Chapter 2 - The Way Shadows Appear

Here is chapter 2 for you! I broke this one in half, as i most likely will be doing from now on. I will post the second half most likely later this week. Hope you all enjoy it!

CHAPTER 2: THE WAY SHADOWS APPEAR

The night came to an end like any other night, no matter how unsettling it may have been for those resting after experiencing the haunting charm of Taito’s brand the sun came up over the edge of the earth as it is commanded to do every day. Everything was the same; nothing was out of place or missing or odd. However, something, unknown to Leif, Colleen, and Taito, felt different. It is not simply a matter of speech to say ‘a line of vision can be broken’, which implies something was physically in the path of sight to break, nor is it an exaggeration or statement of paranoia to say ‘it feels like we’re being watched’ because you can indeed feel something like that, and that is what felt different that morning.

After waking, and looking long at the new feature on his tender skin, Taito cautiously went down stairs, finding Leif to be in just as wary a state as he. The host of the house peered through cracked curtains in the front room, wagging his head back and forth like a nosey widow spying on the neighborhood happenings; Leif did not hear Taito approach.

“Looking at the girls, eh Leif?” said Taito.

Leif jumped back, almost tripped over the chair sitting behind him, and glared at Taito for the fright as he marched to his friend. Leif grabbed Taito’s shirt cuff, sat down, and pulled Taito down into a chair facing him. In a stern whisper −the kind parents make while publicly disciplining their children− he demanded an explanation concerning last night’s events. His whole face was pursed, serious, with pinched skin under the weight of his scowl in the corners of his eyes and lips.

Taito peeked down his own shirt through the collar, desperately wishing he had an answer to give his protective friend. He could recall few things, and most of all he felt a nameless and formless fear whenever he thought about the mark. He could only think of one thing to tell Leif,

“I can’t remember.” but that was really nothing to tell.

“How can you not remember? It’s a freaking scar that looks like a rose!” Leif said, “That’s no accident; who did it? Were you drunk or something?”

Taito was not listening, but was captured by the sight of it; he strained to recall the prior night. He was questioning himself in the same way Leif was. A hand resting on Taito’s arm brought him out of his contemplative state. Leif stared into his eyes, using his hushed tone,

“I wouldn’t normly act this way,” (Taito rolled his eyes at that statement), “but you had me nervous all night thinking bout that thing. Last night had me on edge when I found you just sittin in the rain. It wasn’t even you really, or so much that scar by itself, but somthin else that gave me such a terrible sleep.” Leif wrenched his head from side to side, making sure no one was around to hear him. Then he grabbed Taito’s wrist again and pulled him to the window where he coaxed his friend to look out the window.

“Look. It wasn’t that scar that has me so nervous, but don’t you feel it?”

“Feel what?” said Taito.

“The clouds… I swear it feels like they’re watchin us.” Leif kept his eyes locked on the sky, completely serious, while Taito slowly cocked his head at his friend.

“What are you talking about?” Taito said. He was certain Leif was the one who had sustained the injury - to his head.

“No! Wait, that sounds funny.” Leif chased his faithless companion, “Just tell me Taito, can you feel it? Can you feel someone watching us?”

He ignored Leif, and was followed by him all the way back up to the room where his clothes remained, and after attaining all his things, Taito took Leif outside where a thriving bunch of people bustled about their daily business without a single break in step. Taito looked up at the sky, humoring Leif, whose eyes now darted from end to end of the street looking for support to his claim.

“Now what do you feel?” Taito asked.

It was still early in the morning, so it was chilly, and the passing breeze carried scents familiar and safe to both of the boys. Sounds and smells and sights around the village square detailed everything about a normal morning; no one looked or acted different. A group of girls passed by them; Petal Chrysanthemum spoke a hello directly to Leif, and her lingering eyes set him aflame as he struggled to coherently reply. As she walked away, his eyes remained chained to her lovely figure, with him still unable to respond.

“You were looking at girls this morning!” Taito said.

Leif choked, pleading his defense that something really did have him worried, but his actions completely dissolved his otherwise believable conspiracy. Taito laughed, fighting off excuses from Leif, and waved goodbye before setting off down the street.

“Oi! You’re leaving?” Leif said, “Why the rush?”

“I’m already late!” Taito called out. He tapped his wrist signaling the time, then turned and jogged out of sight.

Leif sighed, and went back inside, but not before giving the sky one last glare. Inside, Colleen was awake and prepping the kitchen for breakfast. Leif rounded the counter; he hugged his sister and kissed her atop her head. He offered to help, and got put on pancake mixing duty. She asked first about Taito.

“He’s already left.” said Leif.

“What?” she nearly dropped her handful of eggs, “Why did he leave already? Did he tell you about last night?”

“He says he doesn’t remember, but I don’t think we should worry about it too much.” (Leif was still a little worried.)

“And where has he run off too in such a rush that he couldn’t say good morning to me?” Colleen said.

