Lost Things

 A soft sigh left her lips as she leaned her head back against the seat. The train swayed gently back and forth, a soft rumble that faded into the background like white noise. Hana hugged her bag to her chest as she closed her eyes, knowing she had at least an hour before they reached her stop. It was a brief moment of peace, a balm to soothe the headache of a day she’d had.

First, another woman had bumped into her that morning, spilling coffee down the front of her shirt. There was no time to go back and change before her first class of the morning began, so she’d had to do what she could with paper towels and bathroom hand dryers. The faint smell of coffee still lingered in her clothes. Then, the printer in the campus library had run out of ink, so she hadn’t been able to print her report to turn it in. Her professor gave her the option of emailing it instead, but the file got corrupted somewhere along the way.

On the plus side, she’d been granted an extension, an extra day to get it printed. But it was just one more thing that had gone wrong today. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for the rest of the day. At least, maybe then, things would be better in her dreams.

She sighed again, opening her eyes, watching the advertisements hanging from the roof of the train car swaying with the movement. It was a little odd to her that the train was so empty this time of day. Normally, there were all sorts of people going back and forth, carrying on with their lives. Somehow, she had the entire car to herself. The cars on either side were full of people, and she furrowed her brows. Was there some new urban legend about this train car? That something terrible had happened in it and now everyone was afraid to sit in it?

Hana snorted. Yeah right. Things didn’t play out like that in real life. This wasn’t some manga or anime. If it was, maybe today wouldn’t have been so bad. Maybe she would have gotten swept up in some grand adventure. The thought, meant as sarcasm, wounded her more than she expected it to. She pressed her lips together in a thin line, shifting slightly to peer out the window to watch the city speed by.

When she was younger, she’d always dreamed of getting to go on an adventure. That somehow, she’d be called to help her favorite characters in some grand battle. That desire had always lingered under the surface. Maybe it was just because she was still trying to sort things out, trying to figure out her future path, that it felt especially poignant. The days of childhood were a wonderful dream she could no longer return to, like waking up from a particularly wonderful dream only to find it had already begun to fade the moment you opened your eyes.

The train slowed to a stop at the next station, an announcement ringing out in the empty car. She saw many people get off the train and a few more board. But still, her car remained empty. She furrowed her brows once more, starting to wonder if maybe there really was something wrong with the car. She was debating getting up and moving to a different one when all of the sudden...a cat stepped into the car.

Hana blinked as she watched it, striding in with purpose, as if it owned the train itself. Then, it hopped up into the seat beside her and began to clean its paw. The doors began to slide shut, but the cat seemed perfectly at home on the seat beside her. Briefly, she wondered if she needed to let someone know. Animals weren’t allowed on the train, right?

Out of the corner of her eye, she observed the cat. It was black, except for the little white socks on its paws. Its eyes were green, and there was a small notch in its left ear. It didn’t have a glossy coat that suggested it might be a housecat, but it didn’t seem to be afraid of people. Almost as if it had noticed her stare, the cat stopped cleaning its paws and looked at her, then meowed. Cautiously, she held her hand out, trying not to giggle as the cat’s soft snuffles tickled against her skin. She must have had its approval, for no more than a second later, the cat butted its head into her hand.

Hana didn’t need to be told twice. It was a clear sign the cat wanted pets. She happily obliged, rubbing the cat behind the ear. Its eyes slid shut and a purr rumbled in its chest. She found herself smiling, the trials and tribulations of the day already forgotten, as if one magical encounter with a cat could make up for everything that had happened that day.

The cat stayed on the train for two more stops. Her own stop was coming up soon though, and she was sad to think she’d have to leave the cat behind. Yet, as the train began to slow once more, her stop echoing through the cars, the cat hopped up too. She blinked, watching as it padded over to the door and sat in front of it. When the doors opened, the cat turned and looked at her, then meowed before hopping out onto the platform.

It paused again then, turning to look back at her once more. Did it...want her to follow it? Overwhelmed by curiosity, Hana grabbed her bag and hurried out of the car.

