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.”

Soyokaze Stories: Incorporeal Reflection (from my NRAIL blog)

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.”

From: http://n-rail.blogspot.com/2014/10/soyokaze-stories-incorporeal-reflection.html

Jackson

-->

She sipped at her drink as the rain beat against the window. Streaks of light ran over the wall and she let herself get lost in them for a moment. Her life was turning into a massive cliché right before her very eyes – a woman alone, drunk and maudlin as rain falls from the dark sky.

She rolled her head to the side and made eye contact with her dog. She drained her glass and slid it onto the table before her.

The dog sat and stared blankly at her, still wet from the walk they had just returned from. Wet dog smell filled the room.

“You stink,” she growled flatly. The dog blinked and she grinned at it warmly. “Whose fault is that, right?” The dog said nothing. “Ok, Jackson, let’s go.” She pushed herself up and moved to the kitchen with the dog at her heels. She stretched and snatched the treats from the top of the fridge, pulled a few of the shriveled morsels from the clear tub, then replaced it and looked down that the quiet animal as he stared back at her – tail wagging.

“Delicious?” She smelled the tan sticks in her hand. Her eyes rolled. “All you.” She dropped them onto the kitchen tile and stepped over Jackson as he proceeded to devour the tasty treats his loving master had blessed him with. “At least I’m not a crazy cat lady,” she muttered as she returned to the sofa.

Her eyes rested on the bottle of wine. To refill or not to refill – that was the question. She sighed and decided to wait. The TV beckoned, but this was her “no TV night”.  She’d fight through the evening sans television stimuli.

The evening had fallen apart slowly and steadily. Plans to get a Christmas tree were put on hold yet again. Walking down to the lot in four blocks of rain to pick from the horrid selection, dropping her $50, then walking back dragging her spoils behind her was something she could wait on. Christmas had turned into a hollow Holiday for her anyway. No need to rush the inevitable depression and regret. It would come soon enough. And she had passed on an evening out with her friends yet again as well. Rain bar crawling wasn’t her idea fun.

Jackson returned. He licked as his lips as if to make the moments from the kitchen’s treat last a little longer.

“Oh, you liked that, huh?” She smiled a sad little smile. “Well, I’m glad you’re happy at least.”

“You really should make an effort to get out more.” Jackson said as he stared at her with his big, brown eyes. “I mean, it’s nice having you here with me, but I hate seeing you sitting around, drinking and being sad. You deserve more.”

“You’re sweet.” She leaned forward and scratched his head.

He squinted and let himself get lost in the delightful scrtich of her nails before licking her hand. Then he huffed and said, “No, really, staying in and going for walks and talking to me isn’t going to get you what you really want.” He moved around her legs and to the sofa, then tried to step up onto it.

“Hey! No no – not when you’re all wet! You know the rules.” She pointed to the carpet and Jackson pushed away and returned to his plush Wet Dog Zone. “Nice try.”

Jackson ignored the dismissal. “It’s true and you know it. You need to get out and find another man to lay with.”

“Gawd, don’t put it that way. It sounds awful when you put it that way.” She shivered. “Lay with. Jesus.”

“You know what I mean. Someone you can talk to besides me. Someone to take care of you like you take care of me.” He licked his paw absently.

“Toss dried pig onto the floor for me? Make me lay on a piece of shag carpet on the floor?” She laughed.

“You know what I mean.” Jackson’s voice seemed agitated.

“I’m just tired of looking.” She snatched her glass up from the coffee table.

“You’re looking in the wrong places and with the wrong people, if you ask me.”

“I didn’t ask you.” She smirked. “And, just because you had one bad experience with Jessica doesn’t make her a bad person. She’s fun to go to bars with.”

“She’s mean.” Jackson’s voice was bitter. He thought back to that time in Golden Gate Park and Jessica’s actions. He’d never forget. Never.  “Anyway, there must be other places to meet males.”

“Men.”

Jackson huffed.

She stood up and grabbed the TV remote from the top of the television and returned to the sofa. “I’ll meet someone.” The television buzzed into life and the images lit up the dark room. “I’ll meet some guy somewhere and we’ll be happy for a few months, then he’ll turn chicken and run for the hills and I’ll have to start all over again. Either that or I’ll freak out and bail on him. It’ll be great.” She clicked through channels, then stopped on The Food Network and refilled her glass.

