Finished short story...

A first step

“...mum, I’ll call you when we touch down at Tokyo, ok?...Love you.” Beep.

With her head slightly bent, the girl had her eyes fixed to the phone screen as she anxiously scrolled down the contacts list. A little frown gathered on her brow.

She was sure she forgot someone. If only she could remember who it was.

Letting out a loud sigh, Sharika fidgeted at the edge of the passenger seat.

“Umm….sorry, is anyone sitting here?” A girl bent over the aisle, waving her hands.

“Oh damn...” Sharika muttered under her breath. It was her sister – she forgot to call her.

“Um excuse me?” the girl tried again, this time tapping Sharika on the shoulder.

As if awakened from another world, Sharika started from her seat in astonishment. For an instant the two girls stood facing one another, still and silent. With a look around, Sharika swiftly scanned the cabin. Most were teenagers like her, coming from all across the country to travel to somewhere they’ve never been before.

All in their high spirits, each glowed with joyful anticipation of their journey ahead. A certain sparkle could be detected in their eyes. Yes, it was certainly the best thing that has ever happened to them. No words could describe the excitement and happiness which spread contagiously among the entire group.

Sharika sat back down.

With her chin resting on her hand, she fixed her eyes upon the dim, murky sky outside. Everything looked bleary against the dull, grey backdrop- the clouds had started to gather above, and no sooner, the first wave of splattering raindrops began their descent.

As the plane began gliding along the runway, Sharika could not help but feel a creeping sense of unease of the flight ahead. The constant patter of the raindrops had become so deafening it almost threatened to penetrate the plane window. With a deep sigh, she stared down at her lap. Her palms were covered with beads of sweat. Sharika swallowed hard, and clutched onto the handles of the seat as if clinging onto dear life as the plane shuddered and groaned, and finally took off.

By now, the rumble of the cabin has passed clear through her body, rattling her stomach, but the stinging in her ears still wouldn’t go away. The pain was so great she felt tears rising to her eyes.

“Are you feeling alright? Here, take some gum. Your ears won’t hurt as much.”

Surprised and delighted at the same time, Sharika passed a grateful look to the girl as she picked up the piece of gum. From a corner of her heart, she felt a surge of warmth flow towards the kind stranger. She suddenly felt hope. Perhaps- just perhaps, she would have the strength to do this after all.

~

The first few days went by quickly and peacefully, though in a way, Sharika had the eerie feeling that it was only the calm before a storm.

It was after dinner, exactly a week after they arrived in Japan. A decision had plagued her the entire evening. Sharika quickly paced to the area downstairs before she had a chance to change her mind.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, the sound of her wooden clogs sharply resonated down the stairway.

On the last flight of stairs she misjudged the distance to the last step and nearly lost her balance.

Phew. She finally got there! She couldn’t change her mind now.

Clinging tightly to her towel, she felt her heart pounding louder than ever. Her lips pressed together tight as she parted the curtains to the bath house. Sharika breathed a sigh of relief on finding herself in an empty change room.

With hasty agility, she swept her clothes in a pile and dumped them into the basket, then covering herself as much as possible with the tiny towel, moved swiftly to the bath.

“You! Noo tow-aaaal in here ahhhh!!!” a sharp voice scowled abruptly in strange-accented syllables from behind.

Yes. That did it.

White as a sheet, Sharika turned around in a painstakingly slow movement to face a ferocious-looking old woman. Her eyes widened as she found the old lady standing in the middle of the room, fully undressed, and pointing a shabby finger at herself. With a piercing shriek, the towel slipped from Sharika’s hands to reveal her shivering cold body. Immediately tears trickled down her pale little face as she became aware of the growing crowd of people at the corner of the room near the entrance.

Flinging fervently back on her clothes, and in a completely distraught state of mind, Sharika raced, half limping, out of the room and pass the scrutinising and curious eyes of the crowd.

On closing the door behind her, she let her body collapse.

Without any further need to hold back her overflowing stream of tears, the dam broke. She cried and cried, till she choked on the hot torrents of despair which coursed down her face.

Hours went by, and her racking sobs became lost in the dreary cold winter night. She felt herself completely at the mercy of the familiar sense of wretchedness and isolation, which came knocking at her door again tonight. She felt small, powerless.

~

The clock struck five as Sharika became aware of an urgent whispering in her ear. She felt a gentle stroke on her hair, then a tug at her arm. It was Lula, the girl who she met on the plane. They’ve grown closer in the past week.

“Shh, Sharika…come on…wake up….I wanna show you something.”

Signalling Sharika to follow her, Lula tiptoed softly along the corridor, and they took the lift to the top floor of the building.

The moment they stepped out, the morning chill pierced through her skin. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant sensation. But all this didn’t matter anymore as Sharika raised her head to meet a breathtaking view.

“Oh my gosh. Lula! Th-this is b-b-beautiful...” stammered Sharika in amazement as she slowly took in the 360-degree view from the roof.

For a short period of time following, the two remained still and silent as they watched the fiery orange sun rise and envelope the mountains with its dazzling golden rays. At the foot of the mountain, lay the shimmering waters of a lake which shone like a million little diamonds as each ray of the sun hit the surface.

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as Sharika felt a miraculous change came over her. Turning to her left, she caught Lula’s illuminated face mirroring her own.

Her eyes brimmed with tears of joy. All of a sudden life seemed a lot brighter.

~end~