The Mimic: Origins

Chapter 4: Normal

Glancing out the window, she watched as the drawn out storm worsened by the minute. She longed to be with her pride and joy, but she had to work to keep food on the table and the bills paid. It felt like everything happened too fast. She was only eighteen and was rushed into marriage by her parents. They forced her to marry a man she didn’t love, but the child he gave her filled that empty joy. She missed her lover deeply, however he wasn’t someone she should worry about. Her daughter was more important than anyone or anything. 

She enjoyed having a lot of attention to herself. It didn’t matter if it was positive attention from fans or negative attention from haters, like her neighbors. The more attention she got meant the more money she could make. People often looked down on her for doing this sort of thing, but she didn’t have a care in the world. The only thing she disliked was the other women spreading information on her past at the events they all attended. She knew they would do that out of jealousy. She was considered the most “prettiest” Geisha, after all. She finished her look of purity before heading into the entertainment room of spinning delightment. 

After what seemed like years, Futaomote was finally home. Silence was the only thing that welcomed her back home. A silence that was almost too quiet. She decided to ignore her worried thoughts as she settled herself in bed. Tomorrow was a new day. It wasn’t just any new day, though, it was a new day of beginnings. A day to find her new self. 

She woke up to the songs from birds outside. The golden sun greeted her eyes as she opened them. She attempted to move before she felt something, or someone, beside her. She looked to be met with a cute little face. It was her precious daughter, Hiachi. She smiled while looking at her dumpling. I’ll make sure you’re always safe, thought Futaomote. She hugged Hiachi before slowly waking her up. She whispered, “My dumpling, it’s time to wake up.” Hiachi whimpered. “I’ll get you soba noodles.” Hiachi jumped up joyfully while singing, “Soba noodles! Soba noodles! Oh I love you soba noodles!” Futaomote frowned. “You don’t love your mother but soba noodles?” Hiachi hugged her mother. “I love mama more!” She felt happy with Hiachi in her arms. She felt as if the world was safe as long as Hiachi was beside her. 

It was only her and Hiachi together for years, her husband abandoned her to deal with his debt and troubles. Raising a daughter by herself was often a struggle. The women in Futaomote’s village judged her cruelly. They attempted to steal Hiachi many times saying, “This little girl is being neglected and abused! Can’t all of you see this?” Yet, Hiachi ended up being given back to her. She felt as if nobody understood the suffering she went through. Her husband was someone the whole village cherished, without him, everyone assumed Futaomote was the reason he left the family. They never noticed her bruised beauty, but they always noticed Hiachi. She made a promise with her soul, a promise to make sure Hiachi became better than herself. 

She got up with Hiachi cradled in her arms as she hummed a motherly tune. She started to speak, “Hiachi, would you like to pick berries with me today?” Hiachi shook her head immediately while clutching onto her mother tightly. “Why don’t you want to go with me?” Hiachi stuttered, “I’m scared to go berry picking..” Futaomote frowned while replying, “Is it because of that story I told you when you were four?” Hiachi nodded slowly with tears in her eyes. “There there my dumpling, there’s nothing to be scared of. If you want to stay home, I’ll let you stay. I’ll pick some berries and get you soba noodles, okay?” Hiachi smiled in agreement, and she helped her mother get ready to go outside. “Mama, be careful outside!” Futaomote hugged Hiachi goodbye before closing the door behind her. 

She followed the crooked trail of dirt towards the forest. Ever since Hiachi was four, it was difficult convincing her to come berry picking. It was something she hoped would build her mother-daughter relationship into a strong one. She walked gloomily towards the berry bushes. She paused in her steps as she turned to look around. “That’s bizarre, I thought someone was following me? Maybe Hiachi wanted to make sure I’m safe.. I’m not sure,” mumbled Futaomote. She reached the first bush, it was full of lovely, ripe berries. She thought These would be perfect for us! She crazily picked the berries while making sure she had no bad ones. 

