Kage

by Tara A. Devlin

  Dusty was meowing in the alley when I passed by. I threw a few pieces of dried fish for him and gave him a pat on the back of the head.

  “You won’t believe what happened to me last night.”

  I threw a few more pieces of fish down as he finished the last one.

  “I don’t even believe what happened to me last night. What am I going to do if she’s still there when I get home? What am I going to do if she’s not there? I don’t know… I just don’t know…” I patted Dusty’s back and stood up. The ground was still wet from the downpour the night before, but the sky was dark and clear. The only people around were the early birds like me who were also suckered into getting out of bed earlier than should be legal.

  Unlike most, the store I worked at wasn’t open 24 hours. It closed rather early, at 8 p.m., and opened at 5 a.m. each day. But someone had to be there at 4:30 a.m. for magazine shipments each week, and that duty usually fell to me. The only person not brave enough to refuse it week after week, even when it wasn’t my scheduled shift.

  I unlocked the door and flicked the lights on. The delivery driver should have been about five minutes away. It was the same guy every week. Messy hair, dirty uniform, a stench of cheap cigarettes and a look on his face that rivalled mine for how displeased he was with life. We never said more to each other than “Here you are” and “Thank you,” but for some reason I felt relieved that someone else would soon be there. Someone unrelated to all the strange events that had gripped my life for the last 12 hours.

  The familiar lights pulled up outside, and I opened the door for him.

  “Morning. Here you are.” He dumped two loads of magazines and newspapers and held the paper out for me to sign.

  “Thank you,” I said and watched him get back into the truck. Just like that, he was gone, and I was alone again. In the dark. With no customers due for another few hours at least. What was I supposed to do until then?

  I sat behind the counter and pulled out my phone.

  ‘Can shadows exist without a light source?’ ‘Are shadow men real?’ ‘What makes a shadow?’ ‘Can ghosts be black?’ ‘Are ghosts real?’ ‘What is a ghost?’ ‘Can a person be haunted?’ I typed in every question I could think of, in every variation I could think of asking. I clicked on a link.

  “When I was in high school, one of the nerdy girls cursed my best friend. She came to school the next day and said she saw something in her room, but when she got out of bed, suddenly it was gone. But there were dark footprints! Over the next few days she got worse and worse. She stopped coming to school, and she started losing hair from stress. She said this shadow was always in her room. It was watching her all the time. That girl cursed her, she said, and the thing wouldn’t leave her alone. In the end, she went mad and threw herself out the window. She didn’t survive the impact. I wish I had tried to help her, but I didn’t know what to do. I’m telling you, curses are nothing to screw around with. They’re deadly. You need to be careful.”

  Was it a curse? Was Aya being cursed by someone? I read through everything I could find, but before I knew it, it was time to open the store. I put my phone away with a tinge of regret and greeted the first customer with as much cheer as I could muster. Not that it mattered. No-one ever acknowledged me anyway.

  “Hey! Geezer! Get outta the way!”

  It was mid-afternoon and a rough voice pulled me from my thoughts. An old man was cowering in front of the drinks section, a much larger man standing over him. I stepped out from behind the counter and ran over to him.

  “Sir, is everything okay here?”

  The old man put a hand on my arm to steady himself. He whispered something, but I couldn’t hear him.

  “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

  “Oh for god’s sake, who let you out of the nursing home?” The man roared again and knocked the drink from the old man’s hand. I jumped, and the bottle smashed, sending liquid and glass shards everywhere.

  “Sir, I think you need to calm down before-” I placed a hand on his forearm.

  “Before what?” He grabbed the front of my uniform and pulled me closer. “What exactly are you gonna do, huh? Worthless piece of trash working in a convenience store, ‘oh no, I’m so scared~!’” He threw me into some shelves and pastries hit the floor. The man grabbed a six-pack of beer and walked over to the counter, leaving a 10,000 yen note.

  “Keep the change. Looks like you need it.”

  The doorbell tinkled. The old man shuffled over and held a hand out toward me. I was so shocked that I couldn’t stand.

