Making offerings at Takenaka’s small shrine became a part of the daily routine, as they waited to see whether the curses would stop. After two nights with no dreams of him, Akiko became more confident that the enshrinement had worked. News of the fever continued, but now there were fewer new cases and more people being released from hospital. After a few days the council lifted its recommendation to avoid travel, but the number of cases continued to decline.

Akira came to the shrine most days, keeping them up to date on his progress with the business as well as making offerings to his father.

“Mr Sugiwara has been in touch; he’s hired us for a building project.”

“That’s great!” Akiko was really pleased to hear it; Akira’s answering smile, however, was a bit weak.

“It’s not a big job, and won’t last long. But it is a job; it breaks the drought. And the fever seems to be finishing.”

“Yes; that’s really good news.”

“Mm. I guess the ceremony worked.” Akira’s lack of enthusiasm puzzled Akiko, and it was only after he had gone that she had an idea of the cause. The fact that the fever broke after the ceremony almost proved that Hideo Takenaka had been causing it; accepting that your father had become a tatarigami was the sort of thing Akiko could see being difficult.

Akiko’s miko training continued, with Shiraishi now devoting a bit more time to having Akiko read introductory texts on Shinto, as well as practising the ritual motions. Akiko still found it all difficult, and hard to connect to the vision that had started it all, so when she had free time she spent it outside the shrine, just walking around the area.

Every time, she came up with another excuse for why she had to go out, even as she looked around, all her senses alert for any sign of kegare, or one of the warped spirits.

For a few days she saw nothing out of the ordinary, just mundane litter and occasional patches of graffiti, and she started to hope that enshrining Takenaka had solved that problem, as well. But then, one overcast, gloomy afternoon, she tripped over something, grazing her hands and knees as she fell. She felt the first drops of rain before she could get up, and winced slightly as she put her weight on her right leg.

And then her mouth went dry, her heart pounding, as she looked around.

Kegare lay over almost all the houses, like some mould or creeping vine, mostly dark in colour but sometimes a dead white, pulsing with an unwholesome life, one part bursting in a cloud of spores that moved purposefully through the air. Creatures prowled among it, cats with too many limbs, twisted crows flying from one roof to the next, worms spilling out of cracks in the pavement.

For now, they seemed to be ignoring her. Akiko turned, and, walking as quickly as she dared, headed back to the shrine. She felt the eyes of a couple of spirits light on her, a sense of slime dripping down her body, or a sudden shortness of breath.

It was only when she was back in the shrine grounds, away from their gaze, that she realised her cell phone was ringing.

04: Commitment, Episode 22 | 5 Comments »

“Akiko? It’s Satomi.”

“Satomi?” Akiko was surprised. Why would Satomi be calling her?

“How are you doing?”

“Er, OK. How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” There was a pause. “Look, this is a little awkward. Your work uniform still belongs to the company, and Mr Kanayama has started making noises about wanting it back.” Akiko pulled a face. That was true. She didn’t want to go back to the office, though. “I don’t suppose you want to go back to the office, though.” Satomi had read her mind.

“No, not really.”

“Mm. Anyway, I came over to your flat to pick them up, but you’re not here. The tenant knows nothing about you.”

“Oh.” She went to the flat? Akiko was surprised. “No, I’m…” For a moment, Akiko didn’t want to say where she was, worried about what Satomi would think. Then she decided she was being silly. Satomi already knew she wasn’t in the flat. “I’m living at Tamao Shrine at the moment; do you know where that is?”

“At the shrine? Really?” Satomi sounded surprised, but not, as far as Akiko could tell, shocked. “Yes, of course I know where that is. Is it convenient if I come over now?”

“I suppose so.”

“OK. See you in a little while.”

Akiko put the phone away, wondering why Satomi was taking so much trouble, and was about to go into the house when she became aware of someone approaching.

“Ah, Ms Tanahata. Is the priest around?” It was Mr Wakabayashi. Akiko could see the kegare gathered around him like smoke, the light of smouldering embers twinkling in the depths of his jacket.

“I’m not…” she began, but Shiraishi saved her the trouble by appearing from the office.

“I’m here, Wakabayashi. What do you want?” The priest wasn’t even trying to sound polite.

