Byobu

“If walls could talk...the stories they could tell.” The old woman said quietly with a sigh.

“What do you mean about “talking walls” grandma?” A small girl with a bouncing ponytail popped out from behind the antique screen the woman had been gingerly dusting. She ignored the child and continued her work. The action piqued the girl's interest, and she moved a bit closer to the screen.

“Grandma, what are you doing?” With another sigh the woman turned and gestured to the inquisitive little girl. “Yui come child come look at this byobu I found in storage”. “Byo...bu” she rolled the word across her tongue; it felt foreign to her. “What does it mean grandma?” “Ah the woman sighed again and clasped her head doesn't your mother teach you anything?” The wrinkles on her face crinkled in frustration. Well I suppose to you the translation means wind wall. It is a foldable divider that can separate a room. There is usually a scene sewn into it for decoration. “Wind wall” Yui repeated as she slowly reached out to touch the yellowing fabric. Suddenly the old woman whacked the tiny hand away. “Ouch!” she exclaimed, clutching her fingers to her chest. Yui sulked as her grandmother chastised “This byobu has been with me for my entire life. It is very precious. You are not to touch it, your grandpa gave it to me when we were young, and I brought it with me from the old house.” Yui sank back onto her heels leaning away from the wall. She studied it intently. There was a lovely scene depicted upon the fabric. Across the panels there was a tree embroidered next to water in fine detail and a young woman sat under it playing the strings of a Koto. She was very beautiful. She sat in robes decorated with flowers and had somber smile painted across her face.

Suddenly a loud clap of thunder broke her from her reverie. Dark clouds crowded the sky through the little window facing the backyard. “Oh my," the woman said in a panic, " It's about to storm out there! I forgot about the washing. Yui you stay inside and for heaven's sake don’t touch anything! ” She exclaimed fervently, rushing away in a panic to save her laundry. Yui heard a slam from the front door and the little girl was left alone. She pouted and crossed her arms as she kicked at the ground to express her defiance. “Grandma never lets me do anything," she muttered.

A slight gust of wind from the window blew back her hair and drew her attention to the byobu again. The woman woven into the fabric was so very detailed. Yui thought she could almost see her breathing. The girl stepped closer to the picture tentatively to get closer to the fabric. She squinted her eyes to make out the smaller details in the visage. The wind blew into the room again and suddenly as if bewitched the woman on the screen raised her eyes and looked up straight at Yui. The little girl let out a squeal of shock. Yui was so surprised; she tripped and fell back onto the floor. The woman in the wall giggled at her mistake. Yui rubbed her eyes in disbelief as butterflies filled her stomach. Before she could say anything, the woman in the byobu spoke in a sweet melodic tone. “Hello child please don’t be afraid. I am Ai. I have been waiting for someone to talk to for a very long time.” Minutes passed for what seemed like an eternity. The little girl slowly overcame her fright at the sound of strangers' soft voice. Yui stood up and inched closer to the folding wall. “Hello” she said timidly. “What is your name?" the woman asked, smiling sweetly. “My name is Yui.” “What a wonderful name, child.” “Excuse me, but how did you get in there? gesturing to the screen. "That is a rather long story. Her eyes looked off into the distance. Would you like to hear it Yui? "Yes, of course. Please tell me”she said excitedly. Yui sat down on the tatami floor and began to listen intently.

“Now where shall I begin… Oh yes, once upon a time... there was a beautiful young girl who lived in a small village. She had a simple and content life. She was never deprived of anything and had a loving father who doted on her greatly. The girl was given the name Aiko honoring the man's late wife. Aiko had a very happy childhood, and she grew into a beautiful young lady. Many of the villagers admired Aiko for her temperament and beauty. While others grew jealous of the blessings that were bestowed upon her. Aiko's father was a tailor by trade and, on one very normal day just like any other he decided to leave the village to find more work the next town over. “Now Aiko," he said matter of factly. Please stay inside while I’m gone since I will not be here to protect you.These walls should be sturdy enough to keep danger out.”

“Of course father, do not worry about me, I will be fine.” Aiko waved her father off from the front door with a smile.“ Oh dear what could possibly happen” she said shaking her head. This was her home after all and nothing had ever happened before. She shut the door and turned the lock, going back to her daily chores. After a while she began to practice on her Koto. Father will love to hear me play when he comes back, she thought to herself while happily strumming the strings repetitively.