She was on the sixth bush before she felt the ground vibrating. Concerned, she ran hastily toward home. The ground shattered profusely into snowflakes. She was almost home, almost there to cradle Hiachi in her arms. She wanted nothing more than to make sure Hiachi was safe. She didn’t care if she had to die while saving her daughter. She tripped on a tree root and drowned in the darkness of her vision. Her inky hair glistened in the moonlight as her pale, lifeless, body laid before the dismantled house. 

Awakened, Futaomote screamed in agony. Extremely edged knives were stabbing every part of her body. She moved her head only to see the demolished pile that once was her house. Hiachi was the only thing she thought while forcing herself upright. She had to make sure Hiachi was there somewhere, alive. She dug through the debris aggressively. Her hands were bleeding from digging for eternity. Tears came to her eyes, she tried her best to force them back. “Hiachi, please, Hiachi be alive somewhere safer than here!” She wailed as she cut her arm on a sharp piece of wood. She grieved over the thought of her daughter being mangled in the demolished building. She screamed, “Hiachi! Please don’t leave me like your father… I can’t live without you,” before collapsing after crying her heart out. 

A figure came out from watching her amongst the trees. It smiled in disgust. “What a pity you are Futaomote, I assume I’ll have to reunite you with your daughter.” The figure picked her up and headed towards the forest. It followed the same miniature footprints that lead to a mysterious cave. It placed her on the ground in order to make a campfire of warmth. The heat woke Futaomote up. She rubbed the exhaustion out of her eyes only to realize she wasn’t on the ground beside her demolished house. She looked around while asking, “Where am I..?” She saw a dark figure standing in front of the campfire. “Who are you? Did you bring me here? What do you want from me, I’ll give you everything if you promise to leave me alone.” Terror shook every bone in her body. The figure replied, “Calm down darling, I’m sure your daughter doesn’t want you to die from your idiocy.” 

It was a woman’s voice, probably one of the women that hated Futaomote. “How do you know I have a daughter?” The woman faced her while saying, “I was your replacement for poor Hiachi. Often, she was unwell with her mother being away almost all the time. I took care of her while you weren’t home. Although, before you ask, I don’t know where she is as of now. An earthquake happened yet this cave is still perfectly fine.” She stared at the woman’s features. The woman wore a lengthy black dress with a weird hat with the hair of a crow. The most astounding feature was the woman’s face. It was the most appealing face Futaomote had ever seen before. The woman continued, “If you wish me to, I could help you find Hiachi.” She glared at the woman before asking, “What do you want from me if I agree to that deal?” The woman grinned from ear to ear. “I want you to eat a butterfly as an agreement to this deal. Consider it as a soul for another.” 

The silence pierced the worrisome air surrounding Futaomote. Knowing herself, she wasn’t a careful thinker at all. She made decisions based on her emotions before thinking things thoroughly. “Give me some time to think,” replied Futaomote. “By the way, you can call me Kintoru.” “Alright, Kintoru.” She curled herself into a ball as she took the time to carefully decide her answer. She watched Kintoru prepare a meal for her while finishing the decision. Futaomote ate until she was satisfied before providing her answer. “I’ll do it. You better keep your end of the deal though. If I am not reunited with my daughter, I will haunt you for the rest of your life.” Kintoru looked at Futaomote curiously, “Before I give you the butterfly to devour, could you tell me what your life was like?” She grimaced at the thought of answering this question. Why did Kintoru know so much about her but appeared as if she wanted to know more? She hesitated before answering, “I was practically born into a world where I thought the truth was forever told. However, I realized that thought was foolish the more I became old. I’ve always lent my heart to my previous lover and one of my friends just for both of them to betray me. I felt alone before Hiachi came into my life. By myself, I couldn’t handle living anymore. Once I discovered my previous lover gave me Hiachi before he left, instead of being angry, I was happy. I wasn’t going to be alone anymore. But now that happiness was taken away from me by this earthquake.” Kintoru pretended to care as she handed Futaomote the butterfly. “This butterfly will grant you that happiness back, trust me.” She ate the butterfly, every last bit. “Thank you for listening to me.” Those were the last words she heard as she fell into the emptiness of death.