Her Yellow Scarf

Ugh!

Why is Aki such a big back!

I pushed through the tree branches.

SMACK.

I fell right unto the ground.

***

Muffled whispers pulled me back to consciousness.

A figure stood over me.

“What’s your name?”

My head was still spinning.

“Kai… why?”

The figure gleamed.

“You’re in the way…”

My stomach tightened.

“…what?”

Metal flashed in his hand.

He lowered his voice.

“Thank you… but I’m sorry. I have to do this.”

He struck.

Clean.

***

Why is the light so bright now?!

Soft fluorescent light flooded the view.

Something kept beeping somewhere out of sight.

My body felt heavy before I even tried to move.

“Don’t push yourself.”

A voice beside me.

I turned my head slowly.

Calm hands.

Bandages halfway wrapped around my arm.

“You’re lucky that girl found you or else we could have lost you…”

“Sorry who?”

She gestured toward the side of the room.

A girl sat there.

Her brown coat smudged with blood.

A yellow scarf caught in her hands.

Her face in a different expression.

Skepticism or fear?

“…who are you?”

My voice came out rough.

A smile formed on her face.

“My name is Mika…”

I frowned.

“…why am I here?”

She sighed, “You got wounded…”

Mika stood up slightly, checking the IV line.

“You’re gonna be better now…”

But I wasn’t better.

I was worse off than before.

The moment I stepped out of the room.

Noise.

Voices.

Humans.

Everything moved too fast.

“You’re not gonna get anywhere if you stand there…”

I flinched.

The same girl had titled her head slightly.

“You’re new here? Aren’t you?”

I didn’t answer.

what does she mean by ‘here’?

She sighed softly, stepping closer.

“Yeah… I thought so.”

“…what is this place?”

She just smiled, “This is Kyoto, Japan…”

Her eyes flicked to the view in the window behind us.

“… beautiful, isn’t it?”

She just sighed, as her gaze landed on me.

“…you really don’t know, do you?”

I shook my head slowly.

She frowned slightly.

“You understand English? Right?”

I hesitated.

“…I understand you,” I glanced around briefly, “…if that’s what this is… then yes.”

Mika exhaled softly.

“…okay.”

That wasn’t reassuring.

She turned away.

“Come on.”

I hesitated again.

“…where?”

She glanced back at me

Like the answer should’ve been obvious.

***

We stopped in front of a small house.

“You need to remove your shoes now…”

Shoes? What do you mean?

She just sighed.

“Hurry up… and take a seat there on the cushions…”

She paused.

“Do you want water?”

I nodded.

Why did I even agree to be here?!

A few seconds later.

She came back with a glass.

Placed it in front of me.

Didn’t say anything.

Just watched.

"So, tell me about yourself!"

She smirked.

"I am not really sure..."

"Seriously?"

"Well... my brother, Aki, and me grew up with the Shimas..."

I scoffed.

"Funny Ninkos..."

But her gaze never left.

Even for a second.

Does she have a problem with me right now?!

***

“Do you want to play a fun game…”

She stood up.

“It’s where one person needs to hide while the other has to find them…”

I blinked.

“Hide and seek… you mean right?”

She nodded.

She pointed toward the hallway.

“I’ll be the seeker… go hide somewhere in the house.”

I nodded and dashed.

Dang!

Such a strange place she has.

Wait! Was that a bear?

I froze at the door.

Why is it small?

I rushed into the room.

Wake up bear!

The bear laid on the bed.

Sitting.

Not moving.

No… don’t tell me… how could she…

Don’t worry bear!

I began to press its chest.

Soft.

I poked it again.

Then lifted it slightly.

Wait! She stuffed him…

Murderer!

A knock came from the doorway.

“What are you doing there?”

I froze.

“You! How could you kill this bear?”

“It’s a teddy bear… relax! I bought it…”

“Liar!”

She shook her head slowly.

“You are so outdated…”

WHAT?!

She stared at me.

“You foxes will never understand…”

I stared at her.

I stared at the bear.

“What’s wrong with you humans?!”

She sighed harder.

Her fingers hovered over a rectangular device.

Its faint light flickered across her face.

“What is that?”

I took a step closer to see.

Her eyes widen in shock.

“What do you mean… it’s just a phone…”

She stared at me.

“Don’t you have one?”

I paused.

“…one what?”

Her eyes glared at me straight.

Is she judging me right now?

“Like this,” she said.

Turning it slightly toward me.

“This is a phone.”

I stared at it.

The glowing square.

The moving symbols.

“…why is it glowing?” I asked.

“It’s not haunted… it’s technology.”

She glared at me.

“How are you still surviving in this world?”

My brows knit in confusion.

“… I survive well enough but what do you mean?”

She flinched.

“Ok… never mind… just forget I said anything…”

Huh?

She smiled softly.

“I was just checking about your Ninko thing… oh wait…”

Wait how does she…?

She exchanged glances between the device and me.

“That’s strange…”

***

No. This can’t be!

She was nowhere.

The room stayed silent.

Too silent!

“…Mika?”

I scrambled around the place.

The shoes remained where they had been.

But the table.

A bowl of steamed rice.

Set beside it, was a plate of grilled salmon.

And another bowl filled with miso soup.

A pair of chopsticks and a spoon laid beneath the dishes.

Not a response at all.

“MIKA!!!”

Don’t tell me she disappeared on me now!

Wait. What was that.

Past a sliding door.

She slumped at the end of the room.

Half-turned away.

A hand pressed across her face.

“Hey… what’s up!”

She froze.

Her hands wiped her face almost instantly.

“Why are you here?”

“Well, I want more salmon!”

Her jaw dropped.

“Wha-”

“You heard me!”

She sighed once more.

“This is your last!”

A small smirk formed.

Sure! Whatever! Just come to the table!

Yes! She came with that fish.

At last!

So delicious!

“Oh my gosh! You are going to become a big back with this appetite of yours’.”

“I don’t mind! It’s salmon! I’m never going to get a chance like this again!”

She gave me the side glare.

“You are not to going to waste my stock of salmon!”

But she paused.

Her face slowly became pale again.

I glared at her, with a sly smug.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue!”

She smiled.

“I don’t know if I should tell you this, but…”

It slowly faded.

“Well, you are the only hope… the war will kill millions but…”