Morning light shines through living-room bay window lighting a spread of rice topped with beans and a soft poached egg, scrambled eggs and chicken layered with mayonnaise, cold tofu stacked with scallions and black sauce and four small bowls of onion soup. Apricot’s mother, Winifred is rarely home in the mornings but when she was, the event had a pseudo celebration of sorts. Apricot always longed for these mornings most. Not only for having her mother’s presence but the vast spread became a traditional treat. As she eyed her healthy portions, she took in the savory aroma. “I am a little worried about my test.” Jasper comments while helping himself to the rice.

“Have you been studying like you should?” Apricot teases like all older sisters do.

With a sharp glance, Jasper stabs his chopsticks towards her. “You have seen me with my text books! All I do is study.”

“Jasper.” Winifred snaps at which he sheepishly lowers the chopsticks back to his food.

“I was just saying.” Jasper defends.

“If you studied you should do fine Jasper.” Apricot further teases leaning onto his back while wrapping her arms around him like an iron maiden.

Jasper pokes at his food glancing over at his parents. “What subject are you struggling with?” Apricot’s father asks.

“History. I don’t understand the names of anyone. It’s so confusing and boring, none of it matters anyway. I mean everyone is dead. Who cares about the feudal wars? They are long over.” Jasper pouts.

“Hmmm, I know I was not much a fan of history myself when I was your age.” Apricot’s father remarks.

“Apricot, would you mind watching the house for a couple of nights?” her mother asks.

Apricot reluctantly shakes her head. “It’s not a problem.” she lied. “They got you flying out on a long trip again?”

“Yes, the plane is hitting a full circle around the world. We will stop in Castor for a few days. It will be nice to be home for a change.” Winifred replies.

Apricot’s Dad raises his eyebrow. “Wow, all the way over to Castor?” A small demon sat itself atop Apricot’s head hearing of her mother’s fortune. Jealousy is its name. It visited so often. She longed to walk the stoney streets again. The space, the calmness and the nature was all beautiful in Castor. Not like this island. A place of little nature and even what little they had is a captured entity, wrapped up among the city and its modern convinces. “I have some interesting news myself.” he adds. “They selected me to work on a new project.”

Apricot watches Jasper’s eyes light up, “What kind of project?” he chirps.

“I will be designing an atmospheric elevator for the Uchellian space department. We will suspend a hydraulic rail system reaching to the space station for supply shipments.” Apricot can see her father‘s news blow Jasper’s mind. His eyes widened so large they nearly rolled from his skull. Jasper’s jaw falls lower as he elaborates with a techno-jargon that completely evades Apricot’s understanding. She couldn’t help but snicker at Jasper’s reaction. He is always a geek when technology is the subject but that’s his defining personality trait she figures. She beams over at her mom who clearly thought the same thing. Her Dad and Jasper are carbon copies of each other.

Which made her wonder, is she more like her mom? Maybe, in ways, being a flight attendant was adventurous, kind of like journalism. In same ways more so than in others. Apricot supposed they evened each other out. Both had a level of uncertainty to them.

Ms. Signa raises her palm interrupting Apricot’s father’s rant. “Oh Apricot, you got a message from Fukugata. They want to do a broadcast interview of your story.” Apricot drops her chopsticks, how do you forget to mention something like that? That should have been the first thing brought up today.

“Yeah, quite a few people have read that story. It’s a good one.” her father chimes. Apricot blushes, she had not been entirely aware of the spread of her story. For the people at the technological department to be talking about it means the story had become mainstream. The people working for the department had little time for liesure.

Ms. Signa nods. “I hope you do anything so reckless again.”

Apricot shakes her head hardly able to believe what she had just heard. “You said Fukugata!?” Fukugata is a local news network but being the primary source of news in Blue Ash it reaches the mass majority of people in Okabe. This is a big break Apricot thinks to herself.

“Wo, guys look.” Jasper quakes pointing to the television. Apricot turns setting eyes on an emergency broadcast. A medical crew and police are blocking off the scene on screen. A news reporter is speaking, but the volume is too low for anyone to hear it. Along the ticker announces “Roe Okabi Commits Suicide by jumping from the roof of the Rinjioh Shrine.”

