Shinigami Eyes
(Shinigami Eyes #1)
by Cheree Smith
& Adam Smith
Most children hope to grow out of their imaginary friends.
17-year-old Rin Waters’ only hope is that hers doesn’t kill
someone, especially when said imaginary friend puts a boy in a coma. Finding
herself shipped half-way around the world—to Japan, of all places—she is forced
to live with grandparents she hasn’t seen for ten years and a cousin she can’t
even remember.
Rin would rather just forget about the one night that ruined
her life and pretend her imaginary friend doesn’t exist—if it was only that
easy. When manga-obsessed otaku, Matt, won’t stop pestering her about a manga that
sees the future and the tragic accident she’ll be involved in if she doesn’t
listen to him, pretending becomes quite a challenge.
Suddenly mysterious accidents begin to happen to students in
her school, and Rin has to wonder what length Matt is willing to go to prove
his manga is real. Is it all a sham or is there really something that wants to
see Rin and her new friends dead?
Cheree's
favourite scene
“Hurry, Rin-chan,
we’re going to be late,” Haruka yells, diving from the train before the doors
have even finished opening.
I try and shove my way through the pack of harried
commuters crowding the doorway before I lose sight of Haruka. One little train
delay, and suddenly everyone is in a rush. It was only like three minutes tops.
Maybe ten. Now it looks like we won’t even be stopping for food, in case we’re
late for Juku.
This sucks.
I watch Haruka tear off up platform, ducking and
weaving between pedestrians like she’s trying out for the Olympics. I lose
sight of her and suddenly she’s at the far end of the platform. I have to run
or else she’ll leave me at the station. I don’t know the way to Juku
on my own. Not that I want to go there, but still.
I stop at the top of the stairs, huffing and heaving.
I’ve never done so much running in my life. Peering down the steep flight of
stairs, I catch a brief fading glimpse of Haruka disappearing down the far end
of the hallway like a white rabbit down the rabbit hole. I’m never going to
catch her now.
“No. Stop. Wait.” Sucking in a breath, I mutter weakly.
Well, I tried. Maybe if I find a nice place to sit
down, she’ll come back for me. Like a McDonalds or something.
A hard shove lands on my back, and I feel the ground
fall out from under my feet. My foot catches on the edge of the step, and a
sharp jolt race up my leg as I suddenly become airborne. Everything slows and
my panicking brain struggles to comprehend my newfound ability to fly. Countless
stairs drift by before my eyes as I watch the concrete floor creep up to greet
me. Screaming, I squeeze my eyes shut and await the inevitable thud against the
hard surface below.
A firm hand
grabs onto me, and I thud into something soft instead.
When I gather up enough courage to finally open my eyes
I come face to face with the broad chest of the boy—young man—who caught me.
His dark hair hangs casually over eyes brimming with concern.
“Are you okay?” he asks, carefully repositioning his
grip on me. His black woollen jumper ripples against his lean, athletic body as
he gently lowers me to the ground. The black jumper and faded jeans stretched
across well-maintained muscles gives him a look I can only describe as roguish.
“I’m fi—” I start to say, but end up biting back a
scream when I try to stand up.
“You are not.” He grasps my ankle.
I cringe as pain shoots up my leg when he moves the
ankle back and forth.
“Here, lean on me until you can walk.” The guy pulls me
into his arms and starts leading me away from the stairs.
I glance back and think I see a certain blond lurking
at the top of the stairs, glancing everywhere and looking shifty, but when I
look again he’s gone.
“Hiro~shi~, why’d you run off on me like that?” an
incredibly whiny voice calls out as soon as we enter the station proper, and a
girl with wavy copper-tone hair comes running over to meet us. The instant she
sees me clinging to the guy, a look of pure murder enters her eyes. “Get your
hands off of my boyfriend!”
Freaked by the sudden anger directed at me, I
reflexively start trying to bury my face into the guy’s chest. This doesn’t
seem to do anything to lessen the girl’s rage, for some reason.
“Ease off, Sakura. She fell down the stairs, and
injured her ankle. I’m just helping her walk.” He gives her a crooked grin and
the girl seems to calm down. “You’re lucky I’m fast on my feet or things could
have ended up a lot worse.”
The girl, I belatedly recognise as Sakura, leader of
the music club, the one who didn’t show up to club today, turns towards me, and
I could swear a scowl tugs at her lips before it’s replaced by a warm smile.
“Are you alright, Waters-san?”
“I’m fine.” I try to push myself to a standing
position. Away from her boyfriend.
“Oh, so you two know each other then?” Hiroshi frowns
at my wobbly distancing and grabs my shoulder to keep me upright.
“Yes, Waters-san joined the music club yesterday. She’s
my newest kouhai,”
Sakura adds in a sickly sweet voice, still unhappy about my proximity to
Hiroshi beneath her friendly grin, but at least no longer looking for a knife
to stab me with.
“Found her! She’s over there hugging that boy!” a
sudden cheerful voice shouts loud enough to attract the attention of several
passing commuters.
Sakura looks ready to snap, and I almost tumble back
onto my ass trying to put as much distance between me and her as possible.