“I thought I’d renew my offer. I’m even willing to add another 5% to the price. What do you say? I’m sure there are much better things for you, for both of you, to do with your lives than look after a failing shrine.”

“It’s not failing.”

“Oh? Plenty of ujiko, then?” Akiko winced, and looked away. The smoke from Wakabayashi’s jacket was drifting in the direction of the shrine building, and the clouds overhead were thickening ominously. Akiko stepped back, to bring herself under the eaves of the house, before Tamao rained his displeasure again.

“That is none of your business. We have the kami to serve, and that’s enough.”

It certainly is, thought Akiko, glancing again at the shrine building as the first drops of rain began to fall.

“You are sure I can’t tempt you to abandon this pointless task?”

“Pointless?” Shiraishi sounded really angry now. “You might not be able to see any point in serving the kami, but I assure you that the point is perfectly clear to us. Now, I’ve told you many times that I will not sell. Get off the shrine property before I call the police.”

It had started raining as Shiraishi spoke, and Wakabayashi shrugged as he put up his umbrella.

“It’s your loss, Revd Shiraishi. You will wish you had taken my offer, I can assure you of that.”

“Get out, and stop threatening me!” Wakabayashi did not respond, just bowing and walking out of the shrine, passing Satomi on her way in.

04: Commitment, Episode 22 | 1 Comment »

“Can I help you?” Shiraishi asked, before Akiko could say anything.

“She’s here to see me, Revd Shiraishi. She was one of my work colleagues.”

“Oh, well, in that case come inside, out of the rain. If you’ll excuse me…” Shiraishi was obviously still fuming, and didn’t wait for either of them to respond before returning to the office.

“Mr Wakabayashi? What was he doing here?” Akiko was about to explain, but she suddenly realised that it wasn’t really something to tell just anyone.

“Is it really that strange? Do come in.” Satomi stepped into the entrance hall, but returned to the issue as she was taking her shoes off.

“Well, Mr Wakabayashi’s opinions of Shinto are fairly well known. It’s not somewhere I’d have expected to find him.” She looked at Akiko, obviously waiting for her to elaborate. Akiko was about to, wondering what Satomi knew, but, once again, something held her back.

“Hmm, well. My uniforms are in my room; come through.” She led Satomi back through the house, to her room. Satomi looked around while Akiko got the clothes out of the closet.

“This is your room? Wow.”

“Mm.” Akiko’s feeling of embarrassment increased with every moment Satomi was there. Satomi knew her from when she still had a normal life, after all, so what must she be thinking now?

“So, what are you doing here?”

Akiko had to admit that it was a really natural question, but she wished Satomi hadn’t asked it. She didn’t want to admit to training to be a miko, but she could hardly claim to be working at any other job. Not without making it much harder to explain why she was at the shrine. And as for mentioning Tamao’s appearances, or Takenaka’s curse…

“I’m sorry, what did you ask?” Akiko played for time as she fished the last bit of uniform out.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I’m training to be a miko.” That, Akiko decided, was the least worst option.

“Really?” Satomi sounded surprised. “I thought…”

“Miko don’t have to be virgins,” Akiko cut in.

“Oh, I know that.” Satomi blushed and giggled a little. “No, I was going to say that I thought miko were normally younger, early twenties.”

“Not always.” Akiko knew she was being short, but why did Satomi have to bring her age up?

“Wow. You’re really lucky, Akiko.”

“Lucky?” Akiko couldn’t keep the surprise and incredulity out of her voice. That was the last thing she’d expected Satomi to say.

“You don’t think so? You’re living in a shrine, training to be a miko. How is that not better than being an office worker? If I thought my father would allow it, I might even be tempted to join you.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Well, OK. I wouldn’t have the patience to learn the ritual moves. That’s why I never made any progress in traditional dance.” Akiko found herself nodding, before it suddenly struck her that Satomi seemed to know an awful lot about miko. She was trying to think of a way to ask about it tactfully, but Satomi didn’t stop. “But it’s still much more interesting than an office job. And such a nice place to live! Really, I’m quite envious.” Satomi smiled as she said it, removing any barb. Akiko handed over the uniforms, confused, and not at all sure what she should say. Satomi looked through them quickly.

