#rinumi

“It’s important,” Rin said, carrying another armful ofpillows into the living room. Umi watched with a mix of exasperation andconfusion. That wasn’t a good answer to the question she had asked, but it wasall she was going to get. She might as well accept her fate.

Inside the room, the pillow fort was finally taking shape.Two chairs balance precariously on top of each other, blankets draped overthem. The couch made up one wall, cushions the other; the ceiling was a crudearch of pillows, as physics defying as the stone arches of castles. Rin shouldbe a stone mason- Umi shivered as she imagined the destruction that would wrought.Maybe not then.

“Come on, Umi-chan!” Rin was calling out from inside thefort, a corner of a blanket lifted up as entrance. Umi sighed, getting on herhands and knees to crawl inside. At least she was wearing pajamas instead ofher nice clothes. That was another tradition of Rin’s, Umi had learned. If you’rewatching a movie, you have to do it in a pillow fort. And if you made a pillowfort, you had to wear pajamas. And if you were wearing pajamas…

“Did you bring the marshmallows?”

“I did.” Umi handed the bag over, watching Rin’s face lightup. She was quick to rip the bag open, smiling in pleasure at the smell of thesweet treat. Then she set to work again, sticking little pretzel twigs on themarshmallows for arms and small chocolate chips for eyes.

After a moment, Umi helped her, their hands brushing as theyreached into the marshmallow bag at the same time. With the two of themtogether, it took no time at all to create a small army.

“There!” Rin said at last, nodding proudly at the soldiersand citizens of Fort Movie laid out before her. “Now we’re ready for the movie.”