Sunday, August 14, 2016

The Story of Mami and The Forest Prince


I am sharing a story that I am writing for my girlfriend who lives in Japan. We are unable to see each other until the following year and she is feeling a little lonely, so she asked me to write her a story.

We both are still trying to learn the languages, me having a harder time studying than her. And well she is also just an amazing human being. So I will try to use words she is studying to learn English. Now I don't know much about the anime world, other than the waifu pillows and tentacle porn that someone told me one time. I did see The movie Akira, and I did enjoy it, however curiosity did not get me to look in further into anime until the day I met her. She showed me some of her favorite movies, mostly done by Hayao Miyazaki and the Studio Ghibli.


I have only seen a few of his collection and I love the strong female role models and the strength he builds in his characters. So I am going to write something with his few works I have seen in mind. I hope she and you enjoy. I am starting this first post on 8/13/2016 I will be using this same post for the entire story. I am also writing on my phone so be patient with some of the spelling mistakes usually I might have a he instead of the, this is kinda a raw story and cell phones suck sometimes.

Good morning Mami 

I was thinking about my story and it will start first with a bottle.


A green bottle floats in between the waves as it makes its way through the ocean current. The bottle, holds a single note inside. The cork has been on it for a very long time. As ocean barnacles cover the top and side. A seagull seeing the sparkle of the bottle goes to see what is it is. He picks at it with his beak, unable to get whatever lay inside.

As the waves gently push it, the bottle lands on shore. A wave pushes it gently into a hermit crab home, the hermit crabs stare at it in wonder as this glass bottle lays in their little area.

A shadow comes of the hermit crab as a human gets close.  A beautiful woman was collecting hermit crab shells when she saw something sparkling on shore.

She reaches and grabs the bottle, shaking the note inside. She wonders what is could be, as she asks the black hermit crab looking at her.

Is it a message from you Mr Hermit Crab? Is it a treasure map she wondered?  She sat down and twisting the top off...


8/14/16
Part two 􀸂􀆖green heart􏿿 Never ending regards

She sat down on a rock beside the hermit crabs and pulled open the cork. It took a moment and a little struggle, however she was able to pop it open. 􂀁􀆴pop􏿿

All of a sudden she could smell deep forest, the kind she remembers behind her grandfathers workshop. The smell of moss and deep grass and a sweetness like cotton candy. The smell made her feel a little dizzy. She starts to fall when she reaches her hand out to stop falling from the rock beside her. That was weird she thought. 

She shakes the bottle and the note falls out on sand near the hermit crabs. All of a sudden the hermit crabs all lift their claws at the note, and back away from it. The young lady didn't notice, she was too busy looking how the letter shined so bright. How it looked so unnatural on the beach.

She reaches down and picks up the note, rolling it out in front of her. in big bold red letters she begins to read the note.

TO WHOEVER FINDS THIS

I have been lost on a island for many years now and I need someone true of heart to rescue me. I am trapped by a magic curse that will not let me leave. I need you, you who found my message to come save me. I am starting to believe I will be trapped here forever.

You are my only hope
To find me you must go to Hashima island.


Hashima island? There is nothing there but abandoned buildings. This must be a joke. As she turns over the note she noticed that she has gotten blood on the note. In the fall she must have cut herself on the rock. As she goes to wipe the the blood on the paper, the paper started to change the color of the note from a ivory white to a red.

In ghostly letters that started to form on the paper it wrote.

Mami you must grab your fathers boat. Leave now. Come find me. Seeing her name on the note she got scared and dropped it. 

No way am I going near that place, she says and she starts to walk away. I am not going out to sea to help anyone. She went over to where he towel and bucket full of hermit shells and loads them in her white ordinary car and drives back home. This was a little too much sun for one day. 

Maybe she just dreamed the whole thing. She checks her hear to see if maybe she did fall down and bump it on the rock. No her head is okay. Strange she thought.

