Christopher Golden - A Winter of Ghosts

"Not really," Karareplied. "I just try not to say the wrong things if I can help it."

Finally, they got under way,heading off into the forest along a wide, well-trodden trail. Kara had lookedat the trail map in her pocket and seen that there were several scenicoverlooks marked off, places where the woods opened up to apparentlybreathtaking views.

As they entered the woods, shelooked up at the sky again, wondering how long it would be before the firstsnowflakes started to fall.

Wakana hated being cold, and shehad been cold since she had set foot outside the dorm first thing this morning.Why they couldn't have done ensoku during the spring or summer this year, shehad no idea. If she knew who had suggested traipsing around Takigami Mountainthe first week of January, she would have slapped him in the face. And she wascertain it had to be a him. What woman would be so foolish? She doubted thateven Miss Kaneda, who obviously loved the mountain, and nature, even in thebleakness of winter, would have come up with such an idea.

She knew that some people lovedwinter, and snow, and the kinds of sports and outdoor activities that wentalong with them. But she had never seen the appeal. And, certainly, it wasn'treally that cold. But it was the principle of the thing.

"Come on, let's not fallbehind," Mai said, reaching back and taking her hand.

Wakana smiled and they hurriedto catch up to the rest of their group. Another one of their friends fromsoccer club smiled as they joined her, the three girls falling into steptogether. They called her Aka for the coppery red highlights in herhair, and Wakana had actually forgotten her proper name, if she had ever knownit in the first place.

"It's actually been kind ofinteresting," Aka whispered, indicating that they should pay attention tothe commentary their homeroom teacher had been providing during the hike.

Wakana felt guilty. She had beenraised to be courteous and polite regardless of the circumstances. But shefound it impossible to care about anything that the teachers might say todaybecause she was so frustrated by the entire trip. Her feet were cold. Her handswere cold. Her nose might have been coldest of all. Fortunately she had a hatthat covered her ears.

Somehow, Mai seemed not to bebothered by the cold at all. Wakana smiled at that. If there had ever been agirl who adapted to change quickly, it was her roommate. Once upon a time, Maihad been relatively quiet and unassuming, though she had enjoyed the popularitythat had come with being a member of the soccer club and a friend of Ume's,back when Ume had still been the one the others would follow. But when Ume hadleft, Mai had stepped into that role. Most of the soccer club girls, she said,just wanted someone to set the pace, someone to follow, and Mai had decided shewould rather be that girl than follow any of the others.

Wakana had never had aninterest. They had been roommates, but opposites in many ways. Wakana hadremained quiet and mostly innocent. But then their lives had been overrun bynightmares. Daisuke — Wakana's best friend, who might have been herboyfriend if either of them had been brave enough to initiate even a singlekiss — had been abducted and murdered by the Hannya. It had taken Wakanaas well, but she had been rescued by Mai and some others, including that gaijingirl, Kara Harper.

For the rest of her life, shewould be grateful to Mai. The girl wore a scar on her face that would be withher forever, and it would always remind them both of what they had faced, andof what Mai had done for Wakana. Which was why Wakana had decided that thisterm she would join the soccer club. She had not really wanted to make friendswith some of those girls — though they had turned out to be nicer thanshe'd expected — but Mai had asked her. There had been no pressure, butWakana had been happy to be asked, and she knew it would make Mai happy to haveher in the club. They had become inseparable now, almost like sisters. They hadcome close to death together and they shared secrets they could never tell theother girls.

If Mai wanted to lead, Wakanawould gladly follow.

"You two are going to endup off the path and lost in the woods!" Aka said.

"Don't worry so much. We'refine," Mai told her.

Wakana smiled. They both likedAka, but the girl had a tendency to get bossy. Mai wouldn't let her get awaywith it.

"Hey, look," Mai said,tapping Wakana's arm.

The whole group began to slowdown a little, whispers and mutterings rippling through the class. Fat whitesnowflakes had begun to drift lazily from the sky. A light gust of wind sentthem dancing and swirling, but then the breeze died down and the snow eddiedand fell.

"Come along!" theirteacher, Mr. Gushiken, called. "You have all seen snow before. Let's stayon schedule so that we can return to the buses before dark. We will be stoppingfor a break at a clearing ahead with the rest of the school. Ten minutes only."

"Ten minutes," Maisaid. "Mr. Yamato said fifteen."

"It's snowing now,"Aka replied. "They want to get us back."

"I don't see why we need tostop at all. We should never even have come onto the trail," Wakana said."We saw the view. That should have been enough."

"Oh, it's not that bad,"Mai said. "It's only a little snow. And the weather center said it wouldpass quickly. I want to enjoy it while I can. It's very pretty."

Wakana rolled her eyes. "Okay,it's pretty. But I'd rather see it out a window."

Mai laughed and shook her head."If you never bother to explore it, the world outside the window might aswell be a painting."

"Who said that?" Akaasked.

Mai gave her a hard look. "Idid. Didn't you just hear me?"

"I thought you were quotingsomeone. It was a great observation."

"Do you think I'm not smartenough to make such an observation?" Mai demanded.

Wakana dropped back a step,letting the two girls argue. Normally it amused her. She liked to listen tothem spar. But right now her nose hurt from the bite of the cold and her feethurt. So far there was only a little snow, but if it fell harder and much of itaccumulated, she worried that it might ruin her shoes. They were really notmeant for winter hiking, mostly because she would never have been here if she'dhad a choice, so she had never had any reason to buy shoes that would be goodin the snow.

Listen to yourself , shethought, upset by how shallow her concerns seemed. This trip had put her in abad mood from the second it had been announced. Tomorrow would be better. Shewould be back to normal, sitting in a nicely heated classroom, and then a warmdormitory.

The snow began to fall a bitharder and the gusts of wind seemed to come more frequently, and blow a bitharder. If she was not mistaken, the sky had darkened somewhat since the snowhad started. She wondered how recently Mr. Yamato had checked with the weathercenter.

Mai and Aka seemed to havefinished their argument, so she quickened her pace and fell into beside them. Witha glance over her shoulder, she saw that the next group — led by MissAritomo — was only fifty yards or so behind them, many of them out ofsight around a bend in the forest trail.

Through the falling snow, theyseemed almost unearthly.

With her head turned, she wasn'tpaying attention to the path underfoot, and her shoe caught on a raised root. Wakanastumbled and fell to her knees on the snow-flecked trail. Frustration and angerlasted only a moment, replaced by amusement at the absurdity of her situation. Ifsomeone was going to fall, of course it would be the one who most wished shewere anywhere but here.

Smiling, Wakana started to rise.

Off in the trees, a boy stoodwatching her. Even in the deepening shadows of the dimming day, even throughthe veil of falling snow, she recognized Daisuke immediately. For just amoment, her mind distracted by so many other things, she forgot that he wasdead and her smile began to widen.