Attack Of Parasites

My mental and emotional state has not been stable. I have been isolating myself at the end of each workday. At seven in the evening, you would find me sitting for hours on the edge of a cliff, reminiscing and trying to uncover the mistake that led her to leave me. All I could come up with was my excessive concern for her and making her the center of my life.

I watched the sunset, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. Many times I stood at the edge of the cliff, contemplating ending my life, but I always failed. A person who loves life like me wouldn't have the courage to go through with it.

One day, when I went to my usual spot, it was completely quiet; the sun was at eye level. I heard something sticky fall from the tree behind me. I turned to see what it was—a creature resembling a snake, wrapped in a transparent membrane, with a conical head, about two meters away from me. I got up from the ground, my back to the cliff, and tried to push it away with random hand movements in the air, but it didn't work. Moments later, the creature jumped at me, piercing my throat. I felt it moving upward, choking myself with my hands as I stepped backward until I lost my balance and fell from the cliff into the sea.

My swimming skills were zero, so my fall into the water felt like throwing a piece of iron into the sea..."

Suddenly, the parasite appeared and interrupted him. "I'll finish the story. You've talked enough; it's my turn. Your right hand is supposed to have some memory about this too. Initially, our only goal is to ascend and take over the brain, so I tried to do that. But it didn't work. I was shocked when the host stopped breathing just a few seconds after falling into the water. There's no point in controlling the brain of a host who's about to die; we would die together. So, I abandoned the idea of taking over the brain and decided to merge with his body to save myself, and fortunately, him as well.

I stretched his mouth and brought it to the surface to provide him with oxygen, and it worked successfully."

"Interesting," said Migi.

"Yes, that's how I saved this human, and now he owes me," the parasite said, laughing proudly.

The overweight young man took out a notebook and a pen from his jacket and began writing something. He positioned the note in front of him so the parasite could read it: "Let me talk too."

"Okay, okay, you like to talk now," said the parasite as it stepped back, relinquishing control to the host.

But the parasite quickly returned, this time leaving the mouth for the host to speak while forming another mouth below the face, under the lips.

"I don't like giving you control over the upper part of my body; I stutter and don't sound lively when I speak," the parasite complained.

"Shut up, you chatterbox!" It seemed the young man was growing tired of his companion.

"But you surprised me too when that little one said someone of his kind was approaching. I wasn't sure what kind of monster I would see. Seeing you made me happy; I didn't know there were others like me," the overweight man added, smiling at Izumi.

"Come on, human, tell us what happened with your right hand!" the parasite said excitedly.

"Yes, tell us," the young man urged, eager to hear Izumi's side of the story.

Nostalgia washed over Izumi as he gazed down, recalling how he resisted Migi's attempts, refusing to let him take over his brain along with Dekim.

"Well, before that, can we go somewhere else?" Izumi asked.

"By the way, I'm Izumi, and this is Migi," he said, raising his right hand to his eye level. "I just need to stay close to a specific place," he added.

The overweight man stood up happily, pointing at the parasite. "I'm Uda Mamoru; you can call him Parasite."

In a funny voice, the parasite agreed, "Yes, that's fine."

Maki arrived at the spot indicated by Izumi, close to where Izumi and Uda had just left. "Where did he go? Where did he disappear to?" she said as she searched around.

Izumi and Uda returned to the hospital, sitting next to one of the ambulances. Izumi recounted his entire story, from his first day with Migi to the moment a parasite killed his mother. Uda listened intently.

"That's terrible! So harsh! Is that why you've stayed close to the hospital all this time? It must be hard for you. I wouldn't be able to bear all of this," Uda said, affected, tears streaming down his face.

"True!" Izumi said, with a strange look before returning to his broader question. "How could someone who has experienced all this not shed as much tears as Uda? Could it be that I'm no longer pure as Tamiya once said? Where did I go wrong?" Izumi pondered aloud.

"Why is this young man crying so much? I don't understand humans," the parasite said as Uda wiped his tears.

"I feel the same way sometimes," Migi agreed, sharing the parasite's confusion about human emotions.

"Migi has a way with words, doesn't he?" Uda remarked.

"Yes, I think it's due to his curiosity and constant searching online," Izumi replied.

The parasite, annoyed, said, "I learned to speak like humans from watching TV. I love watching all kinds of movies—cinematic and documentary…"

Uda interrupted angrily, "Enough! Be quiet for a while!"

"Okay, okay," the parasite laughed loudly.

"Uda always cries during movies; he's very sensitive. Crying is something unique to humans, right, Migi?" the parasite added.

"I see you're enjoying yourself to the point of making your host a joke, aren't you?" Uda said angrily.

Everyone fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances.

It was time for Uda to leave. The young man stood up to bid farewell to his new friend, saying, "I work at a hotel in the nearby city. I'll call you as soon as that enemy of yours shows up." (Previously, when Izumi shared his story, he had shown Uda a picture of his mother from his phone.)

"Let us help you. I mean, you're the first person in the same situation I've met," Uda said, starting to cry.

"He really cries a lot, but he's a kind and wonderful person. I'm glad to know him," Izumi thought out loud.

"I'm really happy to have met you, Uda, and I'm grateful to have an ally like you. Thank you for your concern," Izumi said with a smile.

It was late, and Izumi was asleep in the room he had rented.

"Izumi, Izumi," came Migi's call.

Izumi woke up to Migi's voice, turned on the light, and said, "What do you want at this late hour?!"

"It doesn't matter what time it is; this is important. I thought about telling you during the day, but since Uda and his parasite spent so much time with us, I lost my chance," Migi said, leaning against the table.

"Remember what happened, Izumi," Migi added.

"What happened?" Izumi asked.

"Fool, I didn't say to repeat after me," Migi replied.

"You ran faster than an Olympic champion in the 100 meters; you jumped from your spot over a six-meter-high wall," Migi continued.

"What?" Izumi said, struggling to grasp what Migi was saying.

"Didn't you notice? Let me explain. First, about my special body..." Migi climbed onto the table and split into two halves, one half with a mouth and the other with Dobby-like eyes.