Where the Trees Scream
Myles Martenzen, an American that is twenty-eight years of age, has been living in Tokyo, Japan, for four heavy years. After arriving to get away from the Cowboy-ridden life in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Myles has become a successful English teacher at an upper-class University downtown. For the first few years he taught at an Upper Secondary School, but due to his increasing teaching skills, he got offered an opportunity to teach at a University. He accepted gratefully, plus the pay is higher. Myles has a quick-sharpened mind allowing him to master Japanese in four years. His mind has also allowed him to gain mass amounts of friends, in Japan and back in the States. Friends and family describe the eccentric Myles as a peaceful, exuberant young man full of a bright glee; aching for affection, so they say. His sharp mind, unfortunately, has caused downfalls. These downfalls run deeper each year, starting from when he was nine years of age. The doctor said he had mood-swings and he was most likely bi-polar. Myles knew within his head there was something past that sharp wit. It was a black substance that has stained his brain and left an irreversible mark that would haunt him for the rest of his life, not to mention, follow him overseas.
While multi-cultural students of all walks of life worked away at their papers, Myles sat at his sloppy desk writing something with a black pen. He looks around the silent room to make sure none of the students realize what he is scotching away at. Amaya (雨夜), a nineteen year-old boy from Kanagawa, peeps up at Myles with his punker-shaggy hair flowing about. It's almost as if a black forest is sprouting from his head. Amaya gives a kind nod; Myles nods back with a plastic grin. When Amaya looks back down to his paper, Myles' grin fades quickly as he realizes what he's writing. The bell slices through the room; the students get up and lay their papers on top of Myles' desk. He quickly hides the paper in his blazer's pocket. It's three o'clock and soon the students rush out. Something is odd though; Myles usually says his farewell to the students because it is Friday but something is caught in his throat today. He gathers the students papers and he puts them in his black satchel. He grips his keys and proceeds to walk out of the room. He flicks off the lights and locks the door from the outside. Without visiting other professors, he rushes out. The sky is greyer than grey. Thick clouds sit in the sky as they appear to be in awe from the gloom that is reflecting down to earth. It's a November day, definitely chilled. Second semester is ending very soon.
The thin, lean and pale Myles paces to his red sports vehicle. His black, spiked hair sways back and forth in the wind. A shiver shoots down his back as a purple button-shirt and a black blazer don't do much to keep out the cold. The pitch black dress pants don't help much either. He unlocks the car with his keys and he throws in the satchel. He doesn't hesitate to get in fast, and slams the door behind him. He begins to watch as students walk around him, smiling with happiness as their futures are bright. This makes Myles close his eyes for a second, the silence in the car soothing. No longer will Myles have to hear the joyful conversations of the students. A rain drop smashes against Myles windshield. He opens his weakened, Pine-tree green eyes and peers. It begins to drizzle. Myles puts the keys in and he revs the car. A sleek Japanese pop-rock band bursts through the little stereo, Myles switches it off as soon as he can. He pulls out slowly as chilled rain slashes across his sports car, and finally drives away. It's going to be dusk soon.
As he drives through downtown Tokyo, his vehicle is put at stops as people rush like ants across the wet streets. Seeing their faces makes Myles sink even more into the hole that has consumed his body. The only thing left is his mind.
Neon lights of lime green, hot pink and lemon yellow reflect off his car in a blinding fashion as he slowly rolls to get home.
Finally he drives into his elegant apartment complex. He parks his car underground, gets out and takes the satchel with him. The grey cement walls almost blend in with Myles' cold appearance. He gets into an elevator that will take him to his rather small apartment.
The doors to the hallway open and a stranger is waiting. Myles stares at the stranger, a Japanese male business man, obviously in his late thirties with a grey beard, who stares back at Myles strangely, almost as if he's looking at a ghost. Myles slowly trails out of the elevator while the Japanese man continues to gawk and Myles glances back in an awkward fashion. The Japanese man, utterly spooked, almost jumps into the elevator; Myles stares back until the doors close between them. He walks on down a bleached white hallway with florescent lights buzzing above. The only way to tell the rooms apart is by their numbers jutting from the white doors in tacky gold lettering. He reaches apartment four-hundred and forty-four at the end of the numbing, soundless hall. He tiredly unlocks the door with the keys and he slips in pulling the door behind him.
