• I could not go to sleep that night, no matter my efforts. Grandmother’s story got me thinking- was I really like Issunboshi? So many times, her stories were about things going on in my life. How was this one any different?

    I sighed. I did feel small and helpless, alone without knowing my father. Mother was slipping from reality, and my only friend was my Grandmother. And the wise woman was never wrong about a story. But could the crazy old woman actually be right again, with her blind eyes and slowly fading hearing?

    Perhaps, it would also mean I’m going to go through juristic changes and even into the belly of the beast in order to cope with and solve my problems.

    An owl hooted outside, its haunting, eerie call all too familiar. It seemed to be the one that showed up every night, mostly because it fed off of mice in the tall grass near our house. But tonight, its call sounded a little bit stranger, as though it were quietly howling a lament for the past, and warning all of the events about to unfold.

    The hooting noise stopped as I took notice of Meiko’s short, barking whine outside, and I flipped out of bed and looked out the window. “What the hell?” I muttered, watching her paw at the edge of the rice paddy, then move a little to the left, and then paw again.

    I quickly ran down the stairs and out the door, not caring about how much noise I made. “Stupid cat! What on earth is she doing outside?” I mumbled, running out back. I stopped only feet from her as she stared at me, twitching as though she was about to run away.

    But she did not do that. Instead, she turned back around and continued batting the object, most likely a frog or fish that had made its way into the paddy.

    But, as I looked closer, I saw that the thing floating on the surface had limbs… and was not breathing, and did not move a muscle. I wanted to scream, not only because there was a dead creature in my pond but also because Meiko had killed it in front of me.

    I removed the young and stupid cat from the edge of the paddy and began scolding, telling her to go inside. I wanted to hit her, but restrained my hand. It simply wasn’t worth it, and it wasn’t fair to hit an animal. Then I looked back at the paddy to find the creature that Meiko had killed.

    My focused eyes fell upon a tiny teenage boy, floating in the water, and I gasped. Was I dreaming? I felt very warm and nearly swooned. The blurs around me faded in and out, and my legs felt very heavy. There was a sharp, high-pitched ringing noise that resounded for a mere moment, and as I breathed in, the air became clammy and thicker. I broke out in a sweat as my eyes flicked up and down. This was all done in the silent cacophony of the summer night as the dark dusk dropped down on me like an anvil.

    My mind snapped back into reality, and I realized in distress that the boy was slowly dying. His chest didn’t move in the slightest, and it made him even scarier than ever, even for his size. I was afraid to touch him, to touch anything that was dead.

    I gathered any courage I could muster and then some, ignoring the ache in my heart that was trying to pull me away from the tiny young man. After a moment’s hesitation, I plunged my hands into the water and brought them up.

    Within instants of panicking I had somehow found myself running into the house, up the stairs, and towards Grandmother’s room with the boy. However…

    I stopped as my hand touched the knob. Was it worth disturbing her for? What if this was all a dream?

    I backed away from the brass knob and headed into my room, closing and locking the door to it gently. I quickly brushed the papers off the desk in the bedroom and laid the tiny boy there, with a handkerchief to give him some comfort underneath.

    The first thing that I noticed as I laid the teenager out was that he was perhaps no more than 5 centimeters tall, and that he was very skinny. He wore all black, with very baggy pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and he wore a pair of white tabi and a short pair of geta. A katana-like sword was pinned against his side. His long, black hair flowed down his back and rested slightly below the shoulderblades.

    I held onto my arm and pinched it, but it all felt real… completely real.

    I suddenly panicked at the sight of him still not breathing, and I placed my finger on his chest. The fluttering heartbeat beneath his clothes was getting fainter and fainter. I gently pushed down, not wanting to hurt him.

    The water suddenly erupted from his mouth and he gasped for breath. His eyes, at that same moment, snapped open. I panicked and felt myself jump, afraid that he was going to scream. As he looked up and met my gaze, I tried to speak.

    “I… You… Who are you?” I said, bewildered.

    The boy stood up, and tried to speak, almost terrified that I would hurt him. I blinked and smiled. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me immediately.” I bowed politely. “My name is… Megumi… Tsukigami Megumi.”

    “What a lovely name, Miss Megumi,” he said, smiling and no longer shaking in fear. I jumped as he said those words. His voice was calm, but strong.

    “I…”

    “No need to be frightened.” He bowed as well. “My name is Yamamoto Satoshi.” After finishing his bow, he stood with his back stretched a little more. I blushed, but caught myself and turned away.

    “Hey, wait! Did I say something?” he asked, nearly falling off the desk. He looked down.

    “N-no, it’s nothing,” I said. “I wouldn’t want to insult you.”

    “I’m not as easily insulted as I used to be,” Satoshi remarked.

    “Really?” I asked, turning back around. “What happened?” I was suddenly interested about his story.

    “It’s not important,” he said, cutting the hope down.

    “No, no! I really want to hear you.”

    “You wouldn’t care about what happened to me.” He began walking away, and I couldn’t help but follow a terrible and rude impulse. I pinched the back of his shirt and lifted him off his feet.