Hiroshi just laughs and grabs my hand to keep me from falling as a distraught
looking Haruka and a way too happy Miki come bounding over to us.
“Rin-chan, gomenne.” Haruka stops in front
of me, taking in my awkward stance between Hiroshi and Sakura.
“I-turned-around-and-you-weren’t-there. I-looked-everywhere. Where-did-you-go?
Miki-chan’s-been-helping-me-look-for-you.”
I can only blink as her hyperspeed rundown washes over
me while Miki bounces around beside her like a joyful dog expecting a treat.
Sakura just stares at us like she’s planning a killing spree and is trying to
work out who to start with.
“She had a bit of trouble on the stairs,” Hiroshi
volunteers when it becomes clear no one’s going to talk.
“Stairs?” Haruka stares blankly like the entire concept
is foreign.
“I fell down the stairs.”
“Oh my god, are you okay, Rin-chan?” My overly concerned cousin nearly barrels me over in her
rush to comfort me.
“I’m fine,” I mutter. Really, I just want people to
stop fussing over me.
“Takahashi-san, maybe you should take Waters-san to a
hospital? She might need to get looked at.” Sakura is casual and friendly, but
her eyes still glare at Hiroshi’s hand on my arm.
“I’m fine,” I assure them, my much-used catchphrase.
Even if I did manage to break a leg, I’d probably still tell them I’m fine. I’d
really like for my mother not to hear of this. “I just jarred it, that’s all.
I’ll be right in no time.”
“Come on, we’ll skip Juku tonight, let’s get you
home.” Haruka grabs me around the waist and Hiroshi finally let’s go, much to
Sakura’s relief.
“I’ll help,” Miki pipes up as she grabs my arm, then in
her usual energetic way begins bouncing on the spot. Each tug on my arm sends
another jolt of pain across my wounded ankle. Oh, yay! Looks like I’ve got two
babysitters, one of which is doing more harm than good, to make sure I get home
safely. Super.
As I hobble away, well
aware of everyone gawking at the scene I’ve caused, I can’t help but notice
Sakura throwing herself into Hiroshi’s arms the moment we step away from them.
I turn my gaze away from the lovely scene and that’s when my eyes catch on a
certain blond kid standing near a café on the other side of the station. He’s
there watching me, usual manga held
open in one hand and clutching something small in the other. He mouths
something at me and I can’t help trembling as his warning comes floating back.
‘Be careful on the stairs’.
Adam’s favourite scene
Darkness surrounds me. I don’t know where I am. Not
Haruka’s room, that’s for sure. It’s much smaller, I can feel the walls closed
in around me, just out of reach. The wooden floor beneath me sends chills up my
spine as a feeling of familiarity crashes into me. It feels as though I’ve been
in this room before, but I have no idea when. I squeeze my fingers tightly
around the small box I didn’t even realise I was holding. Matches. I
desperately want to light one, but it’s not time yet. What?
Laughter sounds from outside my tiny universe, little
girls laughing, as if they’re enjoying my panic. The familiarity of their voices
washes over me, making me want to find a way out of this darkness as if I’m
going to greet some long-lost friends.
A shiver rushes down my spine when the girls sop their
giggling and start repeating a single phrase in singsong whispers, seemingly
from everywhere at once, “Watashi ni hikari o misete, samonakuba yami no naka
ni nokose.” Their whispers become repetitive chanting, growing louder and
louder until they’re booming in my ear. I try to make sense of what they’re
saying, but I can’t get past the feeling that I’ve heard this all before.
Concentrating on the words, I translate: Give me the light or keep me in
darkness.
All of a sudden the voices cut off, plunging my tiny
room into silence once more, allowing me to hear the one last whispered warning
from the girls. “Teokure ni naru mae ni hi o moyase.”
Light a match
before it’s too late.
I yank a match from the box and start striking it.
Sparks fly but no flame appears.
Icy hands grasp my shoulders and the match tumbles
unlit from my trembling hands. I scramble for another match as I feel the icy
claws dig into my flesh, turning me to face it. Pop! A faint golden light
springs to life in my hands as I come face to face with ... nothing. An empty
closet with creaky wooden boards. I giggle with relief.
A puff of air—as if someone is blowing out a
candle—and my match goes out. Out of the darkness a pair of glowing red eyes
erupt. I can’t see what creature’s attached to those eyes, and I’m sure I don’t
want to know. I can only stare as it approaches. I can only stare as it—
“Rin!” Misa’s voice screams as tiny hands give my
shoulders a furious shake, jerking me awake.
Sweat cascades down my back and my breathing comes out
in short, ragged gasps. Pushing myself into a sitting position, the tangled
sheets around me suck at me trying to drag me down to the floor. I look around
the dark room, disoriented. I’m not in some dark forgotten closet. Everything’s
the same as when I went to sleep. Haruka is still asleep in the bed beside me,
not disturbed in the slightest. Everything’s normal. Everything’s fine.
“You were having a nightmare, Rin.” Misa’s nervous
gaze never leaves my face.
“It felt so real,” I mumble as I lie back down and stare
up at the ceiling. “Almost like it was really happening.”
