That weird kind of feeling

3.0

I ran from the hall face red and sweat flowing from my pours. I heard Kara call out to me and I just kept running. I had to loose him before I changed, and I had to change. I had to run as far away from him as possible, even as the string on my finger pulled me back towards him, not allowing me to run at my full strength. So it was extemely easy for him to catch me.

He grabbed my arm and I felt a tingling sensation run through my arm. I looked back at him and he gave me a concearned look. "Ichi what's wrong? Are you okay?"

A girl came up and put her hand on karas chest. "Babe come dance!" She whined and I yanked my hand away, feeling my heart break.

"I'm fine! I'm going home... I'll see you all there..." and I ran again. I've been doing a lot of that lately.

It isn't his fault... he didn't see things the way I did... he didn't see the string.... he didn't know... no one did... but... it still hurt...

I went home and called out for my mother. "MUM! MOTHER?" I called tears in my eyes. She walked down the stairs and I ran to her. "Mum how much do you know about dad..." I asked and she gave me a look.

"You could go ask him yourself ichi dear..." she walked me into the library. "What do you want to know.."

"I want to know what the string means... does it mean what I think it means..." I asked, looking down at my legs. She just nodded and walked to the other side of the room, pulling out a few boooks and opening a latch, pulling out a book.

"I loved your father ichi... and what I said happened didn't really happen..." she had tears in her eyes when she said this.

"What happened." I asked and hugged my knees and my cat came and nuzzled my side.

"Sweetheart... I came from a town where arranged marriages were normal, where pretty little country girls would marry rich city men, and the boys would go to the city and get jobs and arrange to marry women for their looks.

"Your father, worked at the bathhouse that all women would go to before their betrothal, he cleaned the bathhouse and chopped the wood for the hot water. A city artist would come do your makeup to meet the man you would be marrying, and the day I was arranged to meet your step father, your father swooped in and made me smile..." she held a box close to her chest and replaced the books on the book shelf.

- story time -

A young woman sat on a chair in the bathhouse, an old artist doing her traditional makeup to go meet her suitor that afternoon.

"You look quite lovely miss, I'm sorry for speaking out of line, you looked like you needed a compliment..." he stood holding a broom, a sheepish smile on his face.

"That's one way of putting it. I'm going to get married in a few days..."

"Well your husband must be a very fortunate man." He smiled at her and she giggled softly.

"You're a flatterer aren't you sir?" She smiled and the artist continued to make her look as beautiful as possible, her eyes were filled with tears. "No I'm no prize sir..."

"I would be honoured if you had been my wife... if this man doesn't think the same thing then he is scum."

"Why thank you sir..." she smiled softly and she was done with hair and makeup. It was time for him to leave whilst she got dressed.

He followed her to the train station and chased the train as it ran. He was quick and kept up with her until it left. She'd never felt so touched or loved by another person.

The next night the girl had an engagement party, a blue moon had risen and it bathed the night in a blue glow. That night the boy stood at his window watching the party. He was invited but he'd had to work late that night, if he could possibly get away he'd go but it would be hard.