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Chapter -17- Allusions of the Heart

Celestial Realm Land of the Dead ...

Sinopa adjusted the strap of her satchel and knelt. She ran her fingertips over the dingy floor. She created a small ball of fire from the palm of her hand.

The floor had a yellowish hue to it. She stood up. Roots jutted from the ceiling and walls. The room smelled of rotting corpses. She breathed through her mouth to ignore the scent.

She reached to a side-pocket on her satchel where a plastic nozzle peeked out from the hand sanitizer within. She pumped a bit onto her fingertips and scrubbed her hands.

Sinopa took a deep breath to calm her heart. She ignored the foul tasting scent, hanging heavy in the air. She pushed onward. Water trickled down the walls in some areas. She faintly heard the sound of water.

A voice came from the left. "The water is yellow."

She turned to face a rotting corpse, sitting against the wall. "Excuse me?"

The man spoke Japanese, but his words were slurred from his rotting lips. Decay caused his face to have pockets in the skin where maggots feasted on the dead flesh. "I said the water is yellow. We're beneath the springs. The water trickles in at times. That's what you see on the wall. Are you a kitsune?"

"Did the tails give me away?" she asked with a sarcastic voice.

"Oh, you have tails? I didn't see them in the dark. You're holding a ball of fire in your hand."

"My apologies. My vulpine eyes allow me to see better than humans in low lighting. Why are you sitting here? Why not continue on to Yomi-no-kuni?"

"Mm, you are a pretty face, and your Japanese is very good, but you look like a westerner."

"It is a long story," Sinopa said.

"I asked to leave the land of the dead. I was permitted to leave. So I went to the topside. I squeezed between the cave entrance and the boulder. I could not make my way past the ghosts of the samurai. I am a lowly history teacher."

"When did you die?"

"Last year. The school let me go for drunken behavior - I argued with a parent about personal beliefs. The shame I brought to my family was unbearable, so I went into Aokigahara. I wondered in the forest for two days."

"That forest is world famous for the sheer amount of people who commit suicide. Why would you do such?"

"I climbed a tree with the intent of considering suicide." The man sighed. "I lost my nerve. I began to climb back down. Instead, I fell. I landed on my neck and laid there, starving to death, taunted by Yurei until I died."

"Why did you wish to leave Yomi-no-kuni?"

"I wanted to return to the forest and warn suicidal people to turn back. I can disparage people from making foolish decisions."

Sinopa sighed. "You starved to death?"

"I did. So I gorged myself at the hearth of Yomi upon my arrival."

Sinopa knelt besides the body. She reached into her satchel and withdrew a peach. She brought the fruit to his lips. One side was softer because of being pressed against other peaches in her satchel.

Carefully, she guided his left hand up to hold the peach against his mouth. "It was a noble gesture, wanting to save other lives. But for you to come here, you must have believed more in Shinto than Buddhism."

"I never knew what to believe in, but now I see that Shinto beliefs were the correct ones," he said. "It's exactly as it was described in my childhood teachings. I almost feel bad for other religions for being so wrong. They'll find out soon enough, I suppose."

Sinopa shook her head. "No, all religions are correct. That's what humanity cannot seem to understand. Everything is right."

"So if I was Christian, I would have gone to Hell for trying to kill myself? If I was Buddhist, I would have been reincarnated?"

"Mm, and you are Shinto, so you came here. But after some measure of time, you will join the kami. If you go back to Earth as a ghost, you cannot become kami. Be glad the samurai kept you in your place."

"No, as a kami, I cannot make a difference. At least, if I return to Earth as a ghost, I will have purpose. Having a reason for existence, no matter how difficult, is more important to me."

Sinopa stood up. She pumped another gob of Purell on her hands and cleansed them. "What is your name?"

"Tatsuki Inoue. And yours, kind kitsune?"

"Sinopa Guillot."

"That does not sound Japanese."

"I was born 'Shizuko.' Stay here. I will see you again when I leave."

"No one leaves."

"Do you wish to find your way back to Aokigahara?"

"I've had a year to consider my actions. I've never lived for anyone else. All my decisions in my life were for myself. My family wanted me to become a businessman like my father and grandfather. I decided to teach history. I love history."

"Yes?"

"My decisions will no longer have an effect my life. So it is time I make a decision that will affect the lives of others. I have desired to return to Aokigahara. I will keep foolish people out of the suicide forest. Nothing would bring me more pleasure than to feel meaningful."

"Stay here. I will take you home."

"It cannot be done."

Sinopa tilted her head. "And by that logic, there are no ghosts in Japan, because it is impossible to escape Yomi-no-kuni."

Tatsuki blinked his eyes. They appeared lifeless and rotted from decay. "Why am I not a skeleton? Why does it take so long for my body to rot?"

"I assume it is because your body has been found and you were filled with embalming fluid, or you were frozen for a while until the family identified you? I do not know. But it takes a while for the body to decompose under different conditions."

"Oh. I thought it was because I ate too many preservatives in life."

