The birds outside are chirping.
I open my eyes to the new day's sunlight whilst stretching my short arms. As I try to get out of bed my head starts to feel dizzy. I sit upright with my fragile hand to my blazed forehead.
"A fever?" I panic as I only find out it is already quite late in the afternoon.
Just at this moment I hear my name being called by a familiar voice, "Mary, are you in!?"
I try replying but no words come out, just the movement of my mouth functions at the moment.
"Hello, are you in Mary!?" The familiar voice asks again.
Finally I was on my two feet and able to walk, but wobbling about like a penguin. I make my way through the seemingly large room and reach for the front door.
"Oh, i-it's you S-Seto San. Good afterno-" A cough broke out as I try greeting with my mouth covered.
"Mary, do you have a fever?" Seto asks in concern.
I nod my timid head as I give him a gesture to come in.
"Ah, you shouldn't be standing up, wandering about. You should go sleep in bed." Seto worries about me.
"N-no, I should be here to treat my gues-"
"Nope, you should go to bed instead." He advises me.
With that in mind, I bobble back to my soft, cosy bed that swallows my mind into a land of dreams.
"I'll go check your temperature." He smiles as my body relaxes onto the quilt.
Seto comes back with a thermometer. I sit up and put the thermometer under my armpit and then a small beep is heard.
He checks the temperature and the result comes to an amazing 39 degrees Celcius.
"Looks like it's a fever." Seto says in a helpless voice.
"Please l-leave, I don't w-want you to c-catch my fever..." I try convincing him.
"Don't worry," he gets up, "it'll be okay." He reassures me with a warm grin.
I fall into my bed as he evens out my thick quilt.
"Thank you..." I whisper in a weak voice as he leaves the room.
Just before closing my eyes, I see him grinning at me as he looks back. My vision blurs and the God of dreams takes me back to their utopia.
A few hours later, I open my eyes again as the sunlight has slightly darkened. I can feel something on my forehead.
"Oh, you're awake Mary." The voice from before welcomes me. He sits next to me with that same smile he gave me before.
"Sorry about the pickled plums on your head. That was a technique I learnt from Kido." Seto laughs.
I giggle as well as he takes the pickled plums away from my warm forehead.
I'm starting to think clearer now that my head is starting to pound less. My two feet touch the ground and I lift my body up from my bed with Seto's guidance of lifting me up.
I smell an aroma floating in the air as I start to feel pekish.
"You must be hungry?" He questions me.
I nod my timid head again.
I wobble my body to the dinner table as he rushes to check dinner's progress. "Great! Just how I wanted it to come out!" A bright Seto cheers.
The bowls are set out and a steamy, thick, aromatic porridge filled the bowls.
The smell of sweet rice was apparant and the side dish of carrots and beans seemed fashionable as they made a flower shape.
"Let's dig in." We both say as we are excited about dinner.
Everything tasted good and dinner was a "Success", as quoted by Seto.
"Thank you for this." I smile with a passionate blush.
He pats my head and rubs his big hand onto my small head.
"I appreciate your help but why are you helping me so much?" I ask the kind boy curiously.
"That's because we are family. As Mekakushi Dan we will always have our backs covered by each other thus making us a big, friendly family!" He exclaims in joy.
Although the word family was destroyed when mother passed away, it only occurred to me now. I do have a new family to be happy in!
I think mother would be proud of me for being able to face my fears and be in a new family that will always protect me.
The bowls were washed by Seto who rejected my offer to help as I am still fairly sick.
"I should go now if I don't want to go out in the dark!" He prepares.
"Goodnight Mary, I'll be back tomorrow to check on you!" He departs with a salute.
I wave at him goodbye whilst saying "Goodnight!"
As his figure disappears into the forest, I close the door.
Even with the stackload of resting, I still feel tired and so I call it a day.
Next morning, my head feels slightly warm but not a lot. I find a note by my bed telling me to look in the kitchen and so with that I head to the kitchen. I find that there's a jar filled with pickled plums. To that surprise I giggle.
I open the fridge and find that there's a pot of leftover porridge from yesterday. A note is written on top of the pot. There are instructions on how to reboil the porridge and a side note saying,
"Dear Mary,
I hope you are feeling much better today.
If not I have left you some porridge to get you going!
The instructions to boiling the porridge is written on this note."
I take out the porridge and start boiling it.
"Mary, are you awake!?" Seto's voice shouted from outside.
"C-coming!" I shout back in enthusiasm.
Today, I will eat porridge for breakfast and have another fun day with one of my dearest family member.