Stopping to get groceries and some gas, Mami makes it to her apartment. As she is grabbing her things she notices a green bottle floating in the pond in front of her apartment. The pond was not that big and usually was home to ducks but today no ducks could be seen. Just the floating green bottle with what looked like a message to be read.

No she thinks, I am seeing things. She locks her car and goes inside. Not turning around to see if the bottle was really there. Nope there is no bottle she thinks.


8/15/16
Part 3 Losing ones own mind

That night Mami dreams of living in a dark forest, the cool breeze and the gentle smells gently rocks her to sleep on a high tree branch. The vines crawled making bridges and pathways through the trees. Flowers sprang from the vines as they spread in the branches around her. She never felt more safe and comfortable in her life.

A yell is heard, and the sound of saws cutting down trees fill the air above Mami. The smell of fire wakes her from her comfort. She feels the fear of the forest. As she looks towards the sound, she notices that she is not alone. A man is sitting beside her with long hair and blue shinning eyes. He puts his finger against his lips and says shhhh. Stay here I will check it out. That face she thinks, who is he?

The fire starts spreading as she starts calling out for him to come back, whoever you are please come back!

She awakes from her dream back in her own bed. She remembers the smell of the forest and also the fear. And those eyes, such beautiful eyes. After getting up she had a shower and made some fruit and yogurt, and got really for work. As she locks her door and looks over to the pond to see if the bottle she saw yesterday was just a bad vision. She looks over  to see 2 green bottles floating there. No she thinks, I am not going to that island.

She arrives at work, ready to help out at the medical clinic. The other girls were in the kitchen discussing their weekend, when Mami goes to join them. She pours herself a tea and turns around and gasps while loosing her grasp of her cup. Spilling her tea all over the floor. The girls look at her and ask if she is okay. You face has gone white dear, are you feeling good?
Mami points to the water cooler in the corner and says do you see it?
See what, the girls ask?
The green bottle floating in the water, in the water cooler!
Honey please sit, you are not feeling well, there is no green bottle in there.
Mami looks up to the girls face and passes out.
She is in that forest again however this time it is a pair of human arms that is holding her, his blue eyes look into hers and says "I love You".

She wakes up in the office chair. The doctor is there and he hands her a prescription for her nerves and tells her to go home for the day. And if you are not feeling any better please come in and let me take a few tests. She thanks her boss and gets in her car and drives home. She gets out of her car and looks over at the pond and sees 3 green bottles floating. 
She turns around and gets back in her car and drives to her parents place. 
Am I going crazy? And is it him on the island? And who is he...


8/16/16

As she arrived at her parents place she sat down and tried to get everything off her mind. She fired up the kiln an started making some pottery to ease her mind. As she was creating she noticed that she was making a forest picture on the plate she was making. A little worried that she didn't even notice that she was doing it, she put the plate down to run a bath. Maybe a hot bath will calm me she thinks. As she starts taking off her clothes she notices something floating in the tub.
No she thought, this can't be real. She closes her eyes expecting her hand to find nothing in the water when she feels the cold glass at her fingertips. 

I can't do this she thinks to herself as she rushes to find the prescription her boss gave her. She downed a couple pills with a unhealthy dose of Saki and decided to take a shower instead. She got her mother to drain the bath, saying she is just feeling that well. After her shower she feels a little better. 
The next morning she goes back to work, arriving from her parents place early she decides to take a small walk before work. If I see the bottles today I will just ignore it. They are not really there.

And for 2 weeks straight she did just that, she ignored the bottles and kept taking the pills. The visions were not going away but the dreams did not come and neither did he.
The water cooler at work is so full of bottles she wont even look at it anymore and the pond in front of her house looks like a sea of glass bottles.

Until the night the dreams came back and were stronger than ever. She dreamed of him even more, calling his name as a mystery. Who are you? Do I know you? Do I love you?
That night he looked in pain and sorrow. Why will you not visit me he says, I need you to save me?
Because you are not real she says and lays back in his arms. I am not real?
Yes she says, you are not real. 