Sinopa pursed her lips and looked way, trying not to laugh. "No, Tatsuki-san. That would have no effect."

"I was making a joke," he said with a crooked smile. "Why do you travel to Yomi?"

"To find my husband."

"Do not eat the food here. It makes it difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Also, it is poisonous to living flesh. You would leave here as a corpse if you lose yourself to temptation."

"Worry not. I came prepared." Sinopa bowed to him. "I'm saving the rest of my fruit for the beings that will attempt to keep me from leaving this domain. But I will have another for you if you are here when I return." She bid him farewell and continued on her way.

X

X

Out in the Physical Realm Syracuse, New York ...

Haley peered in through the door of the room she was forbidden to enter. Inside, she saw a dining room table with people seated in conversation.

She recognized the people, since they lived in the mansion with her and her mother. One man was named Justus. Some called him 'justice,' and others pronounced his name 'joo-stus.'

Next to Justus was Ms. Natalia and a man that Haley assumed was her brother, Kalen. Next to Kalen was his girlfriend, Carmen, who was always very sweet to Haley. Across the table was Peter. Next to him sat the man who came with her father, Cybil. Further down the line of chairs was Charlie Foster, another woman, Saundra, and finally her mother, Patty.

Nine total members sat at the table. Haley couldn't hear their voices from the doorway.

A hand touched Haley's shoulder. She looked up. It was another woman named Laura.

The lady lowered to one knee next to Haley. "Shouldn't you be up in your room drawing, or spending time with your dad?"

"He's sleeping," Haley said. "He's taking mom to the airport soon. They're flying to Africa and I can't go with them. It stinks."

Laura sighed. She stood up and put her hand on the back of Haley's head. "C'mon, let's go eat some junk food or something. This place is totally stocked."

"Why do they have meetings in there?"

"Well, it's a business thing. They're starting a business and using that room, in there, as their meeting room."

"I know I'm young," Haley said. "But my mom is a scientist, and my dad is pretty smart, too. And you know how they both have a sort of shy side? Well, I don't. I'm smart and spirited. So what do you think of that? And I can tell you, right now, they're doing something more than a business."

"What makes you say that?" Laura asked, leading her into the kitchen.

"Because they have, like, body guards and stuff. There's you, and Mr. Rue and his drunken friend. Oh, and Sero and Mela. Sero is funny, but sometimes she's a little too sarcastic for her own good."

Laura snorted with amusement. "Well listen to you. So what is it you think they're doing in there?"

"Well, they're homeschooling me now, see..."

"Yes, and?" Laura opened the freezer and pulled out a square plastic tub of ice cream.

"And anyone who knows their history knows that governments shove their agenda into the public school system. So what do you think of me now?"

"Well_that_ sounds like a loaded statement that you're repeating from someone else." Laura opened a cabinet and pulled out a bowl and a coffee cup.

"What I mean is, I just had to write a report on the Sons of Liberty flag. Five red and four white vertical stripes. It represents a group calling themselves the loyal nine."

"Oh yeah? I've never heard of that."

"It happened in the 1700s," Haley said with a firm nod. "That same flag is in the meeting room, over the mantle. Oh, and did you count how many are in there? Nine of them."

Laura tilted her head. "What're you suggesting?"

"My mom is one of the new Sons of Liberty, duh. She's going to help change the world. They want me to understand what they're planning, so they're having me do history reports based on a cra-ric-u-lum that is suited to their agenda. My report is how the Loyal Nine acted like some secret group to make America into what it became."

"Dang, really?" Laura scooped ice cream into the coffee mug, then filled the adjacent bowl. She put the lid back on the tub and returned it to the freezer. "So you think that group meets one another to talk about ... what?"

"I'm gonna say this nice, because you got me ice cream," Haley said. She went to the counter, grabbed the bowl and spoon, and made her way to the kitchen table. "But you need to open your eyes and ears to what's happening all around us."

Laura brought her left hand to her mouth and laughed into her palm, so as not to spit ice cream out.

"You laugh, but Ms. Natalia is building another house, just like this, in Boston, where the Sons of Liberty operated, see? There's only one nuke-u-lar power plant in ... however you pronounce that state. And it was shut down before the quake and floods from all those years ago. So it's not all nasty and full of radiation in Boston. It's going to be really cold but it's where the United States has a lot of history."

Laura sank into a chair, staring at Haley. "Okay, I'm impressed. Go on."

Haley shrugged. "Well, see, Ms. Natalia is planting her flag, so to speak, in that state with Boston."

"Massachusetts. Say it with me, Haley. Mass-ah-chew-sets. And that's with two T's at the end."

"Massachusetts," Haley said. "I'll have to remember that one. It's a big one. Anyway, there's another house being built in a state called Maryland," she said, pronouncing the word, 'mare-ah-lund.' "The other half of the group will stay there."

"Oh yeah?" Laura put the spoon in her mouth, turned it over, and pulled it back out, upside down, enjoying the sugary cold taste. "So why are they doing all that stuff?"

