The Girl from the Well

“Here you go, Callie! We found a nice old woman peddling snacks and we scared her into selling us some stuff. Here’s some Meiji chocolate and something called a noodle sandwich which is, apparently, literally a sandwich with noodles in it. Since you’re the noodle expert, you’re the one that gets to eat it.”


Tarquin and his father are back. Callie does not need to look my way to know the seat before her is empty.

Five hours after departing from Tokyo, changing trains twice along the way, they finally arrive at the Shimokita Station in Mutsu, but by then dusk is already settling in. At this time of day, the station holds fewer people, and so the woman stands out. She is dressed in a pleated, ankle-length red skirt and a white haori, a kimono jacket that is two sizes too big for her. Her hair is tied back in a loose ponytail. She is still very young, perhaps only a little older than Callie.

“You are Mr. Halloway?” she asks in perfect English, smiling. She bows low. “And you must be Tarquin-kun. My name is Kagura. We have been expecting you.”

Tarquin’s father is surprised. “We never told anyone we were coming.”

“We were very good friends of Yoko. We heard of her death from your lawyer some weeks ago, and we have been expecting your arrival ever since.”

That means she must have been waiting every day at the train station for nearly a month, Callie thinks, and feels intimidated by the strength of the woman’s patience. “My name is Callie. I’m Tarquin’s cousin,” she says, feeling how absurd the statement must sound, but the woman accepts this without further question, bowing low to her in acknowledgment. When she lifts her head again, however, her eyes travel over Callie’s form with a peculiar curiosity, a slight frown crossing her face before it disappears quickly.

“I’m afraid that there are only four buses departing for Osorezan daily, and the last has already left. Fortunately, my sisters and I have a small house on the outskirts of town where we can spend the night. If you will follow me?”

The town of Mutsu is even smaller than Hachinohe or Noheji. The woman leads them to a small house far from the central square, dipping into the edge of town. At her request, the group takes their shoes off before entering and follows her into several comfortable-looking rooms with several screens. She tells them that these are to be their rooms for the night.

“While we do get substantial visitors to Yagen Valley, few of the locals, much less the tourists, are aware of the Chinsei shrine,” she says in an apologetic tone. “My sisters and I prefer to keep it that way.”

“I’ve certainly never heard of it. Yoko never mentioned it to me before,” Tarquin’s father agrees.

“Then I must apologize on Yoko’s behalf. She is merely following the old ways, the traditions built around the utmost secrecy. We have done so for many years.”

“What about your sisters?” Callie asks with some hesitation. “Will they be joining us?”

“My other sisters are currently tending to the shrine, and they are not comfortable leaving it for long periods of time. Dinner will be ready in an hour. In the meantime, you are more than welcome to explore. Mutsu is not a very big place.”

“I’ve spent the last couple of weeks holed up in bed,” Tarquin says later, once they have finished unpacking. “I’m gonna go and have a look around.”

“You aren’t strong enough yet, Tarquin,” his father warns.

But the boy only grins. “You worry too much, Dad. Didn’t the docs themselves tell you that there’s nothing wrong with me? You’re right, Callie. All of this fresh air is making me feel like my old awesome self again.”