Jackson stood up and padded over to her. He positioned himself down by her and rested his head on her foot.

The rain pattered against the windowpane softly, but the sound of the people talking about food on the television managed to drown out the peaceful sound of it.

“I like steak,” Jackson said to the TV image of the white haired woman cooking a giant porterhouse.

“Me, too,” his owner said back. “Me, too.”

Read'N'Dash Fiction: How's The Whiskey?

"I'm not even sure you'll remember any of this. Not that it matters in the slightest."

The voice drifted out of nowhere and rang through him like an alarm in the cold of morning. He opened his eyes and stared at the man before him blankly. He tried to get his bearings. Figure out where he was and who this man before him was.

"How's that whiskey?"

Again, the dreamer failed to piece together what was going on. Confusion started to give way to fear. He didn't recognize anything around him. He could barely put the objects in the room together.

"It just gets worse from here, you know? The confusion. The hallucinations." The man speaking took a step forward and a shaft of light illuminated his face. He was dark and his afro was tight on his scalp. The wide mouth set in the large jaw cracked into a slow smile as he adjusted his tie. "Horrid feeling, really - that confusion. The complete lack of base." He shook his head and chuckled. "Adrift on a sea of unfamiliar memories."

The dreamer stood and looked into his hand. The whiskey glass was gone, replaced by a pencil. He dropped it absently.

The voice. "Top of the stairs. First door on the right."  It broke in before the dreamer could utter, "Where's the bathroom."

The dreamer blinked hard and turned - making his way to the dim staircase. The climb seemed surreal. More surreal than the somewhat one sided conversation in the...living room? He couldn't remember now.

He reached the bathroom and closed the door. The space was tight and cramped - the style was Victorian and close. A basin with a mirror ground into his hip on the left and a toilet - obviously picked for its demure size and shape - was on the right. Light poured in from the small, ornate window. Cut and shaped colored glass at the top cast lovely shadows on the pale walls.

The dreamer blinked again and turned the tap on. Dipping his right hand in while clutching at the rim of the basin for support, he splashed his face with water and took momentary pleasure in the cool wetness. Leaning back and gazing into the mirror, he saw that there was no liquid on his face. His hand was bone dry.

A figure caught his gaze below outside the window. It wore a heavy dark coat and jeans. He couldn't tell if it was male or female. He couldn't see its face. It stood between the trees below and stared up with a shadowy face that filled the dreamer with dread and sadness.

Orange leaves littered the ground and a wind sent a ripple through them as the figure turned and walked away slowly. Gone.

"It'll just get worse from here."

The dreamer opened his eyes and stared at the blonde woman before him.

"The doubt. The sadness. You'll fight it," she sad sadly as she clicked her heel against the hard wood flooring of the living room, "but it just gets worse."

The dreamer realized that a glass was against his lips. Cool liquid was pouring down his throat. It burned as it traveled down to his belly.

"I'm not even sure you'll remember any of this. Not that it matters in the slightest."

The voice drifted out of nowhere and rang through him like an alarm in the cold of morning. He shut his eyes and opened them again. He stared at the woman before him blankly. He tried to get his bearings. Figure out where he was and who this woman was before him.

"How's that whiskey?" She smiled sadly.

the Meeting

The computer glowed brightly in the well kept office, but it didn't look inviting at all. Not in the slightest. The large, older man sighed, pulled his hair back, and slipped the awkward headset over his head and ear. The microphone that jutted off of it caught in his beard and he cursed silently in his head as he pulled it free and reset the headset. He felt ridiculous with it on, but it was better than holding the phone to his ear for three hours. A horrid three hours. It was never a good call.

A message popped up on his computer screen from justJC. “R U calling in now?”

“YES, damn it...” He frowned and typed “I will be right there” into the message box. He refused to use the shortened form of words on the computer. It just seemed like laziness.

justJC replied back. “Good. He's acting up in here again.”

The man wondered when he wasn't acting up in the meetings. They had been meeting like this for ages and for ages he'd been...difficult. He pulled his chair in as the interface changed and the WebEx flipped through it's paces.

A singsong, female voice chirped in his earpiece . “Thank you for using WebEx. Press 1 to be connected to your meeting.” He pressed the number 1 on the phone keypad after a moment of hesitation. “Thank you! You will now be connected to the conference.”

