Mecchen House Chapter 18 - The Conclusion (Part 2 of 2)

[major_kerina]

Although dazed, Shiori guided us to a nearby sushi bar she frequented which gave discounts to librarians. We selected a table in the back for the sake of privacy. We ordered. I chose the tuna roll with miso soup. Jamie ordered some tempura and beef sticks. Shiori just had the lunch special (salmon and salad).

Our waitress was small but carried a massive tea pot and glass tray. She addressed us as, “You lovely ladies.” Jamie took to sheltering her chest again soon after that. The waitress was dressed in a white, Chinese dress with ornate pink and purple roses in a band on her left side and black trim. She also wore a pink and black apron and silvery, round earrings that matched her eyes. Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun with long locks framing the sides of her face.

Her attire was eye-catching. But, for me, more so because was about my size and figure. I could easily wear a dress like she wore. I turned away and felt my face grow hot.

She served tea first then went to check on the patrons in the bar area. Shiori drained her tea, wiped her mouth, and asked, “So what’s going on?”

“It’s tough to really explain. There was much guesswork involved. Still is,“ Jamie answered as she laid with her napkin across her chest. If her intent was to hide her chest, she failed miserably.

Shiori caressed the side of her ponytail. “Let’s go with what you’ve told me already. You came from another universe…”

Jamie tried to reposition the napkin. It didn’t help any. “Actually, so far as we can tell, we didn’t go anywhere. The universe changed.”  

“Wait…what? How?”

“Dunno. All we have are visions which have been confirmed as plausible clues by the public records. I was in a real place. But in the…past.”

Shiori’s forehead strained. “You had a vision of the past. But then wouldn’t that past be…like your world?” Or ‘our’ world, I thought to myself.

Jamie tried tucking the napkin. “It is confusing…”

“Maybe it’s just nothing…”

Jamie dropped the napkin back on the table. “You know…I’d have said the same thing a few hours ago, but it happened to me too.”

“Okay…but that doesn’t really help much.”

“Was it supposed to?” Jamie toyed with the napkin again.

Shiori set her hands on a table with a little more force than I expected. “I’m in this universe too, you know.”

“I thought you liked being a girl.” Jamie pressed against her chest with renewed antagonism.

Shiori’s hands rubbed along the table. “I’ve adapted, I suppose. But this is something entirely different. If someone or something can change everything, change who people are, then what’s to stop them from just erasing anyone whenever they like? It’s like that Twilight Zone episode with the omnipotent little boy.”

I knew the one she was talking about. More proof for the idea Shioriko came from our universe.

Jamie just said, “Never seen it but I get your point. It’s disturbing.”

Shiori pulled her arms close. “No kidding. Do you have any clue what this thing may want?”

“Pretty good clue. It thinks the three of us are its sisters. It expressed that in my vision and Kelly’s. My best guess is what it did to the universe will somehow turn us into reproductions of its sisters. Why us? Dunno. But we changed slower and remembered more about our past than others. We still have lost memories like you talked about though.” I had another tidbit about what Jamie experienced.

Shiori was silent in response. The waitress returned with my miso, Jamie’s beef sticks, and Shiori’s salad. While Jamie tore ravenously into the beef, neither I nor Shiori touched our dishes.

“What do you think it wants with me?” Shiori asked.

Jamie blew on the meat. She restored the napkin to her chest. “It never mentioned you. I dunno. I haven’t discounted the possibility it intentionally put you where it did. It left those bewildering blank papers after all.”

Shiori’s hand was above her chopsticks. She paused. “What do you mean? I was just here.”

“So you say…” Jamie chewed roughly.

“It’s the truth!” Shiori’s voice was still low but she spoke with force behind her words.

“’If something can change anything it wants’, as you said…well that means anything is in question.”

“I’m not a liar…”

“But you can be manipulated.”

“So can you…”

“Agreed.” Jamie set one empty skewer down and picked up the next.

“And???”

I set a hand on Shiori’s arm. She looked at it with quick alarm but didn’t do anything.

Jamie took a bite, swallowed, and said, “And that’s where things are. There are tons of little weird things but nothing objective.”

“What about the books you needed last time?”

“Utterly useless.”

Shiori’s head drooped.

I inserted, “But we haven’t looked at them much with all the things that have happened.”

Shiori’s head turned. “What things?”

Jamie answered, “Little weird things, as I said.”

I don’t know if that was the last straw or if it would’ve come no matter what. I’m sure Jamie’s demeanor about things didn’t help.

Shiori’s head lowered again and long strands of shimmering silver streamed down her shut eyes. She brought her hands up and sniffled. She rocked. I kept my hand at her side but it didn’t seem to help. Jamie set her beef stick down but looked at a nearby wall.

Some of the bar patrons glanced in our direction for a moment. After sobbing a few times, Shiori finally spoke.

“I’m scared. I mean…I don’t know what to believe. But to think that I’m just some tool in this unknown plot…Why? WHY? What makes you so special?”

Jamie looked back, her eyes narrowed and focused. “Special? I never wanted any part of this. I have hair that weighs a ton! And I have these…counter-weights stuck to my chest. I have a voice that sounds like a child. Sure my life sucked before, but that was MY LIFE. This is not me. All that keeps me from screaming is moving forward and looking for old connections to keep my sanity.” Jamie trembled with her hands on the table.

They looked at each other. Shiori leaned forward to touch Jamie’s hand. Jamie didn’t jerk it away.

Shiori rubbed Jamie’s hand gently and said, “I’m sorry. I know this is tough all around. But it just makes me want to throw up. The idea that my life…that I am just some extra in a play and my life is incidental…I can’t imagine a more horrible fate.”