As darkness fell upon Ai's village, the people retired for the night. Enjoying the evening with their families and retiring to bed. Unbeknownst to the sleeping villagers a demon that resided in the mountain came down to the town under the cloak of darkness. The monster pillaged field after field and destroyed almost all of the livestock. The next morning when the villagers rose from their beds, they were devastated to realize they had almost nothing left. A town meeting was quickly called to address the situation. Most of the villagers gathered together in the village square. “What do we do?" shouted one man. “So much was destroyed!” chimed another. “How will we make it through the winter with a monster in our midst? How will we appease this monster... this demon!” A hush fell upon the crowd as the eldest among them stepped forward. An elderly woman that had hair as gray as the morning fog and as long as her hunched body stepped forward. She raised her bamboo cane and demanded the villagers attention. “Neighbors, I have lived many lifetimes in this village, and this isn’t the first time a monster has attacked our homes. In my youth a tradition was once held to appease the demon and allow peace to reign in the village for many years. The purest among us must be sacrificed to the monster."

Whispers flowed back and forth between the anxious villagers. “Not that tradition," one said. “I thought that was just a legend. It's barbaric," another said. The woman spoke again, “barbaric it may be so but, what do you suggest doing to protect your homes and families.” “Will you abandon this place that has been your home for generations?” Silence fell over the crowd. The crone smirked and one man stepped forward; “our elder is right! Although the tradition is barbaric it has proven to be true by the many years of peace given to us all this time. We must make the sacrifice!”” Shock and fear fell over the crowd.. With one question permeating the air, who will it be?

Meanwhile, Aiko continued her daily chores happily preparing for her fathers return. She washed and cleaned and cooked some of his favorite dishes. She was just about done with her work when there was a sudden knock at the door. “It must be father”, she said excitedly. Aiko ran to the door, throwing it open. “Father…umph” She barely got to say her greeting when she was suddenly grabbed roughly by the wrist, gagged, and dragged out of her home. She was then pulled to the center of town. The old crone came forward amongst the crowd that had gathered and shouted gruffly. “It has been decided that today our daughter Aiko has been chosen as a sacrifice to the monster for the prosperity of this village. We are grateful for her sacrifice.” The villagers cheered. Aikos eyes grew wide as she glanced around the crowd desperately, "Please you can’t do this!” She looked from face to face desperate to be shown any kindness. The men looked on with pity and the women looked on with indifference. Aiko's face turned pale. The crowd restrained her again and delivered her to the edge of the forest outside of town. “Please wait, my father is returning soon.” She struggled against the hands restraining her but it was no use. She had no choice but to go along with the mob.

The villagers dragged Aiko to the base of the mountain in the middle of the forest and tied her to a tree. Aiko begged and pleaded “Please don’t do this”. Her desperate pleas fell on deaf ears. She was soon left alone there. Aiko cried pitifully, confused at the betrayal of her neighbors and sad for her father who would come home to find her missing without an explanation. After some time, her tears stopped flowing and she focused a bit more on untying her bonds. Night fell and the forest seemed to glow from the moon overhead. The sounds of the forest made the night come to life and fueled her determination to keep going. She eventually got one wrist free and soon released the other. “What to do now” she said aloud. “I don't know the way home and if the villagers see me I will surely be dragged back to this tree.” Aiko began to wander the forest not knowing which direction was home. She only stopped when she heard a rustling in the brush around her. The rustling seemed to move around her. She came to a dead stop as the rustling turned into her path. Her gut filled with fear as she thought of the monster. Nevertheless, with nothing to lose she spoke nervously "hel..lo. who's there?” A few more minutes passed and, suddenly a little fox popped out of the brush ahead. Aiko breathed a sigh of relief. “Hello there little fox. You gave me a scare.” She reached out her hand to touch it and cautiously the fox rubbed its face along her palm. “You don’t happen to know a way out of here do you? or, maybe some shelter so that I may rest.” The fox looked at her inquisitively and turned to walk away checking behind it to see if she would follow. Surprised and with nothing to lose Aiko began to follow the furry creature deeper into the forest.

What seemed like hours to Aiko passed as she trekked ever deeper into the forest. She was covered in sweat and scratches from the brush and trees that covered her path. It was hard to keep an eye on the mischievous little animal but, she came so far, she couldn’t give up now she thought. “Little fox please slow down, it's hard to keep up,” she said. As soon as the words left her lips they came into a clearing lit up by the light of the moon. A waterfall was flowing from the edge of the mountain almost glittering in the moonlight. After tending to her wounds in the pristine water Aiko gave into her exhaustion. She collapsed by the waterfall and fell into a deep sleep. In her rest she dreamed of many things and had the vague sensation of being carried. Her consciousness went in and out, opening her eyes she thought she made out the form of a man or maybe it was an angel. She heard a soothing voice in her haze. It commanded her to return to sleep and so she did.

