Yamaguchi Village

As Chihiro walked through the countryside, the sky went from pitch black to blue. 

Dawn was approaching, but Chihiro's favorite time of day was this short interval of time when the sky was just a beautiful Egyptian blue. It's almost as if time stops, it feels as if the whole world is asleep.

Chihiro walked gazing up at the sky as the sky became brighter and brighter. By the time the sun emerged, she had finally arrived. 

"Here it is. The old abandoned Yamaguchi shrine." Chihiro held up a letter she retrieved from her pocket and held it up to the signboard. The kanji matched. "Finally." 

Once upon a time, there was a greedy old man who didn't care about his family. 

Or at least, so I'm told by my parents. 

When I woke up three years ago, I was told I got in an accident, the hair on my head had to be completely shaven off, it's been three years now and my memories haven't returned. But, I discovered something.

A lie. The ripple that tore open my consciousness.

The Grandpa didn't care about family left the shrine to me, wrote a picture with pictures of a younger version of myself at that place hugging him. After doing some digging, I found the family album that had been hidden from me. Pictures of me dressed in white robes learning a martial art with other children and Grandpa. 

During those three years, I never spoke to Grandpa. In a way one could say, I had been robbed of my last moments with him.

While walking Chihiro pulled out a jade ring from inside the envelope and placed it on her finger.  However, the moment she did, a tingle shot up through her hand to her whole body.

When the sensation finally stopped Chihiro blinked a couple of times.  

For a moment she forgot where she was, even though the scenery was the same she felt something was off. For instance, the stone stairs weren't as cracked or jaded as they were before. They were now polished and smooth. And the trees weren't as green as before, they were now a myriad of autumn colors. 

But it was summer... She decided to pay it no mind. There are trees that are naturally red.

Maybe she was too tired and hadn't noticed it before since the sun was higher than it was now, shedding more light on everything. She stepped up the stairs only to pause. 

"Those stairs..." 

They led straight up, but now they were curving around the mountainside through the trees. 

Chihiro rubbed her eyes. It's because she's been walking for so long and had so little sleep, her eyes kept playing tricks on her. 

Chihiro continued up the steps, that now seemed almost endless. Finally, the stairs flattened into a sidewalk, a relieved sigh escaped her, as she walked down the mountain path she sensed there was something very wrong. There was no one in front of her or behind her but... It was almost as if she was being watched. 

Now that her Grandfather had left it wouldn't be surprising if any hobos moved in. Or what if there were wanted criminals that just so happened to flee here to use this place as their secret base? She shook her head. 

"I must be imagining it." She muttered. "God, please let there be no weirdos around he- Before she could even finish her sentence someone fell down from the overhanging trees above, Chihiro was so started she fell back on her butt.

A young boy, maybe around her own age or older, with wheat-colored skin and honey brown eyes, dressed in a traditional blue hunting outfit, his cutting gaze bore into her. 

It was hard to describe how it made Chihiro feel. But at that moment it felt like she was being gazed at by an animal. Her gaze shifted to the unsheathed short sword in that person's hand and her jaw dropped. Earlier just now if she hadn't fell... would she be dead?

"Who..." Chihiro started. "Are you?"

"Who am I? I should be asking you that question!" He pointed the blade at her. "You're the one who's trespassing!" 

"No, I'm not! This is Yamaguchi temple! My Grandfather left me in charge of this place!"

"Temple?" That person's raised a brown, he was skeptical. "This is Yamaguchi Village, but we don't have any temples around here."

"That's. . . impossible!" 

Chihiro presented the letter in front of her. 

"Look here! The directions clearly say to-

But that person's eyes widened not at the sight of her letter but at her hand.

"This ring...where did you-

"I told you, my Grandfather-

Without even listening to her that person ran off. 

"Hurry up! I don't have all day!" 

His mood shifted so fast she didn't know what to say, should she follow this sort of person? She hurried after him. 

