In the Morning, I'll Say Hello - Chapter 73

 "In the Morning, I'll Say Hello" is a yuri comic I wrote. But I can't draw, so I'm posting the scripts here for your enjoyment.

"In the Morning, I'll Say Hello" by Jaime Lustig

Chapter 73

"Did You See That Too?"

 

SCENE 1:

The black panels with the starburst lights representing Kami-sama and Eriko's mother.

 

Kami-sama: "Her time is almost at an end."

 

Eriko's mother: "And do you believe their love is mutual and true?"

 

Kami-sama: "It is not for me to decide. Whether the girl loves her or not is up to the girl. She will either fully open her heart to Raguel or she will not."

 

Eriko's mother: "Are you really so set on holding her here if the girl does not, if she cannot?"

 

Kami-sama: "That was our arrangement."

 

Eriko's mother: "Yes, but regardless, you may honor our daughter's wishes."

 

Kami-sama: "You saw her tonight, her power is unparalleled. The heavens and earth shake with her wrath. Can that power truly be replaced?"

 

Eriko's mother: "Is that what you fear so hard to replace?"

 

 

SCENE 2:

It is near dusk, the sun is not yet over the horizon but the sky is beginning to lighten with the faintest hints of sunrise. There is a gasp as Eriko lurches awake, as if she is taking a deep breath for the first time, desperate for air. We see her now in bed, sprawled, blood covering her, cuts and bruises everywhere, the scars on her back bleeding profusely. Her heart is beating wildly.

 

Eriko (to herself): "What...what's happening...why is it getting worse?"

 

She lets an arm fall off the edge of the bed, the fingers lightly grazing the ground, a trickle of blood running down the length of her arm from her back.

 

Eriko: "ARGHHHHH"

 

She breaths deeply to settle herself.

 

Eriko (to herself): "I have to get clean...before he wakes up."

 

She slowly gets out of bed, painfully, wincing the whole time and staggers to her bedroom door, falling against the door frame as she tries to pass through. She breathes, steadies herself. Then she slowly makes her way down the hall towards the bathroom, but sees the light coming from a not completely closed bathroom door. Then she hears the sound of someone retching and coughing and groaning.

 

Eriko: "Arishima!?"

 

She swings the door open to see him, a shell of a person, mostly skin and bones, holding himself up by the toilet while sitting on the ground. His chin is covered in blood. She rushes to his side.

 

Eriko: "What's wrong!"

 

Heizo: "Er...i...ko....it...it...hurts..."

 

Eriko: "What can I do? Please, what can I do?"

 

But he starts another coughing fit and blood is coming up and he's trying to cover his mouth. She holds him while this is happening. He slowly starts to calm down and control his breathing.

 

Heizo: "I'm...sorry...you had...to see this..."

 

He's out of breath while he talks.

 

Eriko: "Can you sit?"

 

He nods yes. She lets go and comes back with a wet wash cloth. She takes him in her arms and begins to wash his face.

 

Heizo: "Thank you."

 

Eriko: "Can you walk?"

 

Heizo: "Maybe not right now...give me some time."

 

However, she gently picks him up in her arms.

 

Eriko (to herself): "He doesn't weigh anything."

 

In his room, she is holding him steady (while he's seated) and pulls up his bloody shirt, revealing a small and sunken chest, emaciated.

 

Heizo: "Don't look so surprised, I wasn't always this good looking."

 

Eriko (to herself): "How can you still joke at a time like this?"

 

She slowly pulls a clean shirt over him. She then gently lays him down.

 

Eriko: "We should call an ambulance."

 

Heizo: "No, no, I'm fine."

 

Eriko: "No you're not!"

 

Heizo: "Ha...no, you're right. But don't call. Please."

 

Eriko: "Why not?!"

Heizo: "Because there isn't anything they can do."

 

Eriko: "How can you know that?"

 

Heizo: "I've seen many doctors. I just want to be here now."

 

Eriko: "Then I'll stay with you."

 

Heizo: "No, that's okay, I just need to rest."

