I remembered clear as day one hot summer in Hokkaido, Japan, and the geisha Tsukiko's words of wisdom:

 [indent][center][i]"A believable lie is like a fan dance. Just as a geisha's fan opens and closes...Your lie must also expose parts of the truth...You see Miss Debli--AHHRRCK!"
(That last part is where I plugged her twice in the head for trying to slash my throat with a razor version of said fan.) [/i][/center] [/indent]

Micheal was a great guy. A kiss on the cheek and a few false tears from me were all it took to seal the deal. Things played out pretty smoothly, by the end of it the hospital agreed to let me go home with him in the morning. I waved Micheal goodbye and gave him what I thought to be a sad, feeble smile.

This was the lie that I told:

[center]"I don't know what happened..." 
[i]Fan closed.[/i] 
"My parents? Oh god, Michael--Please don't make me tell them. My mother and father, they're really old and can't take the stress of traveling cross-country to come see me. I feel fine. Mostly. It's just the mental shock... "
[i]Fan open.[/i] 
"...the police? I already explained to everyone that I can't remember anything about the explosion...maybe... the water heater in that motel was bad.."
[i]Fan closed.[/i]
"I don't really have a place I can stay. Everything I brought back from studying abroad is gone... I'm s-scared..."
[i]Fan open.[/i]
"I'm surprised you came to visit me... Y'know I've always thought you were a really nice guy...Now I know it's true."
[i]Fan closed.[/i]
"R-really? You...you'd let me stay with you? I don't know what to say aside from thank you. Thank you so much. I'll be out of your hair in a week, I swear. I just need to gather myself up and figure things out..."
[/center]

 

-----------------------------------
[b]The next morning[/b]:

"[i]What?[/i]"

The nurse's eyes bulged in surprise. The patient gave only slight pause at her arrival but then continued counting. She was puffing on half a cigarette-- cussing something fierce about the number Zero while doing handstand push ups. Naked. Her hospital gown had been carelessly tossed aside over the face of the muted television. "Miss-- you really should be resting! And there's no smoking in the hos--" 

"Did you wash my clothes?"

"...Yes and there is something I have to ask you about that..." the nurse watched as the young woman curls her knees into her chest and rights herself. Takes a few deep yoga-breaths, and then sighs. The nurse purses her lips in anxiety. 

When the patient speaks, her eyes narrow as she flicks the cigarette into the waste bin without looking, her voice is light and casual and does not match her burning gaze. "Yes. I do suppose you will have some questions about that... Have you told anyone?"

"No. I think when you find as many knives and guns strapped to one person as I did you that it would be pretty stupid to tell," the nurse wrings her wrists and then continues "I don't want no trouble-- I have a son who's in the green berets so I understand how these things can be."

"Green Berets? Nice. I've dated a few fellas with the uniform. Decent guys." she points to a thin scar just below her waist "Until you stop returning their calls."

The nurse swallows hard and then for the first time takes a good look at the girl. After the initial shock of her extreme nude workout, she notices just how banged up her body really was. Part of her torso had been wrapped in gauze to cover the majority of the bruises and cuts, but still she could see older markings. Most of them were harder to spot with her pale complexion. But they were there if you looked for them. Thin ones... Round ones... A few darker ones that looked like burns. [i] There is no Ashley Deblin in our medical records...[/i] 

"I trashed it all in the lake. I don't know who you are or what you do but since you remind me so much of my Charlie, I'll let it slide this once." she watches as the young woman's eyes widen incredulously; something maternal sweeps her and she adds "I also have a daughter who's older now. I figured you'd be about her size, too." She deposits a yellow sundress with tiny green flamingos printed on the front. 

The patient smiles "I like you..." she reads the nurses name tag, while eyeing the sundress poker-faced, "Donna...I really like you. But really... what did you do with my guns?" 

Donna replies sweetly, "They're in the Okeechobee lake!" she waits patiently until young woman is done swearing in what sounds like a few different languages before adding "Oh and dear, your boyfriend is at the front desk waiting for you--"

"He's not my-- Ah. Yes... Sorry." she clears her throat, runs a hand through her hair and quickly pulls on the sundress. "Thank you, let him know I'll be right out"

"You have to be in a wheelchair until you are off hospital property. It's the rules."

"Don't push me, Donna."