He lifts his finger to her head and places t right in the middle. I will show you how real I am. 
She wakes up in her parents back yard, unable to remember how she got there. She is on the pier to her fathers boat and the boat is already in the water waiting. She was sure last time she looked at the boat 2 weeks ago, it was in the boat house. In the boat was a few things of water and food.
She says I am not going on that boat, when a voice says you have no choice, look behind you.
As she turns around the entire field behind her is on fire, and she was trapped.

Why are you doing this to me she yells?
Because I need you he says... 

8/18/16

As the heat and flames came even closer, she backs up towards the boat. She looks at the boat and the food in it and remember putting none of it in the boat. This can't be real she thinks. She call to the fire, you will not trick me to go. She looks back as the flames light up the dock. I will not move she thinks, you will not scare me. If you really need me you would not need these illusions!
She closes her eyes and awaits the flames. This is not real, this is not real.

She opens her eyes again to find herself in bed. The clock says 12:02 am and she is laying with work beside her. She fell asleep doing some work for her boss. She gets up to run water on her face. As she looks in the mirror she sees his face. He looks sad and broken.

Who are you she says to the reflection? Why do you want me?
He holds a green bottle and points to the message inside. 
Can you not speak? He shakes his head no.
If I read this message will you stop sending me anymore?
Yes he shakes his head as a smile broadens his face.

She goes to put on her house coat and goes outside to the pond out front. The water was not so much water but a pit of green glass. She notices two ducks sitting on the grass staring at the water. She wonders if they can see it to.
She reaches out and grabs one of the bottles. As she lifts it up all the other bottles start evaporating in green smoke. It took less than 30 seconds before all the bottles were gone. The ducks moved back at first, and after they saw the pond empty again, they got in and started swimming and honking.. 
She goes back into her apartment and sits on the chair.
This better not be another trick she thinks as she opens the bottle.


10/26/16

She felt her body lay back in the chair, comfortable and warm. He is beside her in the living room. She thinks he is so tall and slender, dark skin, blue eyes. Such caring eyes.

He reaches out his hand and offers it to her, she reaches out and gets up. She looks and stops, as she turns around she sees that she is still sleeping in the chair. 
Your body will be just fine, he says to her. She does not believe that he is talking to her, somehow his words were forming in her mind. Can he read my mind she thinks? Oh no.. 
Where are we going she thinks?
He looks at her puzzled.
Where are we going she says out loud.
Oh to the island of coarse, hold my hand I don't want to to lose you. It will only take a few minutes.

He looks up and lifts up in the air, she holds his hand tighter and closes her eyes just for a few seconds. She opens them to her city flying by at a very comfortable speed. She did not feel sick, how could she she didn't have a body. I guess I don't have to worry about my car sickness and laughs a little. They lift off high into the night, him soaring through the clouds with such a serious look on his face, her trying not to stare at him. 

This is wonderful she says. It will be over soon, and the quicker the better. 
You don't like my city? 
No I hate all cities, he says. 
The concrete is shutting off all life. Nothing nurturing grows, just weed of poverty, corruption and greed. I enjoy the plants and animals that lived here before Man decided to take claim to this land.  We are almost at my home hold on the landing is a little to get used to. 
As they flew down Mami closes her eyes, just in case that dizzy feeling returns. I wouldn't want to get sick and my body is at home making a mess everywhere she thinks.

They arrive at the shores of a beautiful small island. The trees were higher than she has ever seen in real life or books. They looked older than time itself. Such strength in the wood. She wants to feel it, take from its dead branches and give life to such amazing art pieces. She sees so much in the wood. 

This is my home, or was my home before Man came along. My people were great in power, we once roamed earth when it was one land. We called ourselves Light seers 光先見者. We might have had power, our pride and ego made us split apart. One of my people accidentally made humanity, we thought them small and pointless. Scurrying in the forests. It was our pride that let man get so big, thinking them small made us ignore what they were doing. Until man found a way to trap us.

