Monster (Ryeji)

Consequences laid in dust pt.3

Ryujin exhaled shakily, Yeji looked so small in that moment, the gloomy sunlight pouring in through a gaping hole in the side of her house, surrounded by the ghosts of her past. For some reason a deep set guilt began to work its way into Ryujin's heart.

"It must have been collateral." Ryujin spoke quietly.

"We did this." Yeji turned to her, a look of remorse in her eyes.

But Ryujin shook her head. "We would have recognized it."

"Not here." She said angrily. "But we did it. To other people's homes. All those missions, the coordinated attacks. The marks on the war map in the general's tent. They were this."

Ryujin wanted to respond, but she couldn't, she knew it was true. She clenched her fists and felt the strange cybernetic tendons pull down her right arm. She wouldn't have had it nearly blown off in the first place if they hadn't been sent into that fight. Why had they even been fighting? She could barely remember. To cleanse the world of hybrid technology? To rid the government of the very power that saved her life?

Yeji walked past her, tears falling silently as she clasped something in her palm against her chest. Ryujin followed her, too stunned to ask her where she was going. Yeji got back into the driver's seat and slammed the door of the truck shut, staring lifelessly out of the windscreen. Ryujin opened her own door but just stood outside instead, and after a pause cleared her throat quietly.

"I understand now." Ryujin said in a sombre tone, unable to meet Yeji's eyes. "We were turned into monsters long before that hospital."

Yeji turned her head and looked at Ryujin with an unreadable expression before looking away again.

"Hey! My mum says you can stay here for the whole summer while your parents are away!" Yeji beamed as she ran up to her best friend and gave her a huge hug.

"Wait really?!" Ryujin bounced giddily. "You mean we can be together all the time and play all day?!"

"Of course! We can even do hide and seek in the wheat fields before the harvest!"

"Really?!"

"Yeah! But you have to leave before we start the actual harvesting. My mum says your parents will be back by then and she wants me to help out around the house."

Ryujin sighed wistfully. "I wish we could live together forever."

Yeji giggled, "We can still see each other, silly."

"I know, but I'll still miss you."

Yeji smiled and patted Ryujin's shoulder. "I'll always be right here!"

Ryujin's eyes glazed over. "Are you going to leave?"

Yeji nodded solemnly and Ryujin felt her heart constrict. "Where will you go?" Yeji shrugged her shoulders.

"I used to think I would come back home..." her voice was croaky. "But I don't have one anymore. So I'm not sure."

"I'll..." Ryujin tried to collect herself. "I'll miss you."

"What?" Yeji blinked and her eyes snapped round to stare at Ryujin.

"The commanders probably think you're dead by now. You're free from them. You don't... you don't have to be with me anymore." she struggled out.

"What are you talking about?" The older girl's eyebrows furrowed.

"I thought you were making it clear you didn't want-"

"I'm not going to leave you." Yeji interrupted. "You're the only reason I've even got this far. The stuff we went through. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there too. How could you even think that?"