Chapter 16 - The Light and the Dark of Mecchen House (cont.)

He raised an eyebrow. “Alright. Know any priests, Ms. Ishida?”

I wanted to correct him with ‘Onmyōji mystics,’ but my knowledge on the subject wasn’t definitive enough to say that was the right sort of person for this situation.

Ms. Ishida chuckled and noted, “No priests, but this started with Katsumi’s friend, so it might be best if you try her for that sort of thing. Maybe she can do something more now? Purification? Full exorcism?”

That sounded right, but it was a pretty big ‘maybe’ considering my last conversation with Nina.

Her advice was working so far. Perhaps she could help us finish the job. At least, it provided a solid reason to speak with her again.  

Jamie shrugged and glanced at me. “That works for me. And you wanted to see her anyway. Maybe we can get information from Shioriko about beings like this and what to do as well. That gives us reason to see her too.”

I reminded Jamie, “But what about Carolyn?”

He pulled on his face a little. “Well, I suppose we could see if Carolyn can cut our hair yet.”

“Works for me,” I answered back.

“Good.”

The room went eerily silent, save for a bit of paper ruffling. I stood from the bed. A bit of air pressed past my face and a loud crash sounded behind me. I jumped around a pile and turned to look. Nothing seemed different. Jamie flashed me a raised eyebrow.

Ms. Ishida and Nathan had both paused from their work.

I walked over to where the sound came from. I ducked under the bed, noticed something askew in the dark, and reached for it. It seemed stuck. I gave it a few good tugs and it finally came loose.

I held an amethyst bird in my gloved hands. It looked regal. Its wingtips seemed to be surrounded by violet flame.

I suddenly felt woozy as I held it. My face seemed flush with the full force of the sun upon it. I staggered, surrounded by light.

-----

A hand touched my shoulder.

I heard a voice to my left.

“What did you say?” It sounded like someone had cast gravel into my mouth.

The light dimmed. I was outside. A grinning face looked at me: Jamie’s boyish face. It was almost the same face he had when the path became a drawing. Only there was something more of his original face in the features as well. The person standing before me looked like the Jamie in Ms. Ishida’s family album.

I craned my neck further left. Nathan stood off to the side and wiped his forehead with a damp rag. He was so huge and muscular.

He chuckled. “Hard work is so enjoyable.”

Jamie grinned. “Nooo. I said, 'hard work is pain', especially like this.”

Nathan hammered into a wall with three firm blows, which sounded like waves crashing on the beach. “But it’s so meditative and peaceful. You’re creating. You’re unleashing potential. It’s not so different than what we’re used to.”

I turned away from them and gazed around. I wanted to shut my eyes. Everything looked strange. Ogawa, if this truly was still Ogawa, looked amazing. It felt like the real world.

But looking on the scene before me and comparing it to Ogawa was like comparing the world of Ogawa to the OVA on Tara’s TV last night. My home felt real. Ogawa felt equally real, if not more so, after I had spent days in it. This place felt hyper-real, like a fog I never knew was there had been lifted from around my senses.

I vaguely-remembered when I first got glasses. My eyes had been weakening for a long time. I was used to how blurry things were. When I finally put them on, it was like the world had completely changed. It felt unreal and yet it felt strangely familiar.

I felt the same sensation right then.

Jamie cracked his neck, settled on the ground, and glanced over his shoulder, “Is she still working on the garden? I hope she’s not knocking anything down.”

I wanted to ask who Jamie meant, but my face didn’t feel quite under my control. Instead, I responded, against my will, “Let her have her fun.” Still, the words didn’t seem entirely alien. I felt like I could’ve said them myself.

Jamie crossed his legs and leaned back. “Mrs. Ishida and I just did such a lovely job of putting together that floral arrangement, and then she just blows on through and makes a mess of it. It would be a lot more fun for all if she helped with creating rather than messing everything up.”

I felt a bit of rustling.

Nathan gave a gentle chuckle. “...Here she comes.”

A wind blew right in my face. A young girl sailed through the air and into my arms. The trees bent as she landed. She burrowed her head into me and giggled.

Jamie grinned and waved. “How are you doing, Hitomi?”

The girl, whom Jamie called “Hitomi”, lifted her face up and clutched me even tighter. She let out a long breath and pronounced, “I’m a little better now.”

I felt myself smiling at her. She took a step back, holding onto both my hands.

She looked young. Her hair was similar in shape and length to Nana’s hair. Only the color was pale, almost white, with gray flecks only because the trees cast shadows all around. Her face was similar to Nana’s face. Her eyes were a vivid shade of purple. She reminded me of Nana. But she was not Nana.

This ‘Hitomi’ flicked her hair around and smiled at me. “Does it look okay? I can’t choose between gray or white.” One side of her hair looked well-brushed and orderly, the other seemed to be in its natural state.

Jamie yawned and tossed his hand effeminately. “How adventurous.”