8/21/2016

I was living on this island without a care in the world, alone with my animal friends when man came. We did not imagine that man held its own power, we assumed that only we had that magic. They called themselves warlocks and they learned to imprison all of us. They spent their lives seeking us out. We did not even see them coming after us.One night they came with fire and started the forest at all four ends. North, East, South and West. I was surrounded by fire. I found safety in a cave from the fire, only for this magician to trap me in this hole.

He takes Mami's hand and guides her to a  beautiful stream. Please come and sit, drink from the water. Your body might not be here, however your soul always seeks thirst. 
What can I do to save you, I am not strong or brave? Mami it takes strength just to be here now, your strength is what attracted my bottle on the beach. It was searching for the perfect woman to save me. We are destined to be together.

I don't believe in destiny she says. What am I suppose to do to help you?
You must crawl down this cave and free me from my prison.
What! That is so kowai, so scary. Can you not find someone else?
I have been searching for the right person to save me for the last 6000 years. Since my species were trapped around the world.
Just borrow your fathers boat, it won't be dangerous. 
Are you sure?
Yes he says as he holds her hand again.
He reaches out for a kiss when she turns her head.
I don't know you, what are you doing?
I'm sorry he says and he looks straight ahead.
She wanted to kiss him...

Will you do it, will you come save me?
And you promise I wont get hurt Mami asks.
I promise you will not get hurt he says.
Okay I will come to this island and save you. I just need to take some time off of work.
He grabs her hand and with a tear in his eye he lifts them both up in the air. Soaring over the waters and back to the shores and city where she wakes up in back in her chair, holding a very old green bottle.

8/23/16

That morning she went to work, as she was leaving her apartment she noticed a television crew talking with the owner of her apartment by the pond. I wonder what's going on she thinks. She gets in her car and drives to work. When she gets there she notices the water cooler is not in the staff kitchen. Feeling a little weird she knocks on her bosses office door to speak with him.
Oh Mami yes please come in I need to ask you a few questions. Sure she says, I also need to ask you something.

You go first he says as he sits at his desk. I need to take some time off, I have a friend who needs some help and I would like to be there for them. Sure he says, how long will you be away?
She stops and thinks, how long. I guess only 5 days, if I can have five days off?
Sure he says, that is okay, we will get Akko to cover while you are gone.
Now I have a serious question for you and I would like you to please sit down. 
Okay she says and she grabs the chair and takes a seat.
A couple weeks ago you became ill very quickly when you saw something in the water cooler, is that right?
Nervous Mami says no, I did not see anything in the water cooler, I just got dizzy. 
Yes that is what I remember also until I opened the office this morning and found the water cooler filled with green bottles.

What?

Yes, I just didn't understand how they got there until I checked the camera.
You have a camera in the kitchen?
Yes someone was eating my tapioca pudding and I had to find out who was taking it. She was fired long ago but I kept the camera just in case. 
He turns the computer monitor towards her. See this is when you got sick and if you look close you will see a bottle floating.
He forwards the video fast and each day another bottle appears. How can this be he says, I was here all week and we did not notice any bottles in there.
Mami getting all worried gets up, I'm sorry sir I don't know what you see or what is happening. I have to go, I will see you back at work in six days. 
Suspiciously he looks at her, and says we will see you in 6 days.
As she was leaving her boss picks up the phone and punches in a number.

Hello police?

8/25/16

Mami arrived back at her apartment to gather a few things and make sure her hermit crabs will be safe when she is gone. They are her little friends and she wants them to be okay. When she gets to her door there is a letter from the owner of the building. She takes it off her door and starts to read it.

Dear tenant.
We had a situation at the pond and a officer would like to speak to you. His number is 254-345-23443 and his name is Officer Kaito with a special unit of the Tokyo Police. I will be calling him the moment you come in the building, as I will be watching in my cameras. Please call him right away.

