Trade II

The Demoness of Aokigahara Forest
By
Susan Waterflower Bell
The Third Sketch of Susan W. Bell

Susan took a deep breath as she peered around her, the litter on the forest floor was the only sign of any human life. Old plastic water bottles stuffed with rotten leaves and long since turned to yellow lay hidden under rocks and old rotten tree branch’s. A old plastic bag bearing the logo of a local hit and run lay at her foot, the bag gave off a rotten smell, and a few bones from a long discarded chicken meal a few inch’s from the bag.

“Blood Hell..” She said kneeing down and peering toward the bag, part of her wanted to pick it up and toss it away once she was back in town. Though the stomach turning smell that seemed to hover from the bag made her chance her mind the minute she was close enough to pick it up. Susan you see was the great grand daughter of a Shinto Shrine Maiden. And even though she was a generation removed from the in touch with nature way of thinking of her forebears the sight of the trash upon the forest floor irked her a little.

“Bloody hell..” She said quickly shielding her mouth with her hand once she was no more than a breath away from the bag. The bag it seemed would be staying for she just did not have the stomach to pick it up. And with that being said the lone traveler once more made her way down the weather beaten trail she was following. But if she had been beveling her surrounding a little better she would now know she was being trailed by something or some one or something.

For this something or someone had been watching her now for a good bit of time. At first glance one would think the  humanoid hourglass finger as being a well toned female or a goddess in human form. For not a ounce of fat could be seen upon her curving form and her clothing of choice was one befitting a goddess. Starting from top to bottom one would first notice her hair, bright red almost the same shade of red befitting a ruby.

The second thing one would then notice is that her hair was divided evenly down the center with each section both left and right having been styled in even pigtails. Next came shit that covered her body, the appeared to a short sleeved tee shirt of some kind. The garment must have been tailed for fit very closely as every bending curve of her upper body could be seen bending and flowing with her movements. This tightness also serviced to give a extra boost to her well developed chest area.

And last but not least the third and final thing one will notice that she wore pants tight midnight black pants that seemed better fit for a clubbing or concert going than stroll through the woods, and finally a nice clean pair of sneakers covered her feet guarding them from the thorns and nettles. Completely average save for the peach colored tail that seemed to swing back and forth in the manner a cats tail swing back and forth when she has a mouse or a bird firmly fixed within her sight.

“Hmm strange, there something about this girl that strikes my fancy. Maybe I should follow her, after all she is trespassing but then again maybe she has a reason for coming into my home away from home.” She said lifting her hand up and gently rubbing her chin as ideas and thoughts of how to deal with this trespasser filled her head.

And so without speaking another word the demon closed her eyes and melted away into the tree line. She was a huntress and there was no greater thrill for a person of her level than to follow a would be invalided and deal sweet swift justice to them once she felt the time was right and the chance presented itself.



A good fourteen or fifteen minutes passed before Susan felt the faint presents of something following her, she had been gifted since birth with the gift of seeing and feeling spirits and elements of Kami and on those rare occasions catching a glimpse into the word of the unknown.  But there was something strange about this spirit or piece of spiritual energy. Strange in the way that she could not really put her finger upon its extant origins, though it was a toss up between a forest spirit or a demonic one.. Though if it was demonic in nature it did not feel like the demon she once met that time in the old hospital.

“I’m not here to harm you, or to harm your forest.” She said calling toward the trees. Quickly a rash of Goosebumps started to form upon her arms, she had always taken this feeling as a sure fired sign that a spirit or many spirits where gathering around her. Though the only draw back to this was she did feel a bit silly afterward.

The Demoness blinked and raised a eyebrow  toward the girl. There was something very strange about, this girl something very strange indeed. For one why would she talk to the trees and address them as if they where living breathing people. People often talked to the trees though, she seen it before most of them where old men dressed in strange garments.  These old men often walked around the forest floor chanting in a tongue long forgotten by men and long since silenced. They often swung a vessel of some kind that gave of strange colored smoke that was heavily scented with a unknown smell.

“There a powerful aurora about her mistress, though nothing really to be worried about. She a simple minded girl and she poses no threat.  Though she might provide a little fun for you.” Said a voice from behind her. The voice belonged to a male one could easily tell.

Slowly the Demoness closed her eyes and felt a little smile form upon her lips. “Robert my dear, I’m so very thankful you have showed up just now. Because I would like you to follow me and help me deal with this little lass who’s dared ventured into my land.” She commanded in a soft gentle tone of voice that commanded respect.

Robert nodded his head and slowly drew in a deep breath as he closed his eyes and quickly snapped the heel of his shoes together and raised his hand to the tip of his eye brown in a saluting fashion. “As you command Mistress.” He said as dropped his saluted.

“Very good, very good indeed.” She said before once more vanishing into the shadows the trees cast upon the ground.

***
The many narrow rays of light that broke through the thick forest canopy formed rough rings of light upon the ground and added a sense of mysticism to the sight that greeted Susan for there in a clearing not to far ahead lay the overgrown remains of the shrine she was seeking.

“Its amazing.” Said Susan peering toward the broken stone walkway snaked its way over the forest floor. The large square stones where broken in places with some being completely hidden by dirt and thick vines that covered the forest floor.  The holy Torii post was too overgrown with thick fines and its once fine coat of red paint was nothing more than a pale shade of pink. Countless years of rain and neglect had taken its troll upon it.

A dozen or so stone Toro lanterns some broken into a million and one pieces other overgrown with vines and there broad  onion like tops covered in moss lined the walkway. The presents of these aged stone Lanterns a sense of mysticism and decay to the whole scene. Beyond the walk way there could be seen the remains of the main structure the place, this place was the main hall of worship the place where the Kami had been enshrined.