“Well, I have a cherry tree out back that I need removed. I’ll show you.” We followed Mrs. Stone out of the kitchen and past the garage to a dead cherry tree. A white bench that appeared to have been painted several times over the years sat before it. Mrs. Stone looked up at the tree smiling fondly. “My husband planted this tree for me soon after we married. He used to tell me that there was nothing more beautiful to him than me sitting under it when it bloomed. It broke my heart all over again when it died,” she said with a hitch in her voice.
I remembered what Lord Tanaka had said about the mononoke feeding off of pain and loneliness and wondered if it had killed her tree.
“Allow me to take care of it for you. No charge,” Cosmo said with an old fashioned bow.
“Thank you, Cosmo. There are tools in the basement.”
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Oh, well… I’d like some fruit from the trees in the far corner of my property out that way if you feel you can manage with all of those scrapes. I haven’t been out there since the last time I fell.”
“What should I get?”
Mrs. Stone beckoned me to follow her to her garage where she showed me a small pull wagon and some baskets. “Just fill as many of these baskets with whatever you can, and I’ll be happy. If it’s green, don’t pick it.”
I made sure that Mrs. Stone was safely inside of her kitchen. Then, I grabbed the wagon handle and ventured out through the tall grass and out to the small orchard that was surrounded by overgrown berry bushes.
The Okami watched as he had since the young female had left the hotel. Though he sensed a temper and questionable morals within her, he also found kindness and compassion. It was just like Winks to leave a defenseless, grieving child to deal with his multitude of sins. The mononoke clutched at the child’s left ankle fangs sunken deep into her flesh as she filled one of the old woman’s baskets with plums. The Okami’s ears perked up as several more of the troublesome spirit creatures crept through the long grass toward the girl. The mononoke had been so well-fed that it had been able to bring more of its brethren through a spirit portal. Masking his presence, the Okami crept forward.
The orchard was quiet and still as I pulled down the heavily weighted branch laden with fruit and filled the basket at my feet. I was afraid to go home, but I wanted to make sure that the mononoke hadn’t hurt Daisy. Thinking about the large empty house and Momma’s ashes on the mantel, I wiped at my eyes. I wondered what had happened to Winks. Where was his canister? Sobbing, I crumpled to the ground beside the wagon.
Suddenly, beneath me I felt a trembling vibration in the earth through my legs and thighs. I looked up and through my tears saw a black blur coming straight for me. Sharp teeth came striking toward my ankle but stopped in mid-air clamping onto something invisible to my eyes. The massive black creature snarled and tugged dragging me a few feet. Terrified, I tried to get away from the wickedly sharp teeth, but it wasn’t my leg in which they were sunk but in a small cat-sized creature that frantically clutched at my ankle.
The ground sky, trees, and even the air took on a distant surreal quality giving me a glimpse of something beyond reality. With my new vision of something just beyond the mortal realm, I saw more of the small ethereal white toothy creatures converging upon me while the massive black wolf continued to tear the one it had ripped from my ankle to shreds.
The sharp teeth of one raked against the tender flesh at my neck while another sank its teeth into my back. More of the sharp needle-like spikes sank into the back of my thigh, and I fought frantically to remove them. However, the pain I felt wasn’t from the teeth embedded in my flesh. The bites seemed to deprive me of my happiness and inner strength leaving a void behind. They were too fast, and there were too many of them. Hopelessness overwhelmed me. The wolf knocked me down onto my stomach chomping its massive jaws together as it ripped the vile parasites from me. I felt drained and empty.
My forehead rested against the cool grass, and the wolf padded around me sniffing at me with its large nose. I wasn’t sure if it was planning to eat me or not.
“If you’re gonna kill me, just go ahead and get it over with,” I said brokenly to the wolf.
The wolf made a whimpering sound. Turning my head a fraction, I saw a big clawed paw near my nose. Then, a big wet nose came down and sniffed my neck. I managed to sit up wincing at the feel of the ground against my knees.
“You’re not going to hurt me?”
