Mermaid

Chapter 22

"A medical condition?" Takashi repeated with a frown.

After Erika had collapsed the workers at the inn, quickly took her to her room before Suzuki called a doctor to come and take a look at her, while Takashi had taken Alison aside trying his best to keep her calm seeing as how frantic she had become the first time when Erika fainted. During his attempts at keeping her relaxed, and in one place instead of walking back and forth in worry, she told him about Erika's affliction when they were younger.

"Sort of, but her mother told us that she would grow out of it over time so I have no idea as to why it's back so suddenly. Maybe it's because of the sudden move from our home town to such a faraway place."

"Well it's not the first time it's happened, at least, not the first time here, though the ones with the medical problems end up being the elderly. It's exceedingly rare when it's a woman as young as Erika-san. Maybe the doctor will tell us when he's done examining her."

The wait felt like forever, Alison's grey eyes kept looking back and forth at the clock while Takashi tried to keep her busy with small talk about himself and about Japan in general, but it didn't help.

"Erika-san told me you want to be a novelist." Takashi's words jarred her out of her state, causing her to look at him with slight puzzlement. "It was yesterday; when you went to get ready Erika-san told me some things about you."

"So you know about my parents then."

"Not much, but I will say this, coming out to them won't be easy."

She lowered her head before letting out a sigh. "You must find it dumb, I have a future laid out for me at my feet and I want to do something that many would find crazy."

Takashi rested his interlaced hands on top of the dining table in his family's kitchen. "Actually I'm the opposite of that, I find what you want to do incredible, it's very hard to keep doing what you want, many who try to write think it'll be an easy job to do, you write a story, you get paid, but it's not that simple is it?"

Alison looked at him.

"Being creative is part of it, but you have to try to do something different, to write stories no one else has thought of, and making sure it's not too cliché, as well as keeping info in what your story is about. If it's a fantasy it takes a lot of mental thought in how you want to write it, and a mystery, you have to lay out clues without giving out who the criminal and or killer is at the end, and with a historical you have to make sure what you have is accurate, otherwise you'll be chewed out by the masses, same goes with an adventure. Writing a story is never easy, and it will always be a challenge in keeping your audience captivated long enough even after the book has ended."

She frowned at him. "You seem to know a lot about this."

He shrugged modestly. "That's all I know really, I learned most of it when Allen was from way back when. His enthusiasm interested me, his love for books and history I found fascinating. It's why I learned English, so I could talk to him more about his books and the many things he knew."

"But you never got the chance did you?"

His dark eyes stared down at his lanced hands as his smile turned slightly sad. "No, but that's fine. I knew it would be nearly impossible to meet him face to face again; I was only five at the time. But I have your stories to look forward too." His smile lightened, causing Alison to blush. "I'd love to read what you've written."

"I... don't think what I have would be something you'd enjoy." She said sheepishly, but then paused before blurting out. "Wait a minute, you were five years old? Just how old are you?"