When she woke she was in complete darkness. The room was warm from a fire glowing in one corner. Aiko was confused, wasn't she outside near the waterfall when she fell asleep? “ “I wonder how I got here” Regardless of how she got there she enjoyed the warmth and the comfortable furs she laid upon. I will have to thank my savior in the morning, she thought quietly. She soon drifted off to sleep again. When she awoke the next morning she could hear running water. She ventured out of the abode to find that she was a guest at a very beautiful residence. “Who knew this was so deep in the forest.” she whispered. The house was built into the side of the mountain and a lovely garden of vegetables and flowers that extended all around the home. There was a stream running through the garden peacefully winding into the wood. Aiko deeply felt the warmth and beauty of this place but, who brought me here? Aiko pondered thoughtfully. She was solely alone in this place besides the woodland creatures that chattered away happily around the garden. Aiko made herself at home preparing a meal for her and her benefactor but, no one ever arrived.

The night came again quickly, this time without the light of the moon. There was nothing but inky darkness it made her feel unnerved. Aiko quickly fell asleep much like the night before. The room grew cold and she was startled awake by the sound of footsteps. She froze as they came ever closer to where she lay. They were heavy, probably a man she thought. Gathering her courage Aiko sat up and stared into the dark and asked. “Who is there?” The footsteps stopped and she could feel the heat of someone close to her. “I brought you here,” a smooth masculine voice replied. “Who are you?” she asked. “My name is Kitsune, you were left by your people in the forest to appease me and for that I am sorry” Shocked Aiko replied “if you are here to harm me please do it quickly.” There was a pause “I will not harm you lady.” Aiko felt a soft hand in hers. “Aiko… my name is Aiko. Will you light a fire so that I may see your face?” “ No” he said absolutely “You must understand I am a demon. There are certain rules that separate humans and our kind. If you were to look at me, the goddess would become envious and curse you.” “Ok” she said quietly “why did you harm my village Kitsune.” “He breathed heavily. “That was an accident. A human from your village killed one of my kin in animal form and when I came upon the corpse I went into a rage. I didn’t know they would revive the old custom of human sacrifice. I am sorry for your misfortune but, you may stay here for as long as you wish.” With that Kitsune turned and left the dwelling. Aiko lit a fire and pondered her situation. She decided to stay for a while until things returned to normal and her father returned. Kitsune seemed kind enough and provided for her well so far. Days and then weeks passed quickly during the day Aiko tried to keep herself busy with chores and long walks. Then at night Kitsune provided deep conversation and told her stories that had been lost to time amongst humans. The two were very similar and became very close. Eventually, and naturally the impossible pair fell deeply in love. Kitsune was good to Aiko he provided everything she could possibly want on the condition that she didn't look upon his form of course.

Although Aiko enjoyed her life with Kitsune she deeply missed her father. One night as she lay in his embrace Aiko sighed deeply "Why do you sigh so heavily Ai?”he asked. Aiko replied quickly. “My love I have everything I could possibly want here but I miss my father who probably will die of a broken heart.” Kitsune paused. "Go then to visit your father. I will be here upon your return, but I must warn you that you leave this realm on borrowed time. Once you leave it isn’t so easy to come back. Because you are human you must return in three days' time, or you will never be allowed to enter into this place again. "At his response Aiko's heart leapt with joy to see her father and tell him she was well would ease her worries and with his blessing she could fully embrace the happiness that she found here. “Alright I shall return in three days. I promise” she replied excitedly “Please return to me.” He said longingly. Aiko reached up and kissed him. “Of course, "she smiled. The next day with the help from the forest animals Aiko set out to the village. Her path took her through the waterfall and through the same clearing as before. She arrived at the edge of the forest around midday. There she said farewell to her animal guides and continued on. Aiko traveled around the village to where her father's house stood and tried to avoid being seen by as many people as possible. She wanted to avoid as many questions as possible. It had been several months since she was left in the forest to die.

She approached her fathers house cautiously; it was already in a state of disrepair. She nervously knocked on the door. After several knocks there was no response. Aiko slowly pushed the door open. Why is the door unlocked? She thought. She slowly searched the home going room to room. Then she found him sitting in the garden in her favorite place under a large tree sadly strumming her Koto. Aiko rushed to her father crying out “Father!'' It's me. The old man looked sullen, “I must be dreaming again so I can see my Aiko". Clinging to him she screamed “Father ,Father it is me! I am here! Touching his hand, she brought it to her face. Aiko whispered, "Is it really you?” “Yes father.” “My daughter!” They both had a tearful reunion. Aiko explained what happened when he left the house and, spoke happily of her life with Kitsune in the mountain. Her father sat in silence for a long while “The villagers said you were taken by the monster, not sacrificed!” Angry, the old man began to rise from his seat. “Father it's alright do not worry I have all of the wonderful things I could ever want with Kitsune, please don’t be angry.” Although he was reluctant to lose his daughter again, her health and happiness were the only things that mattered to him. Aiko if this man makes you happy, I can say nothing of your union but, I hope that you can stay for a few days.” “Yes, I can stay only a short while but, in three days I must go back.”

