bloodrose83

A branch snapped. The forest at such a late hour was silent. It seemed even the owls had their fill of the hunt. That, or larger predators were arriving. The man pushed aside a shadow-laden branch, holding it in wait for his companion. Her steps through the undergrowth were cautious; scratches already marred the smoothness of her hands. “This way,” he coaxed, his voice low. “The clearing’s just ahead.” She peered up at him under the shadow her hood cast over her eyes. She was a true beauty—dark eyes like river stones, obscured by a fringe of equally inky hair. “And you’re sure this will lift the village curse?” To that, he waved an airy ha...

Her eyes drew mine. Peering in past glass-smooth water, seeking ducks I’d long since chased away. She had to be four, perhaps five seasons old. Irises like a summer forest’s floor, they evoked memories of a life I’d been exiled from centuries ago. Mommy, where are the ducks? Crumbs scattered from pudgy fists. A woman’s voice answered, muffled by the water over my head. I could never depart from the pond for long, being its guardian to keep nature’s balance, yet something about the child drew me. No ducks here, sweet pea. Let’s try the other park. For the first time in over a century, my feet pushed away from smooth stone. My gills would be...

“It’s not coming together.” As he spoke, Batsuki Honda ran his fingers over the piano’s old, yellowed keys. The small room he and the rest of the band played in was nothing special to look at; trying to juggle school, jobs and a few disapproving parents didn’t leave the teenaged, all-male rock group with much in the way of personal funds. “It will.” His bandmate, Kenchiro Uchida, smoothed the dark fronds of hair away from his forehead and fished for a clip to pin the side back in place. “It’s only been an hour. You have to relax.” “It would help if everybody else didn’t have the damn flu right now.” Batsuki played a chord and winced. The p...