 

Eriko: "I can't leave you."

 

Heizo: "It's not my time yet, I'll still be here after you get home from school."

 

Eriko: "But..."

 

However, Heizo has closed his eyes and appears to be sleeping.

 

Eriko (to herself): "His chest barely rises anymore...why won't he tell me what is happening? Why doesn't anyone tell me anything?"

 

She closes her eyes, then stands up to leave. As she does so, Heizo opens his eyes and sees the bloody streaks on her back, through her shirt and the cuts on her arms and legs.

 

Heizo (to himself): "Please, just take care of yourself my darling girl."

 

 

SCENE 3:

Coming into school. Eriko is walking slowly behind Yuka, not really focused on anything, circles under her eyes, tired and worried.

 

Eriko (to herself): "I shouldn't have left him alone. What if something happens while I'm gone? What if he...what if he...?"

 

Yuka turns to look at her, she stops and Eriko bumps right into her.

 

Eriko: "Oh, sorry, I..."

 

Yuka tips her head at Eriko questioningly and knowingly.

 

Eriko: "I...I just didn't sleep well last night."

 

Yuka doesn't buy this, she shows that doubt on her face.

 

They get into the classroom. Girls in the background are talking.

 

Girl: "...get him for Valentine's day?"

 

Girl 2: "You're so brave!"

 

Girl 3: "Should I make him something home made?"

 

Eriko considers them for a moment. She looks at Yuka who is in front of her putting her jacket away.

 

Eriko (to herself): "Valentine's day...Should I get her something? We are...dating. Right?"

 

She blushes as she thinks this. She takes her coat off gingerly (due to the pain of her newest injuries) and hangs it on the hooks in the back of the room. She is wincing as she takes it off (note: she still has her school uniform jacket on under her outdoor coat because it's cold out - so still winter uniforms). As Eriko takes her coat off there are some murmurings in the room.

 

Voice: "What's that?"

 

Voice: "Look at her back."

 

Voice: "Is she alright?"

 

Voice: "Should we say something?"

 

Yuka looks around at Eriko's back to see what appears to be stains coming through her uniform jacket on the back and drips of blood dripping onto the floor. She goes up to Eriko, reaches out a hand and delicately touches Eriko's back. Both Eriko and Yuka immediately experience a searing pain and we go right into a flashback.

 

 

 

[Flashback]

Rieko (Yuka and Suzu's mom) gets up and staggers over to young (teenage) Suzu with a devilish look in her eye. Her face is mostly obscured throughout this flashback so that neither the reader (nor Eriko later) have a clear look at it. Rieko grabs Suzu by the shoulders and throws her into the wall.

 

Rieko: "You bitch!"

 

Rieko walks over to the stunned Suzu and begins slapping Suzu over and over again.

 

Yuka (very young): “Stop, stop, don’t hurt Suzu, don’t hurt her! Stop hurting her!”

 

There’s a brilliant flash of light. Rieko stops what she is doing and turns around (face still obscured), Suzu is already facing that direction, her head hanging with bruised face and blood at the corner of her mouth and nose. Yuka also turns to see.

 

There, curled in the corner is something, someone, covered in feathers. The figure rises, radiant in light, wings spreading out, face obscured by the light that is radiating from within.

 

Rieko: "What are you doing in my house?"

 

We don't see angel Eriko's face in this version of the flashback.

 

Angel Eriko: "SILENCE! You, who have been entrusted with the most sacred of duties, motherhood, has forsaken that vow. You have stolen their innocence, but I shall be the one to restore it."

 

We see the flaming sword get drawn; the angel gets into a battle pose. Her face is still obscured by her radiant light but fire in her eyes shows through as she readies to fight.

 

Rieko: "Wait! What are you going to do?"

 

Angel Eriko: "What you have taken from them, I shall take from you a thousand-fold. Meet your judgment!"

 

The angel raises the sword and moves to attack.

 

Rieko: "NOOOOOOOO!"

 

Yuka: "MOM!"