She shut her eyes. “When I’m reading a novel, there’s always this little character in the story. A man or a woman. Maybe they have a scene or two and a couple of lines. But I can tell they’re just a stock character with some penciled-in traits. I’d often stop and imagine if they have a home. Who do they love? What makes them laugh? When did they last get embarrassed? How do they brush their teeth? Where do they like to relax? Why are they only in the margins?...” Her eyes fluttered open.

Shioriko sniffled a few times in a row and gave the beginning of chuckle. “It’s funny. I’m so scared of the idea of being insignificant and I care for books for a living.”

I told her, “I’ve always had a high opinion of librarians.” Jamie didn’t say anything but she was slowly scooting her hand out from under Shiori’s. Shiori took the hint and let go.

She tried a bite of her salad. “Thanks…I turned into a girl and that didn’t bother me. But then I barely remember ‘Brookville’, if that really was my home. Or is…” Shiori took another bite.

I asked her, “Is there anything I can do…to help?”

She paused. “Is there anything else you know for certain?”

“Well, we think the one involved might be named ‘Hitomi’. But then there’s a dark…thing in the room belonging to one of the girls at Mecchen House which seems pretty nasty.”

Shiori chewed quietly. She rested her fork on the plate. “It sounds like there’s a lot on your shoulders. I could probably question the two of you for hours and not understand it. That’s okay. I have patience. I’ll try to stop by Mecchen this evening on my way back home. I live in the foothills.”

She smiled faintly. “So far as helping, just don’t forget me. Please keep me informed of what you figure out. And I’ll do what I can to help in turn.”

I looked to Jamie. She sighed but those sounded like acceptable conditions to me. It would be nice to introduce Shiori to the Mecchen girls.

The main dish arrived soon after. We each said our “humbly partake”s. Shiori almost forgot hers.

We didn’t talk much after that. Shiori brought up clothing and necessary ‘undergarments’ once but Jamie was tight-lipped. I answered, “It’s not quite what I expected. Although I think I wound up…fortunate. Not much of a chest and I’m rarely conscious of the undergarments.” Jamie’s eyes were stony-daggers and her mouth shut tight.

Shiori picked at her salmon roll with one chopstick. Jamie just ate the tempura by hand. I tried to be meticulous with my chopsticks but I still wound up with several squished pieces. 

We didn’t talk much after that. I noticed Jamie would let her hands stray from her chest every so often.

When we were done eating, Shiori insisted on taking care of the bill. Jamie and I paid for the tip. Shiori slung her engorged purse over her shoulder and sighed.

“It was nice to see the two of you again. Despite how our discussion made me feel. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see Nathan again. Tell…her hi for me…”

Shiori turned around in place. It seemed like she was searching for something.

“It’s weird. I love reading about crazy sci-fi plots, about all kinds of mind-bending scenarios. I cope with spontaneous gender change. But the chance I’m playing someone else’s plot? It just makes me wish I could forget I’d ever heard the idea.”

We stood near the exit and looked at one another quietly.

Shiori fanned her hands as though trying to clear away a buzzing insect and smiled. “As I said, this was actually nice. It made my day better. And may the rest of yours be so helped.”

We parted on the street. Shioriko waved high over her shoulder. I waved a little in return. She kept waving for as far as I could see her.

I did feel a little better.

-------

Jamie didn’t say anything as we board the train Officer Yamamoto referred us to. The train car was nearly empty. Despite this, Jamie sat right beside me. She gave a few long blinks once we’d pulled away from the station.

Jamie stretched her back a few times, looked down at her chest projecting outwards, and tried to rebuild the shield of her hands. She fidgeted with positions until she just dropped her hands to her legs and leaned her back against the train bench.

I looked out the window at the artful cityscape flowing past. The mottled green trees swayed. The apartment complexes and low houses were an interweaving of brown and yellow. The area was mainly residential. I hadn’t seen much industry along the way, just a warehouse every so often.

Jamie coughed. I turned to look. She seemed to be edging close to me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

She leaned away. “It’s nothing. I’m just a little sleepy. Forget it.”

“Forget what?”

“It’s just a stupid idea.”

“Tell me.”

“I said to forget it.”

Jamie stood up. I grabbed her hand as a reflex.

She said quickly, “Please let me go…”

“I’m here for you. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“…I know. It’s just…I really have to go pee.”

I let go with a look of bright embarrassment.

Jamie walked away quickly.

Outside, everything was green now with a smattering of light brown. The ground looked fresh.

Then it all exploded into pink. The cherry blossoms. They filled everything. They flowed like a cresting river of pink flame in the sky but still firmly rooted to the ground. There seemed to be nothing in the world around but the blossoms. I could watch them all day long.

But we soon passed into a tunnel. The world became a quiet void. It only lasted a few seconds. When we emerged from the tunnel, there were just sparse blossoms. The city had reasserted control and passed in orderly lines.

The train rocked ever so gently.

Jamie returned. She sat right next to me again.

I asked, “Everything go alright?”

“I figured it out…”

I waited a little while before asking, “Well?”

“Well what?”

“You had something on your mind before.”

“It passed.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

I watched Jamie lean her head back and away from me. I brushed my shoulder off. My shoulder was so soft now. I looked over at Jamie but she didn’t budge. She rested her eyes.

The train rocked firmly. An alarm sounded overhead. The train slowed to a crawl and stopped. The alarm sounded once more.

A voice spoke. It sounded pre-recorded.

“High winds have been reported for the Eastern Nishibara area for the next few minutes. Out of precaution, the Ogawa/Sekkei Transit Authority has recommended a temporary rerouting of the Downtown Ogawa to Nasuka #3 to the Manako stop. Your train will soon be rerouted. Please, remain inside the train. Do not leave until the train has arrived at its rescheduled stop.”