“No. It was just a nightmare,” Misa says in a quick
breath as she places her small hand against my forehead.
“Yeah.” I force my eyes closed, afraid that I’ll see
those glowing red eyes again as soon as I do. My heart jackhammers as I briefly
panic that I’ll have to spend my first day of life in Japan wandering around on
zero sleep, but slowly I feel myself drifting off to sleep again. This time,
thankfully, without dreams.
An Interview With Cheree Smith
I loved my trips around Japan and knew I wanted to feature a book over there. Also as a lover of Japanese horror, I knew that there were a lot of yokai (Japanese ghosts) that I could choose from that could fit to my story.
When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I always loved writing stories for my younger brother and sister. My first story included my sister as the main character being a long lost princess.
What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?
I remember devouring all of the Baby Sitter Club books and RL Stein horror story books in Primary school.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
I’m very eclectic with my reading. I enjoy everything from contemporary to fantasy to horror, but of course my favourite is horror stories.
What is your favorite book?
My favourite book is Anna Dressed in Blood by Kandare Blake
You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
My favourite author is Gretchen McNeil. She is an absolutely fabulous YA horror writer and has really helped bring horror back to YA audiences.
If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?
I wouldn’t like to live in this time, but I absolutely love the period around the witch trials around the 15th century. Just to witness the behaviours and superstition. Yeah, like I said, I wouldn’t want to live back there.
When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?
That’s difficult to answer. It all depends on what story I’m writing and which character I’m trying to direct. Some of my characters can be stubborn and others will want their story to be told that I can easily get 5k worth of words out with ease in the one writing session.
Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
My sister has two dogs, Solo and Riku, which I’ve pretty much claimed when I go home.
What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?
Japanese food. I absolutely love sushi and Teriyaki.
Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?
Just keep on writing, and reading. Don’t just say you’re ‘going to’ write, you need to sit down and write.
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An Interview With Adam Smith
What inspired you to write Shinigami
Eyes?
I am
fascinated by Japanese mythology and folklore. I had a lot of fun researching
the various myths and legends, adding a few twist and tweaks along the way. I
wanted to show some of the things that people usually don’t get to see.
When or at what age did you know you
wanted to be a writer?
I’ve
wanted to be a writer since I was in high school, unfortunately it was a dream
I’d nearly given up on until my sister persuaded me to help work on this
project with her.
What is
the earliest age you remember reading your first book?
I remember
reading plenty of books growing up, but it wasn’t until I was around fifteen or
so that I started reading for myself. Since then I have been a voracious
reader. I try and read at least fifty books a year, sometimes as many as one
hundred and fifty. I love to read.
What genre
of books do you enjoy reading?
I like
dark stories. Fantasy, horror, scifi. I like stories that make you think. If a
story does something fascinating, I will love it forever.
What is
your favorite book?
A toss-up
between Stephen King’s Drawing of the Three and Anne Bishop’s Daughter of the
Blood.
You know I
think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
My
favourite writer is Stephen King. His stories are always interesting. I
especially like the connectedness of the Dark Tower series. That larger world
that contains all his stories no matter the genre makes you want to read
everything just to see it happen.
If you could
travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and
why?
I would
travel to 1859 to see the Great Carrington Storm. From August 28th
to September 2nd 1859 the skies all over the world were aglow with
auroral light so bright you could read a newspaper by it. I’d love to see
something like that in person.
When
writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult
task?
Sometimes
the ideas come really easily, like the story was always there to begin with,
and all you need to do is uncover it. But still there are times when you can
sit in front of a keyboard and have nothing happen for hours on end. It’s hard
to know what will happen when you start writing, but in way it’s kind of
exciting.
Do you
have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
I have
four goldfish. I got them at a matsuri
(Japanese festival) last year. Matsuri
fish are notorious for dying quickly, so I’m amazed that they are all still
happy and healthy after so long. Every day they remain with me, I am inspired
to keep going.
What is
your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?
I love Taiyaki. It’s a Japanese pastry shaped
like a fish and filled with custard cream. They are absolutely amazing. Every
time the taiyaki store shows up in my
area, I buy a ton of them. They are just so good.
Do you
have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?
The best
advice I can give is to read as many stories as you can and pursue that little
voice that whispers “Well, what if?”. Stories are life, everyone has a story in
them, they just need to take the chance and let it be told.
Cheree Smith lives in the coastal city of Newcastle in
Australia where she is studying graphics design and photography. When she is
not hard at study, she is busy writing paranormal, horror and dark stories for
young adults. She enjoys listening to and learning about legends and myths,
watching scary movies and dreaming up new worlds where monsters can come alive.
When she is not in her writing cave she can be found listening to music, even
dabbling in the occasional writing of music or reading.
Adam Smith has always loved the Japanese culture, which
began with his love of anime and manga. This helped him accomplish his goal of
moving to Japan to become an ALT (assistant language teacher) in
Iwate, Japan. When he’s not reading, writing or speaking Japanese, he is
working on paranormal, horror and dark stories for young adults with his
sister, Cheree.
Giveaway:
Grand
Prize: A custom-made candle burner in the shape of a Kitsune
4 Runner-ups: Ceramic Bookmark
