“Come on, Taryn, you need to wake up,” Rachael said to Taryn, who was still under the futon’s covers. Fast asleep. She folded her arms over her chest and let out a breath. Her friend was out cold.

“Still no good, huh?” Stephanie asked as she entered the room and squatted down near Taryn’s futon, her elbows resting on her knees while looking at Taryn’s sleeping face. “Man, she’s sleeping like a log. Has she ever done this before?”

“Not during the whole of the trip,” Rachael said as she looked back to her friend before glancing towards the nearby window, it was still early morning, but she could hear the bustle of the outside even now. “I did hear her leave the room last night, though she fell asleep atop the covers when she returned. It’s not like her to do that, so I made sure she was sleeping properly before heading back to bed myself.”

“Huh, she did that too during the first night we arrived in Tokyo,” Stephanie added as she rested her chin on the palm of her hand. “If I’m honest, she looked like she hadn’t slept well for a long time. But I guess that goes to show the effect of what happened to her brother still hits her. I can relate to that…”

Rachael merely looked at the blonde woman who brushed Taryn’s hair away from her face before standing up.

“Why not let her sleep in? I’m sure her body would appreciate it immensely.”

“Sure,” Rachael agreed as she stood up, grabbed her shoulder bag and followed her. Where she saw Robert waiting in the hallway as a faint frown creased his brow.

“Where’s Taryn?”

Stephanie answered his question. “Still sleeping.”

“The hell? Why?”

“She’s exhausted,” Rachael spoke in response. “So, we’re letting her sleep in.” it was a partial lie; Taryn wouldn’t wake up no matter what she tried, but she wasn’t about to go to extremes to get her friend to wake up.

“Her exhaustion finally got the better of her, huh?” Robert muttered as he glanced away from Rachael.

This caused Rachael to give him a disapproving look. “What’s that supped to mean?”

He frowned at her. “What?”

“What you just said,” Rachael clarified. “What was that supposed to mean exactly? Because it sounds like you mocking her for being exhausted.”

“She wouldn’t be exhausted if she went and slept like a normal person.”

“Oh yeah? You think she doesn’t know that?” her grey eyes then formed into a glare. “You already know what she’s been through. Not everyone can bounce back after three months when a family member is murdered, so don’t be an ass.”

Robert fell silent as Rachael walked past him. “You know you don’t have to say it like that.” He said before she reached the stairs causing her to stop.

She looked back at him with narrowed eyes, like a disapproving mother. “I’ll say it however I want. I know that things between you two have become complicated, but I’m still free to be angry. And I’m still angry at you.”

He balked at her words. “Why me? You’re not even involved in this, you know.”

“No, I’m not. At least not completely.” She said truthfully. “But do you honestly think I’d just stand by and do nothing after what’s happened to her? What kind of friend would I be if I did that?” she then turned and headed down the stairs before he had the chance to get another word in. And quickly went to the front entrance, nearly bumping into someone who wore an orange-red kimono as she did so, giving a soft apology in Japanese before moving past.

Though she was calm externally, she still burned with anger. Anger at how Robert treated her friend at the coming end of their relationship, but most of all, she was angry at how cowardly he was. She wanted to punch him, but she wouldn’t, for it would not change anything. It wouldn’t make her feel better. She mainly wondered how such a thing affected her friend. Since Roy’s death, Taryn had dulled her own emotions. Since the incident, Taryn locked them away and chose not to openly speak of it unless she had to in court.

Even though, as of now, Taryn was slowly showing her emotions once more, it would still be a long road ahead before she would be herself again. No, that was an arrogant thought; Taryn would never be the same after that, no one would. No matter how much someone tried to hide it from the rest of the world. There would always be a scar left behind for the ones who remained, one that wasn’t visible.

It angered Rachael to no end that there wasn’t anything she could honestly do for her friend. Besides being there for her, even then, it felt so minimal and what Rachael could only deem to herself as pathetic…

Letting out a slow deep breath as she wiped the sudden tears from her eyes as Rachael made her way down to the village. Where several people were beginning to set up for the upcoming festival. After taking some photos, Rachael then found a shady patch of grass to sit down near a tree; as she pulled out her sketchbook and pencil, she sketched the village’s surrounding area.

Her eyes glanced back and forth from her page to those she sketched. She had some practice while in Tokyo, but the village seemed to be far easier to draw with a fraction of the people.

