DANCE by Sushifishie
Part Two
She lay in her cot with her head at the ceiling, doing everything in her power to forget—forget what her life had become since that one night. Every day, without ceasing, the memories dwelled in her thoughts. No matter what she did, she could not forget the horrors and the pain she experienced at that time. That one night had changed her life forever.
Now, what was left for her? Every day was spent the same way—in her cot, staring at the ceiling, sometimes twiddling a thumb or two, thinking of that one night in the woods. She was going crazy and she knew it. Everyone knew that she was going crazy, but none of them knew why. None of them had experienced her pain. They didn't know what it was like to feel the way she felt. Just the thoughts drove her mad.
Her mother was not very happy about it, either. She did not like that her daughter was wasting her life away. It had been three moons since she'd been out and about the village. Although her mother had no idea what had happened to her daughter to make her personality change so drastically, she was actually getting fed up with it all. The villagers were talking. Rumors of abuse were circling, and they were far from the truth, but it hurt her all the same. She had no idea how to help her daughter.
At the beginning of the second moon of her daughter's change, the mother had taken her to see a witch doctor. It was a dreary day, as she recalled, and had been hoping for little help with the younger one's condition, but proceeded through the encouragement of her "friends." The witch doctor was a large woman with a beautiful bone necklace and very scant clothing. Her hair looked like a messy nest and her teeth were whiter than anyone the mother had ever seen. That gave her some hope.
The witch doctor had asked her to sit down next to a pike with a single human skull at the top on a flat stone. After sitting down, the doctor asked her to explain the problem with her daughter, who was left standing. She wore a vacant expression that told nothing. She just stared at the pike and let her eyes glaze over. The mother got no help from her.
The mother proceeded to explain the problem. She told her the story of her daughter's transformation.
"Kira used to be such a nice girl. She would always do her chores and play with her friends. Even though she didn't have very many, they were all very close and had a good time together. I never knew that anything was wrong with her—and I don't think there was any kind of problem besides the occasional bout of teasing. Kira always was a weak girl.
"Anyways, about three moons ago, she said that she and her friends were going to watch the stars that night. I agreed because I knew that group of girls very well, and I understood that they would never get into any trouble. Of course, I don't let them visit Kira anymore. They hurt my daughter!
"Well, on that night, Kira didn't come back when the moon peaked, like she said she would. She didn't even get back as it began its downward climb. Finally, as I began getting ready for my morning chores, she walked into the hut and fell onto her cot. Her clothes were torn and bloody. She had cuts all over her that have just finished healing a moon later. I asked and asked and pleaded that she would tell me what happened, but after that night, she has refused to talk to me. I don't think that she's talked to anyone since then.
"Oh, Doctor of Spirits, please save my daughter from the demons that possess her. I beg that you don't let her stray into the devil's world any more than she already has. Keep her in the world of the living and I will be forever grateful! Just, please, somehow bring my Kira back to me. I can't bare this any longer."
The witch doctor had, then, thoroughly examined Kira's scrapes and bruises, putting a bit of powder here, a drop of sheep's blood there. Finally, she took off her necklace and laced it around her fingers. Holding her dirty hands high above Kira's head, she raised the necklace. With a swift tug, she broke the string and all the teeth showered down over Kira's hair. Then, she poured some oil over her hair and chanted. She grabbed her chin and thrust it up to look at her. Their eyes met, and the witch doctor said one word and dropped her hands to her sides.
The mother looked expectantly between the two of them, and watched as the doctor began to clean up her supplies. The process was over, but had it worked? Was her daughter saved yet?
Sighing, she dragged her daughter home, only to see that Kira flopped back to her usual spot and position on the cot. Without saying a word, her mother left the cabin. She had gone into the woods and cried out in despair. Pulling her bone knife from a pocket in her vest, she jabbed it behind her head. With a single cut, all of her pretty brown hair fell to the forest floor, leaving a head of someone mourning a death. On that day, her mother had given up. If the witch doctor could not save her daughter, then who could?
Now, two moons later, she found herself the subject of rumors, and felt an urge to leave her daughter for the sake of her own image. But, for a reason, she could not manage. The reason was that she still loved Kira, no matter how she tried to deny it. The reason she loved a daughter who wouldn't respond, the mother didn't know. She just knew that she couldn't seem to abandon her.
That was the way she'd felt for the past two moons, and with the Quest approaching at rapid speeds, her mother was in greater turmoil than before. This was supposed to be the happiest and most busy time for girls and their mothers. After their fourteenth turn, girls were finally allowed to be part of the Dance.
The Dance was a sort of wife choosing ceremony for the men in the ancient days. But, in these modern times, it was more of a courtship proposal. After the Quest was complete, the survivors were honored by the rest of the village in a short welcoming ceremony. Everyone but females between fourteen and eighteen turns, who had not been asked to court in previous turns, welcomed them. Those girls anxiously waited for their welcoming.
Finally, once the ceremony was over, the real fun began. One by one, the girls were called by the chief to present themselves with a short single dance to show off their skills. Then, the first place man would present himself and propose a dance with his girl of choice. They would leave the center of the village and head to the Dance hut and wait for everyone else. Then, the second placed man would come forward and choose his girl. They would go to the Dance hut and wait with the first place couple. The rest would follow in order.