“Where else? I’m amazed, but I’m not surprised I guess. He could have his legs smashed and he’d still go there every mornin.” Leif drew up a finger tipped with batter to his mouth, but had it slapped away by Colleen. “How did you-? Anyway, he seemed fine, didn’t complain about the burn, so it’ll prolly heal on its own. Guess we don‘t need to worry.”

Leif was kept occupied the rest of the morning once customers started to filter inside, he had no time to dwell on the night before or the rose shaped scar. Since Colleen was only competent in the confines of the kitchen, he was set to dining duty: keeping it clean, making sure their guests were happy, and of course, collecting tips.

***

Taito stared at the gaping hole scorched in the side of his house’s wall. It reminded him of the engagement before him that he felt bound to on a daily basis. The sun was now high enough in the sky to cast warmth on his chilled skin, and the dew underfoot began to melt into the earth. Taito tilted his head up just slight enough so he could see the sky well enough to judge where all the clouds lie. He had lied when he told Leif he did not feel like they were watching him; it had actually startled him that Leif mentioned such a thing, and it felt more real after that.

Taito did not stop inside his manor, but walked in the same day-old clothes down a beaten path trailing behind his house. Hills bubbled up beyond view and the trail dipped and rose with them. Lone oak trees dotted the downs, shedding signs of the coming autumn season. It was quiet on this side of the Valley; the village was as a dot from his yard, and the closest human life was a few docile farmers hidden by the ocean of hills to the north.

Taito’s thoughts drew him away from reality, which was dangerous because the path he walked was less than clear. In the distance he could see the road run into a small grove and disappear between the trees. No one else in the Valley took this road, and it only led to one place. Lost in his mind, Taito strayed a bit from the path, coming under an ancient oak; its top stretched its longest branch ten steps out from its bough, a trunk two men could not reach their arms around. Above where Taito stood, the leaves began to stir, and they giggled.

“We’re watching you!”

Taito was whipped out of his dreaming state by the chiming voice, it giggled again before speaking.

“Teehee! You can’t see us can you Taito?”

“Shush! He didn’t know there were two of us! If you had kept your mouth quiet-”

Taito shouted in a trembling voice whilst snapping his head around trying to find his stalkers.

“Wh-Who’s there?”

He heard a thud and another like it behind him, as several hands pushed him hard on the back pushing him down the hill; he stopped at the bottom with his face in the earth. Taito wriggled onto his back before the attackers could come down on him again, but as he turned over, his fears were alleviated once he identified the culprits. Two young girls were around him, one grinned cynically between a drawn curtain of wavy auburn hair that rolled off her cheeks, and another, of the exact likeness, laughed hysterically on the ground next to him. Strands of her identical dark red hair clung to the lines of tears streaking down her cheeks, and curled locks fell over her rich brown eyes.

“Lin and Berry!” Taito shouted.

“You were sincerely afraid weren’t you?” Lin inquired through wryly bent lips. She was the one craning over Taito’s grounded body, her hands triumphantly cupped on her hips. Taito could tell them apart only by Lin’s extra freckles dotting her nose.

“Haha! You fell for that, heehee, and then you actually fell. You fell so far. Teehee! That was the best!” Berry was still drying tears from her rosy cheeks. Berry was the younger of the twins, made noticeable by her constant infantile laughter.

The two girls scrambled next to each other while Taito pulled himself up from the fall, brushing off the dirt and trying to fight off the contagious laughter spreading from Berry. The girls matched each other in height, and in the shine from their smiles.

“We were playing in the big oak when we saw you walking this way,” Lin started.

“Yeah, and then it was funny because you started to blankly walk off the path as if you were sleep walking, like this!” Berry imitated Taito by tiredly walking around her sister in circles with a blank, almost dead, expression on her face with her arms stiff out in front of her, making a dull moaning noise. Lin gave her sister a shove in the stomach and Lin stopped with a giggle.

“I was deep in thought for a moment.” Taito replied. His face blushed, knowing he must have looked funny.

“A moment?” Lin said, “We were watching you for a while, and that same blank stare was plastered to your face for more than a moment.”

Taito laughed, “Okay, I must have been in very deep thought.”

Lin and Berry were a couple hundred years younger than Taito, making them roughly the same age as Leif, and lived on a textile house on the eastern side of the Valley. Easttown was still further from where Taito remembered their house to be, but several farms and specialty houses neighbored them, as well as the SE woods, which separated the center village from that part of the Valley. Being so far away, visits from people like the twins were not a daily occurrence; it was at least half a day’s trip on cart to cross through that wood from Westtown.

“So why are you two on this side of the Valley so early in the morning? You must have been here since last night.” said Taito.

“We’ve been spending the week with our grandfather who runs the pig farm north of here.” said Lin.

“Yeah, we found this oak tree; I bet that it’s bigger than the ones we usually climb back home. It has a lot of branches and it’s a lovely spot for picnicking.” Berry gasped as an idea came to her mind, “Taito! Why not come on a picnic with us today! Lin, wouldn’t you like that too? Oh, please do Taito. We would love if we could spend some time with an old friend. It’s been almost a year since we last saw you, now hasn’t it?”

“It has been about that long I think.” said Taito, “But I think I may be too busy today for a picnic.”

