Myne

seven

The girl was sitting on her bed, under the golden net. The curtains were rolled to the sides of the open window. It was night outside, but the lake was the same blue as day. The girl was looking out the window. She seemed to be looking at the lake.

Rain stood in the between the bed and the window, her back to the lake and her face to the girl. She couldn’t look away from the silver hair and the silver eyes. She couldn’t see anything similar between them. Was the girl’s name really Rain too?

“Are you Rain?” Rain asked.

The girl didn’t answer. The girl didn’t seem to even hear the question. The girl couldn’t turn away from the window. Couldn’t look away from the lake.

“Is it really so beautiful?” Rain asked. Without expecting an answer. She turned around. Her back was toward the girl. Her face toward the window. She looked out, at the bright blue lake. Try as she might, she couldn’t see anything interesting about the lake. She couldn’t see anything remarkable.

She let her eyes float, across the lake. To the other end. Where, there was something. She couldn’t see what. She could see nothing more than a stretch of the night. Empty. Dark. Cold. Quiet. Alone.

There was something, there.

Because Rain’s eyes were frozen on the other side of the lake, she didn’t see the girl’s eyes flicker. She didn’t notice the girl’s face turn toward her. She didn’t realise the girl move. She didn’t feel the girl come over.

She only heard the girl’s whisper.

“Do you see?”

*

Emi woke up early, to the astonishment of her parents, and anyone else who might learn of it. It was the vacations. She Emi wouldn’t leave the bed until her parents shook her awake, her mother more often than her father, because they had to leave for work. They would leave breakfast, prepared, warm in a casserole on the table. She could wash up. Eat. Per her own schedule. And then do as she pleased. Which was either watching tv, going over to Rain’s, or dragging Rain along to other friends’ in which case she always had to give notice a day ahead so everyone knew exactly where she was going and where to find her. She was her parents’ only daughter. She had to be understanding of their endless worries.

Which was why, her parents’ surprise was great enough to qualify as frightening them. They had coffee, were watching the news on tv, while they readied for breakfast. When they froze at the sight of an awake Emi leaving her room.

“Morning,” she greeted them.

“It is the holidays, isn’t it?” Her father, Jordan, asked.

“Yes, it is,” her mother, Clara, answered.

The husband and wife stared at each other, wide eyed, mouths wide open. Faces filled with disbelief.

“What’s going on?” They mouthed at each other at the same time.

Emi scoffed at them. “I’m going to Rain’s,” she offered as an explanation. Like that would suffice.

“So?” Her father asked.

“So, I’ve got something on,” she said. “What? You’re always complaining that I sleep so late. Now I’m awake early. And you’re still complaining. Look at you two. Such horrible people.”

“Did our complaining ever amount to anything?” Her father asked. “Not like anything ever changed. So, it’s most definitely not the complaining to blame. Which makes it all the more an intriguing mystery. As for the horrible people we are, we had sixteen years to learn from the worst. We had to pick up a few tricks.”

Her mother burst out laughing. Her father was gloating. And Emi glared at them, futilely.

“Whatever,” Emi said.

The three had breakfast together. As a family. Emi even walked them to the door, sending them off to work with a wave and a smile and a goodbye. Of course, she followed them to the neighbours, walking in just as Rain’s parents headed off to work. Said goodbye to them as well, ignoring another round of shock and gasps.

“You’re up, and Rain’s still asleep,” Rain’s mother said. “Some day today is turning out to be.” And then, they were all off.

Emi rushed to Rain’s room. And saw her friend, standing by the window. Staring out. Completely oblivious to the world.

Emi stopped by the door. Confused. Scared. Yesterday was still fresh in her head. The strangeness of the green book. The strangeness of the story. The strangeness of Rain’s after reading the book. It was truly frightening. She looked around the room, and saw the book on the floor by the bed. It was closed. The old, faded green cover staring up, and back at her, defiantly. It seemed to be mocking her. If the book did have a mouth, it would surely be grinning. She felt like she was on the edge of a river, just far enough from the current to be safe on her feet, while the river threatened to sweep her away. It sure acted like it had won already.

Emi looked up from the book, at Rain by the window. Her friend was so close, and yet so far away. As if a whole world spread out between them. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Rain was so out of it. She was like so far gone. Emi couldn’t shake off the fear, that it might be too late. She couldn’t accept that. She tore her legs free of the roots binding her to the ground. Forced herself ahead, toward Rain. Reached for her friend. Grabbed Rain’s shoulders. And if she had the strength, she would have shaken Rain awake, viciously if so needed. All she could manage was gently, weakly, shake Rain’s shoulder.

It was enough.

Rain turned away from the window, looking confused. She looked at Emi, and smiled.

“What’s going on?” Emi asked in a voice that was close to breaking.

“What do you mean?” Rain asked. And without waiting for an answer, continued. “You’re up early. It is early, isn’t it? You scare everyone?”

“Yeah,” Emi answered. “It is early. I did startle everyone. Scare them, I don’t know. I don’t think so. Not really. Whatever. You’re up late. I think that scared them more.”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Would it have scared them? Really?”

Emi’s eyebrows shot up in reply. Rain shrugged. And Emi repeated the first question.

“What’s going on?”

Rain answered this time. “I had a dream. Last night. I saw her. The girl. Rain. Mira. Whatever her name is. I was in her room. She was on the bed. Looking out the window. But not at the lake. I was wrong all this time. She was actually looking past it. At the other side of the lake. There was something there. I don’t know what it was. Something important. To me. And, she, the girl, spoke to me.”

Emi felt a chill run down her back, and her hands and legs. “What do you mean she spoke to you?”

“I was looking out the window. She got off from the bed. Came behind me. I didn’t realise. Then, she whispered, straight into my ear. She spoke to me.”

They were silent for the longest time.

“What did she say?” Emi finally asked.

“Do you see?” Rain answered. And explained. “That’s what she said. What she asked. Do you see?”

“What do you think it means? What was she talking about?”

“I don’t know. But it feels important.”

“It feels scary.”

“Yeah. That it does.”