When his screen switched over to shared desktop viewing, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes slowly, and rubbed at his brow. They were off to another horrible start.

The desktop being shared had an adult movie playing on it. A group of men and women – seemingly without any morals or modesty – pawed, fornicated, and spanked each other. They seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. He tried to ignore the goings on. If he made a fuss, it would just get worse.

He adjusted his webcam and slid the windows around to his liking. Several small windows lived on his second monitor. He saw his face in the first window and made note of the stray hairs of his beard still tangled in the headset. He pulled them free absently. His son was in the second window with justJC under the image. He smiled into the camera and nodded and his son nodded back. “Hello.”

Cleavage filled the third box as two hands with long, red nails pressed breasts together and wiggled them at the camera. The cleavage dropped back and the woman they belonged to laughed maniacally and slid her top back into place. “Hiya! Thanks for joining the meeting today.” She flittered her fingers towards her camera. Her desk space had several small figures lined up in a row in clear sight of the camera – Buddha, Shiva, and a mini-diorama of the crucifiction. Under her image read the title hot4GOD.

He sighed and glanced at the fourth and final box on his screen. A man smirked into his webcam and arched a brow. People moved around in the area behind the man. It was a standard office environment except for the various states of undress, sporadic fire and sparks, and the occasional missing limbs of the workers. The man in the fourth box wore a suit and tie and sipped at a martini. Below the image was the simple Lu.

“Lucifer.” The white haired man nodded into his webcam. “How are you?”

“Just fine...Sir. How are you doing this fine day?” Lucifer smiled and sipped as hot4GOD made obscene gestures into her camera.

“I thought we agreed that you would find a new personal assistant to attend these meetings?”

justJC rolled his eyes at his webcam and leaned back in his chair as the redhead slid a hand into her blouse and smiled wide.

“Lucifer!” The boom of thunder filled everyone's ears as the white haired man lost his patience.

“Now now, TF, you know she can't help it. She has a condition.” The smirking continued. “We're working on it and I just did not have ANY time of late to interview other assistants.” He sighed. “Jezebel, can you do me a favor and...file something? You can skip this meeting.”

She pouted and leaned forward. Her screen went black and everyone's headset beeped as she hung up.

“Ok...sorry about that. What are we scheduled to talk about today?” Lucifer put his drink down and sat upright in his chair. Jezebel walked up behind him in his video frame and stuck out her tongue as she slunk by and out of the picture.

Lucifer glanced behind him as a man was dragged across the floor by two three foot tall monsters with horns. He screamed and kicked his feet frantically as he was dragged away towards the back of the room. The others in the satanic office ignored him and the tiny monsters as they went about their business. Lucifer turned back towards his webcam and blinked.

“I had diseases on the list for today.” justJC shuffled papers. “We're showing that you're not following what we agreed on when it came to diseases and plagues and the wars. You're over on wars, too.” justJC reviewed a sheet, then looked int the camera. “Can you give me the control thing, please? Pass the ball?”

Lucifer talked to someone off screen. He smiled a charming smile and pushed his chair back. “Pardon me one second, Gentlemen.” He stood and moved out of frame. A woman could be heard asking what meeting it was. “Just The Father and Son Meeting. It's crap....don't worry about it. I love this dress on you.”

“YOU'RE NOT ON MUTE, damn it,” The white haired man growled into the headset. “Get back to the meeting!”

Lucifer dropped back into his chair and adjusted his headset. He sighed a heavy sigh and shrugged. “Sorry. Sorry. What were you saying?”

“I wanted you to pass me control of the meeting so I could show you this PowerPoint I made. We needed to review this disease issue because....” justJC was cut off.

“Diseases? Really?” Lucifer sighed into his headset and picked up his martini. His brandished it at his webcam as he made points. “We covered this whole disease issue already. We talked it to death in The Human Condition Summit. You don't remember? We bumped the Soul conversation for it because you thought it was so important. ” He sipped. “And, I'm not over on wars. I have invoices to prove it. Shall I ask Jezy to bring them in?”

The white haired man blurted out, “No.” He waved his hand. “Let's focus on these disease issues and move on.”

“I don't have that in my notes,” justJC said with a frown as he searched his notes.

“Check BaseCamp. I'm sure it's on there somewhere.” He grinned.

