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THE GUILT WE HOLD
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"I'M NOT A WITCH!"
Mieko's furious voice could be heard after the brother's remark. Her voice held so much fury and pain behind the strain it had on her throat, enunciating the words.
From standing outside the doorway, the lights in the house behind Anna shut off, followed by sound of glass breaking when electricity got cut, and then Johnny's exhausted sigh that had a tone that told Nanami this wasn't the first time this had happened.
"I'll get the extra light bulbs." He said, as Anna sighed as well, admitting defeat.
"Would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Would love to."
"Alright, give me a moment." Anna said, slowly closing the door, leaving Nanami out in the chilly, cool breeze of New York City's night.
It took her a minute or two, before she opened the door, the electricity back on in the house, and shuffled to the side, allowing Nanami to walk inside the home. Upon entering, and removing his shoes, he and Anna walked up the stairs, as he thanked her for the invitation while he glanced in every direction, trying to absorb every bit of information he could receive from Mieko's childhood home.
When they entered the dinning room, Nanami watched as Johnny cleaned up the broken glass, then Christopher who kept trying to get on Mieko's nerves by muttering the words:
"Do it again, witch." Over and over in a menacing tone, as he jabbed her in the forehead with his metal fork.
And then there was Mieko, who simply hung her head in shame, her long hair covering her face, but Nanami know, undoubtedly, she was probably crying silently in the way she had taught herself to do.
Anna cleared her voice loudly, but only the two men gave her their attention, as she forced herself to smile awkwardly. "Mieko's friend will be joining us for dinner."
Nanami watched as Mieko instantly cringed her shoulders at her words. Johnny simply nodded, and got up after all the glass shards were cleaned into the dustpan, and shook Nanami's hand with his free one.
Johnny had gotten Nanami an extra chair, and placed it next to Mieko, while Anna had made him up a plate of home-cooked food and set it down in front of him before she went back to her own meal.
