Night Rain

Ancestor

The sun was high in the sky, the heat beating down on me as I wiped my forehead. My long white hair refused to stop sticking to my face so I quickly pulled it into a pony-tale, tying it up in a spare hairband I had around my wrist.

Without warning, a squirt of water hit my face.

“No fair!” I shouted down, wiping the water dripping down my cheek.

Siri stuck her tongue out, laughing, “That’s what you get for hiding in the Sacred Tree, you cheater!”

“No one ever said we couldn’t hide in trees!” I argued back.

“Amaya!” Mom’s voice resonated around me, “Come here for a minute!”

“Okay!” I replied.

Slowly, I climbed down the large tree, taking each branch carefully. When my feet hit the ground, I ran to my front door, sliding it open and looking around the living room.

I found my mom in the kitchen, standing over the stove.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Would you mind helping your grandfather clean out that old shack? I don’t think his back can handle it.”

“I said I could take it!” Grandpa’s muffled voice said.

Mom smiled a little, shaking her head, “Please?”

I laughed and nodded, “Sure mom. Let me just say goodbye to Siri.”

“And put some decent clothes on afterwards.” She added, eyeing me.

I looked down and laughed a little. The black and white bikini probably wasn’t suit for hanging around, but it wasn’t that back. The bottom, unlike most, looked more like a skirt. It had a black band along the top and black undershorts with white ruffles over it, matching my silver hair. The top was black and white as well, but the white looked more like lace along the top.

“Okay.” I said, heading out.

Siri was sitting on the wooden bench under the tree, swinging her legs and whistling.

“Hey Siri, I have to help grandpa for a few hours, so how about you come over tomorrow and we’ll settle the score?”

She snickered as she stood up, “Ok, you’re on. But don’t complain when I beat you fair and square!”

“Like you could!” I scoffed.

“You wanna bet?” She challenged.

“Amaya!” Grandpa yelled, “Where are you?”

“Coming!” I shouted back. I turned around before glancing back at her, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

She nodded and waved before she walked down the long stairway.

Grandpa was just beyond the Sacred Shrine, rummaging through the junk shed.

“Sorry, Grandpa.” I said, walking up behind him.

He smiled at me, showing he accepted my apology, and opened the double doors to the rundown building, smiling proudly at all of the cardboard boxes piled up.

“So we’re cleaning these out?” I asked, tilting my head.

He shook his head, “Of course not! We’re just blessing them to keep the spirits at rest.”

"Alrighty then. So how do we do it?”

“Actually, I’ll be the one doing it since I am the elder with more experience. And no offense Aya, but you seem to lack the spiritual powers needed for it.”