Status: This is the strangest story you will ever have the pleasure of reading.
The Entanglement of Cat and Rin Schrodinger
Ch. 6
Chapter six
Cat
Shomei sits me down at his desk and then asks Meina to bring me some water. He explained that I was probably dehydrated and exhausted from traveling through the rift. The rift. I bring the words to my mouth as a question and trail off. Shomei eyes crinkle upwards and they change from green to hazel in the lighting. Kind of how Peter’s eyes do.
“Ah, yes. Life probably has a lot of explaining to do for you right now.”
I nod my head, accepting the glass of water from Meina. She smiles encouragingly, “It’s been so long since we’ve had anything alive come through that rift! I was geting so bored you have no idea.”
“Yeah, about the nothing’s come through alive part…”
Shomei laughs and his eyes crinkle again. “Meina, try not to scare Katherine right away. It’s just that only things, or objects have appeared the way you came to Pax Illume.”
“Ah. Okay, so no dead humans showing up in the tree?”
“Correct. Listen, Meina could you go set up Katherine’s quarters? I’m afraid I completely forgot about accommodating our guest.”
Meina nods, her hair bobbing, and runs out the door, which slams shut.
I turn around and am startled to see Shomei’s eyes doing the scrutinizing thing again. He speaks, “You’re doing unbelievably well.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I assume you realize you are not still in the place where you lived, or are familiar with.”
“Well, yes. That’s pretty obvious.”
“Do you have any ideas on how very far away you are from your home?”
“Actually, yeah. I’m pretty sure this is an alternate universe I’ve somehow accidentally landed in. Somehow. I have no idea how, or why.”
Shomei’s eyes crinkle for the third time. He rearranges some paint brushes on his desk. “Hmmm. Odd. Yes, you’re exactly right. This is our world, Pax Illume.”
“I thought I heard you say that.”
“Doesn’t it occur to you that you could be crazy, hallucinating, or dreaming?”
“Yeah, I guess so. But this feels real. And I suppose it’s all possible. There’s so much we don’t know about quantum physics, and my mom always said science is just explainable magic, right?”
Shomei’s just looking at me. He shakes his head, “Amazing. Absolutely amazing. An incredibly practical mind.”
“I like to think that.”
Shomei smiles at me suddenly.
“Well, Katherine. This is a great relief, you have no idea. I was expecting to have to deal with a frantic, confused little girl. But now we can begin at the basics. This is Pax Illume. It is the name of our country as well as our planet.”
“So, is it like the capitol? Of the world?”
“Well, used to be.”
“Um. Okay.”
“Our world has a long and bloody history, one you’d probably not wish to hear right away.”
“Hey, so does mine.”
“I thought as much. Practical thinkers do not arise as easily from peaceful cultures. In any case, Pax Illume is a beautiful, if troubled world. In the brief moments of serenity, great artists and minds have arisen. Some say that is where the origin of our planet’s name came from. Illumination in peace.”
“It sounds like a Roman derivation. From my world, at least. Were there Romans at some point in Pax Illume?”
“I don’t doubt it. Our worlds’ histories must be very close together for us to be speaking the same language. ”
“Ahh! Right, of course.”
“You’ll no doubt find much entertainment in the differences and similarities of my world to your’s during your stay. Meina is setting up your room now. Her room is adjacent to yours. As you can probably tell, Meina is the helpful sort.”
I nod. “Meina mentioned another person here..? Eva or something?”
Shomei’s eyes, which I honestly cannot stop watching for the life of me, darken. “Evada will probably make an appearance for a while. She dislikes strangers”
Ah, yes. The mysterious brooding Other who hates company. Of course. I decide to leave the subject alone.
“Another thing,” Shomei says. “When you’re about the village, refer to me as the Baron. They tend to get edgy about being reminded who I am. In the house, you can call me Shomei or Sensei. Whichever you’d like.”
“Okay, and you are…?”
“Pardon me, I thought Meina had explained everything. Shomei in the … language means Illuminator, my trade. Another word who might be more familiar with is Illustrator, or artist. I’m sure you’ve noticed around walls are my works.” Shomei glances past me, at an open window which I can feel the wind coming through.
“It’s getting very late, Katherine. I think we should continue this conversation tomorrow when we are both better rested.”
I nod, understanding.“Okay. But one thing. Call me Cat, not Katherine.” Shomei smiles in affirmation. Then Meina bursts in through the , pausing quickly to bow. “Your bed is ready!!” Shomei motions for me to go with her. Following Meina’s lead, I bow also before leaving.
The room Meina brings me to is beautiful. Simple white walls with one of the Japanese paper and wood lattice doors slighty open. A low bed with crisp blanc sheets. It’s already dark outside. Meina taps me on the shoulder. “I can get some clothes for you if you want. You’d probably fit some of Evada’s old stuff.”
“Yeah, thanks.” I say.
I didn’t bring anything obviously, but do they have some sort of weird type of toothbrush here, and not sticks and rubbing salt. There’s even a small bathroom like area off to the side with a washbowl and bath. It almost feels like heaven. This debacle, it doesn’t actually have to be a bad thing. I wonder if the Cat thought that this might be what would the result of its ‘experiment’. A small unexpected trip to an unknown paradise, a break from life, a break of the cycle.
