The rain had stopped by the time Akiko woke up the following morning, but the sky was still a heavy grey, pressing down and threatening more rain at any moment. The air seemed oppressive, somehow thicker around her as she got up. She checked her watch; already nine am. A quick look at her cell phone confirmed that she had forgotten to set her alarm, and she quickly got dressed before going looking for Shiraishi.

She first went outside, but the shrine was still closed and shuttered. Akiko frowned. If Shiraishi hadn’t got around to opening up, that was not a good sign. Scuttling motion caught her eyes, as something seemed to dart under the doors of the shrine, but when she looked again, there was nothing. Akiko forced herself to relax her jaw as she turned and went back into the shrine, but she could not deny that she was worried.

She found Shiraishi, dressed in a simple yukata, in the living room. A bottle of sake was open in front of her, and she was downing another glass as Akiko entered. The priest looked up at her, and forced a smile.

“You didn’t know him, did you? Not really.â€ Akiko shook her head. “Biggest supporter of the shrine. An Ujiko representative for the last fifteen years, and the only one who hadn’t abandoned us recently.â€ She laughed, completely without humour. “Even in death, he hasn’t abandoned the shrine.â€ Her laughter stopped abruptly, and she refilled her glass. “Now what do we do?â€ Akiko knew that the question wasn’t really directed at her, which was just as well, as she had no idea how to answer it. No idea what to say or do, in fact.

The priest emptied her glass and sighed, resting her head on her hand.

“Centuries of history. Is it all over now?â€ Akiko really wanted to do something, and she moved further into the room. Shiraishi looked up at her, sharply.

“You see the kami. Tell him that if he doesn’t do something soon, his shrine is history.â€ Her face was hard, and then suddenly crumpled, as she dropped her head back into her hands. “I want to talk to Hideo!â€ she wailed. “He always had an idea. He never gave up. Why did you give up?â€ The last question was almost screamed into the air. Akiko bit her lip, and took another step forward, but Shiraishi took a deep breath, and reached for the bottle again.

“Can I do anything?â€ Akiko asked, wincing a little at how banal it was.

“Tell Tamao to bring Hideo back. And the other Ujiko, while you’re at it.â€ The priest took another deep breath. “I’m sorry. I know this is hard for you as well.â€

“I could open the shrine up.â€

The priest nodded.

“You do that. It can’t hurt; the police said we could.â€ There was a pause, while Shiraishi refilled her glass. “And you could answer the phone and door today. I’m ill.â€

“Of course.â€ Akiko waited a few moments longer, then left the priest to herself.

As she walked over to the shrine, dozens of crows started up from the trees, their raucous cries almost deafening. She flinched a little as the sky filled with their dark forms, but they soon settled, and Akiko was able to purify herself in peace. The water had a bitter tang to it, and she pulled a face as she spat it out.

Standing in front of the shrine, she paid her respects first, and then slid the doors open. The interior looked just as it always did, just a little darker, a little colder, and the veranda seemed to shift slightly under her feet. Shivering, from the cold, she told herself, Akiko hurried back into the house.