Each week, I send out a story via my email newsletter. Each story is around 1000 words, sometimes less, sometimes more. The stories are in a variety of genres: supernatural, thriller, sci-fi, horror, and sometimes romance, and all of my stories typically feature a gay protagonist.
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This is story number 13 of the series. Enjoy!
Pursued by a Yokai
Takeshi Nakamura slouched against the bar, nursing his third whiskey of the night. The neon lights of Tokyo’s Shinjuku district painted his face in an array of colors, masking the worry lines etched around his eyes. He ran a hand through his messy black hair, trying to shake off the feeling that something was… off.
At 28, Takeshi had always been the cautious one, the planner. His life followed a carefully constructed routine: work, gym, occasional nights out. It was a stark contrast to his childhood in rural Hokkaido, where his parents’ traditional values had clashed with his growing awareness of his sexuality. Moving to Tokyo for university had been his escape, a chance to finally be himself.
“Yo, Takeshi! Another round?” The bartender’s voice cut through the haze of Takeshi’s thoughts.
“Nah, I’m good. Thanks, Hiroshi.” Takeshi managed a weak smile. He’d been coming to this bar for years, finding solace in its familiar atmosphere and the company of other queer patrons.
As he swirled the amber liquid in his glass, Takeshi’s mind wandered back to the strange occurrences of the past week. It had started with whispers in empty rooms, shadows moving when they shouldn’t, and the constant feeling of being watched. At first, he’d chalked it up to stress from his job as a software engineer, but now…
A chill ran down his spine as he remembered the incident from the night before. He’d been walking home when he saw it — a figure with impossibly long arms and glowing red eyes, perched on a nearby rooftop. When he blinked, it was gone.
Takeshi’s logical mind rebelled against what he’d seen. There had to be a rational explanation, right? But the fear gnawing at his insides told a different story.
“Earth to Takeshi!” A hand waved in front of his face, startling him out of his reverie.
Takeshi looked up to see his best friend, Yuki, grinning at him. Where Takeshi was reserved and analytical, Yuki was a whirlwind of energy and spontaneity. With his dyed blue hair and an ever-present smile, Yuki had been Takeshi’s anchor since their university days.
“Man, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s eating you?” Yuki’s jovial tone had an undercurrent of concern.
Takeshi hesitated. How could he explain without sounding crazy? “It’s nothing. Just work stuff, you know?”
Yuki raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Uh-huh. And I’m the Emperor of Japan. Come on, spill.”
Takeshi sighed, knowing Yuki wouldn’t let it go. “Fine, but you’re gonna think I’m nuts. Hell, I’m starting to think I’m nuts.” He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “I think… I think something’s following me.”
Yuki’s eyes widened. “Like a stalker?”
“No, not a person. Something… else.” Takeshi quickly recounted the strange events of the past week, ending with the rooftop sighting. As he spoke, he felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. Part of him was glad to finally voice his fears, while another part dreaded Yuki’s reaction.
When he finished, Yuki was silent for a long moment. Then, to Takeshi’s surprise, he nodded solemnly. “I believe you.”
“You do?” Takeshi blinked in surprise.
“Yeah. My grandmother used to tell me stories about yokai — supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. Some of them sound a lot like what you’re describing.”
Takeshi felt a mix of relief and dread wash over him. His analytical mind struggled to reconcile Yuki’s words with his understanding of the world. “So, what do I do?”
Yuki thought for a moment. “I know someone who might be able to help. An onmyoji – a practitioner of traditional Japanese magic. Want me to set up a meeting?”
Takeshi nodded gratefully. “Please. I’ll try anything at this point.” The words felt strange coming from his mouth. He’d always prided himself on his self-reliance, but now he felt utterly out of his depth. Overwhelmed and desperate.
As they left the bar, neither of them noticed the pair of glowing red eyes watching from the shadows.
The next evening, Takeshi found himself in a small, incense-filled apartment in Asakusa. Across from him sat Madam Himiko, an elderly woman with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense attitude.
“So, young man, you’ve attracted the attention of a yokai,” she said, her voice raspy from years of smoking.
Takeshi nodded nervously. “Can you help me?” He felt like a child again, seeking reassurance from an adult.
Madam Himiko closed her eyes, muttering under her breath. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. “It’s a Nure-onna – a serpent woman. She’s fixated on you, drawn by your spiritual energy.”
“But why me?” Takeshi asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He thought of his orderly life, his careful plans. How had he ended up here?
“Who can say? The ways of yokai are mysterious. But I can tell you this – she won’t stop until she has you.”
