Michiko Bates Chronicles: The Beginning

Michiko Bates Chronicles

Volume 1: The Beginning

by

Janeil Harricharan

& Tanya Rodgers

EBOOK EDITION

Copyright © 2015 Janeil Harricharan

License Notes

All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced in any form or by any means without expressed written permission from the author.

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Chapter 1

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Michiko Bates was, and always would be, an interloper of many worlds.

She hummed to herself as she tracked along the overgrown stone pathway behind their house, notebook clutched to the folds of her hooded sweatshirt. The path led to a small forested section, a little spot of nature in their suburban world. As she walked further in she began to deviate off the path, choosing instead to scramble up every rock over knee-height and not at all minding if her jeans got a little dirt on them if she stumbled.

Her mother had long-since given up on berating her about it, knowing that she would never stop. It’s unladylike, her mother used to say, to which Michiko always replied that she couldn’t care less about being a lady if it meant putting a limit on herself.

Besides, she thought to herself, I can be a lady if I want to. She curtsied in perfect Snow White fashion to a tiny songbird peeking out at her from the branches above, despite not having the customary attire for it. She never quite fit into either of the girly or tomboyish categories; rather, she floated between them as she did with any other label. A casual observer might consider her to be an introverted bookworm, a popular party-girl, or a tomboyish adventurer, all depending on the location and time of day that she was spotted, and of course the company she was keeping at the time.

Her father was a New Yorker with a distant Italian heritage, while her mother held her own Japanese heritage a little closer—which was where Michiko inherited her name and many of her features from. Michiko herself was an artist and a techie; an adventurer and a stay-at-home sloth; a thinker and a doer. But as they say: a jack of all trades becomes a master of none, and was difficult to find a place in the world when you never stop moving.

She liked to think that if ever an alien species chose her to watch, they would step away quite confused and convinced that she was an entirely different species of human—an altogether undiscovered one at that; endangered, even.

Michiko soon found herself in the middle of a thicket, putting an end to her musings—at least for now. The branches had been long-since flattened down from afternoon reading and notebook-scribbling excursions that grew ever more frequent as her ventures with friends fell more and more by the wayside. It was difficult to stay close, to stay important in their lives when she was so busy rocketing around in her own.

She settled down into the usual spot, a few branches poking into her clothes and pulling at her jet black hair. They would soon stop and settle into place along with her as she relaxed and found her place in the middle of them. Her little thicket away from home would be much more suited for a doe and offspring, but she found that the forest had welcomed her nicely on the days where she felt like immersing herself in nature, nor did it shun or forget her if she decided to spend some time among her friends in the modern world.

Okay, time to focus, she said to herself as she pulled out a pencil capped with a panda-shaped eraser. But no sooner than her pencil touched the paper her mind had already wandered off somewhere else. She had thought that getting away from the temptations of technology would make focusing easier. But of course, wherever she went and whatever she did, something was sure to catch her interest.

What did I even come out here to write anyway? She wasn’t an author or poet, or even much of an artist; just a girl who liked to catalogue her thoughts and the things she saw on occasion. She found that there was almost always something worth putting down on paper—whether it was in her head or right in front of her.

Something small and white darted through the underbrush a few feet away. Michiko’s heart jumped and she pulled her feet in tight, letting out a little squeal. The creature stopped, little sides heaving, head twitching around. A mouse. Just a little white mouse.

No wonder the poor thing is scared, she thought, this isn’t the place for a white mouse. It’s a wonder that some bird hasn’t gotten it yet. Its dark little eyes looked in her direction, probably seeing her as more of a mountain than girl. It started to sniff the ground and inch back in her direction. When it got about an inch from her sneakers, she bolted to her feet, not wanting it to start scaling the mountain of girl before it. She wasn’t the type to jump up on the table whenever a mouse was near, but she wasn’t fond of the thought of one climbing up her jeans, either.

NOPE. That’s it. I’m out of here. Sorry, little mouse. Geez, there must be something wrong with the thing if it’s coming right up to me. Or maybe it’s somebody’s pet. You’ll have to find another friend.

But as her grandmother always told her, a determined heart will find a way.

-

Hey, you gonna be okay, hon? Aimee asked, always the one to play mother hen to them all

Michiko shifted the beat up old Honda Prelude into park and put her hands in her lap. She was still shaking.

