For a moment, I can’t read her face.
The sky outside the window begins to blur, and raindrops stream sideways across the glass. The gravel beneath the plane’s wheels becomes a rocky sensation, rattling my teeth together.
I clutch both armrests. We’re going to die.
Kaya, she saysand the way my name sounds on her tongue, I almost dissolve. I can’t dissolve in front of a cute girl, that would be humiliating.
Humiliatingas if I’ve never embarrassed myself in front of her.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m really not mentally prepared to die a second time today.
What if I take you on a date when we get to the city ?
One eye cracks open. Is this a distraction ? A real date ?
A real date, she assures me. You can try makizushi and we can walk around the city. I’ll show you my favourite places . . . we can explore Tokyo together.
I can already feel myself fading. The medicine is lulling me to sleep, but I hold on.
I hold on because . . . because . . .
Because she’s really fucking beautiful, and she saved my lifeshe has saved my life twice. Because we’ve spent the past week running from the rest of the world, chased by gun-toting hooligans and I think . . . I think I might understand her. I think I might really like her. And I think I might really, really want to jump her bones.
We can visit the Imperial Palace, Veah continues, and my finger dig into the velvet harder. And we can go see the Meiji shrine. There’s a dessert called yukimi daifuku, and it’s a mochi rice dumpling filled with ice cream. I think you’ll love the city . . . you should see Tokyo at night. All the colours . . . the music, the people . . .
You really love it, don’t you ? I manage to whisper.
I feel it when the pressure in the airplane reaches a climax. We are just about to take off into the skythe plane is going to risemy breath escapes me in a rush, my heart beating so fast I’m afraid it’s going to grow its own wings and take off into the clouds, too
I’m going to die. I’m going to die. I’m going to
Veah reaches out. Cupping my face with her hand.
Every thought empties out of my head.
She tucks back a lock of my hair and says, Let me tell you a story about the Mirror of Matsuyama.
Her voice is like a quiet caress, floating over me. And I let myself dissolve into her arms.
Once upon a time, there was a girl.
With only a touch of her fingers, this girl could find anything in the world. She could break any wall and defeat any dragon. She was a warrior, in her own way, and people from all over the universe came to find her.
For a long time, this girl was invisible. Until the day she snuck inside the palace, and she discovered the Kingdom.
The king sent his army after her, afraid of what she had discovered. One soldier, a general of his army, was supposed to track her down. But when the general found the girl, it became obvious that she . . . she didn’t know what she had found.
The girl had no idea what she had done.
She wasn’t a rebel. She wasn’t a spy. She was just a girla girl who hated running, a girl who loved breadsticks.
The general couldn’t do what was asked of her. And now the king, and his secret Kingdom, were after both of them
Is that how it ends ? I whisper.
Veah hesitates. I don’t know how it ends.
How about they escape the Kingdom and fly away on dragons, and live happily ever after ?
My eyes are closed, but I feel Veah’s smile the same way I would feel sunlight, soaking into my veins. That would be nice, she breathes. If only the dragons were really dragons . . .
What ? I try to say, but the word doesn’t come out.
Only as I begin descending into the dream do I realize the story had nothing to do with mirrors.
It’s too late. I am already asleep.
I wake up to flashing red lights.
This is probably never a good sign. Even my common sense recognizes that.
Before I can ask what is going on, the plane shudders violently.
It’s just turbulence, the pilot assures us from the front, but he has to shout over the crash of metal and the shaking, grating sound of what will probably be my imminent death.
I realize why he looks so familiar.
Veah whispers, I should have known.
Everything is all good ! shouts the pilot from the front.
The lights shatter.
Nothing to worry about !
Take this, Veah breathes, and she tosses me a heap of fabric. Clothes ? Am I supposed to look good when I go to heaven ?
What’s happening ? I say, that terrible fear seizing me.
Don’t look outside. Don’t look outside.
I look outside.
The windows are smeared with swirling rain. The sky brightens with thunder. Clouds wind tightly over the airplane, and I have the sudden feeling that we are all going to die.
This doesn’t feel like an I told you so moment.
Still, I can’t bring myself to connect my thoughts.
To think of what this means.
Until Veah says, This plane is going to crash.
Oh, I think. I might be about to faint. The first time I ever go on an airplane, and it’s going to crash. This is lovely.
Put on your parachute, she orders, nodding to the heap of fabric. We’re going to jump.
Now, don’t be alarmed, ladies and gents. This is just some minor turbulence.
Jump ?
It’s like skydiving. Have you ever wanted to try skydiving ?
No ! I scream.
That’s the spirit. Now, let’s go !