Dark Secret (Novella)

"Dark Secret" - Chapter Two

Dedicated to fantezie. Thank you for always being supportive! This is for you! 

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Emma felt her mother’s tears against her cheek as she hugged her tightly. Emma was the one who was excited about this trip, not her family. 

“Mom, I’ll be back before you know it!” Emma let go of her mother, and held her hands supportively.

“I-I know, sweetheart. I’m just really going to miss you. You know how mothers are.” Mrs. Harrison smiled weakly at her daughter. 

“Now, now, honey. You’re turning this trip into a dramatic thing. It’s supposed to be an exciting opportunity for Emma!” Mr. Harrison softly patted his wife on the shoulders. 

Emma smiled at her father gratefully and turned to look at her two little brothers -- well not so little anymore. Andrew, 15, and John, 13. They both smiled goofily at their big sister. 

“I’ll miss you two so much.” Emma hugged them both tightly and smiled at them. 

“We’ll miss you a bunch too, sis.” Andrew smiled back.

“Yeah. And don’t worry, we won’t touch your stuff or go into your room while you’re gone.” John added with a big smile of his own. 

“Thanks, guys. I’m going to trust you on that one.” Emma laughed. 

Emma really didn’t know what else to say so she sighed and turned around to check the time on the big clock. It was 40 minutes before her gate opened, so she figured she should probably go off now. When she turned back around, her mother was sobbing again, and her father and brothers understood she had to go now and were smiling at her again. 

“Well, I guess this is it….” Emma looked down, not really knowing why she was feeling shy around her family all of a sudden. “So...bye.” 

They all hugged one last time, and Emma quickly walked in without looking back. Maybe she should have looked back, but then that would make it harder for her to leave them. She just had to remind herself it was only for now. She would be back after this semester. 

Emma first decided to go to Tokyo for a semester when her Japanese teacher, Mrs. Hosoki, told her she was talented with the language. Her teacher’s advice was to go study in Japan during the summer semester so she will learn the language even further. Emma decided to take her teacher’s advice not only because she did want to become fluent in Japanese, but also because she wanted to travel the world, explore while she was still young. Her family loved the idea and had offered to pay for all the expenses. 

Now as Emma settled in her seat in Air Canada, she felt excited and couldn’t wait to start her little adventure. She was sitting around the front aisle seat with three seats on her right and the aisle on her left side. It was almost time for take-off and the woman next to her already had the flight blanket comfortably spread across her lap and was reading the People magazine. 

Three hours after the take-off, Emma yawned and put down her book. She was deciding whether or not to go to the bathroom, when the woman next to her looked at her and smiled. 

“Is it your first time to Japan?” she asked, with a slight French accent. 

“Yes, it is actually. How about you?” Emma smiled back. 

“It’ll be my second time. Last time I went, I was around your age, I think. Went there as a transfer student for the summer. Studied the Japanese culture. It was a very interesting trip.” 

“I’m going there to study Japanese for a semester as well! Did you enjoy it there?” Emma asked hopefully. 

“Yeah, I did enjoy it there. The people are so polite like everyone says, and the food there is absolutely amazing. That’s why I’m coming back after all those years. I’m coming here this time just as a tourist, but I’m really excited to eat there again.” The woman smiled to herself as she stared off into space, looking back to those days. 

Emma decided to let the woman daydream and not disturb her. 

“Oh, I’m Erika Arbuckle, by the way. Just call me Erika.” Erika suddenly offered her hand. 

“I’m Emma Harrison; call me Emma.” Emma took Erika’s hand and shook it lightly. 

“I like that name. I always wanted to name my first daughter Emma.” Erika adjusted herself in the small seat and continued. “Anyway, what I wanted to say, I think, is to be careful.” 

Emma’s smile disappeared from her face and looked back at Erika confused. 

“What do you mean, ‘careful’?” 

“Well, it’s not like Japan is a dangerous country or anything. But it is a foreign country for us, and we always need to be alert and careful. Why, the last time I was there, there was a big news story about a murder of a little girl.” 

Emma shuddered and felt chills go up her spine. “That’s terrible,” she whispered. 

“I know, darling. Just be careful, okay? You never know….” Erika sighed and looked back up front. 

“I will. Thanks for warning me.” Emma sighed as well and looked to her left, out the small window. 

It was already dark outside, and the plane was flying smoothly over the night sky. Emma noticed her seat friend was already sound asleep. And as Emma closed her own eyes, a new feeling was inside of Emma now. Was it… worry?