Jon Athan - Am I Beautiful?

Miki assumed she couldn’t safely depart from the Los Angeles International Airport because of her scars. Everyone in Los Angeles had heard about her. It was different in Las Vegas—different state, different news, different serial killers .

While checking in at the airport, she was questioned about her stay, her visa, and her departure. Passengers were strictly monitored due to the ongoing pandemic. Fortunately for her, the Japanese government was still permitting Japanese nationals to travel abroad and return home with very few restrictions.

After checking in, she went through security without a problem. She wandered the desolate terminal. She saw more employees than passengers. She couldn’t help but smile upon spotting the slot machines scattered throughout the terminal. People loved gambling in Las Vegas—couldn’t wait to do it as soon as they arrived and couldn’t stop until it was time to go.

Miki sat at her boarding gate. Six people were already waiting there, including another young Japanese woman. Miki ignored them and browsed a news website on her cell phone. She read about the events at the Miller house. It happened two nights earlier.

Reading segments of the article aloud, she said, “The victims were discovered by a delivery man who was delivering a home security system to the home… There were no survivors… Due to the similarities in the victims’ wounds, police are investigating the Miller family murders as part of the recent serial killing case that has gripped the Los Angeles community… No suspects. ” A gentle smile on her face, she said, “Perfect.”

She put her phone on her lap and inspected the boarding gate. The other travelers ignored her, whispering under their masks about the pandemic and cycling through their social media apps on their phones. One young man snapped two selfies of himself with a plane in the background—one picture with his mask on, the other with his mask tucked under his jaw.

The plane was already parked on the tarmac, undergoing its final pre-flight inspection by the crew. There was still time for the police to catch Miki, but she was calm. Her heartbeat kept a steady pace. Her forehead was dry and her face was motionless—no sweat, no twitches. She had already accepted the consequences of her actions.

Whatever happens, happens , she told herself.

One by one, the passengers were called to board the plane. Miki was the fourth passenger to be called. While scanning her boarding pass, she expected a security guard, a cop, or an FBI agent to grab her wrist and pull her away. To her utter delight, no one stopped her. She took her seat—a window seat—and buckled up. By departure time, there was a total of eleven passengers in the plane.

Miki ignored the pre-flight safety demonstration, the ‘Welcome Aboard’ video, and the announcement from the captain. She reclined her seat, put a pillow behind her head, threw the thin complimentary blanket over herself, and snuggled up against the window. Thinking about all of the murder and mayhem, counting corpses like sheep, she dozed off before the plane even took off. She slept like a baby throughout the entire eleven-hour flight.

“ Disney waikenai, ” Haru said, fingers wrapped around his backpack’s straps. “ Mada heisashiteru oboeteru? ”

‘ We can’t go to Disneyland. It’s still closed, remember? ’

“ Mada?! ” Sora answered. It translated to ‘ still. ’ He held his backpack like a duffel bag, swinging it just a foot above the pavement. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, “ Ehhh? Sankagetsu heisa sareterunoni! ”

‘ Ehhh? It’s been closed for three months already! ’

Masks covering their mouths, the twelve-year-old boys were walking home after their first day of school since March’s cancellations due to the pandemic. Cicadas chirped ceaselessly in the trees lining the narrow road. To their right, a sea of crops stretched as far as the eye could see. To their left, brick partitions protected a row of small, boxy houses. A truck barreled down the road, followed by a large van.

Sora asked, “ Sonokawari shumatsuni yakyuwo shiyo. ”

‘ So, you wanna play baseball this weekend instead? ’

“ Dekinai, ” Haru responded, shaking his head while kicking rocks with each step. “ Okaasan ni dameto iwareteiru. Oniichan no game ga kiinshi sarete naiteiru. ”

‘ Can’t. My mom said we can’t play now. My brother was crying a few days ago because his big game was cancelled. ’

“ Ehhh, ” Sora groaned again. “ De, naniwo shitai—”

‘ Ehhh, So, what do you want to— ’

Haru interrupted him by pointing ahead and saying, “ Mite. ”

‘ Look. ’

The boys stopped and squinted. A woman in a beige trench coat and black face mask— Miki Someya —walked towards them. The thick coat and leather gloves were unusual. It was about 75 degrees Fahrenheit out there. But the boys weren’t afraid of her. They assumed she was overdressed because of the pandemic. They were only curious.

Miki stopped in front of them. The boys looked at each other with an expression that said: Huh? Then they turned their heads slowly to face her again. Miki put her hands on her knees and bent over to match their eye level.

She asked, “ Karerawa dokoni ittano? Sotowa kikendesho? ”

‘ Where are you two boys going? Don’t you know it’s dangerous out here? ’

Stuttering, Haru repeated, “ Ki–Kikennano. ”

‘ Da–Dangerous? ’

Miki paused for a moment. She could see Haru was anxious and Sora was indifferent. She smirked behind her mask.

She asked, “ Uirusu nokoto wasuretano? ”

‘ Did you forget about the virus? ’

Sora rolled his eyes and said, “ Wasuretenaisa. Nanimo tanoshikoto dekinai karana .”

‘ Of course not. We can’t do anything fun because of it. ’

Miki pointed at his backpack and asked, “ Gakkou wa skijanaino? ” It translated to: ‘ Don’t you like school? ’ Sora responded with a shrug. Miki snickered, then she said, “ Kyonen kokode atta kowo omoidasu. Namaewa Mei. Kanojo wa gakkouga sukija nakkata. ”

‘ You remind me of a girl I met here last year. Her name was Mei. She didn’t like school so much, either. ’

Sora’s attention wandered to the fields, his eyes half-lidded and drowsy. Haru’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. He remembered the murder of Mei Hasegawa during the previous summer. The awful news sent shockwaves through their small community. Parents kept their kids locked down at home for weeks and police went door-to-door questioning everyone.

But the killer was never captured or identified.

“ Kikitai kotoga aruno? ” Miki asked.

‘ May I ask you something? ’

Just as Haru started shaking his head, Sora said, “ Kattenishiro. ”

‘ Whatever. ’

Miki leaned in closer to them and asked, “ Watashi kirei? ”

‘ Am I beautiful? ’

Haru took a step back, cautious but inquisitive. Meanwhile, the question reignited Sora’s interest in the conversation. He wasn’t sure where she was going with it or where he wanted it to go, but as a kid going through puberty, he was definitely interested in going there with her.

“ Sexy dana! ” he said confidently, grinning behind his mask.

‘ Yeah, you’re sexy! ’