His apartment is only three rooms. The kitchen and living room are one big space and his bedroom and bathroom branch off elsewhere. The tall walls have been painted coal black by Myles himself, but it is a clean and lovely place. He throws the satchel down on the white leather sofa sitting in front of a flat-screen television. He slips off his dark brown, shiny leather dress shoes and instantly rips off his blazer and throws it down on the sofa as well. He runs toward the stainless steel fridge and grabs a bottle of water, guzzling it within seconds. Water drips down from his chin and on to his button-shirt. He looks out a huge window overlooking the city. Neon lights and people loom below. It's dark now. Rain dances across the window in an eerie fashion. He shuts the curtains. The only light in the apartment is from his television (which he leaves on constantly) and the pendant lights drooping down from the white ceiling shining over the kitchen. He slinks across the hardwood floor into his room, flicks on the lamp and sits on his white-sheeted bed. He takes a few breaths and looks around in lifelessly. He gets up and looks into the blinding white bathroom, takes it in and proceeds to shut the light off. He walks back into the main space and nods to himself. He stands and stares into space for a minute or two, and nods again. Satisfied, he picks up the blazer and slips it on, shutting the kitchen lights off. Images flick off the TV screen and light up the room. He slings the satchel around his shoulder, takes out the paper he had been writing earlier and peeks at it. He puts it back in his pocket and proceeds to switch off the television. He walks out, back into the lifeless hallway and locks the door behind him, then paces towards the elevator at the end of the hall like a zombie.
Suddenly, the door Myles is about to walk by pops open, and a young Japanese couple comes tumbling out kissing and hugging each other. Myles stops, then grazes by. The couple is clearly in their early twenties, and they are chuckling and feeling each other as the Japanese guy shuts the door and then lunges at his girl. She laughs it off and tells him to stop. The two soon notice the strange, pale American man looking back at them in confusion. The guy clears his throat and grabs the girl. They walk on leaving Myles to wallow in their bliss. They enter the elevator at the end of the hall and Myles follows. They all get in and the doors shut trapping in these mixed feelings. The couple slouch to the left corner of the elevator as they hold each other, obviously mumbling things to each other trying to make sure the American man doesn't hear. Myles looks over inanimately as the guy peeks back, rather disturbed by Myles' brooding appearance. Myles' face is whiter than white and a black ring circles around his eye sockets from a day without sleep, and his lips mix in with his face as the blood has drained. Stale blue veins push against his talcum-powder-caked looking skin. The guy can't really tell that Myles is looking at him because his eyes have become so darkened. The elevator seems to take years. The couple are freaked-out from this ghostly looking man and Myles is disgusted by their merry presence. Plus the cheery instrumental music ringing in the elevator doesn't help the mood either. The steel doors finally split open and the couple flee out as fast as they can.
Myles strolls out, treads right out of the underground parking tramping into the wet but colourful streets. He just lets himself get drenched in the freezing rain. Others passing with umbrellas gawk at Myles like he's a madman. He peers down at a puddle looking at his reflection which sickens him to the core; he can see and feel it.
He calls over a taxi, and it plows over to the sidewalk. Myles hops in, getting out of the rain. The man driving the taxi is elderly, in his fifties, his balding visible despite his attempts to cover it with a cliche olive green driver's cap. The elderly man peeks back at the deteriorating Myles. Right off the bat, the driver can tell something is up with this man.
In Japanese, the driver asks, "Where are heading to?"
Myles responds in a cold, divided and droning voice "Aokigahara."
A jolt of panic shoots across the driver's body. He gulps as an empty Myles stares back. The rain splashing on the car adds a dreadful pitch. Myles reaches into his blazer's pocket and he pulls out his wallet. He pulls out five-hundred Yen (JPY). The driver, in terror, slowly reaches his hand out and grips the money. The only way to see Myles is by the neon lights shining down from the surrounding city.
