The story continues
The eerie glow of the lanterns followed me as I hiked towards the darkened shrine. I almost expected something to happen, like a Miyazaki movie. The whole scene was very reminiscent of the beginning of `Spirited Away`.
Tall trees lined the path just beyond the lanterns, obscuring my view of anything further off. As I reached the shrine the rain began to fall harder, obscuring my vision.
It was abandoned and empty - the rain and dark had driven off any would-be-prayers, and hence I had been left all alone. Further to my left I could see the faint light from the home of the keepers of this shrine, but they never saw me, never once looked outside.
I gazed in wonder at this great wooden behemoth before me. I peered inside as well as I could, since it was darkened with shadows and gloom.
Somehow the night managed to become darker and I glanced at my watch. I knew that I should go home, to be in time for supper. I walked briskly away from the shrine, down the steep slippery steps, pausing only when I saw a white figure on the water of the moat.
It was a swan. A single white swan.
Tall trees lined the path just beyond the lanterns, obscuring my view of anything further off. As I reached the shrine the rain began to fall harder, obscuring my vision.
It was abandoned and empty - the rain and dark had driven off any would-be-prayers, and hence I had been left all alone. Further to my left I could see the faint light from the home of the keepers of this shrine, but they never saw me, never once looked outside.
I gazed in wonder at this great wooden behemoth before me. I peered inside as well as I could, since it was darkened with shadows and gloom.
Somehow the night managed to become darker and I glanced at my watch. I knew that I should go home, to be in time for supper. I walked briskly away from the shrine, down the steep slippery steps, pausing only when I saw a white figure on the water of the moat.
It was a swan. A single white swan.