 

There is a slash of the sword but we do not see what it hits in this version of the flashback. Everything goes to black. The next narration is over the blackness.

 

Narration: "NO, what have I done! Please, oh please!"

 

We then see the twilight sky, then we see the ocean. We pan down more to see teenage Yuka lying in the sand on the beach with Suzu over her.

 

Suzu (crying desperately): “NOOO!!! Don’t leave me!!! Don’t you dare leave me!!!”

 

Yuka coughs and opens her eyes. Suzu collapses onto her. We pan to see the legs of angel Eriko on the rock cliffs above them, looking down. We don't see her whole body, just the lower part.

 

Angel Eriko: "How could you? How could you try to throw your life away? You are all I have. Please, Kami-sama, I'll do anything, anything!"

 

The blackness with the starburst lights representing Kami-sama and also Angel Eriko.

 

Kami-sama: "Raguel, do you truly intend to give up your immortality, your power, your duty for that one girl?"

 

Angel Eriko (heard but only seen as a starburst): "Yes, yes, I'll give it all up, whatever you ask."

 

Kami-sama: "You have heard the terms, you know what you must do to complete the pact."

 

We see a slash, a scream of pain, a wing falls to the ground in a flurry of feathers and splashing blood, ultimately landing in a pool of blood.

[Flashback over]

 

(In the classroom) Eriko immediately lashes out at the touch from Yuka on her back, Eriko's face is dark and eyes are burning with anger like we haven't seen from "earth" Eriko since early upon her arrival. She turns quickly, her arm out, striking Yuka and sending Yuka flying into a desk. Eriko is blinded by her rage, her pain, and the intensity of the memories.

 

Eriko: "ARGHHHHHH DON'T TOUCH ME!!!!!"

 

Yuka hits the ground and a desk hard. Her eyes are closed. Eriko stares wide eyed at what she's just done as well as still somewhat dissociative. There is a flash in Eriko's mind of all the people that Eriko has either seen killed or has killed herself mixed with seeing Yuka on the ground. This should be a rapid-fire of still images of the bloody bodies. Looking at Yuka hurt, Eriko comes to reality.

 

Eriko: "No, I didn't..."

 

She notices everyone staring at her, with hands over their mouths, aghast. Hatsue rushes over to Yuka.

 

Hatsue: "Yuka-chan?! Yuka-chan?!"

 

Eriko can only stare but turns quickly and runs out of the room. Just as Eriko is going through the doorway, Aiko is coming into the room. She backs up as Eriko comes flying out.

 

Aiko: "Watch where..."

 

Aiko sees Yuka on the ground, but being tended to by Hatsue. Yuka is coming to, and rubbing her head, weakly.

 

Hatsue: "Are you okay? Let's get you to the nurse."

 

She helps Yuka up and they walk out of the room past Aiko. Yuka is still out of it and doesn't notice Aiko. Hatsue turns to Aiko.

 

Hatsue: "Go after Eriko-chan...please."

 

Aiko is bewildered by the whole scene, frozen. Hatsue walks past with Yuka.

 

 

SCENE 4:

Eriko is in the bathroom. She's violently punching everything in sight, breaking the mirror, cutting her hand, punching the stall doors, leaving big dents, etc...

 

Eriko: "God damn it!"

 

She picks up the garbage can and is about to throw it through the window when there is a touch on her shoulder. She turns with a violent, deathly look in her eyes to see that it's Aiko.

 

Aiko: "Let's go before you get caught."

 

 

SCENE 5:

Eriko and Aiko are on the roof of the building. It's cold and windy, Aiko still has on her outdoor coat, Eriko is in her just her uniform. Eriko's hand is dripping blood.

 

Aiko: "Here."

 

She hands Eriko her scarf and wraps it around Eriko's hand.

 

Eriko: "Why are you being so nice to me? Why aren't you threatening me?"

 

Aiko: "I wonder..."

 

Eriko slumps down onto the ground. She pulls her legs up tight against her chest and buries her head in them, her hair blowing all over.

 

Eriko: "Is...is she okay?"

