Chapter Text
It was a cool day in fall…
The leaves on the trees had withered away.
Died…
Decomposed into the world…
Just for new ones to grow and bloom again.
Sigma hated death. It irked her heart to see something…or someone…die.
She hated knowing that death was coming. She hated knowing that she’ll just be another girl who once walked this earth…she hated knowing that she’ll be a forgotten name.
She hated how one day, she’ll have to just accept it. Accept the inevitable.
But she’s still young. Sigma has lots of years left (hopefully), so she doesn’t have to worry about that. She still has everyone. Her brother, her dad…her…
Well…let’s be happy that mother is gone.
…
“…laaa? Minmaa?” a voice called.
She doesn’t want to get up from this relaxing dream. She managed to scramble the words in her head into…mushy sounds, just to not wake up.
But…
Why does it feel like she’s about to fall?
“…ma. Sigma!”
Sigma jolted her eyes open. “Oh? Hm?” Blink blink. “I’m listening.” She pretended, head resting in her palm.
Shibusawa scoffed, “You fell asleep again, Sigma!” He was sitting against a tree trunk, while Sigma was lying in the tree, about to fall off. “Can’t you pay attention for one second, please!” He groaned. “This is an important part of history!”
Her brother’s words were like background noise.
She was back in the garden again…and Shibusawa is bothering her again. She always wondered what his problem was. Why he’s so strict?
Adulthood isn’t here yet. Via 5 months.
Plus, books are so boring without pictures.
“How can I pay attention when that book has no pictures?” Sigma stretched and turned on her stomach, rubbing her eyes. “I’m not much of a creative person…yo-you know that.”
Pictures are so lovely. Lively, colorful. Alive. Books without pictures is just ink. Ink that likes to move, and dance, and twirl. And oh, she’s in wonderland again.
During that little day dream, she fiddled with a little stick, eventually dropping it on her brothers head. “Oops!” Sigma startled.
“Ow!” He rubbed his head. “What was that for?!” Gosh, he’s such a crybaby.
“Accident.” Sigma shrugged.
“There’s so many great books without pictures, maybe when you’ve matured more, you’ll see.” He shut the book with a ‘plop’ and stood up. “Father rung the bell for supper,” he kept the book by his side “Let’s go.”
Shibusawa made his way back into the house, and Sigma was alone.
…
‘In my world…’ Sigma thought. ‘All of the books be filled with nothing but pretty pictures.”
At supper, their dad a little announcement. Sigma ate in silence…played with her food.
“I uh..-“ her dad, Albert, cleared his throat. “Have a little announcement for the both of you.” He wiped the tip of his nose. “Sigma,” he suddenly uttered.
Blink. Blink. “Hum?” She glanced up.
“Stop playing with your food, this is about you.” He said under his breath. Low but clear.
‘Me?’ Sigma had thought.
“I see that you both have grown…well matured. Which is why, I had made a decision to finally have one of you courted.” Both of them paused.
“Shibusawa, my boy. I think you’re capable of finding a nice wife for yourself.” Albert announced, praising Shibusawa.
But if Shibusawa is off the hook then-
“Sigma, my little girl.” Albert said nervously.
“What?!” She exclaimed. A husband? She’s not even of age yet.
“We are at the dinner table.” He said quietly through his teeth. “We’ve noticed how reluctant you were when we tried to get you talk to other boys your age. You hated school so much that we have to homeschool you. You’re seventeen, It’s time you find someone befo-“
“But I don’t want to get married. I think I can manage just fine on my own!”
“I can’t keep you in here forever.” He tried to reason, “I know your mother hadn’t been all that loving when she was around, but that doesn’t mean you can’t love.”
“I can’t marry a man I just met!”
“That’s what your mother did.”
“And look at where she ended up-“
“Sigma!” Albert slammed his fist on the table. “Enough! Enough. I don’t want to hear your excuses.” Gee, guess that hit a spot.
She fell silent.
Albert sighed.
For the next few moments, the table was silent. Sigma didn’t eat anyone off her plate. “Excuse me.” She excused herself to retreat back into her room.
