Fable (on hiatsu)

8. Friday news

Friday! The best day of the week! The one that announces two days without school and a party. The day when you can go into your room and say: "I can stay up as late as I want, cause I can sleep in tomorrow!"

The. Best. Day.

The second the bell rung I jumped to my feet and rushed out of school, along with the torrent of over five hundred students who didn't have afterschool activities. As always, I felt a little like a sheep in a herd.

Minus the fact that a herd of sheep probably smelled better than five hundred sweaty students including the colourful variety that wore perfume so strong it made you want to cry or Deodorant 100% sure to make all girls fawn over you (except it actually made them want to hurl over you). People with pimples, girls with miniskirts so short it was almost less revealing to walk around in your underwear, guys with tight jeans, emos, bimbos, nerds and those people who don't give a shit about what everyone thinks of them.

And just to be clear, I fit into the last category.

My selection of clothes has only two criteria: a) it is comfortable b) it doesn't smell. Mind you, "b)" doesn't mean the stuff's clean. It can pass for it though.

After we ran from school like ours lives depended on it, all three of us split up. Toby took the bus, Jo took his dad's black convertible and I walked home. I should say I jogged though. Some people would say I ran. Either way, I got home as fast as possible.

I changed into my kimono, then ran over my options. Running through the forest was a no. I would probably trip over some roots and hurt myself. The second option was far from a safe choice, but... I would *probably* get there in one piece.

If I was lucky.

And so I went back to my room and grabbed my old biker helmet. No, I'd never ridden a motorcycle, but I bought it for a... different purpose two years ago. It was totally black and with the visor down no one could possibly recognize me. And so, I walked into the backyard to call my dog. I whistled for her. A cracking in the woods signaled her presence to me as second before she hopped out of the trees.

Ziu is a beautiful husky. She has clear blue eyes, a white pelt with light gray patterns and great pointed ears. She also happens to be taller than I am by a good foot. She's enormous.

I didn't know she was a spirit till she began to pass my hips. Then I had a suspicion. I first met Issa-san while roaming the woods with her, looking for any Spirit who would offer me council. He explained to me that she was the emotional remains of dogs that died by accident. AllI had to do was treat her like my own dog and give her lots of love. And I did.

I love dogs.

I pulled my helmet on and announced the news.

"Hey there, Ziu~ I have some fun news today! I'll be taking you for a walk to Issa-san's instead of T'Ko~" As I excited my dog, se began wagging her tail. WHUMP-WHUMP! It smacked the ground joyfully.

T'Ko walks Ziu because he has lots of free time during the day. Issa-san only opens shop at two in the afternoon.

I climbed onto Ziu's back and she jumped back into the forest. Running faster than a motorcycle could ever have in these uneven woods, her tongue hung to the side. A running dog is a happy dog. I caught a glimpse of a dryad, two karasu-tengu talking on a branch and a unicorn. The air was soft and smelled of pine.

As I took a deep breath to inhale the smell of my dog and the forest, Ziu made a sudden turn and I got a face full of fir tree. My helmet had some more scratches now. Great. Soon enough I won't even be able to see what's around me!

My husky came to a sudden stop and I was nearly shot right over her head. Damn, my human reflexes suck. I looked about and spotted Issa-san's shop.

"Oh. Thank you, Ziu-chan~!" I sang, sliding off her back. She gave me a doggy smile and almost sat on my foot. "Good girl~ Yeah you're a good girl~! Yes you are!" Making some very embarrassing gushy sounds of canine love I petted her over and over again.

"Bye, Ziu!" I called, leaving for work, suddenly remembering why I was so happy.

I opened the door so fast it banged against the wall. Issa-san looked up from the novel he was reading, one eyebrow raised. He smiled when he saw my flushed cheeks, my eager smile.

"Yep, we have to get ready. Its next week. Double the workload, Craft!"

I gave a whoop, raising my arms to the sky. I raised the roof, alone in my boundless exaltation. It was next week!

The doors creaked open and in walked T'Ko, carrying a small notebook and a grin. He walked past me (still dancing) and slammed the notebook onto Issa-san's desk, making some vials shake. With a large smile, he said:

"We have our usual spot reserved at the Festival. The Inversed Dance will take place not too far from our stall, Issa!" He exclaimed.

"YES!" I ran over to T'Ko and grabbed him by the arm, then pulled Issa-san from his seat and forced them to dance like demented people in a ring around the desk. It was horribly embarrassing. It was the most fun I'd had in weeks.