"I will tell this story as it was explained to me, on the wishes of Princess Shoujiki Kei of Mars Kingdom."
Suddenly, Kinyume's voice changed, into a young version of Kei's.
"My name is Kei. I am eight years old, and I am the princess of the Kingdom of Mars. My parents are Phoebus and Ayeka Shoujiki. This is the story of my mother and the strange illness that she has been cursed with. I'm going to be making entries to keep track of my mom's progress.
"My mother has never been very strong, since she is diabetic. But lately she has been weaker than usual and acting weird. At times she cries for hours on end, at other times she screams and yells and becomes violent towards the attendants. I stay away from her when that happens.
"The priests don't know what's wrong with her, and my dad is worried sick. I went into her room today and gave her a bouquet of daisies. But she just stared at the wall while I put them in a vase. I don't think she noticed me."
There was a pause in the speech, as it went to the next entry.
"Today I saw Kohana coming off her ship. At first I thought maybe she had come over to play, but then I saw my dad leading her towards mom's room. I decided to follow them and see if Kohana could heal my mom. They were in the room for what seemed like hours, and then when Kohana came out she looked very tired. She said she would have to try again tomorrow."
Another pause, and another entry.
"Kohana tried again to heal mom today, but things didn't go very well. I got to sit in the room this time, along with my dad and her, because Kohana said that being in the presence of people who love her could help a lot. For the first hour or so it was kind of boring. Kohana would pray for a while, then hold her hands out and mom would sort of glow. But all of the sudden, mom leapt forward and grabbed Kohana's hair and threw her against the wall! She screamed and I ran to help her while daddy tried to get mom to lie down again. Mom was yelling really loud and clawing like a wild animal. The guards had to come in and help tie her to the bed. When she was done yelling she started crying again. I hugged Kohana really close and told her not to be afraid, that mom did that all the time, but she started crying too. She looks very sad when she cries, and it made me feel guilty for her."
Sora saw Kohana bow her head a little out of the corner of her eye. Another entry began.
"Today is my ninth birthday. Daddy got me a beautiful painting for my room and a gold ring with a ruby in it. It's kind of big yet. He told me that it used to belong to my mom, so I'm going to wear it forever."
Michiko's eyes flicked to Kei's right hand. She had never noticed before.
"I went up to visit mom after my party, and she was talking to herself again. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she was clutching her pillow really tight and looked very scared of something. I went over and put new daisies in the vase, since I did it almost every week. But this time when I did, she looked at me and stood up. I thought maybe she was going to say something. But she didn't speak. Then she reached her hands out like she was going to hug me! I was so surprised that I smiled and started to talk to her." (The small voice stopped for a few moments) "But then something bad happened. She put her hands around my throat and started squeezing. Really hard. She was muttering something but I couldn't hear her, I was trying to scream and get her off of me. I could feel her nails getting into my skin."
No one looked at Kei. She even seemed like she didn't want to look at herself.
"The guards rushed in and they had to pry her off of me. I remember seeing dad come rushing in and holding me, but then I passed out. I can't remember what happened after that."
The next entry began slowly. Kei's voice sounded a bit older by a year or so.
"It's been a long time since I made an entry in here. But not that much has changed. Mom is the same ever. Kohana actually came back a few times to try and heal her. I was so surprised to see her again and so thankful that she came that I stayed in the room the entire time she was in there, to make sure I could protect her from my mother if she went crazy again. But it went as it had the first time, long and uneventful. She said that if dad and I started sending good energy towards her, maybe it would help make her better. So we decided to give it a try. We didn't notice anything immediately, but I guess it will take a long time.
"I'm going to leave this voice journal closed for a little while. Unless anything big happens, you probably won't hear from me again."
They had half-expected that to be the end of the journal, but soon another voice began, sounding much closer to the Kei they knew today.
"It's been almost five years since I recorded anything in this journal. I'm fifteen now. I hadn't meant to use this file anymore, but something has come up and I have to get it said before I'm to afraid to say it anymore."
