Ayumi was not a stranger to accidents; in the end she had faced a major one that flipped her life upside down completely, the car accident that resulted in her parents death and forced her to move out of her childhood home at the age of seven to remain in the care of her grandmother. But now these last few months, preceding her eighteenth birthday date, were peculiar both in nature and in frequency. A man or a woman could have bad luck, supposedly their entire life, but it seemed as if the episodes of bad luck had befallen the young girl suddenly without any instigation, poor Ayumi has offended no gods and no persons… these recurrent accidents made her friends question laughingly what ghost or deceased spirit the poor girl had angered! There did not seem to be a rock or a stone that did not stand on her way to trip her into a deadly accident, there was not a twig or a branch that did not fall just as she would be passing under it for the sole purpose of crushing her. Even the flowers emitted a hostile fragrance, one that her friends attributed to her imagination, and bared their thrones like blades to catch her off while unguarded.
"Ayumi, your luck is surely running so low these days…"
Yuki, a girl with short cool hair and Ayumi's second best friend, commented on the third day of the weird incidents. She was tomboyish enough to remain courageous and walk home with Ayumi but at the same time careless enough to continue doing so.
"You do not need to tell me that twice!"
Ayumi huffed in irritation, dusting the leafs and dirt off her clothes after the nearby bush they were passing by suddenly, out of nowhere, literally half exploded like a cartoon show.
"Well her luck is intact regarding her grades, I am certain this is more important to her!"
Chisato, Ayumi's first best friend since elementary school, a girl with light wavy hair and wide eyes remarked, standing three steps behind them, taking her precautions since the start of the walk home.
"Really? And what will my grade benefit me when I am dead!"
Ayumi replied in frustration, she was used to her friend's constant teasing about being "the nerdy girl", but god knew she was already fed up with these strange happenings and the need to patch herself up behind her grandmother's back and the washing of her clothes.
" But seriously Ayumi, maybe you should see a spiritual healer to fix your fortune!"
"Who will die from an exploding bush?!"
Chisato countered Yuki in mockery of her friend's fascination with supernatural stuffs before realizing that the incident itself "an exploding bush" is actually, as funny as it sounds, undeniably weird and unnatural.
"Seriously Ayumi, maybe you killed or harmed someone in your past life, and now their spirit is after you!"
The girl with the wavy hair tried to rationalize the situation, still deciding if she should side with the supernatural curse her friend Yuki was eager to invest in, or remain on the cynical side of mere bad luck and divine retribution although she did not know for what.
"That does not look good!"
She exclaimed as she noticed Ayumi struggling to remove some leafs away from her hands and legs, and by doing so giving herself some nasty scratches that obviously burned and hurt, minimizing her protection area by two closer steps.
"Come one! Who heard of firework leafs now!!"
Ayumi hissed through her teeth as the leafs dug into her skin like burning ashes latching to wood. Crouching to examine the wounds, Yuki suggested in concern, this time trying to rationalize the situation:
"Maybe you have some plant allergy or some skin condition…"
"Never knew I did!"
Ayumi grabbed her school bag, urging her two friends to move on, sick of the people watching her tree customized school uniform.
The rest of the walk home was quite safe and uneventful. The breezes of the afternoon seemed to grow suddenly cooler brushing Ayumi's skin smoothly and soothing her itching injuries. Another "abnormal" happening that Ayumi's friends failed to notice and the girl herself did not bring up in fear of looking superstitious or crazy in her friends' eyes. Besides, Ayumi herself was not sure of this wind action though partially convinced. By the same time these strange accidents had been occurring to her, all related to rocks, leafs, and ground, there seemed to be another force, an opposing good luck perhaps, protecting her from these mishaps. Whenever she was about to be hit by something, a large branch or a storm of soil and rocks, the wind seemed to intervene in an incomprehensible way; whether by directing the branch away or pushing her gently backward, even now it was rubbing softly against her burning scratches, literally for lack of a better description, blowing the pain away. However, Ayumi did not mention these "heavenly interventions" because she had no concrete evidence to them. Also, what on earth would she say? "The earth is attacking me and the wind is protecting me!" This was her ticket to a psychiatric referral for sure. Although at the sight that awaited her home, the girl theorized she was not possibly far from it.
Bidding her friends goodbye, Ayumi followed the calls belonging to her grandmother, standing in the backyard, watching in astonishment how a giant ivy grew over a single day, clinging to their back walls and sprouting its branches around Ayumi's bedroom window.
"WHAT IS THIS?!"
"I don't know how it happened, but this is amazing! I never noticed we had an ivy in our backyard!"
The grandmother replied calmly, still taken by admiration of the beautiful plant in response to her granddaughter exclamation.
"That is because we don't have one! We never did!"
"But it is so beautiful, look at the little buds it's carrying!"
Ayumi looked at the plant, it was beautiful indeed; lithe branches carrying little blossoms bedded within green leafs. She could not deny its beauty, but she could not ignore the unnatural growth either. Surprised by her grandmother's lack of questions or wonderment, she commented, a little cynical due to her lately declining luck:
"Are you sure this is a good sign? Does it not mean our house is growing moldy and old? Maybe about to collapse!!"
