Meanwhile back in Japan, Kenzō’s love awakes to blue sky and the sun shining down, this makes her go for a walk across the open fields picking flowers as she goes. Then she hears her name being called, “Akiko. Akiko.”
The voice seemed to be coming from the forest, a place she dared not to enter, for it is a dark uninviting place, where the trees seem to creak and moan even when there is no breeze blowing through them.
“Akiko... Come to me my love.”
“Kenzō, is that you?”
“Yes. Come to me. Come, come.”
The young lady stares into the gloom and asks, “Where are you my love? I do not see you.”
“Follow my voice, my dear. Come to me.”
Akiko takes a deep breath before she places one foot on to the dead foliage, that covers the ground like a thick blanket, and she asks again, “Kenzō, where are you?”
“Here. Here, my darling. See me now?”
The young woman is overjoyed to see the man she loves, her fear is replaced with delight as she is so pleased to have back. Then she wonders, why the forest? Why did he not just come home?
This makes her stop a few steps from him and she goes on to ask her questions.
“This way no one would see you kissing me. I want you my darling. Come, give me a kiss.”
Akiko does as he asks.
“My dear,” he whispers in her ear. “What if I told you I could make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. Would you like that?”
“You know I am not bothered about that, my love. For I am happy with whatever you bring home.”
“I will buy you the most expensive Kimonos. I want to give you whatever your hearts desires.”
The young lady places a hand to her lover’s chest and replies, “All I want is you. I don’t need anything else. What’s going on? You know this.”
“All I am asking, is there something you want. The finest perfume, hairpins, makeup? Tell me what do you truly desire.”
Akiko looks at him all confused and asks, “What has got into you? Stop this foolishness. You know all I ever want is you.”
Kenzō gives her a hug and replies, “All I ever want is you too. I just wanted to give you more than just my love.”
“Silly, you know your love is all I need. As long as we are together, we will be happy.”
“You are quite right my dear. Even so, your beauty will begin to fade, like a dying flower. I know you do not like the prospect of becoming old and frail. What if I told you I am capable of making you the same as the gods.”
The young woman’s eyes sparkle with wonder and she asks, “How is this possible?”
“Just give me your love and you will never age again.”
“Yes. Yes. I give you all my love. Let’s spend eternity together,” replies Akiko all excited.
Then Kenzō gives her a sinister grin and hissers through his teeth, “Your soul is now mine.”
The moment the young lady sees horns growing out of her lover’s forehead she tries to leave, only to discover the tree roots have wrapped themselves around her feet and the more she struggles the tighter they become.
Akiko watches in horror as Kenzō turns into some kind of hideous, deformed creature, that grabs hold of her by the shoulders with its long bony fingers and the sharp claws start to dig through her clothing into her flesh.
“NO! NO! RELEASE ME!” she cries at the top of her voice.
The creature pulls her close and hisses, “You’re mine.”
When the young lady sees the skull with sharp teeth coming towards her, she squeals until the creature has taken her final breath, then it releases her lifeless body and starts to transform. The noises of bones cracking and crunching is enough to make, if anyone heard it, their skin crawl. Once the creature has successfully turned into the young lady, it puts on her clothes and heads to the village where it carries on the charade.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
