Modern Kwaidan - Original Stories. [Temporary Cover]

A Dad and His Princess

'Dad, this trip is every bit as lame as I thought it would be,' said Asami, a girl at the delicate age of 12 could think of uncountable more glamorous places to be than some itchy, bug riddled nature reserve.

'Trust me, you'll change your mind when you see the view, it's just at the top of this hill,' Hideo had decided that his daughter was missing out, a beautiful forest reserve with a splendid waterfall so close to the village, he thought that'd be the perfect place to take her for her graduation present, she had passed year six.

The pair scaled the hill using slanted plants and trees to help them on their path, at the hill summit Hideo held a hand out for his daughter to grasp, he heaved her up to the top. At the hilltop, Asami met a view that was worth every single step, every bug she found crawling on her pale skin, every bead of bitter sweat that dripped from her delicate brow. This view was worth the whole trek, a cathedral of stones towered above them some thirty feet and from it, water gushed, it poured down through cracks in the stones into a pond underneath. Moss covered rocks and stones lined the waterfall and at the edge a shallow river snaked all the way to the village, causing a long gap in the trees. through the gap, they could see all the way back to the village.

'Wow, it's amazing,' said Asami, she smiled broadly, she could not wait to tell her friends from school, they always got to do cool stuff, and this was her chance to look cool for once.

'It's splendid, right?' said Hideo. 'Let's go for a swim.'

The icy grey water looked frigid and unforgiving, placid but foreboding. 'I don't think that's such a great idea,' said Asami.

'Come on, kiddo. Don't chicken out on me now. Do you think I would allow anything bad to happen to my princess?' said Hideo, and once more he held her by the wrist and led her to be beside the waterfall.

The mist from the falls caught Asami in the eye, she laughed softly, she took off her jacket and her track pants, underneath she wore a navy blue one piece swimming suit, her father told her they'd be swimming, she thought it'd be somewhere warmer, though.

'Should we dive in?' said Hideo.

'It's a long way down, dad,' said Asami, she grimaced.

'Oh, it's only a few feet. What's the worse that could happen.' Hideo grew up in the country, he and his father use to go on treks like these all of the time, when he lost his father not long before he married Mari, the mother of Asami, he had convinced her to go on the adventures with him. It was never the same to go alone, no one to share the experiences with, he would just find somewhere quiet to stay the whole time, he would not have much fun at all. After Asami's birth, Mari too stopped adventuring with him, he now tried to fill the void that his father left with his passing, with his daughter, Asami. Hideo jumped up into the air tucking his knees close to his chin, he wrapped his arms around his shins, binding his fingers, 'bombs away!' he shouted, a tremendous splash ensued.

Asami cowered as the water sprayed up to the bank of the pond. She looked down to see her father bobbing in the water, he waved at her, 'come on, dear, it's not as cold as it looks!' he said, he ran a palm down his face wiping away the water.

'OK, dad!' said Asami, she copied the exact move her father did and propelled herself off the bank into the water, her splash was meager compared to her father's, her long black hair clung in clumps to her pale back and slender neck. Her father lied, the water was freezing.

After awhile of the two splashing each other, going under the water, wrestling and having a blast, the sun began to set.

'We should be getting home now, honey.' Said Hideo.

'Fine!' yelled Asami with a smile as long as the Nile, she then splashed him, 'but remember, you're IT!'

'OK! I'll remember that for next time, kiddo, let's get out of here.'