The message repeated at this point. Jamie cracked her neck, audibly so. I figured now was the time to ask since we weren’t going anywhere for a while.

“Tell me the rest of your vision.”

“You still on that? I told you all the critical details.”

The train lurched forward slowly.

“All I know for certain is you met a cat with weird fur and a crooked tail and went to a particular residence, formerly owned the Ishidas, which is now Carolyn’s barber shop.”

“That should be enough.”

“I told you everything that happened in my vision.” I folded my arms in my lap.

“Everything?”

“Pretty much.”

The train lurched to a stop again.

It didn’t take long for Jamie to cave. “Fine…” She set her fists on either side of her chin. That looked quite cute.

“I was in one of those sleeping bag beds that we almost slept in our first night at Mecchen House. I stood up slowly. I was male again. I didn’t have any control of what I did. I could just watch. The house I was in looked pretty old but well-cared for. It looked almost…real. For a second. It didn’t even seem drawn or cartoon or whatever the deal is with this place.

“I walked around till I came to a kitchen. That was when I saw the cat. Those two parents of Ms. Ishida you talked about were at the table. They welcomed me. I talked in such a girly way. Bleh. Well I saw you and Nathan. You were both male too. That girl Hitomi was clinging to you. I didn’t really pay attention to her. I did some stuff around you. Then we ate.”

“What do you mean ‘did some stuff?’”

Jamie seemed quite embarrassed. “Stuff. Like holding hands, giving you a kiss on the cheek, and giggling over something. It was so stupid. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop it. Hitomi looked a little left out but Nathan talked with her a bit. Hitomi briefly mentioned something about ‘sisters’. I didn’t listen for long because I had to take the trash out.

“I visited the neighbor after that. The neighbor had this spry, medium-sized dog. I don’t know the breed but it was a brown short-hair. It ran all over the area. It liked me. It tried to leap at me. I spoke a little with the neighbor, about how they were today, other little things. All the while, I got this feeling for him…which…umm…can I not talk about the specifics? It was just, you know…embarrassing feelings for another guy. He didn’t say anything weird.” Jamie wrapped her arms around her stomach.

She finished by saying, “Then everything froze up. Things got trippy. A storm blew in and it was very windy. It rained too. Lightning zapped in the sky. I had control of my body back. I ran under some cover. But everything around me started to melt, like a wet painting. It all ran together. And it flowed like sludge around my ankles and began to surround me. At that point, I awoke in the barber shop and you know the rest.”

I narrowed my eyes at Jamie. “Why didn’t you tell me about that last part before?”

“I told you now. And besides, does adding that help you understand it any more?”

“I can’t say for sure. Is that all now? No talks with Hitomi?”

“That’s all.”

Jamie fixed a few loose pins in her hair and slipped errant locks over her ears.

“Why did you keep it a secret?”

Her arms went slack and she stared at me a moment. I didn’t get an answer.

I took a guess.

“This is about what I did, isn’t it?”

“Why do you say that?”

The train moved again, slowly building speed.

“If you don’t like for me to keep secrets then why did you keep as many as I did, if not more?”

“Because you’re not the center of the universe. I don’t have to tell you every little thing I experience. Got that?”

She turned as far away from me as she could without moving from her seat.

“Got it,” I said.

-------
 
The train made several more stops and starts, turning onto a side spur of track.

The recording apologized several times and gave updated times of delay. It started at thirty minutes. I turned to look through the window behind me. I could see a little bit of the sea. The sun was past the mid-point. The trees still flowed in the wind. I could hear a faint whistle through the window.

The start and stop of the engine and ambling of passengers became like white noise. Eventually, Jamie had to speak.

“I’m bored. Why are we even on this train?”

“Nina.”

“Ah. Well, I really hope she’s worth it.”

“Dunno.”

Jamie sighed. “What?”

I said nothing.

She kept the conversation going.

“Listen. Alright…I’m sorry. I know you didn’t mean to pry or anything by asking. We need to figure things out. It’s just…seeing you and Hitomi together then…I held back. I watched.”

My mouth felt slack.

“You…thought I was…involved?”

“Events felt suspicious to me every once in a while. And especially with how…umm, with the way I can react to you, I needed to test things.”

“And?” I wondered just how long she’d been suspicious of me.

“I tested it. I still think that Nana is the most-likely one involved. And that’s that.”

I brushed my hair back. “Well, that’s good.”

It didn’t take long for Jamie to reiterate, “I’m bored.” She added, “Can we play something? Remember we used to play word-association a few times when the power went out?”

I recalled it vaguely.

I started off the game.

“Hand.”

“Glow.”

“Glow?”

Jamie stuck her tongue out at me. “You have to say a different word, remember?”

“I mean, why that word?”

She shrugged. “Just keep it going.”

I considered my reply. “Light.”

“Dark.”

“Pain.”

“Bra.” Jamie expelled the word from her mouth like a curse.

“Lace.”

“Ami.”

“Why Ami?”

“Do you want to play or not?”

“…Pink.”

“Blossoms.”

I would’ve answered the same.

“Trees.”

“Path.”

“Stroll.”

“Run.”

“Go.”

“Arrive.”

“Meet.”

“Join.”

The train picked up speed.

I pondered it for a moment before answering, “Invited.”

“Group.”

“Close.”

“Kinship.”

I thought I heard someone whisper over my shoulder. I looked and it was just the cool whistle of blowing wind through the crack in the window. 

I said, “Sisters.”

The sound through the window vanished. The trees outside steadied themselves. The train moved faster.

Jamie answered immediately. “Annoying.”

I gave her a look but answered, “Secrets.”

“Deception.”

“Truth.”

“Warmth.” 

