愛旅立ち (Love Departure)

Chapter Six

While Yuki was in the room in the bed, she was talking the old lady she met. "M'aam." She says, trying to call her. The lady opens her eyes, softly saying, "Yes"?.

"Have you...ever had a disease before?" Yuki asks curiously, wanting to know the lady's response. "I have, actually. It was a lung disease, when I was about 14-15. But I survived and it got off me for good." She says.

Yui understands and hears every word the lady says while sharing her story. Her story filled with happiness and nostalgia, something Yuki got that hurt her down inside.

"Can I..tell you a story I learned when I was just a little girl?" Yuki asks the lady, who nods her head and smiles while laying down in bed, separate from Yuki.

"There once was a folklore tale I read when I was younger, about 13-14. It was about samurai who killed people and took half of their body parts to possess others with it." Yuki says, explaining the story to the lady.

"There was Genji, a young man, working hard to save himself from the samurai who would end up killing him in the scene. Outside of his home in a folkloric village called Takayama. He would soon die from his bloody injuries." She says.

"One samurai in particular cut off a person's ear, blood scattering through the floor. It was a hard time to live and survive because of them. But it is a wonderful knowledge to learn more about the samurai who existed in ancient Japan." Yuki says as she already finished with the story.

"So, what did you think, m'aam?" She asks the lady, getting no answer. "M'aam?" She repeatedly tried calling her name but the old lady became completely unresponsive.

"M'aam!! Help, anyone!!!" Yuki screamed as she cried. She got closer to her heart to hear it if was beating. Nothing. No heartbeat, no voice, it was gone. All gone. The old lady died while Yuki was telling the story of ancient Japan to her.

Her heart shattered and felt congested; she had fallen down to her knees and called for help just by pressing the button near her bed. Yuki laid in bed thinking about that night and what exactly happened to the old lady.

How she died, she'll never know. But what she does know is that she wishes to not die like that. In her sleep. While someone tells her a story. As the days went by, Yuki stayed in that hospital for so long after many weeks went by.

Everything was happening fast. Yuki didn't like where all this was leading her. She just wanted to be free like she said and promised herself.