Chapter 23 - Mecchen House Rebuilding (cont.)

Downstairs, Hitomi had just woken up. Questions came at her from everyone in continuous bursts. Reiko fired the hardest. She reached over to shake Hitomi, but I stepped between them.

Reiko glared at me with her teeth bared. Hitomi covered her head protectively from Reiko’s advance. When she realized I’d stepped in her way, Hitomi’s lavender eyes looked up at me brightly.

“Sis!” She reached a hand out to touch me.

I took a step back and out of reach. Hitomi’s mouth slipped open and she reacted as though slapped.

I cleared my throat and said, “You have a lot to answer for.”

Hitomi clutched her necklace and nodded slowly. “I know. I tried my best to fix what I could…”

She looked to me and said, quietly. “I couldn’t bring Ami back, but I helped her brother…as much as possible. I wish I could do more.”

Reiko hyperventilated through her teeth. “Why did you let me live?!!!”

Hitomi frowned. “You chose to… I remember just a little, but in those moments I was giving back… your split presence sought me, pressed at me. So, I put you back as you were.”

Reiko’s head twitched. Sumi reached out a comforting hand with Pussy at her feet, but Reiko shook it off and responded, “YOU LIAR! YOU DO NOTHING BUT LIE! If anything, that ‘presence’ wanted you to destroy it, not return us to suffering!”

Hitomi shuddered. “I couldn’t…”

Reiko snarled. “You drain life. You ruin lives but you can’t take them?!”

Hitomi hid her face. Reiko shook her head. “You’re useless.” She stormed away with Sumi and Pussy trying to follow.

Jamie stood over Hitomi, plushie at his feet, and cracked his fingers. She twitched. Keiko stood beside Jamie. The others lingered and listened.

Jamie pursed his lips and said, “So, you said that you can’t do anything more…”

Hitomi nodded and held out her hands. She strained. “I feel really weak. I’m sorry, sister. I don’t know what happened to… the humans who were your…family.”

Jamie nodded slowly. “You mean you didn’t care to keep track of them in your grand plans?”

Hitomi pressed her hands together and Jamie shook his head, “What about all the strange little things like that weird phone call or who said what or Nana’s part in all this and …Tara’s part?” He cast a glare at Tara, who had taken to brushing Mami’s hair.

His gaze softened a little before hardening on Hitomi. “Explain all that.”

She moved her legs and sighed. “It was really like cooking. Little things like a stir changed the entire composition. I had to be careful here and there. I’m afraid I can’t tell you why… this human-like mind flails to even describe it.”

He wavered in place. “So… you’re human now?”

“Somewhat. It was a choice. Not quite like the choice it seems you three made when you left. But I think I’m halfway like the three of you are now. I hope.”

Pink dress Ami was still on the couch.

He made a turn, the sleeves of the sweater swung a bit. “Explain halfway and explain what the girls here are now.”

Hitomi put a hand to her mouth. Ms. Ishida was still listening attentively but Mami’s focus seemed to waver with the playfulness of Tara. Miki came in from the hallway.

After a bit of silence, Hitomi said, “Halfway is like what Arisu did with the nameless being in Ami’s room. She is still human-ish, but she can change things. All four of us have that potential right now. It’s not like when we’re fully-awakened, but it’s still there.”

She rubbed her hands together and added, “I think Arisu’s half-influence would be the strongest right now, but that’s only a guess…” She gave me a small, guilty look.

Ms. Ishida leaned closer. “And us? What about us?”

Hitomi’s head jerked and her eyes widened as though she didn’t expect to hear from Ms. Ishida. She regarded her curiously and answered, “Umm… well. I didn’t expect any of you to… continue this long. I’m not sure what comes next. Each of you are human by nature but you’re still connected with… an arrangement of pieces from me and about my sisters. But I’m not controlling how those pieces run together anymore. Anything could happen.”

I felt myself relax. Katsumi and the others were free of fate. And it seemed the three of us were too.

I had to confirm. I asked Hitomi, conclusively, “Does that mean that each of us is free to choose how and who we want to be?”

She blinked at and regarded me with a befuddled glow from her purple gaze. “Well… if you think of what I did as that… then there are no controls for what happens now. It’s all in the Hands of the Ae.”

I returned her blink. “Ae? Who?”

She bowed her head. “Sorry. It’s a saying. It means that it’s out of my influence.”

That confirmed it, at least, but now I was curious about the Ae. I asked her directly.

“The Ae? Well… the Ae is not really a thing or a person or anything. But the Ae is why we all exist… the humans too. The Ae is…” Her mouth opened several times to form the next words, but it seemed as though she were gasping in a void.

She shook her head. “Sorry. I can’t really articulate it in words, nor can this human-form mind really grasp it.”

Jamie snorted. “Convenient. Well, anything else?”

Hitomi swallowed and her eyes sought Keiko and Jamie and came to rest on me.

“I love my sisters so much.”

Jamie pressed out a few breaths before declaring, “I will never think of you as anything approaching a sister. And, even then, I never liked my sister all that much. But she was still better than you are…”

Hitomi’s eyes grew moist. She bowed her head. “I see…”

Mami came forward and asked, “What am I to you?”

She looked Mami over but before she could offer an answer, Mami added, “What about any of us? Are we just your tools like with… Nana… and Ami?” My eyes slid back to the pink dress on the couch.

Hitomi paused, as though expecting Mami to add something further. She said no more and folded her arms in a tight pattern.

Hitomi answered, “Yes, all nine in Mecchen House were my tools. And I intended to use each of you up for the sake of my sisters.”

