• The Case of the Jubboko


    Fresh snow fell on the ground muffling out any sound on this infinite night. The only thing the girl could hear was the soft howling wind blowing in her ears. She kept her scarf close to her face to keep her mouth and nose warm.
    She looked up keeping her long brown coat even. She could see, even through her frosted glasses that all the trees were bear and their branches carrying only snow. She lowered her hat over her eyes and kept walking through the mounds of snow. A case is a case. She though absent minded. Therefore she had no choice but to accept it.
    She climbed over one giant mound of snow until she saw the dimly lit village just below. She sighed deeply and walked slowly down the mound until she was within the village. It was awfully quiet but just as she approached an inn she heard people laughing and telling stories.
    The girl pushed the door to the side and closed it behind only to be greeted by a young man carrying a paper lantern.
    “Welcome, welcome” he said with a smile on his face as the girl took off her fur boots and scarf. Her white and black eyes beamed at the man. She took off her cap revealing shaggy blonde cropped hair, and smiled.
    “I would like to buy a room please” she asked in a kind voice.
    The man looked at her for a moment wondering why one of her eyes was black and the other one pure white. He gave up then smiled.
    “Of course you picked a good timing to miss” he said signing her up. “The snow storm is getting so bad travelers like you are staying where ever they can now. Now counting you my inn is officially full”
    “So it would seem” the young girl said giving him her money. She opened the door to the guest room and saw several men sitting in a circle telling stories. She looked back at the inn keeper.
    “By the way sir do you know where I can find a man named Shibata? I heard he was in the village” she asked.
    The inn keeper looked at her and scratched his head. “What do you need him for?”
    “Didn’t he tell you?” the girl said placing her hands on her hips then she pointed to herself. “He called for me. I’m Kiku, a Yokai detective”
    The whole entire room fell silent after hearing what she announced. Kiku went by the fire and had herself some tea.
    “Yokai detectives are usually old or middle aged men” someone said. Kiku looked up and saw a man in a green kosode descending wooden steps. He had dark brown hair, green eyes, and a farm boy’s tan. He was well built too probably a farmer. “I have never heard of a woman being one more or less a young girl”
    Kiku looked up and smiled at the man. “Let me guess you must be Shibata”
    The man nodded his head then sat down with the group. Everyone was uneasy around Shibata mostly because he told weird tales but listened closely wandering why a Yokai detective was here.
    “Will you listen to my story Kiku?” he asked.
    Kiku set her tea down and reached into her bag and pulled out a scribe and pen. “That’s what I’m here for”
    Shibata nodded only once before starting with his story.
    “It began last spring. My son, Tobe, and I were hunting in the forest until he pointed out a tree in the middle of a clearing. It was not like any tree I have ever seen before in my life. The bark was a dark red, it had no leaves, and from a distance it looked like skeletons were crawling up the trunk of the tree”
    Kiku listened and jotted something down and asked Shibata to continue his story.
    “The next time we went out hunting we couldn’t find a single animal in the area. Then Tobe pointed out the tree again. Surrounding it were the corpses of a dozen animals. We decided to go back to the village but we somehow got lost even though we’ve been through the path a thousand times. When it finally got dark I found the village but Tobe went missing. I went back calling his name a thousand times over until I spotted the tree. Lying beneath it was the dead body of my boy”
    Kiku let Shibata cry remembering his loss; at least she could offer comfort. “I’m sorry for you loss”
    “You don’t know anything!” Shibata snapped. “I had to bury my little boy! My wife was so distraught she commited suicide! I’m sorry, please forgive me Yokai detective” he said panting.
    Kiku understood his pain and wasn’t mad at least. She closed her pad and sighed finally knowing what she’s up against.
    “It sounds like a Jubboko” she finally said. The men and Shibata leaned forward wandering what it is.
    “A what?” someone asked.
    “A tree with similar vampire traits” she explained. “It only grows after a great battle and the carnage supplies the tree with nutrients and everything it needs. However unlike ordinary trees as it grows the corpses become entangled with the tree. It has a strange communication with other plants fooling travelers and getting them lost but what its known for is draining the energy from a victim”
    Everyone gasped at the gruesome details that the Yokai detective was saying then Kiku continued speaking.
    “The Jubboko sends out sweet fragrance only children and animals could smell. Like most flowers that’s how they draw their prey in. For adults our smelling isn’t so good and that’s why your son died”
    Shibata burst out into tears. “What are we suppose to do?”
    “Tell me was there a great battle here at some point?” Kiku asked.
    One of the men leaned forward. “Now that you mentioned it two groups of bandits fought over a jade dragon and killed each other off” he explained.
    Kiku nodded her head understanding the situation then stood up and grinned a bit. “Alright then, from this point on I’ll take full responsibility of this case”


    To be con. The Case of the Jubboko next week!