Mecchen House - Chapter 20-1

Chapter 20 – Hitomi & Akiko

I could smell her.

Her presence surrounded me.

This… ‘Hitomi’, whose name I couldn’t even bring myself to think about with much confidence, saturated me with closeness. Nana’s smell was still there; Warm metal with an accent of clay. But it was surrounded by the traces of countless other aromas that flowed from her.

She took a step back but kept her hands on me.

‘Akiko’ peered around my side with both eyes out.

‘Hitomi’ dashed back and her hands pulled away.

“What is that doing here?” ‘Hitomi’ brought an arm in front, as though she were readying a weapon.

‘Akiko’ flinched. She crouched and clutched my thigh to the point of numbness.

I answered, “What are you doing here?”

‘Hitomi’s voice trembled. “Please answer my question first, sister. Then I’ll answer yours.”

I looked behind myself at ‘Akiko’. Her hair had fallen over her face again.

Jamie bolted from his seat, hair whipping behind him. “Screw that! You’re the one who’s responsible for all this!”

Keiko stood as well, her hands spread out. “Please, I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

‘Hitomi’s gaze wavered from ‘Akiko’ to Keiko and Jamie. “My sisters…”

Jamie made a small fist. “You are NOT my sister! Whatever I had of a sister was destroyed by you!”

‘Hitomi’ staggered backwards and shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

She pointed at me. ”What’s important is you need to get that THING away from here! It’s not supposed to be here. I-I-I took care of all the precautions…”

She looked around the room.

“…Where’s Ami?”

I looked around too. All the seated girls seemed to be in a trance. Their eyes looked around the room slowly.

Except for Tara.

She appeared to be looking me right in the eye.

‘Hitomi’ shook her arm and grunted. “Ami was supposed to be here.” She looked at Jamie. Keiko was barely holding Jamie back from launching at ‘Hitomi’.

‘Hitomi’ took a hoarse gasp. “I planned it perfectly…”

She crumpled to her knees.

The trance seemed to drift away.

“Oh my!” Ms. Ishida said, getting to her feet. “What happened, Hitomi?” Miki also gave her assistance.

They helped her to a spot beside Katsumi, who regarded her with a half-glance.

‘Hitomi’ kept looking at ‘Akiko’. She said, “That ‘girl’ is not what she seems…”

Jamie grunted. “Speak for yourself.”

Tara leaned gently against Jamie, who trembled a bit where he stood. She steadied him, and he took a few slow breaths.

‘Hitomi’ watched the three of us as Ms. Ishida offered her a glass of water, which ‘Hitomi’ declined with a bow.

Reiko sighed and glared at me. “I gave you more than a minute. If you want to talk about something of value, you know where my room is.” She stood and walked off.

Sumi gave a little wave to the departing Reiko and looked us over. She said, leaning forward slowly, “I don’t quite understand what’s going on, but there’s enough here to… indulge my interests.”

Jamie’s legs tensed even though Sumi stayed seated. Miki brushed her hands and remarked, “The new girl looks harmless enough. I mean compared with some…” She gave a smirk to Katsumi, who didn’t show any outward reaction.

Keiko crouched beside ‘Hitomi’ and spoke lightly. “I have so many questions flowing through me. I just want to understand.”

Jamie, with hesitancy, stepped away from Tara. He folded his arms. “I want reasons. I want details. I want answers. You… I mean… you…” He turned away. “I can’t stand to look at you right now.”

‘Hitomi’ breathed in and touched Nana’s hand to Nana’s chest. “This position, though necessary right now, lacks the fullness of perspective and comprehension needed to answer all your concerns.”

Jamie blurted out, “Convenient.”

‘Hitomi’ answered, “It has certain advantages.”

I took a few steps towards ‘Hitomi’, with ‘Akiko’ still holding close to my side, and said, “What do you want?”

“I want…” She looked at the girls all around. “I think I’ve given a good idea of what I want. I want back that which was ripped from me. And I want that black-haired beast far away from here!”

Her arm pointed directly at ‘Akiko’, stirring the air. ‘Akiko’ pulled my left arm in front of her.

Her squirming settled. She sniffed my hand, clutching it close to her face. She gave a warm, wet little lick of my palm. She licked several times more then stopped. My hand felt a little warm. She turned it over in her grasp. A floor board creaked. Her eyes darted around the room. Then she looked up at me.

Katsumi sighed and asked Ms. Ishida, “Since this doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, could we at least turn on the TV for a little bit? I want to hear the blossom and weather reports.”

