Myne

five

Rain gasped. She was completely in the book. And only fell out because Emi was shaking her.

“It’s afternoon,” Emi said, louder than a whisper, but into her ear, so they were still quiet. “I’m hungry. And you are too.” Emi rubbed Rain’s stomach, with a grimace. “I knew I should come along. Look at you. You’ve completely forgotten, haven’t you? You don’t even feel the passing of time, do you?”

Rain didn’t answer. And Emi knew her friend enough to not need every question answered.

“Come,” Emi said, dragging Rain off of the chair. “We’ll have book issued. Go back home. You can read there. Completely drown in the book. At least we’ll be home. I’ll have something to do too. And I can look after you. The library is no good. Not when you’ve got the green book in your hand. Let’s go.”

Rain followed Emi dumbly. She was out of sorts. Dazed. Even seeming confused. She was more than happy to just go along with Emi. They got the book issued. Rain wouldn’t let it out of her hand. She was reluctant giving it to Gamble, even to have it issued. When Gamble returned it, she held the book to her chest, as if hugging it. Gamble smiled understandingly, and stayed silent. The girls left, and headed straight home. Neither wanted to go anywhere else. Rain because she was afraid of losing the book. Emi because she was hungry for real food, for a proper lunch. And she needed to get some food into Rain too.

No one was home. Their parents were surely at work. They were busy people. Loved their work and their careers as much as they loved their children. And they had the perfect excuse, the perfect reply to any complaint, if there ever was one. All their work, wasn’t it for the sake of the girls? So they would have money enough to fulfil any desire of the girls’? Not that Emi or Rain ever complained. They had each other. And that was enough most of the time.

Emi sat Rain down at the table, while she heated the food in the microwave. And served it to the two of them.

“Eat first,” Emi ordered. “We’re home. There’s no one else here, but us. And I won’t steal your book. You know that. So, put the book aside. Drag a chair if you want. Let the book sit by yours side, while you eat. Have a proper lunch. They, we’ll go to your room. You can continue reading. I’ll have a nice, relaxing nap.”

Rain nodded. Followed Emi’s directions. She ate, as much as Emi did. They weren’t the same physically. She was slightly bigger, though Emi was taller. She was fuller. Rounder, in Emi’s words, but that made her prettier. Emi wanted to be fleshy like Rain too. Fuller, in all the right places. Unfortunately, however much Emi ate, nothing would change. She was thin as a stick. At least she was just bones, like those girls in the papers and in the ads. She didn’t want to be like them either. Her parents thanked the heavens for that. On the contrary, she wanted to be fleshy, like Rain. She wanted to be a carbon copy of Rain. A twin. If at all such a thing was possible.

Rain had a smaller appetite. The only times she ate as much as Emi was when she was distracted. Like today. After lunch, Rain sat hugging her book, while Emi cleaned up. And then, the two headed to Rain’s room. They fell on the bed. Emi hugged Rain’s arm, and shut her eyes. Rain lay staring at the book, at the shining green cover, as if afraid to open the book.

“Emi,” Rain said softly, after a few minutes. “Are you awake?”

“Mm,” Emi replied sleepily.

“Before, at the library, did you read too?”

“A bit. Then, fell asleep.”

“How much did you read? How far you get?”

Emi didn’t reply, not immediately. Her eyes opened. She moved her face closer to Rain’s. So they were staring into each other from inches away. And then, asked.

“What are you asking? Just say it, straight out.”

“Answer me first. How much?”

“Some old guy comes to some town. Meets a girl at the market.”

“That’s all? Was there nothing strange?”

“Strange? How do you mean?”

“The girl. Was there nothing strange about her?”

“Like what? It’s a book. The girl is just words. How can I know what’s strange about her from a few words? What are you getting at? I’m not smart like you, not with books. You know that. Give it to me straight.”

“Didn’t you find her name weird?”

“Her name? I didn’t read that far. Show me.”

Rain opened the book. Pointed to where Sky called the girl by her name. Stared at Emi, waiting.

“Mira,” Emi said. “What’s so weird about that?” She looked at Rain, and was stunned by the face that looked back at her.

Rain couldn’t believe it. Mira? She looked at the book. And sure enough, it was Rain. The girl’s name was Rain. Mr Sky asked her if she was Rain. And the girl said yes.

“You must be Rain,” Rain read out loud from the book. And looked at Emi, who looked back at her confused.

“What do you mean?” Emi asked. “What are you reading?”

Rain pointed at the book. “Right here. That’s what the old man says. You must be Rain.”

“No. The old man says, You must be Mira. See, that’s what it says here. What’s going on with you?”

Rain froze. She knew Emi. She knew Emi wasn’t good with pranks or jokes. And certainly not about Rain’s books, least of all the green book.

“No. It’s Rain. That’s what it says here. Look.”

“No, Rain. It’s Mira.”

And then, the two froze. They saw in each others eyes, the seriousness. Neither was joking. And it slowly dawned upon them. The green book deserved its title, that Emi and their parents gave it. It certainly was supernatural.

“Rain, describe the book for me,” Emi said.

“The book?” Rain asked.

“The cover.The outside.”

“It’s green. Bright green. Shiny. Like a shining emerald. What do you see?”

“I see an old book. Green. But dull. Like any old book. No shine, at all. Not even glossy. I only see the shining green in your eyes. That’s where the book shines.”

It was several minutes, before they could speak again.

“This is really happening,” Emi said.

“This is really happening,” Rain repeated.

The two sat up, with the book sitting on the bed between them.