I Am Become Death

by Rocco Ryg

  “Like what?”

  “Oh, I have my sources. Good night, you two. We make a great team.” He opened the door to his apartment and left them in the dark.

  The girls walked back to their homes, unsure of what to say. “She didn’t even mention her ability when she explained everything. What if she doesn’t know what the ring does?” asked Chikara, seeing Renka’s depressed expression. “What are you thinking about?”

  “I’m just mad at Chillingworth. What kind of man doesn’t even contact his own daughter? That’s so rotten.”

  “Well, he’s dead now. You’re right, though. I guess not having a dad would really suck.” For the first time, Chikara actually felt sorry for Michiko. She couldn’t even imagine life without her own father in it. Behind that mean, selfish exterior sat a lonely, neglected girl who only wanted a father to love her. She always thought women like that were prone to bad relationships with men.

  ***

  Michiko stared thoughtlessly at her rotating ceiling fan, still in disbelief over what she just did. Kaijin wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

  Michiko didn’t respond. Her feelings of weakness and dependency reviled her and made her want to throw up. She got out of bed and put on her robe, not even giving Kaijin a second glance. “This was a mistake. We shouldn’t have done that.”

  Her earlier suggestion still lingered in Kaijin’s mind. “Mistake? But you said you needed me.”

  “I wasn’t thinking. Now I just feel... unclean. Please, just get dressed and go.”

  “But you’re nice to me. I need you too. I love...”

  “Get dressed and leave!” Michiko had tired of him already. His lack of confidence and clingy dependency were as annoying as his whiny voice. As he obediently put on his clothes, Michiko noticed the metallic case she had set on the dresser. It must have been that damned ring that made her defile herself like that. Her repressed desire for a man in her life overloaded her reason. “Here, if you want a reminder, take this. I don’t want it anymore. It’s terrible. Take it.”

  Tears streamed down Kaijin’s face. Although his body couldn’t resist the commands, his mind wanted to run away in shame. He needed her more than air or water, and he couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing her again. He took the metal case and ran outside, sobbing all the way home.

  Back inside the darkened house, Michiko curled up in her bed and tried to sleep. She wondered if a part of her really didn’t want to be happy. Would she be alone and miserable forever? She quickly banished this thought from existence. She had the power to make everybody want her and she swore to use it, even if the entire school had to be her guinea pigs.

  When Kaijin arrived home, he opened his gift and studied the odd ring, vowing to cherish it forever.

  CHAPTER 7

  THE CONNECTION

  Nokoribi Kaijin woke up in agonizing heat. He threw the covers off his body and quickly shed his pajamas, desperate to cool off, but he still felt like he had fallen asleep in a blast furnace. He put on a robe and walked to the bathroom, hoping a cold shower would lower his unusually high temperature.

  As the cool water splashed across him, Michiko’s beautiful smile dominated his thoughts. How she would smile when she saw him and thank him for buying her food. How she shared with him the most passionate, intimate experience a person can have with another. And then she threw him out of her life for no reason. He looked at the ring she had given him and wondered why she reacted so harshly. Was it the hormones that make people do crazy things, or was she truly ashamed of him? He didn’t know, but he vowed to find out.

  After the shower, he still felt like a roasted pig. The steam clouded the bathroom’s mirrors, despite the water’s coolness. He toweled himself off and walked to the kitchen, where his father watched the morning news. “Dad... I think I’m sick.”

  “Again? What’s wrong with you?” Nokoribi Nobu couldn’t understand how his son kept getting sick. He must have had the weakest immune system in Japan. “Here, I’ll feel your head”. The heat emitting from his son’s forehead made him flinch. He had felt skin could be that hot. “Geez. Stay home today.”

  “But what about my homework?”

  “Have that girlfriend of yours bring it over. You know, the one you keep bragging about. I’m going to work.” Mr. Nokoribi left the house without even a goodbye and got in his truck. As he headed to the construction site, his son trotted back to the bathroom and prepared a cold tub of water. He found himself envying Michiko for having a mother and no father, the reverse of his own situation. When he submerged himself in the cold water, feeling only slight improvement, he studied the strange ring on his finger and wondered why his soulmate gave it away.