“Oh, were you on your way to somewhere important?” asked Lin.

“Yeah, it’s important to me.” said Taito.

“May we come?” Berry jumped up and down, rotating toward her sister, “Lin, would you mind if we went with Taito on his business?”

Taito looked a bit hesitant to bring them, but since Berry’s pleading seemed it would never end and because the rate at which she tugged on his sleeves would have eventually ripped his shirt, Taito was convinced to let them come. They made their way back on the path −Lin and Berry did the most talking on the way.

They went beyond their grandfather’s farm and passed through the Valley’s west-most wood, and entered into a small glen shrouded by bitter cold mist. Past the mist they found a rushing waterfall that dropped off a tall escarpment into a tiny pool, which in turn fed the one river that flowed across the Valley. On both sides of the fall draped a mass of vines on the rock wall, and blanketing the ground around them were hundreds of yellow lilies. The lilies only grow in heavy moisture and with the mist from the waterfall at a constant this was the only spot to find them in the Valley. This cliff was the end of the Valley on the west end; it was the furthest they could go. The sight rent a gasp from the twins as they stared at the beautiful cascade before them.

There was on one side of the fall, a tall stone resting behind a mound of dirt. Drawing closer they could tell the stone had writing on it. Taito instinctively went straight to the strange monolith, his stride changing into a reverent walk, slowing progressively as he approached it.

“What is this place, Ber?” Lin whispered to her sister

Berry shook her head in reply, watching Taito intently.

A pile of dead and withered flowers- roses, lilies, daisies, blue purses, crystal bells and others so dried they were unidentifiable- lie around the mound. Taito knelt down in the muddy dirt in front of the tall stone, respectfully bowing his head. Berry and Lin walked next to Taito, looking at the stone that merely read:

Layella Emerylis

426 - 1425

“Oh, Taito…” Lin placed her hand on his shoulder. Berry had to turn away and hide her face.

“We had no idea…” said Lin.

The three sat in silence for a long time, while Taito knelt with his head facing the ground. Berry turned around after almost half an hour of silence, “Hey, Taito. Don’t you think we’ve all been here plenty? Isn’t this enough?”

Lin gave her sister a punch to the arm, scowling fiercely at her, “Berry! That’s enough out of you! Taito is in mourning here!” Lin said. She turned her attention to Taito, who had risen from his kneeled state at the grave. “We never knew your mother personally, but we heard ever so much about her. How did… or when did… golly, I’m sorry. We never heard about it. It must have happened recently? I mean, we haven’t seen you in almost a year.”

“It was five years ago. By a lightning storm.”

“What?! She died five years ago and you still are having this much trouble moving past it?” said Berry.

“That’s enough sister!” Lin interrupted, “You cannot talk to people that way about things like this. Why do have to always be so loud? Please Taito, go on.”

But he did not speak up, being uncomfortable with Lin’s constant chastisement. The glares would not cease from Lin to her sister. Taito made polite reference that he wished to go home, and that he had promised Leif a quick return and now he was already held back. Lin apologized profusely in her sister’s name, and offered to walk to his home before he set off to town. Taito argued the offer, cringing at the idea of the girls seeing his mansion the way it was.

“Oh please Taito,” Berry said, droning out her pleads with the aid of playfully poutty lips, “I’ve never seen your house, I hear it’s huge! I’ll say I’m sorry if you’ll take us.”

Taito pulled away from the girls, but found they were going to follow him regardless of what he said. So they went back through the wood and past the oak tree where they met earlier, arriving soon at Taito’s once lavish estate. The girls gasped as the first thing they saw was the kitchen wall, wide open from the gaping hole burned through it. Taito was dreading the conversation to follow.

“What happened?” said Berry.

“There was an accident.” Taito said. He felt like being rude but knew it would help nothing, allowing him no choice but to give up. “It was a bad storm that came over the Valley, and a lot of fires were started that day. I wasn’t home; I was in town with Leif and Colleen. It was somebody’s birthday; I don’t even remember whose. I didn’t go home that night because the storm was so bad, and I just spent the night with Leif. But when I came back the next morning…” Taito stopped, and wiped his shirt sleeve across his dripping eyes, “Of all the places lightning could have hit, of all the rooms in that entire house, it just so happened to hit the one she was in. How could that happen?” Taito shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked a lone rotting fence post. Layella was only Taito’s family.

“Wait,” Berry interjected. “You said your mother died five years ago from the same lightning storm that wrecked your house? Why is it still broken down, how come you haven’t made any repairs to it after all this time?”

Again Lin tried to quite her sister, but with little control, and the noisier of the sisters was able to voice her opinion, “I don’t care.” said Berry, “Obviously he needs help, and sometimes a rude awakening is the best kind I can give.”

“It’s the only kind you give…” Lin sighed.

Taito did not know whether he should be upset or not. He was not angry at the forthright twin; rather, he felt like a child standing beneath a mother’s chiding finger with no grounds to argue.