“Yes, this is everything, thanks. Well, now I know where to find you, I’ll drop by again. I might even want a ceremony done.”

“Er, yes, of course, that would be fine.”

Akiko saw Satomi off, watching her wave from the torii and then vanish down the steps.

Lucky?

04: Commitment, Episode 22 | Comments Off

Akiko stood in front of the shrine in her miko’s vestments, the night air chill around her. The steady golden light of Tamao’s eyes spilled out, illuminating the precincts. For some reason, Akiko was tense, and she looked around, searching for any cause.

Looking behind her, she saw it. A kegare-spirit, like a giant lizard, larger even than a crocodile, its black and oozing tongue lolling from its mouth as steaming saliva dripped from its jaws to hiss on the ground. Akiko clutched the bells, waiting to see what it would do.

It sprang, straight through the torii, its fangs rushing towards her face.

Akiko sat bolt upright on her futon, swallowing her scream before she could waken Shiraishi. A dream. She remained sitting while her breathing calmed down, but she was still keyed up, almost as nervous as she had been in the dream. Sighing, she grabbed a yukata and went out, across the pond and through the gate into the precincts, quickly purifying herself as she entered.

The night was overcast, but the shrine lights were still on, so she had enough light to look around. Everything seemed to be in order; certainly there were no giant lizards, and she could see no other signs of kegare. She heard something from near the entrance, and looked over, but couldn’t see anything there, either. She walked over to the torii, but could see nothing in the gloom that covered the steps. Certainly, there didn’t seem to be anyone there. Sighing, she walked all the way round the precincts, finding nothing out of place, and then returned to bed.

The shrine woodland was on fire, the flame front advancing towards the shrine as Akiko watched. She ran out with a hose, desperately spraying water on the fire, but it was relentless, leaping across the precincts to seize on the roof of the shrine.

Akiko’s eyes opened and she stared at the ceiling. She was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, and very awake. Not again, she thought. I thought last night was enough. She considered trying to get back to sleep, but she was too keyed up, and in any case she could recognise the signs of Tamao wanting her to do something. Forcing herself not to mutter complaints under her breath, because the kami would almost certainly hear, she got up and put her yukata on before going out to check on the shrine.

Everything looked fine. This time, though, unlike the previous day, she looked more closely. Maybe there was something she had missed, and that was why Tamao had woken her up two nights in succession. She walked all round the shrine building, peering under the veranda, but could see nothing in the dark. Quickly, she went back inside and came back out with her torch. Even shining that under the platform, she could see nothing that wasn’t supposed to be there.

She went round the back of the shrine, and played the light over the rocks of the iwakura. They simply sat there, no signs of litter, damage, or pulsing red lights within them. She swept the light round the precincts once more, but there was nothing to see.

Shaking her head, she headed back to bed once more.

04: Commitment, Episode 22 | 1 Comment »

Akiko sat on the roof of the shrine, the metal cool against her bare feet. The wind gusted a bit, blowing her yukata around and blowing up, cold under the skirts. She pushed them down with her hands, and looked around at the trees, waving in the breeze, almost as if they were trying to warn her of something.

The roof was getting warm under her, and there was a smell of burning. The first tendrils of smoke appeared around her, followed by tongues of flame licking up around the edges of the roof. Akiko sprang to her feet, hopping from one foot to the other as the metal roof became hot, and then started to shift. She ran to the edge, but the flames from the shrine were already a blazing wall around it, the heat pouring off them in waves, driving her back, up the roof, to the ridge pole. Balanced precariously on it, she felt it start to shift under her weight as the flames undermined its structure. A lurch, a crack, and flames roared up through the roof in front of her.

Akiko woke with a gasp, sitting up in bed, clutching the futon to her chest, drenched in sweat. She put her hands on the floor for support, breathing heavily, and looked around the room. The clock said two am.

Not again! she thought. That’s three nights running. She thought about getting up to see what Tamao wanted, but knew she would find nothing, just like the previous two days.

I’m going back to sleep, Tamao, she thought. I can’t go out to the shrine building every night. I need sleep. Leave me alone.

