Bonus Short Story
“CLAIRE? *sob*…Claire! Hang on…!”
I was so scared. And sad. A mix of emotions poured from my eyes. I was afraid Claire was leaving me, going somewhere far away. Almost paralyzed with fear, I refused to leave her bedside.
I can’t believe how long ago that feels now. Those long-ago days feel almost like a dream, although I can’t deny how truly scared I was back then. I mean, it was our birthday and we were having so much fun, and then Claire fell down and hit her head, and the next thing I knew, she was deep asleep with a high fever. I was only a little girl! I kept sobbing, thinking Claire was going to die.
My parents laugh about it now, saying that’s the only time they’ve seen me so upset, but why wouldn’t I be? Claire and I have been together since we were born! I was prepared to take care of her for the rest of our lives if she never woke up, and if she died, then I would, too! I might have still been just a young girl, but I meant it.
“Ugh… Miku…? Huh? What? Miku?!”
Despite my fears and anxieties, Claire eventually opened her eyes. I guess I’m not surprised she was completely fine, considering how strong and healthy she’s been her entire life. Still, ever since that day when she opened her eyes, she’s been…well…a little…different. In fact, from that day forward, she pretty much acted like a completely different person.
“Oh, right! We have to get water from the river or the well here. Ugh… I miss tap water…”
“What are you talking about, Claire? This is how we’ve always done it.”
There were many situations like this where she’d utter strange words I’d never heard before. Sometimes I’d ask our parents about it later, but they never seemed to know what she was talking about. Where could she have possibly learned words like those? It got to the point where I was so worried, I’d start bawling my eyes out right there in front of her.
“You’re not Claire at all! You’re scary! You look like Claire, but…but…”
“Aaaah! Miku! I’m sorry! I’m not trying to scare you on purpose! Please don’t cry!”
She’d get all flustered, trying to calm me down. Once my sobs were reduced to sniffles, she’d say: “I know. I’ll tell you my secret, Miku! But you have to keep it a secret, okay? And you might not believe any of it.”
“I’ll believe you! I trust you completely, Claire, because you’re my sister!”
I think I was about three years old at the time, but I still remember that moment clearly. I don’t remember much of what she actually said due to my young age, but it wasn’t a big deal because, according to Claire, she’s been repeating those same words ever since. Although she always talks about how cute I looked at the time, all upset and pouty, and I’m a little miffed I can’t remember!
What I do remember, though, is believing every word that left her lips. I never doubted anything she said, not even for a moment. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever hated her, and we’ve never fought in our entire lives. We get angry or annoyed from time to time, but it usually doesn’t last long. No matter what happens, we’re always quick to apologize. We’re very close! And I know we always will be.
We were about five years old when she first told me the world we’re in is the same world from a game she used to play in her past life. At that point, I had grown enough, both physically and mentally, that I was more or less able to understand. The grown-ups in our village, thinking she was merely playing a game of make-believe, mostly ignored her. To be fair, when faced with a precocious five-year-old girl who’s suddenly talking about a horde of monsters someday attacking our village all because it happened in a game she loved in another life, most people would assume she was merely playing make-believe. I understand how they feel now, but at the time, we were always so annoyed!
“Why won’t they believe us?” we’d say. “It’s the truth!”
“They’ll HAVE to believe us if we can actually put together some of the useful objects I remember from my past life,” Claire said eventually. “Although I don’t know how they work exactly… If I had been a bit more selective in my studies, maybe I could’ve hacked this world and made my life easier. This is really important, though, so I guess I’m gonna have to switch my strategy up!”
Although I didn’t understand half of what Claire said at the time, and sometimes still don’t, I looked forward to a bright future together, not worried in the slightest. I trusted her completely, believing everything she told me. Besides, all of her stories were so interesting and exciting, especially when we were kids! I was always grateful, constantly thanking her for sharing her secret with me.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Miku. I’ll always protect you, no matter what! So, never leave me, okay?”
“Okay! I’ll always be here with you, Claire.”
I’d noticed she’d become far more overprotective of me since she started saying these weird things, and it worried me. Even as a kid, I could sense the disquiet deep in her heart. Now that I know the whole story, I understand why she is the way she is, although that doesn’t make me worry any less. I want to continue to be here for her, no matter what. Although Claire ends up helping me out far more than the other way around, I’ll always do whatever I can for her!
Oh, right! It was around that time when we took our first bath together. I remember begging the carpenter in our village to make us a bathtub. He seemed completely baffled by what we were going to do with a big wooden box. Imagine how surprised he was when we told him the whole thing was to be filled with water so we could soak in it! All the adults looked at each other like we’d lost our minds. Honestly, I’m sure I had the same look of incomprehension on my face.
“I can’t stand not being able to take a bath! My inner Japanese soul cries out for it!” Claire had whined. “I know none of what I’m saying makes sense, but soaking in a nice, hot bath is good for you! And I’ll prove it.”
Claire had been right, and it wasn’t long before everyone in our village began taking baths. I was a little nervous at first. I’d gone swimming in rivers countless times before but had never dipped even a toe into steaming hot water. I remember how nervous everyone in our tiny village was at the very idea, seeing it as akin to stepping into a pot of water to boil themselves alive! But Claire looked so comfortable and warm in the bath that, one by one, the other villagers, began copying her.
Of course, I followed her into the bath right away! I was nervous at first, but I’ll never forget how I felt that first time. The water was so warm, enveloping my body in a comforting, cozy feeling! I never wanted to get out! Although Claire warned me that staying in the bath too long wasn’t good, either, explaining how if I didn’t drink enough water or step out from time to time, I’d get dizzy and feel bad.
Honestly, I’ve seen my fair share of folks who didn’t listen to her and got pretty lightheaded. She’d laugh every time, saying, “I told you so!” That’s when it really hit me. Claire really is a Reborn, with memories from her previous life. She shouldn’t know about any of these things, and yet she does. The story she’d been filling my head with since we were very young finally began to make sense, and it was all because of that silly bathtub.
“Hey, Claire? You’re Claire…right?”
“What’s wrong, Miku? Of course, I am. Who else would I be?”
For a while following that incident, I’d always ask her that question before bed. I asked her so many times that I’m sure she must have grown tired of it, and yet she always answered in the same way, with a warm smile. And every time, it helped ease my anxiety. At some point, I stopped asking her if she was Claire and instead began asking…
“You’re happy, right?
“Yes. Today, we’re both happy.”
I guess that’s not something you can really confirm with words; it’s something you feel inside yourself. I had come to accept Claire the way she was now, little by little, ever since that day. Claire was Claire, even with those memories from a past life. Nothing would change what she meant to me. It took me time to naturally come to grips with this new reality, but it happened.
Hee-hee… Thinking back to our childhood fills me with warm, fuzzy feelings.