Fater's corner

Essia, Goddess of Purpose

 

Chapter 1

 

I’m walking towards my dormitory room when my phone starts to ring. It plays the song of a amatour musician that I downloaded from the internet, legally of course. The light and happy melody must be in stark contrast with my look. I fish out the brand new device from my shoulder bag and accept the call. On the other side my annoying sister’s voice responds to my greeting.

 

“Sister! I told you to come home for the summer break, now look at you! Mom and Dad got into an accident! It’s serious! Come back home right now!”

 

I frown at her but drop it instantly, I highly doubt she would lie about something like this. While we don’t have a bad relationship…

 

“Alright, I will go and see your parents. Where are they?”

 

I was adopted as their child at the age of 17. After two years I still failed to get closer to this small and happy family.

 

“Sister! You can’t talk like that. They are your parents too. Please come, I’m sure they want to see you. We miss you. Please. Please!”

 

I sigh at her strange quirk. She ignores what I say and is blinded by her emotions all the time. Even simple things can make her go crazy. This time it’s even worse, even though this should be the time it’s important for her to keep level headed to help her parents as much as she can. Her wailing is useless, annoying and distracting for both of us.

 

“I get it so calm down please. The hospital name or address please. The hospital. And what happened to them?”

 

“Theh- Thehy had an accidennt. Their car was hit from the backh and- and- and they were wheee~”

 

It got worse. She broke down crying. Thankfully they should have survived for as much I understood from her words. Still, annoying.

 

“The hospital! Tell me the name of the hospital!” I say a volume louder in a forceful tone.

 

“They are in Kyoto in the.. Red Cross’s… Please. Hurry. Please.”

 

I push the button to end the call and quicken my pace towards the room. I dial a number and call the person my sister should have called first. My family’s personal doctor. A good family either knows or has good doctors if they can, as they are essential to every human’s life.

 

I originally wanted to study medicine and become a doctor like my original parents, I even attended a medical high school. After their sudden passing I realised I don’t even have a reason to follow on that anymore. I switched to less womanly career path which my parents never agreed me to study, mechatronics. I wonder, was it only to run away from my new “home”? I do enjoy this more though.

 

Our family doctor, Ide Sadakazu picked up the phone immediately and I informed him of what happened. He agreed to urgently head to my parents and he should arrive within an hour. I also allowed him to use the bank account set up for him for such occasions so that he can get the best treatment possible for them without worry. He can hire army of private doctors and clinics, if needed.

 

With my obligations done, I throw the phone back to my bag and open the door I have arrived in front of. I enter the room without closing the door behind me. The interior is by no means small. I walk through the tidy and almost untouched living room, pass by the half-kitchen and enter my bedroom.

 

This is different from the rest of my rooms. It lacks the look of a new and unused home and is filled with different objects I often use. My hobbies are many and unusual, I have things from expensive brand clothes to an oily workbench with electrical parts on it. Please, this is all organised for my own comfort and not for others to see.

 

I look at a large suitcase right next to my bed. Everything needed for a trip has been packed already weeks ago. Why? I’m not really sure either. It just happened.

 

This time I’m thankful for my strange actions, I can save time. I open the browser in my phone and book the next plane I can towards Japan quickly. Pulling the large suitcase behind me and  with my handbag on my side I leave the school grounds and drive to the airport. Sadly I forgot about it before so my home project had to be thrown out during security check. Well, homemade electrical devices and wires are slightly suspicious and dangerous.

 

I still have to wait an hour at the airport terminal, that is unavoidable, but by showing my first class ticket and white credit card waiting is a hell of a lot more comfortable to be spent a the premium lounge. Good drinks served by pretty girls in a comfy leather armchair, a service all can appreciate.

 

Inside plane is much less comfortable, but it seems I caught a good, modernised plane that has plenty of space for my legs. On the old models even first class has hardly any leg space. After the slow climb up into the sky I ask for a last drink, put up my headphones and fall into a dizzy sleep.

 

It is a long, cold and hazy sleep. I sweat more than I dare to admit and my body trembles in fear during my nightmare.

 

Until I woke up to a loud noise. Unable to think, unable to see properly I try to reach out, not strong enough to move a muscle. Maybe a minute or less, my mind still cloudy, I manage to force my eyes open. It’s dark in the night.

 

Only the flames of the burning kerosene and plastic hit my weak eyes. My senses come back one after another. The stench of a rotten alley, the feeling of numbness and adrenaline ridden pain and the the iron within the taste of blood.

 

Everyone around me is dead. The plane must have crashed, parts of it still burning. How could I survive?

 

As I ask myself the question the answer comes to me instantly.

 

I see. I am also dead, as the lack my lower body implies. Everything below my breasts are gone. Heh. How did I even open my eyes?

 

...was my last thought before finally fading into the dark and falling into eternal slumber.

 

Essia, Goddess of Purpose

 

Chapter 2

 

The cold wind brushes me face bringing the smell of nature into my nose. The sun shines brightly into my tired eyes, waking me from my dreams.

 

I do not remember most of my dreams. I consider this as a blessing as every morning I wake up tired and numbed by phantom pain which torments me mentally. I wipe my damp eyes so that I can see properly.

 

I clearly remember having died. What happened to me was not a dream. Something like me being here should not be possible. But I am. But how and where?

 

My tired eyes open but my lazy body does not listen to me. I am not a morning person, it often takes minutes for me to fully wake up and become functional as a person. Sometimes even then, parts of my mind still decide to stay asleep.

