1 Demon

I stretch out my fingers, feeling the soft blades of grass that I lay upon. The warm spring breeze gently ruffles my long black hair.

Fluffy clouds like sheep's wool drift lazily overhead, dotting the evening sky with puffs of white. I close my eyes. My ears pick up the smallest things.

The buzzing of insect wings close by; the slight rustling of the purple fabric of my haori; the call of a bird far away.

Something unfamiliar moves near my fingers. I become aware of the air flow stopping near the nail of my left ring finger.

Without opening my eyes, I reach over with my right hand and smash the spider beginning to creep up the side of my arm.

"Mi-chan!" a girl's voice calls. Blunt footsteps. Someone breathes heavily over my face. "Mi-chan," asks the voice. "Why are you in the grass?"

"Because I want to be in the grass," I say. A finger touches my nose, then it's gone. I smile and open my eyes.

Akako giggles. Okaasan's voice rings out from the minka. "Mizuki! Akako! Your father is home!"

Akako-chan and I rush to the door. Together we gently slide the wooden panels closed, removing our sandals as we quietly step into the sitting room.

The room is fairly-lit, with a few candles resting on the table in the center of the ornate rug, near the smoke wafting from the incense.

Okaasan smiles at us as she brings in a steaming bowl of rice. A figure behind her enters the room. Father's purple kimono falls into the soft light as he steps inside.

Once okaasan has brought in the rest of the dishes and each of us is seated, we are all quiet.

"Itadakimasu," father says. "Itadakimasu," the rest of us murmur. We pass the plates and bowls around, inhaling the warm scent of rice, some sort of shellfish, and green and yellow vegetables.

The food burns in my mouth, but I do not dare spit it out. I wait, chewing tentatively until it has cooled down enough to swallow.

It is good. The shellfish is soft-shelled and has tender meat, the vegetables fresh and tangy. Each grain of rice is fluffy and light. I smile to myself.

Okaasan makes the best food.

Once we have all eaten enough, okaasan begins to take the dishes away, and father begins to recount his training with his brother, oji Yoriichi.

Okaasan sits on her knees like the rest of us when she returns, just as our father has finished telling us of how he had defeated a demon that had been stealing children from a nearby village.

Father's voice turns grave and serious.

"Children...there is something I must tell you."

I lean in close, making sure I catch every word of what he says next.

"I-" he starts, but Okaasan intervenes. "Michikatsu," she warns, her voice low. He opens his mouth to speak again, ignoring her. "I-" he starts again.

But neither I nor Akako heard what he had to tell us. The door burst open, splinters of wood flying in every direction. The table fell over, sending the room into absolute darkness. A monstrous thing stood there in the doorway, nearly as tall as two men, with claws curved like sickle blades.

An ear splitting roar escaped from it's gaping maw. Akako-chan screams as it rushes forward. Father stands up, reaching for his katana, but it is not there. He is knocked backward into the wall with a sickening crack.

I scream at it as it turns towards my little sister. One of its long arms catches me in the chest and I fly back next to my father.

I shake him, but he does not wake, even when I strike his face with the palm of my hand. It comes away wet, dripping with red.

Just as the demon rears its arm back to strike Okaasan with its claws, a blinding flash of light fills the room and the beast's head flies off into a dark corner.

Warmth sprays my face, and I catch a glimpse of a tall figure in a white kimono, long red hair whipping behind him, something bright and shining in his hands, before the darkness swallows me whole and everything coherent is gone.