If Clouds Can Sail
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“I’m going to go get some food.”
The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. They were the first thing that had come into mind as if they’d been waiting for me all day long. And so without thinking about it any further, I left the room and headed downstairs with a bowl in hand.
My parents weren’t home yet; I was sure they would be back soon from their trip around the world (or at least what seemed like one). My dad’s job required him to travel often—he did this because he wanted us, kids, to have an opportunity to see different places too.
He said we should take advantage of our youth while we still can since there will always be someone older than you who is more experienced or knowledgeable on something. As a result, I’ve seen quite a bit already: Paris, Rome, New York City…and now Tokyo! It might not seem much compared to other people, but seeing these things has given me plenty of memories worth cherishing.
As usual, I went down the stairs slowly, taking each step carefully so as not to slip and fall again. The last time happened when I got up early one morning after staying late at school studying and slipped on the wooden staircase leading upstairs.
Luckily, no bones were broken thanks to my sturdy bodyguard armor, but I ended up spending two weeks confined to bed instead of being able to enjoy my vacation. That incident made me realize how important it is to pay attention to where your feet are placed even though you’re tired.
After making it safely through the kitchen without falling once, I stepped outside onto the balcony overlooking the garden. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting growing here aside from some bushes, but I liked looking over the greenery whenever I felt bored.
This was also where I saw the most beautiful scenery in the house. Looking straight ahead, I could see the sea beyond the horizon. If only I didn’t live near the ocean, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so restless sometimes. But living by the beach means having sand everywhere inside the house, which makes cleaning extra difficult.
And speaking of the beach, I spotted a familiar figure walking along the shoreline just below me. She wore her hair tied back today, exposing her neck and shoulders as she walked barefoot across the wet ground.
Her clothes looked similar to mine except for the color scheme, featuring black shorts and a white shirt with red stripes running vertically down its sides. A small backpack hung off her shoulder containing all sorts of tools and equipment used during her work.
After finishing whatever task she was doing, she sat down on the edge of the cliff facing the water and took out a book from her bag. While reading, she occasionally glanced up toward the sky every few minutes.
She must be using magic to control the weather. Or perhaps she was simply observing the clouds above her head? Either way, I couldn’t help but wonder why she chose such an isolated place to read. Maybe she likes solitude.
Then again, she probably doesn’t want anyone else to know about her hobby. Just imagining her sitting alone on top of the hill gave me goosebumps. What kind of person does she think I am anyway?!
A sudden gust of wind blew past, sending waves splashing against the rocks beneath her feet. I watched as the girl closed her book and stood up. “It looks like rain,” she muttered under her breath. Before heading inside, she turned around and waved goodbye to me. For a moment, I thought I caught sight of sadness behind those emerald eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
Once again, I found myself staring blankly at nothing as I stared out into space. Why do I keep getting distracted by random thoughts?! I need to focus on what I’m supposed to be doing right now!
I decided to eat dinner in the dining room rather than in my bedroom tonight. I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, so I figured I needed fuel to power my brain. Plus, I really wanted to talk to Mom and Dad about everything that happened earlier, including my encounter with Miss Takahashi. Hopefully, they’ll understand and won’t judge me too harshly for what I did.
When I entered the room, I noticed both of them seated at the table. They were talking quietly amongst themselves but stopped when I approached.
Dad immediately rose from his seat and greeted me with a smile. “Hello! How was your day?”
Mom followed suit and asked, “How did you spend your afternoon, dear?”
“Oh…” I hesitated for a second before answering. “Not bad. Not great either.”
They exchanged glances, clearly surprised by my response.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Mom asked gently.
I shook my head slightly. “Nothing. Everything is fine!” I lied.
Both of them frowned at me. “Are you sure there isn’t something bothering you? You seem upset or worried about something,” Dad said.
My parents’ concern touched me deeply. It reminded me of how much I loved these people who raised me all this time. Even if we weren’t related by blood, I considered them family. And yet…
“…No, I don’t mind,” I replied honestly.
The three of us spent the rest of our meal in silence. We finished eating in record time and cleaned up afterward. When I left the dining room, I headed straight for my bedroom. Once I shut the door behind me, I collapsed face-first onto my bed and let out a deep sigh. My entire body ached. All I wanted to do was sleep.