“Did you send me an email about it? I mean, I just find it strange that I missed that.” He stroked his beard. “Dad, can you check your email and see if you have it?”

God sighed heavily.

“It was the same time we talked about having another Middle East talk.” Lucifer leaned back in his chair. “I'm pretty sure that was it.”

“Oh...right. Now I remember. We were going to stop going back and forth on the Middle East religious issue and you wouldn't let it go. Again.” justJC frowned.

“Hey, I'm not the one who wouldn't give up the point, JC.” Lucifer held up his hands and laughed. “I'm just following through on past agreements.”

“Not like Jezebel helped with her false idols.”

Lucifer pointed at the webcam. “These are widely accepted representations. It's not all about you two you know.” He smirked. “There's Buddha, Gaia, Izanaki, Kishar, Ba Xian...”

“I'm not in the mood for this meeting right now.” God shook his head. “We'll continue another time. And I'd like Jesus to set up the next...WebEx. Thing.” He waved a hand at his computer. “I don't want you to have control of it anymore, Lucifer.. You abuse the privilege.”

“Can I keep Jezebel as my P.A. Then?” Lucifer looked innocent. “I'll tell her to behave.”

“I don't care.”

“Should I send the PowerPoint? I mean, I spent a long time on it and I really think that-”

“Send the PowerPoint out.” God frowned. “Anything else?”

Lucifer shook his head no and sipped at his martini. “I think that covers it for me.”

justJC leaned forward. “Lucifer, can you please have Jezebel send a transcript – a PROPER transcript – of last week's meeting? The one she sent last time was just filled with sick demands and obscenities.”

“Ok...I'm signing off. Goodbye.”

“Ta, God,” Lucifer smiled a pleasant smile and raised his glass to his webcam. “Keep up the good work up there. I have things covered down here.”

God closed the screen.

“Thank you for using WebEx...” chirped in his ear and he ripped the headset from his head and tossed it onto his desk.

Brunch with Mother

As the kitchen clock struck ten, the smell of fresh scones and bacon drifted through the small, San Francisco apartment. Warmth from the oven warmed the apartment and light streamed in through the open window. It was a perfect day. Unfortunately, today was brunch day.


David stood before the antique mirror in the bathroom and shaved, tapping the razor into the sink and trying to concentrate on both the conversation and not slitting his throat with the razor in his hands. His stomach growled as he hurried through the process, eager to get the shaving done before Debra destroyed the kitchen and before his Mother arrived.

He called out, “She won’t stay long. She never does – you know that.” He rinsed the razor, tapped the blade against the cold, white sink, then dragged it over his right cheek. He heard a slam from the kitchen and sighed, “Come on, Debra. It’s not that bad. She will be in and out of here in an hour or so. She’s just visiting. Like always.”

A crash of drawers from the kitchen filled the air followed by the slamming of a door somewhere.

David rinsed the remaining shaving cream off, dried off with a blue towel from the rod, and applied lotion to his face. He walked from the bathroom and folded his arms over his bare chest.

“Debra…please. We can talk through this later, but she’s going to be here in a minute and I want to greet her clothed.” He smiled.

Debra returned the smile, but it was cool and somewhat transparent.

David moved toward her. “I’ll make sure she gives more notice next time, ok? But, just for now, can we be civil? Please?” David ran a hand over his head. He knew Debra didn't like his mother - not many people did - but, these visits had to happen. "Just stay off in the bedroom and you won't even have to deal with her at all." He dipped his head pleading.

She nodded and moved off down the hall, saying nothing.

David bowed his head, breathed out a long sigh, then moved to the bedroom to get dressed.


_______


The woman at the table ate at the scone in her hand with delicate bites and spoke with a slight accent highlighted with a venomous tone. Her hair bun was as tightly wound as she was all the time. She blurted out comments on everyone she knew during her visits and David sat and listened with disinterest. He didn’t even know half the people she spoke ill off during her rants. She sat upright and prim, dispensing ill will. He’d listened to his mother bad mouth everyone from his father to his sister to his "horrible, gay neighbors" and he’d had just about all he could take for one morning.

She lightly touched her jet black hair and David wondered if she dyed it. “And, you know how she is – all fluff and pink and horrid makeup!” She rubbed her arms and glanced around the apartment. “You always keep it so cold here.”

