Friday, May 27, 2016

Soyokaze Stories: Miko, My Miko


(There is music at the bottom of this post to play while reading if so inclined. :) )

Miko Takara started to fish another cigarette out of her purse, but thought better of it when her stomach growled.

She crossed her legs and looked at her watch again. The next tram was due in 30 or so minutes. She told herself that she was done after that. He had his chances - three now - and this was it. Making her wait in this old station - it was a crime. A travesty.


A man in a white blazer stood at the far end of the station. He leaned against the railing and puffed at the stub of a cigarette before flicking it onto the tracks. She hated people who didn't take responsibility for their own waste. She was sure that he was leering at her as well.

She looked away as the white blazer man moved towards her. This was the topper for the afternoon. She was fuming.




"The next tram doesn't come through for another 30 minutes. You might want to consider getting on this one. It seems like you've been waiting for a while." The white blazer man motioned to the tram behind Miko. She absently glanced back.

"Yes, I know. I'm waiting for someone." She managed a polite, dismissive smile.

"Ah..yes...yes...sorry to disturb you. I just wasn't sure if you were waiting for...." He waved his hand and laughed the rest away. His waving hand slipped into his blazer as smoothly as a snake and slipped back into view with a packet of cigarettes. His fingers popped against the case and a single cigarette popped out from the top of the packet. Miko was sure this was a practiced move set to win over the hearts of college girls. Ridiculous.  Yet, before she knew it, she was reaching for the proffered cigarette and nodding her thanks. She slipped it into her mouth and waited for him to light it.

"I'm very sorry for bothering you," he said as he lit the cigarette with his silver lighter. Was that a robot on the side of it? Miko held back a laugh. A grown man with a robot lighter.

"Not a problem." She nodded again and checked her watch. He seemed nice enough, but she didn't need company right now.

"Gundam." He smiled a wide, silly smile as he showed her the lighter. "My daughter bought it for me. I have a passion for Mobile Suits."

Miko chuckled. She was caught off guard by the man's honestly. "Who doesn't?" She smiled.

The man looked at the lighter and his mouth curved into a sweet smile. A smile created from fond memories and cherished moments. "She's a sweetheart. She'll be on the 3:30 along with your friend." He pocketed the lighter. "I'm treating her to a night in Soyokaze. Big spender, huh?" He chuckled. "When your friend gets here, you two might want to try Kogane no - the food is fantastic."

Miko nodded again, slightly embarrassed and wondering if he had heard her stomach from way over there. "We'll look for it. Thank you."

"Well, take care." He bent forward slightly and nodded his head. He meandered back to his spot at the railing and she watched as he lit another cigarette and checked his watch again.

Chimes twinkled brightly and a voice drifted over the small speaker above her head.

"The next tram from Kokubunji will arrive in 30 minutes."


••


"I'm so sorry! I missed the train. I couldn't get out of work. I'll get the next one?" The man's voice crackled through the phone like he was talking through paper.

Miko held the phone to her ear, but only half listened.

She stared off down the platform as the white blazer man hugged a lovely girl with a ponytail. He pulled her to his side as they made their way towards the path. He was much taller, but she could see the resemblance in their faces. As they passed, Miko smiled toward them as the girl chastised the white blazer man playfully for still smoking.  The man waved to Miko, but said nothing.

"Miko-san? Miko-san?" The voice again - buzzing in her ear like a mosquito. A fly.

"Don't bother coming." Miko's voice was sad and tired.

"Miko-san, I--"

Miko hung up and turned off her phone before slipping it back into her purse. She stared off towards Soyokaze Temple and took a deep breath. "Bastard." Her stomach growled again and she glanced around to see if anyone was in earshot.

Miko stood and made her way toward the path in search of food.  Maybe that Kogane no place the man spoke about.

She wished she asked what his name was.


  


Soyokaze Stories: Harbor


The gray haired man stared down towards the group below with disdain and indignation. How dare they?! It was pathetic - this mob behavior. He checked his watch. They had been at this for hours. He'd be damned if it was going to stop him from leaving the building again. Having to have lunch brought in was one thing, but being held hostage by protestors in his own building? That was outrageous.

"Did you need me to call someone, Sir?"

He turned to face his assistant - his face a blank as if he didn't know what she was saying.

