Chapter 2 - The Legend
"Haru?" a voice asked, "Are you sleeping?"
The voice sounded a little annoyed but then the female voice started to giggle. She moved in close to the sleeping girl and blew in her ear.
Haru woke with a start. "HIROMI!" she yelled giving the giggling girl a slight push.
"Sorry Haru, but you seemed so at peace and I thought it would be fun to see what would happen if I gave a little blow in your ear." She kept on giggling.
Haru sighed and looked out the window. They were almost there.
*****
Haru stepped out of the bus with Hiromi right behind her. When the entire class had stepped out of the bus the teacher led them into the small cottage. "I have been looking forward to this for so long," Hiromi said enthusiastically going through the wooden door. Haru couldn't help but smile at her. "I'm not so keen on it though," Haru said with a faint smile. "I know, but Haru… Don't you know which cottage this is?" Hiromi asked surprised.
Haru looked at Hiromi with confused eyes, while they entered the girls' dorm and started to unpack, "no, should I?"
"Of course," Hiromi said with shinning eyes. "It surprises me that you haven't read about it. You always have a book about legends and myths on you," she then added.
"I prefer older legends I guess," Haru answered with a slight teasing smile.
Hiromi stopped packing and sat down on her sleeping mat and then gestured Haru to sit opposite her. Then she began her story, "I once read in a mythology book that a man and a girl from two completely different worlds fell in love over night. The girl was human but no one knows for sure who… or what… the man was," Haru noticed more and more girls had drawn attention to their conversation and some girls were already sitting beside them. Hiromi really knows how to create an interesting atmosphere, Haru smiled to herself and Hiromi continued her story, "The two of them fell in love but the man was forbidden to stay in the human world and when the girl then begged to come with him, he refused and said that he didn't want her to come with him to his world but promised to come back for her one day when all the mellow flowers had bloomed," Haru heard a few girls sobbing but otherwise she was completely absorbed by the story.
"The woman waited. Year after year passed but there was no sign of him. Every year when all the mellow flowers bloomed she made tea of them and waited but he never showed up. Only on the day of her death did he come to see her." Hiromi had never looked so serious before and she continued, "But he never managed to tell her how much he loved her," Hiromi finished the story but Haru had many questions.
"How and when did they meet?" Haru's eyes were shinning more than Hiromi's now with pure excitement. Hiromi smiled at her, "It happened in the 15th century. They met in the forest near this cottage," she pointed out the window, "The legend says that there is a portal between our world and another world but everytime someone goes in to check they come back saying there is nothing out there. It's only trees and bushes."
"How did the girl die?" Another girl asked quietly.
"She met the man as a 16 year-old and died as a 19 year-old," Hiromi gave out a sad sigh, "She was accused of being a witch and was burned at the stake. The man saw his beloved burn and took his own life."
Almost every girl was now sobbing, "Such a tragic history," a girl said, "almost like Romeo and Juliet but only… sadder…"
"What happened? Did someone die?" Tsuge asked when seeing the girls crying and sobbing.
The girls turned to look at him angry. Their eyes told him they were about to kill him. Tsuge laughed awkwardly and took one step backwards after another before he ran out the door.
The girls started to laugh. "Hiromi," Haru said with a twinkle in her eye, "I really think you and Tsuge are a prefect match." Hiromi blushed but her facial expression did not deny it.
*****
For dinner the class wanted to make a bonfire so they decided to make groups of two by lots so that some would look for firewood, some would prepare dinner, some would clean the dishes when they were done, and some would clean the cottage, so every team would have something to do.
The girls started with drawing the names of who they were supposed to be with. Hiromi started drawing. "Tsuge," she said smiling.
After that one after one drew and last it was Haru.
"I'm sorry Haru," the class president said, "There are no left… Is it okay if you are by yourself?"
"Yes of course, I'll get the firewood," Haru put on a smile that fooled them but inside Haru was thinking of how typical it was. I can't believe that no one even offers me to be in their group, Haru thought angrily while walking resentful into the forest to get the firewood, I understand Hiromi for wanting to be alone with Tsuge but still…
While mumbling angrily to herself Haru went deeper and deeper into the forest collecting the firewood and then stopped. Where was she? She then decided to walk in a random direction and started to walk. Then she changed her mind and walked in another direction. "Argh… why does this always happen to me?" she said giving up. "I don't have any sense of direction so why would I volunteer to go into a forest?"
She slammed her palm on her forehead. Oh right… I wanted to be alone… Like always.
Even though Haru had Hiromi, Haru had always felt alone.
Then Haru caught her breath. She dropped the firewood onto the ground causing bird to fly off. She was standing in front of a meadow. It was like it was taken straight out of a fairy tale. Wild flowers blooming, a lake which sparkled in the moonlight, the scent of Sakura trees around her. She walked closer to the lake and the wind took her plain, brown hair and swirled it around.
She then fell backwards onto the wild flowers with a thump and took a deep breath. "Mmm… Mellow flowers…" she whispered. She closed her eyes in a daze and felt the atmosphere surround her.
A/N: okay... so I decided to remake this chapter... After my opinion it was too messy and made not so much sense... but this will be much better + I only need to make FEW adjustment on the next chapter so hope you'll enjoy. XD
The next chapter was also inspired by a dream so look forward to it.. it's up tomorrow ;D