Something about the tone in Kei's voice made Michiko's spine tingle. She couldn't place it, but it could have been vulnerability.
"Hakeru came to visit early today. She said that she wanted to see how I was doing. That's because mom had a breakdown and went after me again the other night. I had been putting daisies in her room. But she threw a glass at me and it broke on my shoulder. This time I broke free when she grabbed me and I got out of the room. No one had known about that except dad and the two guards who were there that night. But somehow Hakeru knew. I guess that's how it is when you're psychic.
"She explained to me that she had seen what my mother had done to me as it happened. She had seen it in her mirror. She said that she'd gotten worried and wanted to see if I was okay. But as she was talking to me, I figured out that that wasn't the only reason she had come. I asked her about it and I turned out to be right. Hakeru thinks she knows what is wrong with mom.
"I turns out that she has been watching mom in her mirror for nearly four years. She explained to me that her mirror showed her when people needed help or were in danger. I decided that mom fit both of those categories, and it made sense that Hakeru had seen her. I asked what Hakeru thought my mom had. But I almost wish I hadn't.
"First she started talking to me about all the symptoms mom had, which was stupid because I knew all of them. I suppose it was to prove her point before telling me the point. Then she said that she had researched similar cases, and one ailment kept coming up."
The heavy silence sitting on everyone's shoulders made them seem to slump in their seats. The same word was drifting on the corner of everyone's mind, lingering at the brink of being forgotten or ignored and plaguing them. Everyone suddenly understood what was wrong with Ayeka Shoujiki. But the words coming off a young girl's lips still stung like unforgiving arrows their hearts.
"My mom has been possessed."
"I don't think I will use this journal ever again," said the fifteen-year- old voice. It now sounded pained and distant, piercing Michiko's mind.
There was a long silence, and once again they thought the transmission was over. But the voice came back again, stronger than ever before.
"Before I close this file, I want to thank all my friends. I don't think I ever mentioned how much all of you help me. Especially going through hard times. like this one. I promise to take care of all of you for ever."
Suddenly, Kinyume's voice changed, into a young version of Kei's.
"My name is Kei. I am eight years old, and I am the princess of the Kingdom of Mars. My parents are Phoebus and Ayeka Shoujiki. This is the story of my mother and the strange illness that she has been cursed with. I'm going to be making entries to keep track of my mom's progress.
"My mother has never been very strong, since she is diabetic. But lately she has been weaker than usual and acting weird. At times she cries for hours on end, at other times she screams and yells and becomes violent towards the attendants. I stay away from her when that happens.
"The priests don't know what's wrong with her, and my dad is worried sick. I went into her room today and gave her a bouquet of daisies. But she just stared at the wall while I put them in a vase. I don't think she noticed me."
There was a pause in the speech, as it went to the next entry.
"Today I saw Kohana coming off her ship. At first I thought maybe she had come over to play, but then I saw my dad leading her towards mom's room. I decided to follow them and see if Kohana could heal my mom. They were in the room for what seemed like hours, and then when Kohana came out she looked very tired. She said she would have to try again tomorrow."
Another pause, and another entry.
"Kohana tried again to heal mom today, but things didn't go very well. I got to sit in the room this time, along with my dad and her, because Kohana said that being in the presence of people who love her could help a lot. For the first hour or so it was kind of boring. Kohana would pray for a while, then hold her hands out and mom would sort of glow. But all of the sudden, mom leapt forward and grabbed Kohana's hair and threw her against the wall! She screamed and I ran to help her while daddy tried to get mom to lie down again. Mom was yelling really loud and clawing like a wild animal. The guards had to come in and help tie her to the bed. When she was done yelling she started crying again. I hugged Kohana really close and told her not to be afraid, that mom did that all the time, but she started crying too. She looks very sad when she cries, and it made me feel guilty for her."
Sora saw Kohana bow her head a little out of the corner of her eye. Another entry began.