"A car? Additional police officers? Namura is doing his best, but...there are so many of them now." She rubbed her arm. "It's disturbing."

He snapped himself back into awareness. "No, thank you, Miss Tanaka. I'll be fine."

"I'm worried. Perhaps setting a meeting to talk through the harbor planning would...." She was cut off by his stern and warning tone.

"Miss Tanaka. I will not be blackmailed or threatened into meeting with hostile workers and villagers. I have made my decision based on the facts and the finances that are involved, not sentimentality and fear. Agreed?" His brow furrowed when her face fell and she looked to the floor. "You don't agree?"

She raised her head. "May I sit?"

He nodded with a grunt, waited for her to sit, then took his chair. The sun blazed in through the open window behind him. He pressed a button on his desk and the window behind him grew darker - the LCD shade slipping into a smoky, opaque state.

"Thank you." She smiled, then said, "Sir, you know that I hold you in the highest regard. I've worked for and with you for many years now." She folded her hands in her lap and maintained eye contact. "But, I do not agree with the company's stance on the situation in Soyokaze." She kept her eyes trained on his.

Gorou Yamashita lifted his chin slightly, relaxed his brow and said, "Why? What did you find wrong in our choice, Miss Tanaka?"

Tanaka drew in a breath. "According the environmental studies presented, making the harbor area larger will not have lasting, adverse affects on the surrounding area. Due to land right issues, the only ones that would be allowed to fish in the area are members of the Soyokaze fishing community." She licked her dry lips. She wasn't prepared, but the documents were fresh in her mind. "And the major benefit to the people of Soyokaze and the people of Shizuka based on the increased product would be immense."

"And, what about the future, Miss Tanaka?" He wanted to stand, but remained seated. "A future where the people of Soyokaze are worse off due to land being overworked, seas being over-fished and and the charm that drives tourists there in the first place torn from them by greed? What then?"

"Do you honestly thing they would let that happen, Sir?" Her eyes remained locked on his. She paused for a moment, then continued when he remained silent. "These people like their village small. They are comfortable. The Mashita Family has worked for generations to ensure that this remains the case. So much work has gone into building their community and building the relationship between Soyokaze and Shizuka."

Yamashita nodded.

Tanaka continued. "Many people have tried to purchase land for the development of hotels and resorts in the area and they have refused time and time again. They simply want their say in their industry and...." She stopped herself.

"Go on." Yamashita leaned back in his chair and waited.

"They want us out of it, Sir."

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

---------------------------



The heat started to creep in around the edges of the morning at the harbor of Soyokaze. Work was put on hold as crowds pressed into the limited space. The smell of salt air and fish mixed with the blooming blossoms at the station. A cool breeze swept through the crowd from time to time like a blessing.

Cameras focused on Gorou Yamashita as the officers on the scene tried to calm the mixed crowd of sightseers, protestors and villagers. They were wild with energy - Yamashita's announcement still hanging in the air. The shouts and cheers were deafening.

Yamashita held up his hand and asked for another moment of quiet. The roar turned to a murmur.

"Thank you. Thank you." He nodded and motioned to the front row of chairs before him. "Yes, Ms. Namura?"

A woman in a blue dress stood and called out over the rumble of the crowd. "Thank you. What brought about this change, if I may ask? The people of Soyokaze have tried to get this passed for months and you and your company have done what you could to stop this harbor project from going through. Why the change of stance now, if I may ask?"

Yamashita nodded, acknowledging the question, then thought a moment. He glanced down to the podium, then back up to the crowd. "In life, we make many choices. We base these choices on many factors. Many past experiences. There are times where these past experiences get in the way of future plans. This was the case here." He tapped the podium. "Uminoikimono has spoken with additional resources after this most recent push for Soyokaze Harbor development and a new voice has helped us come to this decision. We appreciate the patience of the people of Soyokaze and the additional advice of the person in question." He nodded and held up his hand once more. "Thank you."

At that, Yamashita turned from the podium and made his way back to his chair amongst the roar of a happy crowd and the clicking and flashing of cameras.

