Pendulum - The Butterfly Effect (Bleach FF)

2: A Warm Welcome

A light breeze swept over my face as I stirred, sending shivers down my spine. I opened my eyes slowly, attempting to focus on my surroundings just as a petal floated onto my cheek. For a moment I had thought I was outdoors but as my eyes adjusted, I realized I was looking out of an open door.

 I scanned the room I was in. It was simple but elegant, styled to look like a traditional Japanese bedroom with pale mint-coloured walls, a tatami floor and open sliding doors that led out onto an outside hallway and into a square stone-paved yard. 

The room was empty apart from the white futon I was lying in, positioned in the middle of the room with a low table in the far corner.I propped myself up on my elbows feeling light-headed but dropped my head back down when the room began to spin.

It seemed like no one was around at the moment but getting out of bed to explore seemed like too much effort, so despite being completely confused as to where I was and why, I stayed put.I fell into a daze as I watched the petals floating in the light breeze, thinking how this was probably a very vivid dream itself, but I soon snapped out of it as I heard slow footsteps down the outside corridor. 

I snapped out of my dazed state in a panic, stuck between the decisions of feigning sleep or demanding to know where I was, but before I could decide a woman wearing a magenta Kimono walked past my door carrying a tray of tea and sweets. She peered into the room absentmindedly as she passed, then did a double-take when she realized that I was awake.

"Ah, you finally came round, did you?" she asked, walking into my room.I shuffled backwards away from the woman like a frightened animal. "Now, now there's no need to be wary, I'm not going to hurt you," she said looking concerned and slowly set the tray down on the floor as she knelt next to my futon. "How do you feel? You don't seem to have a temperature anymore" she said placing the back of her hand on my forehead. "Would you like something to eat or drink? I can fix you up a meal if you like?" she asked cheerily.

"I'm..." I began to answer, not knowing what I felt or whether I had an appetite yet. I just felt lost. "I don't know... I feel weird..." I groaned still staring around. "Where am I exactly?"

"This is Harumachi of the Second District" she began, but she seemed to have second thoughts. "In fact, I'll call my Husband, he can explain these things better than I," she handed me a tiny ceramic cup of green tea and got up to leave the room. "Please try to drink that, you might feel better." she smiled and left.

I sat up again, this time not feeling light-headed, and pulled my futon closer to the door. I sat cross-legged staring out over the large and peaceful tranquillity garden, sipping at my tea occasionally. "Harumachi... Second District..." I repeated under my breath not recognizing the name at all. It took no more than five minutes for the woman to return with a man. 

He too was tall, middle-aged, with the same black hair as his wife but chin length and messy. He was slightly more rounded and full-faced compared to the woman's slim and sculpted features, and he wore a royal blue kimono. They both kneeled beside me and began their explanation."Thank you for the tea, you were right I do feel a little better" I smiled weakly, setting my now empty cup on the tray beside her.

"Good to hear. I am Shinsetsu Murasaki, and this is my wife Yoshino Murasaki, I am the leader of Harumachi village of District Two. What is your name?"I paused for a moment. What was my name? I thought about it hard and heard a distant voice in my subconscious calling a slightly distorted name."I'm... K... Ki...." I struggled, trying to piece together the syllables of my first name. "Kim... Kimi? Kimiko!" I exclaimed as the name became clearer to me. They both chuckled at my excitement. 

"And your family name?" Shinsetsu asked.

"Family name..." Only one name came to me when I concentrated, and I couldn't imagine a name like Kimiko being a family name, it had to be my first name. "I don't think I have one..."They nodded at each other knowingly.