Sara fidgeted with the sleeve of her ornate kimono she wore as she walked up the stairs of the stage. The kimono she was dressed in was an elegant navy-blue that was adorned with flowers of orange and red. These complimented her brilliant shade of hair, which was stick straight down to her shoulder.
Sara risked a hasty glance at the crowd. There were a lot more people present at the festival today than usual. She was trembling with nerves, as she stood on the stage waiting for the music to begin when she noticed Paige waving at her. A smile started to cross her face until she saw Jake was standing next to her. Flushing red from head to toe, she gave Paige an exasperated stare, to which her friend just shrugged with a grin. Sara swallowed hard as she shook her head, she was going to kill her friend later.
Forcing her attention back on the festival, she looked over at the musician. He was about to start playing and she took a deep breath to steady her nerves. When the beautiful flute music caught the full attention of everyone gathered around the stage Sara raised her left hand. Reaching forward, she rang the bells in her hand before shifting to the right and ringing the bells again. Her arms swung in an arch as she slowly turned around. The sleeves of the kimono appeared to be gracefully fluttering in the wind.
Left, right, forward. Sara gave herself to the music and quit thinking about which directions to move. With another large sweep of her arm, she was facing the audience again. She peeked a quick glance at them and was about to turn again when she saw a young woman who appeared very out of place. Her brows furrowed as she tried to catch glimpses of her as she continued to dance. The young woman wore a deep green gown that was caked with mud along the bottom.
Sara made her final turn and rang the bells once more as the music ceased. The crowd erupted in applause. After giving a formal bow, Sara made her way off the stage while she tried to keep sight of the woman. She could see that the woman appeared to be confused as she pushed silver curls out of her face and headed into the forest. As quickly as she could, Sara weaved her way through the crowd. She had to stop multiple times to accept praise for her dance and bow respectfully to the guests of the shrine.
When she eventually reached the edge of the forest, she headed in the direction she had last seen the woman. After stumbling through the dark for a short while she caught sight of the woman’s silver hair ahead of her on the trail. It gleamed in the moonlight which made it easy for Sara to see her in the dark. Sara hesitated before she tried to call out to her, but the woman did not seem to notice and kept walking deeper into the forest. Wringing her hands in indecision, Sara could not keep from following her, a strange pull beckoned her forward. Biting her lip, she hurried along the path so that she would not lose sight of her. She followed her for a while before she noticed that they were nearing the old willow tree by the lake. Sara paused when she saw that the woman stopped walking. She was resting her hand on the trunk of the tree before she slipped under a large black Torii gate and disappeared. Sara gasped in surprise and rushed up to the wooden pole before skidding to a halt.
“This wasn’t here this morning,” she stammered. After staring at the poles, she reached out and touched one. Sara's breath caught in her throat when her fingers met solid wood. It really was there. She glanced back over her shoulder before she looked back at the gate. It felt like something was beckoning for her to walk under the gate. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and stepped through the gate. Once she did, she opened one eye. A split second later her other eye flew open in a panic when she found that she was surrounded by a different forest. Panicked she spun around to run back through the gate but found that it was gone.
“What do I do?” Her voice cracked with fear as she sank to the ground. She hugged her knees to her chest and put her head down on them. Not even the slightest bit curious about her surrounding, she started to hyperventilate.
“Why did I do that? I never do anything without thinking, that’s Paige’s job.” She stopped suddenly when she said her best friend’s name. Her friend would be telling her to calm down. It drove her nuts that Sara panicked when things did not go the way they were supposed to. It had been a miracle Sara did not panic over being late to graduation but her nerves about the festival kept it a bay.
Slowly, Sara managed to calm down and she lifted her head. She looked around and took in her surroundings for the first time. The old willow tree was still there but all the other trees were like nothing she had ever seen. They stood much taller than the old tree with dark brown bark and cascading leaves of bright red and gold. She craned her neck as tried to look up at one. It was so huge it reminded her of pictures she had seen of redwood trees.
Sara got up off the ground and approached the tree with cautious steps so that she could get a closer look at the leaves. When she neared them, she noticed that the gold color wrapped around the red, crescent-shaped leaves in delicate bands.
“This is really weird.” She thought aloud when she noticed that even the sounds of the birds were strange, and the reassuring sound of crickets was missing. Tilting her head to get another look at the leaves, she spotted a small altar near the base of the willow tree. Confusion crossed her face, there was no altar by the tree. She walked over to it and noticed an etching with characters she did not recognize. After studying them for a few moments she turned away and something on the ground reflecting the moonlight caught her attention, it was a small delicate tiara.
“Where in the world did this come from?” She could not help but think out loud in an attempt to ward off the unnerving feeling the strange sounds of the forest caused. She started to reach for the tiara but stopped just before her fingers touched it. Another feeling of dread mixed with a strong pull washed over her. Her hand started to tremble before she finally touched it. The moment she was in contact with it, images started appearing in her mind.
