I sit down at the table Kame directs me to. It is small and warm in that corner. I sit down, and Kame orders us hot chocolate and ramen. When he orders it, I give a start. He notices and immediately asks, “Is there something wrong? Do you find hot chocolate with ramen disgusting?” I shake my head.

“No,” I say surprised that I somehow know that I like it instead of feeling revolted, “I thought there was something…familiar…but I think it was just my imagination.”

“Oh?” Kame asks staring at me hard. I blink and look away. The waitress brings over the hot chocolate and the ramen. As she sets the bowls and mugs down, I gasp clutching my head. It is pounding. Pounding hard.

“Jessica are you alright?!” Kame jumps up and rushes over to me crouching in front of me.

“No! It hurts! It hurts so much!” I cry, tears spilling onto my cheeks. It didn’t occur to me until later that he had called me Jessica and that I had responded to that name. In that moment, my head felt like it would split open.

“Please, make it stop!” I whimper. I barely notice that another shape has sprung from the crowd toward us. Yamapi. I need to get out of this place before I explode.

“What did you do to her?” Yamapi snarls before scooping me up in his arms and rushing me from that terrible place. He lays me gently in the passenger seat of his car and revs the engine. I realize I’m shaking. Why? Why did that place, the food we got…why did it affect me like that?

“Don’t worry,” Yamapi’s voice is like a balm to my pulsing temples, “You’re on your way home. You don’t have to go back there or see Kame again. Whatever he did to you, he’ll pay for it.” he promised.

“H-he d-didn’t do a-anything,” I stuttered quietly, “It was me. It was all me. My head suddenly started hurting. I-I don’t know w-why.”

Yamapi looks at me concerned but says nothing. He concentrates on driving me back to where it is safe…his house. Once we make it home, Yamapi tenderly carries me inside and lays me gently on my bed. I shrink into the mass of blankets trying to bury myself far enough away from the pain. Trying somehow to separate the pain from my body. Finally, it starts to subside. The only think I want now is sleep. But for some reason, my body won’t do it. I lay there as still as possible trying to sink into unconsciousness. Yamapi stays by my side trying to find something, anything to help me. He looks at me worriedly. I smile tiredly and say, “Thank you, Yamapi.”

Rina comes in followed by Yamaa-san. Yamaa-san takes in the scene in front of her before turning to Yamapi.

“You should let Rina stay by her side tonight. The two have bonded like sisters, and I think a sister is what she needs right now.”

Yamapi looks as if he is about to protest, but stops himself, nods, and walks out. Rina comes in on tip-toe and settles herself next to me on the bed. She pushes my hair out of my face and holds my hands in her own. I am still trembling slightly.

“You poor thing,” Rina whispers sympathetically, “What happened to you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mutter.

“Alright,” Rina is so understanding. She starts to hum a melody softly. It sounds like a lullaby. It’s soothing. I feel my eyelids flutter shut and finally, the sleep that has evaded me, comes like a blessing and I am out like a light.