Takeshi felt his heart racing. “What can I do?”
Madam Himiko reached into a drawer and pulled out a small charm. “Take this omamori. It will offer some protection, but it’s not a permanent solution. You’ll need to confront the Nure-onna and banish her yourself, using your own words and emotions.”
As Takeshi left the apartment, clutching the charm tightly, he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot worse before they got better. His mind raced with questions and doubts. How could he, a software engineer who’d never believed in the supernatural, possibly face a yokai?
Over the next few days, Takeshi tried to go about his normal routine, but the weight of Madam Himiko’s words hung heavy on his mind. The charm seemed to help — the whispers had stopped, and he no longer felt watched constantly. But he knew it was only a matter of time before the Nure-onna made her move.
That time came sooner than he expected. Takeshi was walking home from work late a couple nights later when the streetlights suddenly flickered and blinked out. The normally bustling street was eerily empty. There wasn’t a sound to be heard.
“Takeshiiiii,” a voice hissed from the darkness. It was unlike anything he’d ever heard – part woman, part snake, all terrifying.
Takeshi’s hand instinctively went to the charm in his pocket. “Show yourself!” he called out, proud that his voice only shook a little. He felt a surge of something unfamiliar — courage, perhaps?
A figure slithered out of the shadows. From the waist up, she looked like a beautiful woman with long, dark hair. But below that, her body was that of a massive serpent. Her eyes glowed red in the darkness.
“At last, we meet face to face,” the Nure-onna said, her forked tongue flicking out between sharp teeth. “I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
Takeshi took a step back. “Why are you after me?”
The Nure-onna laughed, a sound like scales scraping against concrete. “Your spirit shines so brightly in this otherwise dull world. I need to devour it, to make it mine. I shall have it.”
She lunged forward with inhuman speed. Takeshi barely managed to dodge, the charm in his pocket growing hot. He remembered Madam Himiko’s words — he needed to banish the yokai himself.
In that moment, Takeshi felt something shift inside him. All his life, he’d played it safe, followed the rules. But now, faced with this impossible situation, he realized that sometimes you had to take a leap of faith.
“I’m not yours to take!” Takeshi shouted, feeling a surge of courage. “This is my life, my spirit. You have no power over me!”
The Nure-onna hissed in anger, but Takeshi could see uncertainty in her glowing eyes. He pressed on, his voice growing stronger.
“I banish you, Nure-onna. Return to your own realm and leave me in peace! I command it!”
The yokai let out an ear-piercing shriek. The air around it seemed to ripple and distort. Takeshi’s ears popped as if he’d suddenly changed altitude.
And then, just like that, the Nure-onna was gone. The streetlights flickered back to life, revealing a perfectly normal Tokyo street.
Takeshi stood there for a long moment, his heart pounding. Had it worked? Was it really over? He felt different somehow, as if the encounter had awakened something within him.
A hand on his shoulder made him jump. He spun around to see Yuki standing there, concern etched on his face.
“Takeshi? You okay, man? You look like you’ve seen a…” Yuki trailed off, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. “Oh shit. It happened, didn’t it?”
Takeshi nodded, still too shaken to speak. Yuki pulled him into a tight hug.
“It’s okay. You’re safe now. Let’s get you home.”
As they walked back to Takeshi’s apartment, he found his voice again. “How did you know where to find me?”
Yuki shrugged, a hint of his usual playful smile returning. “Just a feeling. I was worried about you, so I decided to swing by your place. Saw you standing in the middle of the street looking shell-shocked.”
Takeshi managed a weak laugh. “My knight in shining armor, huh?”
“Always,” Yuki said with a grin. Then, more seriously, “You know I’ve always got your back, right? Yokai or no yokai.”
As they reached Takeshi’s building, he felt a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the charm or the lingering adrenaline. He turned to Yuki, really looking at his friend for what felt like the first time.
“Hey, Yuki? When this is all over… would you maybe want to grab dinner sometime? Like, a date dinner?”
Yuki’s face lit up with a smile brighter than any neon sign in Shinjuku. “I thought you’d never ask.”
As they headed inside, Takeshi felt lighter than he had in weeks. He’d faced down a terrifying yokai and lived to tell the tale. More than that, he’d faced his own fears and come out stronger. And now, it seemed, a new adventure might be beginning with Yuki.
The charm in his pocket had gone cold, its job done. But Takeshi knew he’d keep it close, a reminder that he was stronger than he’d ever realized. Whatever came next — supernatural or otherwise — he was ready to face it head-on.
THE END