We stared at each other for Nu knows how long. Frankly, I was just terrified. I mean, you have this ghostly adult Sadako chained to the wall, staring at you with vengeful eyes. In addition to that, I felt a wave of emotions rolling over me. It was as if this woman was probing me, trying to find out who I am, and what I was doing here. However, she did not speak a single word. There were no voices in my head. Just a weird sense within me, compelling me to answer her.

Bit by bit, I responded to the plethora of questions silently arising. Stuttering, I spoke my name. I told her that in seeking solace from my crazy classmates I had stumbled into the temple. That there were voices of children chanting that I followed. And once I crossed a small stream I was led to her.

The initial fierceness in her eyes slowly declined, replaced by a tired look. When I was finished, she lowered her head, averting her gaze. Finally, the spell keeping me at the spot seemed broken. I no longer felt anything which gave me time to take a closer look at her. Carefully I approached her. She did not move. In the bluish light, I could see between her rags old whip scars, superficial blade wounds, you name it. This woman had been beaten into submission. Judging from the marks on her wrists, she had tried countless times to escape the chains, but it only had led to chafed wounds. I felt pity for her and wondered who she was.

I felt emotions pouring into me again, albeit less obtrusive and commanding than before. It seemed as if she was mocking me for not knowing who she was.

“I really don’t know.” Deep down, I had a suspicion who this person was. But I couldn’t believe it at the time. All I wanted to do was help her. I began carefully rubbing the dirt off her face. She hissed and flinched, but obviously, she couldn’t do much to avoid me, being chained and all. I remembered the stream I had crossed earlier. Maybe I could wash her face? I got up and wanted to walk back. However, there was an urge not to go back to where I came from. Instead, I was compelled to go another way through the darkness. It was then that I realized that in the darkness there was a maze and that it was this chained woman who was leading me.

I decided to let her in, embracing the emotions coming to me instead of rejecting it. The moment I did so, her intentions became very clear. Had I been only vaguely guessing what she had wanted from me before, it now finally felt as if she was actually talking to me, telling me to go left here and right there. After a while, I entered another cavern. Just like everywhere else, it was completely dark. But the stranger safely brought me to the edge of a pond. I kneeled down, groping the air and stone floor in front of me until my fingertips came into contact with ice-cold water.

After adjusting to the temperature, I boldly dipped my hands in, but I couldn’t feel the bottom of it. I guessed the water level must have been very deep. I took out my handkerchief and soaked it in the pond. I even emptied one of the remedy bottles my mother had given me and filled it with water. Don’t worry, it was just some chamomile. Since I was a bit thirsty as well, I decided to give the water a taste. It was really refreshing. Actually, more than that. My exhaustion was nearly wiped away and if I had a mirror, I would have noticed that my body emitted a faint bluish glow while drinking it. Quickly, I refilled the bottle. Armed with a washcloth and a drink, I headed back, following the wave of emotions.

Using my handkerchief, I carefully wiped her face clean. This time, she didn’t flinch and stiffly accepted her fate. Kind of like a cat who knew there was no point in resisting whenever her human decided to give her a bath. I remembered the bottle of water, so I uncorked it and held it to her cracked lips. At first, she barely took a drop, but after tasting the rejuvenating properties of it, she hastily gulped down the water. When she looked at me, there was no longer a completely defeated look on her face. Instead, I saw a little spark of determination rekindle. That, in turn, inspired me to help her more. I wanted to comb her hair and even find a new robe for her. And maybe, maybe I could find the keys that would unlock the chains.

However, I realized I was away for quite a while. The stranger noticed my sudden change in attitude. With something of a smirk, she revealed to me, time is of no essence here. When you return you will have only be gone for just a moment. I believed her. Smiling, I thanked her with a nod.

“I will definitely return!” With these words, I ran out of the temple, and back to my crazy friends. Back then I didn’t realize it, but the Sadako had already engraved the route to her into my heart.