[spookies] Spooky story at the Chu Owl Sanctuary

Under the starry night sky of the Chu Owl Sanctuary, a fire was crackling its way through the cool breeze of the night. Flickers and gusty breezes made it flutter and cast long shadows between the trees. Akira sat huddled close to the warmth with his wide, curious eyes. Saki sat crossed-legged near him, her soft brown owl wings wrapped around Akira like a blanket. She sat back against a large tree; her face was partly obscured by the shadows.

These were the moments Akira cherished with Saki. They did not come often, and when they did, it was special. It was only two of the out here, surrounded by the quiet sounds of the sanctuary. The chu owls hooted softly in the distance, their calls soft between the trees. Akira looked up to the sky and saw a few stars shine between the branches.

"Tell me a story, mama," Akira said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

Saki turned to him with a slight smile. His pale yellow eyes of thought shone within the firelight.

"A story, huh?" Saki stretched his arms and inclined himself slightly forward. "What kind of story are you in the mood for?"

"Something spooky! For the Lunisolar Festival," Akira said, his arm already up in excitement. He could never quite tell why he liked stories with spookiness. First of all, they sometimes frightened him, but just the way Saki narrated them was so thrilling.

Saki raise his eyebrow. "Spooky, hmm? Are you sure you're ready for that? Tonight is a a dark night, and the chu owls might not be the only one watching us."

Akira giggled, he looks in to the woods the suround them. The trees seemed to close in, treetops swaying softly in the breeze. The fire crackled a little louder, as if confirmation from Saki himself.

"I'm ready," Akira said, straightening up. "Come on, I'm not afraid!"

Saki chuckled low and shook his head. "All right, all right. But don't come crying when you can't sleep later tonight."

Akira nodded enthusiastically, clinging to his mama's wings a little tighter. Saki leaned forward, his face now serious, his voice low and slow.

"Long ago, before this sanctuary was here, before any of these trees had grown tall, there was a village nearby. It wasn't like the ones we see nowadays, with bright lights and busy streets. No, this village was small and quiet, surrounded by thick forest, much like the one we're sitting in now."

Akira's eyes lit up as he thinking about it: a long forgotten village deep in the woods, far from the world.

"In that village," Saki said, continuing his story, "there lived a boy of your age. His name was Ryuu. Ryuu was quite an adventurous young boy, much like yourself, always off wandering into the woods, looking for something exciting. But the elders in the village would always warn him, 'Do not go into the forest at night. The spirits that guard it do not like people disturbing it'.

No more said Saki, falling silent after the words, intending that the quiet should fall between them at the moment. Akira held his breath because the shiver was already running down his spine.

"But," Saki said with a continued voice, "Ryuu wasn't having it. Ryuu knew the elders were just trying to scare him. So on this full red moon night, Ryuu sneke away from his house and into the woods. The trees were tall, dark trees much like these ones here." Saki nodded toward the trees that ringed them, their branches creaking softly in he breeze.

Akira nervously look around the forest, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Saki's face, the way his voice seemed to drag him deeper into the story.

"Everything seemed fine in the beginning," Saki said. "Ryuu went further and further into the woods-with every step, getting an influx of courage, it seemed. Then he started getting this feeling of unease. The wind would be there one minute, then gone the next, remaining eerily still. The chu-owls, those little birds that hooted in the trees-like those we have in our sanctuary-listened in complete silence.

" Ryuu felt something watching him, " Saki whispered low. " But he couldn't see anything. He kept walking, telling himself he wasn't scared. But the deeper he walked, the darker the woods became. The RED moon disappeared behind thick clouds, and soon Ryuu could barely see the path ahead of him.

Saki hunched more toward him, his voice barely above a whisper now. "Then he heard it. A whisper. 'Go back, it said, 'You don't belong here.'"

Akira felt his fur standing on end from fear, yet he could not stop listening.