    “Hey!” Satoshi yelled, kicking around in midair. I felt so ashamed of what I was doing- that was no way to treat a person, no matter how small he was, and I stopped after sitting on my bed and lying down, setting him near me so I could listen.

    “What was that for?” he demanded, and I nearly wanted to cry at the tone in his voice. It was cute how he looked when he was angry, and at the same time, he sounded really upset now. I stopped myself and looked away.

    “I’m sorry,” I responded, not sure whether it was even right to look at him again. “I didn’t mean to make you angry. I’m just really interested in your story.”

    Satoshi looked up, his eyes sparkling a little. “You’d listen to me?” he asked.

    I nodded. “I love stories.”

    He lay down on the bed and sighed. “Well, it all began when I ran away from home.”

    I gasped. “ Was there an argument?”

    “Indeed. My parents didn’t understand that I didn’t belong. I was always cooped up in the house. I was even home schooled.”

    “So, your parents… are they small, like you?” I asked, trying to stay as far away from being whimsical as possible.

    “No. I really don’t know where I came from, or what my purpose is. But, I do know that I was upset. So I packed my things and left in the middle of the night. That was a week ago.”

    “You’ve been away from your family for a week?” I asked. I tried to imagine being away from Mother and Grandmother, and simply couldn’t. It seemed like torture.

    “Yes, and since my departure. I’ve only run into trouble. People barely notice where their stepping when they walk the streets, and there are plenty of cats and dogs who think I’d make a good snack.”

    “But, how did you get… into the paddy? Obviously you didn’t mean to nearly drown, right?” I asked.

    “I was walking through your yard- nice trimming, by the way- and I happened to come across your cat. She chased me into the cold water of the paddy, and I didn’t realize until it hit my face that I hadn’t taken a breath. I was immediately pushed under by her paws, and this process was repeated until I passed out and began to drown.” Satoshi sighed. “You must’ve come immediately afterward and brought me back to… this is your room right?”

    I nodded. “That’s correct.”

    A silent moment passed, and I jumped again as he spoke. “You’re- Hey, why do you keep jumping like that? It kind of scares me.”

    “I’m sorry, it’s just… I don’t know if all of this is real or not.”

    “I knew you were going to say something along those lines. You’ve heard the tale of Issunboshi, no?” he asked.

    “Of course. It’s the story Grandmother told me tonight. I can never forget it- it’s my favorite.”

    “I seem to be the only one who can relate to that story. That’s why I ran away- because my parents wouldn’t let me seek a future.” He looked away. “Now I can’t do anything- I’m trapped here. If I leave, I’ll get chased again.”

    “I can house you, Satoshi,” I said, stroking his hair gently, “and I won’t coop you up.”

    “You won’t make me sit in a jar all day, right?” Satoshi asked. His eyes pleaded that he stayed, but, at the same time, that he would be here by his own will.

    “Certainly not,” I replied. “That’s inhumane. And you’re clearly human, no matter your… stature.”

    Satoshi nearly cried with joy at the words, and he hugged my pinky. “Thank you very much, Miss Megumi! I won’t be any trouble to you! I promise!”

    I smiled down at him. “It’s a pleasure to have you here.”

    Satoshi smiled. “You’re truly kind. You’ve been able to solve my problems so far. Well, besides the question I’ve been needing to ask.”

    “And what would that be?” I asked, thinking about what was missing.

    “Where will I sleep? The air conditioner is on and it’s awful chilly.” Satoshi looked around. “There doesn’t seem to be anywhere that I can stay besides here. By the way, you’re warm.”

    “Ah, you need heat. But I can’t help too much. What if I roll over and squash you at night?” I responded.

    “Well, I had a suggestion, but that would make a very bad impression, wouldn’t it?” He looked down, apparently trying to figure out if he should or shouldn’t say what was on his mind. “It just seems really perverted.”

    The words suddenly clicked into place and I instantly understood. “No.” I said, half-upset that he would think of that as a solution. “What about if I gave you a wool cloth and let you sleep on a pillow instead?”

    “Fine by me, this IS your house.”

    He seemed so submissive, almost to the point that he seemed to hide something. “I’m sorry that I said that. I didn’t mean to-“

    “I understand, heat is just something you need right now. But I can’t supply it that way.” I got up and wound a clean wool cloth that I was going to use for sewing. It was once a part of a blanket daddy had gifted for my birth, but it seemed that this was a better purpose, and I was willing to part with it. I hugged it, knowing that Satoshi needed the heat.

    I handed him the blanket and he climbed up the pillow with stealth, almost like he was gliding up the side. He flopped down on the top and sighed, wrapping the fuzzy cloth around him. “This is perfect!”

    “Glad I could help.”

    He came over to the edge of his pillow and smiled. “Well, good night, Miss Megumi. I’ll see you in the morning.” And then he moved back, collapsing in exhaustion.

    I pulled the cloth of his new wool “blanket” over his small body, marveling at how perfect it was for him. “Good night, Satoshi,” I cooed, and curled up in my own comforter.