"Because they're going to take over the District Coast and start a new safe America where Specials can live. Mom knows this guy named Vincent. She said he can change radiation so that it's harmless. She said he makes it old, so that the little radiation stuff in the soil will be too old to be harmful. He ages it or something."

Laura rubbed her chin. "Vincent. I've met him. He's a good guy. Last I saw of him, he was taking his friend Nichole back to New Atlantis."

"Uh,why on Earth would he do that?"

"Because it's the only place that can grow her eyes back." Laura frowned. "She was blinded by the nuclear bomb that wiped out San Francisco. Vincent is taking her there to get her eyes back. They can regrow them with stem cells or something."

"Oh. Holy crap. But the people in that city are really bad. At least the ones running the city are - they sent this guy to kill me and my mom. They're what's wrong with this world."

Laura nodded and brought another spoonful of ice cream to her lips. "Yours is melting."

"Oh, right, right." Haley pushed the spoon into her bowl. "I'm almost double digits by the way." She brought a gob of ice cream to her mouth.

"Is that so?"

"Yup. I shared my secret. So what's yours?"

Laura grinned and pulled the spoon slowly over her bottom lip, relishing in the taste. "What makes you think I have a secret worth sharing?"

Haley shoved her spoon back into the bowl of ice cream. "I can't say big words, like cry-ro-gen-ick, because I see them on paper, but I never hear people say them around me. A few years ago, I had to have tubes put into my ears for a few years. I learned to talk late because I couldn't hear very good when I was a baby or something. There. That's two secrets. Now, what's yours?"

Laura leaned back in her chair. "I used to be a ... well, I was a monster."

"Say what?"

Laura shrugged. "I had a mutation. It's where your body doesn't develop properly. You needed tubes to open up your ears. Me? When I was just a few years younger than you are now, I turned into this hideous freak with huge claws."

Haley laughed. "Oh, you did not. Look at you now, you're pretty as a peach."

Laura smiled, moved by the simple compliment. "Well, thank you, Haley. You're the only person to ever say that to me."

"Well it's true! I mean, you know, you could use a tan and you need to take more pride in how you do your hair, but what do I know? I'm just a kid. But you're pretty. Wait,"

"Wait?"

"Yeah, wait up. Hold up. Is this some sort of 'ugly duckling' thing you're trying to tell me? Like, you looked walk-ward, or whatever the word is, and then you became pretty later?"

"No, no. I wasn't an awkward swan mixed in with other baby ducks. I had a genetic mutation and my genetic code was unbalanced. I honestly looked like a giant pimple with claws and teeth. And I stayed that way for years. I was stuck in the mindset of a kid the whole time. I was a scared little girl in a scary looking body."

"So what happened?"

"The genetic mutation stabilized after a long while. You had tubes in your ears to help the ear canal stay open. I didn't have any science to help me. I had to wait until my body and my genetics righted itself. One day, the excess skin sloughed off. My claws became brittle and broke. And then they thinned out. I had ingrown toenails but they started looking normal after a while."

"What's an ingrown toenail."

"You heard of a pain in the butt?"

"Yeah?"

"And you heard of a pain in the neck?" Laura grinned.

"Yeah?"

"Well_this_ is a pain in the foot, trust me. Anyway, I started aging again. And a few years went by, and I got older, and my hair came in, and started growing normally. And then my voice changed, and I started thinking about things I'd never thought about before. Like, how act right, and how not to dress funny."

Haley chuckled again. "Well, whatever happened to you, you're pretty now."

Laura grinned. "I just need a tan and a hairdo, huh?"

"And paint your nails. You're a girl. Be proud of it."

Laura smiled. "You're okay, you know that?"

"Just okay?" Haley grinned. "I'm the coolest cat in this place."

"Yeah?"

"Yup. So you were really a monster?"

Laura nodded. "For quite some time, yes. I was a strange looking creature, and sometimes I have dreams where I'm still a freak and I'm scared it's happening again."

"Could anyone hurt you when you were a monster?"

Laura shook her head. "No. I was bulletproof. I was super strong. I could use my claws to cut through anyone that tried to hurt me. The funny thing is, no matter how powerful I was, I was still scared for some reason and I could never understand why."

"Dang." Haley stuffed another gob of ice cream into her mouth. She spoke in a muffled voice, over her ice cream. "So you were super powerful, huh? Now that's a cool secret."

Laura grinned. "You want to know another secret?"

"Mm?" Haley pulled the spoon out of her mouth and nodded, cheeks full of ice cream.

"I can still do all that stuff. I don't look freaky anymore but I kept all my powers."

Haley swallowed. "Really?" She squinted her eyes. "OH man, ice cream headache. I _hate_brain freeze! Ugh!"

Laura frowned. "Swallow over and over while licking the roof of your mouth."

"What's that gonna do??"

"Just do it. Your brain thinks you're dying of frostbite, so you have to warm up the nerves in the roof of your mouth, and the back of your neck. Swallow while rubbing your tongue against the roof of your mouth. It'll make the pain go away faster."

