The sun's radiance permeates the window, entering the second floor of the Kanoe household. Yuuko's eyes glance out of the glass to look at the lush, green landscape beyond. It has been a day since her body was moved out of the academy and placed in her old room. The walls of the room are naked, the floor holds only a single dresser, and the air has no particular smell. The blissful chirping of the birds fills her ears as she focuses her attention on the massive Sakura tree next to a swing set.
Today's the day, she thinks to herself as she spins herself away from the window.
A grunt escapes her lips as her arms reach for the sky. The raven-haired girl begins her walk to the exit of her prison, and as she passes the corpse that lies in the middle of the room, she averts her eyes from its position. The door emits a smooth sliding sound as she pulls it open and shuts it easily behind herself. She examines both parts of the hallway to make sure that no one is coming before setting out. The upstairs corridor has no special marks or pictures on them; they are as bare as the walls in the room she just exited. Turning left, she tip-toes her way down the silent hallway, trying to minimize the amount of noise she outputs. Her feet cause the steps leading to the first floor to creak as her frame bears down each step. Upon reaching the first floor, she quickly looks up at the spacious living room. Flowers line up against the adjacent wall, with a picture frame that happens to be covered with black linen. Turning her attention away from the scene, she moves her way into the side hallway, which possesses the door to her escape. She opens the gate to her paradise and happily steps forward, closing it behind her.
It's so bright, Yuuko thinks, shielding her eyes from the invasive light of the sun.
Stepping off of the porch, her bare feet connect with each stone as she traverses the walkway into the backyard. As the fresh-morning air surrounds her, the white clouds sail through the open sky, and the warm breeze caresses her, a smile plasters itself upon the woman's face. When she arrived at her destination, she examines the swing set before placing her frame onto the wooden seat. She pushed herself off with her legs to build the momentum needed for the device.
"Hahahha!" Yuuko bursts out as the wind rips through her hair, her body rising and falling with the motions of the swing as she achieves greater heights.
The sudden burst of joy radiates from her chest as the smile on her face grows only wider and more childish. The time that she experiences seems to drag on forever. There are no thoughts about the past, the present, or the future. The young ghost is caught in this moment of childish delight.
"Can you please get off of that, Yuuko?" another woman's words hit her.
The juvenile smile on her face slowly begins to fade as the momentum of her swing decreases and her hair's dance dies down. She plants her feet on the ground, making her body come to a complete stop, and then focuses her attention on the woman standing next to her, staring at her like she committed a crime.
"Is there something wrong with me using the swing?"
"Yes, Yuuko," she says, folding her arms. "Do you ever think about the effects your actions have on people? What if my grandmother comes out here and sees this?"
"She could always come and talk to me, right?"
"She can't see you Yuuko. Even if you are a ghost, you can't go around doing whatever it is that you want. So with that in mind, could you please refrain from doing things that will make you stand out?"
Yuuko thrusts her attention upwards to the ever-moving clouds. Seeing them inch ever so slowly across the vast blue sea, she releases a deep sigh before removing herself from her seating place. Her hands brush against the back of her uniform, removing some of the filth that had come off of the wood. After completing that task, Yuuko begins her walk towards the door from whence she came.
"Thanks," Kirie throws out as she walks by her.
"Don't mention it," she replies blandly as the two women traverse the stone path.
The door closes behind the two as they enter together. The corridor is quiet as they proceed past the corner. That is, until Kirie almost leaps out of her skin at the slight motion of a shadow in the corner of her eye. An unaffected Yuuko glances back at the girl from the center of the room to see her holding her chest.
"You scared me, grandmother!" she says, lightly slapping her chest.
"I'm sorry about that. I thought I heard you talking to someone outside so I decided to come and check."
Kirie's eyes shift to Yuuko, and then back to her grandmother. Her heart slowly calms as she continues her conversation. She releases a slight chuckle before giving the woman her next statement.
"I wasn't talking to anyone. It must have been your imagination."
Yukariko cracks a smile due to the antics of her scary granddaughter, and begins to walk away from the girl before speaking again.
