Memories (Of Dreams and Demons)

A Puzzle

Naoko happily hums a nameless tune. After reading for a good few hours, Naoko pulls a jigsaw puzzle from her backpack. When you unpack a puzzle for the first time it's an incoherent, jumbled mess, and this one must be thousands of pieces. I wonder how we're going to get a beautiful image out of this.

"What happened last night?" I ask her. I had been running our adventure through my mind all day.

She pauses before replying, "I'm still trying to make sense of it."

There is an edge to her voice, but not aimed at me. She seems extremely frustrated with herself, as if she's trying to figure out what's happening too. Her brows are deeply furrowed, and she pouts, as if she should have answers but can't quite remember them.

Concentrating on the puzzle, my brows furrow too to mirror hers. There are so many pieces, scattered over the ground and sitting in her cardboard box. Still, I pick up a random edge piece, trying to figure out if it fits in with another in the corner we start from. I think it does, but something's not quite right Naoko watches me as I struggle with it.

"We're going to be here a while," I grumble, toying with it. It doesn't fit here.

"Lighten up," Naoko chirps, "that's why we're doing it together. To help each other!"

I return her smile, "I guess you're right."

'Of course I'm right, silly,' she smiles, a rare touch of profound wisdom sparkling in her hazel eye, 'this puzzle is your life. It's easier to sort through all the pieces when someone's helping you!"

I lean back, my mouth slightly open as I stare at her, a boy smitten by a girl. In this moment, she seems like she dwells in another place, another time, not quite the seven year old I met yesterday.

I blink, a little dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond.

"Anyway, what about the shadows?" I ask after a while, "do you know what they were?"

"Bad things," she replies simply. At least that answer was a little more on point.

"Well I know that," I frown, "but what are they?"

Naoko ignores my question.

"What if there are so many pieces you can never put them all together?" She muses to herself, "I don't want to be an unfinished puzzle my whole life."

I don't think she wants to talk about the shadows. Truth is, neither do I.

Better to believe they are not real, just my imagination gone a little crazy for one night, and concentrate on something else.

Naoko turns her attention back to me, her smile returning, "I'm sure with you here the puzzle will be so much easier!"

"I can't see you trying to put this all together yourself," I say.

She glares at me, and I realise I've just doubted her directly. I blush.

"But you're doing well already," I rush out, "I'm sure you'd do it!"

"I'm just lucky today," she says, nodding in satisfaction as she locks another piece snugly in, "usually I go much slower!"

"I think I'm the one that needs help, really," I admit.

I still hold my first piece in my hand, unable to find the spot it belongs. I will probably have to put it down and find another piece.

"Will you help me with this one?" I ask.

Beaming up at me, she fits yet another piece of her own and says, "of course, silly. That's why I'm here!"

Naoko takes my piece out of my hands, scans the board for a moment, and stamps it in its correct place. My eyes narrow, how did I not see that earlier? I could have sworn I had checked that area for a fit a dozen times. Frowning, she leans over to pick up another piece off to the side.