The sidewalk led straight down a path further in Chihiro spotted a group of people wearing rural traditional clothing. It looked like people were in the process of building their homes.

"What are you doing here Junichiro?! You're supposed to be guarding the gate." A young man spoke up. 

"The one you've been waiting for is here, you don't need me here anymore then right?" 

"Huh?" 

"The descendant of that Old Quack."

The man looked her over before his gaze finally resting on her ring.

"I see..." He bowed. "My name is Ichiro Yamaguchi, the founder of this village, please follow me. I will take you there."

"Where exactly are you talking about?"

Chihiro had many questions she wanted to ask but she held her tongue as that person gestured up ahead. 

She couldn't help glancing at the group of people weeping over bodies on straw mats off to the side. Her blood ran cold. 

"Are those people... dead?!" 

"Our village got attacked recently by beasts, hopefully with your aid, we'll be able to eliminate the threat."

"My aid? Why don't you just call the police or animal control?"

"Police? Animal control? What is that?" 

"You're... you're joking right?"

"Please follow me." 

"Ugh..."

As she followed the person she couldn't help finding their back oddly familiar for a split second, where had she seen it before? She held her forehead, she could feel a headache coming on. 

That person led her to a clearing on a hill where a big box crate stood. 

Ichirou gestured towards the box. 

"...Oh is this?" She thought it might be the stuff she ordered to be shipped here but upon opening it all she found was a bunch of random stuff. Seeds, gardening books, snacks, a tenting backpack, disposable containers, paper for talismans, and last but not least a notebook. 

In her package she did pack some seeds and tents but the rest was supposed to be a bunch of camping equipment... 

"What the heck is all this?" She checked the name on the box once more and flipped open the notebook. Only to recognize the handwriting immediately. 

Instructions: 

1. Carve 7 wooden birds and place them around the seven entrances of the village. All must be different.

"Seven wooden doves...? But why?"Still, Chihiro was relieved to see that her Grandfather knew about the village. She was beginning to think someone was weird. Man, she knew this place was the countryside but she didn't think it'd be this removed from society. Isn't this the kind of village where ghosts are born in horror games? People sacrificed to weird idols, the ghost reawakens and takes revenge on everyone in town. Eventually, the whole town becomes a ghost village, wandering travelers pass through only to go missing. And then, finally, the main character, the reincarnated spirit of a former villager returns to set the spirits of this place free. 

Chihiro's body tingled just at the thought of it. 

"What does it say?" Ichirou's voice brought her back to her current reality. 

"Mmm... I've been instructed to carve something for you all, do you have wood or any carving tools?" Thankfully, she had attended an all girl's art school. Such things weren't that hard for her to do. 

Once the wood and tools were prepared, the girl began to carve away. at a block of wood.

Ichirou stared. 

Some villagers also joined him to stare. 

"What is she doing?" she heard them whisper. 

"I have no idea."

The carving took a lot of time, and it's not as if being sleep deprived made it any easier. She wasn't even halfway close to finishing her first dove when her vision began to blur. She sighed. 

If she knew it would have been like this, she would have just brought her bike. 

"Is there something matter, priestess?"

She was too tired to correct him.

"I walked all the way here and now I have to work. I'm very tired." 

Ichirou tilted his head. No one had asked her to do anything yet her tone hinted she was blaming someone. "There are many skilled carpenters you can entrust this task to if you so wish." 

Chihiro shook her head. 

"They have to be carved by me."

"Ah." 

"How about this? I'm going to take a quick nap. Please after some time has passed please wake me, I'll do my best to get back to it."

Ichirou nodded. "Of course! Take as much time as you need, we have many skilled warriors guarding the  gates." 

Chihiro felt relieved. 

"Then," She smiled at that person. She pulled the tent out of the backpack, proceeded to set it up.

Ichirou watched as the priestess finished setting up the contraption before crawling inside and passing out. 

People gathered around. 

"What is that?"

"...some sort of tent?"