“Sometimes, Taito, we need to hear the honest truth.” Berry lectured, “You need to move past this, what possible reason could there be for it to stay this way? Why haven’t you let the Valley people help you with it? I know they’d be willing to work on it, even if you didn’t have the money.”

“I have my reasons.” said Taito.

“I don’t understand?” Berry said, “That’s… That’s just selfish!”

Now Taito was confused as well as flustered. Unsure whether Berry was just as confused, or if she really did have a point to make, Taito waited to hear her explanation.

“If you can’t ask for help, then what does that say about you? It makes everyone else feel petty and makes you look stuck up.”

Taito had the ability to prove her wrong, to reveal the point to his ways, and sustain a view of higher character in her eyes. Instead, he conceded, and let her continue. Lin cringed while she watched Taito take the verbal barrage. It was Berry’s stark honesty that everyone best remembered her by, and Taito felt he would not soon forget this conversation.

“What should I do?” he asked.

“Well, you could ask for help.” stated Berry, as if it were obvious.

Being in a state of mind humoring whatever came from Lin’s mouth, Taito was stunned by her last words. Not that it was a surprise to hear an idea he could have guessed was coming, but that once he heard it, the level of conviction regarding the truth was staggering. He could ask for help −from his family, the people of the Valley− and there would be no protest. Yet, on the other side of his mind, he felt an unnamed guilt that had always kept him from such an obvious solution.

He had nothing left to say, nothing to add, and no mind to argue. Berry was right, for the most part, and whether he would act on what she said was unknown even to Taito. He grinned politely, and nodded at Berry who stood with crossed arms and a pursed smile; she tapped her foot waiting for his response.

“Thank you, Lin.” It was all Taito had to say for now.

With no more bits of wisdom to pass on, Lin and Berry said goodbye; because of the distance apart, neither of them knew the next time they would see each other. To see the girls leave hollowed him for a moment, having little time with his old friends was a tease rather than fulfillment.

His ongoing wave stopped once they dipped behind the nearest hill, leaving him alone before his shabby home. He stared at all the wreckage that had accumulated over the years. For a while Taito exhausted hours into maintaining the mansion which was in regenerative disrepair due to the gaping hole in his kitchen wall. The elements were faster at tearing things apart than Taito was at putting them back together, and with no knowledge or real skill on how to repair the wall he was left with no other options.

I could try to clean it again, and then… Taito did not think much more about it, and instead focused his thoughts on the work ahead. Instead of going back into town, Taito spent the rest of the afternoon picking up, cleaning up, and washing up whatever he came across around his estate. There was much to be done, and too much for one person to accomplish without exhausting himself to death.

The next morning Taito was fast to wake, and returned to work around the house. He spent the entire morning cleaning up the enormous mansion, but however long he scrubbed or swept, the grimy halls and dusty rooms only mocked him. Soon he was in the kitchen, the worst of all the rooms.

“Maybe, I do need to ask for help.” Taito said aloud to himself.

“Mornin, friend.” Leif said; he was leaning quietly against the door frame, behind Taito. A sleepy expression pulled his mouth into a droop.

“Hello, Leif.” A smile came across Taito’s face; it had been a long time since he was happy to see his friend visiting him at the manor.

“How’s that shoulder doin? I imagine it’s still a bit tender.”

“There are worse pains I have endured.”

A peaceful silence came between them as they stared out the hole in the wall, watching the low hanging sun. A cool wind blew into the kitchen bringing strong scents of the wild flowers growing on the distant grassy knolls. Leif looked around the room noticing the progress his friend had made; just now he noticed that Taito was holding a broom and dust pan.

“Ha! What’s all this then, Taito? Have you actually started workin on this place again? I was sure you’d given up for good.”

“Well, yes…” said Taito, a bit embarrassed at his obvious neglect over the years.

“What is it that brought this up?” asked Leif.

“Lin and Berry. The twins from east Valley were visiting over here. Yesterday we spent the day together and Berry pointed some things out to me.”

Leif raised his eyebrow in question.

“Let’s just say she lectured me like my mom would have.” said Taito.

Leif chuckled; he knew Berry just enough to know what Taito must have gone through. Looking around the room for a moment, he was impressed by the progress, although unaware how long Taito had really been working, and began to straighten things up along side his friend.

“Leif,” Taito said, looking up at his friend, “Will you help me?”

Leif’s face lit up as he dropped whatever rubbage was in hand, “Really?” he said, and to Taito’s surprise and utter confusion, Leif turned and ran out the hole in the wall, sprinting down the road back toward town, without any word explaining what he was doing.

Taito could do nothing but return to the business of cleaning the mansion, or if he wanted to, chase after Leif and discover what he was up to. He decided the first was perhaps the wiser of the two. He concluded that the kitchen was beyond his reach for now, and that he would need the help of his handier friend, Leif, to repair the entire wall, which, anyway, would take several days to complete.