  “I’m terribly sorry,” the old man said. “Are you okay, ma’am?”

  My hand trembled as I accepted his. I got to my feet and dusted myself off. The boss came running out and apologised profusely to the old man. He’d been watching the spectacle on the cameras in the back room, but had waited until the ruffian left before making himself known. As usual.

  “I’m okay,” the old man said. “You should check on her. She took it worse than me.” He turned and smiled at me. “Thank you, young lady. I’m sorry for the fuss I caused.”

  I shook my head and bowed deeply. “Not at all, sir. Here, let me help you. You were after a drink, yes? Which one was it?” I helped the old man with a few items and did my best not to look at the boss. If I did, he’d made me pay for the mess that man made out of my own wages. I could feel it emanating off him. Look at me. Look at me, damn you. If you had handled this situation better, he wouldn’t have broken merchandise and damaged the shelves. Look at me so I can yell at you.

  The doorbell tinkled as the old man exited and I barely had enough time to sigh when the boss dragged me into the back room.

  “What the hell was that?”

  “I think we need to call the police.”

  “The police?” The boss laughed. “Are you insane? Don’t you ever, ever touch a customer like that again, do you hear me? Or next time all the damages will be coming out of your pay. All of them!”

  I blinked a few times, doubtful of what my ears were telling me. “I’m sorry?”

  He rewound the tape and hit the monitor several times. “This. This right here. Are you stupid? You have no right laying your hand on a customer, ever!” He was pointing to the moment I touched the ruffian’s forearm.

  “He was about to hit that old man! Look! Rewind a bit further! You can’t expect me to just stand by and watch!”

  “That’s exactly what I expect you to do! I pay you to sell our goods and that’s it. If he hits that old man, hell, if he murders him, that’s for the police to deal with! I don’t pay you to get involved. Now he’s never going to come back here again. Another lost customer. I can’t afford that, and I’ll be taking it from your pay in the future.”

  My pay. It’s coming from my pay. You’re going to pay for this. You’re going to pay for that. He was a broken record, but I was more astounded by the fact that he wanted to protect that man, a ‘paying customer,’ over the health and well-being of the old man. Who, by the way, was also a paying customer. It didn’t make sense.

  “I’m warning you. You’re on thin ice here lately. You need to take a good, hard look at yourself, do you hear me? If you want to keep this job, you need to start acting like it. Otherwise, walk out that door and don’t come back. There are plenty of other people who would kill to have your job, you know? I could have someone new in here tomorrow. You’re lucky I don’t fire you right now. What if he goes to the police, huh? What then? People are going to hear that my staff physically abuse customers and then what? We’re already struggling as it is! Go. Get out of my sight. I don’t want to see you again. And watch yourself. One more screw up and you’re out of here. Get it?”

  I closed the door behind me and fought back tears. I wanted nothing more than to burn the entire store to the ground and run off laughing into the distance. But I couldn’t afford that. Especially not now.

  8

  I walked home in a daze. I passed the spot Aya bumped into me the day b
efore and expected to see the shadow standing on the other side of the road again, looking at me. But there was nothing. I dragged my feet down the sidewalk, trying to push the day’s events from my mind. I would give my left arm to quit that stinking job. I wanted to cut my left arm off myself and beat the boss around the head with it. Over and over. Until nothing but a bloody pulp was left of him and the arm. It was a nice fantasy, but it was just that. I still had to go back to work the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. All for minimum wage. If he could legally pay me less, I had no doubt he would.

  I walked past the enclosed alley. Several shops were open, and the lights overhead gave it an entirely different feel to the previous night. Just a few stores down was where Aya had dragged me in between two stores and where, for the first time, I’d felt…

  What did I feel? I didn’t know. Something. Nothing. Perhaps I was just imagining things. The moment caught up to me. Things were crazy. I didn’t know what was going on anymore.

