@ tru, str3k, hotohori: My faithful readers you make me
You are my inspiration and you reason for writing I hope you enjoy second chapter
Ch 2. Charmy Treads Tears
The white flash vanished in an instant. Rika rubbed her eyes furiously, hoping to wash the blinking dots from her spotty vision. The white that washed over her vision now dulled into a deep black. Rika looked from left to right, an air of panic surrounding her as she falls deeper into the depths of the mysterious twilight. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust in the dark, the fine outline of her body being the only thing she could make out in the dark. She knew there was nothing she could do, except fall. The steady stream of time continues to flow while our heroine continues to plummet. After what seemed to be hours of endless failing, the young woman closes her eyes falling into a deep slumber, the emotional and physical stress of the days events taking its toll on her body and mind. Rika's limp body came to a crashing stop, when it met the floor that had been hastily approaching. The seemingly lifeless body began to stir, eyes limped open and limbs twitched against the cold floor. Rika quickly sat up, when she had realized that she was no longer falling. She lifted her arms and examined them, her face slightly twisted with confusion.
“Why aren't I hurt? I would imagine that it was a long fall.” Rika asked herself as she stood up, brushing the dust off of her pants.
Paying her thoughts no mind, she shrugged them off, carefully looking around the room where she had fallen into. A small smile made its way onto her lips when her eyes caught the vibrant colors and fun knick-knacks that littered the room. She merrilly skipped over to a table and picked up a few of the little figurines and gleefully giggled as she played with them. Rika was someone who could always find appreciation in cute things. Her merrily moving fingers coming to a stand still as a memory quickly flashes in her mind. The figurine was placed back on the table, the figure teetering a bit as Rika replaced it with trembling hands.
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“Yocchan~~~” Rika shouted happily, waving her arms in the air to catch Yossi's attention.
“Rika! What are you doing here?” Yossi replied, catching Rika in her arms as she zipped by, arms securely wrapped around the shorter girl, while she spun.
Rika fought to keep her sun hat on when spinning like that, but all she could do was share in Yossi's laughter. The hustle and bustle of the busy street drowned in their infectious laughter. In their eyes, the in those few precious moments alone together, there was nothing else; the world stopped spinning, time stopped passing their love for one another preserved in each others heart. Rika looked down at Yossi, her handsome face plastered with a silly smile, while wrapping her arms around the taller girl's neck. Rika leaned forward, pressing her soft lips against the top of Yossi's head, while her arms squeezed around Yossi's neck playfully. Rika felt a strong gust, her long hair fluttering in the wind casting her over sized hat into the air. Her gentle kiss was broken, when she was slowly lowered back onto the ground, the solid ground was found wanting in comparison to those few moments she had soared through the clouds. Rika's bright smile dulled a bit when she felt Yossi's warm embrace falling away form her, the taller girl running down the street away from her. Rika stood still wishing that the taller girl would return. Rika let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes for mere moments before shooting open, from the sudden return of her hat, that was carefully placed back onto her head by Yossi.
“Almost lost your pretty hat Rika.” Yossi said impishly between short shallow breathes.
“Thank you Yossi...” Rika said while wiping away the small beads of sweat that had accumulated on Yossi's forehead.
Rika brushed a few loose strands of hair behind Yossi's ear, the tired girl's breathe returning to normal after that devilish sprint. Rika ran the back of her hand down Yossi's soft cheek her cheerful smile beaming with happiness.
“You didn't have to run that hard to get my hat, I have others at home.” Rika said giggling softly.
“What? Nonsense! Mr. Moonlight never lets down her lady.” Yossi said playfully, her cheeks taking on a slight red before winking at Rika.
Rika wrapper her hands around Yossi's right hand and swayed them playfully back and forth, lost in her thoughts as well as Yossi's warm smile. Rika never thought Mr. Moonlight was a fitting title for Yossi. In her eyes, Yossi was not a mischievous ladies-man but instead a knight, her knight who would always be there for her. Of course she would never say it out loud, to embarrassed by the childish and corny nature of her views. Rika's wandering mind was lead back to reality by Yossi, who was riffling around her pocket furiously.
“Now where is it...” Yossi said to herself, her tongue pressed against the corner of her mouth as she searched her rebellious pants pocket.
Yossi ripped her hand from her pocket triumphantly, clenching a little stuffed pig key chain. Yossi held the key chain in front of Rika, waving it back and forth with a very pleased, and very goody, smile on her face.
