Hanabi

Chapter 2: Dancing with demons

INFO:

Shakuhachi – traditional Japanese flute made of bamboo, played by Buddhist monks for meditation.

Happi – traditional Japanese coat with large and straight sleeves, they normally have a crest on the back to represent a family or group.

Zori – traditional flat Japanese sandals made of plant fibers.

Oni – normally huge ogres with red, black or blue skin, carrying iron clubs and wearing stuff made of tiger skin. They also have big horns and feline fangs and claws. That’s the traditional look of the Oni, but I’ll be giving them my own twist lol They are seen as horrible demons who bring disgrace and natural disasters and take people to hell (or devour them), though in some places/situations they are used to keep away bad luck (maybe because they’re scary?).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything was dark and cold when Mami looked around her, and she was lying on the ground. She didn't know where she was or how she got there, all she knew was that she was feeling extremely cold, and it was getting worse every second. She felt like she couldn't breathe normally.

She tried to sit up, but it was impossible. She couldn't move, she felt like her body weighted a ton. Panic kicked in when she felt something even colder grabbing her neck, choking her slowly. Her eyes were open, but she couldn't see a thing.

That until another pair of eyes opened right in front of hers, big red eyes full of wrath seeing through her as a heavy breath was exhaled against her face.

When she opened her eyes for real and woke up, she grabbed the silver knife she had next to her pillow and sat up immediately, slicing the air in front of her. But she was alone. There was no one besides herself in her room.

Breathing fast and heavily, covered in sweat, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on getting calm. A nightmare wasn't going to make her lose control like that.

Groaning in frustration, she put the silver knife back where it previously was and got up from her futon, feeling how the long black shirt she wore for sleeping was practically glued to her body because of the sweat. Her hair was also covered in it. She didn't know how she could lose so much water from her body during those nightmares, it wasn't even hot.

Mami dragged herself slowly out of the room, crossing the long corridors in that big traditional house where she lived alone, and feeling like she could faint at any moment. When she got to the kitchen, she almost collapsed against the fridge before opening it and drinking some water directly from a big bottle, spilling a lot of it over her face and chest. When she was done, she saw her hands shaking and opened a bitter smile.

That day was going to be a complete mess, she knew it. When it started like that, it usually wouldn't get any better.

She figured it would be smart of her to eat something, but she didn't feel like it. She knew that anything she tried to swallow by that point was going to make its way back sooner than later. The best thing she could do was to take a shower and lie down again.

After making her way again through those corridors, she entered the large bathroom thinking of just taking a quick shower, but stopped on her tracks as soon as she saw it.

The place was white, really big and there were three showers close to a large ofuro at the ground level. And the ofuro was filled. There was hot water there and steam filling the room.

Then she located an envelope glued to the wall with masking tape and took it, opening it right away and reading the simple phrase written in a thin piece of paper.