Some of the local children inched their way over to peer at what she was drawing, seeing this Rachael asked them in Japanese. “Want me to draw you?”

She remained sitting, drawing several of the kids and giving them the sketches, then ran off to show them to their parents. She watched with a smile before she got up and headed into another part of the village. Taking photos like before, stopping to make some quick sketches before she came to a stop at the bottom of the stone stairs leading to the village’s Shrine. When she reached the top, she looked back, seeing how she had a good view of the whole village. She could even see a bit of the mansion that wasn’t hidden by trees. It even gave her a better idea of just how large it was. No wonder Taryn got lost. The mansion looks huge… she thought to herself, knowing that if she wasn’t careful, she might get lost as well.

Rachael then turned and looked up at the Torii Gate in front of the Shrine’s entrance. It was rather old, made from wood with a shimenawa, a sacred rope made from twisted grass or straw hung across the top of it. Her eyes then fell on the Shrine in question.

The Shrine itself was rather large. Its architecture reminded Rachael of the Taisha-zukuri style in its design, like the Izumo Ōyashiro Shrine in Izumo of the Shimane Prefecture. This made sense, given the story Sato told, since it is unknown when the first Shinto Shrine was built, much like this village.

The Shrine had a thatched roof while the structure itself was of wood that looked light from being in the sun. The Shrine in question was raised above the ground by several feet, and a set of wooden stairs led up to the door. However, this building looked almost brand new.

To the left of the Shrine was a cobblestone path surrounded by bamboo leading deep into the forest, and to the right was a massive graveyard. They were relatively clean; even those furthest to the back looked well taken care of.

Rachael took a few shots of the Shrine itself and the pathway, though it didn’t look like it would lead anywhere. If Taryn had come with her, Rachael knew that her friend would be more willing to look at where it might have led.

Her attention returned to that of the graves. Many of them had multiple names, a common practice to have those of the family remain together unless one left the family to marry.

And seeing just how many graves were here, no wonder Taryn felt off about this place. Or perhaps it was those who were buried but had no gravestone to call their own. What Taryn described didn’t match what Rachael saw.

“Hello there,” Rachael turned, seeing an elderly man as he walked up to the Shrine. “You must be one of those tourists visiting, oh, but perhaps you can’t understand what I’m saying.”

“I can understand you,” Rachael said in Japanese. Then noticed the wooden bucket that he carried in one hand and some flowers in the other. “You’re visiting someone?”

The elderly man gave a short laugh. “That I am young lady,” he moved towards a grave and placed what he brought on the ground. “Everyone in my family has been buried here. My wife was the last to join. I come here every month to see her.” He said as he began to clean the grave. Then glanced at her. “Tell me, young lady, what do you think of our village? Are your companions enjoying it?”

“I think so, this village is so far away from any major cities, it’s so different from what any of us has been. Though my friend is resting from exhaustion.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Well, from the looks of it, she decided to go for a bit of a walk one night. I thought about following her, but she’s done this a few times before, and I knew she’d rather be alone.”

“Next time your friend does that, you should follow her even if she is against it.” Rachael frowned and looked to the man who was now placing flowers and some food as an offering. “There’s an old legend that you young travellers should take heed of. And I’m not saying this because you hail from another country. I would tell you this, as I have said to another who lived in Tokyo. Though she was older than you, it would be best to heed it.”

“Are you talking about the legend of the Priestess?”

He shook his head. “No, that is one, this is another. However, no one knows where it originated, but it has been told even when I was a kid.”

A faint frown creased her brow. “What is it?”

“Do not wander the village in the dead of night. For a demon will come and spirit you away. Though this story differs from person to person. Some say the demon is a beautiful woman; others say it’s a handsome man. But whatever form this demon takes, it will take you away, with many none the wiser as you are taken to the underworld. Best to tell your friend this, I’d be sad if another bright young lady were to disappear at the hands of such a demon…”

The man left shortly after, wishing Rachael a good afternoon and hoping that she would enjoy the coming festival as she was now left alone in the old graveyard.

“A demon that looks like a man or a woman…” Rachael muttered to herself. “Guess there’s more to it than just the story of the Priestess.” I wonder where that originated from? Rachael took out her camera and looked at the many graves. Initially, she came here to take a photo of the Shrine and graveyard for reference but became swept up in the old man’s conversation. And now, with the afternoon sun, it cast several shadows towards the edge of the forest. She wondered if the person the old man mentioned had vanished recently, or if it was just a long time ago.