“Hope...”

The train shuddered to a stop. I looked out. We were at a station. The recorded message said this was ‘Manako’. Reluctantly, we got off at this stop and checked the transit map near the ticket counter.

Fortunately for us, Nasuka wasn’t far from our location. We decided to go on foot.

-------

It was hillier here. Small farms clustered between stretches of dark-green trees and houses. The roads were fewer, smaller, and seemed lightly-traveled. The homes were larger and older-looking. One even resembled a bath house. We passed a fruit stand with a soda machine and some little kids running around out front. I gave them a smile and they waved to us.

The road widened and came to a Y-intersection with businesses at all points. I could smell incense burning from one. A sign labeled, “Azako High School”, pointed us to the right. It wasn’t hard to figure out which was Azako. It was the tallest building in the area.

The building itself was a mix of silver and black. The road leading to it was tiled in a seashell pattern. The school had twin four-story buildings with a two-story junction in the middle. The fence all around it was low, but spiked. Rounded bushes presented a secondary defense. At what seemed to be the front of the complex, the wall turned brick with a massive front gate on a wheel. Long benches covered this area. And the gate was open.

Inside was a small courtyard area with a trickling fountain and a few sculptures. I found it really pleasant. I had a flash of a technical college I’d toured once. It didn’t even approach the beauty of this place.

Jamie gave a look around and back at me. “Do you think they have an office?”

That sounded like a good idea. Better than wandering around hoping we’d run into Nina.

“If they do, what should we say?”

Jamie looked at the front of the center complex. “Well, it’s four…sheesh it took a while to get here. Do you think they’re even still here?”

“Japanese schools tend to go well into the evening.”

“Lame…Well then I’m sure there’s someone around to help.”

We tried the double doors at the front. There was a lockers area with colored slippers off to the side. I saw an area for guests to put their shoes.

Jamie lamented, “Again with leaving my shoes behind…”

I held up a pink slipper. Jamie said only, “No.” She picked up one of the blue ones instead, despite the fact she wasn’t fooling anyone as to her gender. I slipped the pink pair on. They felt more comfortable anyway.

We walked into the left building first. Students milled around. The men’s uniform seemed to be all-brown with a dark blue tie.

The students were cleaning. A girl with short, reddish hair pushed a broom across the floor. I explained to Jamie that students in Japan routinely cleaned the school after class.

She blinked. “You mean they’re so cheap they can’t even hire janitors? Very lame.”

“It’s just what they do in Japan.”

“But this isn’t really Japan…”

We tried asking the girl with hair like Nathan’s, only lighter-toned, about where to find the office. She was wiping a window.

She smiled at us.

I told her, “We’re looking for someone who goes to this school.”

She nodded but then frowned. “Hmm…well. School records are really protected and since class ended who you’re looking is probably just around cleaning somewhere or at their club. Are you friends of theirs?”

“You could say that. We’ve met. We just need to talk. Her name is…Nina Metora. Or Metora Nina.”

It suddenly struck me that Metora had to be Nina’s surname and yet, when we were first introduced, she spoke it last like we did. I made a note to ask Nina about it when we found her.

The girl pondered a bit. “Her name isn’t one I know. Do you know what groups she’s in?”

Unfortunately, we didn’t. But, I said, “I know one of her friends.”

The girl didn’t know Katsumi either but I remembered that one of Katsumi’s groups was tea ceremony. The girl knew where they met and that they were meeting right around now. She said we could find them in annex building at the far end of the campus. We’d had to go down the hall and out to the right, past the track field, and the swimming pool. Past the theater complex, the tennis courts, and archery range. Once we passed all that, she assured us, we would find the annex.

“Look for cute stuff.” She told us.

It sounded pretty simple to me. Jamie walked slowly, rubbing her forehead. “I’m so sick of walking. Walking just leads to more walking. Walking is what started all this in the first place. Clearly, it is the root of all evil.”

I gave a wry grin which she didn’t seem to appreciate. One of the classroom doors was open. I saw a club meeting inside. I didn’t recognize anyone in it.

At the turn in the hall, I saw another open classroom. Podiums were set up. I recognized the girl at the podium in front. It was Mami. I stopped a moment. She looked really into her speech. I couldn’t hear the context of it at this distance. She seemed to smolder with emotion. She pointed a finger out at a crowd I couldn’t see.

We walked on and out of the building. A walkway rounded a small stadium in the back with a clay track. Despite the fact it was a detour, I had to look closer at the track-and-field stadium. I was glad I looked.

It didn’t take long to see Miki in gym clothes standing on one of the lines. Someone yelled and she took off with dogged determination around the track. She ran with impressive stamina. No wonder she was such a challenge for Nathan.

She didn’t slow up until she’d made one circuit of the track. Miki panted and leaned on her knees a moment before straightening up. I clapped a little to myself. Jamie watched the whole race.

We slipped away without being noticed.

The swimming pool looked just as impressive. Scores of anime girls in navy-blue outfits stood around and laughed to themselves. I was captivated by the scene, but Jamie seemed anxious to move along. Her eyes didn’t linger long on the girls.

The tennis courts were fenced-in and also clay. I could see the vibrant colors of the archery range and I didn’t have to look far to see another familiar face. Reiko stood with a bow much bigger than her.

She had on a white, loose top with short sleeves. She also wore what seemed to be a skirt. It stretched from her waist to the floor with only her sock-covered feet, set apart, showing at either end.
 
Reiko had an arrow drawn. She was looked ahead. She trembled a little to hold it. The bow raised and lowered in her grasp. It seemed she wasn’t sure about her aim. The bow moved back and forth. She let the bow fall. Reiko shut her eyes and took a few deep and slow breaths. I wondered what was flustering her but Jamie was eager to move on.

