This is a story I wrote a while ago, and I wasn't exactly sure how to split it up, so here's the first part. I 'm sorry if it's too long! Thanks for reading!
[pre] "Don't sit so close to the edge, Kyoko," warned Mizuki, her hand latched tightly around the bridge post behind her.
Kyoko ignored her, and only leaned out farther over Lake Suwa. It was warm for October and the air was still around the two girls. The moon was their only source of light and the lake sparkled below them.
As Kyoko dropped a handful of pebbles into the lake, watching as they disappeared into the darkness, she couldn't help but think of how it would feel if she was falling instead of the pebbles. She closed her eyes and imagined what it would feel like flying through the air, her long black hair whipping freely around her face as the wind rustled by her body and through her robes. It would be the ultimate experience, the wind soothing her mind right up until the moment when she hit the surface. Then, she thought, there would be a moment of panic as she was pulled under, hopelessly floundering among the waves, forgetting her goal in her desperate struggle for air, but that pain, she reasoned, would only last a few moments, because soon she would be on her way towards unconsciousness. The water would drain her of both her life and her worries. The power it possessed as it rushed by her would wash the make-up from her face until she was no longer a geisha, until she was just like any other person floating on the lake.
Kyoko opened her eyes and looked down into the water again.
"The water below,
So endless and inviting,
Is calling to me," whispered Kyoko, the haiku easily forming in her mind; she had written so many of them that the syllables just seemed to fall into place now. Mizuki frowned beside her. She had, of course, been worrying about Kyoko the whole time they were sitting there, and now she knew that she hadn't been worrying for nothing.
"Kyoko, don't say things like that!" said Mizuki, sharply. 'Besides, how could your 'handsome prince Kai' come and save you from this life, if you go and commit suicide?"
"I know you don't believe in handsome princes," said Kyoko, trying to stand her ground but knowing that Mizuki had already won her over. How could she really argue when she brought up the prince? Even though Kyoko and Mizuki had created this perfect man from their imaginations, Kyoko felt like he was somehow real. Every morning she woke up wondering if he would come that day and every night she went to bed disappointed that he hadn't.
"But I know you do," answered Mizuki quietly.
When Kyoko looked over at Mizuki she seemed sad and tired, and Kyoko instantly felt bad about being so rude. Mizuki did so much for her and she hated it when she got that hopeless look in her eyes. It was much worse when she caused it. sometimes she didn't know why she caused it; Kyoko just decided that Mizuki had so many painful memories she couldn't help it if something that Kyoko said reminded her of one and it overwhelmed her. Kyoko felt powerless at these times and all she could do was attempt to cheer her up; to try and do for Mizuki what Mizuki was constantly doing for her. Now, thinking about the life that Mizuki had led, she felt foolish, guilty, stupid for wanting to die. Mizuki was the one who deserved to go to paradise, not her.
"Well, since you brought him up, why don't you tell me the lates adventures of Prince Kai?" suggested Kyoko, trying her hardest to be cheerful. For a few moments Mizuki was still in her own world but when she did look at Kyoko again she smiled and Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, what do you want to hear?" asked Mizuki. "One of your favorites or something new?"
"Something new," said Kyoko. "How about one where he saves a girl who's falling off a bridge," she added with a small grin.
"Okay," agreed Mizuki.
Even though Kyoko was the one who really created their prince, Mizuki always told the stories. Kyoko didn't know how she did it but she always seemed to have new ideas for his life; most people didn't think that Mizuki was smart but Kyoko knew she had to be to be able to make up such tales.
"Well, many years ago, in the city of Kyoto there was a--" started Mizuki, but stopped with a gasp as a rumble of thunder broke through the silence of the night. Rain started to quickly fall around them and only came down harder as they grabbed the bridge railing and pulled themselves to their feet.
"Uhh, let's hold off on the story till tomorrow," said Mizuki, her arm above her head in a feeble attempt to protect herself from the pounding rain. "When we go to see the cherry blossoms, okay?"