Ms. Ishida looked over the center of discussion and bowed. “If no one objects, I don’t see why not.” She switched it on with a remote and smiled to ‘Akiko’, who leaned away from my side for a moment before pulling close again.

Color filled the screen. Ms. Ishida flipped around ‘till she found a news program. It looked locally-produced. The tint was off and the details were fuzzy. It didn’t seem to be the television’s fault. Ms. Ishida adjusted the sound.

Sumi gave a glance at the TV, but her focus remained on me, Keiko, and Jamie.

Mami set her notepad in her lap and turned to Miki. “I heard your family has plans for the flower viewing.”

Miki leaned back. “Yeah, a bunch of my uncles are going to camp out and hold spots for the family and… uh… a few friends. They’ll head over there tomorrow night, depending on the weather.”

It didn’t take long for the local program to come to the weather report. Some mild chatter between Mami and Miki quieted for a moment. Jamie pressed his hands to his head. Tara rubbed his back, “Are you okay, Jamie-kun?”

Jamie made a fist and held it out at ‘Hitomi’, whose eyes roamed between the three of us, lingering forcefully on ‘Akiko’. Jamie’s gaze dug into ‘Hitomi’s face until it seemed something would have to break.

That moment came when Jamie leapt at her with his arms outstretched. He pulled ‘Hitomi’ to her feet, clutching her by the shoulders. She looked as calm as Nana typically did. Holding her, Jamie seemed at a loss for what to do with her now. I went to Jamie’s side.

His arms quivered.

‘Hitomi’ leaned close. “Kimi…”

He clenched his teeth. “That’s not my name!”

‘Hitomi’ answered the flash of teeth with the barest of smiles and spoke softly. “It is one of your names. It is a memory. It is an important part of you. Same with Keiko… and especially Arisu.”

He gripped the material of her blouse. “My name is Jamie Quinn Harrison.”

‘Hitomi’ glanced at the curling material. “I know. You always liked that name.”

Jamie shook his head and his drape of dim-yellow hair. “You don’t know me…”

He let his grip go. ‘Hitomi’ stood there and said, with such a quiet voice, “I may adore Arisu, but I care deeply for all my sisters.” The thought of being so highly-regarded sent a disquieting feeling through my body.

Her eyes sought no one in particular. “You were both always caring…” Her gaze found Jamie. “Kimi, you would always brighten my spirit with humor.”

She gave a weak impression of a laugh and looked to Keiko. “Keiko, you would quietly be there to comfort me when I felt lost.”

Keiko gave a curious look. Jamie shook his head. “I will not respond to ‘Kimi’. I am not this person say. You have the wrong people. You really really messed up. You have to undo it.”

‘Hitomi’ stared down at her hands. Her eyes were twitching again. She took a long breath and said, “Events are in motion which cannot be stopped. What I’ve done has come at… great cost. But I’ve done it out of love. I know… my sisters. There is a deep emptiness with me. It… there… loss… suffering… loneliness.”

She sighed and said, “‘Words’ would not express it. I must wait. Patience, as my sister told me once. A little more patience is all that is left.”

Jamie threw up his hands and said, “I’ll stop you. I don’t know how, but I’ll stop you. We all will.”

‘Hitomi’ stood still, her eyes still down.

Miki said, several times, “This is it!” She gestured to the screen. The announcer held and set down a pile of papers. He leaned against the near-cardboard-quality table and said, “While several parks and private areas already have festivities in motion for the local flower viewing, the largest parks and shrines will welcome visitors tomorrow with a series of events for all ages. Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest days for those who wish to see the blossoms at their peak. Unfortunately, there is concern for those in the Ogawa/Sekkai region…”

The chatter fell silent.

The announcer continued, “…the early-season typhoon, known as 0416, has strengthened a little. While it is not expected to threaten this region, there is a chance the jetstream may bend north and we’ll catch the northern edge of the storm. Iwada is currently in the storm’s path, but scientists expect that to change by tomorrow. Local leaders are concerned this storm could cut the blossom season even shorter after our dry winter. Strong gusts today shut down rail service along a few routes for…”

I looked at ‘Hitomi’. She was already staring at me. She looked away.

Ms. Ishida put her hands to her cheeks. “Oh my, it’s been a while since there’s been a major storm in this area. Miki, just in case, go over the emergency preparation booklet I have on my corner bookshelf.”

Miki nodded. “I’ll make sure we have everything we need.”

Sumi’s gaze wavered to the screen a few moments, but she held onto a near-predatory stillness and awareness of the three of us.

Mami folded her arms. “You’re not going to send any of us home, are you Ms. Ishida?”

