Black Tattoo

Dancing Trees

Sokaku keeps telling and answering all of Mich's questions. Mich is listening with wide eyes and sometimes he turns to look at me, smiling. We are sitting in the kitchen table, we had already finished eating.

"Are you guys like ninjas?" Mich asks with a smile that reaches his ears. He seems really happy, surprised and excited. 

"Not really, we're fighters, martial artist if you will, but no ninjas." Sokaku is trying to get it into his head but failing miserably. So he just sighs. 

"This is so cool! My sister is a ninja!" Mich jumps out of his chair and starts doing some ninja poses.

As I watch him I can't stop myself from laughing, he is so funny. Sokaku and I share a smile and I decide it is is finally my turn to explain.

"Mich you know I left 3 years ago." That makes him stop jumping and he slowly returns to his chair.

"I left because I wanted to become stronger. I didn't want anything to happen to you." I am getting sentimental. His face is full of curiosity. Although there are stuff I wouldn't tell him. No, that I couldn't tell him. Some secrets are better left secrets.

I went through so much those 3 years.

"But I still couldn't protect you, you were suffering and I didn't even know about it." I say to him, I am aware that Sokaku is staring at me, trying to guess want I am thinking, if he only knew.

Mich is silent for a moment, he is staring at his hands. 

"At first I hated you for leaving me behind and making me live with that family... but know I think I understand. So, I forgive you" He stands up, hugs me tightly and I hug him back.

We are interrupted by Sokaku's voice. "Mich we are fighters and that means we have a lot of enemies. Now that you know, and will be living with us, you will have to learn how to defend yourself."Sokaku leaves the room and comes back shortly with a knife.

"Here, this is yours now." He puts the knife in front of Mich. "It will be your first weapon." Mich doesn't wait for him to finish, he is already unsheathing the knife and is observing the blade intensely. 

It is a simple knife, a knife like that although simple is very reliable.

"Oh my god! I get a knife? I get a knife!" He looks so happy. "Thank you!"

"But training won't be easy, you will have to work hard so you can get stronger." I am serious, training is hard and he had no idea. He is so exited, I bet he imagines himself kicking some ass, defeating many people.

I smile.

"When do we start?" He asks eagerly. He is now jumping in his chair.

"First things first, we have to get you some clothes. You have been using the same clothes for days." Sokaku grabs the car keys. "I'll take him to the mall and while we're gone how about you find a place were we have a lot of space, okay? Good." He signals Mich to follow him and walks to the garage.

"Bye." That is all Mich says before running after Sokaku. Now I have to find a place to train. Great. (note sarcasm)

I walk outside and stare at the trees, I keep thinking of my old house. But we can't go there, it's burned down and the other half of it is falling apart. And besides if I stepped inside that house I would only think of one thing...my parents.

I scratch my tattoo.

We could go there...to the cabin next to the lake.

When I was younger, on the weekends, my parents would always take us to our cabin.

It's not far away, an hour and a half from our old house. After the accident we stayed there for a while.

Mich and I were lost after the accident, our whole world was turned up side down in one night. We wanted to find something that would feel a little bit like home. Then stuff started getting weird and I had to leave.

I look again at the line of trees and wish I was out there in the woods, I was never a city girl. I got that from my parents.

••••• (flashback)

"Why don't we ever go somewhere else like a normal family?" I ask my parents, who are in the front seats of the car. My mom has a purple long sleeves t-shirt and white shorts on, which looks really good with her light brown flowing hair and honey hazel eyes. She is beautiful.

My dad has swimming shorts on and a white button up shirt, unlike my mom my dad had  dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, like my own.

Mich is sleeping next to me, snoring lightly. He looks more like mother and I more like father.

"Do you want to travel?" My mom asks turning around to look at me.

"I don't know." I shrug. My dad stops the car.

"Sweat heart, look out the window and tell me what do you see." My dad asks turning to look at me.

I do as he says, I can see the forest, it is full of different types of trees and plants. In one tree there is a squirrel jumping from branch to branch.

"The forest." I say not knowing what he wants me to see.

"The forest, exactly. If we travel to another city we wouldn't be able to see the forest." He says. My mom notices that I don't get it.

"Do you see the light of the sun reflecting in the leafs? See how the trees look like there dancing, like there alive? They're inviting you in, inviting you to see the secrets that lay within." My mom is signaling at the forest.

"What secrets?" I ask still looking out the window looking at the leafs on the trees.

"That's up to you to find out." My mom says looking at me. My dad starts the car and we're moving again.

I end up looking at the trees for the rest of the drive.

•••••

I am taken out of my thoughts by a noise I hear inside the house. Sokaku and Mich must have returned. I walk back to the house but before opening the door I glance back at the trees.

And there they were, the dancing trees inviting me in, calling out to me.