Reika Hakara sat bored in her seat, flying over the Pacific. Her trip to America had been fun, though the culture shock of it all was exhausting. She bobbed her head along with her mp3 player, scrolling through it's library, looking for a rhythmn to hold her interest after the current one. The plane jolted and she heard screams penetrating through the earpiece, still playing that seamless jazzy beat. Looking up and out the window, she was horrified to see the engine had caught flame, the plane began to surve left and downwards, she didn't have time to take out her earpiece before they were sent in a downwards spiral. Her seat belt held on to her defiantly as her body pulled at it. I don't want to die, I'm only 19. Tears welled in her eyes. It's not fair. She her mind raced in vain to find some solution out of the predicament in those last seconds before the plane slammed into the unforgiving ocean.
She woke in the middle of a field. Quickly standing, she didn't feel injured at all. She looked around for the wreckage, but she was alone in a gigantic field of tall grass. Suddenly, she heard something moving through it. Turning around, she saw strange cat like creatures skulking towards her cautiously, like hunting animals. She froze for a moment, shocked. They stood on two legs and had human like hands with long furry fingers. Hair completely engulfed their claws, keeping them from sight. Her jaw trembled before she bolted. She ran as quickly as she could, desperate and frantic. They were right behind her, she could hear the grass giving way as they chased. Whimpering slightly as she sprinted, the chase seemed to drag on forever. What looked like miles away, she saw a tree line. It was the only thing she could focus on, plains of rolling grass dragged on and on in the other directions. She had to make it to the forest, but she feared that they would catch her before she did. Reika had been on the track team, and the swimming team, she prayed her endurance would outlast their's. Dashing in a mad sprint for the trees, she could still hear them right behind her. The tree line grew, bigger and bigger. How far had she run? How long had this chase gone on? If only she had run like this at the last university competition. Reika was amazed that she wasn't out of breath as she breeched the tree line. The abrupt stop of swaying grass let her know they were still right behind her. She ran past a strange bush and tripped on a vine, entangling her sneaker and pulling it free. She looked back in horror as the creatures descended upon her. Grabbing at her arms and legs, she couldn't escape. Struggling desperately, they grabbed her ankles and ripped off her other sneaker and peeled off her ankle length socks. Reika tried to strike out at them, but her blows were something between a punch and slap, they didn't bother to pay attention. One lifted up her shirt and she winced as it's outstretched hand made a move to tear out her entrails, but it didn't. There was no claws beneath the hair protruding from it's finger tips, she yelped as the motion brushed across her, expecting pain and finding only itching. The feeling stayed with her, their fur was coated in some sort of oil, it tingled. She began to panic as she realized her ankles were not being spared from this sensation, kicking her legs wildly. They held on. A sudden screamed melded into laughter as their flurry claws raked her feet. It tickled. They persisted. The one that had scratched her stomach wrapped itself around her, scratching it's hairy finger tips at her sides. It started licking behind her ear, like a brash loving dog who had been away from it's master for too long. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. Only laughter left her lips. They're going to tickle me to death, she feared. But exhaustion never came. She couldn't tell if they had been tickling her for minutes or hours, her mind was racing, her heart pounding, but her body was fine. She didn't feel sore, she didn't feel worn. Their oily hair bristled on the bottoms of her toes, they scrunched in reaction, but the creatures just tickled the tops of them, sneaking their hair inbetween. Reika laughed hysterically. Though her toes were curled, the oily residue still itched on their bottoms, but slowly it faded. The feeling only lasted temporarily. Still, it meant the creatures could dance their fur all around her, moving on from one spot after only a stroke. If she couldn't see, it would have felt like a thousand tickly strokes all over her. Suddenly, one of them let out an awful death cry, and she was released. She continued to grab at her sides and giggle uncontrollably, despite her release. Finally as the feeling faded, Reika scrambled back, she saw a woman wearing a haori and hakama (like a samurai jacket and pants) grasping a katana and facing the creatures down. Another lay dead. The others ran off into the tall grass. Reika pulled her knees to her chest, rubbing at her blushing feet. She was bewildered and embarrassed. The woman smiled at her, sheathing her blade. She looked to be about 27.
"Hello, I am Mayumi Nao," she said with a crisp bow.
