Kyoko and the Kappa

 

They warned me not to go

Down the fated path

To the land where light fades to darkness

Where there is no turning back

 

Through the tall Cryptomeria trees

Over the sleepy old bridge

Underneath in the water

He waits with a full lid

 

I should have listened to them

They knew more than I

That if you turn your back on him

No one will hear your cries

 

Maybe one day I can go back

I tell myself each day

Through murky water and distant passages

My tears are hidden away

 

Perhaps when my family regains hope

That somewhere near I lay

Perhaps someday when the trees melt away

When the kappa fades to grey

 

I long for the life I once despised

The simple chores and expectations

Where my eyes could see the sky

When I could hear the clouds whisper my name

 

Kyoko means mirror

A reflection of your heart

I turned my head the other way

And now I’m stuck in the dark

 

 

 

            My name his Kyoko Yoshida and I wait for a day when I can come back to the light.

~<>~

Throughout my life my parents have told me not to cross over the Tosogare Bridge from the light of the village and into the darkness of the forest beyond. Although I have always obeyed the rules I have also often been curious as to what is on the other side.

On a warm sunny afternoon in the middle of the rice harvesting season, I hastily neglect my duties and stroll down the worn dirt path away from the fields. The sky is a beautiful baby blue with few clouds poking about the vastness of its expanse. The scenery around me is all I have ever known, and so I am taking a chance to learn of new wonders that wait beyond my minuscule knowledge. Soon I stop in front of the path that leads to the Tosogare Bridge. It is large and made of delicately carved stone and planks of wood. I marvel at the sight of it, excitement building up in the pit of my stomach. I approach cautiously but lose all control and soon end up skipping quickly over the Tosogare, my skirts swishing together and my straw sandals hitting the planks of wood beneath me. I gaze out upon the river taking in the beautiful view and as I approach the other side I feast my eyes on a large dark forest full of Cryptomeria trees. As I peer into the forest the sun becomes insignificant and darkness takes over. I back away and follow a path that leads below the ancient wooden bridge. The murky water doesn’t allow me to look to the bottom of the river, instead all I see is my reflection. My long black hair flows in the wind, and my pale skin emanates a soft glow. My dark brown eyes scan the reflection up to a figure standing behind me. I turn startled and find that there is nothing behind me. Wary I turn slowly back towards the river to find that in front of me stands a small mossy green figure, with a beak and a shell attached to its back.

Startled I stumble backwards, my focus shaken. ‘What a peculiar creature.’ My mind wanders, ‘Perhaps I have heard of such a creature before?’ I concentrate, while keeping a trained eye on the little green beast. ‘A Kappa I think? Oh yes that’s it! He’s a water imp!’ I am excited to have figured out the species of creature, but I had always thought them a myth. The Kappa keeps its eyes rested on me then gives out a short gasping laugh. It has played a trick on me I think sullenly. I have only ever heard the legends and warnings of Kappa’s that they are mischievous and sometimes evil water sprites. Having been able to remember this information I begin to feel nervous trying to come up with a way to get out of this encounter. As I begin to stand in hopes of running away, suddenly, in a quiet raspy voice it looks at me with its small eyes and asks, “What is your name child?” I look at it hesitantly not wanting to answer, but despite its small stature I am intimidated. I answer slowly, “Kyoko…” The water imp smirks and replies “Very well then.” Confused and more worried than before I start rushing back to the top of the bridge, but soon I feel a slimy hand grab my right wrist. With petrified eyes and an escaping voice all I can manage is a whispered, “No…’.

I find myself being dragged into the depths of the river struggling to hold my breath. With a steady pace, the kappa begins to surface bringing my half-unconscious body into a dark damp cave under the river. The only remnant of life in the cave is a small pile of cucumbers. I soon remember that cucumbers are a Kappa’s favourite food, the only one that can top the taste of a child’s flesh.

Noticing my anxious gaze the kappa chimes in, in a drawled out voice, “Aha yes, you’re safe for now my dear Kyoko, but soon my supply will run out and I am already having trouble resisting sucking out your soul. No stay seated girl; you move one step and I’ll break your bones.” His words ring loudly in my ears, terrified; I seal myself into a corner of the cave and wait.  