  The bento boxes slapped against my leg as I walked. Cheap pork for me, and slightly fancy beef for her. I didn’t know if Aya actually liked beef or not, but it was the more expensive box, so I hoped she would like it. My heart picked up as I thought about seeing her again.

  A friend. That was it. She was a friend. It had been so long since I had a friend; since anyone had come to stay at my place. Yeah, that was it. I smiled at no-one in particular. That explained everything. I was just happy to have some company again. I didn’t realise how lonely I was after all these years. Letting myself drift away from the few people in my life I knew. No-one was really a friend. It didn’t matter if we didn’t speak anymore, right? It had been so long since I had a friend that I didn’t remember what it felt like.

  So why was my brain telling me that wasn’t it? Not exactly, anyway.

  I walked the rest of the way with a slight skip in my step and rounded the corner towards home. Was Aya still there, or did she leave during the day? I wanted her to be there. I couldn’t deny it. But I also wouldn’t blame her if she left. I was a stranger, after all. There was no reason for her to stick around any longer. She was dry and out of the rain. She had a home, no doubt her own job and places to be. It would actually be kind of strange if she was still there, right?

  I walked upstairs and my heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. The front door was busted open. I ran over and threw my bag and the two bento boxes I bought for dinner on the ground. No. No way. There was no way.

  “Aya!” I ran through the apartment. There was no sign of her anywhere. “Aya!”

  My mind raced. I didn’t know what to do. Panic clouded my brain. I planted my hands on the bench. Come on, think.

  I turned around. The couch was overturned. The TV was lying on its side, but thankfully not broken. The few pot plants I had were broken on the ground. There were large footprints in the dirt. Boots. Much larger than Aya’s feet. The bed was in disarray, and Aya’s bag was gone.

  “What the hell?”

  Nothing of mine was taken. The place was a mess and Aya was gone, but whoever it was, they didn’t steal anything. They got what they wanted.

  “Shit!”

  I overturned everything again, looking for a clue, any clue, as to what had happened. The note with my phone number was crumpled underneath the bed stand. Did Aya throw it there to protect me? Or did whoever broke into my apartment do it? Did it matter? Aya was gone. Someone had invaded my personal space and taken her against her will.

  The police. I had to alert the police. Surely they could do something. I threw the blankets to the ground. There was nothing on the bed. I put the couch back into place and replaced the cushions, but there was nothing. I should leave the footprints, I thought. Police evidence. Well, everything was police evidence, technically. The more I touched things, the more I was making things worse.

  I saw something out the corner of my eye. I jumped, thinking the shadow was back to finish the job. But it was too small for that. Something small was sticking out from under the bed. I got down on my hands and knees and fished it out. It was a purse. Aya’s? I opened it and rifled through the cards. No, not Aya’s purse. But close enough. It was her mother’s. Didn’t she say her mother died a while back? Why was she still carrying her purse?

  There were a few 1,000 yen notes, a video rental card, a few loyalty cards for various stores, and then I found what I was looking for. A driver’s license. It was old; like, 15 years old, but there was an address on it, and a photo of an older woman who held an awfully strong resemblance to Aya. She was beautiful and elegant, with a certain air about her. Dignified? I think that was the word. She looked dignified.

  “Bingo.” The address was all I needed. Even if Aya wasn’t there, I would no doubt be able to find a clue as to her whereabouts. I had so many questions. But first things first. I had to find Aya. I had to make sure she was safe.

  9

  I paid the taxi driver and stood in front of the house listed on the license. It was a large house; no expense spared. A tall gate rose high into the sky, separating the house from the outside world. The house itself was at least three stories tall, and from the gated entrance I could see carp swimming around a very traditional pond in a very traditional garden. The smell of money wafted through the air. A BMW sat in the driveway, reflecting my face in the rear bumper from behind the gate. I looked like a prisoner. Maybe that was the point.

  I made my way around the fence but there was no easy way in. The top of the fence was spiked, but not barbed. I grab hold of a few vines, tested their strength, and then pulled myself up. I landed with an unceremonious thud and watched the air escape from my lungs.