"Just go, my friend. Speak of it to no one," Myles exclaims in a cold tone.
"No, no, no sir. I cannot accept. I won't take part in this," the driver shouts.
"Look, you are doing me a favour. Just drive and the rest is history," Myles exclaims.
A silence breaks through the blunt conversation.
"This isn't right, sir," the driver shouts once again.
"Look…what's your name?" Myles asks.
"Kazuko Natsuki (和子 夏希)," Kazuko replies. There is another awkward pause.
"Kazuko, you seem like a good man. Just do this for me. I want this. I need this."
"No! it's not right!" Kazuko snaps back.
"Please," Myles exclaims as his voice cracks, oozing with pain and despair.
Kazuko pauses, feeling sympathy, anger, confusion and sorrow at the same time. He places the money in his pocket. His eyes are wet as he knows what Myles is going to do. Kazuko slowly turns back toward the steering wheel and puts the vehicle in to drive. He pulls away from the sidewalk and begins to drive.
After six minutes, Myles kills the elephant: "Stop by a hardware store, first," he demands.
As soon as Myles blurts this, the fragile Kazuko closes his eyes in undeniable hurt. Kazuko doesn't utter a word. After another ten minutes of silence, they approach a hardware store. Kazuko parks along the sidewalk.
"Be back in a second," Myles exclaims.
He jumps out of the vehicle trying to avoid the rain. Kazuko sits in the car, hearing nothing but the windshield wipers swaying back and forth. There is a look of agony on his withered face. He pulls the money out and stares at it, within deep thought. The sound of the door opening snaps him out of it. Myles slides in the back seat now holding some white rope and a flashlight.
"Got something sharp?" Myles asks.
"It's for this packaging." Myles holds up the flashlight.
Kazuko takes the keys out and hands them to Myles. The sound of Myles cutting open the plastic packaging sends a chill across Kazuko's body. Those fifteen seconds in the dark and quiet would be a traumatizing experience. Myles hands the keys back to Kazuko who snatches them and places them back into the ignition. The car starts up and they pull out. As the minutes pass by, they get closer. The closer they get, the more Kazuko gets paranoid. The city lights start to fade into blackness as they are approaching wilderness, but the hard rain continues to crash against the car. Soon, they approach Mount Fuji, south-west of Tokyo. The sound of Myles breathing is unnerving Kazuko to the bone.
"You got a family, Mr. Natsuki?" Myles asks.
"Yes. Yes I do," Kazuko replies in a uneasy tone.
"Love them. Go home tonight and kiss your wife. Kiss your children. Hold them." Myles says.
A tear streams down Kazuko's right eye.
"Just love," Myles says again. The words echo around the vehicle in an uncanny fashion.
Soon, they are fully out of Shinjuku (新宿) and Aokigahara is nearing. The car begins to get swallowed by trees. The only light is that of the taxi headlights. The only sounds are the windshield wipers and the hard rain. After another bleak four minutes, Kazuko stops the car.
"This is as far as I go," he says.
"This is fine," Myles responds.
Myles inserts the battery that came with the flashlight. He grabs the rope and finally he grabs the paper he had been working on at school out of his satchel and he hands it to Kazuko.
"When people come looking, give them this," Myles exclaims.
Kazuko grasps the paper and reads the black ink: " 'Just get over it, ' they say I wish I could find a way Living with it day by day Memories won't go away
-Love to all. Goodbye."
Kazuko begins to weep, his baby blue eyes drowning in heartbreak. Myles nods and gets out of the car, gently shutting the door. Kazuko also gets out. It's pouring rain. Trees are on either side of them, black trees.
"Please sir, life is beloved! Think of your friends and family!" he shouts trying to beat the sound of the rain.
"I'm sorry, so sorry. Thank you, Mr. Natsuki. It's time for me to go," Myles hollers back.