A moment later, Haley sighed in relief. "Wow. It worked."

"See? Even people with super powers get migraines. Just be glad those go away after a few minutes. Normal migraines can last for hours."

"And they hurt like that? But they last hours?"

"They can, yeah."

"So you really still have your powers?" Haley paused. A sly smile spread across her face. "Can I see?"

"Are you squeamish?"

"What's that mean?"

Laura shrugged. "Do you get sick at the sight of blood?"

"Oh heck no. My mom shelters me from just about everything, but this girl got up in my crap at school once. And she took me by the hair and made me bust my lip open on a sink in the girl's room. So I broke her nose." Haley lowered her voice, adding, "Don't tell my mom that. That's another secret."

"Okay, I'll keep that secret if you keep this one." Laura stood up and went back to the kitchen counter. She found a sharp knife and walked to the sink. "Our secret, right?"

"Promise."

Laura put the tip of the knife into her palm and winced. Blood rivulets ran down her wrist. She grimaced and eased the tip of the knife back from the wound.

Haley hopped off the chair and ran over to the sink. "Is that a trick?"

Laura used the thumb from her other hand to spread the wound open. "Does it look ... like a trick?" Her eyes watered up with pain. "God, now it's starting to sting."

"Why would you do that?"

"Just watch." Laura's palm healed, slowly. The wound became a scab. "See how it's doing that? That's called vitamin K or something. It's something in your blood that causes the blood to scab up like that. Now, here's the cool part. Watch close."

"Wow, that's fast. I'd still be bleeding if I cut myself like that."

"Just watch," Laura said with a weak smile. A tear ran down her cheek from the pain, which was beginning to subside, finally.

Flesh grew over the scab, leaving a pinkish-white line over her hand. Laura washed the blood off her hand in the sink. "The good news is, it heals real fast. And if I bleed a lot, my blood starts to rapidly regenerate. But the bad news is, sometimes my body reproduces too much blood to make up for what I lost. And then I get migraines because I have too much blood. And that sucks."

Haley reached up and turned off the water. She took Laura's hand into her own and ran her thumbs over the bland white line. "It looks like an old scar." She brought her right elbow up. "See? I fell when I was learning to ride a bike. And it healed but now you see that smooth little line? That's never going away."

"The line on my hand will heal," Laura said. "It'll take a few days, but that line will fade. See, first I heal real fast. Then my body resets itself so that I stay just like this forever. Or so I'm told, at least. But that line will be gone in a day or two, trust me."

"Wow. That is a super power."

"You like that, huh?" Laura grinned a bit. "I don't know my own strength, though. I've accidentally pulled on a doorknob without turning it all the way, and cracked the doorframe. Once, I turned the knob too much, and cracked the door."

"I'd trade mine for cool powers like yours."

Laura arched her brows. "You have an ability?"

"I think so. There was no way to know in New Atlantis, but when we moved up here, I was able to talk to animals."

Laura blinked. "Excuse me? Like, you can legitimately talk to animals?"

"Well, I understand their intent. And they come to me. And when I talk to them, I can make them understand what I want from them. But we can't have conversations or anything. I can't ask them how the weather is, but I can tell if they're overheated or if they're cold and uncomfortable."

"You're really serious about this?"

"Yeah, of course. But I don't know if that's a power or not. I just know animals trust me. You know that drunk guy?"

"Albert? What about him?"

"He's a lion. No, I'm not kidding. And Rufus is a wolf. They never told me, but the animals in this area are terrified of them. They go on hunts to stretch and come home late sometimes. Also, Albert is nasty to everyone except for me. And trust me, it's not because I'm a kid. It's because he's an animal and he can't help it."

"So you have animal magnetism..."

"Is that what it's called?"

"It's pretty rare," Laura said. "Have you tried talking to smarter animals?"

"Like, how do you mean?"

"Like dolphins."

"I've never seen a dolphin before."

Laura smiled a bit. "Your parents are going on a business trip. Maybe I can convince Charlie to go to an aquarium. We'll see if you can do it."

"So you really believe me? I mean, I haven't shown you."

Laura shrugged. "You just told me you broke a girl's nose and asked me to keep it a secret. You know I got dirt on you - I doubt you'd lie, because you know I would rat you out to teach you a lesson."

Haley laughed. "I like you. You're clever. But your threat don't scare me, because I didn't lie. Watch this." Haley went to the sliding glass door at the far end of the kitchen. She lifted the metal bar on one end, and unlocked the handle.

The glass panel slid open with ease. Haley walked out into the backyard and held her hand out. "I'm going to give it full tilt, let's see if we can't lure something..."

A bird flittered down from the roof and landed on her palm. It fluttered its wings and looked around, making quick sudden head movements.

A squirrel came from a tree and scurried across the yard. It sat down on its haunches, looking up at Haley as if expectantly.

"That..." Laura watched as a scruffy fox came from the woods and approached.

The squirrel looked back at the fox and fluffed up, but held its ground. The fox appeared interested in Haley but ignored the squirrel completely.