Soyokaze Stories: Incorporeal Reflection

Soyokaze Stories: 
  Incorporeal Reflection

HALLOWEEN,  Shizuka Japan, 1989

The crisp, October air was alive with music and the smell of food as masked figures and cheerful onlookers mingled in the street.  Three girls wandered down the Shizuka street as the Halloween festival sizzled around them. Their Gothic Lolita styling blended traditional Japanese garments with their unique take on the modern vampire rounding out their costumes with small, cute trinkets.

Akiyama Akane steered the group through the crowd in an effort to make her way closer to some of the photographers in the area while her two friends followed close behind. Her Father’s whiskey was still coursing through them as the surrounded another unsuspecting soul with a camera. They loved posing and made a sport of it from time to time.

“Photo?” Akane smiled and let her fangs show. The older man nodded energetically and raised his camera. Akane motioned for Rin and Shigeko to fall into line and the did it in a well practiced manor. They loved these old etchi.




The man smiled and nodded again. “Another?”

Akane posed with Rin, but Shigeko moved away. She had had enough of this and was feeling the chill and the hunger in her stomach. She was tired and wanted to camp out somewhere and stop moving for a while.

“And again, Shigeko lives up to her name and wanders off to rest before she faints away.” Akane smiled her cruel smile. “Come. We’ll get your food. I don’t want you begging out of tonight altogether.”

Shigeko’s sister Rin pouted playfully. “Poor Shigeko.” She swooned. “Too much walking for Princess?”

Shigeko waved them off with her hand outstretched and nails lifting out towards them in a shoo now gesture they were all too familiar with. “You two should have been sisters. You’re both idiots.”

The girls laughed and pulled Shigeko up by her arm. “Come, Drama. Let’s go eat.”


~


Night fell and the festivals of Shizuka and Soyokaze continued to fill the air with song and laughter. Multicolored lights lit up the night as the three girls stepped from the tram in Soyokaze station. All three had had enough walking for a while, but they had a little farther to travel on foot. They were not at their final destination yet, but they could see it above them in the darkness.

Akane pulled her flask from the purse she carried and sipped. She passed it to Rin and watched as the girl finished what was left of the whiskey within it. “Hey, what about Shigeko, Rin-chan?!” She yanked the empty flask back.

“That’s fine, I don’t need more.” Shigeko stared up towards the hillside with a blank expression.

“Well, I suppose it’s better this way. She shows up back at home smelling of whiskey and she’ll never see 19!” Akane laughed. “You - you can just blame Shigeko for your breath, Rin. Let big sister -“

Shigeko cut her off. “Will your brother really let us up there? He’ll loose his job if he gets caught.”

Akana held out her hand in a fist. “And I’ll do worse if he DOESN’T let us up there!” She laughed and turned to stare up at the hillside with the other two girls.




Soyokaze Temple loomed above. Beams of light shown up from the ground and illuminated the wondrous structure while dark trees set shadows falling and remained dark around it. The three made their way towards Akane’s brothers guard station at the base of Soyokaze Temple Hill.

~




Hours passed and all three of the girls longed for the warmth the whiskey had provided. They had not planned on Soyokaze’s fog bringing the temperature down so low on their adventure. Rin slapped Akane in the arm and barked, “Enough of this. She’s not coming. I want to go home.”

“We have another 30 minutes before my brother leaves.”

“We can take the tram. I just want to go. This is stupid.”

Akane ignored Rin’s request and narrowed her eyes searching the darkness for Shigeko. “Where is she now?”

“Wandering around again.” Rin snarled bitterly, “I hope she falls to her death like that-“

“STOP!” Akane punched Rin’s arm and stared at her with wide and scared eyes. “What are you thinking?! Saying such things here. In front of her.” She shivered. “And to make fun of the way she died.” It was the first time Rin had ever seen Akane look scared. 

“It’s make believe, Akane. The only reason I’m here is to meet your brother.” Rin rubbed at her arm and whispered, “Crazy busu.”

Shigeko’s scream made them both jump and cling to each other.

They watched as she bolted through the bushes and around the back of the temple. She was barefoot and had her dress yanked to her thighs as she ran towards them - her face a mask of terror. She screamed again and pushed past the two girls. Her dress caught and she was tossed forward, landing in a heap in the wet grass before them. She shoved herself up and managed to scream, “RUN!” before starting to descend the steps back down to the parking area.