But first, I had to take care of my daily chores. First came the laundry, which involved sorting dirty clothes into piles according to their respective colors. Next, I put away any clean clothing that remained folded on the floor while simultaneously putting away the ones already stored in the closet.
Lastly, I made sure to wipe down the bathroom sink after washing my hands. That was pretty much it for my morning routine.
As soon as I finished, I went downstairs and poured myself a glass of milk. The sun was still high in the sky, meaning I would have plenty of time to relax until lunchtime.
I opened the fridge and pulled out a container filled with leftover grilled chicken breast. I placed it on one side of the countertop next to two bowls: one containing rice topped with vegetables and another bowl full of salad.
Both dishes were simple enough to prepare, requiring only a quick stir fry of peppers, onions, and carrots mixed together with some soy sauce and sesame oil. I also prepared a cup of tea to go with each dish.
After adding salt and pepper to taste, I started cooking the food. As I stirred the ingredients together, I heard someone knock on the front door. I wiped my hands on a towel and hurried over to answer the call, hoping whoever it was wouldn’t turn out to be more trouble than they were worth.
To my surprise, it wasn’t Miss Takahashi standing outside the entrance. Instead, it was a man dressed in black robes similar to hers. He looked very different from her, though. His hair was shorter, and he didn’t wear glasses. In fact, aside from his robe, he wore no other accessories whatsoever.
He smiled politely upon seeing me. “Good evening, young lady. May I come in?”
I nodded nervously. “Of course. Come on in.”
“Thank you kindly,” he replied. With that, he stepped inside and took off his hood.
His skin was pale white, almost translucent. Like Miss Takahashi, his eyes were a bright shade of green. Unlike her, however, he seemed to lack an aura of darkness surrounding him. There was just something unsettling about his presence.
Before long, I realized why. This stranger was not human.
***
This guy’s definitely got to be a vampire, I thought. But where are his fangs? Is he even real?!
If I remembered correctly, vampires could transform into bats and fly around freely at night. Yet here he stood, right in front of me, looking completely normal. I couldn’t help but wonder whether he’d been hiding under his hood all along. If so, then maybe I should’ve taken a closer look at his face instead of staring at his neck.
I quickly glanced back at the man’s torso. Sure enough, there was nothing unusual about his chest. No bulging muscles or visible veins. Just smooth, unblemished flesh.
That meant he must have transformed into a bat and flown through the window. After transforming, he probably flew directly toward the kitchen. Then, once he saw me preparing dinner, he decided to stop by for a visit.
It explained why he hadn’t knocked on the door beforehand. Vampires tended to avoid contact with humans whenever possible. Their aversion to sunlight prevented them from being seen during daylight hours, making knocking on doors unnecessary unless absolutely necessary.
And now here he was, sitting across the table from me. I stared blankly at him, unsure what to say.
“You’re quite observant, aren’t you?” he remarked.
A chill ran down my spine. Did he know I was thinking those thoughts? Or did he simply read my mind without saying anything? Either way, I felt like I needed to keep quiet. So I kept silent.
The man continued speaking, seemingly unfazed by my silence. “Forgive me for intruding on your home, but I believe we need to speak. Do you agree?”
I hesitated before replying, “…Yes…but…”
There was no point in lying. I knew this man wasn’t human. And if I told him I agreed, then he might try to eat me alive. To prevent that from happening, I had to play dumb and pretend I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me.
“What is it, dearie?” asked the stranger. “Are you having second thoughts? You can always refuse my offer later.”
At first glance, he appeared harmless. However, he spoke in such a calm tone that I found it difficult to trust him. Plus, he was wearing black robes, which made it hard to see any details about his body. It was easy to imagine how frightening he really was underneath all that fabric.
So I shook my head firmly. “No, I’m fine. Let’s talk.”
“Excellent! Please, take a seat. Would you care for some tea?”
I sat down at the dining room table while the stranger grabbed a chair and moved it close to mine. He placed himself between me and the exit, effectively blocking my escape route. For whatever reason, he wanted to stay near me.
