â€œKagome, Kagome...â€<br/><br/>A soft voice, a sweet voice, singing in its native tongue.<span style="font-style: italic">Circle you, circle you...</span><br/><br/>â€œKago no naka no tori wa,â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">You are a bird in a cage...</span><br/><br/>â€œItsu, itsu, deyaru.â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">When will you come out?</span>The maid wandered about the halls, clutching a broom to her chest. She had the oddest expression on her face, as if she were scared senseless.<br/><br/>â€œYowake no ba ni,â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">In the evening of the dawn...</span>Was that knocking?<br/><br/>â€œTsuru to kame no subetta,â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Crane and turtle slipped and fell.</span>Subetta was a strange word, actually pronounced â€œsu-des-ka.â€<br/><br/>Was someone at the door?<br/><br/>â€œUshiro no shoumen da-are?â€<br/><br/>The last wordâ€™s vowels were drawn out, making it seem to have two syllables. Naomiâ€™s voice was quiet, not her usual shy quiet. But it trembled, as if she were singing through shivers. Her long brown hair was fluttering about her shoulders as she walked, and the skirt of her uniform bounced and quivered as she moved. Her pretty brown eyes were cast down, anxious as if she expected to find something horrifying in the lush green carpet or cherry wood floors.<br/><br/>She was singing an old childrenâ€™s song from her homeland. It was almost similar to the English â€œRing around the Rosie.â€ In<span style="font-style: italic">Kagome, kagome,</span>one child would be the â€œoni,â€ as in ogre or demon, and sit in the middle of a ring of hand-locked children who would sing. As they sang, they would run or walk around the â€œoni,â€ and upon the songâ€™s end, the â€œoniâ€ would have to guess which of their friends was behind them.<br/><br/>Naomi used to play with her friends in Okinawa, and she always guessed correct.<br/><br/>Naomi was jerked from her state by the sound of the front door opening. Oh no! There had been someone at the door! With the broom in hand, she flurried down the stair case, onto a landing, and then down the next staircase. The Smith estate was a lovely house, and very large. Very difficult for one maid to clean.<br/><br/>She came to a halt when she saw Lazro, the cook, standing at the front door, while a young woman stood at the door. The womanâ€™s hair was shocking red, and the girl was ethereally pretty. â€œMiss Isabella!â€ Naomi exclaimed softly, shock in her eyes. Miss Isabella was the young masterâ€™s girlfriend.<br/><br/>Naomi had an odd flash of panic, her breath leaving her and her heart thumping once, loudly. Her brown eyes were wide with horror as a single picture permeated her mind. Red. Yes, it was red. What did that mean? She didnâ€™t understand. It was a bad color.<br/><br/>Naomi blinked and mentally shook herself, breaking out of the thought violently. She tried not to show it. She looked at Miss Isabella quickly, finding the girl looked very downcast. Naomi tried not to look too shaken. Compulsively, Naomi looked over her shoulder, expecting something to be there.<br/><br/>There was nothing.<br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Who is behind you now?</span>