In the Autumn woods, a girl was running frantically downhill. Her face bear witness to something truly horrifying that she had witnessed uphill.
"Why was their blood all around the floor and walls? And an ··· why was he eating them?" she mumbled audibly as she raced towards the village.
Tanjiro Kamado, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Kamado. Tanjiro was a young boy in his late teens. But compared to the other boys, he was more mature and sincere. Tanjiro had five more siblings, all of whom he loves dearly. The family lost their head member very recently. Tanjiro's father was a civil servant, working directly under the shogunate. However, over the followings years his health gradually deteriorated due to an unknown illness. The symptoms were so subtle that they went unnoticed, until Tanjiro's father was no longer able to even walk properly. After his demise, the responsibility of the household fell on the shoulders of Tanjiro. The Kamado family wasn't too poor nor expensively wealthy. His father had saved enough money for the family, that they could pass the harsh times with little difficulty. But Tanjiro was hard pressed that the money left by his father won't be enough to give a quality life to all his siblings. That is why Tanjiro started to work at such an early age.
The Kamado residence was located on the mountain side. It was a place that the Shogun had gifted Tanjiro's father. The house was small but spacious. On the front yard was a large vegetable patch that had still some vegetable. The leaves had turned yellow with brown dots, saying that they are already at the age of getting cocked. Tanjiro was busy pulling out the last radishes from the dirt. One by one, his younger brother; Shigeru, was putting them in the basket.
"Onii chan, this basket has become heavy I cannot lift it up" Shigeru told his brother as he was trying his best to lift the heavy basket.
Tanjiro with a smile said "Its all-right Shigeru, I will carry it. Thank you for your help." Tanjiro patted his brother headed. His face clearly shows the delight.
"Onii chan you still remember it don't you? You promised me if I help you; you will take me to the market tomorrow!" Shigeru asked his brother. His eyes shining with hope that his brother hadn't lied to him. But Tanjiro was actually an awful liar. He was so honest that he couldn't even make a decent excuse.
"I clearly remember it. But first you must ask mother if she will allow you to accompany me?" Tanjiro answered to his question.
"What! I thought you had already asked her." Shigeru stated in dismay. He remained still, surely crossed by this sudden predicament. "All right! I will ask her." He said it and dashed into the house shouting for his mother.
Tanjiro kept watching his brother's back until a gentle called made him turned.
"Are you sure it is a good idea to take him downhill? He can be quite a handful." Nezuko said.
Nezuko was the eldest daughter in the family and two years younger than Tanjiro. She was a beautiful girl. A rare gem hidden among the mountain forests. Like Tanjiro, her life was not as easy either. While Tanjiro looked after the daily needs of the family, Nezuko devoted herself to looking after her younger siblings.
"No need to worry. He behaves himself when he is with me. And also, I promised him a treat if he be a good boy." Tanjiro said.
"Give me those radishes I will wash them for you." As she took the basket from Tanjiro's hands.
"Onii chan, Onii chan ···" Shigeru came running from the backyard. He was panting but was excited. "Mother said I could go with you."
Tanjiro was also pleased on hearing it and patted his brother's head. Nezuko handed the radishes to Tanjiro and all of them went inside. The sun was setting down and the entrance door was closed.