Ms. Ishida drifted to Mami’s side and put an arm on her shoulder. “It’s still too early to say. I would only ask that… those who can… should be somewhat safe if we get the worst of it.”

Mami returned a frown and a nod.

Katsumi cracked her neck. “There are plenty of other things to worry about first. Like the utter failure of these three as the proper maidens they should be. And I still haven’t heard a good answer as to where Ami is and where this ‘Akiko’ came from.”

Her gaze slashed back at me.

Without a prelude, I said, “Ami turned into the pink dress and ‘Akiko’ is the dark creature that lurked in Ami’s room.” I waited for the walls to come crashing down.

Katsumi stood, her mouth a perfectly-straight line, and said, “That’s not funny.”

“It wasn’t intended to be funny.”

Ms. Ishida looked to ‘Akiko’ and then to me. “Are you serious?”

Mami shook her head. “How could that be?”

I looked to Hitomi. “How could three boys turn into three girls in three days? Hitomi is responsible for it, for what happened to us, for everything that happened to the world. This world is actually the one we came from. It changed.”

Katsumi hissed at me. “CUT IT OUT! I’ve had enough. Goodnight.”

Katsumi stormed out of the room with epic footfalls rattling the house as she left.

Sumi had put her index finger near her mouth. She traced it. “You made Cutie-Face leave. Shame. I had some nice plans for her later. You’ll have to suffice.”

I set my feet and told her, “You will keep your hands off me and off my friends.”

Sumi leaned back but made no overtures of aggression or concession.

Katsumi left an empty spot in the couch.

Mami ruffled her skirt and asked, “Do you have any proof of what you say?”

I related to her the visions, the creepy moments, ‘Hitomi’s’ own admission of being my sister, our theories about what happened to the world. Mami’s eyes soon clenched as she absorbed it all. Tara kept close to Jamie, who looked strangely-relieved.

Miki listened but scratched her head often. She looked to ‘Hitomi’, who offered no comments.

Ultimately, it was my own testimony. Jamie and Keiko gave what confirmation they could to the group on my behalf.

I reiterated, “We turned from boys into girls. You all saw that. Other changes have happened, no less incredible. But they have happened.”

It was my best effort.

Ms. Ishida sat, folded her hands in her lap, and asked, “You each saw my parents in your visions?”

We all nodded back to Ms. Ishida. Tara hugged Jamie’s mid-section. He looked to her and she looked back. Miki stood and said, “That’s quite an amazing story. But it’s just…” She looked around.

Mami took a deep breath and bowed her head. “It is incredible. Then again, all three of you have turned into girls since we’ve met. And we’ve all kept an open mind for a while… well, some of us at least.” She glanced in the direction of the two who had left us.

Mami clapped her hands. “The problem I see is this… All the things you’ve noted have occurred to the three of you. And you confirm it amongst yourselves. But I’ve heard talk that your memories have gone fuzzy in places. Small house, big talk. And thin walls. You understand…”

I had to concede a nod, though Jamie folded his arms in protest with his blanket folded in his arms. Keiko leaned forward.

Mami cleared her throat, stood in the center of the room and said, “It’s not that I’m implying you’re wrong. I’m just saying all three of you have gone through some major stuff. Stuff which leaves me curious…” Mami moving around still gave me strange sensations.

She looked to the gathered girls and moved a hand to usher Miki to stand. Miki coughed roughly a few times. “It’s a lot to think about. But I feel honored you three would share what you’ve discovered with us. But think about it from our perspective. If I said that where you’ve always lived is just an altered version of another place, your roommate had become a dress, and one of your other roommates was actually responsible… with no objective proof… you gotta admit it’s gonna be tough for anyone.”

Jamie relaxed his arms but still draped the blanket across his body. Keiko looked to ‘Hitomi’ and then to the girls. “Please don’t be worried. I promise I’ll do everything I can to help wherever possible.”

‘Hitomi’s’ eyes traced Keiko and she blew softly on a finger.

I took a step towards her. She dropped the finger into her lap.

Miki walked over, gave Keiko a great big hug, and said, “You are the coolest. Thanks. I gotta tell you, you have the most amazing body a girl can have for sports.”

The words crested through Keiko. She blushed and said softly, “That’s alright. Are you sure? You don’t have to think of me as a girl. I mean… a lot of stuff happened.”

Miki held Keiko’s hand. “Does it feel alright for you to be considered a girl?”

Keiko fidgeted a little in place. “…I guess it’s accurate.”

Miki smiled faintly. “Does it make you happy to hear it?”

Keiko’s face flowed with bright embarrassment. She bowed and gave a single, subtle nod.