Kyoko nodded and smiled happily as they ran through the rain and back to the geisha house where they lived.
"Come on Kyoko," Mizuki called merrily from Kyoko's doorway. "Are you still sleeping?"
Kyoko only grunted as she raised herself up on one elbow and squinted in the sunlight that was coming in from her windows. When she looked at Mizuki she was confused for a second as to why she was dressed and had her shoes on but as soon as she remembered that they were going to see the cherry blossoms she became as excited as Mizuki. Cherry blossoms were Kyoko's favorite flower and Mizuki just loved sunny days.
"I can't believe I forgot," said Kyoko as she rushed around her room, grabbing her everyday kimono and quickly changing into it. When she came out of her room Mizuki was waiting patiently and they left immediately.
"So, are you ready to finally hear the story?" asked Mizuki as they walked to the fields where the cherry blossom trees grew. Kyoko nodded.
"Okay, but you have to promise that after I tell you it you won't seriously consider suicide again," said Mizuki.
"How can I promise something like that?" asked Kyoko.
"Just stop thinking about the horrible things in our lives. Don't think about all those awful men we have to serve or the women who look down on us," said Mizuki. "You're still young, Kyoko. You shouldn't be thinking about death when you could still change your life!"
"Does it ever work, though? Trying to change your life?" asked Kyoko.
"I tried and I failed, Kyoko," admitted Mizuki. "But that was because I let men control my life... I guess they still do.... But they don't have to control yours, Little Sister."
"But they already do, Mizuki," said Kyoko.
"Yes, and there's nothing we can do about Mr. Ogura," said Mizuki. "But maybe he'll get bored with us, buy us a house somewhere, and leave us alone. I know that he did that for his oldest geisha."
"But I don't want my whole life to be leading up to the time when I move into a house by myself for the rest of my life," said Kyoko.
"Then what do you want?" asked Mizuki.
"I don't want to tell you," said Kyoko. "You'll think that I'm being foolish."
"Please tell me, Kyoko," said Mizuki.
Kyoko debated for a moment but decided that even though Mizuki would probably get mad at her, she needed to tell someone how she felt.
"I want Prince Kai," she whispered. "I mean, I know he's not real, but I want someone like him. Someone who will really love me."
"Kyoko, there are no men like Kai. Besides, falling in love isn't an option for us," said Mizuki. "I know it's not your fault that you don't know, and I know that you want to believe that our lives can be better than they're destined to be, but I want you to know that no good man will ever love a geisha."
Kyoko was shocked. She had known that she would be disappointed but she hadn't expected that. By now they were only a few feet from the cherry blossoms and Kyoko was anxious for the new story about Kai. 'Who cares if it's irrational to wait for him?' thought Mizuki. 'Besides, what if he did come and I missed him because I stopped looking?'
"If I had the choice,
Between nothing and a hope,
I must choose to hope" said Kyoko, hoping that Mizuki wouldn't think that she didn't value her words because of her poems; she just wanted her to know that she had to keep believing.
"How about I tell you your story now," said Mizuki, her voice hiding her frustration.
Kyoko smiled and nodded as she leaned against the cherry blossom tree they were now standing next to.
"Okay, one snowy night in Kyoto a young girl was walking along a bridge all alone. It was extremely cold that night and she was only wearing one kimono, so she was practically shaking as she stepped towards the railing. Ummm... her husband had just died and this night was the first time that she was away from all the funeral crowds and relatives; the first time that she actually got to think about what had happened," said Mizuki, her voice having the same serious tone that it always had when she told her stories.
Beside her Kyoko had picked a bunch of the cherry blossoms and was examining them as they laid on her hand. A light breeze blew past the girls, though, and several petals fell off the little flower and scattered on the grass. Even though most people saw the flower's fragile nature as a flaw, she thought that the fact that they were so delicate and that they were so easily broken, made them even more beautiful and precious.