 

Aiko: "I think so. Fujimaki-san took her to the nurse."

 

Eriko "Why didn't you?"

 

Aiko: "I...I still don't know how to face her."

 

Eriko: "Face her?"

 

Aiko: "So many things have happened. We aren't the same as we used to be."

 

Eriko: "And it's my fault."

 

Aiko: "Not entirely."

 

Aiko turns and smiles kindly at Eriko.

 

Eriko: (to herself) "She's...different."

 

Aiko (to herself): "Why is it, ever since coming back, I feel softer towards Arishima? There's something...comforting...about being around her that wasn't there before."

 

There is some silence between the two.

 

Aiko: "I...told her that I love her."

 

Eriko's eyes widen at this, then she looks down and away from Aiko.

 

Eriko (to herself): "Do you still love her? Does she love you? I never wanted to come between you."

 

Eriko: "Oh...I see..."

 

Aiko: "When I confessed, she told me about you two."

 

Eriko: "She...she did?"

 

Aiko: "I've always loved her, but...maybe I wasn't in love with her. But you...she's in love with you."

 

Eriko: "I...I'm in love with her too."

 

Aiko: "I know."

 

Eriko: "Is...is that why you left?"

 

Aiko: "That was part of it."

 

Eriko: "But you come back."

 

Aiko: "Because I have to learn to be okay by myself. I think I've depended on her for so long, to fill up all the voids inside, to give myself a purpose, that there was nothing of me left."

 

Eriko: "But she's okay...thanks to you."

 

Aiko: "Hmmm, I don't really know anymore."

 

Eriko: "Can she love us both...differently?"

 

Aiko: "Maybe....maybe...but, if you can understand that, you're wiser than I am."

 

Eriko: "Why are you telling me all this?"

 

Aiko: "I'm not sure, it's just...somehow..."

 

Aiko (to herself): "Talking to you, seeing you, something is different...now..."

 

Aiko: "...nevermind, what I want doesn't matter anymore. You said you could protect her. But back there..."

 

Eriko: "I didn't mean to hurt her, I swear!"

 

Aiko: "I know, but you did."

 

 

 

SCENE 6:

The nurse's office. Yuka has an ice pack on the back of her head.

 

Nurse: "Looks like she'll be fine."

 

Hatsue: "That's a relief. Do you feel like you can go back to class?"

 

Yuka looks out the window and furls her brow.

 

Hatsue: "I don't know, maybe Okumura-san found her."

 

Aiko enters the nurses office at this.

 

Aiko: "She left for the day."

 

Yuka looks down solemnly.

 

Aiko (to herself): "Come on Aiko! Just make things normal with her."

 

Aiko: "Pull yourself together, we're supposed to work on my campaign after school. It's your fault I'm in this mess, so you have to do the work. Okay?"

 

Yuka looks up and there is a kind look coming from Aiko, like before things got bad between them. Yuka smiles back gently.

 

 

SCENE 7:

Heizo in his bedroom, laying down. Mid-day. He hears the door open and a faint "I'm home" in the distance. As he lays there, Eriko comes in to check on him.

 

Heizo: "You're home early. Is everything okay?"

 

Eriko: "I was going to ask you that?"

 

Heizo: "You don't need to worry about me. I'm old and that's not going to change, but you only get to do school once."

 

Eriko: "I couldn't stop thinking about this morning. I should have stayed here."

 

Heizo: "No, your school and friends are important."

 

Eriko: "But...you're important!"

 

She blushes as she says it. He gently takes her hand.

 

Heizo (to himself): "Please, don't waste your precious time on me."

 

 

SCENE 8:

Eriko opens the door to her bedroom. As she walks in, she notices the mirror from Heizo on her desk (the one that used to belong to his wife). She sits and looks at herself in it. As she turns it, it catches the light and there is a burst of reflection from it.