Miki gave Keiko’s hand a little shake. “Then it is an honor to consider you a girl.”

‘Hitomi’ betrayed a smile.

I watched Keiko’s hand. It glimmered from the overhead lamp. I blinked. For a moment, the back of her hand appeared as though she had just dipped it in water. With another blink, the ‘illusion’ was gone.

Miki gave Keiko a gentle embrace and said, “I’m sorry we haven’t spent more fun time together. It’s a rough part of the school year. Say… how about, since I don’t have any homework left for this evening, we hang out in my room for a while?”

Miki sought my eyes with a smile and asked, “That cool with your friends?”

Jamie gave a half-hearted shrug. I said to Miki, “If you’re okay…”

She grinned and said, “The way I figure, life is too short to worry about this and that. What will be… is what will be. I’ll deal with it when I have the chance. But I will keep watch.” Her eye roamed to ‘Hitomi’, for just a moment. “And I’ll take care of the typhoon stuff before bed, Ms. Ishida.”

She led Keiko to her room.

Her words seemed to inspire the others. Ms. Ishida switched over to a silly game show which had everyone laughing before long. Tara brought down some plush animals to share with Jamie. Ms. Ishida still gave me the occasional, inquiring glance.

Tara seemed to share the same attitude as Miki about the whole thing. Mami shared Jamie-time with Tara to ask Jamie further questions about his gender-changing experiences. ‘Hitomi’ had her legs crossed, her mouth shut, and her head back.

And I lost sight of Sumi. Bad slip.

I’d gotten used so used to ‘Akiko’s’ silent presence on my backside, that I didn’t notice the arms slipped around me until it was too late.

“See. I’m quite patient.” Sumi drifted her arms over my shoulders. “I hope you don’t mind a friendly hug. I promise my hands won’t wander.”

Before, I’d still been bigger than her. This time, I felt like a kid in her embrace. But I’d given her an ultimatum. I said, firmly but calmly, “Let me go now.”

Her arms drifted down my stomach but quickly released me.

Sumi held her empty hands up. “Just a friendly hug…” She looked down. ‘Akiko’ stood off to the side. She bolted to my side at the presence of two sets of eyes upon her.

Sumi slid her fingers through a clutching palm. “So, you claim this cutie is actually a fiendish monster which ate Ami and spat out a pink dress?”

I gave her a little nod.

She crouched and smiled to ‘Akiko’, who covered her eyes with my clothes.

Sumi laid a hand on the floor and said, “Hello there, sweetie. I saw you enjoyed my dinner. I’m glad. What did you like the most?”

‘Akiko’ leaned her head out cautiously and said, “Mooooosss?”

Sumi nodded and encouraged her. She mentioned all the dishes, describing them briefly with quick words and quicker hand gestures. ‘Hitomi’ crossed her legs the other way with her gaze fixed on ‘Akiko’.

Despite my misgivings about ‘Akiko’, she seemed quite important. I wasn’t about to just toss her out like ‘Hitomi’ demanded.

This tussle of gazes didn’t seem to affect Sumi a bit. She drew with her finger in the air. ‘Akiko’ seemed quite perplexed. She drew in the air too. Sumi seemed amused and remarked, “She’s so precious. I could just hug her all day.”

‘Akiko’ said, “Hurr!”

Sumi held ‘Akiko’s hand gently and pointed her own finger to ‘Akiko’s chest. “You. You are a girl. A lovely little girl, I must say.”

Her red eyes widened. She pressed her hands against her chest and asked, “Gurl?”

Sumi nodded. “A girl. Like me.” Sumi gestured to herself in turn. She smiled a mysterious, gentle smile.

‘Akiko’ said, “Gurl… mee?”

Sumi grinned. “That’s right.”

Ms. Ishida came over with a few books in her hands and asked, “Is everything alright?”

‘Akiko’ drifted halfway between myself and Ms. Ishida. Her eyes would linger every so often on the depths of Sumi’s gaze.

Sumi rose. “Yup. I’m just getting to know the little, quiet one here… And I’m being very nice. Even with temptation lurking so near.” She looked to Jamie, who, despite looking away, seemed to give an involuntarily shudder. He made a few hand gestures to both Tara and Mami. Tara rocked with her legs. Mami wrote furiously.

Ms. Ishida turned the books over. “Good to hear. And Kelly…?”

Despite everything, I gave her a little smile.