Raising the camera, she angled it for a good shot, taking several different angles and some close photos of the older graves. But it was the last shot that caused her to freeze.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

For in the briefest of instants, Rachael thought she had seen something in the camera’s flash. She looked into the distance where she thought to have seen someone standing along the graveyard and forest edge. But there was no one…

Rachael pinched the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb pushing up her glasses as she did so. She didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. Even though she knew that she had seen something.

When Taryn gets up, I’ll bring her here. She’d have a better idea of this than me. Rachael thought as she looked at the many graves before her grey eyes fell on the offers that the old man had left. “I hope it’s just a story…”

* * *

Taryn stretched her arms above her head as she walked through the bustling streets of Toronto. Though it was May, it felt like it was summer with how hot it was. On the bright side, it wasn’t too hot, and there had been no smog. She just wished it wasn’t so crowded.

“Taryn! Over here!” a familiar voice caused Taryn to stop in her tracks, turning to look across the street, a smile broke across her face.

“Roy!” Taryn called out to her brother and waved. Before heading to the nearest crosswalk and heading over to him.

“Look at you, paying attention to the law,” Roy said with a grin. “I’m surprised you didn’t j-walk like other people.”

She looked at him with an unamused expression. “I’d rather not get killed for doing that.” She told him plainly before looking at his partner. A Native American woman with reddish-black hair pinned back in a braid and warm brown eyes. “Hi, Nichole. It’s been a while. Roy’s not causing you any problems, is he?”

Nichole Blackhawk was Roy’s superior in their work and a trusted friend in the police force. Taryn recalled seeing Nichole several times when going to visit her father on occasion at the precinct. Her laidback attitude would surprise those who didn’t know just how diligent and rigid she was with her work.

Nichole scoffed. “What? No, if anything, I’m causing problems for him. So, you know, the same thing as always.”

“Very funny, Nic,” Roy told her flatly.

“What? It’s true. I’m your superior, and you have to do what I say.” She wrapped an arm around Taryn’s shoulder and whispered. “And it normally means ‘get me coffee’.” Taryn laughed at that as Nichole stepped away. “Anyway! Speaking of coffee, I’m going to go get some. Give you a chance to chat with the Little Wolf. Since I’ve been dragging your sorry ass across the city, it’s been hard getting the chance to see your family.” She then looked to Taryn. “Want me to grab you something too? It’s on me, no-take-backs.”

Taryn shook her head. “Nah I’m good. Thanks, though.”

Nichole shrugged. “All right, suit yourself.” She then turned to Roy. “When I get back, we’ll continue with a walk around before heading back to the precinct. Keep the radio on King, let me know if something comes up.”

“Yeah, ten-four.” Roy then let out a sigh when Nichole walked off to the nearest coffee shop across the street.

“I’m surprised she still calls you that,” Taryn said, recalling the first time she heard Nichole say it, knowing full well it was a pun on Roy’s name before he had it legally changed.

“Don’t be, after what she still calls you—Nicknames for everyone. But anyway, been meaning to ask, since I’m seeing you here, I take it you’re coming back from the college campus. How did the entry test go?”

Taryn rested her head along her brother’s chest. “Ugh…” was all she said.

“That bad, huh?” Roy said with a bit of a laugh.

“I don’t get why it’s so hard.” She raised her head, a grumpy look clear on her face. “I mean, it’s a creative writing program. What do current events have anything to do with a creative writing course?”

“That’s a question,” he said as he folded his arms over his chest. “It is kind of weird that the program would do that. But do you really think you failed?”

She placed her hands on her hips. “I hope not. I mean, I’ve been listening to major events and even talked about it over with everyone, including Isaac. And if I don’t pass, then well, guess it just shows it’s not for me. Besides, my grammar sucks.”

Roy laughed. “It’s always sucked.”

“I know!” Taryn said as she threw her hands in the air. “But people keep telling me! Even though I tell them that it’s bad. Do they not hear me when I say it? Do they ignore it? Argh!” she slumped her head against his chest once more and muttered. “I hate people…”

Roy simply gave his sister another hug. “Well, so what if it sucks? Perhaps the reason they say it is because they can’t find any other issues in your writing. Rachael doesn’t talk about it, does she?”