David brushed off the comment about the cold as best he could and walked to the wall heater to boost it even more. . “Well, she is your sister, Mom.” David grinned, returned to the table, and finished his bacon. The coffee swirled in his cup as he checked the time out of the corner of his eye.

“My sister is a ridiculous BEAST of a woman.” She swatted the words away with her hand as if swatting at bugs. “Enough about her. She makes me so upset.” She dropped the scone onto the plate and looked at her son with dull eyes. “So, this girl you said you were seeing? When do I finally get to MEET her?” She sipped her coffee.

David looked at her and wanted to laugh as the thought of him somehow making Debra appear through magic appeared in his head. He shook it off. “She’s out.”

“Out?” His mother rolled her eyes and leaned back in the chair with a smug look on her face. “Last time she had some sort of 'appointment' and couldn’t be here either.” She tutted. "I'm beginning to think she is avoiding me."

“Well, you don’t give us much notice, do you?” David tried to remain polite.

“Your own mother needs to give notice? Schedule an appointment?” She frowned. “Well, nice to know where I stand.”

“It’s common practice – letting someone know you are thinking about coming by.” David couldn’t hide his impatience and his mother gave him that face that registered both hurt and anger. He’d grown to hate that face as a boy. It was even worse now.

Just then, he caught sight of Debra slipping up behind his mother. She stood with the water pitcher in hand and looked as if she was bound and determined to empty its contents over his mother’s head.

David stood and deftly moved around behind his mother, snatching the pitcher up and spinning around to stand between his mother and Debra.

His mother gasped and ducked back a bit, catching her breath and blurting out, “What on earth is wrong with you?!” She frowned and muttered something in Japanese under her breath.  David caught the word "baka" and remembered her calling him that as a child. He grimaced.

“Water?” David smiled wide, holding the pitcher high. He heard Debra slip around the corner behind him. He moved back to the table.

Confusion showed on his mothers face as she declined his offer. David slipped the pitcher back onto the countertop and shot Debra a look as she peeked around the corner behind his mother - smiling. Her eyes contained the mischievous quality he’d seen far too many times before. She slipped around the wall.

He thought this would be a good time to end the visit.

“Well, like I said, mother, I do need to run. I’m sorry.” He checked his watch and winced. “I have to run down to the shops before picking up Marty.”

“I thought you said Marty was away this weekend. Your sister was traveling and couldn't make it today. ”

David remembered the lie he told on his sister’s behalf so she didn’t have to attend this little brunch extravaganza. “From the train.” I need to go to the shops, get my-“ He stopped and showed his annoyance by crossing his arms. “What? Do you think this is all some sort of…of con? Some massive running away from you?” He laughed. “Come on, you can walk down to the shops with me is you don’t believe me.” He shook his head with a chuckle and started clearing plates.

“Well, if you’re going to get her, maybe I’ll wait here and we can all have dinner together before I head home?”

David could feel his heart sink at the thought of his Mother lingering around the apartment with Debra hiding in the bedroom. Idiot.

“It’ll be hours.” He turned to see Debra moving up slowly and calmly behind his mother with a sour expression.

“You know, I’ll clean all this up later.” David smiled to his Mother.

Debra bit her bottom lip and brought her hand up high. Something was cradled in her hands. A dictionary?

David was across the room in a heartbeat again, shoving past his mother and up to grab the heavy book away from its arc towards his mother’s head.

With a squawk, his mother fell back into the chair and knocked into her coffee, spilling it across the table. “DAVID! Dō shita no?!”

David spun on his heel – dictionary in hand. “Present!” He laughed. “You reminded me.” He held the book up and started paging through it. "Marty got me this as a present when I was complaining about the meaning of words one day. I thought it was funny because you said...."

His Mother cut in. “You’re on drugs, aren’t you? I saw a program on this just the other night. There’s a singer from the UK that is on the same – heroin?" She nodded in agreement with herself. " I knew you were losing weight!” She stood. “You are on that or something else. You’re entirely off your ledge! Knocking me over like that!” She looked at her sleeve and grumbled, “Coffee on my new coat, David.”

David closed the book and dropped it onto the end table. He glanced around but didn’t see Debra. He whispered, “Stop it.”

