A cool wind blew through the forest as the sun rose on the horizon. Keiko looked into the deep, dark forest. A man riding a horse passed her into the woods. Both man and horse, as well as their clothes, were pale white. They faded into the darkness.
Erik walked over.
“I see that you’re already here,” he said.
Keiko replied, “Yes, and Haru…”
“Right here!” Haru ran out of the forest, “Sorry it took so long.”
“You told us to get here at dawn. Arriving a few seconds after that isn’t long,” Erik pointed out.
Haru replied, “With grandmother around, you can never be too sure.”
“Erik, are you sure you’ll be alright?” Keiko asked, “You’re a vampire, and you won’t have access to whatever you use to avoid getting killed by the sun.”
“I don’t use anything to stop the sun from killing me,” he stated.
She said, “You don’t?”
“The sun doesn’t kill vampires. That’s a myth. It’s irritating and we get worse sunburns than humans, but we can go out just fine.”
Haru turned to the forest, “We shouldn’t keep grandmother waiting. Follow me.”
Trees loomed overhead like the ceiling of a dungeon, dominating the sky. Tangled roots covered the ground in a web that threated to ensnare their feet. The forest was silent like death. No birds sang, no crickets chirped, nothing.
Keiko spoke, “This place is creepy.”
“Witches tend to live in creepy places,” Erik replied.
“Why?” she asked.
Haru said, “Because it enhances our image.”
“Your image?” Keiko tilted her head in confusion.
“When people hire witches, they look for that occult, dangerous mystique,” he explained, “No one goes looking for a witch in the middle of a town.”
Erik’s head snapped around, “Hang on, that’s why you live in those places, so people can hire you?”
“No, it’s so they want to hire us,” Haru stated, “Think about it this way. If you wanted to hire a witch, would you rather go with the one who lives in a creepy forest or the one who has a nice, cozy office with a soft cushion and a polite secretary in the waiting room?”
“That’s…a pretty good point. Anyone who claimed to be a witch and worked in a place like that would be dismissed as a charlatan,” the vampire said.
A low whimpering came from the bushes. Keiko looked over and saw a fox with a thorn in its paw. Remembering Haru’s words, she knelt and pulled the thorn out. The fox licked her hand before running back into the forest.
Soon, they arrived at a clearing. Baba Yaga’s hut towered over them. Keiko gulped when she saw the fence of skulls. A piece of her regretted her choices up until now, but a larger part of her was determined to see this through.
Haru led them through the front door, “Grandmother, we’re here.”
“So you are,” Baba Yaga was stirring a cauldron, “I see that you brought the vampire here as well as the girl.”
Erik bowed, “I apologize if I’m intruding; however, I simply could not resist meeting the famous Baba Yaga.”
“Oh, my, you are a charming one,” a smile creased her lips.
Baba Yaga turned to Keiko with cold eyes, “So, you’re Haru’s girlfriend?”
“Yes. Thank you for inviting me here, grandmother,” Keiko said.
“Thanking me?” the witch chuckled, “You know how to kiss my old, wrinkly ass at least. Now sit down on the table. We’re having breakfast.”
They did as she said. Erik pulled out a packet of blood he brought with him and sucked on it. Baba Yaga planted three plates in front of Haru, Keiko, and herself. Each of them had a disgusting blob of jelly filled with shredded meat. It quivered when Keiko poked it.
She said, “So, this is the sort of food witches eat? What spells were used to make it?”
“Spells?” Baba Yaga asked, “Haru, hasn’t she seen Russian food before?”
Haru answered, “She’s seen some, but not much. This is holodets, a type of meat jelly.”
Keiko quivered when she realized that this was normal Russian food. She forced it into her mouth, hiding her utter disgust. Her stomach quivered, but Keiko made herself smile to remain polite.
‘If Haru-kun and I ever get married,’ she thought. ‘I’m doing all the cooking.’
After breakfast, Baba Yaga yanked Keiko out of her seat.
“You’re coming with me. I have something to show you,” Baba Yaga said.
She pushed Keiko to the back of the house and opened the window. There was no forest outside. Instead, there was a cavern that extended beyond sight. Rotting corpses and pale, translucent figures shuffled around inside.
Baba Yaga cackled, “I must admit that Yomi is different from the Slavic Underworld. I prefer the dark cave to Veles’ green fields of Nav.”
Keiko was frozen with fear. She couldn’t even tremble.
“This is…the Underworld,” Keiko got out some words.
“My hut is connected to it.” Baba Yaga explained, “Wherever it is, it opens a portal to the Underworld on one side. The other faces the normal world. If you walk around my hut when the door is facing away from the normal world, you will be trapped inside the Underworld forever.”
“That must be convenient,” she thought fast.
Baba Yaga was confused, “Convenient?”
Keiko said, “Yes. If you want to throw garbage away, you just toss it into the Underworld.”
There was a moment of silence. Keiko tensed up. She hoped she said the right thing.
“I thought the same,” Baba Yaga sighed, “Then Veles got annoyed and made me swear to not throw anything out in the Underworld.”
She put Keiko down and walked away, muttering something to herself. As Baba Yaga moved upstairs, Haru ran to Keiko.
“Man, that was close, Keiko-chan. Grandmother was trying to scare you,” he said.
“It worked,” she replied, “I thought she was going to throw me out there.”
Haru stated, “You did great. Erik, could you distract grandmother when she comes down?”
The vampire spoke, “I will without fail. I’m getting an idea of what she’s like.”
“Seeing Yomi there was a pretty big shock. I had no idea the hut connected to a place like that,” Keiko shivered.
“You didn’t know? Didn’t you look into grandmother’s stories to prepare for this?” Haru asked.
She answered, “I would have but my family doesn’t let me go online.”
“They don’t let you surf the internet?” Erik was shocked, “In this day and age? Not even for school work?”
“Not even for that. The teachers let me turn in all my work on paper.”
Haru said, “We’ll have to deal with your family too at some point. Right now, we should get ready for lunch.”
“For lunch?” Keiko wondered, “Why do we?”
“I make lunch whenever I’m home. Grandmother told me that she wanted you to help me today,” he explained.
She shuddered, “Then let’s start. What are we making?”
Haru led her over to a fridge. He opened it. Inside was a horrific menagerie of Russian food and ingredients. Keiko choked at the mere thought of having to eat one of those things. Her boyfriend reached inside and grabbed a few items. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see what he’d bring out.
“We’re making sushi,” Haru brought out fish and rice, “Grandmother wants to try Japanese food.”
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