  ***

  As she walked her usual route to school with Chikara, Renka took out her phone. “I’ll text Gen-kun and tell him to meet us in front. We’ll see if he’s found anything about Chillingworth.” Chikara wanted to see Gen for another reason. If he really did touch Renka, she would repay him with an instant-death attack to the gut she had been practicing for years. Renka didn’t seem all that different, which made Chikara doubt the accuracy of Michiko’s claim, but she had to be sure.

  When they reached the school, Gen greeted them. “Good morning Renka-chan. Chikara-san.”

  “Good morning Gen-kun,” replied Renka with a pleasant smile.

  Chikara asked, “Did you learn anything about Michiko’s father?”

  “You bet. Maxwell Chillingworth, son of Winston and Margaret Chillingworth, heir to the global jewelry company. In 1993, he was appointed the United States’ ambassador to Japan. In 2001, he graduated to ambassador to the United Nations. In 2008, he retired from politics and devoted his time to the company. He died last year after a long battle with cancer.”

  “Anything about his family?” asked Chikara, more interested in the personal details.

  “Actually, no. The Chillingworth family is known for being secretive. In fact, I found some informative websites that charged them with being part of the New World Order, like the Rothschilds.”

  “The who?” asked Renka.

  “That’s not important,” replied Gen, who didn’t want to talk about the Collective, the cabal of rich people that supposedly ruled the world. He knew the girls wouldn’t believe him. “I did learn that old Maxwell was known for his quick wit and genius-level intellect. They say he could work out the perfect solution to any problem and easily convince anyone of anything.”

  Chikara scoffed, “I see how an illegitimate kid could ruin all of that.”

  “But he was already dying,” added Renka, still saddened over Michiko’s painful story. “He could have at least visited.”

  “Yeah, you’d think so. Maybe his wife would have killed him before the cancer did.” Gen chuckled at his own bad joke.

  Chikara got back to business. “So now for the big question... where did he get his ring?”

  Gen shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Since he owned a jewelry company, it’s possible he made the rings, but as for the stones… no answer.”

  “But if he made the rings, how did Ms. Kaminari get one?” asked Renka.

  Gen flashed Chikara a curious glance. “Now that’s the big question.”

  “It is. We have to get to class. Thanks for the update.” Chikara was eager to leave.

  “Okay. Bye, Gen-kun,” added Renka in her usual pleasant tone.

  “Oh, hey, Chikara-san, what was your mom’s maiden name?”

  “Akasha. Why?”

  “Just in case. Bye, girls.” Gen headed to his own class. Chikara felt calmer now. Renka and Gen didn’t show any sign of having “something more”, or at least nothing she could see. Sex changes everything between people, and she knew that it would do Renka a lot more harm than good.

  “Why are you so concerned?” asked Renka.

  Chikara had stupidly forgotten about her friend’s emotion-sensing. She made up a convenient excuse. “I’m just really worried about t
his whole thing, about my mom and Michiko and Chillingworth... all this weird stuff.”

  Renka felt the stinging pain in her head and replied, “Did you forget about my lie detection?”

  Chikara mentally slapped herself again. “Okay, it’s something personal that I really can’t talk about.”

  Renka probed her friend’s mind even deeper. After practicing for so long, she no longer felt any guilt in using it. She couldn’t feel any irritation from Chikara... just a sense of confusion and worry. “You’re concerned about someone you care about. It’s me, isn’t it?”

  “Please, just stop. It’s really embarrassing.”

  “Okay, I’ll stop.” As they walked to class, Renka felt other emotions spiraling throughout the hall. She felt a bit scandalous, as if she knew an embarrassing secret. She looked around and noticed a few girls glancing at her. They quickly turned away once they made eye contact, faced each other and giggled. Homing in on them, she felt the feelings of scandal increase. She could even feel disgust coming from some of them. Walking past them, she felt the same thing coming from others, all of whom looked at her with a hint of pride. “Chi, why are these people laughing at me?”