"... Reika Hakara," Reika offered, obligated.
"What are you doing out here, unarmed as you are, Reika?" asked the samurai, concerned.
"Where are we?" Reika was still confused.
Mayumi smiled, understanding, "You must be new here. Welcome. Where are you from?"
"... Tokyo."
Mayumi expression beamed, "Tokyo! What a wonderful coincidence. I am from Edo."
Edo? Am I in the past?
"What year is it?" Reika asked, trying to put it all together.
"There is no year here, Reika," Mayumi explained, "You are at the end. Your destiny is eternal now."
"...what do you mean?"
"Stand, I will show you," Mayumi said, offering Reika a hand.
Reika took her hand and got to her feet. Without warning, Mayumi's hand grasped the hilt of her katana and struck out, Reika tried to avoid it, but winced as she saw the blade coming down on her neck, her eyes were wide. The blade connected, but it didn't cut. Like a feather, small bristles gave way and stroked her neck. Reika brought her jaw to her neck, giggling at the sensation. Still in the motion of trying to avoid the blow, Reika fell back down hard, but there was no pain as her bottom slammed into the ground. She looked up, astonished. Mayumi chuckled.
"How did you die, Reika?" she asked.
"...I'm dead?"
"Surely you must be. Were you not aware of your death? Assassinated, perhaps," Mayumi said, as if it would not be strange.
"I... I died in a plane crash," Reika offered, now accepting the situation.
Mayumi stopped to think, "Ah yes, I have heard of these planes. A form of transportation. You should not have put your fate in the hands of something so completely out of your control."
Reika just stared at her.
Mayumi smiled again, "We are both fortunate. Eternity embraces us all, it does not cast spirits into the abyss. There is no death here, only existence."
Reika looked over at the creatures, laying dead in a pool of blood.
"Do not be concerned, nor feel guilt at their passing. They are spirits of the land, it will consume them and they will return. They too are eternal here, though their existence is different than our own," Mayumi assured her.
Reika stood up again.
"Come, I will show you this land. It is vast, perhaps eternally itself. No one has found it's edge, but there are settlements. Please follow me."
Reika set off with Mayumi, her mind wrestled back and forth between the depression of being pulled away from her life and friends, and the wonder of the prospect of a fearless, eternal existence.
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I thought I'd put this one out there, it's more of a never ending tickle story. I'll keep adding to it, introducing new characters and such. I'll break away from their adventure at times, return to it, whatever. I don't really know where it's going, but it should be fun to write.
She woke in the middle of a field. Quickly standing, she didn't feel injured at all. She looked around for the wreckage, but she was alone in a gigantic field of tall grass. Suddenly, she heard something moving through it. Turning around, she saw strange cat like creatures skulking towards her cautiously, like hunting animals. She froze for a moment, shocked. They stood on two legs and had human like hands with long furry fingers. Hair completely engulfed their claws, keeping them from sight. Her jaw trembled before she bolted. She ran as quickly as she could, desperate and frantic. They were right behind her, she could hear the grass giving way as they chased. Whimpering slightly as she sprinted, the chase seemed to drag on forever. What looked like miles away, she saw a tree line. It was the only thing she could focus on, plains of rolling grass dragged on and on in the other directions. She had to make it to the forest, but she feared that they would catch her before she did. Reika had been on the track team, and the swimming team, she prayed her endurance would outlast their's. Dashing in a mad sprint for the trees, she could still hear them right behind her. The tree line grew, bigger and bigger. How far had she run? How long had this chase gone on? If only she had run like this at the last university competition. Reika was amazed that she wasn't out of breath as she breeched the tree line. The abrupt stop of swaying grass let her know they were still right behind her. She ran past a strange bush and tripped on a vine, entangling her sneaker and pulling it free. She looked back in horror as the creatures descended upon her. Grabbing at her arms and legs, she couldn't escape. Struggling desperately, they grabbed her ankles and ripped off her other sneaker and peeled off her ankle length socks. Reika tried to strike out at them, but her blows were something between a punch and slap, they didn't bother to pay attention. One lifted up her shirt and she winced as it's outstretched hand made a move to tear out her entrails, but it didn't. There was no claws beneath the hair protruding from it's finger tips, she yelped as the motion brushed across her, expecting pain and finding only itching. The feeling stayed with her, their fur was coated in some sort of oil, it tingled. She began to panic as she realized her ankles were not being spared from this sensation, kicking her legs wildly. They held on. A sudden screamed melded into laughter as their flurry claws raked her feet. It tickled. They persisted. The one that had scratched her stomach wrapped itself around her, scratching it's hairy finger tips at her sides. It started licking behind her ear, like a brash loving dog who had been away from it's master for too long. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. Only laughter left her lips. They're going to tickle me to death, she feared. But exhaustion never came. She couldn't tell if they had been tickling her for minutes or hours, her mind was racing, her heart pounding, but her body was fine. She didn't feel sore, she didn't feel worn. Their oily hair bristled on the bottoms of her toes, they scrunched in reaction, but the creatures just tickled the tops of them, sneaking their hair inbetween. Reika laughed hysterically. Though her toes were curled, the oily residue still itched on their bottoms, but slowly it faded. The feeling only lasted temporarily. Still, it meant the creatures could dance their fur all around her, moving on from one spot after only a stroke. If she couldn't see, it would have felt like a thousand tickly strokes all over her. Suddenly, one of them let out an awful death cry, and she was released. She continued to grab at her sides and giggle uncontrollably, despite her release. Finally as the feeling faded, Reika scrambled back, she saw a woman wearing a haori and hakama (like a samurai jacket and pants) grasping a katana and facing the creatures down. Another lay dead. The others ran off into the tall grass. Reika pulled her knees to her chest, rubbing at her blushing feet. She was bewildered and embarrassed. The woman smiled at her, sheathing her blade. She looked to be about 27.
"Hello, I am Mayumi Nao," she said with a crisp bow.
"... Reika Hakara," Reika offered, obligated.
"What are you doing out here, unarmed as you are, Reika?" asked the samurai, concerned.
"Where are we?" Reika was still confused.
Mayumi smiled, understanding, "You must be new here. Welcome. Where are you from?"
"... Tokyo."
Mayumi expression beamed, "Tokyo! What a wonderful coincidence. I am from Edo."
Edo? Am I in the past?
"What year is it?" Reika asked, trying to put it all together.
"There is no year here, Reika," Mayumi explained, "You are at the end. Your destiny is eternal now."
"...what do you mean?"
"Stand, I will show you," Mayumi said, offering Reika a hand.
Reika took her hand and got to her feet. Without warning, Mayumi's hand grasped the hilt of her katana and struck out, Reika tried to avoid it, but winced as she saw the blade coming down on her neck, her eyes were wide. The blade connected, but it didn't cut. Like a feather, small bristles gave way and stroked her neck. Reika brought her jaw to her neck, giggling at the sensation. Still in the motion of trying to avoid the blow, Reika fell back down hard, but there was no pain as her bottom slammed into the ground. She looked up, astonished. Mayumi chuckled.
"How did you die, Reika?" she asked.
"...I'm dead?"
"Surely you must be. Were you not aware of your death? Assassinated, perhaps," Mayumi said, as if it would not be strange.
"I... I died in a plane crash," Reika offered, now accepting the situation.
Mayumi stopped to think, "Ah yes, I have heard of these planes. A form of transportation. You should not have put your fate in the hands of something so completely out of your control."
Reika just stared at her.
Mayumi smiled again, "We are both fortunate. Eternity embraces us all, it does not cast spirits into the abyss. There is no death here, only existence."
Reika looked over at the creatures, laying dead in a pool of blood.
"Do not be concerned, nor feel guilt at their passing. They are spirits of the land, it will consume them and they will return. They too are eternal here, though their existence is different than our own," Mayumi assured her.
Reika stood up again.
"Come, I will show you this land. It is vast, perhaps eternally itself. No one has found it's edge, but there are settlements. Please follow me."
Reika set off with Mayumi, her mind wrestled back and forth between the depression of being pulled away from her life and friends, and the wonder of the prospect of a fearless, eternal existence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought I'd put this one out there, it's more of a never ending tickle story. I'll keep adding to it, introducing new characters and such. I'll break away from their adventure at times, return to it, whatever. I don't really know where it's going, but it should be fun to write.
