Shhh 死 ~ CHI ni Oborete: Chapter One

CHAPTER COMPLETED, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DIALOGUE, JUST COMMENT

It had been a long day, having been forced to stay an hour late after the store had closed to clean up since the original cashier had not showed up for their shift; giving all of the store duties to the stock boy, him. Lying on the clean, smooth sheets of his bed, the exhausted man lay with his head towards the footboard with his phone to his ear.

“Yes I know it isn’t fair, but I need this job otherwise I can’t pay my rent.” The young man had argued on the phone with what seemed like a good friend of his. “Yes I know you did, but until I can be sure that your boss will hire me, I have to keep this job.” The young man rolled onto his side, holding the phone lazily against his cheek as he rest it on the cushion of the mattress.

As he sat up against the wood frame of the headboard, the man on the other side of the line had tilted his head over lazily, glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 23:42. Letting out a soft sigh, the man sunk into his pillow, shimmying under his thin, summer blanket.

“I’ll look into it tomorrow again okei Kazuko?” The man on the other end of the phone had sent him a sound from his throat in agreement. “Go to bed Kazuko. You seem exhausted.” Pulling out an earphone from one ear, the man whom sunk into his bed had turned over on his side, getting ready to turn out his bedside light.

Letting out a long, tiresome yawn, the young man lying upside down on his bed gave another lazy, tired reply to his friend on the other end of the phone.

“I think you're right Mama.” The young man sat up on his bed, his feet dangling off, touching the floor. “I guess I’ll let you go for the night. Sorry I called and complained to you so late.” The young man stood up and left in the direction of his en suite bathroom. Switching on the row of track lights above the decently sized mirror, the man leaned over the counter of the sink, looking closely at the bags under his eyes.

As he was going to hang up, the man on the other end let out a little, playful growl.

“I told you not to call me that Kazuko.” The cool yet almost cold tone in his voice was serious with the obvious sense of joke in it. “Just go to bed.” The man reached over and switched off the light of his lamp before throwing his head on the pillow again heavily, where it had been resting comfortably before Kazuko had called and woken him from his peaceful slumber.

The young man pulled away from the mirror, his fingers still pulling the flesh under his eye down in attempts to diminish the growing dark circles.

“Alright, alright. Good night Jin, sorry again that I woke you up.” Letting off a tiny chuckle, the young man hung up the phone after his friend had wished him a good night in return. Placing his cell phone on the sink counter, he reached for his toothbrush to finish getting ready for a short, yet hopefully peaceful sleep. Already dressed in his pajamas of a basic white T-shirt and grey sweat pants the young man had ran the head of the toothbrush under the cold tap and filled the white bristles with the basic blue toothpaste he had purchased from his work. Staring at his mouth as he cleaned his teeth the young man had held the brush in his cheek, forgetting to tie back his semi-long bangs from his face. Taking the small brown elastic from his wrist, the young man had tied his bangs atop his head, keeping them out of his eyes.

It may had been the suggested two minutes of brushing, but being exhausted from overworking himself for something as simple as a part time job, those two minutes seemed to be an eternity for Kazuko after cleaning his teeth and tongue of the daily wear his mouth endured.

After cleaning and rinsing his mouth, Kazuko had dragged his feet to the doorway again, turning off the bathroom lights as he entered his room again. Dragging his feet heavily to his bed, Kazuko had walked blind to his bed again, having obviously knowing his surroundings even in the dark like he knew the back of his hand.

Lifting up his all-season comforter and slipping underneath it, the young man let out yet another long yawn as he switched off his bedside table lamp and placed his cell phone underneath it. Before lying down the young man had pulled out his hair tie, shaking his semi-long, medium brown hair back into its original position; loose and flowing around his ears, a gentle side sweep to his bangs which naturally could cover his bright, feminine, chocolate coloured eyes.

Laying down and resting his head on his nice, soft pillow, the young man rolled around until he was comfortable, comfortable enough to fall asleep. After finding a comfortable position on his back, with an arm resting across his chest where the other was laying straight out, out from under his blanket; and one leg straight where as the other was crooked up, hugging the mattress. The young man let off a gentle sigh and fell asleep quickly.

◊ Lying in her luxury cotton and feather futon in her large tatami room, a young girl was suddenly woke in the morning from her slumber by the light which poured in the sliding paper doors as they were opened by someone. With her cotton and silk comforter moving over her face, the young girl had rolled over, wanting at least a few more minutes of sleep.

“Kazuko, come. The day is beautiful and awaits you outside.” With a calm and soothing voice, a woman lowered herself to kneel on her knees at the edge of the comfortable futon. “Rise my dear Kazuko, I have breakfast already prepared for you in the dining quarters.” Though as soft spoken as a helper of the house, this woman at the child’s side was in fact her mother.

Pulling the blanket away from her chocolate coloured eyes, the young girl rolled onto her back to look up at her mother with a beaming smile. The day’s air flowing in through the open door brought in a beautiful scent of sweet flowers in bloom and fresh, crisp water flowing over dense rocks of a riverbed.

“Haha-oya, I had the most wonderful visions as I slept. They were most absurd of all visions.” Kazuko say up and placed her hands on her lap hoping her mother would ask her about her visions.