" Ryuu looked around, but no one was there. He began to feel afraid, really afraid. The air felt thick and heavy, like something weighed upon him. He wanted to run, but he didn't know which way to go. Every direction looked the same, and the trees seemed to twist and turn as if alive.

Saki stopped again, his eyes fixed acutely on Akira. "Then, out of the corner of his eye, Ryuu saw it, a shadow tall and thin, standing between the trees. It didn't move, but Ryuu could feel its eyes on him, watching. And then it spoke again, but this time it wasn't a whisper. It was a growl, deep and coarse. 'Leave,' it said, 'or you'll never leave at all.'"

Akira gasped; his heart racing, he peered at the sanctuary expecting almost to see some shadowy-type figure among the trees.

"Ryuu turned and ran as fast as he could," Saki said, quickening his voice to match the rising fear of the boy. "He didn't turn back, didn't stop to catch his breath. He ran, feeling the shadow chasing him, its growl echoing in his ears. The trees seemed to reach out for him, scraping their branches against his clothes, trying to pull him back."

Saki's voice was soft again. "But finally, after what seemed like hours, Ryuu saw the edge of the forest. He burst through the trees, panting and covered in scratches. He looked back, expecting to see the shadow right behind him, but there was nothing there. Just the quiet, empty forest."

Akira breathed a sigh he hadn't known he was holding. His ears relaxed just a little, though his heart was still racing.

"Ryuu never went into the forest again," Saki finished, his voice calm once more. "And the elders said he was lucky. Most who meet the spirit of the forest don't come back."

There was complete silence, save the popping of the fire, and a very soft hooting of a chu owl from far away. Akira said nothing for several moments, his mind reeling with pictures of dark forests and shadowy spirits.

Saki fell back against the tree, eyes on Akira in steady regard. "So," he began with a teasing grin, "still not scared?"

Akira blinked and then shook his head fast, though a small shiver actually ran down his spine. "N-no! I'm not scared!" he said, though his voice shook just a little.

Saki chuckled low. "Good. Because, you know, some say the spirit of the forest still watches over places like this. Places where the trees are old and the night is quiet."

Akira swallowed hard, scanning the sanctuary. The firelight was dancing, casting long, flickering shadows on the ground, and the hooting of the chu owls sounded a little closer than it had a moment before.

"But," Saki said in a soft voice now, "so long as we respect the forest, the spirits leave us be. They only get testy when we forget the forest belongs to them." Akira nodded as his racing heart finally began to fall from racing. If Saki said they were safe, they were safe, for he trusted Saki. But still… he couldn't help but glance once more at the trees, snuggling in deeper into Saki's wings. Saki leaned over and gently ruffled Akira's hair. "You did good, kiddo," he whispered softly. "No nightmares tonight, okay?" Akira smiled now, a bit braver. "No nightmares," he agreed, though the part of him was thinking that he might be dreaming of shadows and whispers.

As the fire burned low and the night got quieter, Akira's eyes started to grow heavy. He leaned against Saki, and despite the spooky story, he felt safe and warm. Soon, the crackling of the fire and the soft hooting of the chu owls lulled him to sleep. The woods watched them with their silence and their immobility, where the trees sheltered them from view.

---

As the night wore on, and the embers of the fire died down completely, the surrounding forest grew quieter. The chu owls stopped their hooting song; the breeze that had been softly rustling the leaves faded away to nothing. A faint mist crept over the ground, lazing around the trees. Akira stirred fitfully in his sleep, mumbling something. Saki was awake, he watched over him protectively. His bright yellow eyes scanned the trees as his ears twitched at every slight sound. There was an odd calm in the air, the type that even made Saki wonder whether the old legends he had just told were more than mere stories. Saki exhaled softly, his lips quirking upwards in a reflective smile. Really, he had no idea what had taken over his mind to tell that story tonight, but it had been worth Akira's brave face and the attempts to stifle his fear.