Sirimiri (noun)
very light rain; a fine drizzle.
Chapter 9
(Mako P.O.V)
I swallow my hands sweating under my sweater. "Hello," The lady offers smiling, her red lips going wide on her face. Crooking my head a little trying to understand the shade of her hair colour, almost green but then dark grey.... It's like she couldn't decide what hair colour she wants and mixed both hair dyes at the end and got this muddy mix...
"Mako.... This is Mako." I slightly wince at father's warning tone as he introduces me. I bow down to show my respect giving her black pointy heels a look. Shiny...
"I heard a lot about you, you've grown up looking healthy and strong." The women runs on as I lift my head up. What did she hear about me? from father? All I can think of him saying about me is how I don't listen and try to run away...
"Uh.. nice." Is all I manage to say.
"I hope you choose your path wisely, I know you will." She reassures giving my father a glance and a pressed smile to me then walks away, her pointy heels taking her far from us just as I wish.
"What does she mean?" I ask father.
"Formality." He offers me nodding a few times giving me half a smile. She sounded like she was talking about something specific to me though...but then again, do I know what's going on anymore?
After meeting a few people for god knows what reason, and giving my awkward heys and ums we finally leave, giving my anxious stomach a rest. Sitting in the car with Botan in the back I try my chance with him,
"Knew it wasn't your first time out that day... you seemed to know Spencer and that girl...Lora." I prod watching the driver who's sitting alone at the front. Glad father took a separate car as he needed to head somewhere else. After all this time being confined home, going places seems like a common normal thing I must accept with no offer of explanation.
"Since you figured it wasn't my first time outside, stop asking about it." He says bitterly in a shrill tone glimpsing at the driver. Even if father was told of this conversation, what can he do to him anyway? Lock him in the room? Not that different than being locked in that house.
"Tell me something! I'm confused Botan..." I rant... he sits silent, eyes wandering as if he isn't sure what to say.
"All I can say is that maybe you should've hid better when you run away... that way, I would be free of your stupid moaning!" He suddenly snaps at me. I'm taken aback,
"Hid better!? You should've looked less better for me out there!" I hiss gritting my teeth.
"You're stupid!" He shouts in my face leaning towards me, his hands flying In front of him aggressively,
"If I was stupid you're DUMB! It's called DNA! Runs in both you and I!" I shout back at him, the driver not minding us all this while. As I care if he tells father about this.
"No it's not! Cause our DNA is different!" He hollers face flushing red fuming in anger. I open my mouth to shout something back, but he freezes; lips shaking. He glances at the driver anxiously then back at me. He takes his hand and rubs his temple looking out the window at the dark bare road, as the rain pours down at the trees as they dance in the wind.
As I devour my egg sandwich in the kitchen to lay some food before taking my medication; looking out the window at the green grass, our maid Heli enters the kitchen, she comes beside me looking down at my plate,
"Why don't you finish this quickly? You're expected to be in the hall room." She speaks glancing at me under her glasses.
"Expected?" I ask. I never remember I was expected to be somewhere... She tells me father wants me there so I don't finish my food; I don't wish to keep him waiting. I hurry to the hall sipping water from the glass in my hand; teeth clinking at the glass with my hurried steps. I push open the door to the hall stepping in, I freeze not daring to take another step; heart lurching. A few people I've never met before stand there... Father sitting in his chair. I spot Spencer and Lora from yesterday... Botan gawks at me motioning with his head telling me to walk in. I swallow blinking... I'm almost paralysed, I just want to disappear right now. Finally, I move forward closing the door shut and I walk forward; my legs jelly. I find myself taking a seat next to Botan. After father and other men begin to speak amongst themselves, eyes off me; I nudge my brother.
"What's going on?" I ask him placing my cup on the table. He sits there back hunched as if he has the worries of thousand people on him. He glances at me, dark circles flooding beneath his eyes. I look up at father who's face is tense and seems uncomfortable while an old man speaks to him. Botan turns around giving me no answer.
