Darkness

I hit the ground hard as I land in the cold rocky bottom of the 'keep'. My leg twists and pain racks my body. At the same time, the smell of rotting meat fills my nose and bile rises in my throat.

"Useless" Yubi, mutters was she climbs down the two meter droop effortlessly.

The room is barely lit by the scant sunlight that streams around the edges of the rock above. I can see three ovals, like the one I was carried with, hanging on the wall. The child reaches for one , and Yubi gently lifts it down and then tears the top off. The rotting smell intensifies and I cannot hold my vomit back.

After Yubi drinks from the oval, she hands it to the child, who drinks greedily.

"Put this on, not only are you disgusting to look at, you are also now covered in blood and vomit" Yubi states as she throws one of her dresses at me.

"The web..." I say as I point to the web around my waist.

"Fine" she sighs exasperatedly. Yubi easily breaks the steel like thread. " if you try to climb, I'll just break your legs".

Yubi catches me looking at the entrance and states "Don't think your blood smell or anything else will lead those others to our camp. We use a special poison to delete all other scents. Also, since you are underground, there is no chance of a breeze taking your scent to them either. "

I swallow hard, and try to get my shaking under control as I change into the dark, rough dress that only barely comes half way to my knees. I sit carefully by the wall of the cave, the pain from my cut hand, bruised face, and twisted ankle starting to return.

The child, who has yet to say a word or be named, walks curiously over to me. She reaches for me hand as Yubi watches from the side of her eyes while cleaning up my mess from earlier. The child grabs my hand and I wince from the pain, but do not pull my hand back, afraid of Yubi's wrath if I were to accidentally hurt the child.

The child lifts my hand to within an inch of her face and tilts her head left, then right. I shriek and try to pull my hand back when the child start to lick my wound, her tongue feeling like thousands of razors grating my skin. The child is too strong and I am unable to pull my arm from her grip. I almost pass out from the pain when she finally stops and releases my hand. I notice the pain is gone and that it is no longer bleeding.

"What a nice girl my Yumi is," Yubi purrs as she pats Yumi on the head. "She cleaned your wound for you, you should be grateful, you stinking pile of dung."

I nod and try to smile at Yumi, who smiles back and then walks into the darkness further in the keep.

"Is she able to speak?" I ask, trying to make some sort of conversation.

I realize my mistake too late as Yubi lifts me up by my hair. "Trash like you does not speak unless spoken too. My daughter, the only survivor of her egg group, is more intelligent than all other yokai, of course she can speak." She spits as she throws me against the wall.

Blackness again fills my vision.

I think of Teruma, who was left bleeding in the cave and I hope that Arakan or Nobu find him in time to save fin from the poison. I reach towards my neck and my hand finds the small pearl necklace that Teruma gave me this morning, although it feel likes eons have passed since then. I would give anything to be back in that other cave, I think as I let the darkness carry me off to sleep.