"Maybe I'm just getting old then; regardless, breakfast is ready so try not to be too long. I want to finish decorating the living room before noon."
Kirie gives Yukariko a serious expression after hearing her say those words.
"I understand that you want to bury her, but is this wake a good idea? How many people do you expect to come by? I'm sure most people in the village at this point in time either don't know who Yuuko is, or have forgotten about her altogether."
"I know that, but she deserves this much at least," she says, her facial expression saddening before turning her back to walk away. "I'll see you in the kitchen."
Kirie shifts her attention back to Yuuko as she stares at the pictures adorning the living area wall. Her eyes glance over pictures of her standing next to a man with glasses, a second picture consisting of Yuuko, the man from before, and two other women, and another picture of the younger girl standing next to a taller man, both with smiles on their faces.
"Who are these people?"
Kirie approaches the young woman staring up at the walls and stops beside her. Pointing towards the first picture she opens her mouth to answer.
"That's a picture of you and your dad." Moving her hand to the next picture she adds, "That's a picture of you, grandmother, and your parents." She moves her hand one more time. "The last picture is of grandmother and grandfather."
Yuuko's head drops to the side as she tries to recall anything of use in the photos. However, she can only shake her head.
"We all seem so happy," she says, still trying to unlock the secrets that are locked away in her mind.
Kirie stares at the girl's unmoving eyes from the side of her head before turning her back to her.
"I don't know what type of past you have Yuuko," she says as she begins to walk away, "But to go as far as to throw away even memories of your parents is disrespectful and you should be ashamed of yourself."
Yuuko's room lays silent for hours. Only the sound of her feet brushing against the wooden floor and chattering from the creatures outside keeps things lively. Yuuko sits in the corner, staring at the lump under the futon in the middle of the room, when a pair of red eyes materializes in front of the window directly across from her. Her head turns instinctively, the sight of the menacing eyes boring into her making her feel uncomfortable.
So disgusting, she thinks to herself.
The sun hits her counterpart, causing her shadow to project itself on the floor over the futon. The two women stare onward, as neither of them want to break the glass barrier between them. After multiple grueling moments of silence, Shadow Yuuko decides to throw the first stone.
"Why are you still hesitating?"
Yuuko remains silent as she concentrates on the body in the middle of the room. The calm in the atmosphere is crushing as Shadow Yuuko's irritation pushes her, trying to break through.
"What are you waiting for?"
"I will accept everything, but I will do it with Teiichi by my side," she says quickly, trying to quiet down her other half yet not breaking her glance from her corpse.
Shadow Yuuko's face adorns a smile, pleased to finally have gotten Yuuko to acknowledge her. The shadowy apparition places her hand on the transparent, clean glass and stares out into the backyard that the other Yuuko had visited. The fire inside the being's body calms ever so slightly at the thought of finally being able to rest.
"This has gone on for far too long," she says, placing her forehead on the window pane.
"I promise you'll only have to wait a little bit longer. Please stay out of trouble until then. "
Shadow Yuuko takes the girl's words to heart as she releases a small grunt and then fades away.
It feels like forever since her counterpart had disappeared. The prison's bland walls and stale activity begin to chip away at the chipper woman's personality.
I'm so bored, she thinks, standing up.
Her glistening eyes examine the one area of the room that has objects along the wall. The door in the corner seems to beckon to her, and due to the nature of her situation, she isn't going to refuse it. She makes her way over to it, and upon getting to the closet door, she quietly slides it open to reveal left-over school uniforms and night clothes hanging up on racks. The sounds of racks echo in the room as she moved them around. Looking on the floor, she notices a square box with the top taped shut. Bending down, she pulls the box out of the closet and removes the top. The papers are so delicate, feeling as if they will disintegrate when her hands rummages through them. After getting a couple of papers deep, her mind clicks and she realizes that the name 'Yuuko Kanoe' are on all of the papers, pictures, writings, and even a diary. She places her hand around the first book she can reach and pulls it out of the box. It's the diary. Flipping through the pages, she begins to become engrossed in the literature which she had acquired.