"Reeve..." A man; maybe in his forties calls out. My sister Reeve has her arms crossed eyeing him lips pressed,
"I don't want to do it. Final." She declares before the man has anything else to say. She doesn't want to do what? Who are these people? Nineteen years of no stranger stepping in our house, just me, my siblings and father in this big place...yet with no explanation, no warning...people are invading our place like it's nothing.
"Mako?" The man calls out. I look up at him swallowing glancing at father for a second. His hands are crossed, eyebrows forward in disapproval.
"Yes?" I manage.
"Do you want to attend the program?" He asks waiting for me to respond, his pen hovering over the paper on the table in front of him.
"What program?" I manage, things are only getting more and more confusing. He hands me a paper,
"Read that while I register the others." He orders me in his high turtle neck. I begin reading,
**Program held for the transfers and second generations.
Studying course for the future of our peninsula.
Exploring individuals skills and find what's beyond our Tract.
Reading on my stomach lurches. I look up pulling at Botan's arm, "Are we allowed to do this!?" I hiss. He glances at father,
"It's supposed to be your choice." He echos voice low. How can he be in a low mood at this news? We're allowed to join a program?! With other people, outside the house.... Who would say no?
"Botan?" The man calls out. Botan doesn't look up at him, eyes glued to his tangled hands.
"No, I won't participate." He lets out. My mouth falls open; is he serious? Did father warn him not to do it? Why wasn't I warned too if that's the case...
"Mako?" I jerk up at my name... I have to decide...now? In a second? My heart begins to falter,
"I..." I glance at my father, still wearing his narrow eyes and angry pout. Should I take a chance and go for it? If it was the right call, Botan would have accepted... will I be punished later if I say yes?
This is an opportunity for me to leave this place, go out. But what will father's responce be? he won't sit and let me do as I please... I glance back up at my father... his jaw setting, a smile slowly drawing. I break eye contact.
A study program? It doesn't sound that fun; I don't like anything related to studying... but it's an opportunity to do something outside...Still... is it worth it without my family?. . . without Botan? We both spent most of our time thinking of going out, seeing what's out there together, how we will go to an ocean and play there all day with Waffle; how we'll go on a spree of food hunting. I don't want to do that all alone. I'll be disappointing my childhood self. I attempted sneaking out, at the end I succeeded. But I was alone, that wasn't a good feeling. If I choose whatever this program is, I won't get to experience all the new things with my brother, I'll be alone. And if I go, will I ever find out what's happening here? How Botan was out there? How it seemed he went out before... he knows people from the outside. How father is connected to those ghouls? They eat humans, they hurt humans and I dare live without knowing the truth? I need to know what's going on. I don't know anything.
"I decline too." I release my answer. Botan looks up at me eyes wide.
"You don't want to do it?" The man asks once again not accepting my answer. I nod, not trusting myself with words in case I accept the offer.
.
Program for second generations? What does that mean? Who are the second generations?... find what's beyond our tract? This country??? There's nothing beyond this place, everyone knows that. Our Tract, peninsula is the absolute in the world... I run on thinking, staring down at the paper in my hand, somewhat regretting my decision. I hear a knock on my room door. A few seconds pass and my brother walks in closing the door behind him. I don't look up from the paper; clutching the dream with my fingers and eyes not daring to look away.
"You thinking what would happen if you went?" He asks standing before me.
"I'm more thinking how this offer was possible all of a sudden." I profane looking up now. His face blank with no answer to my statement.
"Us? In this house? Getting an opportunity to... discover the world? Sounds outlandish to me. Father didn't seem happy about it either." I announce honestly. My brother glares at me,
"Watch your mouth." He hisses. I shrug, I don't care if father hears this. He knows that's what I'm thinking anyways.
"I thought you would say yes." He implies sounding relieved observing the paper in my hand.
"You said no, I say no." I simply say shrugging. He searches my face a smile on the horizon but soon disappears and turns into a pressed pout. His eyes not soft anymore giving me a gaze,
"Hope you won't regret that decision." He presses shoving his bangs out of his face turning on his heels leaving my room. That depends on the answers I find within this house.