The sun sets across the landscape of Gensokyo. The growing darkness is host to numerous apparitions and fiends who search for sustenance on living flesh.

Most humans hide from the darkness.

But tonight, there is one who has the misfortune of being alone under Gensokyo's night sky.

The woman leaned her head into the tree, tired and nearly mad with fear. Her frozen mind was echoing the same thought over and over again.

Oh my god….I'm going to die.

She couldn't even remember why she had thought going to pick herbs near the Forest of Magic at sundown would be a good idea. Youkai always came out at night, every human knew that. Not even fools went out at night without protection.

And now? Her ignorance was going to kill her.

"Oooh! There you are. I had no idea humans could even run that fast!" The voice of a young girl called from the shadows.

Indeed, she had run fast; so fast that her body had given up on her. She wanted to run from the small voice that was calling out behind her, but her legs would not respond. All she had left in her was a burning exhaustion and the fleeting willpower to face her soon-to-be killer. The latter she decided to use, turning slowly before sinking down onto the root of the tree that she still rested upon.

Skipping softly towards her was a small girl, appearing to be nothing more than a child, wearing a slightly worn black dress and a cute smile. Her short blond hair held a length of red ribbon that stood out against the night.

She might have been considered cute had the woman not recognized her as Rumia, an infamous

human-killing youkai who had the power over darkness.

"That was a lot of fun! It's been a while since I got to chase someone." Rumia tittered

The woman remained silent, her voice had given out from stress, she could not even manage a scream. She tried to move again but her body was still too weak. So, she merely tensed and waited for the youkai to continue.

"But now that you're done running…." Rumia's light red eyes shone with an inner light. "Can I eat you ?"

The human's body was ready to go back into overdrive. She was certainly not going to die so readily, but she had never been so close to a youkai before; she was terrified.

Rumia stopped skipping towards her. She was only half of a meter away now.

Would running do any good at this point? Am I even going to make to the village? Am I going to see tomorrow? The woman's mind raced

Rumia tilted her head slightly.

"Hmmmmm? Why aren't you saying anything?" The youkai thought aloud "Could it be that you don't care? Do you? Hm?"

the woman opened her mouth in response, but no sound came. Please don't, I don't want to die. Just leave me alone! Again, she fought with her voice, but still no sound.

"Nothing? I guess you DON'T care then! In that case…"

Rumia gave a toothy grin and outstretched her arms. Instantly an unnatural darkness rose out of the ground like smoke, clinging to her legs and arms. Slowly, Rumia began to lift off the ground.

Oh no! She's going to attack! I need to run NOW! Imminent death snapped the woman out of exhaustion and put her body back into survival mode. She dived around the tree and broke into a sprint heading out of the forest's edge.

However, the darkness youkai would not allow it. A bolt of magic energy flew out from the swirling darkness and strikes the fleeing human in the ankle. The force instantly snaps the bone.

"Ah! Ah…Nnng!" The woman cried out in agony.

With her leg no longer functioning, the human falls.

Rumia floated over to the downed woman. "Got you now!" Rumia lowered herself down to the ground, meeting the woman at her eyes, the youkai letting out a barely suppressed giggle as she does so.

Rumia grinned even wider. "Time to eat"

The woman could not even struggle. Rumia's fangs found her throat instantly. The youkai's red eyes were the last thing she ever saw.

And with that, another human perishes at the hands of a youkai.

She is one of many, and she will not be the last. The darkness is cruel mistress; she confuses, she traps, she kills, she lurks in the forest, she wears a black dress and a red bow….

And everyone knows her as Rumia.

A/N

I've always enjoyed writing, but i've never really written for fun before. I think writing is a useful skill as much as it is an art so i want to get better at it. Plus I love Touhou.

I've only written fiction a couple of times so I want to see how well i can act out a character in a basic scenario before I try somthing big. Constructive Reviews are appreciated. Any kind of tips you can give would be helpful.

Thanks for reading

-Blidnga