As Kyoko dropped the petals onto the grass Mizuki started to walk towards the other trees so Kyoko followed her as she resumed her story.
"She leaned against the bridge as she got closer and stretched her neck out so that she could see the lake below her. With no one here to see her she cried her first tears for her husband, the tears sliding down her face and dripping off her chin and into the water below. Her sobs were so loud that she never even heard the man coming up behind her."
Here Mizuki stopped and looked at Kyoko. Kyoko smiled, knowing what was coming next.
"He was on his way to the cemetery and he was carrying............. freshly cut flowers from his garden in his arms. He was silent as he walked over and leaned on the bridge beside her. 'Why are you crying?' he asked. Slowly, she looked over at him and said 'My husband died yesterday morning.' There was silence between them as they thought about what she had said. Several minutes later Kai broke the silence as he pulled out a single flower from his bouquet and moved a step closer to her. 'Here,' he said as he held the flower out to her. 'Take this flower and think of all the feelings that you wish you could share with him and all the love that you hold in your heart for him. And then you must toss all those feelings and this flower into the lake. Empty your heart into those waters and maybe they will carry it to him.' By now he had leaned in even closer to her and as he talked his breath warmed her face and melted the almost frozen tears that had clung to her face. She stared first at him, then at the flower, and she slowly nodded. 'Thank you,' she said as she took the flower. 'I remember there were no flowers at his funeral...... I don't know where you found them, but thank you.'
'I plant them in my house during the winter,' he explained. 'Before my mother died I promised her that I would bring fresh flowers to her grave every Sunday.'
'That's so sweet,' she said, managing a small smile. He just shook his head. Now she stared at the flower, broke away from Kai, and leaned on the railing again. She did as Kai had told her to do and after she had thought about everything she wished she could say to him she threw the flower into the icy waters. When she turned around her cheeks were once again stained with tears. 'You know, before you came, I was looking in the water and all I could think about was how if I drowned then I would get to be with him,' she said, her voice quiet and cracking slightly. Instantly, Kai crossed the short distance between them and pulled her close to him. He put his hands through her hair and whispered to her, his lips only slightly touching her hair, 'That is one thing you must never do.' Then he released her and moved back towards the railing, and beside him the girl knelt down on her knees, covered her face with her hands, and cried because she had no idea what her life was anymore," told Mizuki, only stopping because Kyoko was tapping her shoulder. Mizuki stopped immediately, knowing it must be urgent if Kyoko was stopping her story telling.
"Mizuki, Mizuki, look over there," she said quietly as she pointed to a tree a few feet away from where they were standing. "What is that?"
When they walked closer they saw that below the tree, sticking out from underneath a huge mound of cherry blossoms, was a man's arm and hand.
"Mizuki, he's gorgeous!" exclaimed Kyoko as she knelt down in front of the man. Mizuki sat down beside her and they examined him more closely. The man had a face of an angel, his eyes were closed, and his face had a peacefulness that didn't even seem possible in real life. He had long black, feathery hair that surrounded his head like a halo, and it contrasted perfectly with his pale skin. He was more beautiful than any man Kyoko had ever seen, or even imagined.
"What is a man like this doing out here?" asked Kyoko.
"No clue," said Mizuki. "....................Do you think he has clothes on underneath there?"
Kyoko giggled and covered her mouth. Sometimes she couldn't believe what Mizuki's mind went to, but now that she had brought it up Kyoko couldn't help but wonder.
"Why don't you push aside some of those petals and see," said Kyoko.
"Okay," said Mizuki smiling, and slowly reached her hand towards the petals.
"But be careful!" warned Kyoko, nervously.
Mizuki nodded and very cautiously she brushed a handful of petals away, revealing the man's bare stomach and hip bones.
"He is naked!" hissed Mizuki.
"Well, what do we do?" asked Kyoko.