She clutched the books to herself. “I’m not sure what to make of all you said. You’ve given me bits and pieces here and there. I trust you too… it’s just… Mami put it well. I thank you for what you’ve said. It’s just hard to comprehend it all. But I promise to be watchful as well. But for now…”

She held the books out to me. “These are a few of my mother’s old books. I don’t know how helpful they’ll be but… I offer them to you.”

I took them and turned them over in my hands. Most were short. The font inside was small. Their covers looked both regal and simple at the same. I tucked them under my arm and thanked her.

She asked if I needed anything else.

I shook my head.

I heard ‘Akiko’ whimper.

She rocked back and forth in place.

Ms. Ishida responded quickly. “Come with me.”

She hustled ‘Akiko’ to the nearest bathroom.

Sumi curled her lip with a finger and looked to me. “You and your friends intrigue me. I don’t know for sure what or who is responsible for these lovely results, but I approve.”

She drifted towards the hall. “The little one intrigues me as well. She has a lot of potential and as I said, I’m patient. I promise I’ll be back later.” She blew me a little kiss with her hand and smirked.

I put on my best face, but I felt better when Sumi was gone.

‘Hitomi’ encouraged me over with her hand stirring the air. She held a hand over my arm. I watched.

She sighed. “Like trying to enjoy a stew half-cooked.”

I scooted over. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing… I remember those books. I’ve read them several times. I memorized them even.”

“Where?” I looked over the titles. The Works of Carl Jung. I-Ching. A Historie of the World. The Writings of Heraclitus. The Tale of Genji. The Avesta.

I’d never read any of them before and only vaguely heard of a few. Hitomi shifted her feet. “In Mecchen House. Toki gave them to me. You read them as well. You just don’t remember.”

I looked closer at them. I felt them a bit and shrugged. “You’re right. I don’t remember them. I mean, I recall the name ‘Jung’. I’ve heard of I-Ching in passing. And maybe a video game with ‘Genji’. Nothing more.”

Jamie let out a long breath. He gestured with his hands to his chest and I caught the end of a bit of quiet conversation. “…so is a bra always supposed to feel like that?”

Tara and Mami both nodded at the same. He sighed and said, “Terrific…”

I set the books at my feet and asked ‘Hitomi’, “I assume these ‘visions’ we’ve had are in some way significant?”

‘Hitomi’ clenched her hands and said, “I made fragments which I knew would find their way to each of you, with a little help.”

“You had Nana leave those artifacts.” I annunciated her name a little louder than the rest of my sentence. Mami glanced over for a second.

“Again, many of my memories are scattered. But yes, Nana placed them for me. Each placement was significant, especially yours. I made sure yours would work.”

“Explain…”

She shook her head. “I would just be telling it to a human shell. You wouldn’t understand it to the extent you will when the recipe is done, the shell is gone, and my sister is revealed in all her true splendor.”

“Try me…”

She was firm. “There are things I will tell you for now because they further my plans. But the rest is mine to keep until the right time.”

Jamie’s gaze seemed to waver towards us. He traced his hair and then ruffled the material around his legs. Tara gave him a big hug. Mami bowed her head and set her notepad aside.

I had to ask, “What else can you tell me for right now?”

‘Hitomi’ took a moment and answered, “One of those left in this house knows about my plan. She agreed to my conditions. She may not be as helpful as I expected, but she’s not hindering me.”

I looked around. I stared at Mami and Tara in turn. Could it be one of them? I thought of Katsumi, Reiko, and Sumi nearby. They were possibilities as well. Though I expected Katsumi would make a bigger, more obvious deal of her involvement if that were so. Ms. Ishida and Miki were long-shots but I decided not to fully dismiss the possibility, just in case.

I had to try, “Who?”

‘Hitomi’ chuckled. “Nice try. It can’t tell you yet. But you’ll find out eventually.”

It was frustrating. I hit my knees with my hands.  

‘Hitomi’ touched my shoulder. “Patience, big sister. You’ll know soon enough.”

“What else can you tell me?”

‘Hitomi’ slipped her hand off my shoulder. “I can reiterate my desire that ‘Akiko’ has to go. And my disappointment at what happened to Ami. Fortunately, my original plans are still workable.”

My feelings smoldered and I said, resolutely, “Akiko stays. No argument.” It felt strange to speak her name, considering I barely recognized it. It was hard to see her as anything but the monster responsible for what happened to Ami, and yet…

I pursed my lips and blazed my eyes at ‘Hitomi’. She stared back but finally bowed her head and said, without much enthusiasm. “Fine. I’ll let this one go, for now. As I said, my original plans are fine.”

Ms. Ishida returned a moment later with Akiko clinging behind her. She bowed. Akiko looked and mimicked her.