“Stop what?” His mother stood and moved to the sink to wash off her sleeve. “David, you need to seek help from someone. A counselor of some type. Or, go to one of those rehabilitation centers or AA groups.” She rinsed her sleeve with cold water shaking her head sadly.

David noted the chill of the room increasing. He glanced around and narrowed his eyes.

His mother shut the tap off and looked around for a towel.

That’s when David saw Debra…and the knife. With cat-like grace, he leaned forward, snatched the knife from Debra, and yanked the towel from the refrigerator door. He slipped the towel in front of his mother’s face as he quietly slid the knife onto the counter. “Ta-daa! Towel.”

Eyes wide, David's Mother took the towel. Her jaw slackened slightly, then she whispered, “David. I saw the knife.” She dropped the towel onto the kitchen floor without drying her hands. “David.”

David tried with all his might to come up with why he would be waving a knife around his mother. Nothing fit. He watched as the color drained from his mother’s face.

She blinked. “It…it was floating. Just there. Floating in the air." His poor Mother's face was pale and shocked.  "Floating in the air, David.”

“Floating?” He looked over at the knife on the countertop. “Um…I don’t understand.” He furrowed his brow.

“Floating in the air, David. Right there. Inches before my face.” She was white as a ghost - an expression David found extremely funny in this particular situation.

“Mom? Are you ok?” He frowned. “You know, you don’t look at all well.” He cocked his head to one side. “Mom…are…are you on some sort of medication? Is this was that conversation is all about?” David forced concern onto his face. He felt bad about the bait and switch until he remembered all the horrid things his mother had said over the course of the hour plus this morning.

His mother blinked. “I’m leaving.”

“Maybe I should take you?” He patted her shoulders. “You look so tired. Sure you don’t want to come to the shops with me?”

Without a word, she hugged him and moved to the front door. Purse in hand, she looked back at David and shivered. “Say hello to Marty for me. Maybe we can all meet for dinner one night next month. Out somewhere. I miss her.” She swallowed hard as she glanced around the apartment resting briefly on a photo on the wall of the living room. She made her way towards the door looking around like a child on a haunted house ride. She waved back at David, tried to produce a smile (more like a grimace) , and closed the door behind herself quickly.

David waited and listened for the sound of the front gate slamming shut. Then, he heard his mother’s car pulling away before saying a word.

He looked around and saw her as she appeared - moving through the wall of the kitchen pouting playfully. She turned from what looked like smoke to a shimmering outline of a woman. Petite and lithe, she moved toward him.

“Debra, that was really over the top.” He tried to sound stern.

Debra’s voice was a whisper that sounded like velvet dipped in honey.  “Oh David…I wasn’t going to hurt your mother.” She moved to his side and stroked his hair with a willowy, silver and translucent hand. She smelled like flowers and...rain. Her feet drifted a mere inch above the floor as she glided around him slowly.

“She’s an old woman, Debra. She could have had a heart attack.” He sighed. “Really, that was just not right.”

Debra pouted harder and slowly drifted backwards. Her velvet whisper drifted to his ears as she started to fade away. “I’m sorry David.”

“Wait." He sighed. "Come back.” David sighed again and placed his hands on his hips. “Come on.”

Debra appeared behind him. “What?” She blinked innocently. Her hair was cut in a short shag and her face was full and beautiful. Her hands moved behind her back and she looked coy.

David turned around and cocked his head to the side. “Just…be nicer?” He smiled sweetly to her. “Please? I mean...as mean as she is, she’s still my mother.”

Again, the syrupy whisper filled the room. “I’ll try.” She shimmered and a smile crossed her face.

David returned the smile and took a deep breath. He could smell her floral scent.

Debra’s arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed in closer. Her body rose slightly so her chest was at his eye level, then she slithered down his front. She floated above the floor looking into his eyes. Her silky voice seemed in front of him and all around him when she spoke.  “Forgive me?” Effort on her face and in her eyes, she became less translucent. More physically present. She kissed him and the room grew colder.

The two sank to the sofa.

The shops would wait.

___

A picture hung in the hallway of David's apartment. In it, a woman dressed in a mini-dress stands in David’s apartment’s kitchen by a refrigerator – an older style, but in the same spot. The image was slightly faded and the colors have mostly washed away.  She looks happy and vibrant as the brilliant, golden light streams through the kitchen window and lights up her face.

