The Prisoner Of Forever
Cast:
Phantasmei, Kamaki Meiko - age 7
Girinma, Kamaki Rintarou - Meiko's father - age 34
Poisony, Kamaki Poiko - Meiko's mother - age 32
February, 2017
Dear Diary,
I am called Phantasmei, and I am the Prisoner of Forever. My true name has been locked away apart from me, so that never in forever can I ever be set free. You shall know me by my crimson hair and my golden eyes, by my butterfly wings, and by my prison that is made out of Forever, which overlooks the gap between worlds.
I am the Prisoner of Forever, but I have not done anything wrong. I am imprisoned for helping the Witch of Miracles to rescue her one true love from the Magic World. Do not listen to the voices of Forever, which will tell you that the I was deceived by the witch and that she risked her life for no reason. When the veils between my prison and the Magic World are parted, every part of the Magic World becomes visible. By this I know that the Magic World is just as small and terrible as the Prison of Forever, and that the witch's beloved cried every day until the witch flew to her.
When the witch came to me, my prison was not yet a prison. At that time, it was a place that belonged to me, only it happened to overlook the gap between worlds at the only place where it is possible to cross over to the Magic World. I said that nobody had ever crossed the gap between worlds and that it was too dangerous to try. She told me that she could do it and how, if only I would let her in.
I let her in. I watched her fly across the gap between worlds. Because I did, I have become the Prisoner of Forever. This is why my name is locked away apart from me, so that I am called only Phantasmei. When the voices of Forever speak, they will tell you that I am rightly punished for aiding the Witch of Miracles.
Do not believe them.
After I watched the Witch of Miracles fly into the arms of her true love, she herself said that it was worth it.
"What is that gibberish?"
White shirt, black slacks, red bow-tie and a bowler hat, black with a red stripe. It is not exactly a uniform, and it is not exactly business casual. Rintarou is dressed for a shift at the Mag.
"It's Meiko's diary," his wife explains.
Rintarou grimaces. "Is she having trouble in school? I see nothing wrong with her penmanship, but... those aren't words."
"Meiko doesn't want anyone else to read it, Dear. For each character in each word, she wrote down the next one instead."
"Is- is that what they teach in schools these days?"
Poiko laughs. "Even if they did, they wouldn't teach that to seven year olds. She might just think she's the first person ever to come up with a substitution cipher."
"And what does it say?"
"It's nothing important, just some melodrama about being imprisoned in her room forever."
"She let a strange girl enter our apartment and ramp off her balcony! Grounding her for a year was entirely justified!"
"Are you trying to convince me? I completely agree, but I don't think this is anything we need to worry about. If she meant to rebel against us, she wouldn't write it in code and hide it under her bed."
Rintarou scratches his chin. "I suppose not. Perhaps we should confiscate it, just to be safe?"
"No, no... I have a better idea. You just go to work, and by the time Meiko is home from school, her diary will be right where she left it... just with a few additions."
Rintarou stares at his wife with a dubious expression, but chooses not to say anything more. He gives her a kiss, then heads out the door.
Poiko picks up a pen. "Now... what shall I add to her story?"