The annex was small, two-stories with an older design than the rest of the complex. I opened the door for Jamie. She froze in place. Before the door, there stood Nana.

She had the innards of a desktop computer cradled in her arms like a baby. It reached out tendril-like wires which wrapped around her wrists like bracelets. She wore a pair of headphones around her neck with its own system of wires. Despite all this around her, she felt like a vacuum. A calm and steady nothingness. It wasn’t the sort of nothingness I’d glimpsed in Ami the other day, but rather a confined space stretching in all directions.

She bowed automatically to us and said, “The final encounter will be soon. Thank you for your kindness.”

She left with her electronics clinging to her. Had we not been a hurry to find Nina, I would’ve questioned her about that statement and others she’d made. I wanted to say something polite to her with the ‘kindness’ statement but she seemed eager to get wherever she was going with that equipment.

Jamie made no effort to speak to her. And so the moment passed.

We walked past a room covered in stoves and counters. I didn’t see anyone I knew but the little hairs on the back of my neck somehow sensed that Sumi was near. I certainly didn’t want to meet up with her right then. Katsumi was bad enough.

I also saw a sketched sign on one door advertising the “Anime and Manga Club” inside. I suspected from the vibrant noise within that Tara was present.

But we walked on until it was clear we were deep in feminine territory. The walls were a pale pink with floral designs. The floor was specially padded. There was an aroma in the air of light perfume mixed with lavender. Live plants and flowers in pots sat along the sides with ribbons tied in them.

I didn’t say anything to Jamie about it all. We stepped carefully around the pillows, cushions, and stuffed animals on the floor.

We came to the last door in the building before the stairs to the second floor. The door was marked “Tea Ceremony Club.” I knocked three times slowly. The girl who opened the door was Nina herself.

She stood with blue ribbons in her hair, wearing a dark-blue kimono with lovely stitching on the front. She bowed and turned to lead us inside. The back of her kimono featured a pattern of the moon with several white rabbits in a forest, leaping towards the sky.

All the floors were tatami. Scrolls hung on the walls. One depicted a vast field of snow.

Katsumi sat in the center of the room in a gray kimono. A kettle sat before her. She had a series of intricate items around her. Most of them seemed to be made of bamboo. A few other girls sat around her at what looked like specific points. They all looked up at us.

Katsumi spoke first. Her narrowed eyes lingered on Jamie’s chest then darted over to mine. I blushed involuntarily.

“I assume you both are wearing bras…”

“Are you?” Jamie asked, with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Put down your hands! You’re a girl. Be proud of your figure. Or else…”

“Or else…what?”

“There is a saying. ‘Those who want something gone will only end up getting it three-fold upon them’.”

Jamie glanced down at her chest. Despite that, her arms didn’t budge.

I told her, “We’re here to talk to Nina.”

Everyone looked at Nina, who had snuck into a corner since leading us in. She didn’t look pleased by the attention. There were three other girls; a blond, a small brunette, and one with long, orange hair.

“About?” Katsumi sliced her eyes back and forth between Nina and us.

“Confidential girl chat stuff.” I said.

Katsumi narrowed her eyes and hissed, “Lousy answer…”

“You used it yourself.”

She took a few breaths and looked to Nina. She let a long breath out.

“Then talk. But anyone who enters must dress in a kimono and observe proper tea ceremony etiquette.” She launched an arm straight in the direction of one of the closets. The sleeve of her kimono shook. “Inside you will find a variety of feminine kimonos. You will each wear one and sit on the mat over here, next to one another. You will sit upright in the correct way. Not cross-legged. That’s the boyish way and you’ll never be boys ever again. The way I’m sitting is correct.” Trio of girls we’d never met looked perplexed. They watched us.

Katsumi gestured to herself.

She had her legs underneath her with her feet flat against the tatami mat. Her knees were together. She sat on her legs with her back straight. I didn’t know much about tea ceremonies but it looked like she was doing everything right.

The blond girl suddenly asked, with a finger to her mouth, “Say, K-chan, are these the ones you talked about during lunch after Mami left? The former boys at your place?”

Katsumi gave a light nod and the three burst up and surrounded us. They chattered all around. They stared and leaned close. The one with orange locks gave me a shoulder poke and asked, “Did you both really used to be guys?”

We both returned a nod.

They asked as many questions as would be expected.

“How different did ‘it’ feel from what you feel now?”

“How tall were you?”

“Do you have a boyfriend yet? Did you have a boyfriend before?”

Jamie blanched when asked that.

Their questions merged with one another till Katsumi made a high noise through her closed mouth and brought some semblance of order back.

“We are still practicing a tea ceremony here…”

The blond frowned. “Can’t we take a breather? The culture fest is still a long time off. We just started. We don’t need to know everything so soon. We’ll just forget.”

Katsumi grumbled but nodded. “Meanwhile, those two need the proper attire.”

Jamie glared. “We’re not even staying long. We just need to talk to Nina then we’re going.”

“If you don’t put them on then I’ll make you wear them tonight when I get back and I’ll add makeup and a lot of other stuff to make you both really pretty.”

The orange-haired girl spaced-out with a blush on her cheeks.

Jamie threw up her hands briefly before returning them to her chest. “Fine. But only for a few minutes. And I’m not changing in here.”

Katsumi slipped on a grin. “Why not? We’re all girls now.”

“I’m not doing it.”

The tiny brunette who had asked about our prior heights said, “There’s a restroom across the hall where you can change.”

This seemed amicable to Jamie and Katsumi couldn’t seem to muster up a real protest.
 