“Debra Shelly Summers, Eastmont Terrace, Summer 1963” was written in the corner of the 8x10 image. Even now, she didn't look a day over 30.

The Waiting Room

High ceilings. Tan walls. Slowly turning fans circulating the air. Several rows of frosted windows let in light, but do not show what is outside the large room. Those inside don’t seem concerned about the outside, if there is an outside at all. The room is quiet and somewhat still, thought some of the figures move through the room – restless as they wait. Jazz music plays at a subliminally low level.
Florescent lights flicker overhead and bathe the figures beneath them with an off white light. The inhabitants shift awkwardly in green plastic seats and try to get as comfortable as they can for the seemingly long wait ahead of them. The room is large and the rows of chairs are mostly occupied. Some figures even sit on the floor – perhaps more comfortable there than on the ridged, uncomfortable seats provided.
The murmur of conversation hums steadily, but rarely goes above a respectable level. The water fountain in the corner returns the hum of the room as a woman leans over and drinks from it. She has ample curves and shimmering blonde hair. Her lips purse as she laps at the cool water that jets from the water fountain. She is completely nude.
Something crashes on the tile flooring in the back of the room and heads turn. The man in the back raises his hand and waves. “Sorry.” He picks up a large, automatic rifle from the tile floor, waves again with an embarrassed look on his face and returns to his seat. He settles the weapon in his lap and glances at a slip of paper in his hand, avoiding eye contact.
A small, round man slips through a set of double doors and comes out to the tiny office area at the front of the room. The rooms focus shifts as he scans the group before him and adjusts his glasses before turning and moving to the metal file cabinet to the right. Eyes filled with hope follow him.
A few members of the assembly lean forward. Others stand and take a quick look at the slips of paper they hold.
The man removes a folder and slides the file drawer shut. He scans the group again and counts quietly. “…thirty…thirty-one….thirty…um…forty-five…” He sniffs and shakes his head, turns, and moves out of the office pen and back through the double doors.
Several members of the group moan audibly. Others curse.
“I don’t buh-believe this. Th-This is taking forever,” a slim man stutters and twists the knot of his tie. He wipes his brow with the back of his jacket and taps his foot rhythmically in an agitated manor. Something drifts past him and disappears into a shimmer of smoke. He doesn’t acknowledge it. “I mean – right?” He looks up to the nude woman as she takes a seat next to him. “Th-This is just sssilly. Wu-Waiting th-this long?”
The woman runs her hands down her thighs then leans back and crosses her legs. She glances at the slip of paper in her hand before shifting her gaze to the man. “Yeah, well….” Her voice is like syrup. There’s a tinge of a New York accent deep within it. She drags a hand through her hair, looks up to the ceiling and frowns, then bites her lower lip. “Uh, I guess. I mean, it’s been a while.” She shrugs and folds her arms over her bosom. Her skin looks like porcelain under the fluorescents. She watches as a man dressed in robes leads a horse past her and the stuttering man at her side. The man whispers to the horse in Hebrew, though the woman doesn’t have a clue what language it is. Why would she?
The woman’s platinum blonde hair falls in front of one eye and she resembles Veronica Lake. She whispers, “Pretty horse.” She re-crosses her legs and breathes out a sigh.
A man and woman kiss passionately in the far corner of the room. She wears jeans and a t-shirt and her hair is cut short and dyed pink. He wears a business suit and large, fuzzy slippers in the shape of bears heads – his feet slipped into their open mouths.
At the back of the room, a woman in some sort of armor space suit presses the buttons H and 4 on a vending machine and watches as a small, metal coil rotates slowly and moves a bag of chips forward. The bag reaches the end of its aisle then hangs for an instant before dropping. It gets caught on the way down between a package of popcorn and the glass. She grumbles and slams her fist into the machine. The loud bang makes heads turn again. The bag drops and she flips the door up and retrieves it. She doesn’t apologies for the noise. She turns and leans against the wall. “I can’t get enough of these. So good.” She pulls the edges of the bag and it pops open. She removes her glove and tucks it into her belt, then reaches into t with a smile playing on her lips. “Like a spicy, chille flavor corn chip. Pretty damn good.”
The zombie facing her nods and blinks his one remaining eye. His flesh is sickly grey and rotted to the muscle and bone in some spots. His clothing is covered with dirt.