Laura furrowed her brows. "That's a predator and prey animal, sitting side-by-side. Now that is impressive."

Rufus and Albert came around the corner, oddly drawn to the courtyard.

"Christ, what are you doing?" Albert erupted. "That bird's got germs, kid. I keep telling you to leave those animals alone. That fox could have rabies."

Rufus wrapped the backside of his hand against Albert's elbow. "She's a little girl. Cut her some slack."

Albert rolled his eyes. "See? I told you nothing was back here."

Rue shook his head. "Al, you're the one that came back here. I just followed you."

"I was looking for beer," Albert said. "My, uh, current one was getting warm." He went to the cooler and opened it. "You want one?"

"Yeah, I guess." Rufus nodded to Haley and Laura. "You ladies doin' okay?"

Laura smiled. "Yeah. You boys still playing chess?"

"Cards," Albert said. He took two beers out of the cooler.

Haley lifted her hand, gesturing for the bird to fly away. She relaxed her ability. The fox looked down at the squirrel, which bristled up again. She glared at the two animals. "Don't you dare; you leave that squirrel alone."

The fox scrambled away. The squirrel went the other direction.

Albert looked at the beer bottles in his hands. "What the hell are we doing back here? I've already got a goddamn beer. I swear." He walked back around to the front of the house, mumbling to himself.

Rue shook his head. "Haley, you gotta stop doing that. You're confusing him."

Haley froze. "Wh- wait, what?"

Rue approached Laura and Haley. In a gentle voice, he said, "You're an animal attractor, ain't 'cha?"

"I ... I guess. I never had animals in New Atlantis, so I only recently learned I can do this."

"Ayup. I knew you was an animal attractor the minute I met'cha. This whole display just proves it. You's a regular Disney Princess, Haley."

"You're not going to tell my parents are you?"

Rufus chuckles with a bright grin. "You do know yer daddy got powers too, right?"

"He does?"

Laura nodded in agreement, "Rue is right. Your father and I were trapped with Kalen and Ms. Natalia for a while. We had to fight creatures that looked how I once looked. They were mindless things that you would never want to meet. Your dad's a pretty amazing guy, and he's very brave."

Haley fidgeted. "I always thought he was kind of nerdy. He's really able to fight monsters?"

Rufus cut back in, "Heck yeah, yer daddy is a rock star when it comes to fightin' bad guys."

Haley looked between Laura and Rufus. "Well ... what about mom?"

"I don't think so. I think it's just yer daddy." Rufus offered a soft smile to Laura. "I think Charlie was lookin' for you, by the way. Before the meeting o' minds."

"He was?" Laura shrugged.

Rufus grinned. "You don't like him?"

"What? No, he's okay. What do you mean?"

Rufus grinned. "Charlie's sweet on you. He got it real bad."

Laura tilted her head. "What?"

"You didn't notice? Damn girl. That boy gets downright flush in the face when you talk to him for more'n five seconds. You know he's a telepath, right?"

She shrugged. "So he reads thoughts, big deal?"

Rufus approached Laura and whispered into her ear.

"Oh, c'mon!" Haley exclaimed. "Secrets?! Really?"

Laura turned red. She cleared her throat and pushed Rufus away. "There's a child here."

"Uh-huh. And she didn't hear nuffin."

"Well, well you didn't need to say that. That's..." Laura trailed off and coughed. "Come on, Haley, we have ice cream melting on the kitchen table. Let's go." She took Haley's hand and guided her back in the kitchen.

Rufus watched Laura go and grinned. "Seed planted." He looked up at a window directly above the kitchen. Charlie, fresh from the recent meeting, was standing in the windowsill. Rufus offered the man a thumbs-up gesture. "She can't get it off her mind can she?"

Charlie opened the window. "She's thinking about it right now and I'm blushing."

Rue grinned up at the man in the window. "Take her and Haley to the aquarium. It'll be like a date. You're welcome, bud." Rufus opened the sliding door and stepped into the kitchen. "Haley, honey, I reckon the meeting is over. You'll wanna talk to yer folks while they pack, cause you won't see'em for a few days."

Haley looked down at her bowl of ice cream. She turned her gaze to Laura and said, "Can you stash this in the freezer? I'll finish it soon."

"Sounds good," Laura said.

Haley hurried off.

Once she was out of the room, Laura turned back to Rufus. "You're serious about that? A telepath can really hear thoughts so well that he can give any woman the best sex she's ever had in her life?"

"Well, you gotta fall in love for the really, _really_good ones, Laura. But Charlie's a good guy. Sorry fer' playing matchmaker, but I made a bet with the kid."

"What?"

"I told him I could get you to agree to goin' on a date with him. You were talking about that-there aquarium idea. I heard you 'n Haley talking 'bout it when I came around the corner of the house. He was afraid I'd scare you away."

"Is that so?"

"Ayup."

"And what do you get out of it if you win the bet?"

"He gotta use his telepathy to help me figure out how to approach my son for the first time, so I don't trip over my tail."

Laura frowned.

