“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all.”

Taryn stopped in her tracks at Roberts’s words. They had made their way back to the village, sticking to the least used paths, making it easier not to be noticed by the few villagers that were now outside. For in the distance, the sky showed signs of dark rain clouds returning. It was a golden opportunity to get there undetected, and yet he was faltering in his choice.

“For all we know,” he continued when she didn’t say anything. “The ladder could be busted, we’d be screwed. Hell, we might not even be able to get in!”

“We won’t know until we look.” She told him simply, and after a brief pause, added. “You don’t have to come with me, you’re aware of that, right?”

He looked at her with narrowed eyes, not out of anger but determination for something within him. “And leave you alone? To deal with some crazy nut that’s probably still somewhere around the village? I don’t think so.”

Taryn just glanced at him; he was worried about something. She wanted to ask but thought it best not to push on it too much right at that moment. “Fine, if you want to come, then, I won’t stop you. But if things get out of hand, if it becomes too dangerous, you’re more than allowed to run and leave me behind.”

He stopped in his tracks, looking at her horrified that she’d even say that. “Have you ever told that to Rachael?”

She merely looked at him honestly and said. “I have.”

He found that hard to believe. “When was this?”

“Whenever we’ve explored abandoned places together.” She said as she continued walking as he followed after her. “In the past, and even now, some people would try to harm me in some way or another. Thankfully, it hasn’t happened in a while. But… it still comes to mind if I think something is dangerous.” It made her recall the two bodyguards she had growing up; besides her uncle, it was something she had become accustomed to even when no one was needed. She knew that Isabella and Bob would be even more vigilant when she returned to the stand for her brother’s court case. They always were. That bastard lawyer better not be on defence again...

“Okay,” then asked. “And she’s listened to you?”

“Yes,” then added when he seemed to hesitate. “There’s no shame in running, especially in a fight, flight, or freeze situation. More often than not, people tend to run from something or freeze in place rather than fight. It’s just how some people are.”

His eyes narrowed in a knowing look. “But you don’t. You never do.”

Taryn thought about it for a moment, as if it had just accrued to her. “No, I suppose I don’t.” she never understood why that was the case. Besides what her grandfather and father told her, it was something that just happened.

Robert said nothing else as they continued walking to the Shrine in silence. Avoiding the few people who were out in the still early morning, before quickly heading up the stone steps to reach the Shrine.

This was the third time she had seen it, yet somehow, it felt different from before, like an immovable stone that blocked their path rather than just a building for prayer.

Going up the Shrine’s wooden steps, she saw that it was locked with an old padlock. The kind that would need a specific key to enter. Heading back down, she looked underneath it, seeing the well, but saw no way to get into it from here.

“We could kick the door down.” Robert offered; as Taryn looked at him in silent horror. “What? It’s an idea, not like my tools will do much here.”

“We are not doing that.” She told him. “Do you have any idea how old this place is?”

He shrugged, clearly not knowing. “I don’t know, a few hundred?”

“Try a thousand, and your first thought is to kick the door down. Do you want to get arrested for that?”

“If it means getting home sooner and away from this killer, then sure yeah, the Japanese Embassy can just toss us back home.”

He had said it so matter of fact that it momentarily left her dumbfounded. She understood the logic behind it, but that wasn’t why they were here. They needed to be discreet.

“We are not doing that.” She said again. “We don’t want to be noticed by the village. You try to kick the door down, and I swear I’ll find a rope and tie you to a nearby post!”

“I doubt he’d be able to even make much of a dent with how thick the wood is.” an unfamiliar voice spoke in English with a heavy Japanese accent and stilled in their argument.

Both turned to see a woman standing at the top of the stone steps, it took a moment, but Taryn quickly realized who this woman was.

She was the woman who had taken part in the play as the Priestess; she looked to be possibly around Isaac’s age or slightly older. Dressed in the modest traditional garb of a Shrine Maiden. Which consisted of a red hakuma, a type of pants worn over top of the white kimono as a white haori, a kimono overcoat, with a design of bamboo leaves interwoven into the white fabric, held together with a red woven string. Her black hair was held back with a red cord and a small bell that would give a faint sound when she moved as she continued to eye them.

