Chapter 4: In Front of the Western Forest
After hearing the story from the shop owner where she worked part-time, Houzuki headed out on his bicycle to the Western Forest.
It was just after three o’clock.
It was still too early to be called evening, so it would be no problem if she just took a look around the swamp house in the Western Forest and then headed home. If push came to shove, she could just leave Yuiru there.
Soon after he started cycling, the Western Forest came into view. It was a lush forest. Just like the southern forest where Oshira-sama was enshrined, it had a dark atmosphere about it.
Just when she thought she would see no one other than herself, Houzuki noticed a small bicycle already parked in front of the Western Forest.
“…Is someone there?”
It’s a bike I don’t recognize. It’s the kind of bike a child would ride.
The bike is blue in colour and has a design that elementary school boys would like. Could someone have come to the Western Forest?
Yuiru, sitting on the carrier of Houzuki’s bike,
“Maybe it’s a test of courage or something? Elementary school kids like that sort of thing, after all.”
“Maybe he went to the Swamp Mansion. I think it’s dangerous.”
“If some elementary school brat dies, it’s his own fault.”
Yuiru’s surprisingly harsh opinion is criticized by Houzuki, who says “that’s a bit too much.”
If he went there to test his courage, the swamp house is the kind of place he shouldn’t go to. The owner of a long-standing bookstore in Tsukinashi Town said it with a grim expression, so it’s safe to say he’s correct.
If the child goes to the Swamp House in the Western Forest, he will likely break the seal just for fun. Houzuki is planning something similar, but in this case it’s to eat the ghost, so it is also an act of exorcism. There is nothing a mere child can do.
Anyway, I must bring back the child who went into the Western Forest.
“You’re muttering to yourself, what are you doing, Granny?”
“Huh?”
A boy emerges from deep in the forest and casts a suspicious gaze at Houzuki.
With bandages stuck all over his face, it’s fair to say he looks like a bully. He’s holding a copy of Tsukinashi Town Ghost Stories magazine in his hand, with a special feature on the Western Forest.
Has he come to investigate this Western Forest? To confirm the rumors about the swamp house deep inside?
“It’s dangerous for you to stay there.”
“I don’t want to be told that by that old lady who was muttering to herself out loud. Why don’t you go to the hospital?”
“…………”
Houzuki was hurt by the shockingly rude brat.
“……Hey, just to let you know.”
Without even smiling, Houzuki expressionlessly stares at the ringleader and threatens him.
“I can see ghosts.”
“And?”
“Who is the woman behind you? She’s been looking over here since earlier.”
“AAAH!!”
The ringleader boy looked behind him with a snap.
To be honest, Houzuki lied. She doesn’t see a woman.
Well, although it’s a different story if the woman sealed in there is here, but she shouldn’t be able to leave the swamp house. It was said that the seal is close to breaking but if it was already broken, he probably won’t be unscathed.
However, his shocked expression looks suspicious. It’s as if he knows about that woman ―― his frightened face seems to say that it will bad if the woman finds him.
“……Do you know something?”
“I don’t.”
“I see.”
Houzuki parked her bike and said,
“Then it’s better if you don’t follow me. It seems to be dangerous inside here.”
“……!!”
The boy grabs Houzuki’s hand in a panic. Houzuki didn’t say anything in particular but for some reason, he looked close to tears.
“It said you can’t go any further than this.”
“Why?”
“It said you’ll be cursed and die!!”
The boy pushed a page of the magazine over to Houzuki
It was an article about the Western Forest.
The headline read, “A terrifying forest where you will die if you visit.”
The article only described the appearance of the swamp house deep inside, but nothing about the truth. So he didn’t hear the full story?
“I went in there…… and then I saw it, a rundown hut deep inside. ――Is, isn’t that what they call the swamp house?”
“That’s right.”
As Houzuki closes the magazine and hands it back to the boy, she said,
“Hey.”
“Wha, what?”
“Did you see something? You look very scared.”
Houzuki tilted her head,
“Did you see a woman appear in the swamp house?”
“—!!”
The boy covered his ears in a panic.
The way he crouched down and held his head gave the impression that he knew of the ghost that lies ahead. It was almost certain that he had seen the woman.
When Houzuki tapped the boy on the shoulder, he jumped up pitifully. He must have been badly traumatized by the female ghost that appeared in the swamp house. It was pathetic of the ghost to inflict such deep wounds on such a young child.
“I’m okay. This big sister will exorcise the woman in the swamp house.”
“You, you can’t. It’s obviously impossible.”
The boy who is shaking his head says,
“That is bad, it’s something very bad. It was beckoning me, you know? If someone goes there, they will surely get killed……”
“I won’t.”
Houzuki denied the boy’s weak-willed statement,
“Big sister’s friend eats ghosts. I’m sure that he will also eat the ghost in that swamp house.”
“Is, is that so….. where’s the guarantee? How can you trust a ghost that you can’t see?”
“Because you may not be able to see him but I can.”
Houzuki pointed to the boy’s feet and said,
“I’m sorry I lied to you earlier, but it’s true that there is a ghost right near you.”
“?!”
“There’s a dog ghost at your feet. A Shiba Inu, did you have one?”
The boy blinked and said,
“He died last year. His name was Kenta.”
“Yeah. He rubbed against your feet, so you must have been good friends.”
After saying “Get along with him, okay?”, Houzuki stepped into the western forest.
The sound of cicadas that had been audible up until then suddenly stopped.
The air in the forest was chilly, and an eerie presence caressed her skin. Both Yuiru and Towako seemed very curious about the western forest, which they were visiting for the first time.
Then, the boy who stopped at the forest’s entrance called,
“He, hey!!”
When she looked back at him, he said,
“Never lose to the swamp house ghost, okay!!”
“Leave it to me.”
Houzuki chuckled at his childish encouragement and replied.