"Sorry if that's bad. I don't mean to use'em like that."

"No, no, you're not using him. You're trying to help him go on a date with his crush. In return, all you want is to try and make things smooth when you finally meet your son. Rufus, that's really, really selfless."

"I ... you think so? I thought you'd be bent outta shape, but I couldn't lie to you about it, y'know? Charlie's a sincere guy."

"You don't think it would be weird? He looks like he's in his late thirties, and I look at least ten-to-fifteen years younger. Some people are weird about looking a different age than their date."

"He's got a crush on you, girl. He ain't worried that you look young. He's worried you'll think he looks too old."

Laura scoffed. "I'm not shallow."

Rufus smiled. "So you'll go with him to the aquarium, then, yeah?"

"Well, I was planning to anyhow," she said. "The Balmorals have put their trust in Charlie to watch her while they're away. I only just started talking to Haley today - she's really, _really_intelligent for her age."

"Ayup. Her mom's a scientist; her daddy's a super nerd. I expect great things from that-there lil' girl."

"I think she figured out what the others have been doing in those meetings."

"Oh?"

"I'm not going into details, because whether I'm right or wrong, Haley told me her thoughts on it in confidence. But if she's right..."

"Yeah? Go on, darlin', if she's right ... what?"

Laura shrugged. "Let's just say, if she's right, then we need to do whatever it takes to help make it a reality."

"How can I do that, without knowing what to do to help?"

Laura sighed and moved closer to Rue. She lowered her tone. "She thinks those meetings are to start a new America on the District Coast. Like ... the revolutionaries in the 1700s."

Rufus rubbed his chin. "You mean like the Sons of Liberty?"

"How the hell does everyone know all this stuff about history, and I don't?"

"Did'ja go to public school, or look up history on the internet?"

"No, I never went to school, Rufus. I was a creepy freak."

"Oh. Well, my bad for bringin' it up, darlin'. Just go tell Ms. Natalia you wanna learn. She's all about education. Or better yet, ask Charlie. I imagine a telepath'd be patience enough to explain things in a way that are easiest for you."

"God, you really want us to hook up, don't you?"

Rue laughed. "I got a hand of cards waitin' for me out front. You just remember what I whispered in your ear, earlier."

"What are you basing your information off of anyhow?"

"You know what a succubus is?"

"The blond one, for example?"

"Ayup. She could have anyone she wants. She got people throwin' themselves at her, cause she's smart 'n pretty. But, after fifty long years, she's still in love with a dead telepath that she only knew for a single month."

Laura replied with a blank stare. "Seriously?"

"I assume he must'a been the perfect man, because of his ability. And you're always so miserable. I wouldn't mind seeing you happy, Laura. Now, if'n you'll excuse me, I gotta babysit Albert. We all got our part to play." Rufus walked out of the kitchen.

He went through the hallway and stopped in the foyer. He tilted his head as though straining to hear. Haley, Evan and Patty were talking further down the hall, with their bedroom doors open.

He couldn't make out the words, but their tone of voice made him wonder what a family would have been like. Rufus pulled his cellphone out and called Ulfey.

She answered on the second ring. "Hey, baby."

"Rue, how've you been? I've found our son!"

Rufus blinked. "Wait, you have?"

"Yeah, babe. And he's zeroed in on the men who have some sort of nuclear weapon. God, it's like you have ESP or something, because I was just about to call you and ask what I should do? They're spying on these people and I think they're plotting to attack those guys. They don't know I've been tracking them."

"Alright, hang tight. If they try'n make a move, then you show up and stop them. Text me an address."

"I wish we had more werewolves. These guys are strange looking. Almost like Jotnar from the old poems."

Rufus rubbed his chin. "How'a 'bout a drunk lion?"

"What? Werelions are a myth."

Rufus smiled inwardly. "Just text me that address."

X

X

Celestial Realm Yomi-no-Kuni - the underworld ...

** Sinopa cringed at the scent of delicious food.** Her stomach ached from overeating at Tamamo's hut. The overpowering smells would have been a treat to her nose, but having eaten so much, the smell of food made her feel almost nauseas.

She ventured deeper into the halls of the dead. As created by the collective consciousness of Shinto worshipers, the halls were dingy, covered in filth and there were areas where corpses lay in shallow graves, uncovered.

The bodies looked up at Sinopa in passing. Some craned their heads as if judging her for her healthy appearance.

The hallway opened up into a dark inner-sanctum. An eerie, somber silence made it so that Sinopa could hear her own heartbeat. She was the only one in the land whose heart beat; she was the only one who needed to take a breath.

She expected the air to be rife with carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide from the all the decay.

However, the air was rich with oxygen from plant life that clung to the walls. Roots and vines came from cracks in the dirt. But with no one to breathe the oxygen, there was a hint of staleness to it.

Sinopa made her way through the halls of the restless dead, most bored and beaten by having so little to do. Some beings were skeletal remains with bits of disintegrating cloth hanging from their bones.

"Kitsune!"