Akane and Rin made their way down the steps adding their screams to Shigeko’s. Akane held her hand out before her to block her view of the burial area to the left. Somehow, knowing it was still there behind her hand filled her with more fear and her screams became louder.

Rin shouted down to Shigeko as they ran. “What?! What was it?!” She tried to look back, but the steep stairs and flowing dress made it impossible to do without breaking her neck.

Shigeko said nothing as she yanked her dress higher and continued to run. The last few stairs were the only thing she could focus on. Something sprang from the darkness and grabbed her before she reached the parking lot.

~


HALLOWEEN,  Soyokaze, Japan 2014

Ueda Masao stared out over the harbor as he finished his meal. Waves beat against the seawall  and a fine mist added to the dampness of the fog. He absently popped another piece of fish into his mouth and watched the lights on the boats bob from side to side.

The man to his right licked his fingers and waved for the check. He sipped at his beer and said, “So, you two got married after she finished screaming up there?” The man chuckled and finished the beer. “I can’t imagine.” He glanced back towards the temple. “I would have liked to see that whole scene.” He chuckled. “Romantic, really. Right? Saving a girl you hardly knew from a ghost? Her samurai.”

Masao nodded. His eyes remained locked on the harbor. “I could feel her heart beating as I hugged her to me. Her screams - they made my eyes giggle in my skull - they were so damn loud.” He smiled. “When Akane and Rin smashed into us and we all fell into the lot, I thought my neck was broken for sure. All of them screaming and screaming.”

“And, you believed her?” Yamada dabbed his mouth with the napkin and stood to stretch his back. “This ghost story she told?”

Masao stood with his friend and tossed money onto the table. Yamada knew better than to try to convince Masao to let him pay for his share. Masao took a deep breath and let the salty air fill his lungs. “Not at first. No way. But, over the years it grew on me. All the nightmares. The books and research she was always doing.” He looked to Yamada and said, “She saw something up there. I’m not sure what, but it was something that scared her.”

“A ghost lady?”

Masao shrugged. “Her sister thinks I’m a fool for coming here of all places, but I feel like it’s the least I can do for her now that….” He let his words fall away. Yamada gripped his shoulder. Masao continued. “I wanted to do it sooner, but I needed a little more time.” He nodded.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go up there with you?” Yamada tried to lighten the mood. “You made me eat among all this fishing scrap and smell instead of over the hill in one of those lovely, warm good places, Mr. Cheap. I might as well go up there and ghost hunt with you.” He smiled.

Masao grinned. “This place is the best and you know it.” He chuckled and shook his head no. “No. No, I’ll go alone. I’ll see you back at the hotel.” Masao patted his friend on the arm and turned to go. “And I mean it.”

Yamada raised his hands and bowed his head - surrendering. He smiled and dropped his hands to his sides as he watched his friend make his journey.


~


Fog drifted around the buildings and through the trees and Masao made his way to the second set of stairs. He stopped to get a read on where he was. According to Rin and the photos he saw on the internet, the stairs were around to the left and the burial area was around to the right. He reached inside his coat and groped around for his cigarettes before remembering.

Never another cigarette. His heart sank for a moment as he remembered his wife in her hospital bed. Gone.

The fog chilled him from his gloom and he inhaled sharply before turning and walking around the building to the right. The small markers were lit by a light mounted on the roof of the second tier building.

Masao stood in the silence and stared around the area. Part of him wanted to call out, but he thought it silly. He glanced at his watch. He had another 45 minutes before he had to be back down to the guard station and off the premises.

“Hello?” He rolled his eyes. “Hello? I’m Ueda Masao. You scared my wife here once. She saw you.” He looked around, then back in the direction he came from. His nerves made him examine every shadow. He counted on the substantial financial offering given to the guard to prevent the young man from trying to scare him up here. Masao swore he’d toss him off the hill if he tried.

He made his way through the brush and back around the backside of the building, pausing briefly when he saw the huge pool of blackness he had to cross to get to the stairs. He pushed forward and fought the urge to walk all the way around the front of the building again just to be able to stay in the light.

It seemed to get colder in the center of the darkness, but he shook it off and continued on to the stairs. As he climbed up, he stared up to the top of the temple spire which was barely visible in the fog shrouded night sky.

