The hospital ran various tests to evaluate me, taking down all my info in the process. I had been drugged, but not assaulted, and i was uninjured. I was finally able to make a call.
“Viola? Othankgodyou’resafe!.....I’m....in Japan. Somehow.......I called you first because I was afraid you were in danger......I’m OK.....Yes, of course.....Call them for me when it’s daylight?.....I
don’t even know what day it is......Still the night of?.......So then this JUST happened......Oh, right, not missing long enough......Shitty stupid law......I have to go. I’ll call you later. Or call me, after
you get some sleep, ok? Love you.” Koizumi knocked softly on the open door of my room. “Your friend is safe, then? Good. I think I may know what happened, at least in part.” He took a chair. “I’m
sure you’re familiar with China’s longstanding one child policy, and the unintended result-an extreme overabundance of men.” I nodded, feeling confused. “Well-this has happened before, in fact,three
time sin just the last six months. We think smugglers are abducting foreign women to sell to Chinese families as brides.” Whatever I was expecting this was FAR beyond that. “WHAT?!? Then....there were others
taken with me?” He nodded. “Probably. We sent a team to the motel you were left in. They’re going over everything.” “But...why did they leave ME? And why not just kill me?” A strange
thought occured to me. An equally strange smile twisted my lips. “I bet I’m too fat.” I laughed, almost manically. Koizumi’s lips were also twisted into an odd grin. “And your feet are too
big.” I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing. “I bet they left me in Japan because they figured I could become a sumo!” It was insane, and stupid, but also desperately needed. I laughed till tears
ran. :”Oh, God, I never thought I”d say this, but I’m glad I’m fat! It might be the only thing that saved me.” I sobered again instantly. My stomach rumbled. The timing was too perfect, I
started laughing again. It was shock, I reminded myself. The body must release the stress. “We should get food. And....you’ll need somewhere to stay. You can’t go home till we get this sorted out.”
I nodded. I had expected as much. “But...how will I GET home? I have no money, and neither does my family....and I have nothing here! No clothes, nothing!” I started to cry again. Koizumi spoke gently. “Don’t
worry about those things now. Food first, and we’ll talk about what to do.” “You’re right. I’m so hungry. I don’t even know when I last ate. And I don’t have my medications.”
“Oh, of course. We were able to find your records from America. We’ll get them, too. Now, come. Food, and medicine.” I followed him back to his car.
I opened my eyes slowly. Why was I so groggy? What happened last night? Gradually the world around me came into focus, and I gasped. I was in a hotel, or maybe a motel. I....I had attended a concert last night. Was it last night? How long had I been sleeping? And why was I fully dressed? Come to think of it, where were my friends? I was alone. I sat up, slowly, and the world swam. “Uuggh!” I snapped my eyes shut again and rubbed them fiercely. After a moment, the dizziness dissipated. I hadn’t been drinking, I knew that. We never drank at concerts; we always wanted the memories to be crystal clear. I tried opening my eyes again. This time the world was still. Good. It was a shabby looking room, with only the barest of decorative touches, and a small flat screen mounted to the wall. There was an old-school land line phone on the bedside table. “Oh! My phone! My wallet, where are they?” A quick search of my person revealed they were secure in my pockets. (No ...
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