So he moved on to another room. Passing through the long hall, sweeping at the dark wood floor beneath the ragged runners, and adjusting the many wind blown picture frames along the walls, he eventually came to his mother’s room. How long has it been since I’ve been in there? Taito questioned whether he should enter, yet he continued in. It was quiet, quieter than the rest of the house or anywhere in the Valley Taito could remember. Running his finger over the blankets of dust that settled over every surface, he was sure it was a brand new room, as everything he touched or handled gave a creaking or squeaking noise, like how the binding of a new book crisply cracks when opened or how new hide shoes grown at every step. From the bed Taito sat on, he spied the corner of a book lying next to his foot, and without even picking it up, he knew what it was.

His mother had kept diaries nearly every day of her life, that Taito knew of, and had stored a mass amount of the volumes in her closet, which he preceded to fish through, and discovered that against the back wall were stacks of paperboard boxes filing away a sea of finished journals.

Taito hoisted out the stacks of writing, spilling them out over the bed. There were many different styles and colors and sizes about the books, each one looking older than the next. But as could be predicted by anyone who has tried to sort through old memories, the process was lengthened by meager perusing of the items.

Taito’s mind wandered through the countless pages that represented the days of his beloved mother’s life. He tried not to stay too long in any one volume, but was greatly enjoying reading the joyful memories his mother had kept about their life in the Valley. He went through a few boxes of books. The brittle pages were all filled from front to back with living ink.

One of the diaries caught his eye, an old and fragile piece probably untouched for almost one hundred years. Opening the diary without damaging the pages was a delicate process; he cautiously pulled apart the brown dry pages, like old winter leaves left on the ground from autumn’s season. The lettering was badly faded and much of it was pressed up against the adjacent page making it impossible to distinguish which words were a part of which sentence. Inside the front cover, etched in the dry leather binding, was the date: 1 February, 1314.

Taito shuffled through the pile of notebooks where he found that particular piece, trying to find one of equal age. There were a few, but all were dated later than this one, bringing him to the conclusion that this was the oldest diary still remaining.

“This was written over one hundred years ago, I don’t even remember anything from that long ago.” Taito thought to himself.

Still attempting to decipher the entries of his mother’s scribed memories, he was interrupted by a small lull that sounded like voices, and then loud rapping of wood and hammers.

‘Maybe Leif’s back.’ Taito set down the book, and went outside to see what was going on. To his complete surprise, Taito stared, baffled, at what sight lie before him. A line of Valley folk were marching down the road and along the side of his mansion. The men were all carrying tools and wood, while all of their wives held in arms handfuls of cleaning utensils and various liquid cleansers. There were a few wagons loaded up with much of the same things for both the men and women, and the people of the village began to unload and set up as if they had been expecting some big work project.

Before anyone noticed Taito, or before he could stop to ask even one question, Leif came around the corner, greeting his friend with a hearty slap on the back. Shaking him and laughing as he saw Taito’s confused expression.

“Bit of a surprise now huh? Look what we’ve already got goin!” He grabbed Taito’s arm and dragged him around the house to the side damaged by the fire. The men were already tearing down the burnt and damaged planks; others were taking measurements and some had already started to assemble something together. Inside the house Taito could see the women sweeping and scrubbing, all dressed and ready for an intense cleaning.

With every person passing by Taito came a pat on the back or a gleaming smile or a quick elated hand shake of some kind. Thank you’s were handed out left and right to the shocked young man; even a violent hug and a few kisses on the cheek from the rowdier ones were given.

Taito looked over at Leif when he finally had the ability to speak, “What is all of this? I mean, how did you get everyone to- when did you decide that… I am completely lost.”

“Haha! Good, this is excellent and exactly how I want you to feel. Look at every one before you Taito, and tell me what these people are doing. But don’t give me the literal answer. Tell me what there givin you.”

Taito stood for a moment, understanding what Leif was trying to say, but not sure how he wanted him to word it. So he just asked another question,

“How did you get all of this together so quickly? You couldn’t have left more than an hour ago.”

“It was nearly three hours ago that I ran off, and believe me Taito, everyone in the village has been waitin and on call for this for quite some time now. We were just waitin for you to say it.”

“Say what?”

“You said, ‘help me’. I haven’t heard those words in years now Taito, and finally this afternoon you said it. Though I’m sure you didn’t know that when you said it to me that you were saying it to the whole town!” Leif laughed loud and gave Taito a punch in the arm as he trotted off the assist some of the men.

Taito could only stand in pure befuddlement as he saw half of the able bodied town folk whipping through the work like they had practiced it for months. Every one was elated to be there and having the time of their lives. Taito could only shake the astonishment from himself as he ran over to lend his assistance too. This is what makes a town truly strong: help. And this is exactly what Berry was trying to help Taito understand. The entire village had been waiting for some opportunity to repay all the work he had done for them over the years.

For every job he completed, or chore he did, Taito never took money from them. If they tried to gift him he would somehow refuse it with an excuse or simply turn around and give the present to somebody else. Actions like that are not even close to being considered selfless. He was being rude and uncaring whilst thinking that he was doing good. It was only a one sided flow of work that hurt those he directed it toward more than it assisted. Now Taito understood a little bit better, when he worked for others he enjoyed it and felt happy for what he was doing, but he could not even see that these people only wanted to feel the same way by helping him as well.

