#soulcall

[✾] — In the mountains, a solemn snow fell, erasing distinctive features from the face of the land. Where are we? It was not surprising that someone could become lost in this confusion of rock and road, of twists and drifts of snow. Despite their vigilance, it seemed there had been a critical error in the directions they had obtained, instructions to turn down a road that simply did not appear to exist. “I’ll just go down the next road,” Hijikata had asserted, and Saitou had remained silent, glancing over at the other man’s face before staring out the windshield. Now it appeared the road had hit its end.

A forest of sentinel conifers bristled to the right, a thicker-looking copse than the others populating the area. Peering past Hijikata’s profile, Saitou traced the faint, thin concrete path that branched off from the snow-clogged road they were idling on, watching as it disappeared beneath the shadows of the trees. If there was such a path, surely it led to some sort of settlement. As Hijikata cursed and tapped at the GPS on his phone – which failed to locate them – Saitou reached for his seat belt, unbuckling it.

“I will see if I can find anyone willing to provide us with directions,” Saitou announced. There was no telling just how far the mountain resort they had booked a room in was from their current location. Nevertheless, the resort, while being well-removed from the thrum of city life, was a high-rated destination. Chances were others may have become lost on their way there before. Someone would hopefully know how he and Hijikata could return to the road leading to its luxury, and help set them on the proper path.

Saitou climbed out of the passenger’s seat, feeling a surge of crystalline mountain air slip sharply into his lungs. It was refreshing after the stuffiness of the car’s heated cabin, even if it was frigid. Drawing his scarf up so it covered his chin, Saitou pulled on his gloves and walked around to the other side of the vehicle, moving briskly towards the path that raced off into the trees.

As he came nearer, Saitou could see the trail was a strip of narrow road, dusted with powdery swatches of snow. He began to follow its length, trudging through thick bundles of shin-high snow at random intervals. It would seem that no one had cleared this road for a while; although small, remote communities may not have much of a reason to. It didn’t mean anything. There had to be something and someone at the end of the path he was treading.

Marching along, a sensation quivered against his spine, sweeping towards his understanding like a tide, before being dragged back again in the natural flow of its current. His thoughts clashed passively with each other. You will find nothing. You should return to the car. And then: if you do not proceed you could grow even more lost. It was better to chance it, even if there was nothing. Saitou shivered, one hand lifting to clutch at his scarf and hitch it up a little higher, a white breath fleeing from his lips. His toes were starting to feel numb within his snow-encrusted boots, and he couldn’t help but think of how much he was looking forward to sharing a hot bath when they reached the resort.

The copse of trees came to an end, buildings in the near-distance replacing their dark green with steady structures. As Saitou ventured off the path and onto the small village’s main road, his steps slowed, his glance turning from building to building, spotting the nicely-painted sign of a convenience store. Perhaps that was a good place to start.

Yet he could not deny that the first thing he had noticed about the village was the silence. Silence like the meat scooped out of an oyster, leaving the shell intact. No voices, no evidence of movement. Even the whisper of the wind seemed to evade the village, breathing around its outskirts and refusing to exhale within. A cold, prickling feeling slowly crawled up Saitou’s spine, jabbing at his brain as he moved towards the convenience store, his senses on high alert for a reason he could not fathom.

The door pulled open easily. A lightless space greeted him, the only illumination the white sunlight chilly bending in through the front windows. No one was there. Glancing to his left, Saitou noticed the counter was furred with dust, the shelves lined with untouched packages, the fridge units quiet and dark and largely still stocked. So why was no one there?

A shiver dashed across Saitou’s skin. Turning around, he waded back into the street, slowly making his way past each building, attempting to glance into the dust-caked windows. Everything seemed so serene, so intact, the buildings unravished by time, dust the only evidence of absence. That and the absence, itself.