The large black wolf looked at me with big brown eyes and panted letting its tongue loll. I held my palm out to it. The wolf sniffed my hand and moved closer sitting in front of me. Reaching out, I touched its fur. Groaning, the wolf laid down resting its head on my thighs. I took that as an invitation to pet its fur.
“You saw those things, too?” The wolf lifted its head and panted at me. “Lord Tanaka said a mononoke was following me. That must be what those things were.”
A little fluttery creature the size of my pinky nail flew down, touched the wolf’s nose, and then floated away.
“I’m not sure what has happened, but it’s like we’re in Scorpius but not in Scorpius.” I sank my hand deep into the wolf’s fur running my fingers through it. “You’re a sweet baby for helping me. Yes, you are. Do you want to be friends? Do you live out here all by yourself?”
The wolf rose, gave itself a mighty shake, and trotted away.
The sunlight, green grass, and sky returned to normal with the big black wolf’s disappearance. Beginning to doubt my sanity, I looked around in confusion. However, the flattened grass to the side of me attested to the fact that I hadn’t imagined the wolf. Along with the wolf, my intense feelings of loneliness had vanished. I almost felt normal.
Standing, I brushed myself off, finished filling a basket with plums, and then began filling another basket with blueberries from the riotous bushes surrounding me.
Assured the female was both safe and comforted, the Okami silently padded away to hide out of sight continuing to guard her as she filled her baskets. In the spirit realm, Clue had appeared like a beacon. Mortals such as she could be used as a portal, food source, or as a tool. Trouble would follow her. Had she been corrupt, he would have killed her and been done with it. Unfortunately for the Okami, the daughter of Winks had softened his heart toward her through her heartfelt desire for her stupid doll to be safe. He couldn’t very well eat the annoying little pest now. She would give him indigestion. To think the little twit had spoken to him as though intending to make him a pet. The Okami snorted, but dwelled upon the memory of gentle trusting hands on his pelt.
Using my uninjured right hand to pull the wagon, I made it to the back door just as a shirtless and sweaty Cosmo was returning the last of the tools to the basement. Cosmo had stacked the wood from the tree on the porch for Mrs. Stone who had a happy smile on her face. I carried the baskets of fruit and berries into her kitchen and placed them on her counter. Then, I returned the wagon to its place in her garage.
I watched as Cosmo pulled his shirt over his head, put his arms through the sleeves, and pulled the hem over his abs. He refused the credit chip that Mrs. Stone tried to give him but accepted the bag of cookies that she thrust toward him.
Looking at Mrs. Stone, she seemed to have a sparkle about her as opposed to the dull lifelessness that had emanated from her when we had first met. I wondered how long the mononoke had been feeding from her grief and loneliness and how the black wolf had managed to eat them. I hadn’t been able to touch them. My fingers had passed through freezing air when I had tried.
I took the now empty boxes that had stored Mrs. Stone’s winter decorations down to the basement. Mrs. Stone had several white and crystal snowflakes dangling from transparent string hung in front of each of her windows, pillows resembling conifer trees and winter birds, and all manner of little knickknacks spread upon every available surface.
“Has your family begun to decorate for winter, Clue?”
“No, ma’am.” She se
emed shocked by my answer. “I grew up on Eris Space Station. I’m still getting used to weather, having solid ground under my feet, and all of this open sky. We didn’t have seasons just stars.”
“You ready, Clue?”
“Go on, Cosmo. Thanks for all of your help today, but I think I’ll walk back. I need to clear my head.”
His brown eyes filled with concern. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. Mrs. Stone pressed a credit chip into my hand along with a bag of cookies. “Will you come back tomorrow?”
Nodding, I said, “Sure,” before walking down the steps.
Cosmo had disappeared from view by the time I reached the sidewalk. After I had walked about a block, I felt like I was being watched. I stopped walking, opened the bag, and ate a fluffy blueberry cookie groaning with pleasure around a mouthful.
“I know you’re there. Come out.” I waited until his nose and pointed ears came into view. Bending my knees hurt, so instead I leaned over, made kissing noises, and said, “Here, boy!”
Cocking his head at me, the wolf gave me an odd look almost as though I had insulted his dignity.