Mami gave the smallest of nods with her eyes set to the floor.

“As for you in particular,” Hitomi continued. “I liked your texture and color. The papers I saved were interesting but unremarkable. I used them because I was running low on resources.”

Mami fluttered in place. She pressed her hands together and gave a soft, “Oh…”

I went to her side and put my hand on her shoulder.

Akiko touched Mami’s side with curiosity.

Miki came closer and asked, “Tell me about the dog, please.”

Hitomi’s head jerked around and she carefully answered, “Well… umm. The dog’s name was Miki but that wasn’t in Japanese, unfortunately. Keiko really cared for her when her owner was away. And Kimi really cared for… the owner.”

Jamie gave a loud cough and stared at Hitomi. It didn’t deter her, as she added, “Kimi didn’t think I was watching but I was. I saw her… and I saw them go inside the owner’s house afterward…”

He spasmed with his teeth clenched. Jamie fanned at his hair as though he were trying to get something out of it. He growled at Hitomi, “I would never!”

Hitomi seemed calm. “You were rather flirty at times, especially as a human girl. Even more so as a human boy… you still liked the boys. That’s why I put both Ami and Carolyn near you.”

Jamie picked up the plushie and pressed it to his ears. “I’ve had quite enough of this…” He stormed off and stomped up the stairs with a Katsumi-like flourish.

Tara, who had kept to the back of the crowd, took a few steps towards where Jamie had gone and peered around the corner.

I asked Hitomi, “What happens to Ami now?”

She blinked at me as though I’d asked such an obvious question. “She was an old dress. It’s a Japanese belief that old objects gain a soul and life over time. Ami was close to being a life… but not close enough for her happiness.”

Her eyes lingered on Ami with an air of regret. “Now… I don’t know what will happen to her. Given time, she may one day be ready to be human again.”

I felt a flicker of hope. “How long?”

Hitomi’s eyes remained on Ami. “Likely many years before her spirit will be ready.”

The flicker wavered.

Tara came closer to Hitomi and seemed ready to ask a question but Ms. Ishida approached first and asked, “Who is my mother?”

Keiko picked up a dust pan full of sparkling fragments of glass.

Hitomi grimaced. “Umm… well. I’m not sure if those terms work. The better way to think of it would be ‘emanations’.”

I could just imagine the face Jamie would’ve given at that term. She struggled to explain, with verbal glue and tape, how the five she made were more fashioned together than born. For Mami and Ms. Ishida, it left them only with headaches.

She finished with a tentative, “I suppose…”

I chimed in with what I’d gathered from Tara earlier, “What about the Dreamers?”

Hitomi seemed surprised. She stuttered a bit before finally saying, “I’ve never believed in the Dreamers. It’s a human idea, like the Three Realms. Humans like to believe they’re more important than they really are… and have more Influence. But there are probably very few so-called Dreamers out there.”

I took a step in place. “Your three sisters were in human form, sleeping.”

She bit into her frown, covered her mouth in her arms, and finally said to Ms. Ishida, with a muffled voice, “I guess… I’m the closest thing… all of you have to a mother.”

The room felt suddenly colder. Ms. Ishida and Mami turned away from Hitomi and both looked uncomfortable. Tara slowly approached and said, “I don’t know if this is a good time… but I wanted to thank you for the new life you gave me.” She bowed before Hitomi, who brightened a bit.

She held her hand out to Tara. “Aaron was always nice to me and supportive… I always wanted to give you the best gift ever. I’m sorry it came with so many strings attached.”

Tara shrugged. “It evened out in the end.”

I felt a warm tingle and asked, “Who was your ‘other’ teacher? Can you tell us now?” Keiko flowed closer.

Hitomi rubbed at her shirt with her fingers. “Her name is Tokugawa Raiko. She hates Toki so much. I think that’s why she let me do things that Toki wouldn’t.”

I noted the name and tried to detect any familiarity. Other than how much it sounded like ‘Reiko’, I could find none.

Keiko spoke next, “What about Nana?”

Hitomi squeezed her fingers. “As I said… I tried and she just slipped away from me.”

Keiko squeezed her own fingers. “Is there a way to find her?”

Hitomi brushed her hair back. “I don’t think she wanted to be found.”

“So, what will you do?” Keiko crouched near the couch.

She stared. “I told you… I tried.”

Keiko shook her head back. “But look at all the effort you put into what you did for your… for us. Isn’t Nana at least as important?”

Hitomi fidgeted in place and clutched her necklace. “I don’t know… I used a lot of myself doing what I did. To find her would take… a lot more. Or it may not even be possible.”

Keiko looked at the carpet. “But what if she’s all alone…?”

I gave a shudder, took a deep breath, and said softly, “We have to find her.”

Keiko gave a little nod. “Well, I do at least.”

“Why you?”

She brought her arms close. “I feel responsible for what happened to her.” She cast a little glance at Hitomi, who hung her head. “I didn’t do enough for her. I have to make it up to her. I was weak.” Keiko’s arms tightened. “I have to be strong again.”

Ms. Ishida moved over to Keiko’s side and brushed her shoulder. “You don’t have to take everything on your shoulders.” Keiko jerked away from the contact.

She brushed her face with her hand. “I feel so fake. I defined my life by the loss of my mother. When I saw others in the support groups withdraw or lash out at those who wanted to help, I told myself to be strong…not to get angry at others. And there were times when I could honestly, truly feel my mother near me, and I wanted to honor her spirit.” Tears flowed in heavy streams down her face.

Her cheek quivered quietly until she asked Hitomi, in soft words, “Was my mother ever real?”