“She made it in time. I’m a bit bewildered at how inexperienced she seems. Fortunately, she caught on quickly.” Ms. Ishida brushed Akiko’s hair with a glimmer of pride and said, “Poor girl, I can only imagine what you’ve been through to leave you in such a state.”

Akiko hesitantly looked up before burying her face into Ms. Ishida’s clothes.   

I watched for any trace of duplicity in Ms. Ishida’s gaze as she looked to ‘Hitomi’ sitting beside me. Her eyes wavered. She looked again. It wasn’t a worried glance so much as a confused one. Her eyes seemed to pry into ‘Hitomi’ like a visual puzzle. She sighed after a moment but seemed satisfied with some unspoken conclusion.

I was ready to dismiss any suspicion from Ms. Ishida when she asked ‘Hitomi’, “Could you help me with something for a little while, Hitomi?”

‘Hitomi’ looked to me. I was prepared to glare but her gaze stopped me. She looked vulnerable. She said softly, “Will you be here when I return?”

“Why?”

“Please… I promise I won’t be long.” I could see a quiet fear and anxiety in her expressive, violet eyes. But I reminded myself they weren’t her eyes, they were Nana’s.

I answered, my lips curled taut, “I won’t leave the house. But I will be around asking questions.”

A bit of her tension drifted off. She nodded. “I can accept that. Thank you, sis.” She said the last word as a half-escaped whisper.

Akiko’s eyes followed Ms. Ishida as long as they could, then dashed back to mine. She crouched small and crept onto the couch next to me. I moved books aside.

She pressed into the material, hiding one of her arms.

I turned for a better vantage-point of Akiko. She froze in place.

I touched the hand of hers which wasn’t buried. It darted away like a fearful insect, fingers scurrying across the cushion. She tried to bury that hand as well, but I held on. I rubbed the skin gently. She felt so small and soft.

She gave what sounded like a little whimper. She looked at her hand. Her head turned left and right. She seemed to watch mine enveloping hers. She moved her fingers one by one. Her eyes traced down the arm, widening as she puzzled at her shoulder. She drew out her other slowly and followed it the same way.

She fussed with her clothes in rough ways. Those on the other couch watched silently. Tara scuffed her feet against the floor. Mami folded her arms. Jamie rubbed his forehead.

Akiko sniffed, touched, leaned on, and prodded every part of her body she could.

I was tempted to reiterate what Sumi said, but I kept silent. She looked back at me expectantly.

She seemed so innocent, and yet I knew what she had come from. But I couldn’t prove except for Hitomi’s mood around her. She seemed so like a child, and yet I’d seen her black form and hungry teeth. I’d seen her prey on Ami and me. I felt heat surge through my body. Akiko sniffed at my hand.

I lifted my hand to bring it closer and she grasped it and brought it to her face. She sniffed several times and gave a little lick like before. I turned it in her grasp and placed it against her cheek.

She whimpered again, so gently this time, and uttered a tiny sound which seemed like a word. I almost brushed her cheek with my fingers before I was filled with the thought of Ami silently hanging over her body. Instead, I held my hand there, halfway between anger and sympathy till I heard Jamie cough and say, “Anyhow, I figure it’s about time to start thinking about bed. I don’t mind where I sleep, so long as it’s far away from Hitomi.”

Mami chuckled, “After those questions you answered, I really should offer to scrub your back.”

Tara raised her arm. “Me too! I’ll make sure it smells super-pretty!”

Jamie’s cheeks filled with red. “Not necessary… you really don’t have to.”

Mami set a hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “Come on. I promise no photography of any kind.”

“I’d really like to pass… please?”

Mami frowned. “Are you sure? You’re welcome to bathe with us any time.”

He nodded vigorously. Tara and Mami looked disappointed but accepted his request.

So I asked, “Then who will you bathe with?”

He tried to make a case for bathing alone, but I reminded him of Ms. Ishida’s water situation.

Tara said, “And if you want your back washed really well, it’s best to have a friend’s help!”

He fussed with the question before answering, “I’ll think it over…”

While watching Mami and Tara for suspicious signs, I kept a mental track of the time ‘Hitomi’ spent away with Ms. Ishida. I had circumstantial evidence pointing to her from ‘Hitomi’s statement; the books, little secrets here and there, and her darker interests.

Mami was at least a possibility. She’d admitted to a talent in deception and regret, which could portend deeper secrets. And those strange sensations too.

Tara had racked up an assortment of curious strands; Sir Walter Raleigh, the secret ‘handshake’, her previous knowledge of dark beings, and Mildred. My vision had a Mildred. The same Mildred who Tara knew? Maybe.