  Chikara wasn’t sure what she meant. “Why do you think they’re laughing at you?”

  “I can feel it. They think I’m... dirty... gross, but they’re afraid to tell me directly. They’re gossiping. What’s it about?”

  Chikara’s sense of fear shot through the roof. She immediately knew what they were gossiping about, and it didn’t take long to figure out who spread the rumor. She tried to think about happy things in an effort to trick Renka’s power. It didn’t work. Renka knew something was up, but decided to find out herself.

  ***

  When the bell rang, the students opened their notebooks and prepared to copy down that day’s lesson, counting the days until the end of the school year. Before the teachers could start their lessons, the building’s intercom system broadcasted a message throughout the school. “Good morning, students and faculty. This is your principal, Asashi Masaru, here with a very special announcement. Our wonderful school has been chosen to participate in a fun and challenging experiment.” Renka could feel her class’s collective sense of suspense.

  “Thanks to a hefty donation from a very important person, Eisai High School will be holding its first senior prom.” The principal clarified for the confused students. “In the western world, a prom is a dance held for students at the end of the year. You will wear your tuxedos and dresses and dance the night away as you celebrate the end of your high school years. You may ask another student to be your date, and most importantly, we will crown the Prom King and Queen after an election.” Renka felt the joy radiating from the students. She shared their enthusiasm. How lucky could this school be to have a western prom, a concept Japan had never practiced?

  “This prom is open only to seniors and their dates, but if it is a success, we may have one for other grades in future years. The election will be held Wednesday, March 21st, and the prom will take place in the gymnasium on Saturday, March 24th. Elections will be held by ballot, and nominations for Prom King and Queen are due on the 19th, with more information coming soon. Enjoy your day. We hope to see you there.”

  The principal ended his broadcast, causing the students to chat amongst themselves. Hibana Taichi couldn’t believe the news. “I knew it. The rumors are true.”

  Chikara turned to him and asked, “What rumors?”

  “That this school is a secret experiment to turn kids into westerners. Not that I’m complaining.” After a few seconds of excited discourse, the teacher commanded the students to be silent and prepare for the lesson.

  Later that day, Renka tried to copy down Ms. Minsei’s lesson into her notes while simultaneously trying to figure out what the other students were thinking. She could still feel their excitement and worry about the upcoming prom, which occupied their minds so much that she couldn’t dig any deeper.

  Minsei’s lesson taught of Japan’s economic boom and its eventual collapse in the late 1980s, an unusual topic for a Japanese history class. She explained how the economic bubble burst due to artificially inflated land prices and bad investments brought upon by corrupt politicians in the pockets of the Yakuza. She even showed a clip from the movie Marusa no Onna (the Taxing Woman), a satire of the corruption directed by controversial filmmaker Jozu Itami. She promised next time to show a clip from another Jozu film, Mimbo, which showed the extent of the Yakuza’s extortion.

  “But don’t worry about our American friends, kids,” joked Minsei. “They learned their lesson about the weaknesses of our system and ensured no economic collapse would ever happen over there.” The class laughed at the superpower’s financial misfortunes, thanks to Wall Street’s derivatives, toxic assets and bad housing loans.

  As the lesson continued, Renka scanned each person’s mind individually for clues to her dilemma. They all seemed to be their usual happy selves, but Michiko’s feelings seemed a bit different. She displayed confusion, as if her thoughts bounced all over her skull. She also felt angry, though it seemed more internal than outward. Renka had to get her nemesis to think about her, so that her mind would reveal her true feelings. When Minsei set the DVD player to show the next movie clip, Renka turned around and looked right at her, giving a neutral glance that wouldn’t bias the results.

  Michiko noticed Renka’s glance, so the empath turned back forward and carefully scanned her rival’s emotions. She felt an extreme jealousy, more vile and contemptuous than anything she had felt in the past week. She felt underappreciated and inadequate, as if the object of her attention stole everything she cherished. What do I have that you want, Mi-chan? A boyfriend? Is that why you took Gen-kun to dinner? A friend like Chi... or a father?

