Chapter Text
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Finally. I get out of that sweaty, warm office, waving byes to co-workers that I sometimes hang out with. It was my break for awhile, to get away from work and to enjoy this break, I was going to Japan.
I've always wanted to go there since I was a little girl, talking about traveling the world, and Japan was one of those places I wanted to see, but couldn't.
Growing up... Wasn't easy. For me. My mom and dad always argued, about her finding out that he cheated on her with a co-worker from his job, and decided on splitting up would help.
Except... My mom didn't take me with her, leaving me with an angry father who's temper got bad. Of course I had friends, but I had to sneak home after I got there late, and hid and hoped for the safety of my room was enough.
And I was hecking 6 years old when it happened.
Soon he had gotten taken away when I was 13, and I lived with my grandparents afterwards, for 10 years. It was nice, not having arguments or fighting in my life anymore.
Soon they got sick, but I was an adult by then taking care of them. But before they wanted me to move out and experience my own life, they gave me money that they've been saving since I moved into their house.
They gave when I didn't expect it, and that part was why I became a hardworking worker. I bought their house shortly after they passed, and left it practically the same way, slight changes were made.
I kept their bedroom full of their stuff, not having the heart to get rid of anything.
And that's why I am very giving to elderly people, because my grandparents gave me something they could've used for their health benefits, but decided to do it anyways.
It was the least I could do after all...
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My flight was nearing the airport of Japan, which meant I could go to my vacation home and relax soon. I found my cab, tipping the driver and watched the treelines pass as we drove by them.
We stop at a nice tree and cab stop, me thanking the lady for the ride. Getting out with my two suitcases in both of my hands, I take a second to look around the neighborhood I was in.
And by God, I'd be lying if I didn't say that it looked beautiful. Cottages surround me as I step inside my rented house, smelling cherry blossoms as I walked to find my bedroom.
Taking the stairs to the second floor, I open my room, spotting a huge window with the view of the backyard full of trees, each one dotted reds and pinks.
I also notice the woods back there, deciding after a nice bath that a walk would be nice for me. And some exploring wouldn't hurt, would it?
I get a robe and clean towels and head to the attached bathroom. It looked very clean, like the person that I rented it from worked very diligently to make it look presentable for me.
And that thought was very kind of them.
'I need to send this person cookies for letting me use their renting house. They are very much deserving of my amazing chocolate cookies...'
I get inside the glass shower door, making sure to close it fully, and turn around to turn it on. Steam is seen as I start myself a nice bath, making sure to keep it low enough on heat to save any extra warmth for later.
And then I do my cleaning routine, and made sure to have time to take that very well deserved bath that my aching body needed, oh so very much.
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Finished with my warm bath, I put a robe on to find something to wear that would be perfect for an afternoon walk.
I find some comfortable looking leggings that are purple, and find a nice, recently bought pink top perfect for this type of weather.
Putting them on, along with running shoes with indigo on the edge with long socks, I look in the tall mirror built onto the closet door.
Making sure I was ready, I pack a backpack full of water bottles in case I'm thirsty, along with a new found excitement to explore my vacation city a whole bunch.
And heck, even meet some new people along the way as well?
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The wind is rustling when I make my day down a path in the very huge forest behind my temporary vacation home's neighborhood.
I wasn't expecting much in the woods here. Nothing very interesting was to happen for me, but the colors of the vibrant trees looked neat.
I then stumble into a huge clearing of trees.
"Woah. Where am I? Huh, oh wow, that's averybig tree..." My eyes widen at how huge it looked.
The tree in question looks bigger than any huge tree in America would. It had a huge pattern of red and pink dotted leaves on top, and looked... Neater than the other trees around me.
However the way it looked didn't catch my eye. The old, worn piece of paper on the ground by the trunk caught my attention. And the urge to pick it up was even worse when I got closer to it.
Quizzical about the ominously huge tree in front of me, I was unsure of why it was pulling me to it's base.
Knowing no-one was around to stop me was nagging me, like I was doing something wrong. But I remember something.
'Nobody is here to stop me. I'm technically free from the rules in my life. I just want to see what'll happen if I do this...'
It felt weird as I got to the base of the tree trunk. And I felt odd, like I was being watched, but I was the only one in here, but the paranoia of being watched at the moment freaked me out.
I put a hand on the trunk, feeling how worn the tree's base was. I noticed that it looked fairly maintained unlike the others, and I felt like it didn't belong here.
Finally without anymore hesitation from me, I kneel down, picking it up, reading it as Japanese symbols of some sort, and I look up at the tree again, not seeing any changes in the environment.
"Ha! That wasn't scary, nothing happened. And here I am, thinking that something or someone bad would've popped up! What a joke..."
I wheeze and stop myself.
But suddenly it wasn't very funny to me anymore when the mysterious insane sounding laughing started up.
And not when the tall, black figure magically appeared in my vision. Especially not even when I screamed out of pure terror at it either...
