The Yokai's Wife
The room was dark, the only source of light coming from a single candle flame that flickered in the breeze coming through an open window. A lone girl sat before low table in front of a piece of paper that was topped with a coin, and two pens, one with red ink and the second with black ink. At the top of the blank page she drew the outline of a Japanese torii shrine gate in red ink. In black ink she wrote 'yes' and 'no' on either side of the torii gate. Beneath that she wrote a row of numbers and below that she had written the alphabet. She placed the coin on the image of the torii gate and lightly touched it with her index finger. "Kokkuri san, Kokkuri san, please come out... if you are here please say yes". Slowly, the coin began to move underneath her fingers and slid to 'yes'. The girl was elated, Kokkuri san was here to answer her question. "Tell me Kokkuri san, how long do I have to live?"
Before she could receive an answer, a gust of wind slammed the window shut and blew out the candle. Startled, she let go of the coin with a sigh. "So much for that, Kokkuri san," she said. As if in answer, the candle sputtered back to life. Shocked, the girl could only stare at the flame and marvel at this possible response to her question. She decided to end the game. "Kokkuri san, Kokkuri san, thank you for answering my questions, please leave through the gate and return now." She touched the coin with her fingertip, and slowly it returned to the image of the torii gate.
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She walked briskly along the path that led to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was the last full moon of the year and it loomed ominously in front of her as she walked the footpath. She walked with one goal in mind. Ending it, now and forever. She knew that with her terminal diagnosis a quick ending would be better than a long prolonged one and she was ready for it to be over. In the chill air, she thought that it would be better for everyone if she never existed. As she walked, she gazed up at the night sky and breathed out and saw her frozen breath in the air. She was halfway across the bridge when she stopped. Now or never, she thought as she stepped towards the railing. She climbed until she sat on the railings edge and looked out over the vast, dark expanse of the bay. Twinkling lights shone in the darkness, marking places were people were tucked in, safe and sound in their homes.
She took a deep breath and began to whistle as she sat on the railing... she trailed off as she was suddenly interrupted.
"Whatever you're thinking, don't do it!" A man's voice called out from the darkness. Startled, her eyes opened wide as she lost her balance on the railings edge. She turned and saw a figure in the darkness. As she fell, she reached out in and grabbed at the necklace the man was wearing. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of cold, strong arms enveloping her and the soft feeling of fur.....
She awoke in her bed with a start. What was that? She wondered. Was it a dream? Dazed, she raised her hand to eyes and realized that she was holding onto something. A smooth, white gold and luminescent bead lay in the palm of her hand. What could this be, was last night not a dream? She pocketed the bead and lay in bed.
She was still alive. Just in time for the first sunrise of the new year. Somehow, her plans for ending it all had been foiled. She grasped at the bead in her pocket and wondered about the night before. What exactly had occurred? She remembered a man's voice, a flash of white light and then... nothing. How was it that she was back in her room, safe from the perils that lay waiting outside? She sighed and covered her closed eyes with the back of her hand. I guess that means it wasn't meant to be, she thought. The events of the previous evening where so fantastical that she felt that it must be a dream. But the cold, hard reality of the matter was that it had actually happened, the bead was proof that it was not her imagination.
The morning rays of sun light stretched across the bedroom floor and her bed. It was time to get up. Her plans to end it were now on the back burner until she figured out what had occurred the previous night. No matter what had happened, the end result was that she was still around and she had a job to go to. With a sigh, she slipped out from underneath the comforter and began to get ready. While brushing her hair, she looked idly into the mirror. Her dark brown eyes appeared haunted, the underneath ringed with shadows and her lips were pale. I really need more vitamin D, she thought. She applied foundation, concealer and a light dusting of powder followed by some reddish lip tint to brighten her lips. There, that's better, she thought. After doing her makeup she pulled on a slouchy sweater and high waisted jeans followed by combat boots. The last thing she needed was her coat and bag, and she would be ready to go.
Her job at the radio station was just a short walk from her home. As she walked, it seemed that her memories of the night before became increasingly hazy. However, each time she felt the memory flitting away like a dream, she reached into her pocket and felt the bead and her memory would come rushing back. Her mind was lost in thought as she reached the entrance of the radio station. Absentmindedly, she took out her ID card and swiped it at the kiosk to enter the lobby. She remained entrenched in her thoughts as she made her way to the studio. Before she realized it, she was at her desk. It was time to shake off the events of the previous evening and get to work.
As a radio producer her job was to plan, rehearse and produce live and recorded programs. Consequently, she was always on the look out for ideas to pitch to the commissioning editors for radio shows. As she sat at her desk, she mulled over the newspaper, but didn't find anything newsworthy other than the usual stories about New Year's Eve celebrations. There was however, a slate of disappearances that had begun the past summer and were unsolved to this day. The studio was quiet, but it would soon be buzzing with activity as the team of researchers, producers and the DJ arrived. In the meantime, she decided she would put her efforts toward discovering who the man was that had saved her at the bridge. She took out her notebook and began to write.
It was another busy day at the radio station, a flurry of activity to prepare for their most popular radio show in which the public would call in for advice to their problems. The radio DJ was adept at putting the callers at ease so they would be comfortable in revealing their fears to the general public. This show had one particular caller who was looking for a for a missing loved one. "D" as the caller was identified, stated that after the New Year celebrations, her fiancee had gone missing. Frantic with worry, D had contacted the police, but to no avail and was no looking at alternative outlets to get her message out there. Other callers were invited to contact the radio station in order to help, which was part of the reason the segment was so popular. Nine times out of ten, those calling were not helpful at all and were seeking notoriety and fame. But sometimes, there would be a diamond in the rough and the caller would be able to assist the case.
One of the researchers directed her attention to the incoming phone call. "I have a Keisuke on line 3 that insists on speaking with you, do you want to take the call?" She looked up from her notebook and nodded her head. Through the headset of the phone she was connected to the caller and heard a familiar voice. "How did you enjoy the hatsuhinode?" "The what?", she asked. "The hatsuhinode, the first sunrise of the year." A chill ran down her spine, was this the man who had saved her from falling? She desperately racked her brain to try and connect a face with the voice, but came up empty. All she could remember was the rushing sound of the wind as she fell, and feeling of someone's arms surrounding and catching her. "Who are you?" She asked. A gentle chuckle echoed over the phone. "I feel hurt that you don't remember me, my name is Keisuke and I can help you with "D's" problem. And, in time you will remember who I am". Somewhat perturbed, she responded, "That may be, but first lets get your information in case the call is disconnected." Just as she was about to begin to ask for his contact information, the line clicked and the call ended. "Who was it?" Asked one of the researchers. "To be honest, I really don't know", she replied, earning a puzzled look from her colleague. "Next time he calls, put him directly through to me, ok?" With a nod from the researcher, she went back to work.
As the work day wound down, she gathered her things and prepared to head home. After saying goodbye to her colleagues she cleared her desk and left the studio.
