hollow of Comfort and realized she was afraid to get any closer to it. Best to leave this place…
Aimi headed back down the tunnel and wanted to put as much distance between herself and the Hollow of Comfort. Going back down the tunnel, Aimi hoped there would be no more tremors in the mines. It really left her paranoid. Aimi was just coming out of the tunnel and about to head up the spiral staircase when that ungodly howling started back up again. Aimi spun around and saw the Black Ghost had appeared from behind her. With its shadowy shape and white pinprick eyes, the Black Ghost was moving toward her with its inhumane howling. This time Aimi turned and fled back up the Spiral Staircase. She didn't know if it was the same Black Ghost or a different one. She didn't want to be overrun by them…
With her heart racing and gripping the Camera Obscura tightly with one hand, Aimi kept racing up the spiral staircase. She looked back to see if the Black Ghost was pursuing her. The Black Ghost was still at the bottom but it was hard to tell if it was pursuing her. Finally Aimi reached the top floor where she stopped to catch her breath with her hands resting on her knees. After catching her breath, Aimi hurried down the tunnel. Hopefully the Black Ghost wasn't still chasing her. Aimi reached the locked door and used the chain-link key to undo the padlock. Once the door was unlocked, she opened the door and ventured into unexplored territory.
Walking down this cavernous path, Aimi noticed this tunnel appeared man-made. There were no railroad tracks and the rocky ground was smooth, perfect for walking. Perhaps this tunnel connected somewhere else? Following the twists and turns of this tunnel, and when Aimi came to end of it, she came upon a cavernous chamber. This chamber also seemed man-made and there was even an altar in the center. And lying on that altar was…
"Ume!" Aimi saw her best friend lying on top of the altar. Aimi hurried over to her at once and as she did, she couldn't help but noticing the brightly glowing violets littered around her best friend. "Ume! Wake up! Are you alright?" Aimi was scared at first. Was her friend hurt? She reached out and tried to shake Ume awake.
To her relief, Ume stirred and turned her head to look up at her. "Aimi?" she said, recognizing her friend. "Aimi…You're okay?" Ume sat up from the altar and felt groggy and a little light-headed. She sat there and waited for the dizziness to subside. Aimi stood by, patiently waiting for Ume to feel better.
"What are you doing here?" Aimi asked her. "How did you find this place?"
"I was worried," Ume admitted. She pushed back her ponytail and looked up at Aimi. "I came here to make sure you were okay. I brought Shou with me. He's here too."
"Shou is here?" Aimi smiled for the first time that night. Shou was here… He'd come looking for her too. Just thinking about Shou caused Aimi's heart to skip a beat. She'd been thinking about him a lot lately…
Without warning, Aimi felt her emotions get the better of her. It became too much that Aimi felt sick to her stomach. Ume gasped as Aimi grabbed her stomach region and puked up pure-white petals that littered the ground at her feet. Aimi's feelings for Shou had grown stronger and the Hanahaki Disease had gotten worse… Once it was over, Aimi was trembling all over and had to wipe the petals away from her mouth. Ume got off the altar and put her arm around Aimi to calm her down. That's when Ume knew… Her friend was suffering from the disease too…
"I'm running out of time," Aimi said in a shaky voice. "I…I have to cure this disease. There has to be a way to stop it." Aimi kept massaging her stomach and she could feel the supernatural curse growing within her. Even with the pain in her heart, Aimi still couldn't stop thinking about her feelings for Shou.
Ume was silent for a moment. She stepped back and Aimi watched as her best friend started to gather the violets from the altar. As Aimi watched curiously, Ume turned back to her. "There is a way," Ume told her. "The Severing Ritual… To cut ties with the unrequited love that consumes you."
And that's when Ume held up what appeared to be shears. The very same shears the Shrine Keeper had used to remove the flowers from her. Ume had been cured of her disease… Now she handed the Spiritual Shears over to Aimi who hesitated before accepting it. Upon closer inspection, the shears had some holy words written in Japanese on it and it looked to be very old. Aimi looked at the shears and for some reason, felt uncomfortable with it. Catching the look of uncertainly on Aimi's face, Ume tried to explain.