As soon as the cat noticed she was following, it padded up the station stairs and down the sidewalk. Every now and then, it would stop and look back at her, as if waiting for her. As soon as she caught up, it would trot on ahead. Three blocks down the sidewalk, the cat turned down an alley. She hesitated for a moment, but it turned back to look at her and meowed again.

It stirred a memory somewhere in the back of her mind. Hadn’t she seen a movie like this once? A cat leading a girl through a winding path, where she found an almost magical shop that helped cement what she wanted to do in the future? Real life wasn’t a movie, but Hana found a sense of excitement blooming in her chest. This cat clearly wanted her to follow it somewhere. When would she get a chance like this again? Steeling herself, she started into the alley.

The cat led her through the back alleys, winding and connected pathways she’d never known existed. Some of the pathways were narrow, weaving through apartment complexes and shops. Many times she had to squeeze through, unsure if she’d be able to make it, but the cat always waited for her. Though these hidden pathways were dim from the tall buildings that had formed them, every now and then, the sunlight would break through, shining down in small slivers. It was beautiful, in a mysterious sort of way, and Hana couldn’t help but think of how accurate that movie had been with all the tiny little pathways between and behind the buildings she’d walked past all her life.

A grin crawled onto her face as she scrambled through the next makeshift obstacle course, climbing over short walls and balancing on cement blocks. Finally, the cat and the girl broke through on the other side. Hana felt a sting of disappointment as she hopped down onto the sidewalk, but this was a part of town she didn’t recognize. This was the outer edge of town.

A gently sloping hill rose across the street in front of her, stone steps laid into the earth. The cat waited for her at the base of the stairs, its tail flicking idly as it regarded her. It was almost like it was telling her they were nearly there, just a bit further. She couldn’t help but wonder where this cat was leading her. Once she’d caught her breath again, they were off.

The cat kept pace with her as they made their way up the stairs. Hana couldn’t help but smile a little at the strange sight they must have made. There was no one around to witness their little journey, but it didn’t matter. As long as she remembered it, that was enough. For the first time all day, she felt light as she made her way up the stairs, slowly climbing the hill. Ahead of her, trees began to grow, shading the path ahead. She realized then, that the hill became part of a mountain, one she used to go camping on all the time as a child.

Looking behind her, the town spread out like a web, a strange blend of tradition and modernity. The older homes lay on the outskirts of town, the center of town housing the tall apartment complexes and skyscraper shops. The cat meowed once more, drawing her attention away from the view, and when she looked up, it was sitting two steps above her. It waited patiently, and once it saw it had her attention, it trotted up a few more steps. Once again though, it paused and waited for her.

“Okay, okay,” Hana found herself laughing, “I’m coming!”

Stepping into the shade of the trees brought a relief from the sunlight, a cool breeze rustling the leaves overhead. She couldn’t help but stare, her eyes taking in the sights around her. Had this been here the entire time? Dappled patches of sunlight danced over the ground, leaves flipping and rolling across the ground. It was beautiful.

The further they went, the thicker the tree trunks became, and less sunlight filtered through the leaves. The air had cooled considerably, and she began to see moss growing along the edges of the steps and along the trees. The rustle of leaves continued to accompany their walk, and if she really strained, Hana could hear the distant chirp of birdsong. The bustle of the city had faded away, surprising her. She couldn’t even hear the distant honks of car horns or squealing tires. She knew they couldn’t have gone that far, but the striking difference in her surroundings surprised her.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a red torii gate come into view around the corner as the steps climbed higher still. There was a shrine up here? How had she never known about it? Surely a place like this would have been a big draw for tourists, but now it felt like she’d stumbled on a secret meant just for her. The cat sat under the torii gate, letting out another meow to get her attention. Hana couldn’t help but hold her breath as she passed under the torii gate, a shiver creeping down her spine. Not out of fear, however. She felt excited. It felt like, by crossing under the gate, she’d just stepped into a different world.