Yet they hadn’t heard a thing when she approached them. As if the bell was silent.

Those eyes then landed on Taryn before stating aloud.

“You’re surrounded by death.” Causing Taryn to frown slightly in response. The woman said it in Japanese, making Robert confused.

“What did she say?” Robert asked, his voice with a slight edge of concern as he noticed how Taryn reacted and now eyed the Shrine Maiden with a narrowed gaze.

Taryn spoke in English to the woman. “It could be considered rude to make a statement like that without even knowing who you are. You were at the festival, portraying the Priestess.”

The Shrine Maiden responded in English. “I was, I saw you in the crowd, you stick out easily with your pale skin, striking blue eyes and delicate Western features. Along with those whom you came with. And you’re right, I suppose it was rude of me to say such a thing. However, you don’t seem surprised by it either.”

“I’ve heard it before.” And she doubted it’d be the last, yet this woman held no contempt when she spoke as if she merely stated it was a fact.

The Shrine Maiden either didn’t notice her tone of warning or simply did not care. “Is that so? Well, my apologies all the same. I tend to speak what comes to mind.” Her eyes focused on Taryn again. “Especially when it comes to people like yourself.”

“The hell does that even mean?” Robert snapped and went to her only to stop when Taryn rested a hand on his shoulder; as he looked to Taryn in confusion, she simply said to him.

“It’s fine, Robert, she doesn’t mean it as an insult.” She said as she kept her eyes on the woman. “I’d still like to know your name.”

The woman nodded. “Miyamori, Fuyuko Miyamori.” She then indicated another pathway at the base of the stone steps. “We can speak more back at my place. If you could, please follow me.” She stopped and looked back, mainly to Robert, with narrowed eyes. “Unless you’d like for me to call for assistance in someone breaking into a historical shrine?”

Robert cleared his throat in response.

Taryn, however, merely stood at the top of the stone steps. “Why?” Fuyuko stopped again to look up at the young woman. “Why should we follow you? How can we know to even trust what you say?”

“She told me that you would be suspicious.” She said. “A woman you know came by, she, much like the Journalist before you, came looking to me for answers. Yoko wanted me to allow you access to the Shrine’s interior.”

“You spoke with Yoko?” Taryn quickly went down the stairs and asked. “Where is she? Is she staying with you?”

The Shrine Maiden looked at her with a confused frown. “No, I haven’t seen her. Not since she came and spoke to me after the festival. Has something happened to Yoko-san?”

* * *

Rachael felt like she was going to explode.

After she had found a note that Taryn had left for her that morning, Rachael practically rushed to the room to find that Taryn was gone. Along with both notebooks and several items that Taryn wouldn’t go without. She had tried to call, to text, but nothing.

The note said that Taryn intended to check out the Shrine, but when Rachael had reached it in the early morning, there were no signs that Taryn had even entered the place.

Now Rachael walked the halls of the mansion’s interior, wondering where Taryn could have gotten to. And with both notebooks taken, it meant Rachael had no way to look for clues.

“God damn it, Taryn…” she muttered, angry at her friend but more at herself. She should have known that Taryn would go and try something like this. To run off on her own and face whatever it was that would harm others she cared about, just like so many times before. It made it all the more frustrating that it hadn’t occurred in Rachael’s mind after Taryn had been attacked. That this was something, her friend intended to do, possibly from the very start even.

Even amidst her panicked mindset, Rachael did manage to find that there were other ways of getting in and out of the village when she first went to the Shrine, finding several paths for cars that led to other roads that were tucked away. Discovering this brought even more questions about why they had to park deep within the mountains when there had been different ways to enter the village. As though it was all a trap.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“Rachael!” she stopped at Stephanie’s voice and saw the tall blonde woman ran to her. “Have you seen Robert at all?”

Rachael shook her head. “No, I haven’t. I’ve been trying to figure out where Taryn’s gone. Her note said she intended to head to the Shrine, but she wasn’t there.”