“And there a legacy goes.” Apricot comments under her breath.

~

The clangorous wheels of the subway creates a constant rolling ambiance. Apricot notes that the cart is far more empty than the other morning. Searching through the few people on the cart she spots a man lying on the back bench. Rudely taking most of it up. Gripping tightly to the overhead rail, Apricot makes her way towards the black-haired man dressed in tattered clothing.

His head rises from the seat. “Ah, damn,” he mumbles under his breath. Pressing into the blue seat with his arms the man sits upright. He rests a hand on his forehead and leers over his feet. “Whatch’ya want reporter girl?”

“Still have that camera you’re trying to sell?” Apricot asks not being able to place his name.

The man rolls his eyes “Heh,” he slumps back into the bench his face toward the ceiling. “Don’t suppose you want to buy it from me.”

A soft smile spreads across Apricot’s face. “Well, yeah!”

“Listen, girl, you should have bought it the other day,” the man fumes as he lowers his head to stare her in the eyes. “I already sold the damn thing.”

“O’, that’s a shame. I needed to buy it.” Apricot groans.

“Yeah well, too bad I ain’t got it.” A frown emerges on her face as she turns away. Within her first steps her hair stands on end as he grips her wrist. She turns back to meet the scruffy man standing up. He shoves his hand into her stomach while he places an object on her arm. “I don’t need your pity,” he growls with an upturned lip.

Apricot glances to a camera resting in her arms. “I don’t?” Apricot frowns.

“I know what you are doing!” the man growls with a down-turned glare. “Poor Cortez needs help cause the mean men beat him up,” he sarcastically states. “Well, I don’t want your charity. Just stay the hell away from me ok.”

“I ah…” Apricot holds out the camera for him to take back.

Cortez glowers at the camera and spits at the air. “Keep the damn thing I don’t want it.” He spits and immediately strides toward the divide. With a loud hiss the door closes behind him. Apricot observes the camera with a tightness welling in her throat. It soon blows over to her relief knowing she can repay Sato.

The hall of buildings stretches on to the horizon of brick palaces. The city is quiet, seeming almost still as Apricot walks the long road. Her headphones snug over her ears cutting the cool breeze against her uniform; a tight red button-up short-sleeve shirt, yellow apron and yellow shorts with a white strip on the sides. “Nothing is stronger than our love.” Apricot sings along with the music. “Troubles that surround me, all go away when you are here.” She has a slight skip in her walk. “When you need me, baby, nothing keeps me away.” Hips swaying with each stride. “Oooo ahhhh!” she chimes along with the song. Laughing at her own absurdity.

A chill comes creeping through the air and snugly wraps her in a cool embrace. She raises her pale hand up to her rosy lips rolling a plume of warm breath out of her mouth. The vapor floats around her fingers like a cloud dissipating into frigid air. “That is strange,” Apricot comments. She scans the road behind her to observe all the street lights are out. A shiver crawls across her spine.

“Nothing stronger than our love. Nothing stronger than our love. Nothing stronger than our love.” She takes the player out of her pocket. The multi-touch display flickers, rewinds to the spot, plays and repeats. With a swift tug, she pulls out the headphone connection. In silence Apricot stairs at the screen watching it continue to glitch. She returns the player into her apron continuing her stride trying to ignore the eeriness.

The glare from the streetlights flicker. She spots a bulb burn out with a bright flash fading to a dead tube. A few more steps ahead and the next light burns out, and the next light after that, and after that. Her stride turns into a full sprint as the strange event continues. After three blocks Apricot’s heart won’t take her any further. She stops grabbing her knees with both hands. A measured deep breath eases her fatigue. The lights behind her flicker to life anew. Her heart thumps as she turns to the lights ahead flashing like strobes at a concert. “It’s a power outage. It’s got to be something like that.” Apricot stands up prospecting the idea of anyone witnessing her embarrassing little panic attack. She sees no one around the abandoned empty alleyway but still. After one last inspection of her surroundings, she continues her walk.