It was already late in the afternoon when the Valley had come to lend its strong assisting hand, but every one worked well into the night. When there was no light left outside to work on the kitchen wall, the men packed up and helped with odd jobs inside the house, while the women continued to diligently clean. It was at least eleven o’clock at night when the last of the villagers left Taito to sleep for the night.

The work went on for a couple weeks, with many of the men switching off on working around the house. Taito found that all the work he had done for the Valley over the years was finally being paid back in a way he could never imagine. The house eventually became completely restored, back to the condition it was in before the accident.

Taito marveled at the wonder of the enormous mansion. He had forgotten how elaborate and beautiful it used to be. The rooms were all lit by large fireplaces, keeping every part of the house warm, the collection of chandeliers decorating various ceilings were once again free from cobwebs; the floors shined; the walls were clean, and all of the furniture was washed and mended like new. With the mansion up and presentable again to pass as an acceptable home, many of the villagers began to stop by more often, bringing gifts or just the pleasure of their own company.

Taito endured many stories along with the frequent pop-ins since his house was repaired. There were memories recapped of younger days; of when his mother was still alive. Endured is the right word, as he had little to say to the tales ever, other than nods or subtle moans of agreement. Over time, the trips out to Emerylis Manor were less frequented, and Taito was relieved that there was not someone with him every day. Of course, he smiled most the days Leif came by.

“Allo, Taito! Been a while since I’ve really seen much of you.” said Leif, he stood in the door frame, which was an awkward change since he could no longer leap directly into the kitchen.

It was a few days into October, summer afternoons were blown away by the chilling autumn breeze, and the lazy sun grew dimmer every day by the thickening gray clouds in the sky, and although the farmers prayed daily for rain, little had come. The withering trees were without half their fiery colored leaves; tints of orange and red and yellow scraped along the streets with every passing wind.

“It has been a while.” said Taito, ushering in his companion from the chill doorstep. “The town has been so busy with helping me keep things up around here that I’ve had almost no time to take any trips into the village by myself.”

It was early in the morning; the sun was barely risen (not that they could see it behind the clouds) and Leif had figured early morn would be the best time to see Taito before any of the other Valley folk made their way over. The flower lady, Dawn Bloem, promised to come by Taito’s mansion to start a garden all around the yard. She was hoping to bring her husband to help with the landscaping work, but Taito protested against any extravagant changes.

When Taito had answered the door, he already had on his full dress of outdoor clothing: a cloak, pants and thick rain boots. Leif was surprised that he would even answer a knock at this hour; he was disappointed because he was hoping to pounce on Taito while he was still in bed.

“Are you goin outside to survey the yard first?” asked Leif. “I heard about the gardenin idea. It’s all the women have been talkin about for the past few days.”

“Well, I am going outside, but…” Taito turned and walked away for a while, acting like he was preoccupied with something else.

“Are you goin to see your mother again Taito?” he asked. Taito’s silence was enough of an answer to let Leif know he was right.

“I don’t feel I can just give up what I promised my mother.” said Taito. “I don’t feel that it would be right to break that word.”

“What do you mean? What promise?” Leif’s questions sounded terse.

With nothing else to make him seem occupied, Taito turned to face his friend, whom he knew he could trust.

“I can hardly remember how old I was,” he started, “or really anything about what time of year it was, the season or even if it was night or day. I was young, and I only remember that it was dark when I walked into the room.”

“Did you wanna go sit down and talk?” asked Leif.

“I’m alright; the story isn’t long, unless you did?”

Leif shook his head, shuffling his hands into his pockets, and Taito continued, “My mother was sitting on the edge of the bed, and her face was buried in her hands. She was crying. It was the first time, and the only time I think I ever saw my mother cry. I cannot remember why she was so sad, because I think it’s that I don’t want to remember why. When she saw me, I expected her to turn away, to try and hide her emotion. But instead, she grabbed me and held me tight in her arms. She couldn’t stop crying. I was so afraid. I remember I was afraid before I walked in the room and saw her, probably for the same reasons she was.

‘I’m surprised that I had the courage to be able to say what I did at the time. I told my mother something while I was in her arms. I made her a promise, I’ll never leave you, and I will make sure you know that every day of my life. You will never have to live without seeing me at least once every day. From that day on I was never away from my mother for even one day.

‘So maybe you understand a little bit more about why I do this. Maybe it’s wrong but since I can’t figure out if it is or not, I’ll continue to visit her every day of my life. I won’t break my promise.” Taito looked at Leif who obviously felt a little bit guilty. Leif’s mind raced back and forth about what to say. He knew that there was at least some truth in what Taito was trying to explain to him, but these constant trips to her grave could not prove to be healthy to his mind or heart.

“I can’t say nothin to stop you friend,” said Leif. “And I don’t feel like I have any grounds to argue with you. So I can only stand by this door and watch you go on.”

“Would you like to go with me?” asked Taito

“I don’t feel comfortable about the idea. I think maybe instead you should come with me back to Westtown. We can have Colleen make us some breakfast.”

“I think I’ll pass this time. How about I meet back up with you in an a couple hours?”