I laughed. “Don’t be that way. Come here. Want a yummy cookie?” Pulling a cookie from the bag, I held it out to him. Coming closer, he sniffed it and then ate it all in one chomping bite. Then, he looked at me expectantly for more. “Okay, fine. I’ll share. You should have tasted the ones she made yesterday. Do you want to walk with me to a store I saw? It’s called Farm Supply on Frog Street. I want to see if they sell cherry trees. That would make Mrs. Stone happy. I think anyway.”
The wolf let out a deep loud bark and wagged his tail making me first jump out of fright and secondly making me laugh.
“You’re so silly. It’s so amazing seeing a real dog.”
The big black wolf growled at me.
“Sorry, a wolf? I saw plenty of cats, birds, and rats in Hyperion, but only wealthy land owners have dogs and no one had a wolf friend. I heard that wolves and coyotes only lived in the outskirts of Cassini.” I fed him another cookie. “Thank you for getting those little beasties off of me. I don’t know how you did it, or how I could even see them, but I’m grateful to you. This morning, they were playing mean tricks on me and scared me really bad. Cosmo made me go ask a mean rich man for help.”
The black wolf growled.
“I know, right? He said something mean about my Momma. It was true, but cruel of him to say. We’re on my street. Do you want some water? I’d like to clean up before going to the store.”
The wolf didn’t answer, but he followed me inside of my house. I filled a large bowl with water and placed it on the kitchen floor in front of him. Then, I stripped out of my dirty clothes and threw them into the cleaning unit. Wolf loudly slurped up the water.
“Hey,” I whispered. “Will you come upstairs with me? Do you think they’re all gone?”
Wolf followed me to the stairs but took the lead. He sniffed everything and wagged his tail.
“Daisy is okay?”
Wolf barked and wagged his tail.
I went to the bathroom, used my waste unit, and took a quick shower, dressing in the closet. Then, I straightened up my bed and tucked in Daisy.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
I followed Wolf down the stairs, threw on my jacket, and held the door open for him. We turned on Tortoise Street. Wolf acted like we should cross the street to the side where the Wisteria Hotel was located. People moved out of Wolf’s way with a mixture of fear and respect.
“No, Wolf. Let’s stay on this side of the street. The Wisteria Hotel over there is where Lord Tanaka and Dorian are. They don’t seem to like me much. I’d probably get in trouble for being with you on the sidewalk for all I know. We should just get past the place before any of them see us. Cosmo said Lord Tanaka is the law here, and I don’t want any trouble.”
Wolf panted at me with his tongue lolling to the side. After we had hurried past, I rested my hand on Wolf’s neck and gave him a scratch. I started to turn onto Frog Street, and Wolf gave my thigh a nudge with his massive head to tell me I was turning the wrong way.
“Good, boy!” I said as I scratched between his ears. An old man looked at me in horror. After we had passed him, I whispered to Wolf, “What the fuck was his problem? I’ve got on clean clothes and everything.” I sniffed my armpit finding no offensive smell and shrugged.
Wolf followed me into the Farm Supply store. It was huge and sold all manner of things from seeds to and chickens all the way to complex and technologically advanced farm equipment.
“May I help you, Miss?” a young woman in her twenties asked.
“Yes, do you sell cherry trees?”
Smiling, she said, “Right this way,” and led Wolf and me out the back of the store to a large area full of trees and plants that was enclosed by a high wooden fence. She showed us several trees ranging in size from knee-length to bigger than Cosmo.
“This one is perfect,” I said as I spotted a pretty one. “How much is it?”
“Forty credits, Miss.”
I tried to lift it and struggled. The bandage on my palm scrunched a little, and I straightened it back out. How would I carry the tree all of the way to Mrs. Stone’s house? Disappointed, I said, “It’s too heavy for me.”
“Oh, we have free delivery.”
“You do? That’s great! Can I get it delivered to Mrs. Stone’s house at the end of Cherry Street?”
“Yes, no problem.”