Sinopa froze. She didn't recognize the voice but something deep down inside told her she knew of the speaker. Sinopa began to turn her head, slowly.

"No!" said the woman. "Do not look upon me. If you cast your gaze upon me, I assure you it will be the last gaze you cast."

Sinopa's heart raced. "Shizuko. You may call me Shizuko."

"Mm, I know who you are, Sinopa Guillot. But do you_know _me?"

Sinopa took a deep breath. "Please forgive me for trespassing. I promise I will not cast my eyes upon you. I learned the value of patience from the stories of Izanagi-no-Mikto. Forgive me, Izanagi-no-kami."

"His impatience brought me great shame. Men have no patience, at least not compared to a patient woman."

"Hai, that may be true."

"I have lived in this world, patiently, waiting for the day he joins me. Everyone dies eventually. No matter how long it takes. And then he will learn that the world is more than cleanliness. Then he will learn true patience."

"With all due respect, women are no better than men. We are no more patient at times. Even the most patient of us may, at times, find themselves unable to wait for something. I am here to see my husbands. I could wait no longer."

"Then you do not know true patience. I am dead, damned, and alone, but I am the most patient of all the gods."

Sinopa said nothing.

The ancient goddess moved closer, almost directly behind Sinopa. When she spoke, her voice was in Sinopa's ear. The kitsune could smelled burnt flesh, wondering why the goddess never decomposed like the skeletal remains seen in the prior hallways.

Sinopa remained quiet.

"You are wise not to speak your mind, but I know you disagree."

Again, Sinopa said nothing.

"I've watched you since you arrived. You are wise, girl. You resisted the hearth of Yomi. You brought a way to clean your hands when touching the filthy of my world. You brought a peach for Tatsuki. Yes, I know the name of every being to die."

"A thousand a day was your promise. Your quota exceeds that number often. You do not need my body to make good on your promise."

"I take who I wish. A thousand a day was merely stating a minimum amount."

Sinopa licked her lips. "If I can show you just one time in your lengthy existence, that you displayed impatience, will you let me continue on?"

The ancient goddess of the dead scoffed. "If you can show me just one time I have been said to be anything less than patient, I will let you continue on with the breath in your lungs. If you can tell me of two times, I will allow you to roam free while I meditate on your information."

Sinopa nodded.

"But speak wisely. I will give you no time limit to formulate your answer, but you will stay here, with me, until your next spoken word. You will not leave this spot without answering me, or your life is forfeit."

Sinopa nodded.

"If the next words to pass your lips is not an answer, I will take the breath from your lungs. But remember this, kitsune ... with all that you've eaten, you only have until you've digested it."

Sinopa swallowed, feeling a pointy object against her mid-back.

"But if you cannot do it, I will drain the very breath from your lungs with my next movement. So ponder carefully. You are the one who talked your way into this. I will not be tricked by a fox; you've only tricked yourself."

Sinopa drew in a slow, calm breath. "When you sought a ceremony of union before mating your husband, you walked in opposite directions about a pillar until your paths brought you back together. The first time you came face to face with one another during that ceremony, you greeted him first. A lady shows patience by waiting to be greeted first."

Silence. After a moment to ponder the ancient memory, Inzanami lowered the pointy object. "You have your breath. Well done, clever fox. But you are not free to roam this land unless you can prove I have demonstrated a lack of impatience a second time."

Sinopa kept her eyes in the opposite direction. "With all due respect, when your husband felt there was something wrong with the ceremony, you ignored the feeling in his heart. You mated anyway. And two children became devils, set out to sea. If you had simply asked the older gods the proper way to conduct a union for mate-ship, instead of impatiently seeking to have children without the blessing of your elders, you would not have had two children."

Izanami remained silent.

Sinopa pursed her lips together. "Your _third_demonstration of impatience is in casting them out to sea because they were deformed. There was no way to know if they would grow to become devils. You impatiently assumed such, and sent them, hungry and alone, to the sea. I am a mother; I was told my children would be the puppets of a very evil man. But I was patient with them and I guided them. In contrast, you hurriedly passed judgment on your first two children, and cast them off without ever taking the time to know them."

"They were never heard of again," Izanami whispered.

"Of_course_ they were. But because you could not provide them the love and patience a child needs from their mother, they came into their own without help. Your first, Hiruko became a god of fishermen, and luck. Your second child, Awashima was named as a small, pale island. But that island has grown as the ocean patterns rise and lower over the centuries. The island is now known for its beauty. The autumn moon is breathtaking. You could not be patient to see that your first two children would grow to become wonderful. What kind of mother casts her children out to sea because they did not meet her expectations?"

Izanami gasped in horror. "How dare you? You are a lowly sub-creature, not fit to be pure human, nor animal. How dare you speak of to me with such disrespect?"

Sinopa swallowed. She felt foolish, and assumed the goddess would take her life. But something compelled Sinopa to speak her mind.

Lost to a moment of temporary insanity, Sinopa spoke again, judging the ancient goddess. "Once more, you were impatient. You were impatient to become the first divorce of Japanese history. True love is endless and without condition. You could neither love your first two children, nor your husband in such a way."