Leif shrugged, unable to say much else, and the two parted ways. He trotted down the smoothed out road, disappearing from sight.

Taito rounded the house walking along the side looking at the yard and imagined what Lady Bloem would create with her gardening talent. Cresting the hill on the east side of his mansion, he saw what looked like a big cart in the distance with two figures in front with a horse pulling in front; it was the Bloems. Taito began to walk toward the two but was rushed away by Mr. Bloem, “I’ve got something o’er there in my cart that we wanta surprise ya with, but ya can’t see what it is till we get it all set up. So’s run along for awhile and come back in an hour or so. Why not head into town, I thought I saw Leif on the trail a ways back.”

Taito agreed, to an extant, and kept his plans to visit the grave, although saying nothing to his gardener friends. He continued on the trail that he had walked every morning for the past five years, no matter the circumstance.

Leif stormed into the tavern he and his sister called home, and was hardly past the door mat when Colleen snapped at him from the kitchen to go back and clean off his boots. Leif wined about the motherly command, unsure how she always knew it was he who traipsed across the hard wood floor.

“Because you have the clumsiest steps in the Valley dear brother.” said Colleen. She was the only one around at the time, sitting quietly behind the counter chopping vegetables. She wielded the chef’s knife at speed far too dangerous for a blind girl, Leif thought, but she had yet to hurt herself whilst in the kitchen. Leif sat at the stool on the apposing side of the counter sighing loud enough to let Colleen know he was upset. She ignored his hints and spoke as if she did not notice.

“I’m making this stew for you to eat tonight. Once I get it marinating you can help me with breakfast. Where is Taito?” she obviously knew that he would not be joining them, but wanted her little brother to say something first.

“I don’t get it. I thought that he’d be past this stage.” Leif muttered, “He’s still stuck on his mom. I thought that this whole thing with fixing his mansion would help him move past it all, but he still seems to be obsessed with making daily visits to her.”

“That’s fine.” commented Colleen.

“C’mon, how can you really say that? He gets sick sometimes, ignores me in the mornin, and, well, it’s just a bad habit! Isn’t it?” Leif spun around on the stool for a while, then jumped up and paced around the counter into the kitchen. Colleen picked a chunk of carrot and fed it to her brother; he nodded in approval.

“Well, I could say something similar about you and our parent’s graves.” she said, “You haven’t made any trips to mom and dad’s graves (that I know of) for years now have you? It’s not a bad habit, brother; it’s something he does out of honor and love. I’m sure he has a reason for trips every day. I don’t see anything wrong with it, it doesn’t affect his day to day activities, and his health is more often better than yours. I can remember you coming down with the flu twice last year, and Taito helped take care of during both! Why do you need to run out there so early anyway?”

“I suppose I just worry about him and the whole thing.” said Leif. He settled down after a few more mouthfuls of carrots and celery – food could always calm his nerves – and he soon forgot completely about his distress once the smell of breakfast muffins began to waft from the warming oven.

Colleen stored the stew broth in the cold-box, and then served up the tiny cakes and eggs for breakfast. Leif devoured most of it, while Colleen merely nibbled on one muffin. The topic of Taito’s mother continued all morning and until lunch, Colleen told how Layella was the one who taught her to recognize all the spices and herbs in the Valley by smell and texture. Leif remembered best her strawberry cream cake; now he was starting to miss her.

The light pouring into the tavern’s dining room was slowly dimming −despite being barely noon− and it was gradually growing cooler. A bolt of lightning silently fell from a dark clump of clouds far over the eastern downs, and from the far hill a roll of thunder tumbled down into town echoing around the streets.

Leif stood up from his food, and peered out the window. In the distance, above the eastern downs, where most of the livestock farmers lived, loomed a patch of black clouds, and from them, Leif watched as several bolts of lightning rained to the ground for only a second, and then there was nothing. He watched intently for a while, to make sure there was no smoke or sign of fire, and was eventually convinced that the downs would be alright.

After lunch, Colleen asked Leif if he could run a few errands. While he had been away that morning, Grandpa Cotton had come by with a bag Lin and Berry had left at his farm, and he wanted to know if Leif could deliver back to the girls at their father’s farm near Easttown. He agreed, but not before first making a few joking complaints. Colleen thrust the bag in his arms, and shoved him out the door; customers were beginning to gather.

Leif left around two o’clock, giving him time to get there and back before it would start to get dark. The walk would about an hour there; the Cotton farm was in between Westtown and Easttown making the trip not as long as many he made in that direction. As Leif exited the village, he noticed the streets were completely empty; there were no signs of life around town. Walking down the eastern path, miles off the paved street, yielded the same oddity. Usually there were several carts or pedestrians coming back and forth from town to town on business or frequent visits to friend and family.

Within the hour, Leif reached the eastern downs; the path began to undulate over the rolling hills, slowing his trek. As he bobbed over the hill tops, he smelled something that stuck worry on his mind. The scent of smoke was strong, and high in the sky ash fluttered about like gray snowflakes. Leif switched from a light amble to a stressing jog, cresting a hill into a familiar area; he knew the farm lands were near. From his standing position, Leif gawked at several black pillars of smoke rising from a high hill a mile away; he broke into a sprint at the sight.