Mitch?

Y-yeah, she stumbled out. She’d never hit anything before. The little thump from below had been sickening. Still was sickening. Oh god, what if it was somebody’s pet?

A grade school memory of when she squished a toad with her foot because it wouldn’t let her pick it up resurfaced; the little squeak it made as her foot came down on it and the instant regret she had felt. Was it strange to feel guilty for that sort of thing after all this time? Or was it stranger that she was thinking of it right then?

It’s okay, said Aimee. We’re all fine. Right, guys?

Michiko looked into the rearview mirror at the two doe-eyed girls in back, Megan and Natalie. They nodded in order to placate Michiko, but Natalie still looked a bit shaken.

Just let me get out and check. Maybe I didn’t—

It would probably be better if you didn’t. She’s probably right, Michiko thought, that sounded pretty sure.

All right. Michiko took a deep breath and checked out her side window for any oncoming cars, shifting the car back into drive as she did so. As they pulled back onto the road and continued along their way, Michiko’s thoughts kept returning to that moment.

That little flash of white in the headlights darting into the road. Was it a cat? It seemed much too large. It couldn’t be a fox. There was no reason for it to have a white pelt. Or maybe it was the headlights, warping the colors of its coat. Or maybe it was just impossible for her to remember it correctly. It had all happened so fast—she wasn’t able to process things clearly. There was something about it that really nagged at her, though. Was there an extra glint of light when the thing darted out into the road? Something shiny that caught in the headlights

She tried to clear it out of her mind. They were going to have a fun, normal night at the movies. Nothing more.

-

Danny waved them down in the parking lot and was jogging over as soon as they stepped out of Michiko’s car. He had someone else in tow, but it was difficult to tell who under the dim lights.

Geez, could you guys be any later? They’re gonna be starting soon. He checked his beat up old flip phone once more and shook his mass of blonde hair at them, having to comb it back out of his face once more when he was finished.

Oh no, we might miss the ten minutes of previews, Michiko replied flatly. Aimee flashed her a concerned look, not used to her friend being so sardonic. Conscious of this, Michiko tried to loosen up a little and put a somewhat convincing grin on her face. So who’s your friend? she asked as they walked towards the entrance.

"Aw, c’mon, you guys have met Mike before. He’s my cousin from Fairfax, remember? He’s staying with us part of the summer.

Why’s that? piped up Natalie, no longer quite so rattled.

Don’t worry about it, guys. Just be nice to him. Family problems? wondered Michiko.

It was no wonder they had all forgotten him. Mike seemed the easily forgettable type; he wore a dark grey hoodie with no embellishments that practically screamed don’t bother to look at me. Except, no, it wouldn’t have screamed—it would have whispered, and it wouldn’t have mattered, because no one would have been inclined to look in that direction anyway. Usual height, usual face, usual build, usual clothes, usual short-cut hairstyle, not dyed in the slightest. He was every bit the physical embodiment of the word of the word average, and he seemed to be okay with that. Better than trying too hard to stick out, I guess, Michiko thought.

Yet there was something sad about the way that he nodded along with all the things Danny said to re-introduce him to the group as they purchased their tickets and snacks. It seemed odd that they were learning all about Mike from Danny when the subject was standing right there.

Hey, c’mon, let the kid speak for himself, Michiko said finally, cramming a handful of popcorn in her mouth. "We wanna get to know him, not more of you, Danny," she said good-naturedly elbowing Danny in the side. She wiped her butter coated hands on her jeans, and pondered just what her mother would have to say about that particular habit. They shuffled into the theater and found their seats. See? Nothing to worry about. They’re still busy telling us to sit down, shut up, and turn off our cellphones.

All right, Mitch, lay off of him, Aimee said, attempting to keep the peace between all her chicks. Michiko and Danny had a tendency to butt heads, due to one being so neurotic and the other quite easygoing. It was all good-natured ribbing, but it wasn’t uncommon for one to get bent out of shape for a little while.

So, Mike, Michiko said, tell us about yourself while we have the time. And Danny, you keep your trap shut. She vaguely remembered Danny telling them about the kid’s family troubles, which probably explained his quietness. She figured he could probably use a helping hand to bring him into the group. Danny probably meant well, but the kid would never learn to speak up if no one ever let him. So, what do you do?

