top up. It’s too cold to drive with it down.”
“Just hurry,” she said, stowing her overnight bag. She slid into the passenger seat just as the car top was closing . He got in behind the wheel and reached over to latch the top on her side before doing his.
Michi’s window was down and she heard the creaking of planks from the porch. She leaned her head toward her shoulder and looked into the car’s side mirror. There, in the full moonlight, she could see Grandmother Chinatsu and Ono. The old lady was waving and laughing.
“Drive,” she shrieked.
Riku hit the start button, put the car in gear, and they were off into the night, racing down a rutted dirt road at fifty. Once the farmhouse was out of sight, he let up on the gas. “You’ve got to tell me what happened,” he said.
She was shivering. “Get us out of the woods first,” she said. “To a highway.”
“I can’t see a thing, and I don’t remember all the roads,” he said. “We might end up lost.” He drove for more than an hour before he found a road made of asphalt. His car had been brutalized by the crude paths and branches jutting into the roadway. There would be a hundred scratches on his doors. During that entire time, Michi stared ahead through the windshield, breathing rapidly.
“We’re on a main road. Tell me what happened,” he said.
“I got up to use the toilet,” she said. “And I did. But when I stepped back out into the hallway to return, I heard a horrible grunting noise. I swear it sounded like someone was choking Grandmother Chinatsu to death in her room. I moved along the wall to the entrance. The panel was partially open, and there was a light inside. The noise had stopped so I peered in, and there was the shriveled old lady on her hands and knees on the floor, naked. Her forearms were trembling, her face was bright red, and she began croaking. At first I thought she was ill, but then I looked up and realized she was engaged in sexual relations.”
“Grandmother Chinatsu?” he said and laughed. “Who was the unlucky gentleman?”
“That disgusting dog.”
“She was doing it with Ono?”
“I almost vomited,” said Michi. “But I could have dealt with it. The worst thing was Ono saw me peering in and he smiled at me and nodded.”
“Dogs don’t smile,” he said.
“Exactly,” she said. “That place is haunted.”
“Well, I’ll figure out where we are eventually, and we’ll make it back to Numazu by morning. I’m sorry you were so frightened. The field trip seemed a great success until then.”
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. “Perhaps that was the true spirit of autumn,” she said.
“‘The Story of a Ghost,’” he said.
The silver car sped along in the moonlight. Michi was leaning against the window, her eyes closed. Riku thought he was heading for the coast. He took a tight turn on a narrow mountain road and something suddenly lunged out of the woods at the car. He felt an impact as he swerved, turning back just in time to avoid the drop beyond the lane he’d strayed into.
Michi woke at the impact and said, “What’s happening?”
“I think I grazed a deer back there. I’ve got to pull over and check to see if the car is okay.”
Michi leaned forward and adjusted the rearview mirror so she could look out the back window.
“Too late to see,” he said. “It was a half-mile back.” He eased down on the brake, slowing, and began to edge over toward the shoulder.
“There’s something chasing us,” she said. “I can see it in the moonlight. Keep going. Go faster.”
He downshifted and took his foot off the brake. As he hit the gas, he reached up and moved the mirror out of her grasp so he could see what was following them.
“It’s a dog,” he said. “But it’s the fastest dog I ever saw. I’m doing forty-five and it’s gaining on us.”
They passed through an area where overhanging trees blocked the moon.
“Watch the road,” she said.
When the car
“Just hurry,” she said, stowing her overnight bag. She slid into the passenger seat just as the car top was closing . He got in behind the wheel and reached over to latch the top on her side before doing his.
Michi’s window was down and she heard the creaking of planks from the porch. She leaned her head toward her shoulder and looked into the car’s side mirror. There, in the full moonlight, she could see Grandmother Chinatsu and Ono. The old lady was waving and laughing.
“Drive,” she shrieked.
Riku hit the start button, put the car in gear, and they were off into the night, racing down a rutted dirt road at fifty. Once the farmhouse was out of sight, he let up on the gas. “You’ve got to tell me what happened,” he said.
She was shivering. “Get us out of the woods first,” she said. “To a highway.”
“I can’t see a thing, and I don’t remember all the roads,” he said. “We might end up lost.” He drove for more than an hour before he found a road made of asphalt. His car had been brutalized by the crude paths and branches jutting into the roadway. There would be a hundred scratches on his doors. During that entire time, Michi stared ahead through the windshield, breathing rapidly.
“We’re on a main road. Tell me what happened,” he said.
“I got up to use the toilet,” she said. “And I did. But when I stepped back out into the hallway to return, I heard a horrible grunting noise. I swear it sounded like someone was choking Grandmother Chinatsu to death in her room. I moved along the wall to the entrance. The panel was partially open, and there was a light inside. The noise had stopped so I peered in, and there was the shriveled old lady on her hands and knees on the floor, naked. Her forearms were trembling, her face was bright red, and she began croaking. At first I thought she was ill, but then I looked up and realized she was engaged in sexual relations.”
“Grandmother Chinatsu?” he said and laughed. “Who was the unlucky gentleman?”
“That disgusting dog.”
“She was doing it with Ono?”
“I almost vomited,” said Michi. “But I could have dealt with it. The worst thing was Ono saw me peering in and he smiled at me and nodded.”
“Dogs don’t smile,” he said.
“Exactly,” she said. “That place is haunted.”
“Well, I’ll figure out where we are eventually, and we’ll make it back to Numazu by morning. I’m sorry you were so frightened. The field trip seemed a great success until then.”
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. “Perhaps that was the true spirit of autumn,” she said.
“‘The Story of a Ghost,’” he said.
The silver car sped along in the moonlight. Michi was leaning against the window, her eyes closed. Riku thought he was heading for the coast. He took a tight turn on a narrow mountain road and something suddenly lunged out of the woods at the car. He felt an impact as he swerved, turning back just in time to avoid the drop beyond the lane he’d strayed into.
Michi woke at the impact and said, “What’s happening?”
“I think I grazed a deer back there. I’ve got to pull over and check to see if the car is okay.”
Michi leaned forward and adjusted the rearview mirror so she could look out the back window.
“Too late to see,” he said. “It was a half-mile back.” He eased down on the brake, slowing, and began to edge over toward the shoulder.
“There’s something chasing us,” she said. “I can see it in the moonlight. Keep going. Go faster.”
He downshifted and took his foot off the brake. As he hit the gas, he reached up and moved the mirror out of her grasp so he could see what was following them.
“It’s a dog,” he said. “But it’s the fastest dog I ever saw. I’m doing forty-five and it’s gaining on us.”
They passed through an area where overhanging trees blocked the moon.
“Watch the road,” she said.
When the car
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