 

My thoughts are cludly and I am coming to feel the hunger of my stomach, which apparently I still have. Well, since my survival should have been impossible anyway I gladly accept any good news.

 

With a groan I sit up, holding my head to keep myself from the dizziness. It still takes a full minute for me to wake up.

 

I look around myself and find that I am in a forest. Such a unique and never before seen tale.

 

I can feel the smell of the forest filled with life. Different flowers and plants all around give of many different scents. The grass and trees all have their unique one too. I recognise a few of them, if not all. It’s strange to see them like this. While I’ve spent my childhood in a small village with forests, I have spent most of my life in the city. Even so, there are not many places on earth that hasn’t been trampled over at least once and what I see is true untouched wilderness.

 

There is no trace of paths or the plane that is supposedly crashed with me. Instead I am in a small grass patch surrounded by tall multiple meters thick trees and overgrown bushes. I see no way of going in or out without getting torn apart by thorns outside with the usage of a bush knife.

 

There is no trace of me entering this grass patch.

 

Now that I think of it, I do have my suitcase next to me. This is getting weirder and weirder. My plane crashed, I died and woke up in the middle of nothing, uninjured with my luggage that wasn’t even with me. It was in the plane’s storage.

 

I grab my head and crouch down in frustration. This situation doesn’t make any sense. How should I know what to do when nothing makes sense?

 

In anger I punch the ground a few times until my hand doesn’t dare to anymore. I decide to ignore things I don’t understand, I just have to find out more and everything will be much clearer. For a proper plan, a solid foundation is the most important part.

 

I open my suitcase and search though it’s contents. I do have an industrial knife with me but… I also have a larger bone knife in my cooking set. It is quite expensive so I only have one of it. It has a really strong blade with a thicker backside and a strong grip. This should be the closest thing I have for a bush knife. The five other I bought with myself are too small or would lose their edge quick.

 

I look up to the sky and see that it is in the afternoon. Wherever I am I should be able to find a safer place before dusk. In this wilderness I wouldn’t be surprised to be found by wolves or a bear. Neither of those are what I can run away from. As long as I can see in daylight I can avoid provoking them at least.

 

With less than a solid determination I head towards the east. In the distance there is a mountain so this is the only direction I dare to go. I don’t want to get lost and walk in circles.

 

As I cut the plants in front of me as I walk slowly I notice another strange thing. There are lots of different plants here but there are plants that should not grow in a forest or in this climate. Even if they occasionally do, not this close to each other.

 

Garlic and ginger are already strange enough, but a lotus tree? They aren’t ornamentals either, they are wild flowers with strong scents.

 

Either way, collecting a few of these will be beneficial. I can use these to treat the cuts from thorns on my skin and eat them. I doubt my snacks will last me enough and even if I do find people I don’t think they will accept Euro or credit card from me.

 

I grin at my little achievement. It feels good when you accomplish something in a shitty situation. After a while I hear the sound of gurgling water. These is a river nearby. I adjust my direction and head towards it. If I follow the river my chances of finding people will increase.

 

As I reach it the forest becomes easier to travel. I thank my luck because a river overgrown with wildlife is impossible to approach at my state. I carefully step over the tall grass and crouch to see the water. It is very clean compared to what I am used to. There seems to be no human waste in it so it must come directly from the mountain near in the distance.

 

I cup my hands and take a little sip- it is surprisingly fresh. It is similar to what can be pumped from 60 deep below at grandma’s, save for the coppery taste. I fill all my bottles I have on me just in case. It is heavy and I am getting tired from carrying my stuff on my back in this jungle. While I am not weak, my small build isn’t built for heavy lifting.

 

I look at my distorted reflection in the water surface. My face is simply awful, I am full of sweat. My already pale skin turned in a shade mixed of blood pink and sheet white, like a vampire. I inherited blue eyes, both looking exhausted. Together with my jet black hair I look like some kind of mythological monster.

 

Me being half-japanese doesn’t really help. The time I lived there I learned that a small woman like me always ends up looking like this. I blame my genes, I want to be a tall beauty.

 

As I look at the other side of the river I see that it is quite far away. There is no way I can swim through without getting pulled underwater by the currents. In the middle it is flowing very fast, at least at 30 km per hour.

 

I hear rustling behind me, without hesitation I start to climb the tree closest to me. Thankfully it is easy to climb with many branches even at the bottom. This is a strange tree but I don’t dare to accuse it for saving me.

 

As I reach 4 meters in height a bear walks out from the forest coming right towards me. Wait, aren’t bears supposed to not go near other animals? They only attack if you go too close to them, but this one is clearly coming towards me.

 

It is a large bear, a big and very scary one. I think my head could fit into its mouth perfectly, but I rather not try it.

 

As high as I can go I nestle myself a safe spot and attach my suitcase to a branch. It was a 800 Euro well spent for these in normal cases unnecessary functions.

 

I grin at the angry bear glaring at me from below. I don’t know what it wants, but screw it. You can’t touch me from there! A bear as large as you won’t be able to climb up here!

 

Shit. I said the line of a dead person. Soon to be dead, as another even larger bear with long canines comes out. There is no way such a thing exists! I refuse to accept judge! Where on earth does a 5 meter long bear with 30 cm long boar canines exist!

 

I scream internally while frozen by fear as the large bear rushes into my tree. I hear a snap~