Koyasan Read Free

to rest from the hot midday sun. She did not say goodbye to Koyasan. She knew they would be meeting again soon.

GRAVY
     
    IT WAS A Holy Day. Nobody in the village worked on a Holy Day except those who had to milk goats or herd sheep, but even they took time off to pray and relax. It was the day when, by tradition, all of the children went to the graveyard to play and chase each other. They had to return at certain times to pray, and for meals, but most of the day was usually spent among the tombs, headstones and trees of the hill. Their parents often came to watch them at play, sitting on the banks of the stream, snacking, meditating or simply relaxing.
    Koyasan usually spent a lot of time with her mother and father on Holy Days. They’d sit together on the village side of the bridge. Her parents would chat with other adults, while Koyasan would play with the babies and younger children who were not old enough to play in the graveyard.
    Today though, she didn’t want to be anywhere near the place. It was only three days since her run-in with Itako and she’d barely slept. She kept thinking of all the terrible things that might happen, preparing herself for the worst. She wasn’t sure what that worst might be, but she guessed it would have something to do with the graveyard and the spirits, since Itako had mentioned Koyasan having to face her fears, and the graveyard was what she was most afraid of.
    “Wanna go gravy!” Maiko cried, waving her short arms at the bridge. She couldn’t say ‘graveyard’ yet.
    Koyasan’s mother smiled at Maiko, then at Koyasan. “Do you want to take her to play with the others?” she asked.
    Koyasan shook her head wordlessly.
    “Still afraid of the spirits?” her father chuckled, giving her a hug. “That’s fine. You don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to.”
    Her parents had tried many times to convince her to cross the bridge, but when they finally realised she was genuinely terrified of the graveyard, they stopped trying to force her.
    Koyasan eyed the bridge and graveyard with growing unease. She didn’t even want to be this close to the home of the dead, regardless of the protective stream.
    “Can I go?” she asked her mother.
    “Go where?” came the reply.
    Koyasan shrugged. “It’s too hot,” she lied. “I want to play somewhere else. I’ll take Maiko.” Her parents expected Koyasan to babysit her younger sister on Holy Days. She knew they’d be more likely to let her leave if she took Maiko with her.
    “Are you sure?” her mother asked. She put a hand to Koyasan’s forehead, “You’re not sick?”
    “No,” Koyasan said. “I want to play with Maiko, but it’s too hot here. I might take her to the waterfall.”
    “Very well. Do you have food?”
    “Some garlic.”
    Koyasan’s mother rolled her eyes. “You and your garlic! Here, take some bread for Maiko. I’ll cook a few extra dishes for supper — you’ll both be hungry after such a long walk.”
    The waterfall was a two-hour walk away, a bit shorter coming back since most of it was downhill. Koyasan hadn’t intended to go there today, but now that the thought had popped into her head, she was delighted. It was the perfect place if you wanted to get away from graveyards and dark feelings.
    “Come on,” Koyasan said, grabbing one of her sister’s pudgy hands.
    “No!” Maiko protested. “Wanna go gravy!”
    “No gravy today,” Koyasan smiled. “Not unless we have some for supper.”
    Maiko scowled at the weak joke and wrenched her hand away. “Go gravy!” she snorted and raced towards the bridge, knowing Koyasan wouldn’t dare come after her if she got to the other side.
    Koyasan laughed. Her legs were much longer than Maiko’s and she could run a lot faster. She gave her little sister a lengthy head start, enough to let her think that she might make it to the bridge. Then, with a wild cat’s shriek, she pursued Maiko and swept down on her like a gust of wind from a