Myles turns on the flashlight and he proceeds to walk into the dark forest as Kazuko, in tears, watches from behind. The woods swallow Myles up. He takes one look back at Kazuko standing and crying in the rain. His stark and emotionless face peers back in an eerie manner. Soon, he disappears into the woods. The trees scream as the wind picks up.
Myles is gone. Kazuko gets back into the vehicle and he wipes the tears from his broken face. He turns around and proceeds to drive back the way he came, leaving behind darkness, sorrow and the sound of rain. Hard rain, far behind.
While multi-cultural students of all walks of life worked away at their papers, Myles sat at his sloppy desk writing something with a black pen. He looks around the silent room to make sure none of the students realize what he is scotching away at. Amaya (雨夜), a nineteen year-old boy from Kanagawa, peeps up at Myles with his punker-shaggy hair flowing about. It's almost as if a black forest is sprouting from his head. Amaya gives a kind nod; Myles nods back with a plastic grin. When Amaya looks back down to his paper, Myles' grin fades quickly as he realizes what he's writing. The bell slices through the room; the students get up and lay their papers on top of Myles' desk. He quickly hides the paper in his blazer's pocket. It's three o'clock and soon the students rush out. Something is odd though; Myles usually says his farewell to the students because it is Friday but something is caught in his throat today. He gathers the students papers and he puts them in his black satchel. He grips his keys and proceeds to walk out of the room. He flicks off the lights and locks the door from the outside. Without visiting other professors, he rushes out. The sky is greyer than grey. Thick clouds sit in the sky as they appear to be in awe from the gloom that is reflecting down to earth. It's a November day, definitely chilled. Second semester is ending very soon.
The thin, lean and pale Myles paces to his red sports vehicle. His black, spiked hair sways back and forth in the wind. A shiver shoots down his back as a purple button-shirt and a black blazer don't do much to keep out the cold. The pitch black dress pants don't help much either. He unlocks the car with his keys and he throws in the satchel. He doesn't hesitate to get in fast, and slams the door behind him. He begins to watch as students walk around him, smiling with happiness as their futures are bright. This makes Myles close his eyes for a second, the silence in the car soothing. No longer will Myles have to hear the joyful conversations of the students. A rain drop smashes against Myles windshield. He opens his weakened, Pine-tree green eyes and peers. It begins to drizzle. Myles puts the keys in and he revs the car. A sleek Japanese pop-rock band bursts through the little stereo, Myles switches it off as soon as he can. He pulls out slowly as chilled rain slashes across his sports car, and finally drives away. It's going to be dusk soon.
As he drives through downtown Tokyo, his vehicle is put at stops as people rush like ants across the wet streets. Seeing their faces makes Myles sink even more into the hole that has consumed his body. The only thing left is his mind.
Neon lights of lime green, hot pink and lemon yellow reflect off his car in a blinding fashion as he slowly rolls to get home.
Finally he drives into his elegant apartment complex. He parks his car underground, gets out and takes the satchel with him. The grey cement walls almost blend in with Myles' cold appearance. He gets into an elevator that will take him to his rather small apartment.
The doors to the hallway open and a stranger is waiting. Myles stares at the stranger, a Japanese male business man, obviously in his late thirties with a grey beard, who stares back at Myles strangely, almost as if he's looking at a ghost. Myles slowly trails out of the elevator while the Japanese man continues to gawk and Myles glances back in an awkward fashion. The Japanese man, utterly spooked, almost jumps into the elevator; Myles stares back until the doors close between them. He walks on down a bleached white hallway with florescent lights buzzing above. The only way to tell the rooms apart is by their numbers jutting from the white doors in tacky gold lettering. He reaches apartment four-hundred and forty-four at the end of the numbing, soundless hall. He tiredly unlocks the door with the keys and he slips in pulling the door behind him.
