- Japan -

Brushed across the sky was swirling clouds of purple and orange. The sun peaked just above the fields and around houses. He walked up towards the small train station. It was made out of wood, single room with a small ticket booth, which was no longer in use. A small bench ran across one side of the room with a few ornate pads to be sat on. Behind it on the wall was a board filled with advertising, job postings, kids art and a map to a couple of local tourist spots. Through the building and over tracks was a ramp that led to a long concrete platform that ran along the metal roads and poles of wire that escorted the trains.

The station was empty besides him. He walked through and stepped onto the platform and waited. The air was hot, thick and humid, even with the sun now waving goodnight. He dabbed his head with a cloth and then returned it to his fine pressed suit. Lights started to turn on and the last of the sun turned to darkness. He stood waiting still. He was early. Then out in the distance a light appeared to be moving towards him.

He took a deep breath in.

The train grew larger, calling out with it’s horn and slowed before reaching the platform. The yellow lights of the cabins whirled past him then came to a halt.

He released his breath.

The doors opened. The train was also empty besides the conductor who waved from the front of the car with a big smile.

He hesitated. Waved off the torrents of nervousness.

“行きましょう” he whispered to him self and stepped into the humming train.

The doors closed and it pulled slowly away form the station. Carrying another towards their destiny.

行きましょう = “Let’s do this”

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This was inspired by waiting for trains in Japan. When I traveled around Shikoku I waited for a lot of trains out in the country side. In Japanese movies/anime/manga there are scenes where they either show train station when the sun is setting or characters standing on the train platform. Before the trip the scenes did not mean much to me,they seemed to be showing that the characters were about to travel, but after experiencing it my self I can sense the feeling now that is being portrayed in those scenes. It is a sense of daily life. Train and train station would accompany one through their whole life making imprints of memories through out time. All feelings could be wrapped in those stations. One memorable train station was Motoyama station. It is just after temple 70 Motoyamji and down the street. Around is a bit rural,but when you get to the station you see all the fields that surround it. When I got there the sun was setting and the sky was a deep purple and red. Nothing was better then catching the train after an exhausting day.

Trains also carried majority of people in Japan, so each person I saw was going somewhere, doing something. I was fascinated with their stories. Trains carried dreams.

The sun was high in the sky surrounded by large clouds that sailed across like battleships. The cicadas drowned out the sound of the saw against the wood. Tools, lumber and furniture lay all over the yard. Shoji, wooden panels with milky white translucent paper screens, lay stacked against the large wooden house. Sett had bought the place on a whim. Trying a change of pace, he had heard of cheap houses strewn around in the country side of Japan. He knew the language from his studies of Japanese business and History, two subjects he was deeply interested in. One day bored again of his life back in the states he saw the opportunity. He didn’t have to much money, which is why the deal looked good to him. He could fix it up, and live cheaply, commuting to the city for his new found translation job.

The house was large. Two stories, traditional Japanese style and a hefty plot of land to go with it which was surrounded by a dense forest. Partially covered in trees and rocks and the other with bamboo sprouting up. He had over estimated the work, but he had time. The tatami floors needed to be replaced, along with the wooden support around the kitchen. Much of the wood needed to be sanded and stained. Heat and air conditioning needed replacing and basically anything that he could see, had an issue. But it was his and he was going to make it the best he could. Sett reached for his wooden hammer to knock together some of the support beams, but it was absent from where he placed it. He stood up and walked around peering under all the internals of the house he was working on. Nothing. He scratched his head and looked around for anyone. Then he saw it. Propped up against a tree near the edge of his yard. He strolled over to it.

“How did you get over here” Sett said picking it up. Wind blew through the forest and clouds covered the sun. It suddenly felt very cold and dark. He glanced into the woods. It’s branches and leaves waved back at him in an eerie fashion. Beckoning him in a way.

“Come on in” it whistled at him. “Return to nature”

Sett backed away. The sun returned and wind died down. This wasn’t the first time his tools had gone missing. Through out the day, things of his would be there one second and gone the next. Each one ending closer and closer to the forest. His hammer now being the closest. It hadn’t bothered him till now. He just thought he kept misplacing, but now a feeling crept up on him. He looked back all the work he needed to finish. It was never ending. This house was calling on him to finish it, restore it, and live in it. There had to be an explanation. Once he got further along with the house he would take a serious look. He returned back to the wood and hammered away.

Lanterns hung from the beams on the outside of the house and blazed with fire which he lit every night. Another fire, an Irori, blazed inside the house warming a pot of soup hanging above it. The night air was hot and sticky. Sounds of animals and bugs swirled around to make a symphony of nature. Sett sat on the edge of his deck by one of the wooden columns. The deck wrapped around half the house and Shoji panels could be slid open to expose the house to the outside. He took a sip of tea and peered into the sky. It was cloud covered and black as ever. The wind started to pick up again. The forest waved back and forth at him. He then noticed the lantern furthest away form him growing dimmer and finally going out. He stood up to relight it, but noticed that the next lantern was doing the same. It’s flame slowly receded and blew away into smoke. The symphony had stopped too. He turned to take shelter by the irori, it’s flames raging now reducing to embers which glowed brightly then were reduced to a smokey haze that drifted towards him. There were four more lanterns to him, he looked out, but it was all darkness. Then a thump. His head snapped towards the fourth lantern which was now dimming. As it went out another loud thump came towards him. Something large. Each movement hitting the wooden floor, just beyond his vision, just beyond the lanterns light. The third lantern dimmed and died. Thump.

“This has to be a joke, right” Sett stammered “Who are you?”

The lantern in front of him flickered in a response then immediately went out. The thump was so loud and he could feel it so close to him he jumped back under the last lantern next to the wooden column.

“What the fuck do you want” he screamed, wide eyed, searching, straining to see anything in the pure darkness. Now even the wind stopped. The forest sat still. No longer waving hello to him, or was it waving goodbye? He wanted to bolt, but fear weighted him down and crushed him under the light. He put out his arm and reach a bit into the darkness. Nothing. He pulled back and as his arm reached the edge of darkness a hand grasped his wrist with incredibly strength. It was pure black, intensely cold and caused fear to course through every fiber of him.

The last lantern ceased to shield him, and he screamed.

Inspired by all those cheap houses in Japan in the country side. I often think of doing the same as Sett. Buying one and fixing it up. Japan has a ton of demons, ghosts and mythical stories. I will say that most ghosts stories in Japan are pretty scary. Their voilence is baseless, unrelenting, and emotionless. If you cross one, it’s already to late. Stay safe out their among the light. A if the forest beckons, you might want to run.