Hikari

Chapter 3

"Say, happy birthday!"

Miki stretched her face into a toothy grin as Grandmam and Grandpa chorused her mam's request. Mam had grown so small over the years, her nose level with Miki's and her skin subtly looser, like peaches left out in the sun.

"Oh, you look beautiful," she said, and held out the phone for Miki and her grandparents to see. The picture had too much glare and Grandmam appeared to be drooling, squinting at the camera, but the blossom tree behind them looked good.

As ever, all Miki could see was the scar on her face—the red-brown handprint and twisted lump across one cheek.

"Do you have to leave today?" asked Grandpa.

"Yes," agreed Grandmam, "stay and have a party. A big party! Let's invite all the neighbours. They want to celebrate, I know it. Mrs Akimoto told me so, everyone loves a twenty-first birthday party."

Miki smiled and stroked Grandmam's hand. "I think you'll manage a party without me. Grandpa, what are you doing? Can't you see this lady needs a party?" They laughed, and Miki kicked her duffle bag sitting on the cobbles by their feet. "I'm sorry. I gotta go today. I want to."

Mam's lip quivered and tears filled her eyes. "Just come back and visit," she said. "Promise me. That's all I ask. Just visit me."

Miki wrapped her little mam up close. "I promise."

#

The sky disappeared behind the worldtree's canopy before she was even half way to its trunk. Miki tilted her head back, admiring the gaps between the leaves; brilliant, flickering pools of light. The trunk of the worldtree throbbed blue in the daytime, too, its veins full of water.

"Beauty, ain't it?" called the pilot in her headset.

Lost for words, Miki let out a few puffs of air into her microphone. The pilot chuckled in understanding. He twisted and glanced back at her, all smiles and knowing, but Miki only wished Hikari was with her.

They should have signed up as Workers together. Maybe, just maybe, if she'd drank enough worldtree blood... If Miki had thought to suggest it when it mattered...

She shook her head, unable to shake out Larena as well. If it hadn't worked for her sister, she had to stop imagining what it might have done for Hikari.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she was smiling.

#

The ghost's mangled body floated in the water, its thick blood hissing as it leaked out, turning molten upon the bubbly surface.

Hikari kept up her ragged wailing, but Miki couldn't look at her. Not yet.

She plunged her face into the warm water, washing out her tears and stroking her enflamed skin. A sobbing noise filled her throat, one she couldn't drown away. When she came up for air, she saw the Worker prod and guide the dead body away from them. She looked at Hikari.

Red raw marks stretched from her forehead to her chin, blood dribbling into her eyes.

"Hold your breath," Miki said, taking her shoulder.

Hikari barely comprehended the command before Miki shoved her under the water. She didn't know if it helped. It hadn't lessened the stabbing in her own face.

After dunking her, Miki gripped Hikari by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Hikari," she said, "we're fine. You're going to be fine." But Hikari shook her head, and Miki remembered thinking Hikari's freckles were paler, the shape of her mouth stuck in a mournful wail, no longer dainty and good at smirking.