His apartment is only three rooms. The kitchen and living room are one big space and his bedroom and bathroom branch off elsewhere. The tall walls have been painted coal black by Myles himself, but it is a clean and lovely place. He throws the satchel down on the white leather sofa sitting in front of a flat-screen television. He slips off his dark brown, shiny leather dress shoes and instantly rips off his blazer and throws it down on the sofa as well. He runs toward the stainless steel fridge and grabs a bottle of water, guzzling it within seconds. Water drips down from his chin and on to his button-shirt. He looks out a huge window overlooking the city. Neon lights and people loom below. It's dark now. Rain dances across the window in an eerie fashion. He shuts the curtains. The only light in the apartment is from his television (which he leaves on constantly) and the pendant lights drooping down from the white ceiling shining over the kitchen. He slinks across the hardwood floor into his room, flicks on the lamp and sits on his white-sheeted bed. He takes a few breaths and looks around in lifelessly. He gets up and looks into the blinding white bathroom, takes it in and proceeds to shut the light off. He walks back into the main space and nods to himself. He stands and stares into space for a minute or two, and nods again. Satisfied, he picks up the blazer and slips it on, shutting the kitchen lights off. Images flick off the TV screen and light up the room. He slings the satchel around his shoulder, takes out the paper he had been writing earlier and peeks at it. He puts it back in his pocket and proceeds to switch off the television. He walks out, back into the lifeless hallway and locks the door behind him, then paces towards the elevator at the end of the hall like a zombie.
Suddenly, the door Myles is about to walk by pops open, and a young Japanese couple comes tumbling out kissing and hugging each other. Myles stops, then grazes by. The couple is clearly in their early twenties, and they are chuckling and feeling each other as the Japanese guy shuts the door and then lunges at his girl. She laughs it off and tells him to stop. The two soon notice the strange, pale American man looking back at them in confusion. The guy clears his throat and grabs the girl. They walk on leaving Myles to wallow in their bliss. They enter the elevator at the end of the hall and Myles follows. They all get in and the doors shut trapping in these mixed feelings. The couple slouch to the left corner of the elevator as they hold each other, obviously mumbling things to each other trying to make sure the American man doesn't hear. Myles looks over inanimately as the guy peeks back, rather disturbed by Myles' brooding appearance. Myles' face is whiter than white and a black ring circles around his eye sockets from a day without sleep, and his lips mix in with his face as the blood has drained. Stale blue veins push against his talcum-powder-caked looking skin. The guy can't really tell that Myles is looking at him because his eyes have become so darkened. The elevator seems to take years. The couple are freaked-out from this ghostly looking man and Myles is disgusted by their merry presence. Plus the cheery instrumental music ringing in the elevator doesn't help the mood either. The steel doors finally split open and the couple flee out as fast as they can.
Myles strolls out, treads right out of the underground parking tramping into the wet but colourful streets. He just lets himself get drenched in the freezing rain. Others passing with umbrellas gawk at Myles like he's a madman. He peers down at a puddle looking at his reflection which sickens him to the core; he can see and feel it.
He calls over a taxi, and it plows over to the sidewalk. Myles hops in, getting out of the rain. The man driving the taxi is elderly, in his fifties, his balding visible despite his attempts to cover it with a cliche olive green driver's cap. The elderly man peeks back at the deteriorating Myles. Right off the bat, the driver can tell something is up with this man.
In Japanese, the driver asks, "Where are heading to?"
Myles responds in a cold, divided and droning voice "Aokigahara."
A jolt of panic shoots across the driver's body. He gulps as an empty Myles stares back. The rain splashing on the car adds a dreadful pitch. Myles reaches into his blazer's pocket and he pulls out his wallet. He pulls out five-hundred Yen (JPY). The driver, in terror, slowly reaches his hand out and grips the money. The only way to see Myles is by the neon lights shining down from the surrounding city.
"Just go, my friend. Speak of it to no one," Myles exclaims in a cold tone.
"No, no, no sir. I cannot accept. I won't take part in this," the driver shouts.
"Look, you are doing me a favour. Just drive and the rest is history," Myles exclaims.
A silence breaks through the blunt conversation.
"This isn't right, sir," the driver shouts once again.