He seemed a bit shocked at first that anyone was interested in him. His face flushed a little, but he smiled and leaned forward to make eye contact with her. Well, I do photography. And a few other things, I guess, but mostly that.

Like with a legit camera?

Mike nodded. Michiko was a bit apprehensive about someone her age who claimed to do photography—most of the photographers in her class that she knew were the type to snap random pictures with their smart phones and cover them up with filters in an attempt to be artsy. But she decided to give the kid a chance.

What do you take pictures of?

He shrugged. Trees, animals, whatever. I often get roped into being the photographer for family events, but I don’t really like taking pictures of people. Sometimes the adults give me a few bucks for it, though. He shrugged once more as if to say, hey, it’s money –which was a precious commodity at their age. "They don’t take me seriously when I say I want to do it as a job when I get out of school, though. They all think it’ll never make enough money to qualify as a real job."

Adults think that about a lot of things, Michiko said, remembering her mother’s subdued grimaces when she had once told her she wanted be a professional gamer when she grew up. Of course, now Michiko thought her mother was probably justified in that reaction, but still, with that look of raw skepticism, she had felt her heart sink quite a bit that day; and for awhile, she stopped talking about her dreams and plans for the future with anyone older than her.

The projector clicked on and there was a pop as the lights lowered and the screen was lit up. This put an end to any further conversation, although Michiko leaned over quickly before the preview voiceovers could kick in to give Mike her approval.

That’s neat that you’re a photographer though, you’ll have to show us some of your work sometime, she whispered before settling back into her seat.

She felt a bit bad for him as she saw the somewhat disappointed look on his face; she could tell that he wanted to talk more, and figured that he didn’t often have others to listen to him or take an interest in his work. She was a bit wary, though, knowing that the lonely ones had a tendency to latch onto those few who stop to lend them an ear. Showing him kindness was one thing, but mother hen was Aimee’s job.

A jump scare in a preview caught her by surprise and her thoughts were drawn away from thoughts of the newcomer and into a world where mysterious entities terrorize the unsuspecting new tenants of a home.

-

I dunno, I think it was a bit too optimistic.

"Danny, you say that about every movie where the ending isn’t completely depressing," Megan said, looking a little spooked still. She had been the only one to rail against the movie choice and had jumped hard at every scare—even the fake-outs where it was just a cat or a bird moving all of a sudden. To be fair a few of them had gotten Michiko as well, but nowhere near as many.

"Yeah, but this is a horror movie. I didn’t come here for something feel-good. I mean, nobody even died."

Wow, how awful, no one died a horrible death, said Natalie, rolling her eyes and smiling back.

I agree with Danny, actually, Mike spoke up, stumbling a little as he struggled to speak over the squabbling of the rest of the group. It kind of takes the scariness away if nothing really bad happens. What’s your take on it, Michiko?

I dunno, I was a bit too distracted by how predictable the entire thing was. It’s like they’ve been making the same movie over and over the past year.

Woah, watch out, we’ve got an avant-garde in our midst, joked Danny. But the comment went largely ignored.

What’s so great about being scared anyway? I don’t want to have nightmares about it, Natalie whined and crossed her arms.

Hey, it’s okay, I’ll protect you, said Danny, he grasped her shoulders and gave her a reassuring pat. She blushed and flashed a nervous grin and he quickly stepped away and fiddled with his car keys to find the unlock button. The whole group was aware of their tenuous relationship which always wavering just between friendship and something more, and let it pass without much commentary. All right, guys, I think that’s it for me. Anybody want a ride home, so Mitch doesn’t have to do all the work?

Natalie of course raised a hand Megan was quick to follow. Michiko couldn’t help but feel that part of it was due to the incident on the way there, but she tried not to take it too personally. They probably weren’t even thinking about it, it was out of their mind by then. Besides, they’d driven with her plenty of times and they had never even come close to an accident. Aimee glanced in her direction, and she snapped back to attention.

I’ll go with you, if it’s all right, Mitch, said Aimee.

Sure, no problem. She pulled her keys out of her purse and unlocked both doors. Well goodnight, guys. Drive safe. Nice meeting you, Mike.

Yeah, nice meeting you again. She felt the sting of sadness in his voice at not being remembered and silently chided herself for letting that one slip by.