Mami felt a little scared, what do the police want with me?
She quickly went in her apartment and grabbed what she needed in a hurry. I will get my Mother to come make sure my hermit crabs are fine. She grabs some clothes and her camera. She wants to make sure she wasn't going crazy and the things she sees are real. 

As she gets in her car to drive away she notices the landlord coming out of the building. I better hurry she thinks, I don't want him to notice that I saw him. She drives off very fast and heads down to the grocery store to grab some supplies. She needs to buy some food and a good flashlight. 
She doesn't know what she really needs, so she grabs whatever she can. Now if I can buy lessons on how to drive a boat?
It has been many years since her father let her sail his hobby boat.

I am not afraid she thinks as she put her bags of survival gear in the trunk of her car. She takes the highway to her parents cottage. It is a long drive but she finally makes it there. She keeps checking his rear view mirror in case the police or her landlord is following her. She arrives in the later evening. She goes to the boat house to get the boat ready. The shed is locked, she reaches for a key under a rock and opens the door.
The boat hasn't been used in awhile as large spider webs fill the mast and deck. I better clean this up she thinks, and leave first thing in the morning.
She tidies up the boat and makes a bed for herself in the sleeping quarters.
That night she had a dream scarier than she ever had before. She dreamed that there was not one presence but two. A man and a demon, both stuck fighting each other, locked in battle. The man who she knows from her dreams is whispering something to her. He is trying to speak loud but his body is so weak. She can understand what he is saying.
Anger? Stranger? Danger?
Is it Danger?
The demon opens his eyes and they are the color of fire, it looks at her as it opens its mouth full of sharp teeth. 
Run he screams, Run..
She wakes up sweating, and confused. 
Feeling a little kowai, she looks in the small bathroom mirror.
Am I doing the right thing?

8/31/16


That morning Mami struggled to get the boat out on the dock. She didn't imagine it would be so hard, her father might get mad over the scratches she put on the side. I need to take care of this boat she thinks, my father loves this boat more than anything. 

The boat is a pleasure cruiser, around 32 feet. Shinny white and named Haruaki. Named after Tokugawa Haruaki, a Samurai warrior in the mid Edo period. It had sails but it was mostly used as a motor boat. Her father taught her how to drive it many years ago. He use to fish as she trolled the engine. She slowly backs up and turns the ship around. She looks at the map and sees that her destination is 3 miles out. She has a full tank of gas and emergency spares. She is ready for anything.

The waters were rough and the fog was thick. She had to use the large spotlight on the front of the boat. She started worrying that she would get lost. The ship had radar and GPS, and she planned the trip in advance on the on board computer. The fog was so think and menacing. As she made her way it seems that all life around her stopped moving. She heard no birds or noticed any fish in the water. All she can hear is the waves splashing against the boat and the hum of the engines. 

For the first few hours of the morning everything was Okay. She knew where she was going and the computer was working fine. For the last hour of the trip she had a go a straight line, it was very simple. Once she started getting closer to the island the lights and computer screen started flickering. The engines were working fine but all the lights were turning off and on. The fog was so thick she was afraid she would get lost out here. The radio turned on really loud with a digital scream. She jumped and ran to turn it off. She hit the power button on and off over and over but the radio would not stop. She covered her ears as the sound became louder. Tears ran down her eyes. 

Stop it she stars yelling over and over again.
STOP IT, she yells and the radio stops.
She lifts her head up, her ears are ringing really loud. It is all she can hear.
Out in the distance she sees the island. It is not that far away. All of a sudden the lights flashed bright and turned off. The engines on the boat stopped running. Everything on the boat stopped running.

Oh no she thinks, what am I to do?