-------

Jamie chose a dark green kimono and I picked a bright, reddish one. We locked the restroom door and undressed in front of the mirrors. Our underwear didn’t match well at all. Jamie wrangled her hair a bit and sighed to the mirror, “Is that really me?”

I thought the same thing at my visage.

She leaned her head left and right, fixed one of her bra straps, and picked up the innermost garments.

“This is a skirt“, whimpered Jamie.

It looked more like a silky, white tie-apron used as a skirt. I had one as well. I reassured her that it wouldn’t be visible with the rest on. It was easy to put on though. It came with a similarly-soft top with a V-fold at the neck. Jamie looked aghast at the way her body flowed through the garments. She shut her eyes and slipped on the socks.

With what I had on, I looked more like a young boy with oversized glasses and fiery hair. I guess I was fortunate, compared with Jamie.

I offered to help with the next part. Unfortunately, I really had no idea how to do it properly. Eventually, we had to call for the tiny brunette to help.

“Just call me Kirisu,” she said with a faint smile.

She explained how the “eri” were to be folded. And with her help, we both manage to get the sash tied. Jamie turned around in the outfit and seemed rather pleased. While her figure was muted, mine was all but gone. At least I still looked better in it than Katsumi did.

Jamie looked eager for the main part of the kimono, despite her misgivings about the floral designs on the back and the length of the sleeves.

Kirisu had to hold our hands through this part and did most of the work.

She mused a moment. “It’s strange neither of you has ever worn a kimono before…”

She didn’t pry further and we didn’t offer her any encouragement to try.

It didn’t take long before we were fully dressed.

-------

Jamie was none too pleased with the Obi. “I feel like I’m a present with a bow…”

I was impressed that Kirisu managed to do it all so effortlessly. She finished up with a little tie over the Obi.

“Not too tight?” She asked of both of us. Jamie seemed fine and even pleased by the results. Her urge to slip her hands across her chest seemed all but gone. They lay at her sides, slack and open.

I felt wrapped up but not compressed. Still, I doubted I would be able to put on the socks now.

Kirisu led us back to the tea club. Katsumi stood with her arms folded and a pleased expression. The kettle behind her had gentle, puffy curls of white steam.

She put us in specific spots and sat back in the center with her utensils.

Jamie tightened her features. “This is annoying and I don’t like it one bit. Finish whatever other weird fantasies you have so we can talk to Nina and be done with all this.”

Katsumi was impassive. The other girls sat in the back. Katsumi went through a whole routine. She gave us each a white candy covered in coconut flakes which looked like freshly-fallen snow. It was sweet. She worked on the tea, pouring and mixing it vigorously until it looked rather frothy.

She handed a cup to me and said, “Bow.”

I did so without complaint. She made a cup for Jamie too, whose bow when receiving it was a little shallow. 

She then instructed, “Turn it three times clockwise before you sip.”

Jamie sighed, “Are you just making this up to delay us?”

She spoke a stern and earnest, “No.”

We both complied and then started to sip the tea. It was bitter and green.

Jamie was still watched Nina cowering in the corner like a small, frightened animal. She called her over. Nina looked to Katsumi, who gave a nod of the head. Nina scooted over to us and asked, “What do you want?”

“We cleaned Ami’s room. What do we do now?” I asked.

“Did you? Really clean?”

“As clean as we could make it.”

“Sounds like a good start.”

I sipped a bit more tea. “And to improve on that start?”

She crouched. She looked so small. “I really don’t know. Did you purify it too?”

“Not yet.”

“Do that.”

“With?”

I drained the last of my tea. Jamie did as well, with a noisy slurp at the end. Katsumi actually looked pleased.

Nina held her hands close to herself. “You can use a couple of things. Like salt. Water too, as well sand, sake, or fire. Place it at the corners or spread it around.”

Jamie put her cup down. Katsumi looked annoyed at that. Jamie didn’t seem to notice. She turned to Nina and said, “You and we are going to step outside for a minute. Got it?”

Nina’s head darted around. Then she bowed and stood.

“Okay.”

-------
 

Jamie made sure the door was closed behind us. I figured the rest of the tea club was straining to listen through the door.

Jamie explained, “I’ve had it up to here with awkward situations and what people know, don’t know, and might know. I brought us out here because you’re going to explain a few things without you-know-who making a fuss. So talk. Who are you? What are you up to?”

She held her hands in front of her. “I’m sorry. There’s not much I can say for sure. I know my name is Nina Metora.”

I spoke up. “Shouldn’t it be…Metora Nina?”

Nina looked at me. “Yeah.”

“So why do you say it with the surname last?”

She fidgeted with the Oba on her kimono. “Does it matter?”

I frowned. “It could. You see, everyone else around here puts their family name first. Except for you and us.”

“What’s your point?” She spoke with soft, sympathetic uncertainty.

I took a chance. “I think you remember when this world was Brookville.”

“A little. I’d rather forget.”

“Why?”

“I felt trapped. I still feel trapped but this is a prettier prison.”

“Prettier?”

She touched a shoulder. “I’ve always revered women. I always felt it would be an honor to be one but I could never imagine such a gift for myself.”

Jamie groaned and rubbed her head. “Another one…”

I ignored Jamie. “Are you saying that you used to be a boy too?”

She nodded.

“What happened?”

She shrugged. “My memory is in fragments. I remember before and I also remember things which don’t make sense.”

Jamie tapped a foot. “Such as?”

“I remember a little boy sitting and drawing a picture on the floor of an all-white room. I can feel his confusion.”

“Is he you?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then who is it?”

“I don’t know. I feel…a wish to help him.”

Jamie tugged on her own Obi with both hands. “Now what about this whole ‘demoness’ thing?”

“Katsumi thinks I’m a demoness.”

“Are you?”

“I’m not sure.”

