What I discovered When I Climbed Up a Hill in Japan
Each step you take is a surprise and a delight.
I stepped onto the foot of the hill as the path that led further into the forest and upward the slope lay before me. The cicadas were merciless with their shrill cries of what I had sensed was one of warning; or so my suspicions thought. Another part of me also suggested that my first reaction to the sounds that lay within was nothing but paranoia.
Nevertheless, there I was, completely in awe of how magnificent the entrance to the forest seemed; beginning where the urban area ended and where the path started to be enshrouded by trees. As I slowly proceeded to enter, amazement, anxiety and awe were not replaced. Only joined by a tiny pang of dread. I was not sure.
The sounds definitely were its sole contributor, this unknown feeling of mine.
There was also some serenity to it — which made the idea of entering that wood and into a place teeming with mystery even more of an adventure.
I started to climb upwards, striding further into the grove of trees along the cemented path and soon the scene of the sloping street, the buildings and the urban sounds of the Japanese district town of Tsunashima faded away and disappeared behind me.
I was now enveloped with the sounds which I could tell was coming from every inch of shrubbery around the vicinity. To my surprise, the forest now felt like it was shrieking and screaming since the raging calls of the cicadas (and probably a few more creatures unknown to me) went full blast and was almost deafening. Although unsettling, I dealt with the mood the wood gave out and just continued on as I further appreciated how beautiful it still was despite all that. It was nothing like a peaceful walk in the park however. I felt like I was this rebellious soul who defied the wishes of some entity holding the forest together; whose disdain towards me intensified with every step I took. The cries never waned (only intensified I presumed) but I gave no heed and continued onwards with my joyous trekas―it had turned out to beーto unfold more of the mystery that that Japanese Cicada-infested forest-hill held in store.
“Eerie no more” I felt. The “forest turned out to be quite harmless" I thought as I just strolled past the swimming pool resort on the top of the hill where everything plateaued for about half a mile (it could have been more I did not get to the end of it). I was even able to take a piss by a rest room. The sensor and automatic flush totally worked which made me smile. There were even parents and their kids walking past me to the opposite direction as if coming home from school or something of the sort and I didn’t have to walk far to reach where they had come from.
There was a huge rectangular clearing of bare earth right beside some sort of nursery shack for young children. I assumed they were conducting some sort of summer program and it appeared that it was time for dismissal. I chose this place of refuge as I sat on one of the benches that were right along the edges of the clearing. Apparently there were also a few more available (none of which was occupied aside from the one that I sat on) situated along both sides of the clearing, surrounding it.
I had almost gotten to the conclusion that I was able to conquer the forest — which definitely helped avoid the next moment from letting the eeriness return as peace was already starting to spread throughout my soul like a ripple.
Perched on one of the branches in front of me with some sort of dark splendor, majestic as ever, was a raven of considerable size. I could not describe how its mere presence made me shiver as I basked in its enigmatic aura. When it cawed, the sound reverberated, crashing all throughout every corner of the forest and faded away.
Thankfully, it was peace and joy (which were the more dominant emotions among others) that I felt and I considered the sighting as a blessing instead of an omen. It was freaking cool! as cliche as that sounded.
I opened up my phone and began to read after a few minutes of staring at the beautiful creature. A few pages later, I noticed a pair of images appearing in the corner of my eye on the clearing. It was a Japanese father with his son. As I noticed the baseball bat, the glove and the ball that they had with them, I became hundred percent convinced that no harm or evil was to befall me that afternoon. They started playing catch after a minute. At the same instance, the majestic Raven started to beat its wings, leaped up and started to flutter gracefully away into the distance, gaining speed.