The cat didn’t give her any time to pause, continuing up the stairs. Finally, the shrine itself came into view. It looked a little worn down, though still well cared for. Little patches of moss grew at the bases of the stone statues that guarded the entrance. A soft tinkling filled the air, and she saw delicately painted glass wind chimes hanging from the corners of the buildings. To her right, there was a rack to hang ema, the little wooden plaques bearing wishes and prayers of all kinds. It felt like she was the only one there, but some of the ema looked recent, which meant the shrine was surely still in use.

As if on cue, the sound of wooden shoes on stone startled her, and from behind one of the buildings came a shrine maiden carrying a broom in one hand. Both young women paused, looking equally bewildered to see each other. The shrine maiden recovered first however, smiling gently and bowing politely. Hana hurriedly bowed in return.

The cat meowed before trotting over to the shrine maiden, brushing up against her leg.

“Oh, you mischievous thing,” the shrine maiden chuckled, “leading this poor girl along. I’m terribly sorry if he’s caused you any inconvenience.”

“Oh, no, not at all!” Hana shook her head hurriedly. “In fact, it was a lot of fun. Does he belong to you?”

The shrine maiden shook her head. “No, he has a mind of his own. He shows up from time to time, so we look after him.” A small smile tugged at her lips, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. “Still, he has a habit of finding lost things, including people. He must have thought you needed the adventure.”

Hana smiled as well. “Smart cat.”

“Yes, he’s very smart,” the shrine maiden nodded. “Sometimes I think he must be a visiting spirit, or a reincarnated soul.”

“I’d believe it.”

The cat meowed, almost appearing to sit up a little straighter as though he was puffing out his chest in pride, and both girls laughed at the display. The cat, for his part, seemed pleased at their reaction. He wound around the shrine maiden’s legs before trotting off further into the shrine.

“Well, I won’t keep you,” the shrine maiden said finally, bowing once more. “Please feel free to take your time and explore if you like. We don’t see many visitors this time of year.”

“Thank you,” Hana said sincerely. “I’ll do that.”

She made a note that she would have to come here more often, providing she could find another way to the stone stairs that wasn’t nearly as challenging. The shrine maiden began to sweep the leaves off the pathways, and Hana let herself wander the grounds. It was relatively small, but no less beautiful than any of the bigger shrines she’d seen.

The sun slowly began to sink toward the horizon, and Hana realized she’d spent more time here than she’d realized. Before she left, she made her way to the offering box, leaving a 500 yen coin and offered a prayer for good fortune to the heavens. When she was finished, she began the descent down the stairs, using the navigation app on her phone to find her way home. Her heart felt much lighter than it had mere hours ago. A small reminder to stop and appreciate the world around her, she supposed. It made her worries seem so much smaller than she thought they were.

That night, when she laid down to sleep, she couldn’t stop thinking about the mysterious cat and the hidden shrine in the woods. The thought remained stuck in her mind, and she didn’t want to forget it. Throwing back the covers, she jumped out of bed, rushing to her desk. She scrambled for a notebook and flicked on her desk light.

Like a woman possessed, she began to write, the words flowing into her brain like a burbling stream.

“And then, the shrine maiden turned, her face partially obscured by a kitsune mask. Only her ruby lips were visible as she smiled. ‘Finally, you made it,’ she said, her voice having an airy sort of quality to it. ‘We’ve been waiting for you, haven’t we?’ The shrine maiden looked to her companion, a black cat with white socks on its paws, who meowed in response,” Hana murmured as her pen continued to fly across the page.

She couldn’t help but grin as a new adventure unfolded before her eyes, one inspired by a strange afternoon that she wouldn’t forget any time soon.

Outside her window, a shadow moved, leaping to the ground. A black cat that blended in with the dark night around it, save for the little white socks of its paws. It cleaned its paws carefully, before glancing back up at the window, faintly glowing with the light of Hana’s desk lamp. It let out a soft huff of air, almost like a laugh, and if cats could smile, it would definitely be grinning. It rose then, and trotted into the night, its tail held high.

His job here was done, for now.