“Here ya go Rika, I got this for you.” Yossi said
Rika watched the dangling pig sway back and forth, her lips quivering a bit, while her body trembled. Unable to hold back her emotions, Rika released Yossi's hand and pointed to the pig, loud cries of laughter erupting from the usually reserved girl, tears in her eyes as she holds her other hand over her stomach.
“What is that?” Rika said continuing to laugh relentlessly at the little pig.
“Fine! Never mind then. I thought it was cute.” Yossi said, quickly whipping her head to the side, her cheeks puffing up as she held her breath.
“Awww Yocchan” Rika's words cutting between her fits of laughs. “Its wonderful and I really appreciate it. But promise me if you want something cute, come to me, I am Rika “Charmy” Ishikawa!” striking her Charmy pose with her last words.
Yossi, let out her breath unable to fight against Rika's overwhelming charm. “Fine. Fine. I still thought it was cute though.” Yossi said while reaching her hand out. “Shall we go shopping together?”
Rika took her present from Yossi's hand and slipped it into her pocket, holding Yossi's hand as they blissfully walked down the busy street.
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A lone tear rolled down Rika's cheek, her lips moving, but her voice unable to surface. A shiver ran through her body, after how she acted Rika wondered if Yossi would come to save her this time. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the elephant key chain and held it firmly in her hand.
“Oh my oh my...my ears, my clothes...so dusty! I am so late!” echoed a voice.
Rika jumped at the familiar voice of bunny-Yaguchi as she referred to her as. Rika quickly slipped the elephant into her pocket and ran towards the voice, not noticing the loop of threat catching on the end of the table. The elephant helplessly dangled on the corner of the table as Rika ran away from it, chasing after the other girl. Rika rushed after the little bunny-girl, down twisting hallways and turning corridors. Unable to keep up with the frantic hopping of bunny-Yaguchi, Rika stops running, her footsteps sluggishly marching onward, her hand gliding across the wall as she makes her way down the hallway. The hallway stood very long and narrow, identical doors running down the length of the hall on both sides. Rika curiously tried to open each door as she made her way down the hallways, disappointed to find that each and every door was firmly locked. At the end of the hallway, Rika spilled into a large room, well large in comparison to the narrow hallway, that was bare from floor to ceiling outside of the single glass table that sat in the center of the room. Rika sachet over to the table and noticed the small gold key that rested on it. Rika picked up the key and examined it closely.
“I wonder what this key unlocks...” She pondered to herself while rolling the key in her palm.
Rika tilted her head to the side and looked down the Nariko hallway once again and slowly backtracked her way down the hallway, maybe the key she held in her hand unlocked one of those doors. Not so much. Each door remained unlocked, the key was simply just to small for the locks. Rika hung her head, the small key and many doors had defeated her. She tossed the key on the glass table and slowly paced around the room. Rika came to a stop when she catches something move in the corner of her eye. She looks to her left and jumps back at the sigh of a curtain that had not been there a moment ago. She carefully pulls back the curtain and blinks seeing nothing behind the curtain. She hung her head again, wondering why someone was playing such a cruel joke on her. When her eyes met the floor, her defeat was lifted, there stood a small door, measuring no more than fifteen inches in height. She ran over to the table and snatched the gold key from the table and knelt down in front of the tiny door. The key slid into the lock with ease and turned, the soft clicking of the unlocking door catching Rika's ear. Rika's smile returned to her lips when she opened the door. Rika pressed her ear to the ground and looked through the door. She knelt breathless at the sight of the magnificent garden that resided only a few inches away form her. Thousands of flowers populated the garden, surrounding a grand fountain that shot water from the fountain angel's mouth. Each bead of water glistening in the bright sun, the gentle breeze brushed through the garden, each flower dancing in the wind as Rika, catches the intoxicating scent of the flowers. How Rika wished to be somewhere that beautiful, but alas she was far to big to fit through the tiny door. Valiantly she tried to fit her head through the door, but it was useless, her hopes falling as she watches the enticing garden scene. A very frustrated Rika stood up and walked back over to the table and slammed her fist against the table with the tightly clenched in her hand. Rika looked down at the table, when she head something topple over. She looked and watched as a small bottle rolls around on the table, eventually finding the edge. Rika lets go of the key and catches the bottle before it hits the ground. She lets out a sigh of relief and examines the bottle that had just appeared on the table.
“Drink me...Drink me?” She said softly to herself.
