Teiji and Sachi’s Past

The Earthquake Bird

This flow follows the fragments Lucy infers about Teiji and Sachi, emphasizing how a former lover becomes a presence shaped by photographs and conjecture.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Actress on Stage The Actress on Stage from "The Earthquake Bird". The Actress on Stage A Photograph From the Theater Lucy finds a photograph of Sachi in a military costume, performing alone on a small stage.

The Actress on Stage from "The Earthquake Bird". The Actress on Stage A Photograph From the Theater Lucy finds a photograph of Sachi in a military costume, performing alone on a small stage.

The Actress on Stage A Photograph From the Theater Lucy finds a photograph of Sachi in a military costume, performing alone on a small stage. She knows only that Teiji took the picture and that Sachi once mattered to him. A Story Begins Because Teiji has not explained the image, Lucy invents a possible history of how he encountered the struggling actress. The imagined account reveals as much about Lucy’s hunger to know him as it does about Sachi.

A Declining Image A Declining Image from "The Earthquake Bird". A Declining Image Repeated Scenes Lucy follows Sachi through photographs of theaters, parties, and private rooms.

A Declining Image from "The Earthquake Bird". A Declining Image Repeated Scenes Lucy follows Sachi through photographs of theaters, parties, and private rooms.

A Declining Image Repeated Scenes Lucy follows Sachi through photographs of theaters, parties, and private rooms. Across the images, Sachi appears increasingly tired, isolated, and unwell. The Final Photograph The last image Lucy sees shows Sachi lying on pavement. Lucy cannot determine whether she is drunk, asleep, or dead, and Teiji refuses to provide a fuller account.

A Haunting by Proxy A Haunting by Proxy from "The Earthquake Bird". A Haunting by Proxy Sachi’s Place in the Past Lucy fears that her own photographs may one day be pushed aside as Sachi’s were.

A Haunting by Proxy from "The Earthquake Bird". A Haunting by Proxy Sachi’s Place in the Past Lucy fears that her own photographs may one day be pushed aside as Sachi’s were.

A Haunting by Proxy Sachi’s Place in the Past Lucy fears that her own photographs may one day be pushed aside as Sachi’s were. The earlier lover becomes a model for Lucy’s fear of being forgotten. Unresolved Fate Even after Teiji disappears, Lucy wonders what happened to Sachi. Since the photographs offer images but not testimony, Sachi remains an unresolved presence rather than a fully known person.

Before Teiji meets Lucy Fly

As Lucy examines the middle of Teiji’s photograph box

After Lucy discovers Teiji’s affair with Lily