December 15, 2015
Rushing down the stairs with her overnight bag carelessly tossed over her shoulder, she bolts to the front entrance of the apartment complex. Oh please let it still be there, ugh I don't want to wait another 20 minutes for the next one, I already missed the first two!
During her hasty trek down the stairs she misplaces her footing on the last two steps of the stairs and instead of landing almost graciously on the floor she ends up in a huddle mass. Mumbling a slew of curses under her breath she gets albeit, more carefully than she was two seconds ago, and walks briskly to through entrance doors to the awaiting bus stop.
Oh no. Spotting her point of interest she throws her hands up in the air, waving them back and forth to call the attention of the driver. "Wait! I'm here, I'm here!" Running after the vehicle a couple more steps while still waving her arms and calls after it "Please! Wait!" Yes it stopped… finally.
The bus driver opens the plug door to let her on. "You got lucky this time miss, I almost didn't see you there". The bus driver gives her a quirky smile then closes the door behind her. "Oh yes! Thank you so much, I've already missed the first two so glad I could catch this bus!" She smiles back at the bus driver then heads to one of the middle window seats plopping herself into a chair and tossing the overnight bag atop of her legs.
She lets out a breath of air and settles herself in for the ride ahead. Two minutes down 120 minutes to go. I wonder if Souta will stop by tonight.
"I'm back Jiichan! I brought over some groceries for you too, I saw you were lacking in some healthy food choices in your refrigerator!" Taking her shoes off at the door, she drops her overnight bag on the floor then heads to the kitchen. While humming a soft uplifting reggae tune to herself, she continues to put the groceries away around the kitchen.
"Ah, there you are my child" The elderly voice sounds across the kitchen catching the attention of the kitchen singer.
"Hey Jiichan!" Halting her unpacking she travels the short distance to her Jiichan and stretches her arms out for a hug. "I brought you some groceries, dinners on me tonight, sound's good?"
"Oh of course, you know I'd take your cooking over mine or that trouble maker Souta any day". Patting her lightly on the back, he moves around her and takes a seat on one of the kitchen's high chair.
"Tell me Kagome, why is it you want to spend your birthday with an old man like me?" Kagome looks towards him and responds "Because there is no other place I'd rather be." Giving him a true smile she continues are duties around the kitchen in making them a meal.
"What a wonderful meal you made child, have you found any more of your mother's journals hanging around?" Jiichan asks, while carefully putting the dishes into the sink. "As a matter of fact I have actually. I was hoping to find some more of them tonight. I know she has to have more left, it just doesn't feel like I've read all of her journals."
"I'm sure you haven't. Your mother used to write a heck of whole lot, so I am most positive you have not seen them all yet. Please remember my child, when it is time for things to come to an end it must end, don't hold on to this fixation of finding these journals too tightly, they'll come to an end at some point my dear." Giving her a silent pat on her back, he turns the faucet on, proceeding to wash the dishes.
"Yes, I know" Kagome responds with a short nod of the head. "But reading these journals makes me feel so much closer to mom, as if she's right here with me." She gives into a silent pause by breaking away to grab the dish from Jiichan to dry it off.
"These journals make me feel like I'm experiencing all the things she is, and having adventures with her." Jiichan pauses his actions of washing the dishes to look towards Kagome. "I know dear, I miss her too."
After finishing up washing the dishes, Jiichan bids her goodnight and tells her not to stay up to late. Kagome wanders around the kitchen for a short while then heads upstairs to her mother's old bedroom to continue her search for more journals.
Let's see here, Mom would always hover over here, when she was writing in her journals. Walking over to the corner of the room, in between her favorite red lounge chair and the wooden night stand, she sits in the corner between the two. "Where could your journals be mom" Pulling her knees to her chest, she lightly starts to tap her feet on the floor boards not expecting the floor board to decrease in with each tap.
"Hmm" Experimentally she taps her foot a little harder and feels the floor cave in just a little bit more. "What's this" Moving her knees away from her chest to underneath her so that her knees her touching the floor, she carefully runs her fingers across the floor boards. Pushing down on the space that caved in with her foot she takes her other hand and maneuvers it around a bit trying to find its weakness. After a few tries she leaves one hand pushing down on the floor board, taking her other hand she pulls the other side of the floor board up.
"You clever dog" Smirking to herself in triumph, she pulls back the floor board further and sees her prize possession. Why would she hide these?" Rummaging through the contents within the floor boards she pulls out a book. She removes her hands from the floor boards, then gently runs her hands over the cover of the one inch thick leather encased book.
"This book seems so antique." Sifting through the all the worn down pages with the brush of her thumb she returns back to the first page and reads its contents out loud to herself, "To my dearest Kagome, enjoy the adventure."
Turning to flip to the next page, she realizes there is something a bit off with the page. This page seems a bit thicker than the rest. Kagome rubs her thumb and pointer finger over the page, seeing a little sliver of a page making its presence she carefully pries it open and an unmarked page falls into her lap. Picking up the paper, she unfolds it and notices cursive writing.
"Though I am not there with you, I know it will be you to find this. I have not been completely honest with you about your father my dear. I met your father a long, long time ago, he was the most handsome and sweetest man a woman could imagine, and boy did he have a sweet tooth. He could eat sweets for hours upon end.
I loved that man with all my heart. But in everyone's life there comes time for us to make a decision and I did. Do I regret that decision? Well no, but I do think of it often enough, and what it would have been like to live with him, to live with Bennie. You are so much like him, like Bennie.
Kagome, I want you to have something and I do hope you find just as much joy in it as I have in you and in this. I want you to flip to the back of this book, right now and tell me what you find. Well in spirit tell me what you find. Once you have found it, the rest is up to you."
Kagome flips to the back of the book as stated. "It's a blank page. What am I looking for?" She flips the book back and forth, trying to figure out where it is. Wait a minute. After noticing there was a very subtle shake coming from the confines of the book, she shakes it again. Holding the book closer to her ear she shakes the book for the third time and realizes where the sound is coming from.
She reopens the book to her former place in the back, using her finger she probes through the fabric covered casing of the back board. Peeling back the fabric she notices a shiny object within the casing. "A chain…" It was a purple diamond shaped jewel attached to a thin silver chain, held together by a silver hooked clasp. After her inspection of the chain she continues reading the rest of the note left behind.
"Hello again, now that you have found what I left for you, it is time for you to see what I have seen and lived. My sweet baby, oh I wish I could be there with you. When the time comes, do not be frightened, all things will come to light and you will soon understand.
There is one last request I have of you, only if you are willing. If you do decide to fulfill this last request of mine, read this carefully. When the night above is at its fullest and brightest, know that it is your journeys beginning and your journeys end. It is only then when you can come and go but it is only permitted once per full moon. If you are ready to see what I have seen, where I have been and gone, go to the tool shed. And don't forget the chain, you must have it with you whenever you leave or return.
Now that I have told you want you need to know, the question now is what will you do with it? Do keep in mind Kagome, you mustn't fear what you do not know."