Just as she began the first entry, the door to the room slides open to reveal her warden with a plate in her hand and a box of juice. The young woman frowns as she notices the papers, pictures, and other documents littering the floor by the closet.
"You don't have to be so messy," she says, stretching her arms towards the girl and signaling for her to take what she brought her.
"Sorry," she says, never breaking her focus on the diary.
Kirie stares at the back of Yuuko's head while she focuses only on reading the material in her hand. She tries to be a bit considerate and give the girl time to turn around and acknowledge the kindness she is trying to display to her, but the waiting is beginning to wear her down. Kirie's frustration reaches its peak the moment her foot starts tapping on the floor, as if it has a mind of its own.
"Take this. Think of it as a last meal," she says, this time causing Yuuko to turn her attention towards the girl.
"Thanks," she says, taking the rations from the younger girl before turning back around and reading the diary.
Kirie turns to the leave the room when she comes face-to-face with Shadow Yuuko again. When her knees give way, the wooden floor absorbs the shock of her body smacking against it.
"I… should have known you were here, too," she says, shivering.
Shadow Yuuko stares at the shivering girl as she tries to gather the strength to stand up.
"I wonder if this is how it felt when she was looking down on me," Shadow Yuuko says, staring at the girl as though she is about to devour her soul.
"What are you talking about?"
"You are quite ignorant, aren't you?" she says, "I guess I can't blame her, I wouldn't want people to know my dirty secrets either," she says with a smirk before fading away.
What secret is she talking about, Kirie thinks, picking herself up from the floor.
Kirie turns her attention to Yuuko once again to realize that she hasn't moved an inch while that event was going on. She exits the room with no words spoken, living the sound of periodic page turns behind her.
That was scary, the girl thinks to herself while looking down at her trembling hands.
Kirie has just finished drinking a glass of water when she notices her grandmother enter the kitchen space. The young woman's mind races as to whether or not she should pry into her grandmother's background, but her curiosity overwhelms her to the point of exploding.
"I have a question grandmother."
Yukariko suddenly gives her granddaughter a raised eyebrow.
"Go ahead, dear."
Kirie takes a deep breath before going down this familiar road once again.
"How was your relationship with Yuuko when you were young?"
"Why do you ask all of a sudden?" she questions just as quickly as her descendant asked.
"You never talk about her, but whenever I say something negative about her you get upset quickly. I would assume that if you were really close to her then you would talk about her a lot more than you do."
The atmosphere in the room goes silent as the two women don't look at each other for several moments. Yukariko eventually looks back at the girl and addresses her.
"Not today."
Something inside of the young Kanoe explodes. She can feel her temperature rising due to the ever-evasive actions of her elder.
"You always avoid the subject when I bring it up! Why won't you tell me anything? What don't you want me to know?"
The elderly woman looks her granddaughter in the face and shakes her head.
"It has nothing to do with you, that's why," she says as she slowly walks back in the direction from whence she came.
What is she hiding?
The young blonde covers his eyes as the sun's evening beams punish him for wearing his black suit. The roads are amazingly empty as he navigates himself past house after house, seeing the occasion child running around or a child and parent combo.
"If you'd like to come by for the wake, you're more than welcome to." The thought enters into his head, and he allows it to ring around his brain for a moment.
After his lengthy walk, he finally arrives at the traditional, two-story Japanese house. Its wooden brown exterior matches well with the trees surrounding it. His feet traverse the stone walkway up to the door. With flowers in his left hand, he uses his right to send vibrations through the wooden object. Moments later, the footsteps of someone approaching the door can be heard from the inside of the house. The sliding of the door makes his nervousness skyrocket as Kirie stands before him.
"Good evening, Teiichi. Come in," she says, stepping aside and making an opening for the blonde to navigate.
The inside of her house also has the look of the traditional Japanese home, but it contains two floors and has a very spacious living room. Before getting into the hallway, he drops his shoes and then proceeds to the living area where he can smell the burning of incense and the vibrant-colored flowers that adorn Yuuko's picture. Placing his flowers in front of the young woman's picture, he positions himself in the traditional prayer position and closes his eyes.
