Chapter 2 - Revelation

"Warn your warmth to turn away

Here, it's December

Everyday"

That night, it was hard to sleep; the conversation with my grandma kept echoing in my head. Could my nightmares be memories of that day in the snow?

All these years, my grandmother stayed in the cabin, observing the youkai's behavior and the reports about the legend, but she never told anyone about her findings. I believe she didn't speak out of fear that my father would think she was becoming senile due to her age.

My father is a skeptic; he doesn't believe in tales or that legends can be real and carry a curse. When I got lost, he blamed Grandma for making up stories about the snow youkai. He said it was the firefighters who found me, not that entity who returned me to my family.

After tossing and turning in bed, I eventually fell asleep, exhausted from the Christmas party and all the food I ate at Kai's house.

I thought about waking up early before everyone else and leaving without saying anything; I had the key to the cabin and didn't want to be followed.

My plan didn't work because I woke up late, the sun was already high, and everyone was already up; I could smell breakfast.

I got out of bed, put on my slippers, stretched, and headed to the kitchen. I joined them for breakfast; my grandmother was talking to my father, and my mother was finishing setting the table. Ruki sat at the opposite end of the table, yawning and looking at the day's messages on his phone.

— Ohayoo, onii-san Reita...

— Hai, Ruki-chan

— Onii-san, I see that snow is forecast for today.

— Really? Will it be nearby?

— Yes and no. It will be in the mountains, near the cabin.

— It's been a while since I went there. I think the last time was before college.

My grandmother stopped talking to my father, looking at me and Ruki, sitting down and paying attention to our conversation.

— Since it's Christmas, we could invite Kai and Aoi to go to the cabin. What do you think, Grandma?

— I don't know; it depends on your father. He doesn't want me to go back to my house.

— Otou-san, is that true?

My father looked incredulous at what my grandmother was saying about him.

— Okaasan, I'm not forbidding you from visiting the cabin.

— Not really? Then why can't I keep living there?

— We've already had this conversation. I don't want you to be alone because of your age, and you could get sick. Here in the city, everything is nearby and easier to access in an emergency.

— I've lived there all my life; I know how to take care of myself. You're afraid of what happened to Akira, which is why you don't want to go back there.

— That's not it, Akira is an adult now. I'm worried about your health and safety.

— All right, then. Can Akira take us, along with the boys, to see the snow at the cabin?

— Of course, he can! He knows how to drive... Just don't take too long to come back because dinner is at seven.

— I don't know if we'll be back for dinner. I want to spend the night there, sleep in my bed, light the fireplace, and stay a few days to enjoy the snow.

— Ok, Ayumi-san, you win. Just be careful; the boys are adults now, and I don't want any incidents in the snow.

— Deep down, you believe in the legend, which is why you didn't want to let them go see the snow in the mountains.

— Enough of this talk, let's eat before everything gets cold.

Ruki and I just listened to their conversation. I realized that my father brought her to live with us not because of her old age, but because he said Grandma made up these stories to scare the children. In the end, I believe he's afraid that what she says about the legend might be true.

— So it's decided! I'll pack my bag. And I'll call Aoi to do the same and let him tell Kai. - Ruki got up from the table, all excited.

— Oba-chan, do you need help with anything to take there? — I asked, trying to ease the tension between her and my father.

— Let me see... We'll take some pasta, some vegetables, chicken cuts, and red meat. See what else is in the fridge that might be useful, and I'll think about what to cook for lunch and dinner - she said, opening the fridge and pointing to what she wanted.

— I'll get the cooler to store the drinks too. — I grabbed some boxes of apple juice, a bottle of bubble tea, a bottle of sake, and some soda cans.

My father ate in silence, occasionally glancing at my grandmother and then at me. My mother didn't want to get involved in the discussion because she always got scolded for defending Grandma.

Luckily, this time there was a peace agreement, even though my father looked grumpy because he had no arguments to contest Grandma's will.

I organized the kitchen and went to the bedroom to pack my bag with some clothes, blankets, and most importantly, socks and gloves.