She can't row such a big boat and she is not that strong of a swimmer to swim that far. Wait she thinks, the boat is still moving, and faster than it was before. She was being guided to the island. She ran to the back of the boat to see what was going on. Two large octopuses were pushing the boat with their heads and using their tentacles to push the boat. She jumped back scared. She has never seen big creatures in her life. These must be ancient she thinks. Their eyes spoke stories of unknown adventures that she would never know. Exploring the deep oceans, living a freedom in the dark cold.  
She notices the shore is getting closer and the boat was not stopping.
She looks back and tells them to stop. She thinks she is crazy, Octopuses don't speak Japanese.
The beach is getting closer. She runs down to the bedroom and grabs all the pillows. She needs to soften the damage so she will not get hurt. 

My father is going to kill me!

She is holding a bunch of pillows in front of her when the boat hits land. She is thrown forward and the front of the boat rips open, exposing rock and sand.
She gets up and looks around. This boat is going nowhere. Above her is a great wall, she sees no way to get up it. I guess I have to walk the beach she thinks. As she walks she notices that the waves were more violent on this beach. The waves were small but the came with such speed and were reflected back into the ocean. It was almost like the waves were trying to smash the wall. I would not like to be on this beach during a storm  she thinks to herself. 
She notices stairs going up the wall, the rocks well worn and cracking. She makes her way up slowly. She steps down on one stair and it cracks and rolls down. She moves closer to the wall. I will put my back against the wall and she starts climbing up. 
What am I doing? Why am I doing this?

She finally reaches the top and gets a full view of the abandoned city before her. The forest was trying to take the island back however the stone was so think, only little life grew. The island was empty and dead. How am I going to find him?



9/1/16

As She steps on the ground a small tremor starts beneath her feet. The wind starts to howl and the fog returns over head. Hello? she yells. The buildings look like gravestones, the streets littered with glass and old pieces of peoples personal property getting faded from the elements. It looks like everyone left quickly, she thinks.  As she starts walking towards the main area she sees a green bottle down the road. She quickens her pace and jogs to the spot. As she reaches for it the bottle disappears. What? She looks around and notices another bottle off deeper in the city. She starts walking to it this time, no point of wasting energy running. As she reaches out for the second bottle it also disappears. Is this some kind of a game, she says out loud. 
She looks around and sees another bottle. I guess her wants me to follow his trail.

As she makes her way chasing bottles the abandoned building start blocking the view of the water. She is going deeper in the heart of the old city.
She is so busy looking down that when she was about to reach for another bottle she noticed the really large old building she was facing. Wow this must be one of the first buildings on the island. It is so old. So goes to kick the bottle so it would vanish when she knocks down the street.
Oops, she goes and grabs it and pulls off the top to read the note inside.
Within this building is a set of stairs that go down down deep in the heart of the island. You will find me there trapped, entwined with the beast that I have been holding for more than I can remember. To break the spell you must get me to look in your eyes. Your love with set me free. I must warn you it is very dark and dangerous. You will need to be careful coming here. You must take the stairs down to hell.


She takes off her bag and looks for a flashlight. She has a rope and climbers hooks to make sure she has no way of getting hurt. As she walks the stairs up, she looks at the view around her. The dark shadows moving, the way the wind sounded like a owl howling. She was strong she thinks. I am brave. I will help this beautiful spirit and, and, I don't know. She looks around as fear grabs hold. Why am I here again? She than remembers his eyes, that glow of love and trust. Someone so beautiful could not be a monster.

She makes her way to the top of the building and sees a door in the center of the room. It says DO NOT ENTER.
She reaches for the door and pushes it open. The door is heavy but not locked. She turns on her flashlight and steps out on the metal railing. She flashes her light down the stairs.


So Kowai she mumbles.
Hello she yells expecting a echo. No sound returned, just darkness answers.
I am crazy, she thinks. I must have gone mad.
She thinks of the book Alice In Wonderland where all the best people are bonkers.

