Callie sat on the damp sand of the private beach watching the beginning of another day. The water swirled around her feet, sucking at her toes before it receeded back into the ocean. Although she was in the place whose named translated into origin of the sun, the sunrise looked no different than it had from the balcony of her apartment on the east coast of the United States. However, at this point in her life nothing looked quite the same anymore no matter where found herself. She had come here to be alone, to think - to get her shit together in the most blunt terms. And to find someone.
Callie lifted the cigarette to her lips noting that her fingers were shaking. She puffed on the cigarette, chiding herself silently for not being over it by now. People received life altering revelations about themselves and their relatives every day. Why did she think she should be any different, to not have family secrets? Everyone had skeletons in their family closet. Hell, some people had a personal graveyard of secrets.
Gazing down the the ribbon of deserted beach, she saw two shapeless black masses had washed up on the beach. Those were not there when she had first walked down here in her attempt to find peace and relaxation after spending a sleepless night in the little beachside house she had rented for the summer. Staring at the big lumps that vaguely resembled seals, she would swear she saw one move. But seals didn't live in this area of Japan.
Callie stubbed her cigarette out in the sand before standing up to stroll down the beach to investigate. Whatever it was, she hoped it would not cause any further complications in her life. Both creatures were now moving. One of the beings stood up, and she could see that it was a person. The sound of strangled, watery coughs like that of a drowning victim who had just been resuscitated carried to her ears on the sea breeze. Both people were on their feet, wavering slightly. The second person who stood up hunched over to vomit water.
Her pace quickened to a hesitant jog. What was she doing? Possibly rushing headlong into danger, but she did that every day at her job of being the head emergency room nurse at a large inner city hospital. It was habit.
The sun had crept far enough into the sky that the figures were now bathed in the blinding golden light of early morning. Callie could see that the two figures were men. No, boys. Well, young men in their late teens. Younger than her anyway since she was in her mid twenties.
One young man had short jet black hair and was dressed in khaki pants and a maroon t-shirt with something on it in white letters. He had lost one of his black and white sneakers. The other young man had short orangish-brown hair and was wearing blue jeans and plain yellow t-shirt. Both of his shoes lay somewhere at the bottom of the ocean. The most bizarre thing about their appearance was the thick rope encircling each of their waists and tethering them together.
"What the hell is this?" she asked herself, slowing down to take cautious steps toward them. Apprehension raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Neither one of the young men appeared to be dangerous. They looked pale and scared - and like helpless drowned rats.
"Are you two all right?" Callie called out, startling them.
The black haired boy simply jumped back, his arms raised at his sides. The other one had a far more powerful reaction, leaping backwards and losing his balance to fall on his ass. He scuttled backwards on all fours like a crab. Callie took a few cautionary steps backwards to extend the distance between both of them and herself.
"Who are you?" the one with the black hair asked in a voice far too calm for the present circumstances.
"I should be asking you that. This is a private beach. No one is supposed to be here but me," she retorted, unable to keep the southern belle lilt from invading her broken Japanese. She almost laughed when the boys heads turned simultaneously in the manner of a confused puppy. At the moment, they could be considered cute. However, she could not rule them out as a threat just yet. "What are you two doing here?"
"I don't know how to explain it," the brown haired began, reaching down to struggle with the knot of the rope around his waist. "We were trying to - "
"Shut up!" the other boy snapped at him fiercely although there was no change in expression on his face.
For the first time, Callie noticed their eyes. Both of them had dark brown eyes with a reddish tint making them look maroon instead. Extremely unusual and striking.
There was nothing striking about her. At least she didn't think so. Her looks were pretty run of the mill and boring. Shoulder length brown hair that she usually styled in a ponytail or a bun, big brown eyes that most southern men referred to as doe eyes, and skin that was always tanned year round. The only remarkable thing about her appearance would be her muscular gymnast's body that she had been able to maintain by lifting patients and practicing advanced yoga techniques. Her shoulders were wide, her arms brawny, and her thighs were thick with muscle mass. If not for her short stature, she would be intimidating.
"Are you two in some kind of trouble?" she asked despite the answer being self-evident.
She folded her arms under her breasts like an impatient mother when the black haired boy refused to answer, and he glared at the other one in silent warning not to say a word. For at least a minute, which seemed like an eternity, the only sound to be heard was the rushing of the waves that lapped over their feet. Rolling her eyes, she sighed in exasperation. She wanted to help them. She couldn't stop herself. It was what she did every damn day of her life.
"Fine. Don't tell me," she snapped, turning her back on them. She started to walk toward the little house in hopes they would be smart enough to follow her.
"Hey, wait!" the brown haired boy called to her.
"Stop you idiot!" the other boy hissed at him behind her retreating back.
"No! We need her help whether you like it or not! She's our only hope at the moment!"
"But - "
"Look around! There's no one here!"
Callie could hear huffing and puffing amidst the whisper of sea grass waving back and forth to make way for legs.
"Hey, Lady!"
"What?" She whirled around to see the one more open to assistance running toward her.
"My name is Kō," he said in introduction. He turned the upper half of his body to glance back at the other young man who was slowly and reluctantly following. "That's Kei."
"My name is Callie," she offered in return, extending her hand to him. His fingers were wrinkled and overly soft from being waterlogged.
"You're an American?" he inquired curiously, blinking at her.
"What was your first clue? My terrible Japanese, the odd accent, or my name?" She gave him an amiable smile. He seemed to be sweet and easy to talk to, nearly desperate for help. Her eyes switched to the other one. His pale face was completely expressionless. She no idea what to make of him. Her attention went back to the friendlier boy in front of her. "Anyway, I'll allow you two to stay for the night. You can take a hot shower and rest. I'll fix you a few meals to fill your bellies. Tomorrow I expect you to be on your way."
"That's fair. Thank you," Kō said, bowing politely.
"One night is all we need. Thank you," Kei said in a softer, kinder tone than he had used so far. He also bowed to her.
"All right," she murmured, turning to continue to the house. "Let's go."
One night. Just one night. Then they would be on their way, and she would be alone again to figure out what in the hell she was going to do with herself.
