Young Writers Society

Ch 3 – Blooming Flowers

We walked away, satisfied, leaving the samurai collapsed on the ground, still alive, groaning about onryō, which to any other passerby would think them insane. For all we knew it was true. But the matter was, if it was, then why were we still here? We had gotten our revenge, but, we were not going to argue. We were just happy to be able to live again. I was whistling while twirling my dagger, which Ookami had gotten back from them, and Ookami was swinging one of the samurai’s katana at imaginary enemies. We were both able to breathe, and neither of us had had a breathing difficulty, like I had.

But there was one important thing we had yet to discuss…

“Why the hell do we have chains coming out of our chests?” Ookami said. There it was. The question we had both been asking in our heads, trying to come up with an answer, had finally come out in words; with quite appropriate words too, I might add. I decided to take a guess at the answer.

“Maybe the chain is to signify that we are still connected to this earth as long as it is connected to us.”

“And when it disappears?”

“Then we pass onto the after life.”

Ookami shrugged. “Makes sense to me. Oh, by the way, use your brain more often. I like it when I don’t have to do all the thinking.” I was about to throw back a remark when I smelled rice. I stopped walking. Sniffing the air, Ookami said, “Someone rich must live nearby. Damn, that smells good.” My stomach growled in agreement. Racing up the rest of the hill, making the chains attached to our chests clang, we found our selves looking down at the city of Nara.

“You would think that once we were dead, we wouldn’t need to eat.”

“That’s what I was thinking. It defies all logic. Once we are dead, we no longer need to eat in order to survive and maintain our energy.”

“There you go, talking all logical again.

“Oh, shut up. You told me to talk as sensibly as I could, so here I am, trying to keep up the speech that someone with my intellect would say. It’s quite hard for me.”

“…I’ve noticed…”

“Oh, shut it. The only thing I care about is food right now. I don’t understand why I am, but I can’t just ignore my stomach while it is eating itself.” Ookami flung the katana he had stolen from the samurai’s into the bushes on the side of the road. “What did you do that for?” I asked as it clunked onto the ground. “I want my own sword, a sword I can call my own. I don’t want one that had a part in killing us.” I nodding, understanding his reasons and stuck my dagger into my pocket. “Well, ready to start our afterlife of continuing thievery?” I said, looking out of the corner of my eyes at him. He ginned, “Of course, I’m always ready.” And, with that, we took off down the hill, following our noses.

We finally found ourselves outside a large house. We were right about the rich part, because guards flanked both sides of the entrance gate. Plus, only rich people got to eat rice because it was so expensive. The rest of us got to eat barley. Not the best thing in the world. We paused right outside the grounds of the house. Sure we were hungry, but we were dead now. Was it really right to keep stealing from other even after death? Ah, to hell with it. Racing forward, I yelled, “Ojama shimashu!” as I passed through the gates. Behind me, I heard Ookami sigh. “Nobody can hear you!” He declared, but, by then I was already looking for an open door or window. We may be dead, but that didn’t mean we had instantly lost our dignity as thieves. Our motto was: “We are everywhere, yet nowhere.” And we lived by that motto. We were not noticed unless we wanted to be noticed, which was when we were had already disappeared, their food or riches safely in our hands. I mean, come on, a door opening on it own, that sure to turn a few, maybe a couple, heads.

“Found one!” I heard Ookami yell from the other side of the house. I raced over to him. Sure enough, in front of him was an open door from which the servants were coming outside in order to do the laundry. “Yosh!” I screamed, for I was ravenous now, and barged through the door as soon as no one was entering of exiting. Winding through the large house, still relying on our noses, we passed a room in which a young child, about one or younger, lay, sleeping in its bed. A servant was tucking it in and softly kissed it on the cheek before blowing out the lit candle that cast dancing shadows onto the walls. I stopped walking so suddenly that Ookami almost plowed into me. “What the hell are you doing!?” He hissed. “I thought you were hungry!” I placed a finger to my lips as the servant left the room. “She’s not going to hear- hey! What are doing!?” By then, I was standing over the baby.

Looking down at its peaceful face, I was reminded of when I was that innocent. ‘If I was ever really innocent.’ I mused to myself. I let a crazy laugh escape from me, one that I had tried to keep inside. Once I started laughing, I couldn’t stop. I gripped my face in my hand and spat out, “HA! Look at the thing. It’s so pure, so innocent! But right below its skin could lay a monster… a KILLER!” I clutched my stomach as my insane laughter got worse. “Just like me!!” As I said this, I collapsed to the ground, completely broken, only able to giggle like a nutcase. I felt more then saw Ookami kneel down next to me and softly whisper, “You’re crying…” Then his fingers clumsily brushed my tears away. He moved his arms under me, supporting my neck and knees. Picking me up, he carried me from the room, my body still shaking with silent laughter.