“She’s gone too?” when Rachael frowned, Stephanie elaborated by holding up her note. “Robert left this, saying that he planned to go and help Taryn. But he never talked about any of this to me the night before.”

“Did you tell him what we told you?”

“Pretty much. And Robert looked kind of odd. His reaction, I mean, he became quiet and then he left, only to come back shortly after and went right to bed without a word. He seemed to be out of it for the rest of the day since that argument. Almost as if he saw a ghost, I just figured that it was the reality of it all that sunk in that made him like that.”

That still didn’t make much sense and made Rachael even more confused. Why would Robert go so far in wanting to help after all that had happened between them?

“The car keys are gone too. Thankfully I have a spare set for the van, just in case they went missing. But I’m not sure why he’d take those either.”

That brought Rachael pause. “Wait, you said your car keys are gone?” when she nodded, Rachael added. “Maybe that’s where they went. With all the talk about landslides, she probably wanted to see if the roads had been tampered with.”

“If that’s true though, why wouldn’t she tell—” Stephanie stopped amid her sentence, her gaze now looking down the hall before turning to Rachael and saying in a firm voice. “Let’s go then. Let’s find out where they might have gone into the village.” She then tugged Rachael’s arm and quickly led her down the hall; she spoke softly when they passed a corridor. “It’s Toya. He must have followed me; I ran into him earlier before I found you.”

“What?”

“Don’t look back.” She said in a hushed voice when Rachael was about to look the other way to see if he was still there. “Ever since you guys told me about the missing people, I began to think over some things.”

“What things?”

“How he looks at her.” Rachael frowned, and she added. “Toya, how Toya looks at Taryn. Every single time he’s looked at her whenever she’s in the room, I thought that it might have just been the fact that he liked her, that he was drawn to her. But now, I’m starting to think it might be something else.”

“What else could it be?”

Stephanie stopped Rachael and pulled her into another room to speak in some private setting. “He looks at her like he’s been waiting for her. I don’t have anything to back up what I say, but I have personal experience dealing with stalkers. They have that same type of look in their eyes. You’ve noticed, too, right? How he looks at her?”

She had, but Rachael only figured that it was because Toya liked Taryn much like how Stephanie had as well, that he genuinely seemed to care for her. “If that were true, then why would he help her when she was attacked?”

“I’m not sure. It’s just my gut feeling on this. And considering what’s happened here, to Taryn, I’d rather trust my feelings.” She then headed back into the hall. “Come on, let’s see if we can catch up with those two.”

Rachael followed after her; as she did so, she glanced back over her shoulder to the empty hallway. As a feeling of unease slowly began to crawl up her spine.

* * *

“So, Yoko-san’s gone missing,” Fuyuko said in English as she poured a cup of tea for both Robert and Taryn as they sat in the Shrine Maiden’s home. Which was situated at the base of the hill where the Shrine was located. Her home was hidden away on a stone path in a secluded wooded area. Bits of sunshine came through the trees, but it was still relatively cool even though it was almost the afternoon.

The home itself looked to be old, one that could have been one of the first built after the fire. It was a relatively small but modest home; it was at least two floors, with appliances that were at least a decade or so old along with the furniture. Yet even being so close to the Shrine, Taryn didn’t feel the pull of those who had died. If anything, she felt a sense of peace and serenity. She wasn’t sure if it was merely because of this place in particular or something else entirely. Either way, it made the unease within her dissipate slightly.

They were seated on the floor by a low table, not far from the entrance, with Taryn sitting the proper Japanese way with her legs tucked underneath herself. While in contrast, Robert merely sat cross-legged as Fuyuko sat across from them, in the same appropriate form as Taryn with hands in her lap.

“I wondered why she had come to me with such urgency in the late night that that horrible storm. She looked as though the world was ending.” She glanced at Taryn, mainly at her throat. “I suppose now I know why.” She then closed the distance, moving a bit closer to sit in front of Taryn as if trying to better understand the girl. “Yet you don’t run, why?”

