The Few Things Made of Concrete [DISCONTINUED AND REWRITTEN]

Concrete Slab Two, Fragment One: Times Have Changed

-New Jersey, 2017-

When the world comes back to me again I can't breathe. My body jolts, pulling itself into a sitting position. My clothes are soaked through with water, and I cough until my throat is raw. I hold my chest with my hand, looking around. The bathroom I am in is not my own. It is painted a light brown, small pictures of flowers scattered around in the walls. I slowly look down at myself, what's left of my burnt clothes sticking to my body.

How did I end up here?

There is a knock at the door and I jump.

"Ayako? Are you okay in there?" The voice of a young man drifts through the air and my eyes grow wide. I don't make a sound, watching the door.

"Ayako? Please say something..." He says.

"Who are you?" My voice is quiet, smoke sticking to my throat and making it hard to speak.

"What? Ayako, stop joking. I heard you coughing."

"Shig?" Another voice asks, "What are you doing?"

"Ritsuko! Jeez don't sneak up on me like that!" There's laughter from the other side of the door. I slowly push myself up from my sitting position, standing on shaky legs. The water drips from my body as I step out, soaking through the thin rug on the floor. I glance around, meeting eyes with my reflection and jumping again.

The young man in the mirror was covered in ash that stuck to his body, his eyes green; full and lively. His hair stuck to his face in strange places, digging into little cuts and scrapes on his cheeks.

"But really why are you bothering Ayako? I thought he was taking a bath?"

There was a moment of quiet, " I thought I heard him choking or something. I just wanted to make sure he was okay."

"Yo, Ayako! You alright in there?" The voice of who I assumed was Ritsuko asked.

"Yeah," I say quietly, "I'm fine. I think I just fell asleep for a few minutes... sunk below the water."

There was a sigh on the other side of the door.

"Just be sure to get ready, okay? Erica will be over soon."

"O-Okay. I'll be out soon."

The sound of footsteps receding outside the door was the only sound in the bathroom for a long time. I look up for a moment before rubbing my face with my hands, attempting to wipe away the confusion that clouded my thoughts. After a moment of silence I stand straight, opening the door and slowly waking into the hallway.

It was a bright space with two doors on either side. Only one of them was decorated, and I was drawn to it. I look at it blankly, a sense of nostalgia washing over me as I look at my name on the door in paper letters. I walk inside slowly, closing the door behind me.

The walls of the room were a light grey, little pictures of a girl and a dog. There were a few pictures of fields on the desk in the corner, but none of them were familiar. I take small steps toward the closet, opening it to find exactly what I expected. Many black shirts and pairs of black jeans were lined up nicely, hanging from hangers. Below it there was a dresser with many colorful sweaters.

Memories were swirling around in my mind, the fire and the burning of the house with me inside. Meeting Shig and Ritsuko after transferring into a japanese language class.

"Hey, Ayako, right?" Shig had bounced up to me, Ritsuko in tow behind him. "I've never seen you around before. Why did you want to learn japanese?"

"I could ask you the same thing." I was tired and I simply wanted to go back home, but Ritsuko gave me an inquizitive look.

"Well, my parents and Ritsuko's parents are from japan, but we moved here when we were babies. We kind of just wanted them to stop telling us that we should move back with them to learn some of the language." Shig nudged Ritsuko.

I stared at the clothes in front of me, taking out a long sleeve shirt and pulling it over my head, putting on a pair of jeans afterward. The space around me slowly began to feel familiar, the air feeling lighter despite the small amount of water that was still in my lungs. I make my way out into the hall again, my wet hair cold against the back of my neck, and slowly walk toward the living room I can hear laughing and the noise of a television, and I smiled a bit at it. It felt like home again, and upon entering the room I only smiled wider.

Ritsuko had Shig pinned to the couch, and their eyes were locked. Shig leaned up quickly, pressing his lips to Ritsuko's for a long moment before falling back down. I clear my throat loudly and Ritsuko practically flies. I giggle at him as he stumbles over his words in an attempt to explain what had been going on.

"Ritsuko," At the sound of his name passing Shig's lips he is silent, " I think he knows what's going on already."

Before anyone can say anymore the voice of a news reporter blares through the television speakers. Bright letters reading 'Breaking News Update' scroll across the bottom.

" Tonight a fire in Bellville destroys multiple homes, devastating families in the area, and killing a young man. His name was Ayako Tanaka. His remains were found this morning buried under the rubble of the collapsed house." the screen cuts to grainy phone footage of the fire that consumed my home, and then to a still frame of two paramedics carrying out something in a large, black bag. I can feel a burning in my stomach, and it takes everything in me not to throw up.

"Ayako? Are you okay?" Ritsuko is standing next to me now, and as soon as his hand touches my arm dizziness floods over me. I fall to the floor, and everything is black.