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Diary of Fuyuko Yumikura, Date, January 12th 1992.
My name is Fuyuko Yukimura. My twin sister and I are albinos and three days from now my sister Tomoyo Yukimura and I will be eighteen years old, adults. As an early birthday gift our parents bought us high quality climbing equipment. For years we begged our parents to climb Mt. Iwaki and for years they said NO. Ten days before our birthday we expressed to them how amazing it would be to stand at the top of Mt. Iwaki on the eve of our eighteenth birthday. We were surprised three days later when they gave us our early presents.
It took Tomoyo and I two days to prepare for our trip and we left Tokoyo as fast as we could. The world rushed past us as we made our journey to the mountain. Nine hours later we were standing at the bottom of the snow topped peak, daylight evaporating quickly. That night we slept at a hotel near the base of the mountain. During the night we continuously prepared for our upcoming adventure and reveled in the ideas of what we might discover.
The next morning we were up before dawn. We hastily threw on a pair of thermal underwear, yanked on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and threw on top of that a one-piece snowsuit with furl lined hoodies; mine is red while my sisters is green. We both shoved on a pair of fur lined gloves and boots before grabbing our climbing equipment and departing the hotel.
Its been two days since we started climbing the mountain, making sure to take our time. We had a few slipups here and there at the beginning of the trip, but with all the climbing lessons our parents paid for we were able to easily correct whatever mistake we made. We are not even halfway up the mountain yet; we should have left sooner. On the eve of our second day of climbing I felt a slight tug of the wind, as if it was the hand of a spirit leading us somewhere. I looked up at the snow-covered crevices hovering above us creating sharp jagged formations. It wasnt safe, not with the wind blowing as hard as it was. We have to go this way! I yelled back to my sister while pointing in the direction the wind was rushing toward, the rush of the wind was almost defining at this point. I saw her nod her head and point in the same direction that I had pointed.
We both trekked our way in the same direction until we stumbled upon an old Shinto shrine. The red paint of thetoriihad all but faded or flaked off, no further damage was noticeable. Behind the Shinto shrine was a long stone staircase that seemed to disappear into the stone of the mountain. We both hesitated and looked at each other, questioning in both of our eyes. Was it safe? Where will it lead us? We both sluggishly made our way up the staircase, being careful to not slip on a sheet of ice and go plummeting to our deaths. Darkness seemed to leach out towards us once we reached the top step. I turned on my torch and lit the path for us. After what felt like ours of endless darkness, we emerged on the other side.Once we were back out in the open, we found something extraordinary and amazing.
Where did this village come from? Fuyuko asked aloud as she swiped a strand of white hair that had fallen out of her hood. she walked up to the small slope of steps and looked in amazement at the seemingly abandoned village they had stumbled into. The village was nestled in a crevice of the mountain. Large stone fragments circled the perimeter of the village and kept the wind and cold out. Ahead, Fuyuko noted that the houses wereold raised wooden homes with thatched roofs; some of the houses had roofs that had caved in years ago. Further in the distance, Fuyuko noticed swinging bridges that connected parts of the village together.
With some hesitation, she grabbed a hold of her twin sisters porcelain white hand, Come on, lets go. As they wound their way past four houses Fuyuko's blue eyes caught sight a shimmering glint inside the house to their right and the sound of a faint bell. To Fuyuko it sounded like aBuddhist prayer bell. Without thinking, Fuyuko walked in the direction of the bell and wondered into the house alone.
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~Diary Entry of Tomoyo Yukimura~
(January 12th,
This is Tomoyo Yukimura, I hope to write here as my sister Fuyuko and I finally travel to a place we've always dreamed of going. I still can't believe that our parents have allowed for us to climb Mt. Iwaki- You should've seen the look on Fuyuko's face, I didn't think we could get any paler seeing as we're albinos. In just a few days, my sister and I will turn eighteen, an age that will usher in tons of new choices and experiences in our lives. I'm honestly a bit nervous, even though we're still young I feel like time is flying by. However that makes it all the more reason for us to enjoy this time we'll have together before then!