I traced a line in the air, ignoring any reaction from the others.

There was the past.

Toki, the visions, and young ‘Hitomi’.

Then there was the world I knew. Brookville, my job computer coding, and the Gravina Gym. My life, as I always thought it was.

And now there was this world, which was Brookville in some other form.

I pondered. What if all three were the same world in three different states? It made my head hurt. My home used to be a perfectly-drawn anime realm, then it became a ‘real’ world, then it went back to anime?

Was it even my home?

I stepped back. Perhaps I was drawing connections that weren’t really there.

I dropped my hand before Jamie noticed what I was doing. Akiko grabbed hold of my arm and nuzzled it.

I tensed up for a moment, still caught in a primal feeling when she near. I had to remember Ami, no matter what. If the memory of Nana could be lost, then Ami’s could as well. I glared in the direction ‘Hitomi’.

I felt a hot sensation all through me. It seemed to stretch out to Mami. I took a deep breath.

I had to go somewhere else. I stood. Akiko stood with me, holding onto the edge of my right hand. Jamie had his blanket strategically-placed. Tara was already fluttering some extra cloth like a bird’s wing.

Jamie asked, “Where you off to now?”

I told him I still had some questions to offer around.

Mami scooted to the edge of the couch and asked, “Did you have any for me? What you said got me thinking. I have no idea where Ami went and… I’m not sure what I know for certain. But I seen enough to leave my mind open to possibilities and I want to help, if I can.”

I realized, looking at Mami’s expectant eyes, that I really had no clear questions on the tip of my tongue. Sure, I had plenty of confusion but nothing that felt like a path out of confusion. And ‘Hitomi’ had only added to it.

Sure, I could easily ask each girl if they were collaborating with ‘Hitomi’, but I doubted I would get anything helpful in return. No, I would have to work subtly.

So I asked Mami and Tara, “Can you recall any strange dreams you’ve had?” Dreams and the unconscious seemed like leading edges for ‘Hitomi’s influence.

Mami mused on the question for a moment before saying, “My dreams often feel strange and divorced from myself. Like they’re from someone else’s script. Some sort of fantasy tale with dark fairies. Many lovely songs I’ve never heard before. Financial transactions…” She smirked and bowed her head.

I somehow expected the last one.

She continued, “I always felt like I was someone filming or watching the dreams than participating in them. There was one I liked. But even in that one I played the part of a beautiful woman married to a prince. There was another woman who loved him. Her dark feeling reached out and overwhelmed me… heh. Actually this one wasn’t that great either but I did like the early parts where I had this whole royal court. It was fun.”

Mami looked wistful. I gave her a smile and she took a long breath.

Tara was still flapping the bit of blanket, this time like an enclosed lasso. Tara leaned her head to one side and said, “I like my dreams. When I dream of Mildred, I feel sad. I’m searching for her. Or I’m at a train station and she’s supposed to arrive but our train is already there. I have to go on ahead and I’m afraid I’ll never see her again. That’s all really, Keli-kun. Sorry I don’t have more.”

I watched Tara and asked her, “Doesn’t the name Mildred seem like a weird name?”

She smiled wistfully. “It was always her name.”

“It’s not like any of the other names around here. It’s not really a Japanese name.”

I’d only really tested ‘Japan’ on Shioriko, though Katsumi did imply she had knowledge of the Japanese Self-Defense Force.

Tara leaned her head the other way. “Mildred was special, so it was okay for her to have a different sort of name. Just like you, Jamie-kun, and Nathan-kun.”

I gave a little smile for her too.

The game show had given way to a cartoon and any trace of melancholy vanished from Tara’s demeanor.

I promised to come back later if I had more questions. I offered to bring Jamie along until I told him I’d be talking to Sumi and Reiko.

“Pass,” he said with a shudder. “I don’t want to go anywhere near Sumi, if at all possible. You watch out for her… umm… okay?” He looked away and looked back.

“I will. Thanks.”

Jamie gave a nod and turned a curious eye to the program on the television.

He then added, “And umm… wouldn’t it be best if you left that thing here?”

Jamie gestured to Akiko.

I tried to lead her over to Tara, but she clung to me cleverly in the opposite way from avoiding me before. I tried to pass her hand off and trick her to grab the couch, but she always kept a hold onto at least an edge of my hand.

I relented and told Jamie, “I’ll just watch her.”

“You do that…” He said.

-----

I tried Reiko’s room first with a quiet knock.

The door opened a crack. Reiko’s sapphire left eye looked out.