"You can use it to cut the flowers at their roots from your heart. It's one of the ways to cure yourself of the disease. The other is to confess your feelings for the one you love at the Shrine of Oath." Ume studied her friend's expression and she wondered what Aimi would choose. She suspected for some time that her best friend had a crush on her big brother. But it still made her wonder. Would Aimi cast away her love and feelings too?
Aimi definitely could sense a calming effect from the Spiritual Shears. But it left her feeling torn. "I'm not ready," Aimi admitted to herself. "I can't stop loving him. Not yet…" Aimi couldn't make that tough decision right now so instead she put the Spiritual Shears away in her hand-bag. Then she turned back to Ume who was watching her in concern. "I'm real glad you're safe now, Ume," Aimi smiled warmly. "Let's get out of here together. We can try looking for Shou next."
Ume smiled and nodded her head. However she made sure she collected all of her violets. There was one task left that she had to do. Now the two girls turned and started heading for the double-doors to exit the Severing Chamber but stopped when they both felt it at the same time. The temperature seemed to drop and the air became ice-cold. And already Aimi could sense a truly maleficent presence approaching. Suddenly the double-doors seemed to swing open on their own, causing Aimi and Ume to jump back at once. Then they stared in horror when they both saw the ghost at the same time…
The ghostly woman covered head to toe with brightly red spider lilies had stepped into the chamber. It was so unexpected that Aimi and Ume froze up at the sight of the dead woman. And when the Unloved Woman entered the chamber, suddenly Aimi couldn't stop herself and started coughing up more flower petals with no control. Her Hanahaki Disease seemed to get worse and Aimi had a feeling it was because of that woman in the bright orange-kimono… Ume immediately recognized the ghost and realized it was the same one she and Shou had encountered at the Tsuchiya Cemetery.
"Unloved forever… Never been loved…," the red-spider lily woman spat bitterly. Even from a distance, Aimi could sense nothing but anger and hatred from this ghost. "I will never be loved… Never be loved," the woman continued to curse foully.
Aimi grabbed Ume's hand and pulled her in the other direction. "Run! Hurry! This way!" Aimi shouted. Together Aimi and Ume ran down the tunnel that led back to the Takayama Mines. Looking over her shoulder, Aimi saw to her horror that the Unloved Woman was pursuing them and was moving with frightening speed. Aimi and Ume ran for their lives as the Unloved Woman went after them.
Running breathlessly down the dark tunnel, their hearts racing and adrenaline pumping, Aimi turned her head to look back to see the Unloved Woman getting closer and closer. Aimi was running so hard that she forgotten to watch where she was going. The next thing she knew, Aimi came bursting out of the tunnel and came dangerously close to the edge of the pit. Ume tried grabbing for her and instead ended up grabbing the Camera Obscura instead. It was already too late. Aimi lost her balance and her screams echoed loudly throughout the mountainous mines as she fell down the dark abyss below.
"Aimi! No! Aimi! Aimi!" Ume screamed her friend's name over and over while staring down the pitch-black abyss. Poor Ume didn't have time to worry about her best friend. She looked up to see the Unloved Woman floating out of the tunnel and heading straight for her. Having no other choice, Ume had to flee with the Camera Obscura in hand. Ume ran blindly through the Takayama mines and never once looked back. She needed to get help. Aimi was trapped somewhere down below the mountain…
I'm really proud of the spooky ghosts I've managed to come up with. Some ghosts are benevolent and some are hostile. The ghosts that have died from Hanahaki Disease are the ones I've dubbed "The Unrequited." They're scary ghost-types that have unique attacking abilities, based on what kind of flower they're represented with. If this were to be turned into a video game, I like to imagine the ghosts would be pretty tough and enough to keep players on their toes. What do you think? Just wanted to share that interesting trivia about the story. As always, read and review please!