I remember us packing our bags hurriedly, wanting to go out and finally see more of the world. Growing up in our town isn't bad, but I was itching for a change of pace. After about half a day we had made it to the base of the mountain, where we took up residence at a hotel. At last we were here, and sleep was the last thing on our minds as we hashed out the details of our upcoming journey.
Lack of sleep had no effect on us however, as we were up relatively early and as cheery as ever. I scrambled to find my clothes while Fuyuko checked on our gear- perhaps she was even more excited than I am? We exited the hotel and gazed up at Mt. Iwaki, and after exchanging glances we started our ascension.
It doesn't feel like we've made much progress, but i'd rather be slow than rush and make a fatal mistake. Just because we're excited doesn't mean that we don't realize how difficult this journey is- however now that I'm here I don't blame our parents for not wanting us to do this. Regret is not an emotion to be had right now though, so I've pushed the thought to the back of my mind, at least until we're on safe terrain. Even though it's windy, there seems to be occasional strong gushes that almost make me feel like I'm going to be carried away. We need to stick close and keep a tight grip on our equipment as we scale upward. As we continued, Fuyuko realized that the route we had decided was not so safe, so I heeded her orders. It was almost as if she had an exact idea of where to go, and the further this way we went, the stronger the wind blew at us.
After quite some time, we finally reached somewhere that wasn't just snow and rock. It appeared to be the remains of an old shrine, however in all my reading up on Mt. Iwaki I had never heard of one being up here. We stared up at a staircase that eerily seemed to fade off in the distance. The plan was to continue up the mountain, but curiosity had gotten the better of us as we started to carefully climb up the stairs. As I looked carefully at my feet, I noticed that chunks of stone were missing, but the ice was so thick that it made no difference where I stepped. A fall on these stairs would certainly cause a hefty injury, and probably death if we landed on our heads right. Reaching the top of the staircase brought us to a looming darkness, where Fuyuko's torch was barely able to show us a path. Going forward wasn't the wisest choice, but turning around would probably have just led to us getting lost. Our steady pace onward finally was rewarded, as a light dawned on us, as if welcoming us to what was ahead.
~ (End of Diary Entry)~
What laid in front of the sisters was an old village that seemed to be cradled by the mountain slope. The gusts of wind they had encountered earlier had almost vanished, making the village seem like it was completely seperate from the mountain, had it not been for the thick veil of snow all around.
"I have no idea, this was nowhere in the books about this place..." Tomoyo stood in awe of the area, did no one realize that this place existed?
While some areas looked salvageable, most of the houses seemed to have fallen apart with old age. The village seemed to be tightly knit, as houses were bundled close, leaving plenty of room for possible crops during warmer months. The village was able to traverse to different areas via bridges, one of which seemed to hover over a river that seemed to be frozen over. Tomoyo looked over at her sister, who seemed to almost disappear in the landscape, her milky hair and pale face made her look like a snow child as she looked around. If it hadn't been for her dying her hair black, Tomoyo wondered, would she look that way as well? It wasn't that she was ashamed of her albinism, but moreover because she wanted to somewhat easily distinguish herself from her twin. Before she could think anymore on the matter, Tomoyo realized that she was being dragged along by her sister, her blue eyes glimmering as she examined her surroundings. Suddenly, Tomoyo heard what sounded like a faint ringing to her right. Before getting to ask where they were going, Fuyuko had already let go of Tomoyo's hand, walking towards the building that seemed to emanate the ringing from before.
"Hey, Fuyuko! Wait up, we shouldn't just wander off here!" shouted Tomoyo, as a surge of wind pushed her nearly off her feet. Doubtful that Fuyuko had heard her, she jogged towards her sister; If she was heading somewhere dangerous, at least she wouldn't be alone.
