A Tumble in the Right Direction

The sun began to set on Sachi's second day since parting with Himari.

She kept riding in the direction of the silk thread, but it seemed as though it went on forever.

Doubt kept creeping in, worrying her about if she were going the right direction. But she could still feel the thread tug at her wrist, encouraging her she was going the right way.

She came across a large mysterious forest covered by a dark ominous fog. This must be the forest Banri was talking about. But the silk did not react to the forest, it continued to pull Sachi forward.

Sachi kept riding forward following the path the silk guided her on. 

Until suddenly, the thread pulled harshly to the side, dragging her off the horse.

Sachi fell hard to the ground, groaning in pain for her previous injuries had yet to fully heal. 

The horse stopped in its tracks and gently made its way over to Sachi as if to comfort her or apologize for letting her fall. 

Sachi dusted herself off and gave the horse a pat. She didn't have the strength to attempt to get back on. Instead, she grabbed the horse by the reigns and started walking towards the new direction the thread pulled in - towards the forest.

But the horse did not go. The horse stood its ground. Sachi didn't have time to try and coax the horse into following her. She looked at the forest and back to the horse, it was probably for the best, it would be difficult to navigate with the horse in the forest. Sachi let go of the reigns and made her way to the forest. The horse neighed and stomped its feet in protest as if trying to persuade Sachi not to go, or to warn her.

-

Sachi entered the forest shrouded in heavy fog, thick as breath on glass, clinging to every branch and root. The trees rose tall and gnarled, their black silhouettes blotting out what little light the night might have offered. 

The forest was completely silent, but the silence was not empty. It hummed, low and constant. The air felt full, aware, as if it were listening. Even the sounds of Sachi's steps were swallowed before they could echo as they sink slightly into the damp earth.

Amid the gloom, fine threads glimmer in the dark - delicate strands of silk stretched between branches, stones, and roots. They hang like silver veins in the air. The glow is faint, it's not warm, but it draws the eye - like moonlight reflected on still water.

The silk threads seem to breathe with the forest, light moving slowly along its length, flowing deeper into the fog, enticing you to follow it.

Sachi followed the thread from her wrist to its end on a tree it was tied around. Once Sachi was close enough, the thread unraveled itself from the tree, placing itself into Sachi's hand.

Sachi wrapped the rest of the thread around her wrist. "I guess this is as far as Banri can help guide me..."

Sachi walked deeper into the mysterious forest. She wasn't sure where to look or what she was even looking for exactly, but she was sure she would know it when she saw it.

The forest wasn't frightening, but it left an unsettling feeling of being watched.

Sachi suddenly noticed the silk threads that floated within the forest had attached themselves to her. She didn't know when they had gotten on to her, but by the time she realized it there were way too many. 

Sachi kept trying to wipe the threads off her, but they wouldn't come off. Panic started to rise inside of her. The more threads started to attach on her the more her breath began to quicken. They weren't painful but she could feel them all over her, slowly restricting her movements.

Sachi tried to shake the threads of silk off by flailing her limbs about and running away. 

Suddenly, Sachi took a step and the ground opened beneath her, revealing a thin dark tunnel. Sachi fell through, breaking free from the threads that covered her, but rapidly tumbling down a slide of a tunnel.

The tunnel shot Sachi down sharply and quickly. The feeling of the rapid descent making her nauseated.

Before long, Sachi was spat out of the tunnel onto the cold hard surface of another tunnel. 

Sachi whined as she picked herself up from the fall. "I feel like all I've done since I've come to this world is fall..."

Sachi looked around the new tunnel, it was dark and empty, barely any light for her to see. She felt around for the wall to help guide her. It was cold and somewhat sticky, the feeling leaving a bad taste on her skin.

She slowly inched her way forward through the dark tunnel, hoping it would lead her somewhere.

As Sachi wandered down the tunnel, she got to thinking. I wonder what the Tsuchigumo look like. Nobu was a Yokai, but he looked human, so did Banri... But not all Yokai have human features. Nobu didn't used to... And the Yokai in the cloud barrier were anything but human looking. Nobu was a Tengu, which is a bird type Yokai. Tsuchigumo... Tsuchigumo... I know I've heard of them before... Wait... Forests, dark caves, thread of silk that try to trap you... Oh I really hope it's not what I think it is... Please don't be spiders. Please don't be spiders. Please don't be spiders.

Sachi stepped on something squishy that cracked under her shoes, sending shivers up her spine.

I don't even want to know what that was...

-

Sachi finally found her way to the end of the tunnel, only to be met with at least fifty more different  tunnels to choose from. "You've got to be kidding me..."

There was no sense in trying to figure out which tunnel to take, so Sachi just chose the one she was closest to. 

She continued to walk in darkness until she finally heard a noise other than herself. It sounded as if something was scurrying across the floor at a quick pace. 

The sound grew louder and louder until-

Thud.

Something, or someone rather, had smacked right into Sachi, knocking her over.

Sachi laid on the ground not wanting to get up after having far too many falls. I can't catch a break...

"Oh no! I'm so sorry... I didn't see you there." A shaky voice echoed as a hand hovered above Sachi to help her up.

Sachi sighed, taking the hand, or what she thought was a hand. It felt different - sharper, thicker, and colder than expected. 

"Are you hurt?" The nervous voice asked.

Sachi couldn't help but wonder why this stranger's hand felt so odd. "No, I'm not hurt. Are you alright?"

The voice nervously chuckled. "Yes, I'm quite alright. Now, if you don't mind, I must get going..."

The hand began to pull away, but Sachi held on. "Sorry. But before you go, can you... Can you tell me how to get to where the Tsuchigumo are?"

"Huh?"

The stranger held out their hand, creating a ball of silver silk that glowed and illuminated the dark tunnel.

Sachi finally was able to see the stranger in front of her and the hand she thought she was holding.

The stranger was also finally able to see Sachi.

They stared at one another, shrieking in response to the other's appearance.

"A spider!"

"A human!"

Sachi immediately let go of the stranger's spider-like appendage she mistook for a hand and squealed. Oh no no no! I don't like spiders!

The stranger turned away from Sachi, cowering himself into the fetal position out of fear. "A human in our caves... We're done for. We're done for. We're done for." The strangers voice shook as it repeated.

Sachi noticed the strangers fear of her, and she felt silly for letting fear get the better of her, wasn't she trying to eliminate the hate and fear and bring peace to this world?

Sachi took a deep breath and cautiously approached the shaking stranger. "I'm really sorry for startling you. I promise I'm not here to hurt you."

"Why else would a human come here? You mean to kill us all."

Sachi's heart ached. "No. No, that's the opposite of what I want. I want to bring the humans and Tsuchigumo back together again. Like how it was before."

The stranger scoffed. "What a bold lie!"

"You don't have to believe me right now and that's fine, but it's the truth and I intend to prove it to you."

The stranger looked up. "How do you intend to do that?"

Sachi took a seat beside the stranger. "By showing you I'm no threat and that I do not fear you." Sachi held out her hand. "I'm Sachi. I don't have magic, so I can't hurt you. I am weak and powerless. You could kill me here and no one would ever know. But if you give me a chance, I'll show you I can change this world."

The stranger stared at Sachi's hand, thinking over her words. "Someone without magic? You're either insanely brave or just stupid to come here... Regardless of whichever it is, I find your recklessness intriguing." The stranger took Sachi's hand with his human-like hand, instead of his spider-like appendage. "I'm Yasu. I look forward to seeing how you change the world."