Accidental Trauma

Despite Takao holding him steady, Kanka’s large frame overpowered his bony shoulders and thin arms. He might as well have been a wooden cane held together with duct tape.

Issei looked behind him as he watched Takao’s knees buckle. “You sure you got him?”

They were heading to the train station in Morioka to go their separate ways and to see Murasaki off. But as Kanka lived close by, he could take a cab home.

“Why am I the one carrying him?” Takao said, his face straining a frown. “You’re the other fitness guy besides this lump.”

“Alright, you can take a break–come here, You.” Issei took Kanka’s arm and wrapped it over his shoulder.

Kanka was stable in the restaurant, but he had finished the bottle right before leaving, and it took a while for the sake to work its drunken magic: his face was now a full shade of red.

“Free meal–and all I had to do was play one song–you’re the best leader in the world!”

“Yeah yeah, let’s see if you feel the same in the morning. Drink plenty of water, Big Guy.”

Murasaki snickered as, when the red-striped yellow taxi arrived and Takao told the driver his address, Issei tried fitting Kanka into the backseat, but not before shoving his head against the roof. Kanka bellowed like an ape and rubbed his forehead.

“What the hell are you doin’ to me, Man? Driver, you gotta get me outta here before they do more damage!”

Next stop was Takao’s train station. Morioka at night was a maelstrom of color and lights, a jungle of advertisements and businesses vying to hunt people for their money. Densely-populated, and with signs and stores stacked sky high, even regulars could feel overwhelmed. Yet as it was Sunday night, domestic cars zipping around were less chaotic than usual, so with long stretches of walkways and occasional traffic stops, there was plenty of time to see it all.

Murasaki wound her body like a top as her head spun about. “How can you even process all this?” Her voice was breathless, her eyes full of wonder.

“You don’t really,” Takao said. “You either stumble upon a place, or you look up somewhere you want to go in advance.”

“Have you not been to a big city?” Issei asked her.

“Not by myself! Every other time I’ve been led by a teacher with a group of students.”

“The shock will wear off with time. I think cities are great–there’s something for everyone.”

Takao’s stop was next. As they walked into the station, he paid for his ticket then boarded after dozens of others.

“Bye Takao!” Murasaki said, waving. “Nice to meet you, good luck with college!”

“What are we doing, saying our farewells? We’re gonna see each other next week, aren’t we?” Nevertheless, Takao waved back while flashing a small grin.

Issei still had to see Murasaki off, and her station was on the outskirts. The bustle of the city died down, and the blinding advertisements soon were replaced with street lights as they walked side-by-side. The tumult of thousands of feet walking on pavement with taxis cruising by vanished, yet they couldn’t escape the raw noise of construction. Tractors beeped and orange-vested workers revved chainsaws as they tried clearing up the pesky claws of Nature from overtaking power lines.

“Secret Prose has quite the characters, don’t they?” Murasaki said.

“Yeah, well, they’re the only characters who’d chance it with me.”

“Really? How come?”

Issei scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t really get out much to tell you the truth.”

“I would never have guessed! You seem so savvy.”

“Well, it’s not like I don’t want to get out, but…”

Chainsaw engines fired up again, their shrieking assaulting their ears as they tried passing through. A man in a hard hat gestured left: they would have to move to the other end of the street.

One of the chainsaws chugged with bad feedback and groaned like a car failing to start.

“HEADS UP!”

Issei stopped dead in his tracks. A tree on the edge of the woods had shifted. The tree groaned, its many limbs snapping against other trees. It gave way, but not towards the woods–it cast a shadow over the street! Cables popped and whipped about as the tree toppled over the power lines, helpless against the monstrous weight.

“Watch out Issei!”

Issei didn’t move. That tree…it looked so much like the other: the same tree that invaded his dreams to no end.

He felt his arm grappled by two others, but he just couldn’t move. Everything swirled around like ghosts. The air was stifling and frigid, and his throat, heavy as lead, closed up.

It fell mere feet in front of him. Just like before. What a disgusting man he was–how dare he have fun when he didn’t deserve it!

“Thank goodness! That surprised me. Did it scare you too? Issei? Issei!”

His arm jostled about. Then he felt a soft, warm hand lay across his forehead.

Issei shook his head like a dog.

“Damn. Damn, damn, damn.”

Murasaki stepped in front of him, her lips down-turned and her eyes blinking in a mix of surprise and concern.

“Are you okay? You just broke out in a sweat all of a sudden.”

Issei dragged his hand over his face. She was right. Not only was he sweating, but he felt tears in the corners of his eyes. Everywhere trembled.

“I…I–I’m s–”

“Breathe, Mister. Breathe.”

Issei’s chest and stomach were in knots, but soon as he took a gulp of air, his heart hopped to service and he felt better in an instant.

A vein popped in the foreman's purple face, and he flailed his arms like a madman as he spat at his workers. “I’m gonna kick your asses–you almost flattened two people over here!”

Issei gulped. Just that word alone made him shudder.

Murasaki whispered in his ear. “Come on, let’s get to the station.”

It was all he could do to step away, to take his gaze off that tree. One step left. Another right.

“I’m really sorry you had to see that.”

Murasaki beamed, and her voice fluttered. “What are you apologizing for? That was a scary thing that happened. Besides, lots of people have fears. You have a phobia of falling trees, I am terrified of fire. You couldn’t get me to a cookout if you dragged me there!”

A phobia, huh…

“Thanks, Murasaki,” Issei said, and he gave an airy chuckle.

She shook her head. “I didn’t do anything–thanks for escorting me to my train!” Then she brought her voice low. “Are you going to make it back okay?”

He nodded stiffly. “I think so. I just have to not look at that tree.”

“Good idea.” She pointed towards the forest to their right. “You can look at the standing trees instead: fallen trees bad, standing trees good.”

“Fallen trees bad, standing trees good.”

Before he knew it, they were at Murasaki’s stop. Issei couldn’t believe his luck meeting her. He had a lot of fun watching her perform and talk shop with her at Proteinium Records, not to mention what had just happened. It was a day unlike any other–there’s no way he’d say that to her, though.

The train doors opened with a jingle, and people began boarding.

“Thanks again!” she called out. “I had a great time–see you next week!”

He waved back. “Yeah–see ya.”

What a week the day was. What will he do by himself for the next five days? The same things I always do, he thought.

Issei sighed as he watched the train leave, then he shoved his hands in his pockets. How could he have done that? How could he let himself get weak in front of Murasaki like that?

The wind kicked up, causing his right ear to itch. When he reached up, however, a folded piece of paper was sandwiched behind it. What was a piece of paper doing behind his ear, and when did it get there? He unfolded it. Inside, the paper read:

Murasaki: NNNN-NNNN

Call me if anything comes up!