FOUR CHAPTERS!!!

The grind is REAL!

***

NANA

It was around 2am when I heard a buzz from my laptop from my desk.

What on earth. This late?

I walked over to it and brought in onto the bed. Since the AC was chilly I wrapped myself in a blanket. I opened up the screen and found it to be a FaceTime call from none other than Aiko.

Why is my sister calling? She never does nor doesn't any of the family...

I answered it to find her on the other end, her caramel hair with pink highlights on her shoulders and her amber eyes filled with tears.

"Aiko? What's wrong? It is 2am here and why have you called me?"

"I-it's bad Nana. Really bad." she wailed and started sobbing again, her Japanese accent making her mispronounce words. I had to turn down the volume to make sure Katelyn wasn't woken up.

"What is it then?"

She hiccuped then said,

"Read the email I sent you." 

I nodded urgently then went to my mailbox. I opened up a file attached to an email with no subject. It looked like it had been sent hastily.

Condominium Fires in Coastal Residence of Tokyo, Japan                                                                                 54 killed, 23 injured, total of 67 homes destroyed

Fires were started by a car crashing on a multi-story parking lot. It was said that there was a small explosion...

I kept reading and tearing up while doing so, and when I went to the death count, something hit me home hard.

Yoko Sheta

Natsu Sheta

I started to cry, but muffled it into my blanket for Katelyn. Two of my family members; my dad and brother, gone.

"Nana, the family is struggling over here. We need help; please come back Nana. Come back to us."

I didn't want to make such a ruckus and so I nodded biting down into my pillow.

Aiko and I both cried a little more until she finally waved goodbye and the screen went blank.

I sniffed grabbing a box of tissues from my nightstand then blew my nose, muting it by doing so from under the covers. Then I went to the internet, got my passport from my desk, and started to immediately search for plane tickets to Tokyo.

***

The next morning I slept in tired from last night trying to drown my thoughts. Was it a dream?

My computer screen with Japanese airlines listed on it was taunting me.

It was real. My father and brother really are dead...

I heard the front door open and remembered Katelyn and Travis were going on a date again. Garroth and Zane were busy since Zianna was coming over to visit, and Aphmau and Aaron were out of town for somewhat reasons.

It was just me, which gave me time to finalize the airline. After choosing Sakura Airlines I booked a ticket then finalized it. Once it was verified, there was no turning back. The plane would leave two days later at three in the morning; I had time to pack lightly. Aiko had listed the damage in the email and it seemed that there was somewhat left of it since we lived on the third floor of the condominium; I used to, for me.

I was very young when the family split because there were so many of us. Even with the quarrels I still felt alone. My family lived in Phoenix Drop for a while during high school and then I travelled to Falcon Claw for university. My family moved there once I was done schooling but I went back to Phoenix Drop to live with Aphmau and Katelyn.

I lost touch of my family since then and have felt awful. I never meant to miss the memo. The rest of the family was probably either on an airplane already or maybe already there helping out. I felt terrible about everything that I had thought about my family, strangers thinking I was a copy; I was unique but too shy to show it...

...until I became bold and anime.

I grabbed a backpack and knew that due to parts of the walls fractured, cracked, and demolished, fancy packing was not it. A backpack would do for who knows long. Aiko said at least a month. At least.

After packing some sets of shorts, a pair of track pants and a hoodie, and underwear and socks. I moved on to a basic hairbrush, and floss, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a shampoo and conditioner combined. After quickly throwing in a bar of soap I sat on my bed still comprehending this sudden news I had received past midnight.

Sliding in my laptop, charger, and passport and wallet into the front pocket, I went downstairs and made myself brunch.

How was I going to tell everyone?

I looked to the right towards the TV then noticed a big picture.

Kim was an artist, and so she painted all of us together for one giant photo my MyStreet. It was made into copies thanks to the Ro'Meaves expert printing and each of us got one to hang in our houses. The original is in Kim's house.

That was it.

I would write each of them a letter, all of them different, and then when they put them together, they would find out the big picture.

Maybe now was the right time to tell them...