Rika knew better than to listen to bottles, but she was very thirsty and this was not what one would call an ordinary place. She opened the bottle and lifted the lip of the bottle to her nose and took a quick smell of the liquid. The sweet scent of honey and milk filled her nostrils, her lips watering a bit at the aroma of the mysterious liquid. Always one for sweets, Rika greedily gulped down the contents of the bottle, happily licking her honey coated lips. Rika hiccuped and gasped as she watched the glass table grow to unimaginable size. Rika stood up and looked around the room, coming to a very strange conclusion, the room did not grow, but in fact she had shrunk. Rika's fist shook with anger and frustration, these “jokes” grinding away at what little nerve she had left. She hurled the bottle to the ground, sound of the crashing bottle startling Rika a bit, as she walked towards one of the table legs, steering clear of any rogue pieces of glass. She leaned back against the table leg, wiping away the uncontrollable tears that had resurfaced. Rika fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, her tears soaking her hands as she frantically tried to wipe them away. Her tears subsided as quickly as they came when Rika looked down and found a small crate right next to where she was kneeling. She picked up the small crate and rested it on her lap, she sniffled back a few tears as she opened the box, her eyes glimmering a bit catching a glimpse of the cake that rested inside the crate. Rika reached in and pulled out the cake, a small piece of paper attached to the plate.
“Eat me? What? Not another one of these!” Rika shouted.
“It can't get any worse!” Rika thought to herself and courageously took a large chunk from the cake and consumed it. Her body shook with enjoyment, the sweet butter cream frosting coated her tongue stimulating every taste bud , the fluffy cake almost melting in her mouth as she chewed. In her small moments of bliss, she sensed something was off. She looked around and sighed, the room was once again changing, “Why is everything shrinking!” Rika shouts in her mind. Rika must have reached nine feet before her body stopped growing. Rika stood very still, confused and angry. She stomped her foot vigorously against the floor, her frustration manifesting in a few tears, tears so big that when they crashed against the floor, they created little pools of water.
“All I wanted to do was go to that garden!” Rika whined.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” screamed bunny-Yaguchi.
“Eh?” Rika looked down at a very frightened looking bunny-Yaguchi.
Before Rika could say another word, the little bunny scurried through the door, leaving behind her fan and gloves that she had been carrying. Rika knelt down and picked up the fan and glove after hearing the lock click. Rika's face was flushed with embarrassment and rage, in an attempt she fanned herself, hoping that it would her down some. As the welcomed breeze caressed her hot face, once again she noticed the glass table, that blasted glass table changing in size again. She threw the fan down when she realized that it was the culprit for her most recent body modification, her body shrinking as small as before. Rika falls into the deep pools that her tears had made, kicking her feet in an attempt to stay afloat. After regaining her composure, she found it much easier to float when she wasn't panicking. She whipped her head back and forth, her wet bangs stinging her eyes slightly as they catch her in the eye. Rika felt small ripples from behind her, she quickly turned around and treaded quietly watching, watching a very familiar face swim by her quickly.
“Goto-san?” Rika asked.
“Wrong person honey.” the girl said as she quickly swam by.
Rika grabbed the sleeve of the swimmer and pulled her over, Rika's eyes tracing up and down the swimmer stunned at how this girl looked exactly like Goto-san. Rika shook her head and rubbed her eyes with a free hand. There was no mistaking it, she looked exactly like Goto-san, minus the extremely confused/annoyed look on her face, well the confused part at least.
“Oh Goto-san...I am so glad im not the only one here, it has been such a long day, so many things had happened to me today like...” Rika retold her story to an increasingly agitated stranger.
“I am not this Goto...san or whoever....Damn! Just like that cat always chatting blah blah blah...pisses me off.” The swimmer squeaked.
Rika's lips pursed, her lower lip quivering a bit as she pouted. “ Am I really that annoying...I'm sorry. I promise I wont talk about it anymore.”
“Fine whatever, Ill tell you all about that damn cat I mentioned when we get to shore.” the mousy girl said as she steadily swam east.
Rika continued to stay a float, debating with herself:
Charmy:
“Huh! What a very impolite person.”Rika:
“But she seems like she knows where shes going”Charmy:
“How do you know? She could just be swimming just because, think about it. How can there be a shore? This is a pool of your tears remember?”Rika:
“Yeah, but this isn't the most ordinary of places and I mean what are we gonna get accomplish by floating here, besides getting our skin all pruney.”Charmy:
“Dammit...you have a point...curse you Rika...fine lets follow her.”Rika had triumphed over Charmy. Rika took a few seconds and reviewed her answer and looked eat, catching the sight of the mousy girl swimming towards a land mass with what seems to be a few of the H!P kids swimming behind her.