Love Unexplained

Scroll 2: Trouble comes again

It's been three years and the two sisters have been bonding just like old times. Many times they would reminisce about times with their father, they'd laugh for a while at the happy memories, but eventually they'd cry from their lost and loneliness. The girls hadn't a glimpse of trouble trouble ever since that terrible accident long ago.

Until now.

"Come on, those berries are not going to pick themselves ya'know!" Utsukushi teased, as she ran to grab a handmade basket from a tree branch overhead.

The leaves swished and swain as a light breeze carried the sweet scent of a marigold patch, just beyond some Maple trees.

"Okay, okay I'm coming!" Shugyoku laughed, grabbing a basket and leaping off the branch and ran toward her sister. A small fox had been hiding in the bushes, and with a flick of her tail, the girls were racing through the forest.

When they finally got to a berry meadow, they found a patch of blueberries and started picking.

"1, 2, 3..." Utsukushi counted; while plucking berries and dropping them in her basket.

"Wee!"

Utsukushi spun around to see her sister rolling down a nearby hill.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sighing and gazed down at her with icy blue eyes.

"I- I was just... having a little fun... that's all." Shugyoku stuttered, as her peachy colored eyes clouded with gilt.

"Well, fun sure isn't going to help us pick these berries," Utsukushi said, handing her a basket.

"And please, can't you be a little serious about this?" she asked, softening her icy gaze.

"Okay, I'll be as serious as I can to focus." Shugyoku replied, hoping her sister would turn around and start counting again, but instead, without thinking, said, "I'm going to go pick some strawberries and elderberries. If, that's okay with you?" she pointed to a big bunch of red and black berries.

"Okay. That's fine with me." Utsukushi squeaked cheerfully. "And don't go too far!" she added, stiffening her voice, almost a growl.

"Okay, I promise I won't go too far." Shugyoku said, skipping over a bunch of bushes. After a while the girls collected two baskets of berries.

"Come on, it's getting late. I wanted us to head back by sunset." Utsukushi said, looking at the sky.

"Okay I'm coming." Her sister answered, grabbing her basket and running ahead, while Utsukushi walked slowly touching her hand to the locket she hadn't taken off ever since her father's death.

Up ahead, Shugyoku stopped to pick some lilies.

Just then, the sky turned dark, and the wind picked up speed and whirled across the valley. Shugyoku stopped picking the flowers when she heard a crack of lightning smacked a tree and was falling in her direction.

Utsukushi thought fast, and ran to her, and just as the tree was about to hit them both, Utsukushi threw her hands in front of the tree and held it were it was.

"Shugyoku, you have to run!" Utsukushi yelled over the roaring thunder.

Shugyoku was scared stiff. She just saw her own sister take a tree for her! She didn't know what else to do but get up and run. But run where? Who can she ask for help?

She ran so fast that she tripped and noticed that she had made it to the big hollow tree where they had made a home.

Something had been left hanging on the tree. A ribbon?

Shugyoku walked a little farther down the path in search of help when a strange man blocked her way.

"It seems your sister is quite fond of you." He murmured, laughing at a perfectly wicked thought.

The fox that had been following her was spooked and darted of to safety. Shugyoku was too scared and shocked to move.

"What's the matter girl? You look like you've seen a ghost." He said, with a laugh and took a step forward.

"One more step and I'll scream!"

She went to ran away but Hōfuku dashed past using little effort. He appeared in front of her and she stopped in her tracks. His eyes grew cold as she stared into her own; Shugyoku was struck hard by fear and fainted. Hōfuku grabbed her and vanished into the shadows.