Moon & Suzuki: The Life We Had Before

Chapter Three

I believe it's that time now. I feel like my guilt will overwhelm me if I stay even just one night longer. Now, with the help of Suzuki, I walk out the neighborhood without a person in sight.

The only figure seen is the shadow behind a curtain with the dim lighting of a candle. I can't make out if they're reading either a book or a newspaper. They seem quite focused on it, even a knock on the door would not get them to fall off the hypnotic effect it's having on them.

Once we walk under all the tunnels and dark skies, where even the stars hide on the side of freedom, we pause, watching the guards roam around. It seems that they're more focused tonight compared to last time. I may have been the cause of that change, as I did escape quite quickly and easily.

At this very moment, if our plan goes smoothly, it will be my last interaction with this new person that's taught me so much these few days.

I hope to come back at some point, and maybe I'll see them again, but for now, I will have to bid my farewell and thank Suzuki for all he's done. However, if I never come back, I'd become even more guilty for not doing anything in return. At the very least, I want to pay back the favor one day, to him or another stranger.

We look back down to my bag and make sure everything is closed and secure, sure that nothing will fall out and cause any commotion. When that is taken care of, Suzuki gives me a book, which when opened, is filled with many handwritten notes.

With both hands holding the notebook, Suzuki tells me,"If you decide to come back, study these. They're quite useful to not get into any trouble from above. And if you look towards the back, the writing is there too, and not just the speaking or understanding that we've been practicing. You need both. It's quite useful."

Afterwards, I begin to tiptoe my way around the building, while Suzuki begins to talk to the guards about how to become an officer, which isn't something he wants to do but it will not cause too much suspicion, we hope.

There are enough guards to see me, but once they notice Suzuki, a third of them begin to talk to him, even the main door's guard joins in. Still,
another third turn around to look at me, and the last third were too tired or distracted to bother.

Looking at them closely, it doesn't seem like any of them want to be here, guarding these walls while bugs pick their eyes every few seconds. I guess the time of day does make a difference in these types of situations.

Once I'm far away enough to not be seen, I beg that the stars continue their hiding and don't put me on the spotlight, as well as the tall lamp lights that stick close to the guards.

I may as well be near my death by getting so close to the edge of the forest here. Once I get past the bright lights and continue going by quietly and slowly, little by little, I make it through. I don't wanna get pulled inside again. That was so nerve-wrecking.

Again, seeing the entrance of the grassy land that takes me all the way back home, I begin to feel more relieved. I try to look back towards Suzuki only to not be able to see him at all as everything revolving the other side of the gates was covered in complete darkness. Another thing is that I've traveled quite a bit to get here, so by now I can only assume he's gone home.

So I do it, I get on the boat, and although it takes me hours, now feeling as if it's taken over a day, I manage to get to shore. At last I'm able to return this boat and not have to feel guilty anymore for having it with me without permission from the owner.

I would add more descriptions about my way back, but at this time of night, it's much darker than when I left home a few days ago, so there wasn't much to say.