Chapter 2 – Chap 2

I decide not to talk to Ren about the footprints in my room last night. If they have a grandmother with these types of issues, it must be very hard to control, and they must be aware that this kind of thing happens. Although I am on edge, I’m not really the kind of person to completely wave something off like this. Call it overthinking, but I always feel like something more sinister is going on, even where it isn’t. So, whilst I’m not going to forget that it happened, I’m also not going to bring it up to Ren. Especially not after my first night here; it might not even happen again.

–

Ren is taking me around the village this morning. It’s just as beautiful in the early light as when I had arrived; the mountain-top glistening in the still-rising sun. However, I do notice something is different. The people. When I arrived in the village yesterday, they were smiling, waving, greeting me. Now, they look in shock of my presence. A man who I clearly recognise as one who waved at me the day before, just looks at me, then at Ren, then back at me, almost as if in fear, before turning back to his family. Ren isn’t speaking to anyone, and they aren’t speaking to her. Surely, in a village this size, everyone is friendly with everyone? Or at least Ren would recognise some of the people around us? But apparently not.

We’ve been walking for around an hour, mostly talking about my life, when a man burst from his house and grabs me.

His hands grip my shoulders, and he stares into my eyes with an alarmed look on his face. He is speaking fast. His tone is one of urgency, frantically speaking at me, volume slowly rising. Ren quickly pushes him away; I was too in shock to even react. She speaks a quick sentence back to him, before grabbing my arm and leading me away. He stays by his house, still shouting at me from afar.

“What the- “, I exclaim, “what was that? What is he saying?”

“He is trying to sell you something,” Ren replies, eyes front as she continues to lead me away from the scene.

“Sell me something?”, I ask in shock, “why would he – what? Was that even a shop?”

“It is nothing”, she seemed different, sterner, “he is trying to rip you off because you are not from here”.

What the fuck? That’s an aggressive way of trying to achieve a sale. Almost unbelievably so. The first interaction I’ve had with someone else today, was that?! I look back toward the man just before he disappears from my view.

He is on his knees, pointing at me, still shouting.

–

We are just back from the village, and I am going back to my room to show Ren a book I had told her about. I enter the corridor of bedrooms. At the far end, I see Father Nomura with a very elderly man; Ren’s grandfather. The old man is frail, with strands of grey hair on his head, and tired eyes. Father Nomura appears to be helping him into his room, one hand on his shoulder, the other hand locked with his. Father Nomura looks up at me, so does the grandfather. Father Nomura shouts something at me in Japanese, waving his head to the exit behind me, as if telling me to leave. He seems angry. I freeze in my tracks; do I continue to my room? Is he actually telling me to go back the way I came? My eyes dart to the grandfather. He is staring at me; eyes wide now. His mouth is moving; he’s muttering something. I can’t quite hear what he’s saying over the shouts, not that I’d understand anyway. I turn to leave, as Father Nomura’s tone gets more agitated. As I turn, the grandfather speaks up, although still a rasp whisper. He is repeating something. He is repeating the same phrase I had heard outside my room last night, over and over. I shut the door behind me, and stand on the walkway, staring blankly at the flowers below.

–

I have just finished dinner. Other than Ren and Saeko, and the weird exchange with Father Nomura, I have seen none of the family today. Dinner was quaint, but delicious. Saeko continued to force food onto my plate throughout the entire meal. Ren and I are sitting in the garden outside, teaching Saeko some English phrases. It’s been quite a strange day; I’ve been shouted at by a random guy, and by Father Nomura. But it’s been a really nice day too.

–

I can’t sleep. Last night is replaying in my head, freaking me out. I’m nervous that as soon as I fall asleep, someone’s going to come into my room or something. I’ve been lying here for a few hours, and haven’t heard a peep outside, but I’m still so on edge. My brain won’t shut up. In fact, my thoughts are so loud and overwhelming, that I almost didn’t notice my door begin to slide open.

It opens very slowly. Someone in the corridor is sliding it quietly and carefully, as if trying to not make a sound. I am frozen. I stare at the doorway, as more of the dark corridor is exposed. It’s almost as if the darkness pours into my room, bringing with it fear and uncertainty. The door soon is fully open, but I see nobody. Just darkness. I hear nothing, see nothing. My door just opens, that’s it. I’m not moving. I lay in bed, on edge, ready to spring up at any moment should I need to.

But nothing has happened. It’s been open now for a few minutes, and nothing. I build up the courage to go and shut it. I stand up, slowly and quietly, and edge towards the door. Curiosity takes the better of me as I reach it, and I quickly peer down both ends of the corridor. To the left towards the exit, nothing. Darkness. To the right, a light at the end of the corridor. A faint light, coming from the open door of the grandparent’s room, although the room is side-on so I can’t see inside. The light is clearly candlelit, as it flickers in such a way. Fuck that. I start to slide my door shut, and notice the footprints once more. Wet, barefoot footprints. They lead from the grandparent’s room, to mine, then go back the way they came. Had the grandmother come to my room, opened my door, then gone back to sleep? I was so in shock, engulfed by both the fear and the overwhelming darkness, that I almost missed it.

The wall opposite the grandparent’s room has a faint shimmer of light reflected onto it through the open door. As well as light, a shadow is reflected onto the wall. The shadow of a figure, a person, standing just inside their room. It’s just standing there, completely still. I feel like it is facing the corridor, but can’t tell for sure. All I know, is that someone is standing right by the entrance to their room, barely inside it but far enough that I can’t actually see them. Are they waiting for me to investigate? Do they know I can see them? They’re so fucking still.

I quietly slide my door fully shut and get back into bed.

It’s around 3am now, and I haven’t slept. I don’t think I will.

–

Well, sleep must have taken me last night, although I don’t know when. I sit up in bed fast, in a panic, looking around my sunlit room. No footprints. My door is shut. Bag seems untouched. Wow. I am so thankful for that. Although, I’m fucking scared. I’m scared about last night. I’m scared about tonight. Hell, I’m scared about even getting up out of bed right now.

Tonight, though, I’m going to set my phone up, maybe in the corridor, and film what is going on. I’m going to hide it in the corner, perhaps in one of the protruding rafters. I’ll make sure it’s difficult to see. Nobody will see it.

I want to find out what happens here at night.