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Glistening black boots, tight black pants—both with red spots on them. The size of the leg—should be a man or a well-built woman. The grass below the person had hints of red as well. Mika stormed towards the tree with her eyes darted and stuck on it. Sweat formed on her brows, swallowing constantly, her breath growing out of rhythm.

SPAT! A rock caused her to slip, breaking her floundering walk. She outstretched her arm to break the fall, losing sight of the tree for a split second. For some reason, her chest was pounding so hard that her ear felt numb. Even the breeze washing against her felt like swaying her to the side. Flat on the ground, she yanked her head up and took her focus back to the tree—but….

“The stranger is gone!?” Mika shrieked. Scrambling herself up, her eyes still stuck to the tree. She was close to it yet—so far. The shadow of a passing cloud shaded over her, darkening everything in sight.

“What's wrong, Mika?” Arai yelled from a distance, running to her and noticing her glued-gaze on the tree. She flinched like a nuke blasted behind her when he placed his hand on her shoulder. “Is everything alright, Mika?”

“There—is someone… Behind the tree,” she pointed to the red stain at the foot of the tree. She barely moved a muscle, her eyelids twitching and lips trembling.

“But... There’s no one there—” He was confused and worried. I HAVE to check there! She thought. But why was that desperate? The urge caused her to close the distance and investigate the scene. He followed her until the three bells banged inside the village. The rations were here. Get there late and then she would go without food for the next two days. She was willing to give it up if it meant finding out about this stranger—but her mom? That was something that she wasn’t willing to do.

She spun around and glared at him in the eyes. “I have to go now. Check the tree completely. I swear to Ōmikami—I saw someone there. Scour the foot of the tree for me. Meet me at the tree in the village hub, near that big torch,” she stuttered and bolted into the village in a hurry.

A minute later, she reached the village hub, where the rations were given out at a table, set up by the soldiers. They gave the rations only to the families of fallen soldiers, yet the queue was outrageously long already and she was not even late. She tagged along it, but it didn't seem to move due to a heated argument at the table. Something was different. The line wasn’t moving an inch.

“Your so-called ‘flawless bread,’ has a hole in it, right in the goddamn middle of the loaf! Do I look like a dumbfounded widow? My husband died for this nation,” roared a lady. The soldier behind the table tried to calm her without taking the loaf back. Does she want to start a war? Where is the lieutenant? Ugh, I’m in a hurry! She thought. The lieutenant barged out of the community building and fended off this lady. Wait, I don’t know him! They changed the lieutenant! Oh no, will they give me the rations? The line moved, and she moved along, fidgeting with her hair.

After several minutes, she got to the table. The soldier held a paper and a quill, and a couple of other soldiers overlooked the table. “Which member of your family passed away on the battlefield and how many members are in your family?” He said in a monotone voice, dripping his quill in ink, readying it to write and looked down on the paper, avoiding eye contact. She stood silent. He looked up at her. “Wait, is it just you?”

“It’s my father—who, uhm…. Passed away in the battle. My mom is my only remaining family, requesting rations for me and my mom,” she hesitated.

“Where is your mom? I can't give rations to your mom without seeing her.”

“But—but sir, I've waited ever so long on the line. My mom is sick, she can't stand in the line.”

“Sorry kid, I can't do anything about it.” His voice was soulless.

“I—I—I should be on that list. Yes, the list. Look for the Seechiis….” Mika cupped her hands together, following every movement of the soldier as he looked at the paper.

“You are. But—rules are rules. Quickly, go get your mom. There's no way around it—or get just your portion and leave.” Her face grew pale. Just my portions? That’s barely enough for me. I can’t share that with mom…

She cleared her throat—to be cut short by the soldier. “Don’t argue, kid. Go bring your mom and collect it. I know you can’t handle it with just your supplies. Be quick”

It was their way or no way. The guard said it himself, ‘can’t handle with just your supplies.’ Then why doesn't he just give me the full supplies? She had to accept this, dashing back home, slamming the door open.

The house was silent and stale. “MOM! YOU HERE?” No response. Where is she already? She jogged to the neighbour’s doorstep and banged on the door aggressively. “Anyone inside?”

The door soon swung open, and a lady with a frown appeared behind it. “Have some patience, Mika!”

“Do you know where my mom is? “

“You don't know about it? She’s Kai’s field—” Mika interrupted her.

“But she said she is not going…”

“I saw Kai giving her a lift to the fields. Is everything alright, Mika?”

“Thanks! But I—I gotta hurry, Mrs Kotakan,” she bounced on her toes, sprinting to Kai’s field. I have to make it there fast!

Kai’s crop field was one of the largest in her village, and it was so far away from her house. Despite her being full of energy and her usual speed clocking way over the average speed of a human, it took several minutes till the field was in her sight. She jolted the fields at full speed, running on a narrow dirt pathway with sprawling rice fields on either side. All she could see was the maturing crops dancing to the song of the wind. She soon reached a small group of farm workers having their lunch under the shade of a tree.

She ran up to them. “Hey, do you know where mom is?”

A middle-aged woman squinted her eyes, trying to recognize the hurried young lady. “Oh, lady Akemi? She passed away some time ago,” a kid beside the lady said. PASSED AWAY? She gasped, taking a step back.