Dan

*Dan*

I can�t explain we�re in this mess either. It just happened. My story is odd. Or rather it is now.

I came here to Japan with my girlfriend. She has health problems. She�s been sick since she was a little girl. I decided to come to Japan to find a cure. She currently is in the hospital. I am working many jobs to pay the bill. (The student visa paperwork for the health insurance hasn�t come in yet.) That�s it on the background part for now. Back to the situation at hand.

My girlfriend and I were dragged into this mess one night in July. The details are still a bit hazy to me. But, I will try. I remember visiting my girlfriend in the hospital. I took the homework assignment to her like I normally. We stayed and talked until visitor hours were over. Nothing special. Then as I walked out to my car, my head began to ache violently. It was like the ones that my girlfriend gets. I could feel the blood rushing in my brain. I thought I was going to die.

�Oh god, help me!� I thought over and over again. My vision became blurred. I found myself sinking to my knees. It felt like the air was being sucked out of my lungs. I thought I was going to die. Then, the big black screen came down and blocked out everything.

�Sir?� I heard someone ask. �Sir, are you okay?� I opened my eyes and looked up. A nurse stood over me. I blinked at her, confused.

�I guess,� I said. �What happened to me?�

�You were passed out,� she said. It took a while for her words to hit home. I nodded at first. Then, a sharp, burning pain stuck me in the back of my right shoulder. The nurse began to panic.

�Sir!� she cried. �Sir, are you okay?�

�No!� I screamed. She tried to see what was wrong with me. I pushed off her hand.

�Don�t touch me!� I barked. I tried to get up and push myself towards the hospital.

�Sir! You need to sit down. You�re in no condition to move!� the nurse yelled.

�Shut up!� I yelled. �Just shut up!� I kept forcing myself to walk. I made it to the front door before sinking to my knees. I gasped hard for breath. I couldn�t understand what was going on with me.

Suddenly, my fingers traced along the burn. My eyes widened as my head tried to grasp what I was touching. Now, I�m still learning Japanese, but I know the numbers in Kanji rather well. I believed I was touching the number fifteen on the back of my right shoulder. Not only that, but I heard a voice telling me, �You and your girlfriend will die next year on the Fire Festival.� Then, it went silent. My eyes opened in panic. I had no time for questions. I got up and raced into the hospital to see my girlfriend again.