Disappointment

Masayuki felt a heavy feeling in his chest. He took in a heavy breath.

What is this?

The child shushed him. They followed the little bunny down a mossy path. The little creature didn’t stop. Masayuki couldn’t help but notice how the trees started to grow thicker around them. Where were they going? He didn’t like where this was going.

Hey.

She shushed him again. They came up to a dilapidated house. There was no front door. The bunny hopped inside. The child walked up to the doorway.

Don’t tell me we’re going in there.

The child didn’t answer him as she walked inside. There was nothing he could do to stop her.

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-Lisa-

My dad had never been a good man. He didn’t care about being a father or a husband. He admitted the only reason he married my mom was because her parents wouldn’t allow a child out of wedlock. I was twelve when he said that. You can imagine what that did to me.

I don’t remember this room. My living room doesn’t look like this. There’s so much dust everywhere. I reached out touch a mite. There’s someone shouting in the distance. I know their voices. It’s him again. She’s mad that he’s disappointed her again. What day is it?

I looked across this green-covered room for a calendar. The moss(?) is so thick that I can’t see anything. There is a couch across the room. I think that’s a TV. It looked like it was on. I couldn’t tell what was on. It might have been some sort of shoujo anime. All that I could see was the smiling face of a little girl. Her eyes were so bright, so inviting. She seemed to tell me to come to her. I reached out toward the screen. I tried, but I couldn’t ignore them yelling at each other in the kitchen. Now, she’s yelling back at him. I counted down to hearing glass and dishes breaking. Part of me didn’t want to stop reaching for the TV. I didn’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I was looking for an escape.

I happened to look up and see a little girl staring back at me. I know her.

“Baby?” I asked.

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Is that…? The girl nodded. She walked over to Lisa who was still reaching out to the TV. That smiling girl on the screen was reaching out to her now. The child held her hand to her chest. She opened her mouth.

“You have to let him go.”

Lisa turned her head. She still had her hand up. Masayuki could see the pain her eyes. The child version of Lisa looked out of it.

What is wrong with you?

Oh…

The child wasn’t going to give up on her. She walked over and put her hand on top of Lisa’s head. The other girl looked up. She and the child locked eyes with each other. Baby Doll repeated what she said earlier.

“You have to let him go.”

“But I don’t know how,” young Lisa said.

“You have to try,” the child said. The other girl closed her eyes. Baby closed her eyes as well. Masayuki felt a wash of warmth run down his back. He could see Lisa glowing a light green. And then suddenly, she was gone in a blink. The child lowered her hand. The yelling and other sounds grew quiet. Masayuki looked around with what limited vision that he had.

What did you just do?

The child looked down at the moss-covered floor. She reached down and picked up a little glowing green star. It glowed in her palm before she pushed it into her chest. Masayuki felt his being pulse. Rapid colors flashed in his eyes. Though the effects were fleeting, they were enough for him to make a realization.

“I know where she is!” the boy said. The child didn’t ask any questions as she vanished into thin air along with the house.