I’m serious about those photos, she added, and he perked up a little. She and Aimee watched as they all piled into the car and drove off. Michiko had her hand on the door and was about to climb inside when a voice called out to her from the direction of the movie theater.

Hey! Hey, Miss! It was the voice of a woman straining against the light wind that was blowing through the dark-lit parking lot.

At first, she had assumed that the shout was meant for someone else—After all, what could they possibly want with her? But she looked up out of simple curiosity anyway to see a younger woman with a little girl in tow fast-walking across the parking lot toward them.

The woman paused a moment to catch her breath and held out something to Michiko.

Miss, I saw you drop this earlier. I didn’t want you to leave without it.

O-oh, Michiko looked down at the object, perplexed. It was difficult to see it under the dim glow of the lights, but it appeared to be some sort of pendant on a thick silver chain. It didn’t look like anything of hers, but one hand touched her neck nonetheless to make sure that the necklace she had chosen for that night was still there. It was. I’m sorry ma’am, you must have the wrong person. That’s definitely not mine.

The woman’s large liquid eyes seemed to flash in the dark and she let go of her little girl’s hand briefly to comb through her platinum blonde hair nervously. The child stood silent and staring eerily, almost like the ghost child in the movie they had just seen. Oh, I was so sure it was you. Are you sure this isn’t yours?

I’m positive.

Well why don’t you take it anyway? It’s very pretty and I’m sure whoever it belonged to is long gone by now. She pushed the pendant closer to Michiko. Unease began to stir within her. Why do people have to be so freaking creepy?

They might come back. You should see if the staff will hold onto it.

Oh, but it will probably get lost or thrown out or one of them will just take it home. Besides, it seems like it would suit you.

Thanks, but I just couldn’t. Michiko lowered herself into the Honda, trying her best to signal that she was done with the conversation. She looked to Aimee for help, but for once Aimee seemed just as perplexed as she.

The woman tried one more time to pawn the necklace off on her, even going so far as to grab Michiko’s hand and try to force it into her grip.

Geez, lady! Michiko jerked away and the pendant went clattering to the ground. She kicked it away with her toe so that the woman would step away from the door enough for her to close it. They wasted no time in locking the doors and starting up the car. Michiko gave one last glance out the window at the woman scrambling to find the pendant. She seemed to have success, as she stood there cradling something in her hand, staring at the car with a forlorn expression. The child remained as stock still as ever.

The car jerked into drive and they pulled out of the space. They were honked by the driver of an SUV whom Michiko nearly cut off in her rush. Normally the angry gestures and harsh blaring of the horn from the other driver would have gotten to her, but she found she couldn’t care less that time.

Breathe, sweetie, said Aimee after several seconds had passed and Michiko followed instruction.

Man, what a weird night, she said, her words laden with air as she sighed and slumped in the driver’ seat.

Want me to drive?

No. I’m fine, she said just a little too sharply. Her eyes scanned ahead, just waiting for the next possible thing to happen. She felt as though she was waiting for the woman to dash into the road with the pendant in hand so that she could run her down. "Maybe that movie was a bad idea after all. You don’t think I overreacted, do you? It was weird, right?"

Totally. Strangers shouldn’t just grab your hand like that.

But she had a kid with her.

So? Doesn’t mean she can’t be nuts, too. Besides, that kid was even creepier than her!

I guess. She still wasn’t convinced. Maybe the movie really was getting to her, if the nice lady trying to push a free necklace on her had become a raving lunatic to her.

It’s over now, anyway. She can go force her jewelry on someone else.

Aimee launched into an impression in a craggy old hag’s voice, begging Michiko to take an array of fine jewelry from her. Michiko found herself laughing at the over the top impression and the air began to relax a little. The further from the moment they got, the sillier it seemed. Just some weird lady. The world was full of them. Nothing to worry about; it would be a decent story to tell to the rest of the gang the next time, and nothing more.

So, uh, that Mike kid seemed like a cool guy, didn’t he? A little bit withdrawn, but nice. Aimee said, trying to sustain the lighter mood.

Yeah. We’ll have to make plans with everyone soon. I think he’ll come out of his shell a little more once we’ve all had some time to hang out.

Maybe something better than seeing a movie next time, though.

"Definitely. Hey, the weather is actually supposed to be good all next week. Maybe we