Trails of intertwined stars: Chapter 30

~Chapter 14: Hisako's Story~

Zero and Sayaka sat outside in the sun. Zero was strangely not sad. He was...happy?
"I'm glad you're feeling better," Sayaka hummed.
"Thanks," Zero chuckled.
"Something else!" Sayaka pulled the folded pages out of her handbag," Reading this is what made me think you might be at the silo."
Zero carefully unfolded the pages, frowning," What is it?"
"Remember the diary? Well, those are the missing pages."
"You know," Zero stared up into the sky," Some things I remember...some I don't."
"Well I think this might help you. I found a clue in this painting that was behind the bookshelf."
It was a small watercolour painting of the marsh house, it's style familiar.
"Maybe I'm psychic!" Sayaka giggled," Turn it over!"
Zero flipped it over. On the back was a note.
"To Marnie. From Hisako."
Zero gasped, Sayaka raised an eyebrow," Hisako!"

The lady stood in her usual spot, painting in the sun, smiling softly.
"HISAKO!"
Hisako glanced around, confused. She smiled softly, as Zero ran over with a new friend.

Hisako sat, reading the diary with a somber expression. She shut the book, taking a long hard sigh.
"Can you tell us what you know about her?" Zero frowned," It would mean a lot to me."
Sayaka nodded, awkwardly.
"Of course," Hisako stated," But, I'm afraid it is a rather sad story."
Sayaka gasped, yet Zero wasn't entirely surprised.
"I'm ready for it."
Hisako kept her eyes shut, recollecting, before glancing up at them. She read their expressions, before staring up into the sky, solemnly.
"It was a very long time ago. I used to go play at the marsh house quite often."
In Marnie's messy room, the blonde tore open a gift as young Hisako laughed, rocking back and forth in a rocking horse.
"Marnie and I were still very young."
Marnie giggled, holding up her present happily," Look, look it's a bear!"
Hisako giggled, running over," Let me see! Let me see!"
"Marnie loved to boast about her glamourous parents."
Marnie sat on the bed with Hisako, pointing at an image of her, William and her mother.
"And look here!" Marnie grinned," This is my dashing dad!"
"Woahhhh!"
"And their extravagant parties."
William and his wife sat on the sofa, smoking and drinking wine with guests as they laughed at a magician.
"But the truth is...she was being neglected."
Marnie sniffled, listening to the noise downstairs. She pulled the blanket over her head, the five year old struggling to sleep.

Her mother was dressed in a lavish coat, with a gorgeous hat; without William. She blew a kiss.
"Goodbye Marnie."
She strutted off without a care as Marnie sobbed, being restrained by a maid.
"Mumma! Mumma! No! Mumma! Don't leave me!"
"That poor child. Seemed even the maids were bullying her."
Zero sighed sadly, Sayaka scowled," That's awful!"
Zero gasped, standing in a crowd of people dressed nicely, clapping in an aisle like shape.
"Later, Marnie moved and married Kazuhiko, her childhood friend."
Zero turned to a building, watching as a young adult Marnie held onto Kazuhiko's arm. She looked beautiful and happy, so did Kazuhiko.
"With her family torn apart, and feeling lost, it was Kazuhiko who was always there to support her."
The two of them had their arms linked, Marnie snuggled into him, fondly; Kazuhiko shared this exact same love towards her.
"How romantic!" Sayaka smiled," So Kazuhiko was a good man."

Marnie sat in a hospital bed, with a bundle in her arms, Kazuhiko leaning over eagerly. It was a baby; with a red, squashed newborn face, with small brown tufts.
"Two years later, Michael was born."
Kazuhiko chuckled, prodding Michael's cheek as he yawned.
"Living, at last in the warm household she had always wanted. Marnie was happy."
Hisako frowned, staring at the grass.
"I didn't see her for a while after that. The next time I saw her was a few years after Kazuhiko had died of an illness."
Zero's eyes widened. Hisako drew a short breath.
"Marnie was distraught," Hisako stood up, turning to look at the marsh house," The shock of her husband's death left her too ill...she was placed in a sanatorium."
"Sana-torium-?" Sayaka frowned, glancing over at Zero.
"It's a place where you go to get better," Zero informed.
Sayaka gasped," That's dreadful! What happened to Michael?"
"Marnie's parents had passed away before hand."
Seven year old Michael sat in the back of a car, staring horrified as his mother shut the car door. The boy rushed forward to the window, banging the window for his mum to let him out as he sobbed.
"Leaving no one to look after him."
Marnie watched the car drive away, sobbing, trying her best not to scare Michael as he watched her, distraught.
"Unable to cope, Marnie felt she had no choice, but to send young Michael off to boarding school."

A thirteen year old brunette stormed out of a building, scowling with a bag flung over his shoulder.
"By the time Michael returned at age thirteen, he'd become a different child."
"Michael!" Marnie smiled, crying, holding her arms out to hug him.
Michael stormed right past her, into the car, scowling; not even looking at Marnie.
"He was willful and independent. And even though he knew his mother had been ill, Michael bore a grudge for being sent away at such an early age."
"OH!? So now you're trying to sound like a mother!?" Michael snapped, now in his early twenties.
"I am your mother!" Marnie stated, sharply," And I'm simply saying you may not know what's best for you! You need to think things throug-"
"Have you been listening to me at all!? You just don't get it!?"
Zero watched the fight from behind the wall of the home, his breath catching in the back of his throat.
"IT'S TOO LATE!"
"Just take care of yourself! Please! Michael!"
"They never did make up after that."
"Michael, I'm your mother!"
Michael stormed past Zero, slamming the gate open," I never thought of you as a mother, even when you were around."
"Michael ran away from home and married."
Zero watched Michael storm off with a woman.

Zero gasped, turning back to the house, the noise of a phone ringing. He walked up to the front door, glancing in.
"His wife was expecting, you see."
Marnie stood with the phone in her hand, her mouth quaking as she slowly lowered it.
"But then..."
Zero stared at Marnie, sadly, sympathy budding inside for her.
"His wife first died from childbirth, and Michael died in an unrecorded accident."
On the street of her home, Marnie held the hand of an extremely young child.
"I heard that Marnie took their little boy in."
Zero watched from the doorway of the dining room as the baby sat in a highchair, Marnie feeding him with a happy smile. The baby looked just like Michael. The baby clapped his hands, happily.
"She was determined to never let this child be lonely."
Marnie chuckled, gently blowing the food to a cool, holding it up to his mouth.
"Still, she couldn't get over the shock of losing Michael."
Marnie gave a fond closed eye smile.
"Marnie became very ill, and died the next year. That was a while ago." 

Tears streamed down Zero's cheeks, yet he just quietly scrubbed them away. Next to him, Sayaka sobbed, her hands under he glasses, covering her eyes.
Hisako sighed," I'm sorry, it's such a sad story."
Zero shook his head," It's fine, I really do appreciate it."
Hisako smiled dreamily at the mansion," Marnie adored that mansion. She loved the view of the marsh from her window. She said it felt like the birds were speaking to her."
Hisako sighed, smiling softly, looking down at her diary.
"She had a lonely life, but she always lived it to the fullest. She lived life with a smile. Determined to be happy."
Hisako's gaze went soft, looking at Zero.
"So, you've met Marnie too?"
Zero gasped, before smiling happily.