"Come one! What's moldy and old about such a magnificent plant? I am sure it is a sign of good luck, maybe a growth in fortune or health is waiting us!"
"Huh…"
Ayumi crossed her arms eyeing the suspicious plant grown over day failing to spot anything intimidating about it except for one detail. It was surrounding her bedroom window! As if specifically embracing that frame and ignoring any other... making it very clear whom it was targeting! Knowing she will gain nothing from scrutinizing the plant, except for incurring her wrath perhaps, Ayumi followed her grandmother silently inside the house, praying the roof won't collapse above their heads tonight.
In that regard, and that regard alone; things went well for that night. The roof did not collapse, and the wall did not creack but as Ayumi was fast asleep, a small crack was heard, followed by the shattering of the glass, making the already awakening girl jump out of her bed, yelling terrified at the roots that sprouted inside her room. Their ends were trimmed like knives, their soul aim the girl inside the room. Clumsily, the girl jumped around, succeeding in tripping over the moving roots more than dodging them, earning more scratched and wounds in her frightened attempt at leaving the room while pinching herself continuously to assure herself this was not a nightmare.
"Grandma!!!"
Ayumi called, unable to believe how her grandma could remain asleep amidst the ensuing chaos. Without knocking at her door and while still followed by the roots, she barged into her grandmother room, practically leaping into her bed and shaking her awake to no avail. Paralyzed by fear for a second, Ayumi thought of the worst... but her grandmother seemed to be sleeping deeply and soundly, her breathing was not disordered or erratic, it was as if she's been put under a trance, not to wake up. Ayumi turned at the ambushing roots and realized they had stopped moving upon entering the old woman's room. Their purpose was clear; they were after Ayumi and Ayumi alone. Seeking refuge in her grandmother's bed, the root did not attack but still wiggled in their place like snakes, all that was missing was the dreadful hissing.
"You can't harm me here!"
Ayumi challenged the vicious plant which seemed to be growing impatient and her intention on harming no one else but the young girl hiding in her grandmother's covers did not take long to run out. Ayumi jumped again out of the bed dodging the attack, the roots surrounded her grandmother's bed did not make a move on her. Nevertheless, they managed to block the girl's refuge. Ayumi was relieved to know her grandmother was apparently safe, she wasn't targeted, only she was. Some of the roots made a second move aiming to pierce the young girl with a deadly precision, Ayumi stepped backward in horror, she was truly going to die by some cursed plant! As fear took hold of her heart, she had nothing to block the attack with except her bare hands, a stupid move, seeing how the roots end were sharp and piercing, but she bent in horror protecting her face and chest with her crossed arms; she was praying for a gust of wind to trim those insulting branches and roots but nothing came. If the wind were her imagination, the attacking angry earth defenitly was not. But even as no wind blows came, Ayumi still stood unharmed, a bright light emanating from her hands and crushing the attacking roots. Releasing a shout of pain and terror, Ayumi fell down to the ground shaking… just what had happened? Where did that light come from? She hesitated for a second out of fear of blasting her own face before taking a look at her palms, they looked normal and nothing came out again. The roots hit by that mysterious light remained on the ground burnt and dead before dissipating into nonexistence. Enraged, the remaining roots agitated and started attacking at random aiming at anything they could hit. Fearing for her grandmother's safety, Ayumi stood once again and extended her hands, ready for the fight but nothing came out this time as well.
"Ah…. Why?!!"
Ayumi screamed as she dodged another attack. Realizing the place was no longer safe, even for her grandma, and as the roots were clearly meant for her, Ayumi turned on her heels and went downstairs as fast as she could run, leaving the house. Her guess was right; the roots followed her persistently, not allowing her to catch a breath. The targeted girl still in her yellow pajama ran randomly amidst empty streets and closed shops. The night was poorly illuminated by flickering lamps and a waning moon. After running for a few miles, the roots rather than following her seemed to be cornering her and forcing her into a certain spot. Soon, the terrified girl found herself standing at the central park, usually closed at this hour, but the doors were left ajar, an invitation. Fed up with this ongoing craziness, Ayumi pushed the doors and entered, the roots crawling at her feet mimicking the movements of snakes.
"Who is there? What do you want from me?"
Ayumi did not know who she was calling out, but she was certain she was feeling another presence. Maybe the master controlling these evil roots and the one behind all her latest mishaps. She did not call for help, still afraid to look out of her mind as she was not sure if she was imaging things or if they were really happening. Again, her intuition did not fail her. There was someone else indeed in the park; a figure obscured by the night's darkness sitting nonchalantly and chilling, enjoying the show, at a huge high branch no ordinary person would be to climb to it.
Ayumi looked up, daring the man or woman to show him or herself.
"Such a laughable fight you have put out on for me. I was honestly expecting more out of you, Tao! But if your last days were any indication, you have grown and is still weak and pathetic! This won't be as fun as I was hoping it to be, but surly, it will be satisfying!"
A voice laced with malice and deranged sarcasm flew out of the obscure figure, who now stood atop the branch with perfect balance, not even using the huge stalk to lean on, slim and confident like a cat. Ayumi took few steps backward, she was certainly not dealing with someone sane or normal but the roots along others from the park sprung up blocking her way forming a barrier.
"You know there is no escape, this is long overdue!"