Jamie looked liked someone was slowly driving screws into her temple.

“Why would Katsumi think you’re a demoness in the first place?”

“She says I told her that.”

“Oh. Okay. That would explain that…Is there anything else?”

Nina nodded. “Yes. I think you both wound up as really lovely girls.”

Jamie leaned closer to her. “You wound up as one too…”

Nina squirmed and blushed. “That’s quite alright…you don’t have to say that…”

“I only said it because it makes me feel better.”

That seemed to leave her even more embarrassed.

Jamie looked back at the door to the tea club. “We better wrap this up…Do you know anything of what’s going on in this place?”

Nina settled and said softly, “I can’t tell you the big picture. All I can say is something is wrong with this world.”

That much seemed obvious.

I asked, “What can we do about it?”

She sighed. “Be aware of what you feel.”

It wasn’t much but I thanked her for what she was able to tell us.

Jamie snorted and said, “You better not run off or anything. Hang around. I don’t want to have to go searching for you again when something else comes up.”

Nina bowed but said nothing.

-------

Everyone was sitting calmly when we opened the door. Katsumi was still in the center. She sipped lightly from a cup with her eyes closed. She looked over at us.

“Did you get what you wanted?”

I answered, “As much as possible.”

“Good. Now sit down and pick up your cups.” Katsumi set her own cup down with a bit of a splash.

We sat back in our places and picked up the cups.

Katsumi continued, “Now turn them counter-clockwise and give them back to me.”

Jamie groaned but followed through on her instructions.

Katsumi set the cups aside. She bowed to us and we bowed back.

“You can go now. Leave the kimonos in the corner.”

Jamie touched the side of the kimono. “You don’t want us to wear these back?”

She was right. That didn’t sound like Katsumi to want to separate us from feminine clothing.

Katsumi picked up her cup, sucked the last of her tea with a loud noise, and said, “As much as I’ll probably regret it, those kimonos cost too much to just go walking through the countryside in. You might mess them up. Don’t worry, I’ll have plenty of things for everyone when I get back.” She gave a half-grin. At least she seemed calm.

Kirisu helped with removing the kimonos. We undressed in the same restroom. Kirisu set towels on the floor so the kimonos wouldn’t get dirty. Jamie undressed hesitantly. When she was back in her normal clothes, her arms returned to her chest.

We said our farewells. Katsumi left us with the words, “See ya soon…”

The campus was still active but we didn’t see anyone familiar on the way out. 

The faded light of sunset blinked over the near hills. We walked slow, saying nothing to one another. Jamie straightened her back with a grunt several times.

Finally, as the station was in sight, I asked her if she was alright.

Jamie shook her head with discomforted turns. “I hate breasts and I hate long hair. It feels like my spine is compressing.”

I told her we were almost there.

We took the steps up to the train station slowly and stopped by a wall to rest because all the benches were full of travelers.

The train we wanted rolled into the station a few minutes later.

We found nice bench near the back of the train, quiet and roomy.

Jamie shut her eyes, groaned, and leaned with her head against the hard window. She scooted nearer to me. We touched. She didn’t scoot away.

She groaned again.

I patted my shoulder. “You’re still welcome to rest against me.”

Jamie looked at me with bleary eyes. She seemed to think it over for a moment.

She drooped against me, her eyes shut tight. Her weight didn’t bother me at all.

Soon, I could hear her snoring. They were such little snores.

I reached my arms carefully to hold her. My hand slipped past her side. Her body felt so smooth, warm, and soft. Automatic alarms sounded in my head and soon died out. My body felt the same from the touch of arm against my side.

I held her hand. She welcomed the touch and clung to my hand.

Her snoring quieted and she pressed into my side. It hurt a little but I still didn’t mind.

I looked out the window as the hills and farms gave way to homes and small office buildings.

I felt warm.

-------

I let go of Jamie’s hand when we came to our stop to spare her any embarrassment and roused her

As we walked out of the train car, she rubbed her eyes and flexed her hands a few times. She said, “Thanks.”

She didn’t say anything else.

The walk back to Mecchen had never felt longer, but at least we’d gotten some rest on the train. Jamie’s steps were slow but steady.

We walked by the darkened window of Carolyn’s barber shop.

The forest path looked particularly foreboding with the long shadows of evening.

We opted for the alternate route which Nana showed us yesterday.

I paused at the child’s footprint on the steps. I thought of Hitomi from my vision. The footprint was about her size.

We walked on and found Nathan bent over a patch of plants along the side of Mecchen House. She was watering them.

She seemed caught up in her work. Jamie coughed lightly to get her attention.

Before we could say anything else, Nathan greeted us with the softest hug I could imagine. Jamie accepted it without too much squirming.

I could tell from the hug that Nathan had experienced the same changes as us. She was dressed in a lovely pair of overalls and a blue shirt. She had dirt on her knees and yellow gloves on her hands.

It didn’t take long for her to utter a quick gasp and, “Oh my…” when looking us over. Jamie brought her arms back into a rigid shield around her chest.

I turned out Nathan was wearing a bra as well. She had more than me but less than Jamie. Jamie glared downward.

She explained, “I just finished with cleaning the fridge when I suddenly felt wobbly. I looked down…”

She placed her hands beneath her chest. “I was scared at first. But Ms. Ishida was really helpful. She gave me a sports-bra.”

Nathan squeezed her hands tightly. “I was worried but she said that it was okay. It fits really well. And I can run without discomfort.”

She turned in slow circles then froze. “Oh! Ami came back a few minutes ago…”

I heard a loud noise from within Mecchen.

Jamie frowned. “No way Katsumi could be here before us too…”

Jamie and I walked in and saw Ami stomping around, her hair whipping behind her. Ms. Ishida stood to the side with a nervous look. Ami tore open a trash bag.