I found Ruki in the living room, sitting and messing with his phone, with his bag beside him. I left mine next to his as well, then went to Grandma's room to get her suitcase so we could leave.

With everything ready, my father handed me the car keys, asking me to be careful on the road and not to let Grandma stay in the snow, insisting that I notify him when we arrived at the cabin.

We picked up the guys. Kai and Aoi were already ready, so they just put their bags in the trunk, and we headed to the cabin.

For them, it will be a fun trip, but for me, it's more than that, as I'm searching for answers about the legend Grandma told.

—.—.—.—.

We arrived in the mountains around noon. The sky was signaling that we would have the much-anticipated snow by nightfall.

I helped unload everything from the car, put things in their places, and we left our bags in the bedrooms.

Grandma Ayumi went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, while we opened the windows to air out the place and removed the sheets from the furniture, as the house had been closed for a while. I also noticed there was no firewood for the fireplace, and it would be cold at night, so it was necessary.

Ruki and Aoi volunteered to get firewood outside. The sun was mild, and it would be fun, according to them.

Kai wanted to stay and help Grandma in the kitchen, but she said it wasn't necessary, that we could go out and enjoy ourselves until lunch was ready.

She just warned us to be careful around the lake and not to go too far toward the forest entrance, advising us to stay close to the house for safety.

Ruki laughed at Grandma's concerns, saying that we were adults now and knew how to take care of ourselves. We're not kids anymore, getting lost in the forest like I did years ago.

My brother knows how to be annoying and always teased me about what happened. Little does he know that, according to the legend, the danger involves young adults, not children.

We said goodbye to the elder and went on our adventure to gather firewood, as Ruki had suggested. Acting like children, they bet on who would gather more wood for the fire, running ahead.

Kai and I walked more slowly. I observed everything around me with a distant look, searching for the mysterious figure of the snow.

"Will the youkai appear, or is it just a figment of my imagination, a dream?"

— Reita, are you worried that the legend might be true?

— Kai, after the conversation my grandmother and father had at breakfast, yes, I'm apprehensive about what might be waiting for me in the forest.

— Wow… So their conversation was that intense. Your father didn't want you to come back here, right?

— You're right. And he brought Grandma to the house in the city because he's afraid I'll get lost again.

— I see... Although he might have a point.

— Seriously?! Why are you siding with him now?

— That's not it. As I remember the legend, the youkai is searching for her soulmate. So young men might be in danger if they're not the chosen one.

— That could be true... Where are Ruki and Aoi? They've already disappeared! We should stick together; it's safer.

— Reita, let me know if you hear that melody. The youkai might use it to lure any of us into a trap...

— Right. Let's stay alert and gather firewood as quickly as possible because it will start getting dark soon, and if it snows, the temperature will drop dramatically.

—.—.—.—.

After some time gathering the wood we found, I heard Grandma calling us for lunch. My brother was right; it was a lot of fun, and clever as he was, he left the heavier branches for Kai and me to carry. He and Aoi only brought back a few, claiming they couldn't find more because they were damp.

We were near the lake, and that ended up being their excuse. When I said I heard Grandma calling, they teamed up and ran ahead, leaving the heavy work for me.

On the way back, I kept watching the edge of the forest, trying to see if I could spot any figures, but since it was still daytime, it might only be possible after dark.

We left the firewood next to the fireplace, washed our hands, and sat down for lunch. You could tell Grandma was really happy to be back in her home, even if only for a few days.

The afternoon was very pleasant and fun. We found some board games stored in a room that we used when we were still kids, and we set them up in the living room to play. It had been a long time since the four of us, now adults, had spent a day together without the worries of the outside world.

We didn't even notice the night falling, only realizing it when the temperature dropped considerably. So, we prepared the fireplace to keep us warm.

For dinner, Grandma made a vegetable stew, bringing the bowls to the living room since we were still engrossed in what must have been our third or fourth game.

We forgot about the television and our phones that night. I only picked mine up to check the time, which showed it was almost ten o'clock, and I had many messages from my dad, upset because we hadn't informed him that we had arrived safely.