The steep knoll escalated up and leveled into a grassy plateau, and crowning the hill was a spread of black clouds, spanning beyond the eastern horizon. Leif stood at the bottom of the hill looking up at the odd storm; this was where he saw the lightning hit when he was back at home. From the top rushed a chilling air, but the trees did not bend to its push, and the leaves were deathly silent, as if they feared to move if even for the wind.

What’s up there?, Leif muttered under his breath, which suddenly froze into a fog. The temperature dropped exponentially as he climbed higher. He began his trek up the little hill, but eerily, it seemed like a mountain. Leif’s steps fell slower, and his breathing rasped louder; it was colder, and the wind howled hard. The twenty yard climb took longer than it should have, and by the time he reached the top he struggled to even wheeze.

This was not what he wanted to see: on the small grassy plateau should have been several scattered cottages with an array of trees spotting the land, but instead sat a layer ash over sites of rubble, and the trees stood like black menacing hands protruding from the ground, clenching their branches like fists in burning pain. Leif stood with wide eyes in unbelief at the site before him.

“What in the-“

He scrambled to one of the sites where a charred house lay, rummaging frantically through the debris in a desperate hope for life.

“It’s pretty bad, huh?”

The voice curled Leif’s fingers, and raised every hair on his body. He was too afraid to turn around, his joints froze and the air tightened his throat from letting out any noise.

“Isn’t it, Leif?”

At this Leif turned around and, attempting to hide his horror, replied, “How…How do you know my name?”

The man who owned the voice Leif heard stood just yards behind him; he was draped in a thick black cloak. Drawing back his hood, blood red hair fell around his neck and he looked straight at Leif with bright gold colored eyes.

“It’s sad,” the man continued as if he had not heard Leif, “All of these people…dead. You were here on a favor, right?”

“Who are you?” Leif raised his voice, still trying to mask his fear.

The cloaked man sighed snidely, “What would you call a shadow? If one had a name I don’t think it’d be nice.”

Leif came to his feet and slowly backed away.

“Run. Run back to him, Leif. Tell him that I’m back. It’s been way too long.”

Leif spun around and stared sprinting down the hill. The ash was thick and sludgy because of the rain, so it was difficult to move through. He did not run far when a wry smile stretched across the cloaked man’s face and a faint spark glinted in his eyes, “Leif!” the mysterious man yelled out, but the terrified boy continued running. “It looked like your sister is blind, right?”

With mention of his sister, Leif halted, and all fear for himself transformed into rage. He turned back up the hill −his face was cherry red− and sprinted towards the man, ready to throw his fists at the fiend’s wicked smile.

“You’ll stay away from my sister you demon!”

“A demon?” the cloaked man laughed, and Leif neared him with full intent to attack. “No. I’m a lot worse than that.”

Before Leif could blink, a fist slammed into his head driving him off his feet and onto his back in the mucky ash. His vision went black for a moment, but he could still feel as hot strong fingers gripped around his neck and lifted him effortlessly into the air.

“Hmhm, you’re fun!” the man said, cackling at Leif’s twitching body hoisted before him.

Leif’s sight returned, although blurry, and he pried at the assailant’s fingers while kicking wildly in the air. The constricting hand let go, dropping him to the ground gasping for air. It was not enough to faze him; Leif’s fist was the first part of his body to get up and meet the man’s face. But a face like stone does not greet kindly; Leif’s strike did not move the man and did more damage to his own fist than to the steely chin.

The cloaked man spoke as if nothing happened, “You’ve got spirit, but that’s not enough to stop the invincible.”

“What do you want with my sister?!” rage changed Leif’s voice to a guttural roar. Hardly listening, the cloaked man pulled up his hood and looked up at the sky, as if he was expecting rain.

“Hey, you have to understand that it’s not your sister who catches my eye,” said the dark man. He still kept his eyes on the clouds while he spoke, “it’s you and Taito, as well as something he possesses that interests me. Sometimes to get something you want, you need a kind of leverage.”

“Are you threatening me? Because I -”

“Oh no no no! I am sorry if it seemed that way, I guess it does. No, I only wish to offer you something, that I am sure would benefit you and your sister.”

“Get away!” Leif swung his fist once again at the fiend’s head, but the punch was casually caught by the man −whose sleeve snapped like a whip because he moved so fast− and he squeezed mercilessly, bringing Leif to his knees.

“Once again, I’m sorry, but I have to go now. I’m waiting for something else, but don’t worry, I’ll be closely watching you.”

He cast a glance at the sky again, and as if the clouds were waiting, on cue they spilled open their waters. A curtain of rain separated Leif and the darkly dressed man, only his golden eyes stood out in the watery veil. Leif ran away, and tumbled down the hill, struggling to stay on his feet.

The cloaked man stood at the top of the hill, in the rain, watching Leif run back to town. He laughed to himself a long while before he moved, disappearing in the shrouded rain like a fish into deep water.