She lay down again, but sleep wouldn’t come. She couldn’t even manage to keep her eyes closed; they kept coming open of their own accord, staring at the ceiling. Akiko tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable position, somewhere to relax and get to sleep, but nowhere was right. Something dug into her hip, and then when she moved there was nowhere comfortable to put her arm. Sitting up again, she shook the pillow vigourously, then lay down.

It had no effect.

Sitting up again, Akiko decided to go and get a drink of water. Maybe getting up and lying down again will settle me, she thought. The hallway was dark, as were the shrine precincts beyond the frosted doors, but Akiko made her way to the kitchen and got her glass of water.

While she was drinking it, it struck her that she should have been able to see the shrine’s external lights through the front door; they were left on all night. Putting the glass on the table, she went back to the hall. There was light visible through the door, and she was about to go back into the kitchen when she realised that the light was orange, and flickering.

The only window in the shrine house that overlooked the shrine building was in the office, and Akiko ran there to look out.

The shrine was on fire.

04: Commitment, Episode 22 | 4 Comments »

“Revd Shiraishi! The shrine’s on fire! The shrine’s on fire!” Akiko yelled at the top of her voice as she dialled 119 for the fire brigade. By the time she had finished giving them the details, Shiraishi was beside her.

“The goshintai!” she said. “We have to get it out!”

Akiko turned to look at her, but the priest had already grabbed the shrine keys and was running from the office. Her heart suddenly pounding even more, Akiko ran to follow her.

Tamao was still in the shrine.

Outside the scent of burning wood was heavy on the air, but the flames were still confined to one side of the shrine. Shiraishi ran across to the other side, keeping as far away as possible as she climbed the steps, Akiko just behind her. The priest’s hands shook as she opened the door, and it took her two attempts to get the lock undone, before thrusting the door aside.

The shrine was filling with smoke, and as Akiko coughed, her eyes starting to water, she thought she could see things crawling in it, spiders and lizards of ash and embers clinging to the ceiling. She remembered something she had read about fires, dropped to a crouch, where the air was clearer.

Shiraishi had quickly climbed the inner steps, and was wrestling with the lock on the inner door when Akiko arrived. The large metal padlock was purely ceremonial, and needed no key, but Akiko could see that the priest was holding it wrong. She reached out, sucking in her breath as she touched the hot metal, and helped the priest to open it. Together, they pulled the doors open, and Shiraishi pushed the interior bamboo blind aside.

The only light came from the flames along one wall, revealing brocade curtains hanging from a square frame in the middle of the room. The flames were still confined to one edge of the room, but they were spreading; Akiko turned away from them to concentrate on following Shiraishi.

Within the curtains, on a raised platform of tatami mats and woven cloths, sat a large box. Shiraishi threw it open as she reached it, and started pulling on something within. Akiko came up beside her, and saw something wrapped in cloth inside. They pulled it out, but it was still too heavy to carry out. Together, they tore the cloth off, revealing another box. Shiraishi opened this one as well, and grabbed a brocade bag. She opened it, looking inside, and Akiko caught a flash of reflected, refracted light from a jewel. The priest looked at her and nodded, and together they turned away, running back out.

There were more creatures crawling around the worship hall now, glowing embers starting fires in their wake. Akiko was ahead of Shiraishi as they ran out of the door and down the steps, and then further down the path, to get clear of the flames.

Breathing heavily, they turned back to look at the shrine building, the flames spreading.

Akiko saw Tamao, still within the building, flinching as the flames approached him.

04: Commitment, Episode 22 | Comments Off

Akiko was running back towards the shrine before she could think about it. She heard Shiraishi’s shocked yell from behind her as she leapt up the steps and back through the doors.

The flames had taken over the right-hand side of the worship hall now, the soot-and-ember creatures fleeing in front of them to scuttle over the remaining area, scorching the floor and walls, making the seats smoulder, threatening to burst into flame at any moment. Akiko stopped in the middle of the room, looking around desperately. Why was she here? What was she looking for? She flinched from the heat, drawing back, starting back as something ran over her feet, burning pinpricks. She looked over at the flames, and saw birds of fire within them, calling to one another as they cavorted wildly in the inferno.

She looked around again, and caught sight of Tamao ahead of her, in the inner shrine. She tried to take a deep breath as she sprang forward, but it just left her coughing and spluttering as smoke seared the back of her throat. Dropping to the ground, she almost crawled up the steps, the floor hot under her hands, almost burning. Flames licked close to the edge of her yukata, and she yanked it back as she passed through the door.

