The Day Human Kind Were Taken

The Beginning of the End

Morning dawned through the lacy curtains, but it felt like night hadn't even fallen. The light from buildings, streetlights, and the continuous stream of cars had stayed outside the whole time. It didn't matter that I was 34 floors into the sky, the light and muffled sounds were ever-present. 

I sat up, aching, and looked out toward my window—a soft yellow light filtered through the thin curtains. I tiredly rub my eyes, I got very little sleep last night with the racket. Tokyo was just too different. I sighed, heaving my tired bones out of my small new bed. I grabbed my favorite navy skirt, a white button-up, and a gray vest embroidered with sunflowers in the bottom corner. And pulled them on quietly.

Once I was changed I begrudgingly went down the small hall into the kitchen while looping my hair into a messy low ponytail. No one else was up yet so I sat down on the black bench stool and stared out one of the two small windows in the room, although there wasn't much to see. My mind strayed to yesterday's events. I remembered the painful car ride to the airport where I begged my erratic mother not to send me away. The feeling of untameable sorrow pulsing through me as I boarded the plane. The moment I decided to make the most of the new life I didn't want. The awful girls at the airport and the small hint of sympathy buried deep in my Aunt's stony face. The elevator whisking my possessions away, Takenaka laughing at me before I knew his name, him then returned my lost bag. My new life was going to be so strange. In fact, it already was.

There was a metallic squeak then a slapping sound near the front door. I spun around on my chair to face the door to find the mail delivered. There was the newspaper and a glossy envelope. I went and grabbed the paper before plonking myself back in the chair. The letter was addressed to Mamiko, it even suited her aesthetic, glossy clean white envelope, her name in a neat swooping calligraphy and brilliant vibrant blood red wax stamped with the pattern of a rose. I heard a voice clear behind me.  I turn around in frightened shock ,even though I hadn't done anything wrong, to find Mamiko standing behind me.

 I fixed my expression quickly. "You have mail." I told her handing her the envelope.

"Thank you" Her voice somehow soft and sharp all at the sametime as she plucked it from my hand.

Mamiko disappeared back into her room for a moment before emerging again. Today she was wearing a royal purple dress with sequins climbing up it like an upside down waterfall, and her hair was elaborately piled on the top of her head, she looked as if  she was going to a fashion show instead of a normal day.

Mamiko pulled out the rice from the cupboard above her head.  

She turns to me. "Want some?"

I nod, I couldn't exactly make it myself since I never heard of it, so instead I watched intently as she stirs the rice and water in a small pot. Mamiko didn't say anything as we both stood in awkward silence while she added various ingredients to the porridge. I debate for a moment before sliding up next to her.

 "So," I ask nervously. "What are you doing today?"

"I'm going into town." She hesitates for a moment. "Do you want to come?"

Her word hung in the air for a moment. Was she serious? She was asking me to come with her? I just hoped it was out of interest and not pity.

"You wouldn't mind?" I ask still in a state of mild shock.

She shoots me a warm smile and giggles. "Of course not."

She hands me a bowl and we both sit down of the black stools. I take a mouthful and yelp. This stuff was hot!  Mamiko giggles again.

"Isla-san," she says in a fit of giggles. "It just came off the stove."

"Uh huh." I say through my smiling lips.

Mamiko was kind of like a younger, softer, more fashionable version of my mother. I smile at her,  paritaly to myself maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

                                                                                                    ~

Mamiko's mum rushed around the small house, told Mamiko to help me find my uniform  while in town, and left for work 10 minutes later. She managed to make it look effortless, but my guess is that she does it so often it's routine.

Now I am in Mamiko's lavender room. She had grabbed my hand the moment I finished my breakfast and happily dragged me in, sat me on a soft, spinning stool and immediately got to work on my hair. I didn't dare protest, it felt right in an odd kind of way. So instead I let my eyes wander. She had decorated her room with cute Japanese stuffed toys and a set of glass windchimes hung from her ceiling. It was beautiful. After a minute or two she spun me around to face her mirror.

"Do you like in Isla-san?" She asked.

Did I like it? Yes I did. My hair now sat in a high pony tied with a pale gray scrunchie. It was much better than my attempt, now it wasn't all bumpy.

'Yeah of course!" I say brightly somehow knowing it wouldn't be to much for her. "It looks great, thank you."

 She smiles and opens her mouth as if to say something before she was interrupted by the door bell.

"Oh, they're here!" Mamiko said in here cheery voice. "Come on Isla-san."

She grabs my hand again and skips into the living room ,pressed a button and spoke into the wall.

"You can let them up, Thanks"

 Minutes later there was a knock. Mamiko turned the doorknob and in came a group of three girls. They were all pretty and around my height. The first was slightly shorter than me with her glossy treacle hair  fanning out around her shoulders, she was wearing a short, poufy, lacy ,baby blue dress with long white socks. The next was slightly taller than the first, her hair was chin length and tipped with a mousy brown color, she had startlingly wide deep brown eyes with a lime green lid that made her look extraordinary and shocking at the same time. She wore a  plaid green skirt with a black shirt. The last was possibly the most gorgeous of the group had a short ruffled pixie cut dyde a soft pink. A short top that showed her stomach and a matching skirt. Mamiko's friends were all just as pretty as Mamiko herself and all together they were  the kind of group that took a hit of your self-esteem without even trying too.