 

[Flashback]

There’s a brilliant flash of light. We only see this flashback from the perspective of Eriko, but never see Eriko as it is her remembering it now (her POV). Rieko (Yuka's mom - whose face we still don't see clearly) stops from beating teenage Suzu and turns around, Suzu is already facing that direction, her head hanging with bruised face and blood at the corner of her mouth and nose. Young Yuka also turns to see. Yuka's face is wide-eyed in terror.

 

Angel Eriko (to herself): "I didn't mean to scare you like that. But I can't take this anymore. I will protect you!"

 

Rieko gets into a defensive posture and yells fiercely.

 

Rieko: "What are you doing in my house?"

 

Angel Eriko: "SILENCE!"

[Flashback ends]

 

We come back to Eriko's reflection in the mirror.

 

Eriko (to herself): " It was like I was there. Is that what really happened? How could I know those things about her? Did she see it too?"

 

 

SCENE 9:

Suzu is asleep in her bed. The bedroom door creaks open, we sense someone getting into bed with Suzu. Suzu barely stirs, barely enough to roll over and see Yuka there, curled up next to her. Yuka's eyes are closed, but there are tear streaks on her face and she's silently showing the signs of sobbing with her body.

 

Suzu: "Shhhh, was it a dream?"

 

Yuka nods 'yes.'

 

Suzu: "Everything will be alright. Here, pull in close."

 

 

SCENE 10:

Outside of school in the morning. It's still gray and cold out. Yuka is squatting down watching a little bird shaking water off its wings. Yuka has a quick flashback to the baby bird she brought home to her mother once (Chapter 13).

 

                [Flashback]

Very young Yuka runs over to her mom and opens up her hands to reveal a hurt baby bird (alive, and cheeping, but hurt).

 

Rieko: “Ah, disgusting, get that away from me!”

 

Rieko hits away Yuka’s hand and the bird goes flying into the wall and then hits the floor with a dull thud.

                [Flashback over]

 

Eriko walks up behind Yuka.

 

Eriko: "How...how is your head?"

 

Yuka startles at the sound of Eriko's voice. She has a momentary panic on her face and then composes herself and weakly smiles up at Eriko and pats the back of her head to show it's okay.

 

Eriko (to herself): "Oh god, she just winced. She's afraid of me now."

 

Eriko: "I...I'm sorry...I don't know what...I..."

 

Yuka shakes her head softly back and forth signaling that Eriko doesn't need to continue.

 

Eriko (to herself): "I've really ruined everything, haven't I?"

 

Eriko: "Oh, um...okay."

 

Eriko is looking away uneasily, struggling to make eye contact with Yuka.

 

Eriko (to herself): "I want to ask her if she saw those things yesterday too."

 

Eriko: "I guess I'll go in."

 

Eriko starts walking in. Yuka tips her head to the side with wide, wondering, searching eyes, not understanding why Eriko is walking in without her. She pulls her mouth in and furrows her brow, stifling a cry, a tear forming in her eye. She gets up and follows Eriko in, trailing behind her, with her head down. Aiko has seen this in the distance as she was getting out of her car and was walking in.

 

Aiko (to herself): "If their love is real, it shouldn't be so fragile...sigh...like I should talk."

 

 

SCENE 11:

End of the day in the classroom, the students are packing up. Eriko, without lifting her head off her arms says to Yuka:

 

Eriko: "Are you going home?"

 

Yuka turns to Aiko.

               

Aiko: "We're working on the campaign."

 

Eriko: "Oh, okay..."

 

Eriko tucks her head deeper into her arms. As she's about to pass by Eriko on her way out, Yuka reaches out as if to touch Eriko's arm, but pulls back, puts her head down, and follows Aiko out. Hatsue turns around to face Eriko's desk.

 

Hatsue: "Are we going to talk about what happened yesterday?"

 

Eriko: "No."

 

Hatsue: "I'm sure you didn't do it on purpose. But it was pretty scary. I'm both of your friends, so I'm worried about her too. But...hang in there!"

 

Eriko hasn't moved or responded during this little speech. Hatsue hangs her head, gets up and leaves Eriko alone in the empty classroom.

(to be continued...)