Kami

Kami, they called him. He was undesirable among the spirits within the spirit realm. An outsider. A monster. He barely showed himself before others, he prefers to watch, imperceptibly, as other spirits continue with their daily endeavours. He was lonely, very lonely. Yet…the human child, she had called to him. Invited him inside. She was different, an outsider. A human. Her graciousness and kind behaviour touched him, and he pursued her, helped her. He would provide anything she wanted, anything in the world.  

But the bathhouse was poisonous. The avarice of those working in it spilled into his body from every direction, making Kami hungry. Filling him with lust. Still, he tired to get close to the human, helping her by offering bath coins when her supervisor would not allow it. But she rejected his kindness. Was this not what she wanted? Did She only want one coin? The coins fell from Kami’s grasp as he faded from the child’s view, to consider what she wanted. If only he knew, he would give it to her. 

He watched her struggle to remove the waste and dirt from the mountain spirit. Kami saw the distressed behaviour of the workers, scrabbling over the gold left behind. It depraved him, twisted him. Kami absorbed the gold into himself, and it became him. Using the gold, he lured in a employee, his own avarice growing, and devoured him, absorbing his abilities. His body altered, and he was able to express his desires now. Lin? He unclearly remembered, but he was so very hungry. Kami lured the next employee, openly announcing his desire to eat everything. And they brought everything before him, begging for gold. Their avarice became his avarice, and it could not be contained. 

And then, he saw her, desperately trying to go elsewhere. He caught up to her, with his hands filled with gold. Clearly, she would want this gold too, and he would provide it to her, as much as she desired. Kami offered her the gold as a gift, finding himself incapable to talk, overpowered by devotion to make this child joyous. And once again, he was rejected. Avarice, displeasure; all the unfavourable emotions around him, flowed into him with his shock, and the gold rattled right out of his small black elongated hands as he watched her leave. If she didn't desire the gold, nor the coins, what did she wish!? 

Out of anger Kami ingested two more employees, while other servants tired to hold him in a room, brining more food for him to eat. It was not enough. It would never be enough! He desired the human child. He wanted Lin! 

She came back to him. His Lin came back to him. Why was she just sitting there? Why wouldn't she smile at him, or talk? He offered her food. He offered her more gold, it was for her, and nobody else. She refused it once more. He asked her what she wanted. Kami promised anything she wished. He would make it happen for her. If she would only express to him what she needed! But instead Lin asked to leave, while offering him a bitter dumpling. He accepted and ate it, and started to disgorge everything he devoured inside him from the bathhouse. His corrupt emotions turned to extreme anger, and he ran after, Lin through the bathhouse, becoming smaller, the negative emotions he has absorbed, slowly been extinguished with the objects being expelled.