Soaked

Otsu was twelve. She sat on the rock, dangling her legs over the water, chin resting in her hands as she watched the boys spar each other with tree branches below. The sun was hot and the crickets were chirping, and Otsu was bored.

She let her mind wander away as she watched the boys play absently. She had to admit, she felt a little left out and envious of how much fun Takezo and Matahachi always had. But she knew it was expected, because she was the only girl and they were both boys. They were all over the whole cooties thing, but she could still feel the bond that existed, just naturally, between Takezo and Matahachi - they were like brothers. And she was like the sister. And sisters just weren't as fun to be around as brothers, if you were a boy.

There were other girls her age in the village. But none of them were very interesting to be around, in her opinion. They were too quiet and did such things as braid each other's hair and giggle secretly in a corner. She was too used to the loudness of Takezo and Matahachi to be able to stand it for so long. The girls didn't like her very much either. Once, she had tried to befriend them and when they started discussing how scary Takezo was and how he ought to stay away in the mountains forever, Otsu told the girls they were being really stupid. None of the girls were very pleased to hear that, and now they whispered whenever her back was turned.

"Otsu, are you going outside again?" asked Granny Hon'iden with a pinched face this morning, when she had been about to slip out the house after Matahachi. "Last time you came home with your face dirty and your clothes muddy. Do you know how long it took to wash that out?"

"Sorry, Granny," Otsu had apologized. "Matahachi and Takezo were climbing trees and I---"

"They're boys, Otsu, and you're a girl," explained Granny. "I let it slide when you were younger, but by now you should be acting your age. And how many times did I tell you and Matahachi, that boy" - she wrinkled her nose - "is not someone you should be..."

Otsu wasn't listening; Matahachi was waving impatiently at her from near the woods. Takezo stood behind him, looking at Otsu with his usual stoic expression.

"Sorry!" Otsu said quickly, trying not to look at Granny's shocked face as she hightailed it out of there before Granny could finish her lecture.

Otsu, remembering all this now, grimaced. She'd have to properly apologize when she goes home today. Granny, bless her, was good at holding grudges, and she was already fed up with Otsu's "unlady-like" behavior enough as it was.

Suddenly Otsu felt something cold and heavy land on her neck.

"What---?" she murmurred, reaching up to brush it away. Her hand met something that moved. That moved and hissed.

"EAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Otsu screamed, numbing even her own eardrums. She jumped to her feet, shaking her body like she was doing some weird dance. "Get it off me!! Get it off me! Get that---"

The slithering-long-freaky-snake-thing flew off, much to her relief.

Then she lost her balance and fell off the rock, much to her dismay.

She plummeted straight into the water, fortunately missing any sharp jagged rocks, and in her moment of surprise and panic, accidentally swallowed water down the wrong pipe, and squeezed her eyes shut as water went up her nose ---

A hand grabbed her arm and pulled, and she gratefully clung to it. After a few more torturous moments of splashing and coughing, she became aware of the fact that she could feel the sun on her skin again and that the hand had let go and that she could breathe.

"Otsu! Are you ok?"

Otsu fell onto her knees, Matahachi's concerned face blurring as she hacked off a couple more watery coughs. Matahachi pounded her back nervously. "Man, what was that about?"

Wiping off the water dripping into her eyes, she sighed weakly and leaned back on her heels. "I- I'm fine. There - there was a snake and it freaked me out. Thanks for savng me, Matahachi."

"Whoa, a SNAKE?" said Matahachi with great fascination. "Takezo, did you hear that? Man, remember that green one we caught last week? It was huge! Wonder if it's the same one!"

"I'm leaving."

Otsu looked up; she hadn't realized Takezo was standing right next to her.

"WHAT?! Takezo, our fight's not over yet! Waaait, where're you going!"

Otsu watched as Matahachi began chasing after Takezo, leaving her behind. As always. She pouted in annoyance as she laid down and stretched (but not before she checked around for the presence of any snakes), too tired to run after them this time.

Then she sat up.

Having just realized that Matahachi's hair and face had been dry like they'd never touched the water, and that Takezo's hair was soaked through.