  Alright. I was in. That was the first step. I tip-toed through the stone garden and peered in the first window I came across. The curtains were drawn; I could see nothing. The other windows were the same. I contemplated knocking on the door, but what would I say? “Hi, so, you broke into my house today, I think, I’m actually still not entirely sure, anyway, my door was busted and this woman I met last night was staying there while I was at work, yeah, we just met last night, and then I get home and my place is a mess and she’s gone and hey, hey, where are you going?”

  I put my hand back down by my side. There was no way that conversation was going to go well. I squeezed down the side of the house, pressed up between the wall and the fence, and emerged in the backyard. It was even more lavish than the front. Cherry blossom trees created a canopy for another carp pond, only these carp were much bigger than the ones out the front. They were probably older than me.

  I grabbed the back door handle and turned. It clicked open. I smiled. I’d never sneaked into anyone’s house before. I was committing a crime. I’d never committed a crime. I jaywalked once or twice, but everyone did that. Sneaking into a stranger’s home, though? That was a new one, even for me.

  Something banged upstairs. I froze. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as I blinked. The furniture in the house could finance the rest of my natural life. How did people even make so much money? The sofa had gold trimmings, there was a Japanese-style room behind it with an altar that was bigger than my lounge room, and judging by the gold on it, more expensive than my lounge room too. Ancient scrolls hung on the walls, contrasting sharply with the cutting edge technology in the room. A wide-screen TV, several laptops and tablets, games consoles, giant speakers… Why would anyone ever leave?

  Another thud. I swallowed. I crept up the stairs, doing my best not to make any noise. The stairs didn’t even squeak. How could they not squeak? What was going on with this place? Several doors spread out on either side at the top. They were all closed.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

  My heart beat furiously. It was Aya’s voice. Which room was she in? I grabbed the closest door and jiggled the handle. It was locked.

  “Shit!” I grabbed the one opposite it and threw the door open. It was an empty bedroom with some boxes stacked in the corner. Nothing.

  Anot
her thud. My mind assumed the worst.

  I grabbed the next door and threw it open. An old man was standing above Aya, a belt in hand. He brought it down the moment Aya spied me behind him. Her eyes went wide, and then she clenched them shut in pain. The sound that escaped her throat sent my blood boiling.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I ran and jumped on the man’s back. He startled beneath me and swung the belt back. It connected with my shoulder and sent pain shooting down my back.

  “What the- Who are you?” He stumbled around the room and threw himself back into the wall, trying to get me off him. I squeezed my arms around his neck even tighter. That was how the fighters did it, right? Two karate lessons had taught me nothing about being in an actual fight; unless we counted how to take a beating and get up to walk home again after. That wasn’t exactly how I wanted this scuffle to end.

  “Megu, please! Stop!” Aya put a hand on one knee and struggled to stand up. She was still wearing my clothes, only now they were covered in blood. He avoided her face. Her arms and legs, however, were covered in welts. She could hide those, but it would be more difficult to explain any cuts and bruises on her face. What an asshole. What scum.

  “You know this person?” the man said. He threw a giant fist back and I dodged it. He rammed back into the wall a few times and I couldn’t hold on any longer; I dropped to the ground. He turned with surprising speed and lifted me by the front of my shirt.

  “I don’t know who you think you are, but this is my house, and you’re trespassing.”

  “You can’t-” I was struggling to breathe “-treat her like that.”

  I lifted my knee into his stomach and he doubled over. Aya flinched and turned away, but it was all the time I needed. I grabbed his belt and looped it around his neck. I pulled tight.

  “Megu! Megu stop!” Aya was screaming, but I pulled tighter. All the blood in my body rushed to my face. It was like a fever dream; it was real, but it wasn’t real. I wasn’t myself. The sight of this much larger man beating on Aya, and her blood decorating my clothes, it brought something out in me I didn’t know was there. Something long dormant, waiting for the right time to appear. I pulled even tighter, my biceps straining against the belt. The man coughed and spluttered, struggled and flailed, and then finally went still.