Who Will Save Me? (temporary title)

Scene II

Book Scene II

The familiar sights and sounds of Nagoya blurred as I sped through the streets, powered by a haste I couldn't quite comprehend. How could a simple breeze freak me out so much? It wasn't rational, and I knew it, but that knowledge didn't make me want to slow down.

"Stop being such an idiot!" I hissed to myself.

Perhaps some brain cells had been blown out in my embarrassing encounter with Ryuichi-san. Unfortunately, my appetite hadn't been blown out with them. I pulled up at the nearest supermarket, wincing at the dying horse sounds my stomach was making. Once inside, my eyes lit up. So much food! I grabbed several onigiri, some sweet breads, and Hi Chews. After two sweet breads and an onigiri, my stomach was now purring like a contented kitten. I placed the rest of the food in my bag for safekeeping and continued on my way. By the time I reached my house, my fears had disappeared, as had the food.

"That must have been the cause of my ridiculousness," I reasoned. "I was hungry!"

A nervous giggled erupted from the thought. Standing at the front door, I turned the knob. It twisted, then stuck fast and refused to move. A chill ran down my spine. I carefully peeked around the corner. Both Mom's and Dad's cars were in the driveway; my parents never locked the door while they were at home. A fresh wave of unease rushed through me. My hair blew into my face, just as it had before. At this point, I was borderline panicked and grabbed the doorknob once again. To my surprise, it swung open easily. I peered in, heart racing.

"Mai? Is that you?"

My breath caught in my throat.

"Agh!"

My mom rounded the corner, utensil in hand.

"There you are. I didn't notice you come in."

She smiled her easy smile. When she smiled, her eyes seemed to sparkle. The expression on my face must have been pretty bad, because her face faltered.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I was just wondering, did you lock the door before I came in?"

"I don't believe so."

Her face was puzzled.

"Oh. Sticky door knob, then."

I smiled for her benefit, and she returned it. If only I could believe it! The incidents were just too similar to be ignored. Time was definitely needed to process the situation.

"I'm going up to do my homework."

Quickly turning on my heels, I smashed into a bookshelf.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

I reshelved the fallen books and promptly tripped over my bag.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Mom laughed. "You're a bit skittish, no?"

My face turned a bright red as I struggled for a proper response.

"Have some tea. I've just made some; it should help."

I accepted the cup and carried it up the stairs as well as my bag, paying special attention not to trip over anything else. Once in the room, I set my cup and belongings down and dropped to the floor. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on my breathing. In, two, three; out, two, three. Just as I was calming down, a cold breeze whooshed into the room. My eyes jolted open as I stood up, angry now.

Flinging open my window and poking my head out I shouted, "Go away and stay away, whoever or whatever you are!"

A frightened cat streaked away, birds flew off the roof in a panic, and a nearly-deaf old woman paused her planting to stare at me. I felt ridiculous. Here I was, yelling at what was probably nothing and miraculously giving the deaf hearing! Psychosis was now added to my list of potential problems.

"My, my, what is all this shouting about?"

Startled, I stepped away from the windowsill. My grandmother, Ayame-sensei, stood in the doorway. She seemed slightly disoriented, having likely been awakened from peaceful rest by my bellowing. I lowered my head and bowed apologetically.

"Just a little tense. There's a lot on my mind," I admitted. "The dorayaki you made me were delicious!"

She smiled understandingly.

"Don't mention it. What's on your mind that's gotten you all stressed?"

I wanted to tell her, but worried that she wouldn't find my explanation plausible.

"Mai-chan?"

I sighed and relented. This was my grandmother, after all.

"You'll probably think this sounds stupid," I began, "but when I was leaving school today, I noticed a strange breeze. It made me a bit scared; somehow, it was different than normal breezes. When I got home the front door was locked, but the breeze returned and the door suddenly swung open. Shortly before you came in, I was yelling at the breeze in my room."

Ayame-sensei nodded, listening intently to every word.

"You think I'm crazy, right?"

"Not at all. You have the facts; now you have to put them together to understand them."

"Do you understand what's going on?"

"I may, but you shall have to see for yourself. My experience may be quite different than yours will turn out to be."

Her expression was soft and comforting.

"Your experience? Forgive me for asking, Ayame-sensei, but would you tell me about that?"

"That is a story for another time. I hope to tell you when you have found understanding and are ready."

Drawing a measured breath, I thought to myself, "And when might that be?"

Thankfully, I didn't say it out loud.

"I'll let you work on your homework now, Mai-chan," my grandmother told me and closed the door.

Sighing as I sat at my desk, I opened my textbook. The formulas swam before my eyes, forming themselves into strange patterns. A ringing began in my ears; it progressed to high-pitched whining, then to an ear splitting screeching. It was at times like these that reality and mental demons crossed worlds.

"That's it. There's no way I'm studying right now," I said aloud, to no one in particular.

All my despair, loneliness, pain, and inadequacies welled up inside me and spilled over in liquid form. I buried my face in my hands.

"I have all I need," I whispered. "Why am I like this?"

The now-rising moon gave no response as it scattered its silvery beams into my room. I reopened the window and leaned out, drinking in the dusky moonlight. This time, when I felt the breeze caress my face, I wasn't afraid. It was warm and smelled of creamy vanilla, stimulating the senses and provoking thought. A serene smile played across my lips.

"Mai! The food's ready!" informed Ayame-sensei from the other side of the door.

"I'll be there shortly!" I responded.

Taking a last glance out the window, I noticed something that made me momentarily forget my angry stomach. A faint glow appeared around the crown of the cherry tree that grazed the shutters; its luminosity had a bluish tint, quite unlike a moonlit reflection. The mesmerizing luminescence drew me in, causing me to unconsciously step forward. Before my eyes, a shadow darted to the cherry tree, snuffing out the glow. I staggered back, startled. By the time I dared peek out again, the shadow had disappeared. So had the light. All was bathed in the gentle shimmer of moonlight once more. Had I simply imagined the glow and the shadow? Shaking my head, I allowed the event to drift to the back of my mind as I skipped down the stairs for dinner.