Yoko Hachimura.
*Drip*
I could hear the sweat drip off of my grandfather's face and his rapid footsteps. I knew in a short moment that I would have to dodge left. Once I heard the swooshing of his bokken, I shuffled my feet to the left dodging his attack.
I knew my grandfather would be wide open so I took the opportunity to strike. I raised my bokken over my head and swung down with a controlled amount of force. I was sure my bokken was going to reach my grandfather, but it seems I've underestimated him again as all my bokken was met with was air.
"I think that's enough training for today, Yoko-chan," My grandfather said and I heard him beginning to take his gear off. I felt a pout form on my face and I complained, "But grandfather, I can keep going!"
My grandfather laughed, "Oh I bet you can, but I can't my dear." I feigned being angry but my grandfather knew I wasn't, "Well since I have soooo much energy, I'll cook tonight!"
"You don't have to cook, Yoko-chan, I would like to live another day," I felt my face get hot from embarrassment, "I can cook! My food tastes delicious and probably looks delicious! Hmph!"
My grandfather laughed again, "Yes my dear, your cooking is the best cooking in the whole wide world!" I usually can't hear when someone is lying but this time it was like a siren. A siren I'm going to ignore...
Once all my gear was off, I felt the cool mountain breeze, and judging by the cooler temperature winter was around the corner.
"Grandfather, I'm going up the mountain to pick peonies! They're in season right now!" I yelled into the house and I heard my grandfather grunt, which meant yes. I walked along the wall to find my shoes and once I put them on I left the house with my walking stick and bokken, just in case.
I made my way to the trail and I bathed in the sounds and smells of nature. I could smell the various flowers that I know soon are going to wither. I could hear the trees swaying from the wind and the wind brushing up against my ears.
The path I was walking on I knew like the back of my hand and once I felt the familiar wooden post that my grandfather put down just for me, I began to feel the ground for the flower I was looking for.
I felt the peonies' large petals I picked them, even though I know they aren't in full bloom yet. I picked a few and descended the mountain. I would have stayed longer but I could smell a storm coming so I decided to leave before I got wet.
After 25 minutes, I was back on my grandfather's property, "Grandfather, I'm back!" I could smell the cooked veal, vegetables, and rice but my grandfather didn't respond to my greeting. That was a bit weird, he always responds to my greetings.
I walked into the kitchen and I didn't hear him and when I felt around he wasn't in there. I went into his study, he wasn't there either. I checked everywhere but one place, my grandmother's shrine room. When I went in there I couldn't hear him but when I felt around I could feel him.
I touched him with my bare hands and my heart sank. My grandfather was cold, really cold. "Grandfather are you okay?!" I yelled and tried searching for a jacket or something to keep him warm. I put a wool blanket over him thinking it would warm him up but after a few minutes, my worst nightmare was true.
I felt my grandfather's pulse, and his heart wasn't beating.
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" I couldn't control myself, my emotions overflowed and my tears followed. The man who raised me, the person who taught me how to walk, how to read braille, how to eat with chopsticks, how to use a sword, the only person I've ever known and loved was laying in front of me dead.
My grandfather, the greatest grandfather a girl could ask for, the greatest cook, and the greatest swordsman, Hoshi Hachimura, was dead and there was nothing I could do to reverse it. I don't know how long I cried for but even when the tears stopped, the sadness only got heavier. I could hear the rain pelting the roof and the thunder that left booms in its wake.
Was God crying with me? Was he sad too? I felt anger rise in my chest, but I knew it was useless to be angry at someone who didn't play a part in my grandfather's death, so I let it die. I laid on top of my grandfather until I fell asleep and even sleep was a nightmare.
The same cold feeling I felt kept recurring over and over and over and over until I opened my eyes. I knew my grandfather's body would soon have to be taken care of, so I walked to the phone and called 110.
"110, what is the nature of your emergency?"
"*sniffle*, My grandfather is dead, please come pick him up," I felt my eyes well up with tears again as the operator asked me questions.
"You said your grandfather is dead? Do you know how he may have died?"
"I, I, don't know I'm blind so I can't see how he died, I only know he's dead because his body was ice cold."
"I understand, may I please have your address so I may send an ambulance?" I gave the nice operator my address before I hung up and walked back to my grandfather.
I felt his face which only made me cry more and I cried for so long, that I didn't even hear the ambulance roll up. I heard the paramedics walking around until they found the shrine room.
"Hi there, my name is Hachikawa, are you okay? Any injuries?" I shook my head and I heard the other paramedic roll the stretcher in.
"Can you find out how my grandfather died?" The paramedics loaded him onto the stretcher and I heard the zip of a body bag.
"I promise you we will." The paramedics soon left and I was alone. For the first time in 15 years, I was completely alone. The light in my perpetually dark world vanished and I was truly alone. In order to keep some measure of sanity, I slowly got up, grabbed my bokken, and began to train.
I trained despite my arms being on fire, I trained despite my lungs feeling as if hot lava invaded them, I trained despite my heart wanting to jump out of my chest, I trained until I collapsed. Once I came to, I made my way to the kitchen and ate the food my grandfather cooked. The last meal that I'll ever taste by his hands. I cried and ate before falling asleep.
-------
[2 years later]
*Swoosh*
My bokken cut through the air for the 1500th time today. Once I heard the beeping of my alarm clock, I stopped. My alarm signified the end of my 12-hour training session. I've been doing those since my grandfather died.
I took my gear off and went into the shrine room. I paid my respects to my grandparents before getting up and going to the kitchen to make dinner.
"Meow." I heard my cat, Punpun-chan meowing from behind me. I found her a year ago inside a dead log. The once vicious stray cat has turned into a docile house cat. I petted her head before washing my hands and preparing dinner.
Preparing dinner while blind is no easy task but after 2 years of determination and hard work, I think I can cook better than my grandfather now, who's a bad cook now old man!
I listened to music as I prepared dinner for Punpun and I, tonight we were having Katsudon! Well, Punpun would eat tuna and a little bit of katsudon, but it's the thought that counts.
After eating dinner, I went into my bedroom and grabbed Kura off the wall. Kura was my grandfather's personal katana that he used for competitions. I train with Kura every once in a while but most of my time spent with Kura is maintaining her.
Speaking of my grandfather, it turns out his untimely death was due to heart disease. Well, a heart attack due to heart disease. Founding out why he died did give me a bit of closure but the hole in my heart is still gaping. If I sit in my room for too long, I can't help but cry.
While I was maintaining Kura, I heard the booming of thunder so I called Punpun inside. It began to rain, and boy was it pouring. The rain smacked against my roof like bullets and I heard a faint rumbling in the distance.
I thought it was thunder so I paid no mind to it and continued maintaining Kura. That was until I heard the rumbling turn into a roar and then I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't feel, touch, breathe, taste, was I buried? Am I going to die?
------
Little did Yoko know, she was already dead. Her cause of death was a landslide, unfortunate. But out of the rubble came a golden orb, Yoko's soul. It traveled straight up and entered a golden portal but before that, a white orb came out of nowhere and was absorbed into Yoko.
When Yoko's soul went through the golden portal, it was met with a vast city. Yoko's soul, almost like a cell, began to divide repeatedly until Yoko was back. Only this time, she wasn't on the Earth she was familiar with.