As she entered the inner shrine, the flames reached the platform, and the curtains ignited as one, a box of flames driving her back, hurting her eyes. Tamao was not, however, within the flames; he was coiled against the wall, on the opposite side from the flames.

Akiko ran towards him, desperate to put some distance between herself and the flames, the heat already painful. Her eyes were filled with tears, sore from smoke and heat, and every breath rasped in her lungs.

As she reached the spot and reached out, the kami vanished from in front of her. Shocked, Akiko lost her balance and stumbled forward, crashing into the wall. She screamed as the hot wood, already charring, burned her skin, and fell to the floor.

A smouldering box fell from the wall, landing in front of her, cracking from the impact. Within it was a rotten bundle of cloth, the signs of insect damage clear. As the flames drew closer, Akiko reached out for it, pushing the folds of fabric away until her fingers touched something hard, smooth.

Cool.

The fire ceased to burn her. The air tasted cool and fresh in her mouth, and she coughed up black phlegm with the last of the ash. Around her, the fire still raged, drawing closer, but even its roar seemed somehow distant. Carefully, she brushed away the last of the cloth and lifted the object out.

It was a mask. Carved of wood, unpainted, apparently unstained, showing a calm human face, eyes open and empty. The mask was a whole face, but it had no hair, and Akiko could not tell whether it was supposed to be male or female. The calm expression spoke of knowledge, of secrets, of enlightenment.

With a groan and screech, one corner of the inner shrine collapsed, the flames leaping up into the gap as air rushed in. Knocked from her reverie, Akiko grabbed the mask to her chest and turned to run from the shrine.

The way ahead was blocked by a wall of fire, the floor itself burning, the flames spreading towards her. For a moment, Akiko panicked.

And then realised that the flames only felt pleasantly warm, even this close. She ran forwards, and it got no hotter, but the burning floor was slippery under foot with ash, and she stumbled, falling into the fire, sprawling forward, the mask slipping from her grasp.

The agony was unbearable as the heat of the flames came back, devouring her body. She stretched a hand out.

The pain vanished as if doused by cool water as her finger touched the mask again. She edged forward, drawing herself up, careful not to lose contact with the mask, gathering it into her arms as she stood up within the fire. She could see almost nothing through the light, but she knew which way to go. Slowly, testing her footing with every step, she walked towards the exit.

The worship hall was now filled with fire, the burning birds still flying through the flames, and when they came close Akiko could see the charred feathers and flesh from which the fires sprang. They dived close to her, but backed off, hissing and crackling their frustration, before they could touch her. Trying to keep her breathing calm, Akiko ignored them and continued walking forward, feeling the remains of the seats under her feet, feeling the very floor of the shrine weakening. She heard the protesting groans of another part of the structure, and risked picking the pace up a little more, not at all confident that she would be protected from parts of the shrine falling on her head.

The entrance to the shrine was just ahead of her, but her way was blocked. It looked like a giant lizard, its cracked and blackened flesh burning as she watched, burning away but never consumed, as smoke poured from its mouth between metal teeth that glowed red hot. It hissed at her, spraying glowing embers at her, but they bounced off her skin like a handful of gravel.

No heat, but solid.

Akiko edged towards it, as she heard the roar of part of the shrine collapsing behind her, and then tried to get round it. The creature, however, kept its eyes fixed on her, moving to block her escape route. Akiko tried shouting at it, but her voice was lost in the hungry clamour of the fire. And the creature was unimpressed.

Tamao sprang from behind her, crashing into the lizard in a great cloud of steam and a hiss like a myriad angry snakes. The kami’s mass was enough to knock the lizard through the wall, making the exit even wider and clearing Akiko’s way. She walked through as quickly as she dared, then leapt off the veranda onto the grass, running away from the shrine towards Shiraishi. As she drew away from the fire, she could hear the sirens of the approaching fire engines, and see the shock on Shiraishi’s face.

And she realised that she was naked, her clothes burned away from her, but her skin, illuminated by the destruction of the shrine, was completely unmarked.

04: Commitment, Episode 22 | 5 Comments »