She turned and saw us.

“YOU!” She screeched. “WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER!?!”

“Wha…who?” I could barely speak.

“THE DRESS! MY OLDEST DRESS! WHERE IS SHE??”

I looked at Ami’s crazed face. Her eyes bulged with fury. Her breathing was shallow.

“WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER!!!”

“Hold on a minute. You agreed to have your room cleaned.”

“CLEANED! YOU PROMISED TO THROW AWAY NOTHING!!! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED!...YOU LIED!”

I tried to speak to her but she wasn’t listening. I had to yell back.

“JUST A MINUTE. We cleaned your room. We’ve been trying to help you…”

“HELP ME!?! THIS IS NOT HELPING! I DON’T WANT YOUR HELP! I WANT MY DRESS BACK!”

Jamie stepped forward. “It was thrown away. It was an accident. It looked ruined.”

“RUINED!?! NO! IT WAS FULL OF LIFE! IT WAS IMPORTANT!...WHO??? WHO DID IT? WHO THREW IT AWAY?”

Jamie opened her mouth. I stepped between Jamie and Ami and said, “It was me. I was responsible.”

The sound vanished from Ami’s mouth. She panted and finally spoke, “You…It was you. Where…is the dress?”

I thought back. Perhaps it was still in one of the bags.

Ami ripped and dug through every one of the bags we’d filled, tossing hours of work all across the floor.

She couldn’t find the dress.

She grabbed me.

“WHERE IS SHE!?!”

“I don’t know.”

Ms. Ishida spoke up. “I took a few bags away earlier. But the trash collection has already come. They’re gone by now.”

Ami’s hands slumped. Her whole body went slack. Her hair slipped over her eyes.

“She’s gone…” The words seem to gurgle out of her mouth.

She looked up slowly, right at me.

“You killed her….YOU KILLED HER! I hate you…I HATE YOU! I never EVER want to see you again. GO AWAY!!!”

She ran down the hall and up the stairs. I called after her but she didn’t stop.

Ms. Ishida bowed deeply to us. “I am so sorry. I never knew something so important to her was in those bags.”

Jamie rubbed her shoulder. “It’s my fault. I threw that dress away because it was the oldest, nastiest-looking thing I’ve ever seen.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s my fault. I saw you put it in there. I should’ve stopped you.”

I looked down the hall. I got a strange, prickly sensation.

“I better go check on her…”

Jamie rubbed her forehead. “Are you sure that’s wise? Maybe you should give her some time.”

“She’s still vulnerable to that thing up there.”

Jamie sighed. “Okay…umm…be careful. I’ll go tell Nathan about our big day and help Ms. Ishida clean up around here.”

Ms. Ishida bowed her head and said, “Thank you. I wouldn’t mind hearing what happened as well. I see you both changed a bit…”

Jamie looked at me and back at Ms. Ishida.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that…”

-------

Walking up stairs had never felt so difficult. I grunted with each step. I hoped Tara wasn’t back yet. I didn’t want her to have to suffer this.

All the lights in the hall were out. Everything looked unnaturally dark. I couldn’t see the far wall. I could feel something slick on the back of my neck. I shivered and kept walking. I felt like I was walking in sludge.

Somehow, I made it to Ami’s door. The pink color had been drained out of it.

I pulled open the door slowly. The inside was brightly lit. Ami stood in the middle with her back turned. The junk was pilled on all sides. I stepped in.

The door slammed behind me.

I didn’t turn back. I kept my eyes on Ami.

She whimpered as I approached.

I could hear her.

“I want it to end. I don’t want to be human anymore. I want to go back. I don’t want to be afraid. I don’t want to feel. It hurts…so much.”

She turned to face me.

Her eyes were gone. Just hollow, black openings remained.

Air escaped from her mouth. “…Tell my brother…I’m sorry.”

I ran to her.

Everything felt slow.

I reached out to grab her.

She unraveled before me like a loose thread.

She spoke one last, feeble word, “Goodbye…” then vanished into silence.

I yelled till I was hoarse.

When nothing else could come from my mouth, I heard the laughter.

I looked around, tears hazing my eyes.

The walls were falling, melting like a soaked painting. All the color flowed away, leaving only black. It looked like the face of oblivion.

The same, dark voice from before spoke, its words came from all around me, “She is mine now. You are next.”

The black seemed to spread endlessly. Hope and life vanished within in.

It looked like a hungry stomach.

Somewhere inside myself, in a place that didn’t feel like flesh, a great warmth was rising.

I thought of Ami’s empty face disintegrating before my eyes. The warmth swelled through me.

I faced the darkness and said, “No.”






Copyright 2006-2007 Sarah Jody Lathorp

Comments

[kyaathecatlord.livejournal.com]

no! Ami!

[musaluc.livejournal.com]

Aww, not Amiiiii... ;_;

[musaluc.livejournal.com]

Yes, and not in nickles n' quarters! :O *Fist shake*

[thorn15.livejournal.com]

Come on guys, she aint dead. These things happen in stories. Now if like, her head was chopped off, then ya, maybe.

[major-kerina.livejournal.com]

*uses a katana...* *swipe*

Heh...just kidding.

Not gonna say what happens...ultimately. But you'll all know soon enough.

[thorn15.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know :P

And yes, I live by that rule.

I've been surprised too many times.

[kyaathecatlord.livejournal.com]

Maybe she's just gone dark! :P

[unisagi.livejournal.com]

*glows and snarls at the dark voice*

I would fill it with light, love, caring, and all the other things that it seeks to destroy because they bring it pain. I would make it feel those things itself...

[kunami.livejournal.com]

Yikes.