‘Hitomi’ faced Jamie, pouted, and noisily slapped a foot on the ground. “There’s no reason in being something you’re not supposed to be.” I put a hand on her shoulder.

She turned back to me but clutched her hands tightly in front of her.

She asked, shyly, “Umm… sis?”

“Yes?”

Her head was down.

“Do you love me?”

“Of course, we all love you,” I told her. I felt a melancholic pang in my stomach. Jamie smiled eagerly and nodded. Nathan stopped working to beam a bright smile at us.

Hitomi rubbed her hands together. “It’s just that some days… I feel so worthless and without purpose, like I’m nothing at all. I know I’m not supposed to let that feeling get in, because I know what it attracts. But I can’t help it. And I feel so alone.”

I crouched beside her and said, “It’s a natural, human feeling.”

I wished I could ask some questions of the scene, present something to it, scrutinize it, figure out what was going on. Instead, it felt like a video game cutscene. I could only let it play out.

Hitomi grit her teeth and hissed back, “What’s so great about it!? It can be different. This place makes me itch. I know I can do better. I’ll make the perfect place!”

Jamie chuckled. “Better not say that to Mrs. Ishida. She's worked hard.”

Hitomi folded her arms. “It would benefact from more cute girls. I would make them perfect!”

Jamie quickly corrected, “Benefit.”

Hitomi blew a sour face, which quickly vanished. She jumped up and looked at me. “Oneechan! I just remembered! Mrs. Ishida said there’s an ice cream place down the block. Mint with chocolate! I’ll race you. The first one there has to buy for both!”

My mouth gave a laugh and said, “I’ll buy yours. You don’t have to race me.”

She gave a devious-looking grin, a playful little strut, and declared, “But it’s so much fun to beat you.”

I showed my tongue to her and she showed hers back. Then she hugged me again. She smiled, darted off, then skipped back to say, “I’ll be on the steps!”

I stood and stretched, still an observer in my own body. If this were a dream then my repeated recognition of such should enable me to do something. But everything seemed to happen on its own.

I walked back to Jamie and he gripped my hand. He looked up at me with a smile and asked, “Could you bring back strawberry peach for me if they have it? That would be perfect.” He affectionately caressed my hand a little. I caressed back and told him, “Alright, Kimi. Would you like anything, Keiko?”

That surprised me.

Nathan/Keiko shook his head. “I’ll be fine. This is fun.” He hammered again. I noticed he didn’t have any nails. He was sliding the wood and hitting it into place. My head tilted back.

It was Mecchen House. It was only complete up to the second story. A few scaffolds ran along further up. The wood looked smooth, with a fine grain. The familiar, outward details I was used to were absent at this point. The trees seemed about the same height though.

Jamie gave me a poke and gestured his head to the corner around where Hitomi had gone. “Our sister is waiting, wistful one.”

I bid them both adieu and felt myself carried, as though on a track, around the incomplete building to the more familiar front. Many details were finished on this side. A man stood with a large camera in his hands. He aimed it at a young man and woman standing in front of Mecchen. They held hands. He snapped a picture with a flash. They all laughed.

I walked around them to peer down the steps. Hitomi wasn’t there. I turned around. She was sitting off to the side, playing amongst some rocks. The photographer took a step back and snapped another photo.

The young woman waved to me over her head and approached. She held my hands and smiled. Her radiance seemed to surpass even Ms. Ishida’s.

“Forgive me for telling Hitomi about the ice cream. But I figure she could use a little something to do. She said I need to have a daughter ‘fast’, so she can have someone to play with. Plus… it’s my treat for all your hard work. This should be enough for everyone.” She held out an immaculate, purple yen bill and passed it to me. “Keep the change, get me green tea. Masuyo wants chocolate.”

I felt a smirk. “Thanks, Toki.”

I couldn’t express my shock.

She squeezed my hand and returned to her place by ‘Masuyo’s’ side. She coughed and Hitomi looked up from the rocks. Her eyes darted around and found me. She bounded over and held my hand.

“I thought I saw a cicada!” She announced, taking the steps two at a time. I tried to keep up with her, but eventually, she broke away from me.

I heard and felt the words, “Wait, Hitomi!”

She leapt on ahead without looking and stood in the street. The sound of a deep, vengeful horn rippled through my body. I dashed over the last couple of steps as though I wished I could move faster than possible.

I wrapped my arms around Hitomi. The world rumbled like it was in its death throes. A man yelled through the turbulence. I saw a truck filling my entire sight. It seemed like the final moment in a nightmare. I expected to feel the metal against me and be dashed awake, sweaty and trembling.

But, somehow, I leaned with all my force and yanked the two of us out of the path of the truck. It whipped by us like a tempest and slid with a primal scream of tires to crash against a light pole down the street.

I sat up from the cement with my arms still wrapped around Hitomi. She looked up at me and noted, with a frown, “Oneechan… Your glasses.”