“No,” she admitted softly. “But only because she knows me. Though sometimes she’ll comment on how it’s improved…”

“Well, there you go, that’s a good thing. Besides, the people who keep telling you how bad it is after you told them it was bad, only seem to want to validate themselves. And people like that you can just ignore.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Then your brother will kick their ass.”

She frowned at him. “But they’re on the internet and could be somewhere in another country for all I know.”

“So I will track them down. Then I will kick their ass.”

Taryn stifled a laugh.

“Hey, don’t laugh, Uncle Gerald’s done it.”

“Yeah, but that’s what he does.” She said as she kept smiling. “He’s always travelled. But thanks, though. I think I needed to hear that.”

Roy grinned. “No problem. It’s what I’m here for. And speaking of, when I get off tonight, I’m supposed to meet up with Isaac. Do you want to come with me and get some food? We were thinking of Mongolian Hotpot.”

She looked at him with a confused frown. “Don’t you normally have that in winter?”

“It’ll be winter again in a matter of months; why wait for hotpot?”

“You just want hotpot.”

“Yes,” he said. “Yes, I do.”

She laughed again. “Alright, that’s fine with me. I should probably get an apatite by then. Taking tests like the one I did always kill my need to eat.”

“Good, so, how are things with him?”

Taryn gave him a broad look. She was sometimes astounded at just how quickly he or anyone in their family could just change topics at the drop of a hat. “How long do you plan to keep calling Robert that?”

“As long as I damn well want.” He stated as he folded his arms across his chest. “And you’re stalling with an answer.”

She glanced away from him before letting out a breath. “I don’t know. Normal, I guess? I mean, I’ve never been in a relationship before. We’ve known each other since the start of high school, but it honestly feels like… nothing is different. There’s Paul, but…”

“Is Paul causing issues?” a look of deep concern came over Roy’s face, for he knew some of the problems Robert’s friend had. But nothing in detail since Taryn struggled to find the best way to explain it.

“No, not as much as normal. Robert told me Paul wanted to go camping, I think he thinks that Paul went off his meds again. But said he’d let me know how things go when they get back.”

“Then well, maybe that means you two weren’t supposed to be in a relationship. At least, not romantically. I know Robert can be a good guy, but I also worry about what goes on between him and Paul. I get that the kid has been going through his issues, I just don’t want you getting sucked into it if it can be helped.”

“Yeah…” She felt her brother’s large hand on her shoulder, a small form of comfort to help with a bit of her unease.

“Hey, look. We’ll talk about it later when you feel up for it. I won’t push the matter, but if it does make you feel better, the first relationship I had didn’t end well.”

“I remember I was there,” Taryn said with a deadpan tone, her expression showing him that she could still picture it vividly, causing Roy to laugh outright, reminding her just how much his laugh reminded her of her Dad’s. “Speaking of relationships, how’s Shannon doing? Is she still in the States?”

Shannon Lyon was Roy’s long-term girlfriend; they had known each other since they were in grade seven but hadn’t become romantically involved until two years ago before his deployment. She was a tall redhead with short curly hair, warm brown eyes and a ton of freckles. She even had more than Rachael did. Currently, Shannon was doing some modelling work in America for the past two weeks.

“She’s good, she’ll be back in about a week. She wants to tell me something in person, but I’m not sure what it could be. Do you have any idea?”

Taryn shook her head; she hadn’t the faintest clue. “She hasn’t told me anything.” She honestly doubted it’d be something along the lines of breaking up since they were so close before becoming romantically involved. “Uh, not to change the topic, but… where’s Nichole? She’s taking a long time.”

He looked at his watch. “Well, it is early afternoon, so there should be a heavy lunch rush happening right n—” Roy trialled off, his grey eyes looking across the street, smile faltering.

“Roy?” concern began to show on her face. “Roy what—” The rest of her words stopped short when her brother grabbed hold of her tightly. Yanking her towards him in a forceful manner as he turned his body in her direction.

She had a million questions going off at once, and at that moment, she heard it.

The gunshot.

Then the weight. Taryn’s brother lay atop her, covering her as he shielded her as another shot could be heard, followed by a third. Then nothing. The sounds of people screaming all around her, those same people running for their lives. The stench of iron as the taste of copper entered her mouth from the sheer smell of it.

Everything felt as though time had slowed down, her beating heart rushed with adrenaline as her wide eyes tried to search around, her back pressed to the pavement underneath.