"Today is my ninth birthday. Daddy got me a beautiful painting for my room and a gold ring with a ruby in it. It's kind of big yet. He told me that it used to belong to my mom, so I'm going to wear it forever."
Michiko's eyes flicked to Kei's right hand. She had never noticed before.
"I went up to visit mom after my party, and she was talking to herself again. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she was clutching her pillow really tight and looked very scared of something. I went over and put new daisies in the vase, since I did it almost every week. But this time when I did, she looked at me and stood up. I thought maybe she was going to say something. But she didn't speak. Then she reached her hands out like she was going to hug me! I was so surprised that I smiled and started to talk to her." (The small voice stopped for a few moments) "But then something bad happened. She put her hands around my throat and started squeezing. Really hard. She was muttering something but I couldn't hear her, I was trying to scream and get her off of me. I could feel her nails getting into my skin."
No one looked at Kei. She even seemed like she didn't want to look at herself.
"The guards rushed in and they had to pry her off of me. I remember seeing dad come rushing in and holding me, but then I passed out. I can't remember what happened after that."
The next entry began slowly. Kei's voice sounded a bit older by a year or so.
"It's been a long time since I made an entry in here. But not that much has changed. Mom is the same ever. Kohana actually came back a few times to try and heal her. I was so surprised to see her again and so thankful that she came that I stayed in the room the entire time she was in there, to make sure I could protect her from my mother if she went crazy again. But it went as it had the first time, long and uneventful. She said that if dad and I started sending good energy towards her, maybe it would help make her better. So we decided to give it a try. We didn't notice anything immediately, but I guess it will take a long time.
"I'm going to leave this voice journal closed for a little while. Unless anything big happens, you probably won't hear from me again."
They had half-expected that to be the end of the journal, but soon another voice began, sounding much closer to the Kei they knew today.
"It's been almost five years since I recorded anything in this journal. I'm fifteen now. I hadn't meant to use this file anymore, but something has come up and I have to get it said before I'm to afraid to say it anymore."
Something about the tone in Kei's voice made Michiko's spine tingle. She couldn't place it, but it could have been vulnerability.
"Hakeru came to visit early today. She said that she wanted to see how I was doing. That's because mom had a breakdown and went after me again the other night. I had been putting daisies in her room. But she threw a glass at me and it broke on my shoulder. This time I broke free when she grabbed me and I got out of the room. No one had known about that except dad and the two guards who were there that night. But somehow Hakeru knew. I guess that's how it is when you're psychic.
"She explained to me that she had seen what my mother had done to me as it happened. She had seen it in her mirror. She said that she'd gotten worried and wanted to see if I was okay. But as she was talking to me, I figured out that that wasn't the only reason she had come. I asked her about it and I turned out to be right. Hakeru thinks she knows what is wrong with mom.
"I turns out that she has been watching mom in her mirror for nearly four years. She explained to me that her mirror showed her when people needed help or were in danger. I decided that mom fit both of those categories, and it made sense that Hakeru had seen her. I asked what Hakeru thought my mom had. But I almost wish I hadn't.
"First she started talking to me about all the symptoms mom had, which was stupid because I knew all of them. I suppose it was to prove her point before telling me the point. Then she said that she had researched similar cases, and one ailment kept coming up."
The heavy silence sitting on everyone's shoulders made them seem to slump in their seats. The same word was drifting on the corner of everyone's mind, lingering at the brink of being forgotten or ignored and plaguing them. Everyone suddenly understood what was wrong with Ayeka Shoujiki. But the words coming off a young girl's lips still stung like unforgiving arrows their hearts.
"My mom has been possessed."
"I don't think I will use this journal ever again," said the fifteen-year- old voice. It now sounded pained and distant, piercing Michiko's mind.
There was a long silence, and once again they thought the transmission was over. But the voice came back again, stronger than ever before.
"Before I close this file, I want to thank all my friends. I don't think I ever mentioned how much all of you help me. Especially going through hard times. like this one. I promise to take care of all of you for ever."
