Suki's Choice Pt. 1

Suki's Choice Pt. 1

The sun was rising when Suki stepped on the yard.
To her confusion, the brothel was not there
Instead a strangely constructed house


Neither a merc or a whore in sight
Shinu could not be found
Kanji had faded away
And the Mistress was nowhere insight

The cages were gone,
the ganj fields missing.
The bar and tents had vanished
But their skeletons were there.
Charred skeletons,
Giving the illusion of where the buildings once stood
The sky grew white as the sun rose

Suki stepped through the phantasmic scene
Ash blanketed the soil

“I must be lost.” she whispered

“What was that?” begged the spider.

“I'm lost...this is not the brothel where I was killed”

She navigated the deadened landscape
The ash crumbling warmly beneath her feet
It was alien

The Bird, Ariel landed on her shoulder
Suki turned and glared at the thing
"You again!"

Ariel fluttered down to the ash
It looked up at her and said nothing

"Why do you torment me so?” cried Suki,
“What have I done to you?
I died!
I should not cling to this riddle of a world!
I want Forever!"

The bird spoke
It's large blue eyes looking up at her
"This is your Forever, Tsukiko."

Suki for the felt tears rising
"Leave me!"

She ran
Pushing through the jungle of ashen wood
Navigating a thicket of charred remains
At length she reached the pool
Where she had once bathed

She saw it's water was black
Stained in the afterlife
Suki fell to her knees
And wept for the darkness of this deathly world

She fell forward
Reaching out for oblivion
She collapsed on the dirt
Her finger tips touching the sable waters
Staining it crimson
She wept
The Ash clinging to her face

At length
Ariel landed beside her face
And said not a word
Suki wept
Then finally
"What is this?"
she begged

Ariel sighed
"You were beautiful Tsukiko
You wished beauty and love on all those around
Even those who did you wrong
You were grace
You were gentleness
you were strong
We look kindly upon you
those who are beautiful in body
and spirit."

Suki stared at bird
sniffling back her tears
"W...we..?"

"We've been called Gods before, Tsukiko.
We blessed you with a mark of your unfaltering beauty
They grew from your beauty, fed by your heart
And they have brought you to death
To Us."

Ariel was no longer such a small bird
She was larger now
Having grown
Her wings spread
And wrapped around Suki
Comforting her

"Oh Tsukiko...
Your story does not end at your death
It warms our hearts to see the love you bring to the world
Tsukiko
The world is empty of a love like yours
In death you can exist forever
Brining beauty and love back to the world
Do you not want to be our Eros,
Oh heart broken one?"
Suki cried

Ariel was now no longer a bird
But a beautiful glowing woman
Her skin as white as her feathers had been
And eyes a radiant blue
She was adorned in a flowing white robe
With which she coddled the weeping ghost
"I...I don't know..." said Suki
She curled into ball
Enveloped in the encompassing warmth of the white robe
Sinking into a sea of comfort
Ariel kissed Suki's face
"I...I don't know if I can....the world..."

"Hush...." whispered Ariel
She tenderly kissed Suki's tears
"Sleep girl...
The dead can afford to rest like no other
Rest
when you rise
May the new world treat you well
Treat you well child...
Treat them well..."

1. Image by YoshiyukiKatana