Chapter One – Halcyon Days

‘No, no, no, this wasn’t meant to happen…!’

The inventor stared down at what he had created, feeling no sense of accomplishment—only regret. Where had his life’s work gone so wrong? And, more importantly, could he find a way to fix his terrible mistake?

For as long as he could remember, Sai had always loved building things, toy in particular. Day and night, he would toil in his workshop, dreaming up new playthings and bringing them into the world with his own two hands. People thought he was ‘eccentric,’ to put it kindly, and kept their distance. At least, the adults did.

For the children of the town, going to park and playing with Sai’s toys was a rare pleasure. He was always surprising them with new creations, and wondering what he would come up with next could be just as fun as seeing the final product.

‘Sai, Sai! What are you making now?’

Martha tugged at Sai’s sleeve, stretching up on tiptoes to see over the top of his workbench.

‘Well, if it works out, these shoes will let you slide around like you’re on ice wherever you go.’

‘Wow, that’s so cool! Hey, can you make them leave behind, like, a color-y trail on the ground, too? And, and…!’

The little girl bounced around the room, shouting out new ideas as they came to her. She was Sai’s biggest fan and, in spite of the difference in the ages, also his best friend. If Sai was developing a new toy, you could be sure Martha would be there too, offering advice or just watching him work. ‘Is watching me really that much fun?’ he’d asked her once.

‘Well, yeah!’ she replied, ‘You always look so happy when you’re making things, so that makes me happy too!’

Sai was on his was to the park to show off his latest inventions. He never took money from the children-- seeing their faces light up with joy was reward enough for him. He stumbled through the city streets, holding a pile of toys against his chest and doing his best not to knock into anyone.

‘Sai! Saaaaaai!’

Sai came to a stop and looked around. Was that Martha calling him? Yes, it had to be. Even in a crowd of people like this, he’d know her voice anywhere. He’d arranged to meet her at the park like always, so why was she here?

Sai scanned the oncoming sea of people for signs of his friend. Had the streets always been this crowded? There were other voices now, people yelling ‘Run!’ and ‘Get out of the way!’ Finally, Sai caught sight of Martha, and in the same moment realized what was going on. He ran toward her, the toys he’d been carrying clattering carelessly to the ground.

‘Martha, over here, quick!’

She reached out a hand to him… but it was too late. As the runaway horse-drawn carriage tore through the crowd, everything became a cacophony of crashing, crunching, and screaming.

And then, nothing.

The rain came down hard, soaking Sai’s hair and mingling with the tears running down his face. He ignored it, and continued to gaze at the tiny grave.

‘Don’t you want to play with me anymore, Martha?’

There was no answer.

‘Please, play with me. Try out my toys like you used to. Tell me how to make them better, how to make them more fun...’

The tears wouldn’t stop coming, but Sai barely even noticed them anymore.

‘Wait for me. I’ll make something new, something you can play with even the way you are now. It’ll be fun. So, just...wait for me’.