I go to the window, leaning my torso against the sill, into the black sharp night air. And through it, I swear I can smell cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Cat
Shomei sits me down at his desk and then asks Meina to bring me some water. He explained that I was probably dehydrated and exhausted from traveling through the rift. The rift. I bring the words to my mouth as a question and trail off. Shomei eyes crinkle upwards and they change from green to hazel in the lighting. Kind of how Peter’s eyes do.
“Ah, yes. Life probably has a lot of explaining to do for you right now.”
I nod my head, accepting the glass of water from Meina. She smiles encouragingly, “It’s been so long since we’ve had anything alive come through that rift! I was geting so bored you have no idea.”
“Yeah, about the nothing’s come through alive part…”
Shomei laughs and his eyes crinkle again. “Meina, try not to scare Katherine right away. It’s just that only things, or objects have appeared the way you came to Pax Illume.”
“Ah. Okay, so no dead humans showing up in the tree?”
“Correct. Listen, Meina could you go set up Katherine’s quarters? I’m afraid I completely forgot about accommodating our guest.”
Meina nods, her hair bobbing, and runs out the door, which slams shut.
I turn around and am startled to see Shomei’s eyes doing the scrutinizing thing again. He speaks, “You’re doing unbelievably well.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I assume you realize you are not still in the place where you lived, or are familiar with.”
“Well, yes. That’s pretty obvious.”
“Do you have any ideas on how very far away you are from your home?”
“Actually, yeah. I’m pretty sure this is an alternate universe I’ve somehow accidentally landed in. Somehow. I have no idea how, or why.”
Shomei’s eyes crinkle for the third time. He rearranges some paint brushes on his desk. “Hmmm. Odd. Yes, you’re exactly right. This is our world, Pax Illume.”
“I thought I heard you say that.”
“Doesn’t it occur to you that you could be crazy, hallucinating, or dreaming?”
“Yeah, I guess so. But this feels real. And I suppose it’s all possible. There’s so much we don’t know about quantum physics, and my mom always said science is just explainable magic, right?”
Shomei’s just looking at me. He shakes his head, “Amazing. Absolutely amazing. An incredibly practical mind.”
“I like to think that.”
Shomei smiles at me suddenly.
“Well, Katherine. This is a great relief, you have no idea. I was expecting to have to deal with a frantic, confused little girl. But now we can begin at the basics. This is Pax Illume. It is the name of our country as well as our planet.”
“So, is it like the capitol? Of the world?”
“Well, used to be.”
“Um. Okay.”
“Our world has a long and bloody history, one you’d probably not wish to hear right away.”
“Hey, so does mine.”
“I thought as much. Practical thinkers do not arise as easily from peaceful cultures. In any case, Pax Illume is a beautiful, if troubled world. In the brief moments of serenity, great artists and minds have arisen. Some say that is where the origin of our planet’s name came from. Illumination in peace.”
“It sounds like a Roman derivation. From my world, at least. Were there Romans at some point in Pax Illume?”
“I don’t doubt it. Our worlds’ histories must be very close together for us to be speaking the same language. ”
“Ahh! Right, of course.”
“You’ll no doubt find much entertainment in the differences and similarities of my world to your’s during your stay. Meina is setting up your room now. Her room is adjacent to yours. As you can probably tell, Meina is the helpful sort.”
I nod. “Meina mentioned another person here..? Eva or something?”
Shomei’s eyes, which I honestly cannot stop watching for the life of me, darken. “Evada will probably make an appearance for a while. She dislikes strangers”
Ah, yes. The mysterious brooding Other who hates company. Of course. I decide to leave the subject alone.
“Another thing,” Shomei says. “When you’re about the village, refer to me as the Baron. They tend to get edgy about being reminded who I am. In the house, you can call me Shomei or Sensei. Whichever you’d like.”
“Okay, and you are…?”
“Pardon me, I thought Meina had explained everything. Shomei in the … language means Illuminator, my trade. Another word who might be more familiar with is Illustrator, or artist. I’m sure you’ve noticed around walls are my works.” Shomei glances past me, at an open window which I can feel the wind coming through.
“It’s getting very late, Katherine. I think we should continue this conversation tomorrow when we are both better rested.”
I nod, understanding.“Okay. But one thing. Call me Cat, not Katherine.” Shomei smiles in affirmation. Then Meina bursts in through the , pausing quickly to bow. “Your bed is ready!!” Shomei motions for me to go with her. Following Meina’s lead, I bow also before leaving.
The room Meina brings me to is beautiful. Simple white walls with one of the Japanese paper and wood lattice doors slighty open. A low bed with crisp blanc sheets. It’s already dark outside. Meina taps me on the shoulder. “I can get some clothes for you if you want. You’d probably fit some of Evada’s old stuff.”
“Yeah, thanks.” I say.
I didn’t bring anything obviously, but do they have some sort of weird type of toothbrush here, and not sticks and rubbing salt. There’s even a small bathroom like area off to the side with a washbowl and bath. It almost feels like heaven. This debacle, it doesn’t actually have to be a bad thing. I wonder if the Cat thought that this might be what would the result of its ‘experiment’. A small unexpected trip to an unknown paradise, a break from life, a break of the cycle.
I go to the window, leaning my torso against the sill, into the black sharp night air. And through it, I swear I can smell cherry blossoms in full bloom.