I touched my face and didn’t feel them. I looked around. Everything was just as sharp and clear as before. My glasses lay off to the side, the glass laced by web-like cracks. I picked them up and held them to my chest. My heart raced and my breathing was shallow. I felt a weird sensation, a raw tingling that permeated my entire body.

A lined, wrinkled hand reached out to me. I held it to stand. I helped Hitomi up. A short old man looked at me and asked, in a ragged, worried voice, “Are either of you injured?”

His other hand held onto an old woman’s hand. She appeared concerned as well. Their hair was thinning and faded. He looked much older than her. His face was traced in an intricate series of lines. His muscles looked slack and tired, but he didn’t utter a word of complaint when he helped me up.

The woman made a grunt to him and released his hand. She performed a quick series of hand gestures. He gestured back. I caught one with both index fingers pressed together. Seeing them gesture back and forth and hearing the old woman make a sound like she was attempting to speak, I guessed it was sign language.

My body bowed to the old man and said, “We’re fine, but thank you very much.”

He returned the bow and smiled at us. He looked so old, but there was something warm and vibrant in his blue eyes.

The old woman tugged on his arm, tried to speak, and signed to him. He smiled, spoke, and signed back, “I love you too, Mildred.” The couple walked away slowly. I held onto Hitomi and glanced at the steam flowing off the truck a ways away. The entire front end was crushed but the driver was standing and walking around. A crowd had gathered.

Then all went still.

I turned my head one way. I turned it the other. I found I had regained control of my body.

But everyone was frozen.

Everything was frozen.

Except for Hitomi.

She took a step out of my arms and calmly stated, “Hello, sister.”

She looked different, more like Nana and yet less at the same time. She reminded me of the figure in my dream the night before. Her hair was still grayish, but it had begun to grow pale. And her eyes were still purple.  

The questions flowed from my mouth.

“Who are you?”

“Hitomi.”

“What are you?”

“Your youngest sister.”

“I have a sister?”

“You have… three.”

“Wait… what does that make me?”

“My eldest sister.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Not yet, but you will.”

“What do you want?”

“My sisters. What do you want?”

“What do I want?”

She gave a solemn nod.

“I want to go back to Brookville. To my home and family.” I wavered on the words, not really saying it so much for myself but rather for Jamie and Nathan.

She spoke in even words, “Brookville is not your home. Your true family is not there.”

My head felt tingly, and I felt a ghost of the sensation from staring at the approaching truck

I forced words out of my mouth, “Is it Ogawa? Is this my home? Is that what it is?”

She took a step closer. Her voice was low, almost quiet. “What you know as Ogawa is not your home either because…” She leaned over my ear and whispered.

I felt the ground fall out from under me. The world turned into a white blur.

-----

I settled on something soft. I saw a familiar ceiling and familiar faces clustered around me: Jamie with long, blond hair and a frown on the left, Keiko and Ms. Ishida with concerned faces on the right. I was on Ami’s bed.

I sat up.

It was disconcerting to be in a female form so quickly after returning to a male one. I took a few breaths. It felt like my hips were jutting out a bit more than usual, but there were more critical matters on my mind right then.

I asked first, “How long… was I out?”

They all looked a bit confused. Keiko answered, “You just swooned a little. Not more than a few seconds.”

Next, I said, “I need some water.”

Keiko stood. I shook my head. “No, please stay.”

Ms. Ishida stood as well and put a hand on Keiko’s shoulder. “I’ll get the water.” Keiko settled back down on the bed with a little nod.

After Ms. Ishida closed the door behind her, Jamie sighed through his nose and asked, “What was that about?”

“She might get upset if she heard what I have to say.”

“What do you have to say?”

All the events were fresh in my mind, unlike any other dream I’d had in my life. But I had to speak quickly if I wanted to say everything before Ms. Ishida returned.

“I had a vision.”

“From sniffing a purple bird?” Jamie responded. Keiko listened quietly.

“Don’t interrupt. I saw us, as we were in the photo album. I saw Ms. Ishida’s mom. I saw us building Mecchen House. But it was a different place than here. I saw Hitomi too. She said she’s our sister. She said we’re all sisters.”

Jamie pressed his fingers to his forehead. “Wait… wha...?”

“Don’t interrupt, I said. Mr. and Mrs. Ishida were both there. We knew them. Hitomi almost got hit by a truck, but I saved her. I saw an old man with a deaf wife. Her name was Mildred. Then, something happened. Time seemed to freeze. Hitomi spoke to me. She said she’s our youngest sister. She said I’m the eldest and she ‘wants’ her sisters. And she said… she said… Brookville isn’t… that… she said…”

The words began to fail me. I felt hesitant to even speak them. Hitomi’s final words stung in my brain. They kept stinging until I could stand it no longer and I said, “She said Ogawa is Brookville. We never left Brookville. Brookville changed.”