Blood of The Serpent

Chapter 2

Rain was pouring from the dark sky above, hitting the shingled rooftops with a patter before running off the sides.The streets were empty, save for two teenagers standing underneath two bright yellow umbrellas. They were in front of the Noroi family's house.

Haru was dressed all in black - as befitted the occasion - and Aiko stood by his side, dressed in similar attire. Their expressions were bleak. They weren't there for a friendly visit. No, they were there to say goodbye to a friend.

Not much had been found of Yoru Noroi. An arm, an ear, and torn up remnants of his belongings, nothing more. As if his wallet hadn't been proof enough, DNA scans had confirmed that the limbs belonged to him. Whatever animal it was that attacked him must have eaten everything else.

They folded up their umbrellas, then walked solemnly into the house. Haru had seen what had really happened. He didn't know what happened to his body after that, but he knew that woman had something to do with it. Yet, no-one believed him. His parents, thinking I was deeply traumatized by what had happened, had even signed him up for therapy sessions.

When they reached the door, they were greeted by Yoru's mom. "I'm glad you two could make it," Mrs. Noroi said. Her eyes looked red and puffy and dark bags had formed under them. "Yoru talked about you two a lot."

Aiko looked down at the cold, wet cement beneath her feet. "Yes. We were really close."

Mrs. Noroi wrapped her arms around the girl, hugging her tight. "He'll be dearly missed by us all. Please, come inside."

A picture of Yoru sat on top of an altar just inside their house, directly behind an urn. Mrs. Noroi briefly stopped at the altar for a moment, clasping her hands and bowing her head, before exiting the room through a Japanese-style sliding door. They approached their friend's ashes sitting atop the altar.

"I can't believe he's really dead," Aiko said, bowing her head. "It seems like only yesterday he was meeting me outside my house to walk me to school."

Haru also bowed his head. "I remember that time he flipped your skirt when you bent over." Aiko frowned, then punched him in the arm. Hard. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"Don't remember stupid things," she said. "Not here... not now. Please."

"I'm sorry," he said, and he really meant it. "We used to play outside on rainy days like this. We'd always come home soaked." He smiled a sad smile, knowing those times were long gone. "Mrs. Noroi always had hot tea ready for us."

Aiko nodded. Tears had escaped from her eyes, running down her cheeks before dripping off of her smooth chin. "Things just aren't going to be the same without him."

The door slid open and Mrs. Noroi gingerly peeked her head through the entrance. "Would you two like some tea?"

"We'd love some," Haru said. He placed my hand on Aiko's back, leading the crying girl into the other room. Walking over to the table, they took a seat on the mats sitting by the table. Mrs. Noroi poured hot tea into their cups, causing steam to rise and fill the the air with a nice aroma.

Mrs. Noroi took a seat. "How are you fairing, Haru?" she asked.

He shrugged. "He's been my best friend ever since we were kids. To say I'm sad is an understatement."

"That's not what I mean," she said. "You were there during the animal attack. How are your therapy sessions going?"

Everyone thought it was an animal attack, but he knew it was something different. Supernatural forces had taken his friend away from him, that he was sure of.

Nonetheless, no-one was going to believe him.

"I think it's helping me," he lied, bringing the tea up to his mouth. He took a sip, taking care not to burn his tongue. It tasted of jasmine.

"I'm glad to hear that," said Mrs. Noroi, taking a sip from her own cup of tea. 

"What about you, Mrs. Noroi?" asked Aiko. "And what about your daughter?"

"We're pulling through," she responded. "We're both pretty shaken up, but who wouldn't be? I lost my son and Emi lost her brother.

A silence filled the room as they sat there, drinking their tea. Minutes ticked away on the clock and before long, an hour had passed. Most of that time had been spent slowly drinking their tea and remembering the young man they had lost.

"I'm afraid we must be going," Haru said, standing. He wanted to investigate his friend's death a bit further. Aiko also got to her feet.

"Thank you for having us," said Aiko, bowing. "The tea was delicious."

Mrs. Noroi smiled. "No, thank you for coming. I'm sure Yoru is glad you two came to visit."

The two walked out of the house. The sky had lightened from dark gray to light and the heavy rain had calmed down a bit, turning into a light drizzle. Aiko unfurled her umbrella before stepping off the porch, but Haru didn't bother.

"Haru?" she asked, looking towards him.

He was standing in the rain, looking up at the sky while drops of rain hit him in the face. Rainy days like this had always been Yoru's favorite. He stood there a while, staring up at the sky, before turning his gaze to his friend.

He was definitely going to find out what it was that killed Yoru. He hadn't recognized anything like it from Japanese folklore, but it did exist. Documentation of these creatures were sure to exist somewhere and he had the internet at his fingertips.

"Let's go, Aiko," he calmly said. He began walking away while she trotted along behind him.