Stranded in the Future

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Into the Loop

One last bucket of reddened water and soap being tossed out into the unkept backyard marked the end of Yukari and Futoshi's cleaning. They trod their way into the bathroom, where Futoshi was first to leap towards the sink to wash his hands. 

"I think I'll need a bath too after that," he moaned without much thought, filling Yukari with disgust once more. 

"Don't you dare! Nobody uses that tub but me!" she cried, gesturing vigorously behind her while at it. "Go find your own!"

Futoshi shook his hands dry and turned around. "Why are you so irritable? I never said I would do it here."

Yukari inhaled in an attempt to calm herself, but it only worked to a small degree. Far too much had happened this morning, what with her travel plans being ruined, having to kill her father twice, watching him open up a portal in the living room, and cleaning up what amounted to a crime scene. "You brought this trouble on me. Please, just leave so I can think in peace."

"You're not still thinking of going away, are you?"

Images of a tall and brightly lit building danced through Yukari's mind. She shook her head. "That's none of your business. Why do you care so much?"

Futoshi sighed and pressed his stubby fingers together. "I can't say exactly, but when you first came in for an inspection three years ago, I got the strangest feeling that we were kin. It made me want to find out more, so I followed you and even impersonated a teenage girl for fun."

Yukari blinked in utter confusion while trying to recall past events. "What the hell are you talking about? You're an old man."

"Only for now. I could abandon this identity and become someone new, but that would put all of my tenants in hot water. A couple of them might even end up homeless."

This was beginning to seem like a delusional effort to connect with her, so Yukari dismissed Futoshi with a laugh. "Ha, that's funny. You must be losing your marbles again."

"No. I'm serious."

Yukari cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yes," Futoshi said with unusual certainty. "Only a few like Kumiko know my secret, but I think it's time for you to join them. Are you ready?"

"Hey, I don't even-"

Futoshi crossed his arms and stepped further away from the sink. "I'm a tanuki. A shapeshifting one, if you will."

"Huh?" Yukari searched his gray hair and thick eyebrows for evidence to support that claim.

"I'll show you right now. Just don't make a scene." At that, Futoshi swept an arm past his face, causing it transform instantly into that of a raccoon dog, complete with bristly fur, beady black eyes, and dark circles. Yukari's immediate reaction was to shriek and slap herself in the face to make sure that she wasn't dreaming, but the abomination in front of her simply tilted his head in apparent bemusement.

Yukari's heart pounded as she fled for the bathroom door with her right arm stretched out for protection. "Stay back! Don't follow me!"

"Why not?" Futoshi shuffled after her. "I mean no harm."

She sent the door flying towards him, but he caught the edge with shocking ease. A scream erupted from her body before Futoshi's furry head regained its earlier human traits and he exhaled. "God, I didn't know you could be that dramatic..."

Yukari breathed raggedly and cast her eyes downwards while muttering to herself. "This is just your imagination. You didn't sleep much last night, and you've had a rough day. Of course, your brain is acting up..."