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Inside the house, Fuyuko continued to follow the ominous ring of the bell. She was oblivious to the world around her as she silently weaved from room to room; theshojidoors slid open by an unknown force as she approached them. After walking through several rooms Fuyuko abruptly froze. Shaking her head to clear the fuzziness that invaded her brain she was able to finally survey the room she was in, Where am I? How did I get here? She appeared to be standing inside a kimono changing room, the washi on the doors and walls were riddled with holes due to the elements and age. The smell of dust and mold invaded Fuyukos nose. Old Kimonos hung on decaying racks along the back wall; they were in simple earthen colors, all except one. A red kimono adorned in golden cranes caught Fuyukos attention. Why was something so expensive in a two-story hut like this?
She walked over to the bright kimono and lightly brushed her hand across its silky surface. The subtle movement of her caress sent a jade comb tumbling out of the red and gold folds. Fuyuko flinched at the muffled sound it made as it landed on the tatami floor. Looking down and cocking her head to the side she couldnt help but become fascinated at the once hidden object. She bent down to pick up the hair decoration to get a better look. It was nothing she had ever seen before; the handle of the jade comb was covered in an intricate design representing snow being swept up by curls of wind. She delicately rotated the comb in her hands and admired its beauty. Movement in her peripheral vision caused her to quickly look up; she wasnt prepared for what she saw. A translucent womans head was floating inches from her face, her eyes wide open and her mouth locked in an eternal scream.
Fuyuko tumbled backwards onto the floor while still holding the comb, shock riddling her body. The snowsuit hood fell off her head as her butt bumped the floor causing long chunks of white hair to cascade around her shoulders and behind her on the ground. Whatever energy she could muster up was used to push herself up off the floor and send her running out of the room. Once outside, she slid the shoji shut as fast as she could. She placed her back against the door to gain her bearings and pocketed the comb. Suddenly a door down the hall to her left banged open. Like hell Im going down there. Breathed Fuyuko as she frantically tried opening the other doors. All locked; nowhere to go except through the door that had opened on its own. A scream caught inside her throat at the thought of walking into that room alone. Where was Tomoyo? Oh no, I must have left her outside. Thought Fuyuko as she stood just outside of the room that had opened itself up. Determined to reunite with her sister, Fuyuko stepped into the room and immediately caught sight of a camera sitting on a table in the middle of the floor. Why is there a camera here?
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It was as if the world was muted to her, Tomoyo thought as she stepped into the house, pausing to catch her breath. The sisters were practically joined at the hip, yet Fuyuko had just brushed her aside and entered this place- something didn't seem right. The ringing echoed throughout the house, and started to decrescendo as Tomoyo went further in. Creaking noises from the wooden planks broke the eerie silence, as Tomoyo walked down the hall. The house was definitely old, upon closer inspection one could see torn off chunks of wood from the flooring in the main hall. Strangely enough, a thin layer of a dark viscous fluid seemed to fill up the holes, perhaps in order to seal off bugs? However, considering how it wasn't solidified yet, this meant that it had to have been recent. Trying not to think too much about it, Tomoyo stuck close to the sides and avoided the holes, when her hand brushed over several indentations in the wall. Tomoyo gazed at the wall, her pupils dilated in panic as she attempted to make sense of the situation. Claw marks were deeply etched into the wood, but not from an animal...no these were obviously marks from human nails. Fear slowly glazed over Tomoyo, but she shook it off; finding Fuyuko was the priority here.
"Calm down, just gotta find Fuyuko and get out of here...She couldn't have gone that far, right?" Tomoyo muttered to herself as she entered a room to her right.
Strangely enough, upon entering this room the creaking of the floorboards had stopped. Tomoyo noticed that a thick layer of dust had settled on practically everything, for her steps left obvious marks as she searched around. Upon stepping into the middle of the room a loud thump echoed throughout the house.
"Fuyuko!? Fuyuko, is that you? Where are you!?" Tomoyo shouted, and it was at that moment that she noticed the floorboards once more.
