IT WAS TWO o’clock in the morning. The upper bunk shook, and Matsuri’s head peered down over the edge, upside down. Her long hair streamed beneath her.
“Hoi. Yukari. Trouble sleeping?”
“How could you tell?”
“How could I not tell. You’re even keeping me awake.”
“Sorry.”
The nap earlier in the day had thrown off Yukari’s schedule. Her body was exhausted, but her mind remained clear and alert.
“Something on your mind?” Matsuri asked.
“Nothing in particular.” Yukari sighed.
“You people from the modern world worry too much.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“You and me eat together, sleep together, train together—but you’re the only one who ever worries.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Maybe a little magic will help.”
“I’ve had enough magic.”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s real easy, and it will work, you’ll see.”
“If there’s gonna be a whole lot of singing, dancing, and that sort of thing, forget it.”
“Don’t worry, it’s real simple. And you don’t even have to pay me for it.”
“I hope not.”
“Okay, come on. Get up,” said Matsuri, excited.
Figuring she didn’t have anything to lose, Yukari played along. Matsuri opened the window just a crack. “We need a way for the spirits to get inside.” She changed out of her pajamas and into her grass skirt as moonlight spilled into the room. “Kneel down over here, Yukari.”
Yukari complied without a word. Matsuri stood in front of her, her right hand holding her spear and her left resting on Yukari’s head.
Matsuri began to chant in the same singsong melody Yukari had heard that night on the shore. Matsuri gently waved her spear as she sang. The seashell bracelets she wore on her arms rustled softly with the motion.
“Relax,” said Matsuri. “It’s okay to fall asleep if you get tired.”
Yukari closed her eyes. The song seemed to resonate within her. Maybe there was something to this magic after all.
“I’m getting sleepy,” said Yukari.
“Then sleep. Good night, Yukari.”
“Good night.”
As Yukari drifted off to sleep, a reporter burst into the room.
“Asleep! Already? Come on, wake up, Yukari.”
“Huh? You again?”
Yukari had left strict instructions with security telling them to keep the media out of the barracks.
This time the reporter had come alone. She was a small woman with short hair, and her skin had been bronzed by long hours in the sun. Yukari thought she looked familiar, but she couldn’t remember which station she was with.
To Yukari’s surprise, the reporter had neither camera nor recording equipment. The only thing in her hands was a microphone, and even that was nothing more than a prop. Yukari was beyond asking why.
“What made you want to become an astronaut, Yukari?”
Here we go again.
“I came here looking for my dad, and they asked me if I wanted to be an astronaut—they said I was just the right size. So in exchange for taking on an easy part-time job, they promised to help me look for my dad.”
“I see. But you’ve found your father now, yes?”
“Uh-huh. But that good-for-nothing deadbeat said I had to finish the job I started.”
“You mean you’re not here by choice?”
“Not really.”
“Then you don’t enjoy being an astronaut?”
Yukari shook her head. “The training’s a killer, and I don’t trust that rocket. It’s barely got enough lift to get off the ground. That’s why they had to go adding boosters and stuff.”
“Why not have someone else go in your place?”
“I thought about that for a while.”
“But not anymore?”
“I figure I’ve come this far and I might as well go into space at least once. And they have gone out of their way to make changes for me. Who knows—maybe I’ve caught island fever too.”
“That’s great.”
“No, it’s not. Everybody here is crazy. They never think about how the things they do will affect other people. Not that it’s all bad.”
“So that part’s true—you do want to go to space.”
“Yeah, I guess…”
“But?”
“But I wish I could say it in my own words. Right now it feels like I’m always trying to sell something. And the lying…It’s hard to sound passionate about something that isn’t true.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t have to lie to me tonight.”
“Yeah.”
“Have a good night’s rest, Yukari.”
“Thanks. Good night.”
“Good night.”
The reporter left, and Yukari crawled back into bed. Soon she was sound asleep.
✦ ✦ ✦
The next morning, Yukari awoke feeling more refreshed than she had in a long time.
“I slept like a log,” said Yukari with a yawn.
“Hoi. Good morning.” Matsuri was already up and dressed.
As Yukari rubbed the sleep from her eyes, memories of the previous night’s interview came bubbling to the surface.
“Do you remember that interview from last night?” asked Yukari.
“Nope. I must’ve fallen asleep. How’d it go?”
“Hmm.” Yukari inclined her head. “I don’t really remember. Probably the same as all the rest.”
Matsuri walked over to Yukari’s bed. “You’ve done so many interviews you can do them in your sleep.” She smiled.
“Hooray for me.” Yukari sprang out of bed and ran to the mirror in the bathroom. “T-minus four days!” she shouted, pumping her fist in the air.