back on how she’d urged her little brother to face his fears and walk along the hallway, and she started to feel a little embarrassed.
“Okay, I’ll go,” she said, reaching out reluctantly to Bunichi, who grabbed her hand firmly and began walking just a little ahead of her.
“Be careful not to touch the rails!” said Masako with a tremble in her voice.
“Don’t worry,” said Bunichi, “we’ll just walk down the middle of the bridge.”
Together they carried on for several more careful steps, with Bunichi leading the way and Masako keeping her eyes fixed firmly on her feet. Then Bunichi turned around and stopped.
“Masako, that’s not going to work,” he said with a frown. “You have to look around more and try to remember as much as you can.”
“But I can’t!” said Masako, covering her face with her hands. “I have this bad feeling that what happened in my dream will happen here! The poles will come tumbling down! Oh and there’s someone standing behind that pole! See, something is going to jump out!”
It was then that they heard a voice nearby – a girl’s voice.
“Masako! You’re Masako, aren’t you?”
A FACE FROM CHILDHOOD
Masako dropped her hands from her face in surprise and looked towards the girl who was calling her name. The voice belonged to a girl much taller than Masako. She wore pigtails and a school uniform, and she was standing about five metres away, staring right at them.
“Etsuko! You’re Etsuko, aren’t you?” Masako blurted out, her feelings of nostalgia resurfacing.
Etsuko had grown into a pretty girl with smooth skin. She was much taller now, but she still had the same big eyes and full cheeks she’d had as a young child. Masako was sure she’d recognize her anywhere and that Etsuko would recognize Masako anywhere too. Masako wanted to run up and give her a hug. But instead, she hesitated. It had been such a very long time since they’d last seen each other, and Masako felt a little shy. But it was okay, because Etsuko seemed to be feeling the same way as well. So, slowly, the two of them walked towards each other.
“You’ve grown so much,” said Masako.
“I know. I’m like a telegraph pole, aren’t I!”
Together they laughed and, inside, Masako felt quite relieved. She hasn’t changed one bit ! she thought to herself.
Masako and Etsuko grabbed each other’s hands in delight, and Bunichi gave a small but purposeful cough, prompting Masako to introduce him.
“This is my classmate. Bunichi Morimoto. And this is Etsuko Kitajima. You remember I told you about her?”
Bunichi took an awkward step forward and stiffly introduced himself.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Masako,” said Bunichi in his best adult-like voice, forcing Masako to stifle a giggle.
Etsuko blushed a little and bowed her head.
“How many years has it been?” asked Masako.
“Let me see...” said Etsuko, walking over to the wooden railing. “It must be seven... no, eight years now! I often thought about you. We were such good friends, but you never came back to see us.”
“I’m sorry. I often thought of you as well. You were even in my dream.”
Masako tried to take a step towards Etsuko, but stopped in her tracks. The railing behind Etsuko was rotten and weak, and she was afraid it might break off.
“But now we’ve finally been reunited!” said Etsuko, walking over to Masako and taking her hands in hers. “I was so worried that you were still upset about that incident.”
Masako was startled to hear Etsuko’s words, and she quickly glanced back to Bunichi.
“What do you mean, ‘that incident’?” asked Bunichi as he stepped towards Etsuko with a serious look on his face.
Masako’s pulse was racing. What was this mysterious incident? Was it the cause of Masako’s troubled emotions? Did Etsuko hold the key to unlock Masako’s nightmares?
“What’s the matter?” said Bunichi. “You both look so serious... You’re scaring
“Okay, I’ll go,” she said, reaching out reluctantly to Bunichi, who grabbed her hand firmly and began walking just a little ahead of her.
“Be careful not to touch the rails!” said Masako with a tremble in her voice.
“Don’t worry,” said Bunichi, “we’ll just walk down the middle of the bridge.”
Together they carried on for several more careful steps, with Bunichi leading the way and Masako keeping her eyes fixed firmly on her feet. Then Bunichi turned around and stopped.
“Masako, that’s not going to work,” he said with a frown. “You have to look around more and try to remember as much as you can.”
“But I can’t!” said Masako, covering her face with her hands. “I have this bad feeling that what happened in my dream will happen here! The poles will come tumbling down! Oh and there’s someone standing behind that pole! See, something is going to jump out!”
It was then that they heard a voice nearby – a girl’s voice.
“Masako! You’re Masako, aren’t you?”
A FACE FROM CHILDHOOD
Masako dropped her hands from her face in surprise and looked towards the girl who was calling her name. The voice belonged to a girl much taller than Masako. She wore pigtails and a school uniform, and she was standing about five metres away, staring right at them.
“Etsuko! You’re Etsuko, aren’t you?” Masako blurted out, her feelings of nostalgia resurfacing.
Etsuko had grown into a pretty girl with smooth skin. She was much taller now, but she still had the same big eyes and full cheeks she’d had as a young child. Masako was sure she’d recognize her anywhere and that Etsuko would recognize Masako anywhere too. Masako wanted to run up and give her a hug. But instead, she hesitated. It had been such a very long time since they’d last seen each other, and Masako felt a little shy. But it was okay, because Etsuko seemed to be feeling the same way as well. So, slowly, the two of them walked towards each other.
“You’ve grown so much,” said Masako.
“I know. I’m like a telegraph pole, aren’t I!”
Together they laughed and, inside, Masako felt quite relieved. She hasn’t changed one bit ! she thought to herself.
Masako and Etsuko grabbed each other’s hands in delight, and Bunichi gave a small but purposeful cough, prompting Masako to introduce him.
“This is my classmate. Bunichi Morimoto. And this is Etsuko Kitajima. You remember I told you about her?”
Bunichi took an awkward step forward and stiffly introduced himself.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Masako,” said Bunichi in his best adult-like voice, forcing Masako to stifle a giggle.
Etsuko blushed a little and bowed her head.
“How many years has it been?” asked Masako.
“Let me see...” said Etsuko, walking over to the wooden railing. “It must be seven... no, eight years now! I often thought about you. We were such good friends, but you never came back to see us.”
“I’m sorry. I often thought of you as well. You were even in my dream.”
Masako tried to take a step towards Etsuko, but stopped in her tracks. The railing behind Etsuko was rotten and weak, and she was afraid it might break off.
“But now we’ve finally been reunited!” said Etsuko, walking over to Masako and taking her hands in hers. “I was so worried that you were still upset about that incident.”
Masako was startled to hear Etsuko’s words, and she quickly glanced back to Bunichi.
“What do you mean, ‘that incident’?” asked Bunichi as he stepped towards Etsuko with a serious look on his face.
Masako’s pulse was racing. What was this mysterious incident? Was it the cause of Masako’s troubled emotions? Did Etsuko hold the key to unlock Masako’s nightmares?
“What’s the matter?” said Bunichi. “You both look so serious... You’re scaring
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