Shards of Kairos

XII - The Ramen House

Evie wasn’t even sure how to handle what had just happened.

She looked down at the card, a lime green one emblazoned with tea leaves. It read Rei Shinsato, acupuncturist and herbalist, with an address on the back. The same as the restaurant. And if Evie had thought Julian had been cryptic before...

Or rather, just when Evie had thought Julian had been telling them the whole story, or most of it - he'd handed her this card. Evie wanted to be angry at him but she really couldn’t. Julian had seemed a little like his walls were down without his say at the moment. The drive had been bad, Evie sensed he wasn’t telling the whole truth with the Blight and how he might be affected by whatever it was that made them what they were - and what they or he fed on to keep that Crystal active.

But Julian looked too tired and resigned, and a little defenseless, for Evie to really be upset at the guy. And she still couldn’t. More or less, Evie was, strangely, a little excited. Maybe she shouldn't be (end of the world and all) but she wanted answers. And she wanted Katie back.

She’d never thought she could have both and while this might not bring Katie back... Just about anything to do with her best friend was pretty welcome at this point.

The card felt a little like a bit of hope despite all the darkness. Despite the situation. And Evie would take a little hope.

“What’s that address again?” Mitch asked, looking over at the card.

Evie read it off to him and took out her cell phone. She still had service. It was still connected to the provider. And suddenly Evie realized how easily everything else could fall apart. If her parents and the world thought she was dead, when would she be cut off financially? When would her bank be notified? She’d ‘died’ recently, after all. Probably too recently.

But Evie’s phone was still working. She was guessing her credit cards would too. But taking money out could be risky. How the hell were the Blight going to explain away Mitch?

Did the Blight do that much? And how far did it extend? What was their reach?

Suddenly, Evie laughed. Even if it didn’t last long.

“What?” Mitch asked, catching the police officer a little guard, giving her a wary look. As if maybe Evie had finally lost her mind.

“I was just wondering if I’d have to call my landlord and tell him I’m not dead. The rent is due tomorrow on my apartment.”

Mitch smiled but it was a bit uneasy. “Yeah. End of the world and all that.”

“Hey.” Evie murmured in a distracted tone, watching the street signs close for the one they needed. “We’re trying to stop it, remember?”

“Yeah.” Mitch said. And Evie didn’t call him out on not sounding completely optimistic. “How much did Julian give you?”

“Fifty.” Evie said, amused. “You think he understands the currency yet? Seems a little much.”

“Yeah a little.” Mitch agreed, amused.

And Mitch saw the street signs before Evie did or nearly at the same time, finding the small restaurant in probably the most populated area of the city right now. A section that might have been a Chinatown.

The whole city was blurred together in such a derelict mess that Evie could hardly tell.

“Here it is.” Mitch said.

Nishio Ramen was a small ramen house sandwiched between several buildings, or rather right in the middle. But the neon signs were lit brightly in reds and greens and Evie knew, from helping Katie run her cafe, that it was well taken care of.