The Girl with the Sad Blue Eyes

Chapter 2

Walking up the many stairs Yuki half listened to Rikata talking about how much fun they were having. Jinoku was scowling as if he’d found a worm in his apple and Kosaki had his music up to an earsplitting volume in his headphones.

Coming to the shrine itself wasn’t so bad. They wandered around; their tour guide was an old man who spouted stories and odd facts about the shrine. Yuki’s favorite part was looking at the Tree of Ages. Staring at its majestic heights made her feel oddly at peace.

“Oh, it’s you!”

Yuki looked over her shoulder. Kagome was coming towards her with and older woman, apparently her mother.

“Oh my, is this a friend of yours from school, Yuki?” Rikata asked taking her by the arm.

Yuki twitched but tolerated the embrace. Rikata was a strange woman, still fighting with the loss of a child. She couldn’t fault her for that.

“You could say that,” she said shortly.

“I hope you enjoy your time here,” Kagome’s mother said.

“Thank you. It is such a nice place here,” Rikata said then a sudden coughing fit came over her.

Yuki held her up though the fit. “Are you alright?”

Rikata smiled. “Yes, I just-” another fit wracked her body.

“Oh please come inside, I’ll get you a glass of water,” Kagome’s mother said as Jinoku took his wife by the arm pushing Yuki away as if it were her fault.

“Thank you so much, I’m sorry to be a bother,” Rikata said to them as they moved away.

Rikata had had surgery a month before Yuki came to live with them. From time to time, when she forgot to take her medicine, she’d cough and her throat would swell.

“Is she going to be ok?” Kagome asked.

Yuki nodded. “Jinoku always carries a small bottle of her medicine. She’ll be fine with a little rest.”

Kagome sighed. “That’s good.” Her mother called her and Kagome excused herself.

Standing alone Yuki looked around her at all the beauty. Her hand came up to finger the ear cuff. From all she knew of her birth mother she would have loved coming to visit the shrine… but she had disappeared when Yuki was born and no one had found a trace of her.

With a sigh, she started to wander around the shrine grounds alone. She came to stand before the Tree of Ages again and stared up into its might branches.

Suddenly a voice cried out, “Help me! It’s so dark!’’

Startled Yuki scanned the area but no one but herself stood in the open. Across from her she noticed a small well house. Children often liked to crawl into places like that… and often got scared before too long.

Trotting over she threw open the doors and looked around. She didn’t see anything, only dust and shadows. It had definitely been a child’s voice she had heard.

“Help, please!’’ the voice called again.

“Hello? I can’t see you, can you tell me where you are?” Yuki asked walking down the stairs.

“Please, help me.”

It seems to be coming from inside the well… Yuki peered down inside, but didn’t see a thing. “Hello?”

“I hear you…” the voice grew louder, losing the air of a child and becoming more menacing. “I hear you…’’