“Can I talk to you a bit?”

The door closed again. I could hear footsteps.

I stood there. I heard some discussion back and forth inside.

More footsteps.

The door slid open again, wider this time, and Sumi’s body spread out to gesture me into the room. I stepped gingerly with Akiko clenching a handful of my shirt and trying to grab my hand nearest her.

Reiko sat on her bed with one leg under her and the other stretched out. She sat on one arm while the other jammed into her side. She looked as uncomfortable as that position would feel for anyone. I could see the edge of a notebook behind her.

She cut off my effort at a brief ‘hello’ with a terse, “Sumi told me all you said after I left. It sounds utterly ridiculous. Do you have even the slightest proof?”

Akiko leaned away from me and looked over Reiko’s room, which still looked like it was designed by someone who couldn’t decided on a theme. Dissonant music emerged from an audio player along the back wall.

Akiko edged cautiously towards Reiko, though she still clung to me. She seemed very interested in Reiko. She chewed on one of her own fingers.

I set my feet and told Reiko, “I’m looking. Perhaps you both can help?” Sumi settled behind Reiko with her arms on Reiko’s shoulders. She squeezed them rhythmically.

I tried not to stare. Reiko leaned into Sumi, though her eyes sought me. “How? Explain. I have no patience for your never-ending delays.”

Sumi curled a hand around Reiko’s arm and coaxed her, “Let’s not be too hasty. It might be fun to keep them around.” Reiko shut her eyes.

I heard a knock on the door.

Reiko slipped out of Sumi’s grasp and slid open the door.

‘Hitomi’ looked through the opening at me. She gestured for me to come over. I stepped into the hall with Akiko still clinging close. Reiko slid the door closed behind me and Akiko.

‘Hitomi’ watched Akiko and said, “Send her away. I just want to talk to you.”

I looked over at Akiko holding onto my arm but leaning towards Reiko’s room. I tried to dig my hand out of her dainty hand. Her fingers sought quick, new footholds.

I walked her back to where Mami, Tara, and Jamie were seated. Akiko hid her face from Tara. She gave Mami a quick look but returned to me. Jamie had the books I’d set aside in his arms and asked, “What’s the deal with these?”

“Toki’s books. They might be significant.”

He turned them over and sighed. “What’s up with her?” He gestured to ‘Hitomi’ lingering behind me.

“Dunno yet. Could you watch her for a few minutes while I talk to ‘Hitomi’?”

Jamie set his knees rigidly. “I am not a babysitter.”

Tara waved to Akiko, who hid again.

I guided Akiko closer to Jamie. She didn’t seem too interested in Jamie, but at least she wasn’t hiding herself from him.

Jamie pressed down his arms into the couch. “I’m really not in the mood. I’m still confused as heck. I’m utterly pissed with HER!” He glared at ‘Hitomi’, who was still lingering “I still have no answers for anything and ever more questions, and my back still aches like heck. Which I have noted repeatedly. Right?”

Mami gave a nod and held out her notepad with “BIG BREASTS = BACK PAIN (source – Kimi)” written large.

Akiko sniffed at Jamie and looked over him cautiously. Jamie sat up in the couch as Akiko squeezed into the couch on the Mami side with an occasional, fretful glance at Tara.

I backed away carefully. Akiko watched me like an alarmed animal, but she didn’t bolt from Jamie’s side. Jamie looked like he wanted to bolt though with the way Akiko hugged him. She had a preference for his chest.

I joined ‘Hitomi’ in the hall and asked, “What?”

“I was scared.” One of her hands trembled slightly.

“Of what?” Couldn’t be of Ms. Ishida, could it?

“I know what you said. But you’ve said… promised… before. I couldn’t endure that… again.”

“What did I promise? What do you mean ‘again’? What happened?” She wasn’t Nana but she sure shared her predilection for mystery.

She took a deep breath. “It would be useless to tell you before it is time.”

“You’ve told me some. Why those things and not others?”

“Think of them as a few final seasonings I carefully, cautiously added.”

I shook my head. “I wish you wouldn’t refer to me as food.”

She winced but said, “Patience… you’ll understand soon.”

I let out a ragged, warm breath. In my thoughts, I lingered on a set of elements which drew together. The three figures in my room in Brookville. The three ‘vision-causing’ artifacts. I’d asked her about the artifacts but not the figures. I had a hunch.

I asked, “Did you put those weird, three figures in my room in Brookville?” And I described them precisely.

I expected Hitomi to deflect my question with a reason of “it wasn’t time yet” or something vague. Instead, she said, “No. I didn’t put them there. You did.”