I hope everything goes well with you.
Raising his head from its position, the boy then turns his sight to Kirie, who is sitting next to the image of Yuuko with a stoic expression on her face. Teiichi's eyes suddenly scan around the house as if he has lost something.
"Forgive me for asking, but shouldn't your grandmother be here as well?"
Kirie looks over her shoulder towards the stairs, and then returns her glance to Teiichi.
"She's been in and out for the majority of the day. She should be back any minute now. Why do you ask? "
"I just thought that…."
As if on key, an elderly woman could be seen descending the staircase in her black kimono. Her expression is more saddened than Kirie's.
"Thank you for coming," she says as she places herself next to Kirie, giving the young man a bow.
"I'm really sorry for your loss. Your sister is a remarkable woman."
Teiichi's facial expression becomes more downcast as he realizes the tense in which he used. The heat under his shirt rises exponentially and he notices the annoyed look on Kirie's face, as well as the look of interest on the older woman's face.
"Why are you talking about my sister in the present tense? Can you see her, too?"
Teiichi pulls his collar away from his soaked skin, which released a portion of the heat onto his face. His eyes lock firmly onto the woman that had asked him the question.
"I can."
Yukariko's facial expression changes to one of confusion, not understanding the miscommunication between them.
"You can see that horrid form of hers, but yet you speak about her in positive manner? I don't understand you, young man."
At that moment, Teiichi notices a shadow move its way down the stairs. As it becomes more visible, his heart lightens up. He can clearly recognize Yuuko as she advances her way besides the boy and places herself next to him, delivering a grand smile.
"I missed you," she says, shoulder ramming the boy.
Teiichi's body creates a soft hammering noise as his weight hits the floor. Kirie's eyes narrow as she takes in the view of her relative coming down and causing a scene, even if her grandmother can't see her. Yukariko's facial expression changes to one of worry, as to her the boy just seemed to fall over out of nowhere.
"Are you okay, young man?"
Teiichi didn't expect the floor to hurt as much as it did, especially from such a light push. He straightens himself up and shoots the perpetrator a playful look, but then focuses his attention back on the hosts of the house with an apologetic smile.
"I'm okay. I just lost my balance for a second."
The room is filled with the sound of Yuuko's voice as she teases Teiichi, unbeknown to Kirie's grandmother. Kirie's blood begins to boil as she sees Yuuko sitting beside Teiichi, laughing as though this is just an ordinary gathering. Her hands slap the wooden floor as she hoist herself up.
"Excuse me," she says as she turns around.
The young woman stops in her tracks as she stares at the dark figure standing directly in front of her. Her body quivers as the shadow's eyes stare straight into her own. The other's occupying the room notice Kirie's sudden halt, and focus their attention onto her only to see Shadow Yuuko barring her way.
"Don't leave so soon," she says, motioning for her to sit back down, "Especially since everyone is here now."
Kirie's legs give out on her, causing her to tumble back on the floor towards her guardian. Shadow Yuuko focuses her eyes in the direction of Teiichi and makes her way to the boy's location. Standing in front of Yuuko, she extends her hand to the girl.
"Teiichi is here. You said earlier that you would accept everything if he was at your side. Did you not?"
"What are you talking about, Yuuko? Who are you talking to?" Yukariko's voice interjects.
"Don't worry about it. I'm just thinking out loud."
Yuuko's happy mannerisms have long disappeared since the appearance of her other self. Her fingers grasp parts of her school uniform in nervousness. She keeps her eyes away from staring into the burning jewels of the woman questioning her.
"I just want... a little more time. Please."
Teiichi looks at his friend's demeanor and is speechless. The shadow's outstretched appendage curls one finger at a time as Yuuko finishes her sentence. The trembling hand of the apparition standing before them causes everyone to focus on her even harder.