With the intense cold and tired from the trip, we headed to the bedrooms to rest. The cabin has three bedrooms. Ruki shared one with Aoi, and in the other, it was me and Kai, just like we do in our college dorm.

My brother didn't want to sleep in the same room as me after Kai mentioned that I have nightmares at night. I hope that tonight here at the cabin, I have a peaceful sleep without waking up my roommate in the middle of the night.

Grandma Ayumi went to bed very happy to be in her house, in her bed, with our company.

—.—.—.—.

That was the best night's sleep I've had in a long time. The truth is, I've always felt more comfortable in Grandma's house than in my apartment in the city.

When I finally fell asleep, I noticed that the snow had begun to fall, and a distant melody lulled me into a deep slumber.

I had a dream where I was walking through the bushes, finding the youkai with her back turned. I reached out and touched her shoulder, making her turn to me, and it was the first time I saw her face with a contented smile upon seeing me.

Her voice was kind this time: "At last, my love, you have returned to me. Why did you take so long...?" She reached out to touch my hand, making me feel the tips of her fingers cold, so real that it felt like a dream.

This time, I woke up without fear, slowly getting up and seeing that Kai was still sleeping peacefully, which was a relief to me. It's not easy to have a roommate who always has nightmares. I looked for my phone to check the time, seeing that it was around eight in the morning. I left the room quietly and headed to the bathroom.

The cabin was silent, with everyone still asleep. I went to the kitchen, and because of the snow, I heated some water and made tea to warm myself up and think about that dream I had.

Distracted with my mug in hand, blowing on the tea and watching the snow fall outside the window, I didn't even notice Grandma Ayumi entering the kitchen.

— Ohayoo... Akira...

— Hummm...

— Why are you up so early?

— Oh! Oba-chan, gomen… I was just thinking here and didn't see you come in.

— Did you have another nightmare?

— No. It was a revealing dream... I'm trying to analyze if it could be real.

— Would you like to tell me about it?

Grandma grabbed a mug, poured herself some tea, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to me, waiting for my response.

— It started like the others, lost in the snow, following the melody of the snowy figure.

— Hai... What else?

— The difference is that when I reached her and touched her shoulder, she turned around, happy, and said I had returned to her.

— Interesting. Did you see who it was?

— No. The hood hid her face. She wanted to know why I took so long.

— Humm… So you did make a promise to her.

— Most likely, though I don't remember. I was only 13 years old, after all.

— Akira, only you can find out. So try to interact with the dream and ask what the agreement was that you made.

— I tried, but I didn't know if it was a dream, so when our hands touched, I felt my fingers freezing. That's why I believe it was real.

We finished our tea and stayed there, thinking, analyzing the unusual situation of my dream. It felt like a premonition of what was to come.

I didn't tell the others about the dream, and Grandma Ayumi took it upon herself to keep them busy throughout the day. My dad called a few more times, wanting to know when we were coming back, and I handed the phone to Grandma, who confirmed that we would stay a few more days, maybe until New Year's Eve.

You could hear him incredulous that we would be staying at the cabin longer than we had agreed on Christmas morning.

Grandma Ayumi wanted to buy time for me to resolve my issue. That much was clear.

The day passed peacefully with the snow falling gently. Kai found it strange that he managed to sleep through the night without any disturbances and told me that the place must be responsible for the calmness.

The night was very cold, we warmed up around the fireplace, with delicious lámen made by chef Kai, wrapped up with more stories from Grandma Ayumi about the region and when she was married young to my grandfather.

I thanked my friend Kai for putting up with my outbursts in the early hours of the morning at college. Kai smiled showing his dimples asking for more nights of peaceful sleep.

"He bit my lip, and drank my war

From years before

She exhales vanilla lace

I barely dreamt her yesterday (yesterday)"

—.—.—.—.

Link to the song in the story, the band is AFI - Music from the album December underground.

www/youtube/com/watch?v=ZAvOiEeAnSY