Mizuki shrugged she had no idea what to think of this new discovery. She could tell that Kyoko was getting hopeful just looking at the beautiful man, and that worried Mizuki. Sure, he looked like an angel, but she was sure that no man could act like one too.
"Well, you could just wake him up," said Mizuki.
"You're right," decided Kyoko. "I mean, he's far too glorious to just leave sleeping."
Her hand had barely reached his shoulder, though, before he bolted up and scrambled back towards the tree. Kyoko fell back on her hands in shock as the petals scattered in the wind that the man's sudden movements had created. His face showed complete fear and yet total innocence. His back was against the tree and his hands clung to the bark behind him. His mouth hung partly open like he was going to cry for help, but had no one to cry to. He was the picture of helplessness, and Kyoko's heart burned with the desire to run to him and hold him in her arms until he no longer shook with fear; until he clung to her for protection instead of the tree.
He had large, dark, eyes that searched frantically as he stood there, until, at last, they stopped on Kyoko. For minutes they stayed there, locked in each other's gaze. Kyoko forgot about the whole world, her only focus being those big, beautiful, black eyes. As he stared at her his eyes quivered ever so slightly, making it appear like he was about to cry. It was the most heartbreaking thing that she had ever seen.
Then, Mizuki's foot accidentally broke a branch lying on the ground and the spell was broken as quickly as it had begun. He seized the temporary distraction and had ran out of sight before Kyoko had even blinked.
A silence settled between the girls as they both dared to breathe again. There was silence for several moments until suddenly, Mizuki burst into a string of laughs.
"Did that really just happen?" asked Mizuki in between laughs.
Kyoko couldn't help but feel giddy and she giggled too as she nodded.
"Man, have you ever seen such perfect hair? Or such beautiful eyes," asked Kyoko, dreamily.
"Kyoko, I guarantee you that I wasn't looking at his hair and eyes," said Mizuki.
"Aaagghhh! Mizuki!" exclaimed Kyoko, yet again shocked by her friend.
"But seriously, did you see how smooth his body was?" asked Mizuki. "It was like porcelain or something."
Kyoko giggled and sighed. "You know we have to come back here tonight, right?"
"Tonight? Sorry, Kyoko, but I have to meet with Mr. Ogura tonight," said Mizuki.
"But he could be gone by tomorrow," said Kyoko.
"Then you come alone, okay, Kyoko?" said Mizuki. "You'll have more fun without me anyways. Now, don't give me that look," said Mizuki when Kyoko raised her eyebrows. "I'm not blind. I saw the connection between you two."
Kyoko just smiled and blushed.
"Hmm, want to head back now?" asked Mizuki. "I could finish the story on the way home."
"Sounds good," said Kyoko as she stood up.
As they made their way home Kyoko really did try to listen to the rest of the story about Prince Kai, but she couldn't seem to keep her mind focused. It wasn't that she didn't like the story; she actually really liked the characters in this one, she just couldn't stop thinking about the man.
"And so she left the bridge and Prince Kai, and stepped towards her new life. Her heart still ached but her body and soul somehow seemed lighter than they had felt in days," concluded Mizuki as she stood outside Kyoko's door. Kyoko felt guilty for not listening now; she was sure it had been beautiful.
"Be sure and keep safe tonight, Kyoko,' said Mizuki as she walked towards her room, and added right before she shut her door, "And don't you dare give him any clothes!"
Kyoko chuckled and shook her head as she walked into her room. She decided that she would leave just before sunset, so she laid down on her mat to try and get a quick nap before she left. Her notebook was lying next to her pillow and she added a quick poem to it as she laid down.
"This man that we've found,
Hidden under sakura,
Has eyes that trap me."
She breathed a sigh of contentment, and tried to relax while her mind raced with the hopes of what this new boy could bring her.[/pre]
To be continued......I have more typed up now, if anybody wants to read it.
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