Eventually the village found out about Aiko's return. They accused Aiko of colluding with the demon and scorned her presence among them. Even though Aiko tried to explain what happened, fear made her explanations fall upon deaf ears. Secretly there was another town meeting to discuss her sudden arrival. “We have a unique opportunity” one of the elders said “if we lure out the monster, we can kill it.” “Yes!” said another. “We can free ourselves from the demon once and for all!” A plan was then formed amongst them to take Aiko and imprison her, luring the monster out of the mountain.

A mob went to the home of the tailor to take Aiko away. They forced themselves into the home grabbing and binding her wrists.” Please stop, you must release me. I must go back.” She struggled against the bonds. Her father shouted angry protests “where do you think you are going with my daughter!” He tried to fight the crowd but he was pushed away and restrained. The people took her to a small stone building outside of the town and imprisoned her there. Soon the first and second day passed. Aikos' cries to be released fell on deaf ears. Her father wasn’t even allowed in to console the pitiful girl. The third day passed slowly and her heart mourned for her love that she would never be able to see again.

Kitsune waited anxiously each day Aiko was gone. The third day came and went and Kitsune soon fell into a dep sadness that turned into a blinding rage. He deeply cared for Aiko as much as his kind could love. He needed to find her to know what happened to her. Night fell and Kitsune descended upon the village in darkness. Kitsune searched and searched for Aiko in the village until he came upon the stone building. Kitsune ripped off the lock and threw open the door. Lying there upon the stone floor unconscious was Aiko. She was very weak. Just as he was about to rush into the room the villagers attacked him with knives and rocks. Aiko started to stir from the commotion she could hear him moaning in pain from the door and the shouts of the villagers soon after. “No” she screamed “Kitsune!’ Aiko weakly rushed to her feet. She ran out of the hut and threw herself in front of Kitsune, shielding him from the blows. In the violent Malay a rock flew and hit Aiko in the head. She fell hard on the ground ,and blood poured from the wound. Kitsune roared a thunderous roar and reached down to cradle her. Amazingly in the dim rays of torchlight Aiko could finally see the godly beautiful features of her love. She reached out to touch his face tenderly. “I am sorry my love” Aiko whispered. Soon she fell into unconsciousness. Kitsunes screamed again in anguish. The villagers feared the wrath of the demon running from the scene they quickly returned to their homes.

Kitsune grabbed his lifeless love and cradled her to his chest. “Aiko no please don't go! I will do anything please..." Suddenly a heavenly light shone upon the man and woman piercing through the dark. “The goddess” Kitsune whispered “No you can’t take her from me now.” He screamed, weeping covered in her blood. In a heavenly glow Aiko's body turned into a tangled web of thread. Kitsune clutched the mass and wailed for his lover. After some time and troubled with the weight of pain and regret. Kitsune found Aikos fathers house bringing with him the thread that the Goddess had turned Aikos body into. After the demon vanished into the mountain never to be heard of or seen again. Aiko's father grieved deeply for he loved her just as much. He very painstakingly and lovingly sewed each thread into the form of the loving daughter he loved so much into a beautiful byobu. That was how I was born, little Yui saved by the Goddess and woven from the love of my father. I was reborn here as Ai. On stormy days when the wind blows from that mountain the Goddess gives me the power to speak and tell my story. Yui breathed in sharply but, what happened to Kitsune? She said sadly. Ai smiled painfully “Kitsune still lives and one day perhaps at the end of the world we shall see each other again.” Suddenly rain poured outside the house. There was pitter patter upon the roof and the smell of wet earth filled the air. Yui stood and walked towards the open the window. “How sad, ”Yui whispered. She could hear the door slam again and the bustling of her grandma's footsteps in the kitchen. “Thank you for your company, child. I must return now.” Ai returned to her stoic silence in the byobu with the passing of the wind. Leaving a heavy heart behind "Goodbye Ai". Yui stared out the window as she reflected on Ai's tale. when something suddenly caught her eye out of the window. Beyond their yard on the edge of the forest a little fox sat staring at her through the trailing rain. Upon catching her eye, the fox stared for a moment and then darted off back into the forest. Yui turned back and looked at Ai still gracefully playing the Koto on the screen “I think your Kitsune is waiting for you Ai.” She said with a smile.