“Yeah, those are good. Have you tried the Sun Chips, though? I think they are better for you. Less salt and a better oil? Something like that.” He wipes a bit of spittle from what remains of his lower lip. “Sorry.”
“No problem.” She crunches another chip, then offers the bag out to the grey figure before her. He declines a chip and she reaches into the bag again. “They’re pretty good too, but I prefer these. They aren’t that bad for you overall.”
The zombie nods and glances around the room. His eye drops to the slip of paper in his hand, then back to the space woman. “Yeah.” He nods absently. “Is this all metal here?” He points a rotted finger to the woman’s shoulder pad.
“Carbon core silicone weaves.” She nods and drops three chips into her mouth. “It’s lighter,” she mumbles through the chips.
Something stomps past. It’s eight-foot frame blocks the light for a moment as it passes. The thing cocks its head and sniffs the air. It’s eyes narrow and it crouches down to scratch it’s foot before moving to the far right side of the room. It takes a seat next to a brunette wearing bright red running pants and a sweatshirt with “Born To Run” written across the front in gold letters.
She looks at the werewolf beside her and shifts in her seat slightly to give it more room.
It looks down at her and slides its legs out to the side, leaning out and away from her a bit. Its maw is somewhat short and its nose is dark and wet. Its grey hair is neat and not too long. Pointed ears poke off of its head at the sides. I has broad shoulders and long, muscular arms. It opens its mouth and a row of sharp teeth glisten as it’s steel blue eyes lock on her. “Sorry, do you have enough room? I can move over a bit.”
“No, no – I’m fine thanks.” She smiles.
The werewolf licks its lips. “They call H38 yet?” Its looks towards the office pen.
“Not since I’ve been here,” she says as she slips the baseball cap forward on her head. The werewolf’s breath smells like meat, but she tries to ignore it.
He looks back to the baseball cap girl and his fingers tap on his hairy knee. “They called that girl with the baseball bat WAY before me, but I thought I was here first, you know?” The werewolf scratches its side with a massive hand. Claw tipped fingers rake through the fur there. “I guess that’s not how it works. Not sure what’s up, really. I thought it was pretty clear that I was here first though. But…you know.” It huffs out a sigh and holds up it’s hands in resignation.
The girl shrugs.
The werewolf nods and leans back in its seat. “Yup yup yup….”
The short, round man pushes through the double doors again.
Again, the crowd in the room comes to a hush and all focus moves to the little round man as he moves to the front of the office pen, this time avoiding the file cabinet.
A woman dressed in a business suit stands and grabs up her briefcase hopefully as a small S.W.A.T. team stands at attention next to her. Their leader waves his hand. “Shh…quiet down, people.” He holds up their ticket with a gloved hand.
The office man clears his throat and grips a small, silver microphone that sits on the desk at the front. He presses the button on the side and leans into it. “C89? C89, please?”
The room lets out many disenchanted, yet subtle groans of disappointment. All but one go back to what they were doing.
A woman with short, dark hair moves towards the office pen and holds up her slip. “C89 – right here.” Her voice is matter of fact and quiet. She slips past a small group of dogs and they all wag their tails. She slips past them and moves forward. Someone blocks her and she whispers, “Pardon me.”
A man covered in blood smiles at her and moves his paper aside so she can pass. “Sorry.”
The woman makes her way to the front desk and hands her slip to the office man. She smiles politely.
He checks the number and smiles back. “Good, good.” He slides the ticket into a slot on the desk and gestures to her. “Now, you ate a dime before, right?”
She nods brightly. “Yes. In a coffee shop.” She touches her stomach, then raises her hands and makes small quote marks in the air with her fingers. “It’s inside my body right now.” She smirks.
“I see. I see. Fine.” He motions to the side. “Ok, will you please step around to the gate? I’ll let you though.” He points and smiles.
The woman nods and makes her way down the aisle towards the small gate. She waves back to the waiting room occupants as she passes through the tiny, batwing doors and a few people wave back begrudgingly.
“Ta-totally unfair…” the stuttering man whispers as she moves out of the room through the double doors. He looks over his shoulder to the row of chairs behind him where an anthropomorphic dog sits reading The Three Musketeers. “Right?”
The dog looks up from the book and glances at the man, then to the double doors as the swing closed. He shrugs and says, “Well, what are you gonna do?” and then goes back to reading.