9/5/16

Today I will call this "down the rabbit hole"


As Mami slowly goes down the stairs, all sounds of the outside world diminishes. The walls lined with cracks have life trying to free itself from the concrete prison it has been forced to live behind. Her flashlight is not strong enough to see how far she must go. As she climbs the stairs become older and older. They must have built on to this years ago she thinks. How old are these stairs she wonders. The rocks seem much older than the old city itself.
The more she climbs down the weaker her flashlight gets. She stops and picks up a rock and drops it down the hole. She waits in the silence waiting for the rock to hit bottom. It never came.
That is impossible she thinks, there has to be a bottom.
As she climbs down further her flashlight goes out.
No she whispers as she hits the light against her hand. I can't go in the dark, I will trip and fall. She sits on the stone and covers her eyes and starts to cry. I am not this strong she thinks, I can't walk down this hole in the dark.

She notices a green glow between her fingers. She removes her hand and sees a gentle soft green glow emitting from the walls and the stairs below. The algae is glowing she thinks. She gets closer to see that glowing mushrooms and algae are giving light to a place that has never seen real sunlight before.


This is so beautiful she thinks as she starts walking down the stairs again. The sight of the mushrooms gives her energy and strength. I will do this she thinks, I will free this man with the beautiful eyes.

It seems like forever as she makes her way down the stairs. Each step is a step in the history of this shaft. She sees some markings on the wall that says 1662. Is this the date that it was made she wonders, and who made it?

She stops to drink some water and have a bite of her food she brought with her. She looks down to see a ground not too far in the distance. It is covered in a think moss. That is why the rock made no sound, it fell on a large moss pillow. Everything is quiet. She can hear the dripping of water but nothing else. AS she arrives at the bottom she sees a floor covered in glowing mushrooms. Purple and green shine bright in the darkness. Off down a large hall she notices a large door with a even larger lock on it.

Deep in this hole a long time ago someone carved this door, out of the natural rock. Why would someone do this to hide it away? 
She gets closer and tries to read the writing. The language is very old but she can read a few words, she had learned ancient Japanese in art school.




HERE LIES THE PROTECTOR AND DESTROYER OF WORLDS

TO ENTER IS TO BE PURE OF HEART

TO STAND IS TO BE BRAVE

                                                   LET NO EVIL OUT THIS DOOR

                              FOR THE WORLD WILL FALL AGAIN INTO DARKNESS

Protector and destroyer? This does not sound good. She gets closer to the door and looks for a way to get inside. As her hand touches the door it starts making small cracking noises. Seeing no holes but a place to put your hand, she places her palm against the door. From behind she can hear a locking system opening. The seal of the main doors releases and a breeze blows her hair in a mess.
She stands back listening. She can still hear only water dripping from behind her. She reaches out and pushes the door open.

It is a large room, bricks line the walls and images circle the room with a strange writing she has never seen before. In the middle of the room is a large glowing bubble. Inside she sees two beings circling around each other in a dance that must have been going for many years. She cannot hear them but she knows that each one is fighting for their life. She gets closer to the bubble and tries to touch it. He hand goes right through. She holds her breath and starts walking towards the large bubble.

When see enters the world around her becomes very loud. It sounds like thunder echoing off the walls. The two beings, one a man the other unknown in a battle of strength. The monster trying to get free as the man is doing everything to hold it. The man looks tired and the beast or she thinks it a beast is hammering the man with his fists.

Am I doing the right thing she thinks as she walks closer. The beast looks up, its smile a sinister red, eyes as fire body as black as the night, it spins around so the man is facing her. She does not know how she can help this man? She whispers hello?
The beasts struggles to hold the man there, she notices his head move and his eyes open. Those are the eyes she remembers, this time there is so much pain and hurt in them.
He opens his eyes and takes a long look at her. Kachi! Run he screams as the beast takes this chance and frees himself from the man.
The beast grabs the man and throws him across the room.
The beast flies over to her and speaks in a tired but heavy voice.
Thank you my lotus flower for freeing me, I have waited many generations to be free from this prison. While you understand that it was me all along, I will leave you in this dark hole forever.
Goodbye Mami, say goodbye to everything you love. For my time has come again and darkness will once again beat the light.