  If Renka could read minds as well as emotions, she would have heard Michiko’s conniving plan. What’s that look, Ren-chan? Is that pity? You think I’m pathetic, don’t you? I’ll show you. I’ll become the Prom Queen and make everyone love me.

  Once the class broke for lunch, Michiko and her friends went to the cafeteria. She wondered why Kaijin didn’t show up, but given how he acted the night before, she figured he was too depressed to show his face. She discussed her plan with her pals and asked them what other girls would be likely to try for the crown. After compiling a short list, she sat down next to each potential competitor and “politely” told them they didn’t want it. Not surprisingly, they all agreed.

  Up on the roof, Renka sat next to her friends. Yui, Hirono and Tomo, their newest addition, all gave her weird looks like the rest of the school. “Hey, Renka-chan,” said Hirono, who tried her hardest to conceal her grin. “How’s Gen-kun doing?”

  Renka detected Hirono’s scandalous thoughts and lost her patience. “Okay, can someone please tell me what’s so funny? I’ve been getting weird looks all day and I don’t know why.”

  Yui said, “You mean you didn’t hear the rumor?”

  “No, what rumor?” asked Renka, the suspense killing her.

  “You know, the one about you and Kagekuro-san... being very... intimate.”

  Without embarrassment, Hirono added, “She means you and Gen-kun are hitting the sheets.”

  Renka stood up and shouted, “WHAT? That’s not true!”

  “Really? Didn’t you go to dinner with him?”

  “Yeah, but that was it. We didn’t even shake hands. Where did you hear this?” Any moral restrictions she had on using her gift disappeared. She scanned all of their feelings for signs of guilt.

  Mizuho, her cheeks red with humiliation, replied, “Hirono told us just now.”

  Hirono quickly saved herself. “I heard it from Noroboshi Mayu in class.”

  Nikki added, “I heard it from several people. It’s all over the school, Renka. If it’s a lie, someone must really hate you.”

  Renka already knew the culprit’s identity. “I’ll be back.” She stormed off to the stairwell, her anger superseding any rational t
hought. The worried Chikara followed her.

  “Renka... I have something to say.” Chikara looked around. No witnesses needed to hear this.

  “What?”

  “When I was hiding in Michiko’s room, she told her friends that Gen said you had sex.”

  “Why? We didn’t!”

  “I don’t know why he said it. Maybe he was goofing around, but... that’s what I heard.”

  Chikara felt a rush of anger fill her heart. The desire to punch the nearest object clouded her thoughts and made her clench her fists. “Renka... you’re making me angry.”

  “Then you know how I feel. First I’m going to find Gen-kun and clear this up, and then I’m going to find that bitch and make her pay for this... and I’m doing it alone.”

  As she stormed off, the concerned Chikara followed her. “Wait! She’ll control you too.”

  Renka willed a feeling into her friend’s head. You don’t care at all about this. Chikara just shrugged and replied, “Fine, make your own mistakes,” and walked back to the group.

  Renka continued on her path. You’re not the only one who can take control, Michiko! I’ll show you!

  ***

  In the Democratic Youth League’s classroom, Gen laid out his plans for the next rally. “Okay, people, I want posters of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. all over the backdrop. These champions of equality and tolerance will stir the emotions of our young brethren.”

  Suekichi raised his hand. “Hey, didn’t Gandhi kill his wife by refusing to give her medicine?”

  Gen shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s just forget that part... like the rest of the planet.”

  Before he could explain the construction of the backdrops, Renka opened the door, giving everyone a sudden rush of anger they couldn’t explain. “Gen-kun, can I talk to you?”

  Gen replied, “Renka-chan, we’re in the middle of a...”

  “Alone, before I call Chikara in here?” The rest of the club, still smarting over Chikara’s treatment at the restaurant, quickly retreated. “Did you tell Michiko that we had sex?”