~<>~

            For days I have been sitting here letting the hours pass me by, being tormented by the evil Kappa. I am starving, cold and fear for my life. I regret more and more everyday that I made the decision to cross to the other side of the Tosogare Bridge.

~<>~

From the rippling water hole in the center of the cave the water imp ascends. His small body dripping with fresh river water, in his left webbed hand he carries nothing, the usual stack of cucumbers, the only thing he desired to eat more than the flesh of my chilled body, are not there. I have been sitting here for too long but through this time I have devised a plan.  He looks toward me with a snide glare, but I am determined to get the best of him. 

“So dear Kappa,” I say “I suppose I should greet you seeing as it is a new day.” I bow to the green beast in hopes of him returning the gesture. I have learned from elders stories that water imps are compelled to polite behaviour. ‘If only I can get the water contained in the indent of his head to spill then he will be rendered useless!’ I think restlessly, waiting for a response.

He gets up slowly and walks toward me in a slow demeanour. He replies saying “Oh dear Kyoko, you are so polite.” He slowly bends over and the water filling the indent on the top of his head spills. ‘I knew it…’ I thought, ‘He couldn’t resist!’ I heave a sigh and gather my strength, pushing myself to my feet. He yells at me to stop, that I used his good manners to my advantage but I keep running, as fast as I can. There is no way I could ever feel sorry for that hideous creature! All he wants is to eat my soul! I take a deep breath and dive through the hole in the bottom of the cave. Agonizingly, I swim with all of my might, taking my focus off the burning sensation filling my lungs. I’m almost to the top of the rivers surface when I feel his slimy hand grab my ankle. ‘He must have crawled his way to the water hole’, I think. I took too long swimming to the surface.

I try to claw my way out of his grasp, but my skirts are pulling my under with their weight. Bringing my hands up I try to loosen them but it’s too late, my lungs are giving in, and there is no more air. I see my last glimpses of light seeping through the cloudy water, now being dragged deeper and fainting after losing my last breath.

Coming to, I wake in the cave with a fearsome headache and blurry vision. I gaze to the left and spot the Kappa looking at me with its fierce eyes, looking further back I notice that its pile of cucumbers has been exhausted. I hear a cry, whether or not it came from me I do not know, but everything goes pitch dark. 

~<>~

I am a soul drifting around the earth. I breath no air, I eat no food, all I can do is relive my final pain inflicted moments. The kappa sucked the soul out of my body but failed to contain me. I watched as my parents lost all hope of finding me after I had gone missing, crying out to them I wished that I could at least say goodbye. But nobody can hear me, I have no last words. Now for the rest of eternity I will stand atop the Tosogare Bridge and warn curious children to go back, to not make the same mistake as me.

 

Kyoko means mirror

A reflection of your heart

I turned my head the other way

And now I’m stuck in the dark

Author's Note

I wrote this for a class I had a while ago, I edited it and changed parts. Hopefully people will like it. Tell me if there are mistakes or things that I could further improve upon :)

Reviews

[Kitko]

I remember this story! I still really like it :)
I think I said this when I first read it, but I would have made a deal with the Kappa to bring him cucumbers in exchange for my freedom.

I only noticed small grammar and spelling mistakes:

"I marvel at the sight of it, excitement building up in the put of my stomach." I think "put" was meant to be pit.

"With a steady pace the kappa begins to surface bringing my half-unconscious body into a dark damp cave under the river." A comma can be added after "pace".

"For days I have been sitting here letting the hours pass me by, being tormented by the evil Kappa." I think that a comma can be added after "here", but I'm not sure.

"Agonizingly I swim with all of my might, taking my focus off the burning sensation filling my lungs." A comma can be added after "Agonizingly".

"He must have crawled his way to the water hole I think." There can be a comma added after "hole", or the part that she thinks could be put into ' ' those since that's what you used in the story for when she is thinking something.

That's all :)
So, really just comma stuff haha.
Again, I really like this story, the poem works so well with it! Great job :)

[Reba B.]

Dude that was awesome! I love the poem at the beginning! :) It foreshadows the whole story without giving it away, which is cool!
Don't ask my why, but I really liked her death sequence too lol (I'm being morbid again lol :D)