Chapter 2
It was late in the summer right before the leaves turned brown that Ai wrote the number to her cell on back of a card. She excused herself from the table about a little after seven putting a blue jacket over her solid white t-shirt and jeans shorts.
A soft breeze blew behind her feeling a hand guiding her towards the park where she had seen the ads before. She found a space an inch below eye level and placed it between the two, hoping that someone would take an opportunity or at least ask but a man approached her from the east and flashed a smile.
He appeared as a salaryman with a thick black coat and white shirt and dark blue pants. He held his brown workbag in his right hand as he reached in with a wad of cash in his hand. Ai wasn’t sure what the protocol was, so she just took it and followed him to the nearest love hotel a block away.
The smell of alcohol stung her nose as they approached the front desk. The woman about middle-aged winked at the man as he went towards the elevators to their right. There was one with a sign in front and the other the signal seemed weak from the stress of the work. They both entered when the steel doors opened and pressed the seventh floor.
He began loosen his tie with the occasional glances back at Ai, making her ponder if she should run or accept her faith. They arrived at the floor with worn out carpeting. The smell was not as strong as the lobby but the hint only wanted to make Ai hurl into the potted plants but managed to keep it in as he guided his way to the room.
“Is this your first time?” He asked as she dug into his left pocket for the key like an expert he didn’t look towards that direction but he was anxious.
He let Ai come in first as his eyes leered toward her backside. Ai felt that she had walked into the room with a wolf but it was already past the stage of no return. He grabbed her by surprise, feeling his hand traveling along her torso. She wanted to scream but didn’t want to lose customer and instantly the violation expanded to her legs.
The man was relentless in touching. Every rub caused a rash that would sting and once she relaxed, she was ready for her first adult experience. Landing on the bed with her underwear on, he forced himself to the meal in front of her. Ai expecting more time pushed him away with all her strength.
“Feisty one aren’t we?” He commented as he clamped down her arms to the bed but the lack of control to her legs led to a reply no man would want. He screamed out in pain with his few choice words towards Ai giving her chance to right the ship.
Instead, he went forward and got close into a painful interaction but managed to escape from his sight for the time being. Ai instinctively looked for a weapon for her own protection or to at least tell him to progress slower than usual.
“Why are you resisting me?” His cry gave Ai a chill down her back. She took her eyes off him for a second and was tackled to the ground. She was finally no trapped from going nowhere and his hand grabbed onto the shorts, trying to pull it down. Ai reached to her side and grabbed an item. By then, the pain ran up to her brain but his hand began to suffocate her. She swung her right arm wildly and heard a dull cry.
Ai wasn’t sure what it was but she caught him below the neck. Blood came out slowly but he insisted to continue but the slice on the other side of the neck, gave him a reason to scream.
She saw the blood dripping down onto his clothes and he reached out grabbing his filthy hands onto her as he gasped for help. Ai watched him deteriorate to the ground as he slathered her with crimson streaks. Ai looked down at him while she threw the card to the side. Taking a few steps back, his last murmur, his last breath, and his last sight was of an angelic girl. She ran through the fire exit with her heat racing, skipping few steps until the final door led her to the alleyway.
She hid her bare body with a pieces of cloths from the trash cans and ran back home to a dark house. She slipped through the unfastened back door, making sure no one else was up, and headed to her room. Ai slipped on underwear, a t-shirt, and shorts. She wasn’t concerned if she bothering people but knew the quicker she left, the quicker she could be free from the torture.
Ten years past with her eyes always looking back but it seemed farther from the truth. Another day of the nightmare, she didn’t want to relive again.
Ai gradually rolled out of bed, feeling her bare feet hitting the scuffed wooden floor. She wanted to polish it one day but never had the chance to do so. Dragging her body to the bathroom, she was disgusted with the morning and staring at the mirror was the lowest point of the day. Her pale complexion made her queasy but a quick splash changed her mindset.
After a quick shower, Ai threw on her work clothes with her apron stuffed in her small backpack before heading outside to the chilly autumn morning. The street filled with strangers awoke her from her lull. The noise was her alarm clock with the people glancing at her made her feel unsure until the coffee lingered into her nose.
“Takahashi-san, did you go out last night?” The chestnut-haired woman asked as she slipped into the backroom.
Ai knew that she just asked to make conversation but it irritated her to even hear the question in the morning but a smile gave away her response. She took out her green apron from the bag and wrapped it around her waist. She grabbed the notepad from the door sleeve and headed out to the floor. A few people would sit in the café but they were minding their own business, which Ai liked especially if they just ordered and stay with their newspaper blocking their faces.
“Mako-chan, did you?” Ai asked knowing there was a story behind her lack of a social life.
Ogawa Makoto affectionately known as Mako-chan was a year younger than Ai but very obnoxious about other people’s social life. She trained Ai to do the job but was less knowledgeable in coffee which usually made Ai laugh because it gave her reason to intervene at any time. However, Ai didn’t want to talk and glanced at the door.
“I think we have new patrons, you want to get her?” She asked which usually meant that she wanted to relax in the back. Ai disliked the practice but went with it anyway but this one gave her chill down her back and politely refused.
“Why not?”
“I need to pee, Mako-chan.” Ai excused herself and ran into the bathroom.
Ai could recognize the face from anywhere and now she wanted to be miles away from the coffee shop now.
Topic: Time Capsule Chapter 11 10/28/12 (Read 13054 times)