Katelina gathered her clothes and followed Etsuko to what looked more like a closet than a laundry room. Inside was a washing machine whose symbol covered buttons left Katelina scratching her head. Despite her good intentions, it was Etsuko who started the load, and assured her that when it finished she'd dry them and start the next. Since there was no dryer, Katelina wasn't even sure how she planned to do that, so she surrendered.

The evening passed in a blur of weirdness. ...