A woman dressed in an exquisite white gown. The tiara was woven into her light brown hair while she stood holding hands with a man. The two stood in front of a large crowd of people as they exchanged vows. …. then the vision began to change, and she watched the same woman carefully placing the tiara in a box in a drawer. …. the image shifted, the young woman she saw in the forest was being given the tiara by the older woman. The young woman looked uncomfortable as the older woman pinned the tiara into her hair. … the image faded. The young woman was panicked as she raced through stone corridors. She ran through a kitchen and then through a door…
The images stop flashing by and stopped on one event.
The young woman was trapped and could not get free. She was in pain and screaming to someone that was not visible in the vision.
Sara gasped when she suddenly realized that she could feel the woman’s pain and fear. As the woman continued to scream, Sara could feel her desperation.
“No!” Sara cried when she saw the event through the woman’s eyes. Her entire body felt like it was on fire while a strange tingling sensation ran through her. Clamping her eyes closed, she could not hold back the screams of pain as hers mixed with those of the young woman’s.
“Sara!... Sara!” Suddenly, a familiar voice calling to her broke through the pain and she tried to focus on the sound. It sounded like he was calling from a great distance, “Sara!” Her brows furrowed as she fought to focus on his voice. A few seconds later her eyes flew open and she found herself laying on the forest floor. Struggling to get her bearings now that the pain had vanished, she jumped in surprise when she noticed Jake kneeling next to her. His hand was on her shoulder while he ran the fingers of his other hand through his rain-soaked hair.
“Are you okay?” He asked when he noticed her looking up at him, his voice was filled with concern.
Sara sat upright causing Jake’s hand to slip off her shoulder. Her eyes were filled with a mix of panic and confusion. “Where’s the Torii gate? Where’s the woman?” She asked, her voice cracking.
Jake put his hand back on her shoulder, his grip firm. “What’re you talking about? There is no gate or w
oman. You’re the only one here,” he said as the concern on his face grew more pronounced.
Sara shook her head, “Bu--.”
“Come on,” he said. “It’s raining, and we need to get inside. We can talk about this later.” He picked her up and stood in one quick motion before he headed toward the path.
“I can walk,” Sara muttered. Her face was becoming more red the longer he carried her.
“I’ve got you.” He paused before he looked down at her. “But I don’t really know my way around up here. Which direction is it?” A sheepish smile crossed his face. Sara smiled half-heartedly in return before she pointed up the hill. Jake did not hesitate as he headed the direction she indicated.
While he continued to walk, Sara folded her arms over her chest to hide her discomfort at being carried. Her body stiffened when she felt something in the pocket of her kimono. She slipped her hand into the pocket and slowly pulled it out so that only she could see. Staring at it wide-eyed for a moment she realized it was the tiara. Her breathing started to increase as the memories of the strange vision flooded her mind. Before she could shove it back into her pocket it started to break apart. She jerked her hand away, but the tiara burned its shape into her palm as it disintegrated into nothing. Biting her lip to hold back a yelp of pain, she shoved her hand back into her pocket.
“Everything okay?” Jake asked when he noticed the sudden movement and glanced down at her. She only nodded and refused to look up at him. His eyebrow rose before he continued, “What were you doing out here?”
Sara glanced up and started to answer but paused when her thoughts were derailed by the sight of the moonlight reflecting off his wet hair. She tilted her head to the side as she watched the raindrops run along his strong jawline. Her mind went totally blank as she stared at him.
“Is there something on my face?” He asked, his voice becoming uncomfortable.
Sara’s face already red, flushed even brighter, “No…. no.” Her voice came out sounding like a strangled squeak. Jake chuckled at her reaction but looked away from her.
“So again, what were you doing out here?” He asked after he had given her a few moments to be less embarrassed.
Sara looked down and started fidgeting with her sleeve while keeping her injured hand hidden. She just shrugged as she peeked up at him out of the corner of her eye.
“Who’s this woman you were talking about?”
“You said there wasn’t anyone.” She carefully avoided eye contact. A few long minutes passed before she risked a peek at him. He appeared to be in deep thought before he noticed her gaze and looked down at her.
“Sara, I know something strange is going on. You were screaming. That’s how I was able to find you out here in the dark,” he said, his voice taking on a businesslike tone. Sara frowned, she had heard him use that tone with his subordinates on base when she would visit Paige. She pursed her lips together in irritation.
“I really don’t know anything,” she whispered.
Jake did not respond but his eyebrow raised as they continued along the path to her house. He could tell she was being honest but knew there was more to it than she was admitting to him. The two fell silent until the lights of a house came into view. Sara was again confused. There should have been festival lights everywhere.
“Where are all the festival lights? Is it over already?”
Jake stopped and looked down at her in surprise, “The festival has been over for a while. Why do you think I was searching for you? You’ve been missing for hours.” His voice raised on the word hours letting a little of his frustration show. “We’ve been worried about you.”
“Hours,” she asked, her voice shocked. “It only seemed like a few minutes.”
Jake exhaled loudly before he set Sara back on her feet, “Let’s go in. We have an early flight tomorrow.” He gestured to the house. “That is if your parents will still let you go.” He gave her a knowing look which caused her eyes to narrow.
