Not sure where I should put this, so feel free to move it.
Seeing how we have an art gallery, but don't have a specific topic where we can post our own fictional short stories in reference to Youkai, etc., I thought I should make one.
This is my story that I wrote for my short stories unit semester just past. The criteria for all of our stories was 1,500 to 1,700 words, so it should be a reasonable length to read ^^. I've posted it on my dA page, for reference:
http://nuenagi.deviantart.com/art/Spirit-Gate-191190774 - it probably my latest story, so I feel like my skills are probably the best they have been in a while. Plus, the basis for the story was my local shrine that was down the road from my dorm, so it holds a special place for me (it wasn't an Inari Shrine, though).
Spirit Gate"Owh."
She whimpered in pain, hobbling as she led her bicycle down the deserted, rain-soaked road. The rattling rumble of a train rushing along its tracks growled at her whilst she passed. Shivering in her drenched jacket, her aching knee threatening to buckle under the pain, she looked up. A large red gate loomed over her. She wandered beneath it without a second thought as she continued to be pelted with rain, taking care to avoid the large puddles gathering in the shallow trenches on either side, the crushed remains of her mobile-phone knocking against her thigh with each step. The air was thick with moisture and the leaves on the trees were unusually green. A thick canopy of maple branches above impeded much of the dim light from illuminating the path but nevertheless provided adequate cover from the worst of the rain.
After she set her bike against a bench, she limped across the stone bridge towards what appeared to be a shrine. Without the support of her bicycle, she winced as the wound pulled at the surrounding area and blood trickled down her leg. Resting against the washing station, she examined her knee. The cement upon which she had fallen had torn away part of her black stockings and defacing the outer side of her left knee was a cavity of blood, surrounded by grazes. She removed her stockings and rinsed her leg with a ladle from the washing station.
Rain began to blow under the small roof above her, causing her to wander awkwardly towards the shrine and curl up beside the offering box. Either side of the steps were stone foxes with red bibs, darkened by the rain that rolled down their imposing figures.
Placing her hands together, she looked into the shrine, "Please permit me refuge until the rain clears and I can walk home."
Cold, wet and worried about her predicament, Ariane huddled against the offering box and closed her eyes.
When she began to wake, darkness had fallen and something was firmly shaking her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she squinted about her.
"Hey!"
Standing over her was a young man with a somewhat vague expression and clad in traditional clothing.
"You can't sleep here," he told her. "You need to go."
Before Ariane could respond, he turned and wandered away. Once he crossed the bridge, she could no longer see him through the glare from the lamps. Clumsily, she clambered to her feet and, looking back at the shrine for a moment, limped away. Unlike back home, she felt comfortable walking about at night in Japan. Her leg, however, would hinder her nonetheless.
As Ariane stepped out from under the main gate, she froze. Before her were not the lonely backstreet and rail-crossing she expected, but a community of aged wooden buildings, lanterns lining the dirt street and figures moving in and out of their light. A man, who seemed to be selling oil for the lanterns of passersby, stood at a stand on the corner. Another was selling servings of soba-noodles further down the street. Ariane walked towards the lantern-oil stand as the seller leaned over his bench to look at her.
"You new here, hey?" he asked with a thick accent.
"Where am I?" Ariane questioned politely, hiding her discomfort as she watched a woman hold a rice ball to the back of her head, only for it to disappear when she withdrew her hand.
"That's what everyone asks," the oil seller chuckled. "You came out the wrong exit."
"What?"
"Here, is the wrong place, right? Wrong entrance, wrong exit, Missy. Get it?"
Ariane narrowed her eyes, watching the man carefully; "That doesn't make sense." She paused a moment, "Don't I know you?"
"You've seen me before?"
"I think so."
"Should hope so, but how 'bout now?"
He reached up and stroked his face. His eyes, nose and mouth melted away and the cackling that issued from the smooth, egg-like surface had no source. Ariane took a step back, covering her mouth to smother her gasp, and edged towards the soba-noodle stand.
"He won't help you," the oil seller whispered through a non-existent mouth. "He's just like me."
At that moment, as Ariane looked over at the soba seller, his face washed clear of all ridges and cavities. Fuelled by fear, she turned and fled as quickly as her injured leg could carry her. Eventually, however, her knee could no longer handle the strain and she had to stop, sitting against a fence as fresh blood oozed from the wound.
"Where am I?" she sobbed, fear vibrating her voice as she curled her arm around her legs.
"What's wrong, dear? Come now."