“Amazing that you three ran down these stairs in those costumes, Shigeko.” He smiled and shook his head. He reached the top of the steep stairs and turned to stare back down at the burial area and building. He craned his head forward to peer into the blackness behind the building. He wanted to make more of the shapes and motion in it, but as the wind blew and fog chilled him, he knew better. Plants and wind was all.

Now, for the final task. Behind the Temple. His heart beat a little faster in his chest as he remembered Shigeko’s description of the thing she saw.

“She was beautiful and terrible. She was like…and angel. A vision. She shimmered like the fog and seemed to long to be with me, but made no move towards me. Like me, she was in traditional clothing - all white, black and red. She looked…wet. She….she didn’t have a face, Masao.”

A shiver ran down Masao’s back. He bit his bottom lip, then pushed forward again. He moved with caution. He remembered RIn telling him that there was a drop here somewhere. He had no intention of falling onto rails tonight. He scanned the darkness. Another chill almost sent him running for the stairs. His voice caught in his throat, he swallowed, then called out, “Hello? Hello, I am Ueda Masao and my wife - she saw you here years ago.”

“Would a ghost know years?”  Masao thought to himself.

“She’s…she’s gone now. She…” Masao swallowed hard again. “She passed away.” He coughed and wiped a tear that caught in the corner of his eye. “She died. Died a month and a half ago.”

Fog wiped around Masao and a cold wind made the trees sway around him and hiss softly.

“She saw you here. Right here.” He smiled. “You scared her so much that she….she ran all the way down the hillside.” A laugh escaped him - sharp and short - as he remembered back to the night. Shigeko slamming into him and him holding her tight even after Akane and Rin collided with them and sent them crashing to the ground. “She never stopped talking about you. Looking for signs of how she might help you.”

Masao lost his fears - letting them drift away with the fog. He slumped and sat on the wet grass and stared off towards the ocean. The darkness enveloped him and wrapped him in a sort of calm. He looked up at the temple, then back over his shoulder towards the village. He closed his eyes and thought about his beautiful wife. His beautiful life with her.

Masao opened his eyes and pushed himself up to his feet. He glanced at his watch and made note of the mere minutes he had left. A thought passed over him.

“If you are here somewhere, thank you. You introduced me to my wife and made us very, very happy.” He thought a moment. “I hope that brings you happiness.”

Masao turned and made his way to the stairs. As he descended the stone steps, he thought that he heard something move behind him. He didn’t turn to look, however. Whatever was there could stay there with the dark and the fog. He had to go. He decided that he’d head home in the morning to deal with his own ghosts. Get his son from Rin and take him on a trip somewhere. He still had a few days left of vacation.

As he approached the stairs, the wind kicked up leaves around his feet, swirling them and sending dust up around his knees. Something raced up behind him with a rush - he could feel it swoop up behind him. He spun around half tripping over his own feet. His heart beat hard in his chest as he caught himself.

The guard adjusted his wind blown hat and jacket and stared up at Masao from the parking area. “Hey, Mister! You ok up there? Time’s up, Sir.”

Masao stared back towards the top of the hill, his wide eyes darting back and forth scanning the dark. He turned and made his way down the stairs quickly trying not to run.

“Did you hear that?” Masao’s eyes begged for an answer from the guard.

“Hear what, Sir?” The guard frowned. “You were too far away from me to hear you if you said something. I’m sorry.”

“No not - I didn’t say something is was…” Masao pointed up the stairs, then withdrew the gesture and dropped his arm. “Never mind.” He smiled.

The guard returned his smile, then looked around at his feet and back up at Masao. “That story you told me. True?” He pointed at the ground at their feet. The spot where Masao caught Shigeko.

Masao nodded with a smile and slipped his hands into his pockets. “Thank you for letting me stroll around up there.” He turned and moved down through the parking area towards town.

The guard shouted after him. “Thanks for the story. Very nice, Sir.”  He touched the brim of his hat. “Goodnight, Sir.”

Masao half heard the guard’s words as he pushed his hands deeper into his pockets and made his way down the parking ramp and off down the stairs. He didn’t know what to think. He was numb from the experience. He was sure he heard it. A faint voice among the rush of wind - small and sweet like a reed.

It whispered, “Anata ga aishita.”    

“You loved.”