Beautiful Blood

Something of an End

-What?!- Eihi exclaimed, frowning –What do you mean there are no more trees?- Ryuuji grabbed her forearm to calm her; they should not reveal themselves like this.

-Not on Iejima.- The woman shrugged –If you want to see it, you can go somewhere else on Okinawa.- She gave them a polite but calculated smile and showed them the way to her small living room. Eihi and Ryuuji settled on the couch, waiting for the woman to return from the kitchen; the whole inside of the house smelled like cake.

-No trees!- Eihi hissed at Ryuuji, whispering –What do we do now? We have to go somewhere else. We can’t waste time, we’ll catch the first ferry tomorrow.-

-I agree with you but you need to calm down. No need to reveal ourselves, act like a reporter’s wife.-

-How does a reporter’s wife act?-

-I don’t know, be curious or something.-

-You’re supposed to be the curious one.-

-Then support me. - He shrugged, smiling at Mrs Uehara –Need any help with that?-

She carried a tray with two plates; she had cut off two large pieces of chocolate cake and made coffee for both of her guests, placing the plates and the mugs in front of them both.

-No, thank you.- She smiled and sat on the sofa in front of them –Now, how may I help you?-

-Well – Eihi said –We would like to know more about the legend. We can tell you what we know. Well, Ryuuji can tell it best.- She nodded and looked at him.

He was already eating his cake; as his name was mentioned he looked at Eihi surprised, the spoon in his mouth –Ah, yes.- He murmured, noticing Eihi’s eye roll with the corner of his eye –So... – He placed the cake down, took a small sip of the warm, nicely sugared coffee and began telling the story, the way his grandmother told him and the way he told Eihi, leaving no details out.

Mrs Uehara listened to him carefully as Eihi decided to try the cake herself, widening her eyes a little as to how delicious it was.  She ate a third of it already by the time Ryuuji finished telling the story.

-And that is what my grandmother told me.- He said –She was never much interested in it, she only told me to scare me.- He nodded.

Mrs Uehara smiled –Yes, many people told this story to their children or grandchildren to scare them. That is exactly what they would say. However, there is more to the story. Well, more that I know of. I do not claim I know the legend best. I can tell you what more I know.-

-Oh, yes, please.- Eihi sipped her coffee, turning all ear, waiting for Mrs Uehara to speak.

-The legend, I mean the story you just told me is not quite...finished, or correct. - She sighed.

-What do you mean?-

-Well, for starters, you said there has to be a hundred women sacrificed in order for them to return, or something like that, yes?-

They nodded.

-It is not...quite so. - She said simply, shifting her position –You see, the Mother was the female; the one that came right after first two men. The legend is very vague as to who came when. But it was first them, Akira and Atsushi. Even their names are remembered from those days of yore.- She coughed a little, placing her one hand on her lungs and the other to cover her mouth –I apologize.- She sighed, then continued –You said that they were demons. But, essentially, they were not demons.-

-Then what are they?- Eihi rushed.

Mrs Uehara shook her head –Evil. They are children of darkness, incarnations of sin and...Our...other selves. Sure, the yokai are demons but these creatures were not...They came out of nowhere. When the statues came to the island, no one knew who was represented on them. But, since they were beautiful the people figured immediately they must be deities so they prayed to them. And prayers did come true, which is the oddest thing of them all. People sacrificed animals to them; it was not common but it started happening. Some even claimed the gods talked to them in their sleep.