<em>Ms Tanahata,</em>

<em>I warned you several times about noise in the flat and damage to the property. This situation is completely unacceptable, and you are hereby evicted, effective immediately.</em>

<em>Ota</em>

Akiko read the note several times, not believing it. Noise? Damage? She couldn’t remember any noise or damage. She put her key into the lock, but it wouldn’t turn. Looking around the landing, she realised that all her property had been taken out, and now sat around her. She felt numb, a conviction that this must be another dream, another unsubtle message from the kami to get her to do what he wanted, taking hold of her mind. She looked around, staring at the boxes and cases without really seeing them, waiting to wake up.

It started to rain, a few drops falling on the items nearest the edge of the landing. For a moment, she did nothing, but as the rain got heavier she started picking up the boxes and bags, moving them closer to the wall. As she moved her spare work uniform, something broke inside her.

This wasn’t a dream.

She tried to blink back the tears, but they were coming too fast. She took a deep breath, but it shuddered and turned into a sob as she let it out again. Standing, she shook her head, determined to get herself under control. Reaching out, she grabbed the railing, gripping it tightly, so tightly that the edges dug into her palm, holding her breath and blinking rapidly.

She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Her breath came out in a wail, and she crumpled to the floor, sitting staring at her worldly goods as they vanished behind her tears.

What was she going to do now? No job, no home. How could she face anyone? She was homeless. Her future was a tent made of blue sheeting, people ignoring her to her face and mocking behind her back.

The idea of suicide briefly crossed her mind, as she imagined jumping in front of the train she used to catch to work, but she angrily rejected it. The kami wasn’t going to beat her that easily.

Naoyuki. She could call Naoyuki. It would be easy for her to stay away from the shrine now that the kami had destroyed her life. She could stay with him. She was sure that would be OK.

Fumbling, dropping it twice, she got her cell phone out of her bag, and called him. His phone rang and rang, but she was put through to the answering service before he picked up. She hung up and dialled again. And again. And again. The fifth time, she left a message.

“Naoyuki! I need to talk to you! Call me back! Come and see me!â€ She was wailing and sobbing as she said it, not sure that he would understand, and as the service beeped to tell her that the message was over she dropped her phone, still crying, and reached out for one of the bags.

As she did so, she caught a glimpse of something moving out of the corner of her eye, something half-hidden behind her bags, something entirely the wrong shape to be a person.