Pilgrimage To The Togakushi Shrine

As snowflakes dance at the Togakushi Shrine, the air hangs still, providing an eerie backdrop to her beauty.

“Frozen wildflowers slumber beneath the ice of Togakushi shrine, and whispers of another era linger in the mountains of Nagano,” I muse.

“Ain't you all bright-eyes and bushy-tailed,” she says. “That’s all for today.”

Amidst towering thousand-year pine trees that flank the ancient temple's steps, she packs up our equipment. In the chill of the deepening dusk, the ground beneath us has frozen anew.

“One more take?”

She freezes me out.

Known as the Ice Queen, Jeanette, my producer, harbors a contempt for me that began my first day. They say her boyfriend was dismissed to make way for me.

We pack our things into the car. It refuses to start.

Within the frigid car’s confines, I feel my bones shiver.

“We’re going to die out here,” she whispers.

“At least we have each other.”

Her response is another frosty silence.

“What do you fear?” I ask.

Her silence ends. “Being alone forever,” she murmurs.

Alone?

Darkness blankets the desolate mountain. A light flickers, a home nestled in the trees below.

I point. Her gaze follows.

“I doubt they’d welcome a feuding couple with open arms,” she remarks.

“No,” I concede.

I bridge the gap between us. Reluctant at first, she reaches out. Our lips meet fleetingly.

I have little time to savor the moment.

“Let’s go.” She tugs at my arm.

We begin our descent, a newfound warmth pushing us onward.