Nezushi House Spirit

The return

Shion felt a change. He shivered as the winds blew through the land he stood on. He sighed. He had felt this before over the years. Each time he wondered about it, yet he never met any of the owners. Well, aside from the pirate captain! Now he knew the island sold to someone else. He hoped they would either leave it alone, or tend to his house.

Something about the change made him wonder. He shook his head. No, Nezumi didn’t even have enough money to buy full pants! This made Shion giggle at first. Until he thought about the lonely months since the human had left him. He trudged back up to the house. He had made it farther into the woods that day.

Shion had been able to reach the look out point where he could watch the boats sail past. He used to love seeing the Regattas back in the day. Now he just watched for the ferry. He didn’t see it today. The storm was coming. Winter was upon the island. Nezumi wouldn’t be able to make it here until after the winter. Three months, all alone…

Shion lowered his head. He was used to it. He walked to his garden. Digging up the plants to move them into the green house took most of the day. He was able to save them all. He picked the fresh fruits and vegetables from them to store inside. Turning around he looked over his home. It looked… better. He thought.

A small smile twisted up the corners of his mouth. His hand found the note that had been left in the care package. He carried it with him wherever he went. Thanks to Nezumi he was able to walk about a three mile path around the house. It was better than what he had been able to do in the years leading up to this.

Walking back to the house now, he was lost in thought.  Night was falling around him, not that it mattered. He often wondered the island at night. But he could feel the wind picking up. He guessed the storm would hit some time close to midnight. He had a few hours. Just as the house came into view, he leapt up to land upon the roof. He checked the tarp/ tent that Nezumi had nailed there. It looked good. Everything was still intact.

Shion moved to the point where, if given enough light, he could peer out at the docks. It was miles away but from this one spot the trees lined up perfectly. He didn’t know why he wanted to see the docks at this moment. They were only visible from the roof top. He stood gazing down at them.

At first his mind couldn’t figure out why they looked so weird. He had stood here many times just watching the dock, the water whatever. But tonight, something was very different. The dimming light around his home didn’t seem to reach the docks. In fact the docks were glowing? Shion gasped. He saw a thin body leap between the light source at the dock. It couldn’t be!

Jumping down from the roof, the wind tugging at his clothes, Shion ran. He ran faster than he had ever done so in recent memory. He ran faster than when the pirates were chasing him. He ran as the wind appeared to boost his natural ability. It pushed him forward. Once, it was too strong. The wind knocked him down. The front of his white tunic got dirt and leaves stuck to it.

Brushing a hand over it, he pressed down his hair as he rushed forward. In his mind he had only one thought. ‘Please let it be him!’ he couldn’t even think the name for fear the universe would listen and turn it into someone else. His heart hammering he rushed forward.

Reaching the edge of the forest, the farthest point he could get from his house without being yanked back. He stood panting. His red eyes drank in the light of the docks. There wasn’t a boat. Shion frowned. He saw boxes of stuff lining the dock, but no person. He blinked trying to keep the wind and hair out of his eyes.

Had he imagined the boy? Was it really only the boatman who left the stuff there. His breathing slowed as he managed to let it catch up to his racing mind. What was going on? Feeling as if his heart had been stabbed, Shion turned around. He didn’t look up, but watched the dark ground.