Shibusawa…didn’t try to poke in for once. The only thing he thought was how childish Sigma was. ‘Of course she’d be able to live on her own, even though it’s tough living without a husband in these times.’ Shibusawa thought.
The next morning, early.
Sigma had decided to take a stroll in her garden to clear her foggy brain.
Sleep didn’t come easy last night. She had been scared awake by voices every few hours. Some of them screamed her name.
When she opened her eyes to stare at the wall…it seemed like she was going to fall.
And fall…
Mud.
And fall…
Dirt.
And fall…
Hole.
And- Blink. Blink blink blink. “Huh…” Sigma sighed, knowing she disassociated again. “Ah.”
She didn’t know what was beyond that.
What was beyond the falling.
She was too scared to find out.
She had a big imagination, but not a social butterfly, unlike her brother.
Sometimes jealousy did catch up to her when she sees how well he’s doing, and how it feels as if she’s falling behind. He’s so perfect that he doesn’t need to get shipped off into marriage to insure he has a good future.
Slowly, she trotted down the trail. The flowers were starting to die too. It makes her heart feel sadness…one that feels impossible to fix. Not being good enough brings her sadness.
Oh, she wished she could get away! Live a life of her own!
In her own world, her little wonderland. With her own friends.
They would speak in riddles.
Utter nonsense.
Because nonsense would make complete sense.
Nothing will be what it is, when everything is what it isn’t.
And what isn’t would be what it is. That is, utter nonsense.
In her world, books would be filled with nothing but pictures.
She bent down to touch the flowers.
Death.
…
‘Well, might as well get a little bouquet before they die.’ She thought to herself.
Until she heard a rustle in the bushes nearby.
“Hmm?” Sigma paused.
Another rustle.
“Is someone here?” She stood up straight. “If so, this is a private proper…ty…”She trailed off.
Well, that’s not something you see everyday. A rabbit. A white one.
Well, that is something you could see everyday.
But it’s talking…and dressed in a blue waist coat. And look at that…what’s it holding?
A pocket watch?
“Ooh! I’m late! I’m very late!” The white rabbit tapped his back leg. “At this rate, I’ll never make it in time!”
“Do my eyes deceive me?” Sigma mumbled to herself.
“You!” The white rabbit called.
Sigma stared at it.
Then checked her surroundings.
Then stared at it again.
…
“Me?” She pointed to herself.
“Yes, you!” The rabbit hopped, “Come along! We’re late!” He tapped the watch. “We’re. Late. Come on!”
“Me?” Sigma scrambled to get up. “No-no-seriously, me?!”
The rabbit hopped away, into what seemed like an endless part of the garden. Did Sigma ever notice this before?
“Ow! Ow ow ow!” Grunted Sigma as she made her way around the bushes. But the rabbit was going too fast. “Wait up! Wait just a second!”
“No time to waste! No time to wait!” Shouted the rabbit.
Eventually, Sigma did lose him.
“Damn!” She tried to catch her breath. “What am I thinking?! Talking rabbits?” She palms her face. “You’re hallucinating. Rabbits don’t talk,” She scoffed, “or wear waist coats, or carry around pocket watches!” said the now upset Sigma.
Then, the rabbit popped his head out of the hole that appeared in the ground.
“Woah!” Sigma jumped.
“Hmmph…” she squinted her eyes at the rabbit, arms crossed. “You’re not a rabbit that can talk. You’re not real. Just another figment of my imagination.”
“I assure you dear Sigma, I am very much real.” The rabbit said. “Let’s go. We can’t keep them waiting.” He held out his hand from the dirty, grimy rabbit hole.
“…”she hesitated. How did it know her name?
“Oh, for the sake of-“ the rabbit suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into and down the hole.
“Hwa- ahhhhh!” Sigma screamed.
And off into the rabbit hole she went, and vanished. Like there werent a hole in the first place. Like there wasn’t a secret garden.
You see, I’m just an unreliable narrator and observer, so I’ll turn it over to the characters.
Maybe you’ll see me soon in the near future (?)
Anyways, Between 15:00 And 16:00 O’clock.