How long had they been lying there?

The gunshots had ceased, but the screams were still heard. People panicking. Running, hiding or trying to record on their phones. But she didn’t think of that, of them. Her brother moved to allow her to sit up as she did, she looked at her hands.

Her hands…

Her hands were coated in blood.

Why? Why was there blood? They were just talking. Talking like usual and now…

“Taryn…”

Everything snapped back into motion. Or at least, for her body. For everything else still felt as though time had slowed. She looked down; Roy was lying on his side as he looked up at her. Grey eyes searched her face, her neck, shoulders, torso, everywhere. To silently make sure nothing was wrong.

“Taryn…” his breath wheezed, as though he had been running none stop. “Taryn, there’s blood… where were you hit?”

She looked down, her clothing and long hair coated with blood. Her hands moved around her body, chest, stomach, and pelvis leaving a trail of blood behind. But there was nothing. “I’m not… I’m okay.” she felt dampness against her knees, looking down, and she saw where the blood was coming from. “Roy…”

It was his.

His blood. Roy was shot. Roy was bleeding.

“Roy…” her voice shook, tears burning her eyes, making it hard to see. “You’re… you’re bleeding…” but he didn’t seem to hear her.

“So, you’re not… hurt.” He coughed, trying to clear his throat as he spat up blood. “Good. Good. That’s good…”

Taryn’s eyes remained locked on the now-forming pool of blood as her body remained frozen, blood that had soaked into her clothes. He had been shot, hit in the weakest part of a vest that was supposed to be bulletproof.

So why?

“Damnit!” her head snapped up, eyes wide, ears straining like her cat Ebony when hearing a sudden loud noise. There across the street, past the sudden stopped cars and still running people, she could see it.

Nichole struggling atop a young man. No, a boy, practically. She recognized him. He was the son of the man her mother had been fighting against in court. The man that her mother hoped to one day throw in prison for the crimes that he kept evading.

There was a gun. Kicked away by Nichole as she forced the frantic screaming boy down on the ground, the handcuffs firmly on his wrists.

“Taryn…” her gaze snapped down to her brother. He had grown pale. So pale.

“Roy you…”

“Shh don’t.” he raised a hand to cup her cheek as the other grasped her hand so tightly, like a death grip. Refused to let go, which brought contrast to the other hand, which cupped her cheek in such a tender loving manner as he looked to her face, a thumb wiping away her tears that she hadn’t realized were falling—all the while as he continued to smile at her. “I’m so glad your okay…” tears were in his own eyes as he remained to look at her face as if trying to see every bit of it while his voice began to rasp as his breathing slowed. “But you’ll be alright, I know you will be. You’ve gone through a lot… a lot more than most. But… you’ll get through it. You always have… so I know. I love you so much, little sister…” Eyes that remained open for as long as they could.

Eyes that never closed.

As the remainder of his life faded away from them.

His hand fell into her lap with a weighted thud. The muscles in his face relaxed, pupils receded, his skin deathly pale as whatever warmth still lingered.

“Roy…?” her voice filled with disbelief. Her breathing began to labour as she looked down at her brother. “Roy?”

He was dead.

She knew that. But with that one hand that gripped her own remained strong. She didn’t want to believe it.

“Roy please…” she begged between sobs. Her throat was tight, her breath wheezing from the shock mixed with her oncoming asthma. “Please don’t do this… please… please!” her body slumped, forehead resting against his chest. “Please…”

Then she heard something from the boy that was screaming, the one who fired the gun. It was only in that instant that something changed within her.

Everything around her had felt so loud before but now had gone silent. Everything within her became still. She could no longer hear her heartbeat within her ears as something took its place. It was a voice

A voice inside of her, within her mind. Her voice.

Filled with everything, every emotion. Taryn slowly lifted her head, her bangs and cheek coated in her brother’s blood, to see that same boy who continued to scream at the top of his lungs. Her gaze locked on that boy, that murderer, as her body felt as though it was on fire. The words inside her head only said one thing. But it was clear.

….Kill Him….

* * *

Taryn came awake to see an unfamiliar ceiling and let out a slow breath. Roy… she thought as she sat up in her bed. Only to stop when she felt something wet hit the back of her hand. Several smaller wet spots formed on the covers. Lifting her hand to her cheek, she realized why.

She was crying.