"Look…what's your name?" Myles asks.
"Kazuko Natsuki (和子 夏希)," Kazuko replies. There is another awkward pause.
"Kazuko, you seem like a good man. Just do this for me. I want this. I need this."
"No! it's not right!" Kazuko snaps back.
"Please," Myles exclaims as his voice cracks, oozing with pain and despair.
Kazuko pauses, feeling sympathy, anger, confusion and sorrow at the same time. He places the money in his pocket. His eyes are wet as he knows what Myles is going to do. Kazuko slowly turns back toward the steering wheel and puts the vehicle in to drive. He pulls away from the sidewalk and begins to drive.
After six minutes, Myles kills the elephant: "Stop by a hardware store, first," he demands.
As soon as Myles blurts this, the fragile Kazuko closes his eyes in undeniable hurt. Kazuko doesn't utter a word. After another ten minutes of silence, they approach a hardware store. Kazuko parks along the sidewalk.
"Be back in a second," Myles exclaims.
He jumps out of the vehicle trying to avoid the rain. Kazuko sits in the car, hearing nothing but the windshield wipers swaying back and forth. There is a look of agony on his withered face. He pulls the money out and stares at it, within deep thought. The sound of the door opening snaps him out of it. Myles slides in the back seat now holding some white rope and a flashlight.
"Got something sharp?" Myles asks.
"It's for this packaging." Myles holds up the flashlight.
Kazuko takes the keys out and hands them to Myles. The sound of Myles cutting open the plastic packaging sends a chill across Kazuko's body. Those fifteen seconds in the dark and quiet would be a traumatizing experience. Myles hands the keys back to Kazuko who snatches them and places them back into the ignition. The car starts up and they pull out. As the minutes pass by, they get closer. The closer they get, the more Kazuko gets paranoid. The city lights start to fade into blackness as they are approaching wilderness, but the hard rain continues to crash against the car. Soon, they approach Mount Fuji, south-west of Tokyo. The sound of Myles breathing is unnerving Kazuko to the bone.
"You got a family, Mr. Natsuki?" Myles asks.
"Yes. Yes I do," Kazuko replies in a uneasy tone.
"Love them. Go home tonight and kiss your wife. Kiss your children. Hold them." Myles says.
A tear streams down Kazuko's right eye.
"Just love," Myles says again. The words echo around the vehicle in an uncanny fashion.
Soon, they are fully out of Shinjuku (新宿) and Aokigahara is nearing. The car begins to get swallowed by trees. The only light is that of the taxi headlights. The only sounds are the windshield wipers and the hard rain. After another bleak four minutes, Kazuko stops the car.
"This is as far as I go," he says.
"This is fine," Myles responds.
Myles inserts the battery that came with the flashlight. He grabs the rope and finally he grabs the paper he had been working on at school out of his satchel and he hands it to Kazuko.
"When people come looking, give them this," Myles exclaims.
Kazuko grasps the paper and reads the black ink: " 'Just get over it, ' they say I wish I could find a way Living with it day by day Memories won't go away
-Love to all. Goodbye."
Kazuko begins to weep, his baby blue eyes drowning in heartbreak. Myles nods and gets out of the car, gently shutting the door. Kazuko also gets out. It's pouring rain. Trees are on either side of them, black trees.
"Please sir, life is beloved! Think of your friends and family!" he shouts trying to beat the sound of the rain.
"I'm sorry, so sorry. Thank you, Mr. Natsuki. It's time for me to go," Myles hollers back.
Myles turns on the flashlight and he proceeds to walk into the dark forest as Kazuko, in tears, watches from behind. The woods swallow Myles up. He takes one look back at Kazuko standing and crying in the rain. His stark and emotionless face peers back in an eerie manner. Soon, he disappears into the woods. The trees scream as the wind picks up.
Myles is gone. Kazuko gets back into the vehicle and he wipes the tears from his broken face. He turns around and proceeds to drive back the way he came, leaving behind darkness, sorrow and the sound of rain. Hard rain, far behind.