“Because I need to understand.” She said simply as her left hand reached for her throat. “I know it’s dangerous, but I need to find out why so many have disappeared.”

“You sound like that woman,” Fuyuko said. “Suchiko-san told me something similar, but she never returned. The villagers believed that she had returned to Tokyo. And now, Yoko-san has gone missing as well. It’d be a foolish endeavour to go down that well. I even told Suchiko-san as such.”

“And why is that?” Robert asked so the Fuyuko replied candidly.

“I told her that long ago the bodies of those who committed crimes too horrid found their way down that well.”

Taryn frowned slightly; she knew of such customs but had not been made aware that it took place in this village. It did little to deter her, however. “I’m prepared for what’s down it,” Taryn said firmly. “It’s not the first time I’ve seen human remains.”

“No, you’re not.” She suddenly grasped the sides of Taryn’s head and looked her right in the eye, refusing to break contact before switching to Japanese so only Taryn could understand. “I told you before that you are surrounded by death. If you do, you will certainly die.”

Taryn, however, remained looking at this woman practically unphased.

This perplexed the other woman as she let go of Taryn’s head. “Why are you not scared? Don’t you fear death?”

She responded in Japanese as well, not wanting to worry Robert. “Why should I fear death when I’ve been dealing with it all my life?”

This brought Fuyuko pause before she broke her composure and began to laugh and smiled. “Well,” she said in English. “She certainly was correct in your stubbornness. Even if it’s not something you’ve personally dealt with, you hold your resolve.” She moved back slightly, giving Taryn space and added softly. “I shouldn’t even be doing this.”

“Then, why are you?” Robert asked.

She glanced at the young man. “Because I always thought something was off, something about this village, especially the mansion. I’ve always felt something but believed I was wrong about that feeling until I left for university. And I felt something similar to it on a larger scale when I was in Hiroshima.”

“Like death,” Taryn said suddenly in Japanese, making Robert frown. “It felt like death. As though you were surrounded by it, absorbed by it. And not just by what remains either.”

Fuyuko’s back straightened in a type of silent realization. “How do you…”

“Because I felt it too when entering this village. As though it was a mass grave. It isn’t the first time I’ve had such feelings; it’s been something I had all my life. It’s even led me to find those who were never given a proper burial, be it through murder, someone who was lost and never truly found or objects precious to someone. Either way, it’s why I wasn’t too shocked when you made that statement earlier.”

Fuyuko was quiet for a moment, grasping her hands tightly in her lap. “So then maybe that is what I saw. Perhaps it isn’t your death that is coming, but that you are protected by a God of Death instead.”

Taryn gave a bitter laugh as the look in her eyes grew dark as a smile that wasn’t joyful rested on her lips. “I highly doubt that, what god in their right mind would ever look out for me, given all that I’ve seen?”

“Uh, hey, non-Japanese speaker here,” Robert interjected. “The hell are you guys are talking about?”

“Oh, sorry, Robert, it’s not important. She’s still trying to convince us to not go down the well.” Taryn said in English and looked at Fuyuko. “Isn’t that right, Miyamori-san?”

The woman, however, merely looked at her with intrigue in her dark eyes before she nodded. “Lowell-san is correct. No matter what I say, it seems nothing will stop you.” With that, she then moved to a cabinet and opened it, retrieving two things. A key, and what looked to be a note. “You really won’t run, will you?”

Taryn gave a sad yet embarrassed smile. “No, I don’t think I could even if I tried.”

She gave a half smile before handing her a note, which simply read.

Come back alive Lowell-san

Don’t let the demon get you.

For you are all that he wants.

Taryn grasped it tightly in her hands; it was from Yoko. With the note itself, she could feel two faint residual emotions. Of regret, and hope…

It wasn’t a dream.

Her last message left far more questions. Did Yoko mean the doll? And if so, why did it only want her? All of that seemed inconsequential with the current events that had taken place.

Yoko… “I’m sorry for this.” She said softly to Fuyuko. “I know you’ve already had to deal with this twice before. But please, I need to know.”

“You’re a fool,” she said, and Taryn smiled in response.

