Bargaining
I don't know why I'm standing here, at the shrine, with an ema in my hand. The last time I came to this place, it was with my family after we buried my sister. It's raining today, but I haven't got an umbrella. The bowing trees act as a sort of canopy anyway, shielding me from most of the droplets shed by the teary clouds.
But... Clouds don't cry. Even if they did, they wouldn't waste their tears on Saki. I don't even know why the trees are bothering to shelter me; I'm already drenched.
Where am I supposed to hang the ema? There aren't any others around, but there are several reams of tattered ribbon strewn across the ground. What happened to the wishes, were they granted and then disappeared? No, that's silly. They must be somewhere.
I tie the ema about the highest branch that I can reach, ensuring that the knot won't come loose. It's hard because my fingers are wet and the rain keeps hitting my face but I manage it. Stepping back and wiping my brow with a soggy sleeve, I admire my handiwork.
I wish that my sister's soul didn't go to Hell.
A/N: Yeeesh, sorry it's taken a while to update anything. Naoki doesn't seem the type to barter. :|