“They’ll let me,” she said. Without waiting on his reply before she marched up the steps and opened the front door.
“Thank goodness!” An older Japanese woman cried as soon as she saw Sara walk into the house. She rushed over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine, mom,” Sara replied with a heavy sigh.
“Where were you?”
Sara sighed again before she prepared to answer her mother’s barrage of questions. While she was busy, her dad approached Jake who had entered silently behind Sara.
“Thanks for finding her for us, Jake,” he said as he extended a hand to the younger man. Jake returned the handshake without a moment of hesitation.
“It’s no trouble, Mr. MacCoinnich. I’m just glad she was all right.”
“So am I,” Mr. MacCoinnich replied as he glanced over at the two women. He could already see the frustration on Sara’s face. “Why don’t you get some dry clothes? This could take a minute.” He added with a chuckle.
“I think I’ll take you up on that,” Jake said with a laugh before he headed into another room. While he was gone Sara continued to be interrogated by her mother until her dad spoke up.
“Honey, Sara needs to go and get her things together. I’m sure Jake and Paige would like to get back to the base soon.”
Sara looked up at her father, her face filled with relief as she dashed out of the room. She was so relieved when she reached her room that she did not notice Paige sitting on her bed waiting for her.
“It is about time,” Paige exclaimed making Sara jump in surprise. “Let’s go! I already finished packing your bags. Just change quick and we can get on the road.” Paige grabbed her bags and skipped out of the room before Sara even had a chance to respond. Sara shook her head with a small smile before she started to get dry clothes out of her dresser. She stopped with a gasp when a sharp pain ran through her left hand. It felt like her entire body turned to ice when it was difficult to turn her hand over so that she could see it. Her eyes widened when she saw an ugly red burn on the palm of her hand in the shape of leaves and knotwork.
“The tiara… that really did happen,” she muttered.
“Yes, it did.”
Sara jumped and looked around the room when a voice answered her thoughts. “Is someone there?” She asked, her voice timid. When she did not hear an answer, she got up and started getting ready again. Maybe she was just really tired.
Once she was changed, she wrapped a cloth around her hand before heading back downstairs. When she got to the living room, she found Paige and a changed Jake waiting for her.
“Are you all ready?” Her dad asked when he saw her walk back into the room. She nodded before he came up and gave her a big hug. “Be careful and let us know when you get to the states.”
“I will dad,” she replied as she tightened her grip before letting go and moving over to her mom. She gave her a hug as well.
“Are we sure about this, George?” Her mom asked suddenly after she released her daughter from the hug. “She should remain here and fulfill her duties as the shrine maiden. She was raised for this.”
Her dad shook his head, “No Yoko, we’ve already discussed this. It’s not what she wants.”
Yoko looked down at the floor with a scowl on her face, “All right. Have a safe trip.”
“Thank you,” Sara whispered to her mom before she gave her another hug. Once she stepped back, she headed for the door. “Bye mom, bye dad.” She called as she followed Paige out to Jake’s jeep. She waved to her parents, who were standing in the doorway, as they drove away from the house.
Everyone was quiet for the drive to the base. They were all absorbed in their own individual thoughts after the long day. When they reached the base and neared the guard house at the entrance Jake broke the silence.
“The two of you need to get your I.D. ready. The guard will need to see it.”
Both girls rummaged in their backpacks while Jake pulled up to the guard house
.
“Good evening, Captain Riverwood,” the guard said as he approached the vehicle. “I see you have a couple of guests with you.”
“You know my sister Paige, and this is her friend Sara. They will be staying on base with me tonight. We will be flying out tomorrow morning,” Jake said.
“Yes sir, I just need to look at their I.D.s.”
The girls handed the guard their identification. After reviewing them thoroughly he handed them back.
“Young ladies, be sure to remain with the captain tonight and keep yourselves out of trouble.” They both nodded to the guard. “Have a nice evening, sir.” The guard stepped out of the way so that Jake could pass through the gates. They drove onto the base and in just a couple of minutes pulled up to what looked like a large apartment building.
“These are the barracks we will stay in,” Jake said as he got out of the jeep. The girls both climbed out of the back and grabbed their bags.
“I can’t wait to get in our room,” Paige said, her voice filled with excitement. “This is going to be the start of the best trip ever!”
Jake shook his head at his sister, “Try not to embarrass me please.” His tone was serious as he led them into the barracks and up to the third floor. He stopped outside of 309 at the end of the hallway. “This is where the two of you’ll be staying. I’ll be right across the hall in 310 if you need anything.”
“We’ll be fine. Let us in!” Paige was quivering with excitement as she pointed at the door several times. While laughing at his sister, Jake unlocked the door, and both girls headed inside. The room they entered was fairly small. It had a modest kitchen area with a dining room table and a small living room area with a TV. There was a door leading to a bathroom and one to a bedroom where there were two twin beds.
“This is perfect,” Paige squealed causing Sara to smile. She could not help but agree with her. This was going to be great and being away from the shrine would be a nice break.
Whispers of Time Page 4