It was terrible for a girl to not be chosen in her first year. It meant that she had even less of a chance each year following because the men would be so much younger. After the eighteen turn, if the girl still hadn't been asked to dance, she would be banished from the Village. This had happened in Kira's lifetime, although she tried not to think too much about it now.
After the Dance was complete, the couples there tended to form relationships with their dance partners, and often chose to become life partners. Those that did not used to be scorned by the other villagers, but that was a commonplace event for the modern teens, so it was no longer frowned upon. Sometimes, Dance partners swapped with other dance partners and became life partners with different people. But, no matter, the dance partners always had a special bond that lasted a lifetime. The Dance was very important to the Village—almost as important as the Quest.
But, this turn, Kira's first turn, her mother had not prepared at all. Because Kira was inattentive and dazed, she could not teach her any sort of dance. The Quest was in only two weeks, and she still had not gotten her dress made. There was no way they could finish in time, even if Kira was conscientious. But with her current state, it was impossible.
Her mother chose to make a dress for her daughter, although it was always the girl's job to produce their own clothing for the Dance. She felt absolutely dreadful sitting with teenage girls producing the most luxurious dresses they would ever craft. Her mother had already been through this ordeal, but back then, she was the same age as the other girls and had married Kira's father as a result. At that time, she had something to look forward to, but now, she knew that it was hopeless. She feared that Kira had sunk herself into a hole so deep that she would be banished from the village.
That day, she'd left the house after chores, just as she usually did, leaving Kira to the cobwebs and her cot. Last she saw, her daughter was watching a spider spin its silk around a small ant. This was not unusual, and was actually more active that Kira seemed to be, so she'd left the house in a fairly good mood. Kira, on the other hand, remained completely unchanged. She didn't care.
Only Kira knew what she really thought, though. Only Kira knew the inner workings of her mind. Kira was the only person who understood Kira. In actuality, she spent most days on her cot, yes, but she was not entirely inattentive to what was going on around her. She knew what time chores occurred and understood what day was the cabin inspection. She also knew about what was happening in the village, just by her hearing. Gossip didn't pass by her ears, and while she was both physically and emotionally drained, her mentality thrived on this exercise.
For instance, she knew all about the schedule for the Quest. Katayama Akitaka and Kyoko were in charge of planning the task. She knew the names of every single fourteen-turn boy. There were only five that year. There was Kashino Rei and Sei, the sons of the chief. There was also Sei's friend Takemura, and a quiet boy named Kurasawa. Another was a friendly boy called Tatsuya, who Kira remembered playing with as a child. Not only did she remember the names of the boys, but several of the girls also came into her mind. In total, she believed there were eight, but she wasn't exactly sure. There was Rika, a beautiful girl who was in her sixteenth turn, and Harumi, who was the same age as Kira. Another girl of fourteen turns was Shiori, but that was all Kira could remember off-hand.
Listening to the middle aged woman talk, Kira learned about supposed couplings for the Dance, too. The majority of them supposed that Rei win first place and ask Shiori to dance. Next, they believed, came Tatsuya, who would obviously choose his friend Harumi. Sei, Shuichi, and Kurasawa would be a close call, and they could pick any of the remainder of girls. Some of the woman had matched Shuichi with Rika because they thought he seemed like "the type"—whatever that meant.
In all the hustle and bustle, Kira almost wished that she were a part of it all. She wasn't completely in the blue as to what her mother was planning. Having figured out a long time ago that there was no hope, her mother had given up on her chances to be invited to Dance. But, she'd known that a dress was customary. Kira understood that her mother was desperate for the criticism and mockery about her to stop, so she had begun to fashion Kira's dress for her. It was unnecessary, considering Kira didn't have a hope in the world, but she really appreciated her mother's dedication—even if it was only for personal gain.
Upon many weeks of consideration, Kira had chosen to give a small amount of effort. If it meant that much to her mother, she would put the past behind her for one night and try to find a suitable Dance partner. She had been composing a dance in her mind since she was a small girl, but had forgotten everything she planned since three moons ago.
With much effort, she managed to recall the first sixteen steps, and the rest had come back to her after a few days. She would never get out of bed to practice, but she did think of the steps and do what she could in her cot.
Even with her past as a barrier, Kira could do this one simple thing. Besides, she really didn't want to have to leave the village. Maybe Tatsuya would even remember her and ask her to Dance!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, I did not like my response too much, but I like this fanfic too much to leave it hanging. I've got quite a bit of it written (through chapter six), so as long as I get reviews, I will post more chapters. Hey, this chapter had Kira in it! Be happy now, okay? I don't quite know the pairing yet, though I have an idea. They probably will be different from in my last fanfic because I'm one for switching it up. I don't have all that much to say except please review for me, and thank you for reading!
Here's another vocabulary lesson! I hope that it suits your tastes.
The Dance: the title of this story; a kind of couple choosing—thing, guys ask girls to Dance and are expected to hand out with them afterwards (for more information, see this chapter—it's chock full of it)
Cot: a sleeping unit similar to a hammock
Dance partner: person with whom one Dances with (see the Dance)
Morning Chores: hard labor tasks done before the sun rises each day