Smiling, I paid and followed Wolf from the store. Wolf ditched me. I walked home where I cooked some broccoli and carrots for my dinner. Then, I took care of my laundry leaving Cosmo’s shorts on the table. After putting my things away, I decided on a nap.
Chapter Five
I woke up several hours later with Daisy in my arms right where she was supposed to be. A short time later, I was walking along Swan Street and entering a café where I ordered coffee and blueberry muffins. Finding an empty table, I pulled up the news screen and entered the name Winks Taylor into the search box. A picture of him taken by the Protect and Serves from around a decade ago was the clearest one I could find. I also learned that his name had been Colwyn Taylor. In a way, Momma had named me after him.
A waitress stopped by to refill my cup. “May I get you anything else?” she asked.
“How can I get a holo-image made?”
“Hover Currier on Honjo does them,” she answered.
“Great. Thanks.” I finished my coffee and muffin with a goal in mind.
After a short wait in line, it was my turn at the Hover Currier. A few minutes later, I had holo-images of Winks and Momma. My eyes spilled over as I looked at them, but I managed to pay. I asked where to buy frames. The man who wrapped and bagged my pictures directed me to a home décor shop back on Swan.
I found the store, and a sales lady helped me place the pictures in frames of a dark wood of a similar nature to that of the floors at 888 Honjo. Thanking her profusely for her help, I returned home placing the pictures on the mantel to either side of Momma’s container.
Then, I walked to Mrs. Stone’s house. A Farm Supply land transport was parked in front, and I found Mrs. Stone out back directing a man in the planting of her tree. She held her hand out to me when she saw me, pulled me close, and hugged me.
Then, she had me to sit on her kitchen floor, remove everything from her lower cabinets, wipe the shelves down with a stinky vinegar and water mixture, and put everything back. I kept sniffing my arms on the way home.
I stopped in at the diner walking back to the restroom to scrub my arms up to my elbows before going to the seat that the waitress had indicated at the counter. I thought that certainly, I must have the cleanest hands in the place. The soap in the restroom had disguised the vinegar scent, or so I hoped.
After my meal, rather than returning home, I walked down to the wharf and turned toward the less trafficked area. The ocean was a beautiful pale blue. A man had given Momma a necklace once with a stone in it of almos
t the same color, but I couldn’t remember the name of it. A set of wooden steps that were dried out from the elements led down to a thin stretch of beach that widened out the farther it got from the wharf area.
I walked along the sand marveling at the way the salty water rolled up and retreated. Shells and rocks littered the sand. Soon, my pockets were filled with them.
“Oh!” Bending down, I picked up a large spiraling shell that was as large as my hands.
“That’s quite the find,” said the sultry voice of a woman.
I looked up to find the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her hair was a strange shade of blue, and her skin had a shimmering tan almost as if it glowed from within. “If you saw it first, you can have it,” I said as I slowly stood holding it out to her. She was even more beautiful when she smiled.
“Keep it with my blessing,” she said.
Her words caressed my soul. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in the wet sand holding the shell in my lap as the tide came closer wetting my shoes and pants up to my hips. Standing, I tried to banish my confusion as I made my way back as I had come, up the stairs, and home.
I placed my shells in the kitchen sink to soak in warm water. Then, I stripped out of my wet clothes and tossed them into the cleaning unit. I smiled at my pictures of Momma and Winks on the mantel on my way up to my room. I soaked in a tub full of warm water until the chill from the ocean left my bones. Then, clothed in a gown, I went downstairs and made a cup of tea that I sipped while eating the last of my berries.
Spreading a towel out on the counter, I set all of my rocks and shells on it to dry pleased with my treasures. I found a clear glass soup bowl and arranged my shells inside of it with the biggest one on top. Then, I placed the bowl in the center of my table. It wasn’t much, but the cavernous space didn’t seem as empty to me now.
Someone at the door woke me the next morning. After managing to make it down the stairs and to the door, I grumbled out, “Who is it?” as I scrubbed at my eyes.
A sonorous male voice announced, “I am Tadashi Shimizu. Lord Tanaka requests your presence at breakfast.”
Clue and The Shrine of the Widowed Bride (Clue Taylor Book 1) Page 4