The dark spirit flies out the doors, as they slam shut. She can hear the stairs on the other side crumble and fall as the beast destroys it on its way up. Leaving her trapped in this large old room.
What have you done. What have you done Kachi, she hears the man moaning. She rushes over to him. He is hurt and bloody. He opens his eyes and she feels a love she has never felt before. It was almost like she knew these eyes and this man before.
What did you do he whispers, why did you come here... he says before passing out.


9/7/2016

Bottled Illusions

Wait, don't fall asleep why did you bring me here? NO DON'T YOU DARE! 
And you fell asleep. 

She sits down and starts worrying how she was going to get out. Stupid idea Mami, you are losing your mind Mami, she keeps thinking negative thoughts in her head. 
He tricked me, it's all his fault. 
For 6 hours Mami sat in the light green glow waiting to see if the man will ever wake up. She could hear him moaning, calling out the name Kachi. 

He called me Kachi she thinks. 

Hello? Hey Woman, do you have any water with you?
Yes she says as she grabs the bottle beside her. It is all we have so please drink slowly. 
He grabs the bottle and drinks all the water in one sip.

Oh you asshole she says, we are trapped here
No we are not he says. The door was locked from the inside, the people who helped create this only wanted people to stay out, my job was to hold one of the nine Misaki 御先 
That was a Misaki? My grandfather use to tell me ghost stories of the Misaki late at night to scare me. They were just stories.

Did that look like a story to you?  No, I don't know what that looked like. It kept changing its shape. One moment it was beast, full of hair and fangs. The next it was a demon, with a body of shadows. 
It can assume many forms, it is a trickster and will have no mercy on the people now that it is loose again. Thanks for that, he says to her.
What? You are the one who brought me here. I was happy looking for shells when your bottle came along. That was not my bottle. 
He tricked you into coming here. He knew once I saw you, he would be able to distract me long enough to let go. Why me? Who am I to you?
In my time you were named Kachi, meaning warrior of light and victory.
We are part of a clan that is here to watch over the spirits, to keep balance so humans and spirits can coexist together. We live for a 100 years than we die and are born again. 
Me? She starts to laugh. I am Mami, I work in a doctors office. I make pottery and take care of my hermit crabs. I am not warrior.
No you are not he says.

He gets up and walks to the back wall, he lifts both hands and starts rubbing the wall. What are you doing she says? I know there is a switch to open the back door, I just can't remember where it is.
Will this take long time she says? You did drink all the water. Will you take long time he mimics back in a silly voice you did drink all the water as he hits the right rock and a door opens. 

No this will not take a long time he says.

As Mami and the man walk through a dark cave she asks him if he knows where he is going? No actually I don't, it is one of these ways. As the walk a light shines off in the distance. Well I guess I do he says. Do you have a way off the island, my boat crashed on my way here. You don't have a boat? 
No.

They walk out on the beach from a small hole in the wall. Good thing it wasn't storming, we might have been trapped down there. So which way is your crashed boat. Along the beach, this island isn't that big so we should see it right away. They walk for a bit more, he is very quiet and she is talking nervously. I really didn't mean to crash the ship, I was pushed by a couple Octopuses. As they get to the boat, he can see it is too broken to repair. Well I didn't want to do this, he holds out his hand. Grab it and close your eyes. Why she asks? We have to go beyond and the forces in that world are too much for you to bare. She grabs his hand as he lifts his other in the air, and with his finger he rips a hole in the universe. Mami looks scared as she looks at him, are you sure this is safe? I don't know he says, it has been awhile since I traveled this way.
Remember close your eyes. Mami and the man walk through the hole, as it seals itself shut.

Mami can feel a deep cold, and a sound of a million people yelling for help. She wants to open her eyes, she can feel herself flying and just as she gets ready to open them, he says open your eyes.
They are in the middle of downtown Tokyo, the city streets are as busy as ever. Where are we she says? Look around woman, can you not see with your own eyes? Now where can I find a place for a good tea, it has been ages since I last had a cup.

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