The beautiful woman dressed in an off-white Iromoji shifted her feet under herself, placing her hand atop her daughter’s hand.

“Visions Kazuko, in your sleep?” She sent her daughter a tender smile filled with warmth and comfort. “You mean a dream Kazuko?” Patting her hand, the beautiful woman waited patiently for her daughter to explain her sleep visions.

Kazuko sat up stiffly, shifting to face her mother as she took a deep breath of excitement.

“There was this man, he wore the strangest of clothes; they were similar to Chichi-ue’s battle clothing, only they were more tight around here.” Kazuko raised her leg, wrapping her hand around her thigh through her blanket, showing her mother how tight the man in her dream’s clothing was. “He looked at himself as white foam spilled from his mouth, he was at no concern about it Haha-oya. The contraption he gazed at himself through was propped upright on the wall, it reflected like the surface of the pond yet it did not move like the pond would. That was not the most absurd though Haha-oya, the most absurd was light coming from clear balls on the wall; like the lamps we use at night except they were bright and powerful; the strange thing Haha-oya was that they were terminated in an flash, like the Kaminari from the sky.” Kazuko seemed confused yet excited about her night visions.

“Do you think it is sorcery Haha-oya?” Though they were the top house in the leading region of the Edo prefecture, there were still risks of attacks from other clans, more so if there was mention that there was sorcery practice in the region.

The beautiful woman dropped her head, letting out a soft, quiet chuckle. Raising her gentle hand, she petted her daughter’s long, black hair gently.

“Kazuko, you have nothing to worry about my sweet.” Her tender voice flowed smoothly and calmly as if she did not have a care in the world. “It was just a vision, it was not real.” She took her daughter’s comforter in a gentle grasp and threw it from her lap.

“And we both know Kazuko, logically, those you had described in your visions are not possible, even with sorcery.” After reassuring her daughter about her night visions, the beautiful woman rose to her feet once again, her geta pair waiting for her at the lower leveled corridor. “Come to breakfast before it spoils.” Leaving her daughter on her futon, the beautiful woman exited her quarters, closing the sliding door behind her.

Kazuko gazed forward to the wall in front of her where her Iromoji kimono was supposed to hang. The night before she did not hang it up on the stand like she was told to by her mother, instead she threw it on the floor underneath the stand where stray bugs could get into it if they had wandered into her quarters. Letting out a gentle sigh, the young girl had pushed off the rest of the comforter from her lap and lazily sat up on her knees. Sluggishly, Kazuko folded her blanket on her lap towards the end of her bed where it would be easier to pick up. Gathering her futon as well as her comforter and pillow, Kazuko dragged her futon to the large closet hidden behind two sliding paper doors. Adjacent of the closet stood the stand where her kimono was supposed to hang, which is where Kazuko was headed next after sloppily throwing her bedding into the two-level closet.

Spinning on the cushioned tatami flooring, the young girl hopped to her messy kimono on the floor and slipped it over her thin arms one by one. The simple, one shaded kimono fit perfectly around her growing body. Paired with her white Hiyoku, her shadow-blue Iromoji looked as elegant as the crisp ocean against the crystal blue sky. Folding her shadow-blue obi over her waist, Kazuko was finally ready to go eat breakfast.

Down a series of wooden corridors, up the few steps onto soft tatami flooring again, her mother and father waited on Kazuko at the short, knee high table. The large, one metre squared, heavy oak table was covered in delicious home cooked food; including her favourite dish, okonomiyaki.

Kazuko’s father had recently claimed new territory in the central area of japan, his target this time was to the east where he encountered a coward house leader whom gave up his wife, a mother of three children in exchange for his life. This wife was used in the House of Shi as a maid, of which; Kazuko’s mother had learned to perfect the best okonomiyaki from.

A Hiroshima styled okonomiyaki, the best way to start an active day in the eyes of Kazuko. A loving of three, in a calm period where battle for land or strength was nowhere near sight in the near future. Around the large table, the father, mother and child quietly finished their hearty breakfast and begun their day of chores, meetings and play.

With her Tabi’s pulled up high, her Geti’s snug on her feet and the small basket on her arm, Kazuko ran off of the wooden walkway which circled the entire House of Shi. Running towards the forest where her hidden sanctuary lay, Kazuko went off to go find a gift for her mother.

The pond which formed at the end of a small creek was Kazuko’s favourite place to go to on the grounds of the House; it was where she thought, played and planted her own garden of simple herbs and flowers, both of which were suitable for tea. The pond and the minerals in the soil had made an idea environment where these herbs could flourish in a beautiful and healthy manner.

As if it were a chunk of Heaven placed on earth, this little blissful cove was Kazuko’s paradise getaway. Kneeling down to one of her garden plots; Kazuko had searched for a good spring on mint to pick. Taking the delicate leaved on the tips of her fingers; Kazuko gently sniffed each spring, choosing which one she wanted to pick. Over several seconds, she had finally chosen the leaves that seemed to have suited her mother as a gift; moving onto the perfect floral buds, Kazuko had picked those quickly and ran back to the house where she would find her mother.

