Oomi
The first few meters were lit faintly enough that I could see my own feet and the floor ahead. The passage was narrow, barely wide enough for one grown man to squeeze through. Would Mamoru-kun be all right?
And the Harvester of Hearts, coming behind us, had a far larger build than ours. I worried he might get stuck.
The good news was that in such tight quarters, one only needed to follow the wall by touch, and even in total darkness reaching the center would be no problem. Aochi-san, with his left hand on my shoulder and his right tracing the wall, must have felt at least a little reassured.
Right now we were lined up in single file: me, Aochi-san, Oze-san, Mamoru-kun, Silent-chan, and Ululu.
The darkness came suddenly.
—As if a line had been drawn, cutting off the light.
“Soon the light will disappear. Watch your step.”
I raised my voice so that even Ululu at the rear could hear. Irregular though they were, I caught everyone’s replies. Aochi-san’s hand pressed more firmly on my shoulder.
I was just about to ask if he was all right when the sensation beneath my feet changed.
Soil? Yes, this was the feel of soil.
“Everyone, the ground is changing from stone to earth.”
“It’s true. I can smell it,” Oze-san said from two places behind me. Already, our eyes had lost their role, and every one of us had grown more sensitive to smell.
But it wasn’t only soil I smelled. There was the scent of trees and grass. A bad premonition struck me.
—This passage will open into a forest.
A forest within stone? Ordinarily it would be the other way around—a large stone in a forest, perhaps.
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The air changed. The wall I’d been relying on came to an end.
“A forest. I can’t see it, but surely that’s what it is.”
Suddenly Oze-san’s loud voice rang out from behind.
“Mamoru, no!”
Something darted past my feet. Mamoru-kun had slipped ahead of me and burst into the forest. Oze-san rushed after him, and our line fell into disorder.
“Aochi-san, don’t let go of me. Silent-chan, Ululu—answer if you’re there.”
“I’m here. Oomi-kun, where are you?”
“Ulu.”
The voices came, but I couldn’t tell their directions.
“Don’t move. We’ll come to you. Ululu, can you sing for us?”
“Ulun.”
He answered with surprising cheer, and then something unbelievable happened.
Ululu began to sing. Of course, it was only “u” and “lu.” There were no lyrics, nothing more.
But there was melody. A sorrowful yet hopeful song. With no words, I couldn’t help overlaying my own, and it brought tears to my eyes.
“Ululu, I’m coming. Keep singing just a little longer.”
My tearful voice echoed in the dark forest. This song was my siren.
Bit by bit, I moved toward the sound, feeling my way. All the while I confirmed the weight of Aochi-san’s hand on my shoulder. In the darkness, even my own body felt uncertain, but with Aochi-san’s touch, I knew I existed.
My fingertips brushed against something warm.
“Ulu!”
The song stopped. I had reached Ululu.
“Oomi-san? Aochi-san?”
Silent-chan had kept her promise and stayed put.
“Good, now let’s make sure none of us get separated again. First, we need to find Oze-san and Mamoru-kun… Aochi-san, are you all right? You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“Sorry… I was too focused on adjusting to the dark. But hearing Ululu’s song somehow eased the fear. Thanks.”
“Ululululu.”
Ululu’s breathing was heavy. Being thanked by the beloved Aochi-san had left him excited. I had never been so glad to feel someone else’s breath nearby. I wasn’t alone.
“Let’s call for Oze-san and Mamoru-kun as we move forward slowly.”
As the four of us walked, calling out, the fear of the dark within me began to fade. I hoped Aochi-san felt the same.
“Wait—did you hear that?”
Silent-chan halted.
Indeed, there was a faint cry from afar: “Hey!”
“Over here!”
This time it was clear. I fought the urge to hurry, reminding myself to stay calm and lead.
“Oze-san, keep talking! We’re close, but we can’t tell the direction!”
“Got it! Mamoru and I will play animal shiritori!”
What was he saying? I’d been so worried. Yet the words—“neko,” “koneko,” “koumori,” “risu,” “skunk”—grew sharper, and I knew we were headed the right way.
Oze-san’s “koneko” felt like cheating, but Mamoru-kun, without complaint, played along like the good kid he was.
“Okapi.” “Piranha.” “…Aochi.”
My hand touched Oze-san’s outstretched fingers. Instinctively, I gripped them tight.
“Ow! Oomi, right? This hand. We finally found you. Is everyone safe?”
“What am I, an animal now?”
I ignored the sulking Aochi-san and asked, “We’re all safe. But what happened? You vanished so suddenly…”
And this smell… The others must have noticed it too.
“Sorry. Mīko was here.”
Mamoru-kun confessed timidly.