Everything was peaceful. The birds chirped. The soft, forest sunlight gathered in pools on the ground. The nearby stream was bubbling a watery lullaby. The breeze made the green leaves dance.
"Mary, the outside world is a dangerous place."
The words were from a woman named Shion Kozakura, whose eyes were as crimson as the setting sun, and long hair as white as the rising moon. She indeed had evidence of youth in her fair complexion, but in reality, she was perhaps 1000 years old or so. Perhaps even older. But one thing was certain for this woman: she was a Medusae, a race that came in only one line of family: they could freeze people's eyes at eye contact. So far, there were only three generations. The first one was from Azami, the one and only Medusa herself. She was Shion's mother. Then, came Shion herself, who was only half Medusae. She could freeze someone upon meeting eyes, but it would take a great strain upon herself. Then, Shion had Mary, a beautiful daughter who had cream-colored hair and the same traditional scarlet eyes. Mary was only a quarter of Medusae. She could only freeze someone temporarily at eye contact. But Azami, Shion, Mary... they were all considered "monsters", and monsters are to be feared.
No, Mary, you are not ready yet to meet their "eyes". Shion thought. Perhaps later... later... when you are ready. I love you, Mary.
~[***]~
Mary was 500 years old now, and yet, she looked 15. She cracked a window open, letting the gentle wind play with her hair, and then turned to the array of bookshelves she had. Of course, she read all of them, and then reread them maybe 1000 times, and they never got old. Each book was a wonderful adventure to be on, and it told of this outside world she longed to meet. She began to wonder if such things like sleeping princesses and knights in shining armor really did exist.
The quarter Medusae cracked open a book, flipping to a page by random, admiring the beautiful illustration of a garden. She absolutely adored flowers, and making flower crowns was something she did in her spare time. Unfortunately, they all seemed to die pretty quickly a couple of hours later.
"I'll go make myself some tea!" Mary murmured to herself--something she was used to doing--and excused herself from the wooden, small table for two. She rushed over to the small kitchen set her Dad had gotten her. It was nothing more than a stove and a cupboard, but Mary cherished it forever, no matter how disgusted she was at her Dad. She turned the stove on with a yelp (she always was caught by surprise from the flame suddenly appearing), then obtained a porcelain teakettle from the cupboard. She walked outside (something that she found rather daring), and approached the stream gingerly, her anxious red eyes always flickering from side to side, hoping no one found her. With a swift motion, Mary scooped up water into the teakettle, closing the lid. She stood up, looking around one more time, then walked back into her house, locking the door quickly.
"Another fortunate day of no traces of any person." She sighed to herself, and set the teakettle on the table, putting in herbal tea leaves. Shaking it up a tad bit, she placed it onto the flame.
While waiting for the tea to boil, she looked at the book, the pages turning by itself from the breeze. When the wind stopped, Mary stared at the picture with a frown.
~[***]~
Shion bent down to the littler Mary (who was 5 years old), brushing her tears away gingerly with her thumb. "My dear daughter, you mustn't go outside yet."
"Why, Mommy?"
Shion sighed. "You are dangerous and a monster. You are feared. We are only a rumor; a myth. And yet, everyone is afraid to go into this forest. Do not go to the outside world, where the people thrive. You will learn later on."
Mary's tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She wanted to go out of the forest more than ever, and that passion would not extinguish as quickly as that. "I'm not a monster, Mommy!"
The mother sighed, and showed her daughter a handheld mirror. She focused the reflection onto one of Mary's crimson eyes--it was the reflection of a supposed monster. "Don't look them in the eyes!" Shion told her. "Or they'll turn to stone." It was a lie, but it was needed for Mary's protection. "When they turn to stone, they die. And I'm sure you don't want to be the cause of a death, right? So please, don't meet the humans. They're afraid of us; they're afraid of you."
"...is that so, Mommy?" Mary asked, a sadness in her eyes. She seemed so mature all of a sudden, which is saying something for a 5 year old.
"...Yes."
Mary gripped the handheld mirror, watching herself blink in the reflection. Didn't mirrors lie? No, that was just a silly thing made up by those who couldn't handle the truth. But she didn't want to believe this truth! She didn't want to be called a monster! Just the very thought made Mary weep even more. She was now tired of this mirror, and raising the object, she threw it onto the floor, the fragments scratching the wooden floor.
~[***]~
The picture on the book was in fact, a supposed illustration of a woman with long black hair, scaly cheeks, and scarlet eyes, raising her arms up in a ceremoniously way, snakes surrounding her in a spiral. She was none other than her grandmother, Azami. Is that what she looked like? Where was she, anyway? But curiosity killed the cat! Mary shouldn't try asking any more questions.
"Mom..." She whispered under her breath, shutting the book closed. "I miss you..."
And that was when she realized the teakittle was screeching its whistle.
Kallik's note: Yay! Kagerou Project! So... I'll post new chapters when I feel like writing something Kagerou Project related, so, don't expect a new chapter every single day... which is probably how it'll be in the first few days. Anyway, I hope you think my writing is improving! By the way, the story might not necessarily go in order, which is why it's called "Souzou Forest - I", meaning that more chapters related to this will come. Confusing, I know, but it might make sense later on.
The Story about seeing eye-to-eye.
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