In the sunroom where it was perfect to hang clothing and bed material, Kazuko’s mother was taking rest quietly as she looked out onto the scenic landscape. Sitting on the edge of the wooden walkway with her legs neatly folded and her clothes hanging stick in hand, Kazuko’s mother sighed quietly as she watched a beautiful blue butterfly fly passed her view.

Running into the room quietly, Kazuko kneeled down next to her mother with a bright smile on her rose lips; holding the small basket outward innocently for her mother to grab she brushed back her own hair with gentle fingers.

“I picked these for you Haha-oya.” The small bamboo basket was filled with mint leaves, beautiful blue and pink flowers and ripe green tea leaves. “I had noticed that you have been coughing lately and was worried you were becoming ill.” Kazuko may have been only ten years of age, but she was only a couple years away from womanhood and her maturity had showed that when it came to speaking with her mother.

Looking at her daughter with calm, timid eyes, her mother gently grasped the bamboo basket and placed it on her lap with care.

“Why thank you Kazuko.” She picked a spring of mint and sniffed it gently, letting off a small gesture of pleasure. “They are perfect.” Placing the mint in the basket again, she turned to face her daughter.

“How about we go place these on the bamboo tray for drying and hope they will be ready for tea in a couple of days?” She spoke tenderly to her daughter, for she was the only treasure in her life.

“That would be wonderful Haha-oya.” Kazuko stood up quicklyholding out a gentle hand for her mother to grab much like a man would do in assisting their lady out of a carriage. With no argument, her mother gently slipped her hand into her daughters to help raise her, only to quickly fall to the floor, unconscious. “Haha-oya? Haha-oya!” Kazuko dove to her mother’s side, shaking her to try and wake her. Calling her name over and over, Kazuko had received no response out of her mother.

Running out of the room as fast as her short legs could move her, Kazuko ran down the series of corridors with no shoes, dirtying her Tabis as she frantically searched for her father.

“Chichi-ue! Doko desu ka!” She ran through the greater half of the house, to find her father in the Courtyard of white stones, known as the White Court. “Chichi-ue. Haha-oya has collapsed in the sunroom. She is not waking up!” Kazuko was in a hysteric panic; she loved her mother greatly and if anything were to happen to her she wouldn't know what to do.
“Please Chichi-ue.” She did not need to ask twice before her father had ran out of his meeting with his samurais and run to his wife’s aide.

Followed by his right and left hand men, his main samurais in battle; Kazuko and her father had quickly run to the sunroom to find her mother lying where Kazuko had left her.

“Nakamura san, Tanaka san, help me carry her to the sleeping quarters.” Kazuko’s father and his two samurais had carefully picked up his wife, minding her neck and carried her to their sleeping quarters where Kazuko had assisted and arranged her bed. “Kazuko, I think it is best if we let her rest for now, I'm sure she had just over worked herself today in the heat.” Her father had tried his best to reassure his daughter; but even with his mature, ten year old daughter granting his wish of letting her mother rest, she was still at worry for her mother’s condition.

Sitting outside of her door, Kazuko had waited for her mother to regain consciousness, even into the late evening when dinner was to have come and gone. Removing her Shadow-Blue Iromoji and throwing it onto the step at her side, Kazuko was desperately impatient to see her mother awake and well again.

The night was coming and Kazuko had not set any flames in the corridors to see, her mind was only on her mother and if she were to wake up this evening.

With curious eyes, she had slowly and quietly cracked open the paper door to her mother’s quarters, to find her sitting up, grabbing her head.

“Haha-oya!” With great excitement in her voice, Kazuko had slid the door open enough for her tiny body to slip through and crawl over to her mother quickly. “How are you feeling Haha-oya?” Kazuko’s father had prepared a tray with a pitcher of water and a small cup for when his wife would regain consciousness; Kazuko grabbed that pitcher and immediately poured her mother a cup of water, handing it to her gently.

Still holding her head in pain, Kazuko’s mother had looked to her daughter’s offering with fuzzy eyes.
“I feel hot. And ill.” She spoke distantly and in pain, she was not herself at all. Taking the cup of clean, refreshing water from her daughter, she slowly sipped at it, feeling it coat her dry throat. “I'm sure I will be fine in the morning Kazuko.” Holding the cup on her lap, she gently reached over and patted her daughter on the head with a soft smile on her lips.

“Thank you for your concern, but I am sure it is past your bedtime Kazuko.” The sky was dark and the moon was high in the sky, it had to be late in the night. Taking yet another small sip, Kazuko’s mother had sent her away in order to not have her worry anymore about her health. “I am all right Kazuko. Please go rest and regain energy for another busy day tomorrow.”

Sorrowfully, Kazuko nodded and left without a word back to her own sleeping quarters, worried for her mother’s health. Dragging her Iromoji behind her on the wooden floor, Kazuko had ascended the steps up to her own tatami floor of her quarters and dropped her kimono in a small pile on the floor, curling up in a ball behind it. Using her kimono as a pillow, Kazuko curled into the fetal position and fell asleep, thinking about what she could do the next day to help her mother out so she would not over work herself again. ◊