"You're just as bad as her," she says dryly, "It's been sixty years… sixty years. I've watched you wonder the grounds of that school. You lock your memories away inside of me as though I'm the one that caused all of this. You forced this upon me because you couldn't deal with your issue… I didn't ask for this." The shadowy apparition drops to her knees and sobs. "I'm tired of this never ending torture that you've caused me!"
Teiichi's hand grasps Yuuko's as she is enthralled with the event that is unfolding in front of her. Her glimmering eyes stare into his concerned pupils.
I know I said I could do this... but I don't want to remember those memories, she thinks to herself, looking down at the boy's hand. Why don't they care how I feel?
"Please, Yuuko," the soft words leave Teiichi's lips.
As Teiichi's words enter into her ears, she feels her chest tighten. The indecision on how to handle this situation isn't making anyone happier, nor is it helping the situation. Her heart aches hearing the words that Shadow Yuuko conveys to her. It hurts knowing that if she doesn't do this, she will have lied to Teiichi. The worse aspect of it all is that she fears taking back that which she had thrown away for reasons unknown to her. Her eyes journey around the room to each person. Teiichi stares at her with a warm smile on his face, Yukariko's expression appears as if someone had died, and Kirie's is merely of incredible disbelief. Looking down at the sobbing girl in front of her, Yuuko holds back a tear.
I'm always thinking about others, is her final thought before she reaches over to the bawling young woman and places her head on her chest. Shadow Yuuko's tears stains her counterpart's uniform as her head pushes further against her bosom.
"Thank you," Shadow Yuuko whispers.
As the two get closer, a ripple effect distorts the boundary of their bodies. As Shadow Yuuko's body integrates into Yuuko's, the emission of a black gas begins to release from their body. When the shadow's entire body completely assimilates into Yuuko's, the darkened air slowly dissipates. As the last of the pollutant leaves the room, Teiichi moves closer to Yuuko and places a hand on her shoulder.
Yukariko and Kirie stare at the spectacle, both utterly speechless. The older Kanoe rubs her eyes to make sure that she isn't seeing illusions. From Yukariko's perspective, she only noticed her sister's darkened body suddenly shift into a different position, but now the dark aura to her form is no longer visible.
"Yuuko," Yukariko says after standing up and making slow strides to the girl. "Is that really you?"
An ear-splitting shriek reverberates through the air, causing everyone to clamp their hands over their ears. Yuuko's body cringes violently as she topples over, her long hair covering her face. Her hand grips the side of her head as it pounds profusely, her memories streaming into her brain like a train going at full speed. The incoming emotions and memories keep rummaging through her mind, causing her heart to endure the rapid increase and intensity of it pulsation. Tears flood the girl's face and her mind and body feel as though someone is constantly trying to rip her apart from the inside out. Teiichi collects himself and places his arm around the woman's back as the other two onlookers are quiet.
"Teiichi… help me…." she said, before her final memory forces its way into her mind.
"I'm right here, Yuuko," he says to her, pulling the girl's body closer to his own and fighting the sudden odor that was emanating from the her body.
A sudden burst of heat shoots through her body, baring down on her teeth so hard they felt as though she was going to break both her teeth and her jaw.
"Ah!" she shouts one more time as the burning sensation inside her body loses some of its destructive force, but houses its core in her chest.
Yuuko's body writhes as though she has just been set on fire and dropped from a tall building. Everything either hurts or burns, but to a lesser degree than when it started. Her vision, though distorted by the collection of tears, has a slightly red tint to it. The beating of her heart stays constantly erratic no matter how long she waits for it to drop. Moments pass as the silence in the room only brings awkwardness.
"Sister?"
That voice.
"Yuuko, are you alright?"
His voice.
"Yuuko?"
Her voice.
Suddenly, the air in the room grows heavier and more pungent. A swift feeling of dread causes everyone to focus their eyes on Yuuko. Not knowing what to expect out of the completely assimilated Yuuko, Kirie grabs her grandmother's arm and backs her away from the girl to the wall, while Teiichi focusing his full attention on Yuuko's trembling form.
TO BE CONTINUED….
