Twilight broke and the sun appeared to be only a beam of fire in the western sky, flooding the extent of grassland with orange light.
I stood there, feeling the touch of prairie grass in my bare feet, staring at the view of the sunset with the same wonder in my eyes.
I remember the time we first met here by the fields. Quarter-to-five, as the sun started to depart. I saw you here, sitting silently in the prairie grass, staring at the twilight above.
Your hair was bright red sa a vermillion flower, long and light, moving through the air with a soft swish.
Not knowing who you are or what you are doing here, I settled down next to you and looked upward to stare above.
Then we happened to glance at each other's direction at the same time. For a moment, we just sat there, looking at each other and not saying a word. After that, we suddenly laughed hard and you said, "The view here is perfect, aye?"
"Aye," I said in agreement. Then without a word we stared at the sky again, thoroughly mesmerized by the wonder of its celestial beauty.
Night fell and the sky was illuminated with the shimmering constellation of stars and the full moonlight. Setting upright on my feet, I offered a hand to you to stand up and you took it gratefully.
We marched back to the village while conversing. We talked about nature and animals and the things we admired the most while crickets started to make chirping sounds in the still night.
"I forgot to ask for your name," I said to you.
In tiptoes, you reached my ear and murmured your name as if it's too confidential to say it out loud. Smiling, I said mine and we talked about rare names in the village.
Seeing houses in the distance, I asked you about your location. "Just near the fir tree right there. You can leave me here."
And we bade our own farewells, constantly waving to each other as your figure gradually turned smaller and darker until I can't see you anymore.
Since that day, we always meet each other, with the same stories of nature and wonders that we always reserve just for the two of us. You always tell me secrets of harvesting plants, telling the time through the sky, the name of constellations, the wonders of fox-nature and of palm reading.
"You have a short, straight line in your heart line," you once said while tracing the lines of my palm. "That means you need your freedom. You show love in actions more than just words.."
Our friendship continued to grow, especially when we promised to see each other in the fireworks festival. Wearing a bright red kimono with the most beautiful pattern, we sauntered off as we enjoyed gaming stalls and others.
But you never ate anything I gave you.
You always say that you're full and that you're satisfied. But I let the thing pass, not knowing about this things that can make a bigger picture. You never talk about your family nor answer my questions of where you live, and you once said that your name shouldn't be mentioned to anyone.
"Why?" I once asked, thoroughly curious.
"Because.. people doesn't want me to be mentioned elsewhere." you often say.
Before Christmas, my family had announced that we're going to spend New Year in Tokyo, where most of my relatives are destined. Disappointed I was, especially when I told you about it.
You shrugged and said, "It's okay though. We can still see each other in next summer." in such a confident tone.
Curiousity got the better of me, why would you forbid me to say your name out loud? Why won't you say your whereabouts? Because of curiousity, I risked our friendship together, not knowing that everything will fall apart.
I asked my grandparents about you. And such horrific faces they made in reaction, telling me that the name is cursed.
Cursed because you were a daughter of a fox-witch and you met the same fate as your mother as you followed her footsteps.
But that was since 1945. Back when my grandparents was still a baby. But why am I seeing you everyday?
You were a ghost.
I came back to where we always meet. There in the fields. I saw you there, frowning and in the verge of tears, your bright red hair still flowing with the wind.
"Why didn't you told me though?" I asked. But you only shook your head.
"Thank you for the memories."
That was the first thing you said before you gradually fade, crying and sobbing. I ran to you, muttering apologies very sincere from the bottom of my heart and you smiled, saying your own apology and crying out the word, "I Love You."
Then you faded.
Twilight broke and the sun appeared to be only a beam of fire in the western sky, flooding the extent of grassland with orange light.
I regretted it all. I wished I had stayed with you and kept my word. I should've listened to you.
Kitsune-tsukai, Celica-sama. I love you too.
Sincerely,
Aki