Cautiously, Ariane lifted her head. A woman had peered around the fence, her long, silky hair dangling halfway to the ground. Relieved, Ariane rose to her feet but hesitated. The woman glided out from behind the fence, her eight hairy, spiny legs digging deep into the damp dirt road. Standing several feet over the young woman, she raised the bulge on her back as Ariane stood immobilised, staring at an inconvincible rendering of her greatest fear. There was a scuttling of feet, and the spider disappeared behind overlapping shells and grappling legs. As pincers drove into the spider-woman's neck and long antennas flickered in Ariane's direction, the head of a monstrous centipede emerged from behind a flurry of hair.
"Go!"
The voice snapped Ariane out of her daze and she turned to flee, but her wounded leg had grown numb. A small, fat dog with a dull expression sat in the middle of the street before her, seeming to be smirking.
"You left? Great!" the voice of the man who woke her issued from its mouth. Raising its head, it called into the air, "Human! There's a human!"
A puff of blue fire blew past Ariane's ear and hit the dog, sending it scampering away, giggling. The soft hand that fell on her shoulder caused her to jump and snap her head around.
"Come on, quickly. Go back to the shrine."
The young man had narrow, angled eyes, high cheekbones and a handsome, long face, a red scarf wound around his neck. Unlike the others Ariane had met, she felt safe with him. However, despite his request, her aching knee no longer responded, and she replied with the shake of her head. The man turned, looking to the blazing inferno of blue flames that now devoured the grotesque monsters and partially hid the silhouette of a woman clad in a kimono and scarf.
"Yoshiko," the man called to her in an impassive, pleading voice.
"Come on," the woman, Yoshiko, gently urged Ariane, who could only tremble as her knee throbbed.
"We don't have the time," the man sighed, lifting Ariane off the ground.
Without warning, the two started to run towards the shrine, offering a quick bow as they ducked under the gates. As the man lowered her to the shrine step, Ariane's gaze was locked on the pedestals of the stone foxes, which now lay empty. Before she could contemplate it further, Yoshiko placed a long-nailed hand softly on Ariane's head before lowering her face to her level, smiling only through her amber eyes.
"Stay with Soushi. We'll look after you. Don't be scared."
"Why?"
"You took refuge at our shrine," Soushi informed her. "We must protect you."
There was a bang and a flurry of claws and teeth attempted to push through what seemed to be a barrier around the inner sanctuary, blazing red where the assaults occurred. Ariane caught sight of a fiery eye amidst dishevelled fur, hungrily looking in at them. Soushi pulled Ariane closer to him as drops of blue flames leaked from the bottom of Yoshiko's red kimono and flew at the beast.
"That racoon dog," Soushi growled to himself, holding Ariane tightly. "I'll rip his head off."
Ariane raised her head a little and saw the bushy white tail poking out from under Soushi's red traditional yukata. She gulped as Soushi placed his hand on her head. Not sure what else to do, she closed her eyes.
"Go to sleep," he told her softly. "It'll be over in the morning."
She could not sleep. The screams and cries of the beast on the other side echoed around them. All she could do was keep her eyes closed, hanging tightly onto Soushi.
As the sun began to rise, a calm settled over the shrine. Ariane opened her eyes and looked about. The beast from the night before was gone. In its place was a light mist, sparkling in the scattered light. Ariane sat up and stretched. Yoshiko and Soushi were gone also. Looking to her left, she noticed a stone fox once again seated on its pedestal. The other, however, was at her side, its pedestal empty.
Ariane smiled, her lip quivering, "Thank you, Soushi."
The stone statute appeared heavy, but she found it reasonable to lift and returned it to its pedestal. Ariane bowed to the shrine.
"Thank you, for everything."
She took a final look at the two fox guardians before turning around. It was not until she reached the bridge that she noticed she was walking with ease. Lifting her leg up to the bench by her bicycle, she examined it. Rather than a nasty wound, a clean red blotch now took its place.
There was a soft thud by her foot and she looked down. Picking up the object, she gently examined it in her hand. A piece of paper was wrapped around a small bag, the lace of which was tied in a delicate knot. Golden thread woven into the front inscribed the word 'protection'. Ariane looked at the paper, upon which it was written,
When entering a shrine, walk on the sides, or you may again end up in the other world. Keep this charm with you for your protection. Ariane chortled to herself before placing the two items in her pocket, took the handles of her bike and departed the shrine, keeping to the left despites the puddles. Before her was the rail-crossing, chiming as the oncoming train approached.