"You ... do not know what you are saying. You are a cruel demon creature, spawned from the loins of Sigyn in her ancient youth."

Sinopa grimaced. "You had conditions on all you claimed to love. And as heartbreaking as it is that you had the flesh burned from your body in such a horrible way, you break my heart by casting aside your children for mere imperfections. So, please, feel free to judge my tails, my ears, and look past my heart and my spirit."

"Be gone, creature. You speak so because you are proud of the imperfections that grow from your head and your backside. You judge because you do not approve of my motherhood? I am the mother of Japan, you hurtful, judgmental creature."

Sinopa took a moment to let the insult set in. "You were judged by a higher power for your crime against simple imperfection. Perhaps it was an elder god, or perhaps it was Karma, but your final child, the god of fire, burned you to your death." Sinopa's ears folded back, lying flat on her head.

"You are out of line!"

The kitsune whirled around, eyes narrow and jaw set. However, Izanami was gone.

Guilt crept into Sinopa's heart. A quiet depression nested in her bosom. She dared insult the mother of the gods; she questioned how she could have been such a horrible person.

"Well done," said someone else.

Sinopa turned to face a person standing in the dark. She held her hand up, using the fire in her palm to illuminate their face.

To her surprise, the person did not appear to be dying or horrific. Their voice was neither high pitched, nor low pitched. Their face was neither feminine nor masculine. The androgynous being had beautiful eyes and a gentle smile.

"Forgive me, I did not see you. I am ashamed of my behavior."

"Don't be. She lives up to all your accusations. Mm, 'lives.' The pun was unintended. When her children were less than perfect, she cast them away. When her husband came for her, they spoke. He left without her, and she was consumed with anger. She threatened to kill people just to spite him. He promised to birth more, just to spite her."

Sinopa lowered her gaze. "Women are often characterized as foolish in religions. Eve was seduced and partook of forbidden fruit. Izanami wished to give birth to fire. Aphrodite started the Trojan War for a golden apple..."

"And why do you suppose that is? Why do you suppose women are such horrible fools in mythology?"

"Because men penned the tales of lore, and cast women in such a light because they fail to understand us."

The genderless person smiled. "I like you." Their pale face and gentle smile was soothing. "And you have peaches?"

"I do."

"I understand why you brought them. That was very intelligent of you. Do you have enough to share just one?"

Sinopa withdrew a peach from her satchel and passed it to her new friend. "Who are you?"

"I will let you figure it out. For now, come with me. I trust you are seeking the Christian heaven."

"I am."

"I will show you the way, but you _must_come back through Yomi-no-kuni. You have to leave the way you entered. It is far too dangerous to leave through Hades, as there is still a battle raging at the far corner of the Realm."

"Surely a peach is no manner of payment for someone kind enough to show me the way."

"Take me with out when you leave."

"I..."

The person approached Sinopa. They drew in a deep breath and exhaled, so that Sinopa could feel the warmth on her skin.

"You're alive?"

"I am. I overheard Izanami speak of a man at the entrance ... Tatsuki, I believe?"

Sinopa nodded. "Yes, I promised to take him with me as well."

"I will find him and wait with him near the entrance. There is no reason he should be alone. But, first, I will show you how to find the Christian afterlife from here."

"Why are you so kind? Is it because you need my help to leave?"

"To a degree, I could benefit from your aid, yes. It has been difficult to ignore the scent of Yomi's hearth."

Sinopa withdrew two survival bars made by Karla. She gave them to the mysterious, genderless-yet-beautiful being. "Please, eat. I have enough to share. Eat before you head to the entrance hallway. If you lose your will and eat of Yomi's hearth, you cannot leave."

"Thank you. A kindness repaid by a kindness. Now, come, I will show you the way."

"Please tell me your name?"

The mysterious person smiled. "I would be more honored if you were able to guess my identity. There is no rush. Take your time. Perhaps my pale skin and genderless face would clue you in. Perhaps not."

"Very well, I will ponder it. I appreciate having a travel companion."

"Tell me about the modern world, please, Sinopa-san."

"Well, when is the last time you have seen it?"

"Let's say, for the sake of your descriptions, I have never seen the modern world. Describe it to me? Is Shinto still the dominant religion?"

"Mm," Sinopa nodded firmly. "Very well. I will describe it to you, but first to answer your question of religion - yes. Shinto and Buddhism dominate the belief system of Japan. Christianity has a few million worshippers, and always growing, but mostly in the west."

"I heard that there was once a ban on Christianity in Japan."

"Yes. It lasted about two centuries. But in 1873, freedom of religion was propagated. Regardless, Shinto continued to blossom."

The person folded their hands. "I do not know the meaning of the numbers you speak."

"They are a measure of time," she said.

"Perhaps you should describe the cities. It might take a big longer to explain how humans count their time."

Sinopa nodded as they walked together. "I suppose I should start with what you would see if you cast your eyes upon a city for the first time..."

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Next Chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/837158