There were footprints all over the floor, footprints that did not match Tomoyo's boots. They seemed to head to a corner of the room, and despite her better judgement, Tomoyo followed the tiny trail. As Tomoyo pressed on she began to hear what sounded like muffled crying. Slowly lurching forward, Tomoyo eventually saw what seemed to be the figure of a small child cowering in the corner. Taking an extra step forward, a sharp cracking sound was made, as Tomoyo realized that she had stepped on one of the many pieces of glass scattered at the child's feet. The glass breaking not only alarmed Tomoyo, but apparently caught the attention of the little one, as it hushed and started to stand up.
"Hey...are you okay? You shouldn't be in here, where are your pa-" Tomoyo abruptly stopped, too stunned to move as the child turned to stare at her.
The child appeared to be a boy, no older than 8, whose gaunt visage and pale skin was even more haunting than Tomoyo's. What had her so petrified however, were the jagged pieces of glass embedded in the child's face. The torn skin at the lesions showed no signs of blood, and before Tomoyo could examine any longer the child let out a shrill cry and disappeared. The sudden paralysis left as quickly as it had came, and Tomoyo took no time to dash out of the room in panic. From further in the house, a slam along with clattering sounds could be heard from above. Assuming that Fuyuko was the one up above her, Tomoyo proceeded to find the stair case around the corner of the hallway. After ascending the stairs, barely making it up due to the boards being so frail from age, Tomoyo paused to hear for any sign of Fuyuko. After a few moments of silence, footsteps could be heard from the left, and thus Tomoyo delved into the dark corridor.
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Fuyuko walked over to the camera and gently picked it up. The sound of something clattering on a wooden surface sent her spinning around. What was that? she thought as she started searching for the origin of the sound. A closet at the other end of the room slowly slid open causing the young albino to pause in her tracks. Fuyuko flinched resulting in her letting go of the camera; it fell to the floor with a snap. Oh no. She gasped as she bent down to pick it up. Rotating the camera gently in her hands she inspected the object for any damage, there was nothing she could see. As she continued to check every corner of the camera, the film latch popped open. It was empty.
Help me. Came a raspy whisper.
Fuyuko threw up her head, fear glazing over her eyes. Whos there? she stammered.
Please, help me. Echoed the male voice. It sounded like it was coming from the closet.
The young girl gently stood up and drifted hesitantly over to the closet. Taking a deep breath, she peered inside the wooden room to find that it was unoccupied. Where was that voice coming from? she muttered while shining her torch along the musty wall. Nestled in the corner on the closed side of the closet sat a flat blue square object. She crawled inside the empty space and inched her way over to the blue item. Grabbing the object she started to back out, but was promptly interrupted by the sound of the sliding door slamming behind her plummeting the space into complete darkness.
Sitting alone in the darkness Fuyuko became terrified; she didnt know what to do. She managed to squeeze herself around and make it back the way she came, but the door wouldnt open; no matter how hard she tried. Fuyukos heart started to race as she continued to tug on the handle. Let me out! she screamed.
Please, Im begging you. Help me. Resonated the voice. Fuyuko froze, the hair on the back of her neck started to quiver and stand. She let go of the door and fumbled with the torch that she had forgotten about in her state of panic. With shaking fingers she managed to flip the switch on, bathing the once dark space into brilliant yellow light. She quickly turned around to investigate the space behind her, it was empty, she was alone. With a sigh of relief she turned her attention back to the door. As she leaned over to grab the door handle, something seized her from behind and pulled her into the wall. The head of a young black haired male manifested out of the top of the closet and looked down at her, his face wracked in pain. Help me. He repeated. Fuyuko screamed as she tried to get up, but dozens of white arms and hands materialized out of the wall behind her and held her tight.
Go away! She screamed, tears sliding down her face. The young girl fought as hard as she could, her hands and mind trying to grasp anything that was stable and real.
The sounds of footsteps caused the floating head to stop its wails for help. Hes coming. Said the man before vanishing, along with the arms that held her down; she was finally free.
Whos coming? Screeched Fuyuko as she backed up into the far side corner and wrapped her arms around her legs. The footsteps crept closer, accompanied by the sounds of screaming babies. This cant be happening. Tomoyo, where are you? She whispers while placing her hands over her ears and shutting her eyes as she continued to sob into the darkness.