“Maybe, but I’d rather be a fool with no regrets than not a fool with many.”

I have no idea what’s going on… Robert thought glumly since they had switched back to Japanese again.

“I suppose there is that. My father, if he were here, would defiantly agree with it. Living with regrets is always the hardest, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

Fuyuko then explained in English that she would open the Shrine, with it being mid-day and the growing threat of the oncoming rain, no one would be willing to venture up this far. The preparation was short; however, when they were about to leave, Fuyuko spoke to Taryn.

“One moment Lowell-san,” Fuyuko stopped her from leaving the home as Robert headed out. “There is something I’d like to ask before we go any further.”

“What is it?”

“Is yours hereditary?”

Taryn understood what she meant. “I have no idea. It might be, it might not be. I have no way of finding out. Those who might have had it or something similar is long dead. Is yours?”

“Yes, from my late mother. She, along with my father, took care of the Shrine as I do now. Though he had nothing of the sort regarding any kind of powers. Yet, he always told me to avoid going near the mansion. The other villagers never received such words of warning, but they now feel more than just words with these disappearances.”

“Then why not leave?”

“My father fell to an illness a year ago. He was the Priest of this village’s Shrine. It fell to me to uphold it; before him, it was my mother. She felt like she was duty-bound to do so. Yet, I honestly wished I never returned.”

“I can understand that, but maybe you should just leave. If this place is too much for you, it could do more damage than good.”

She faintly shook her head. “I think it’s more than that. Our family always felt as though we had to atone for what our ancestors did. When she began that fire so long ago…”

Taryn merely looked at her with slight surprise. Did Fuyuko mean what she thought? When the woman said those words, there had been a change in her expression. It was a smile, but one of sadness that filled her dark eyes. Before she had the chance to even ask, Robert called out.

“Taryn, what’s the hold-up?”

“We should go before people see you,” Fuyuko said before closing up her home and walking towards the Shrine as those same storm clouds now began to darken the sky. When they went inside, the two found themselves stopping to look at a large old stone carving. One of a Buda or something similar, it could have very well been the depiction of Kuronochi. The statue’s face showed a peaceful expression and long flowing robes and hair with one hand up offering prayer. But it was behind the statue that Fuyuko moved to.

Behind the statue was a rather sizeable ornate chest, which, when pushed away from the statue’s back, with Robert’s assistance, a hatch was revealed.

“Head through here to get into the tunnels,” Fuyuko said as she opened the hatch revealing the well, which went deep into the ground as not a single thing could be seen at the bottom. However, there was a ladder, made with groves of the walls of the well itself.

Taryn took out a small flashlight from her pack and turned it on, looking deep into the well. She couldn’t see a bottom.

“Jesus that’s dark…” Robert muttered before Taryn began going down the well. “Aaaand you’re not freaked out.”

She stopped to look at him. “Why would I be? Look, you don’t have to go this far. You can just head back to your girlfriend, I’m sure she’s worried about you.”

Right, forgot who I was talking to. Robert thought before shaking his head. “No, I told you before that I want to help. And if that means going down a potential death hole, then… fine. I’ll go down there with you, whatever it takes.”

This brought Taryn pause, looking at him with a slight frown, blue eyes searching his hazel brown. Why was he so willing to go this far?

This… this wasn’t like him.

She wanted to ask him what happened to make him suddenly like this, his continuous insistence to help.

“Lowell-san,” Fuyuko’s voice drew her to look at the woman who now knelt before her, her hands resting atop Taryn’s. “I know you won’t change your mind on this, but please be safe down there. Do not let what happened to the others, happen to you.” Her grip tightened slightly. “Whatever the cost. Come back, come back alive.”

Taryn merely looked at her hand; it shook slightly. She did not wish for another person to die or go missing. Taryn gave the woman a slight smile in the hopes it would ease her nerves. “I can only promise to do what I can. Thank you again, Miyamori-san.”

Then began to descend into the well with Robert following after her. When the two faded from complete view, that was when Fuyuko closed the door leaving the two up to whatever fate there was to be found.