My heart began pounding furiously as I watched him pour two cups of hot water onto a teapot. When he removed the lid, steam rose up from within. The scent reminded me of freshly baked bread.
When the liquid reached boiling temperature, the man poured it into our respective mugs and handed one to me. We both sipped carefully, waiting until the tea cooled slightly before taking another sip. Once again, I noticed a faint hint of sweetness.
Afterward, the man turned to me and said, “Now then, let us begin.”
“Okay.”
As soon as I heard those words, I immediately regretted agreeing to meet him. What exactly does he want to discuss? Why did he choose to do so over the phone? And why am I still sitting here talking to him?
Maybe I shouldn’t have accepted his invitation after all. Maybe I should’ve run away the moment he walked in. Instead, I ended up inviting him to sit down and drink tea together. Now, I feel trapped. Trapped in a house full of people who hate me.
“First things first: I would like to apologize for all the trouble I caused you earlier today,” he stated calmly.
Wasn’t apologizing supposed to be a sign of weakness? How dare he make excuses for his actions!
But despite my anger, I forced myself to remain polite. “Apology accepted.”
“Wonderful!” replied the stranger. “Then allow me to continue.”
He paused briefly before continuing. “You may not remember me, but we met several years ago when you were just a child. My name is Edward Cullen. I used to live next door to you.”
I froze. That’s impossible. There hasn’t been anyone living in my old apartment since I moved out. In fact, nobody has lived there ever since I left town six months ago.
“We had many conversations back then,” he continued. “I taught you everything I could about magic, including how to control your powers and use them to protect yourself. But unfortunately, I never got the chance to teach you much else.”
Edward sighed heavily. His expression seemed sadder than usual. I couldn’t help but wonder—did something happen to him? Was he hurt? Is that why he looks so tired?
Before I could ask him about it, though, the man took a deep breath and continued. “Unfortunately, I failed to notice your growing abilities. As a result, you became very powerful indeed. Eventually, you learned how to manipulate time itself.
Unfortunately, that power came with a price. After using it too often, you developed an addiction to it. Your life force started draining faster than normal, making you weaker every day.”
That sounded familiar. I’d experienced similar symptoms once or twice during the past few weeks. Each time, I thought I was going insane because I couldn’t figure out where the extra energy was coming from.
“Eventually, the drain caught up to you. One night, you collapsed in front of my doorstep. By the time I arrived, you were already dead.”
Wait…what?!
I stared blankly at the stranger. This story was completely different from the one I’d heard last month. Back then, I understood that my powers drained my own life force. But now I realized that they also sucked the life out of others.
In other words, I killed someone without even realizing it! No wonder everyone hates me. They’re right to fear me. I’m a monster. A murderer. An evil witch.
The stranger must have sensed my shock. He quickly added, “However, I managed to save your soul by transferring it into a new body. Since you didn’t die, you were able to return home safely. Even more importantly, you were given a chance to start fresh.”
“A-are you telling me that I died?!”
There wasn’t enough blood flowing through my veins to keep up with the panic coursing through my mind. It felt like somebody had punched me in the stomach. I couldn’t breathe properly; I was having difficulty thinking clearly.
I needed to calm down. I had to think rationally. Otherwise, I might end up doing something stupid. Like running outside screaming for help. Or trying to kill this guy.
“Yes, you did,” answered Edward.
“Why are you telling me all of this?” I asked. “It doesn’t change anything.”
“No, it won’t,” he admitted. “Everything will stay the same if you don’t know what happened. You’ll still be hated by most people. People will still try to attack you on sight. And you probably wouldn’t believe any explanation I gave you anyway.”
“So…” I began hesitantly. “What changed? Why did you decide to tell me now?”
“Because I wanted to give you a second chance,” he explained. “And because I care deeply for you.”
His voice was gentle, sincere, and kind. The way he looked at me made me want to trust him. I knew instinctively that he meant no harm. So I decided to take another risk.
“Okay,” I said. “Tell me again.”
***
After hearing Edward’s story, I finally understood why people treated me as badly as they do. Of course, I hadn’t known exactly what was happening until now. But I always suspected that I was responsible for some sort of terrible crime.
My heart ached at the thought of losing my friends and family forever.
The End