The chapter opens with a conversation between the protagonist and his father. The protagonist tells his father that he has come to Japan to visit his mother, who has recently died. He explains that he is a turtle creature, which is a type of turtle that lives in the wilds of Japan. He says that young people in the country like him, who have strange powers, want to control him. His mother knew something about this, and so does the protagonist. The father tells the protagonist that he lost his wife, and that he needs time to recover. He asks the protagonist what he can do to help, and the protagonist says that he remembers bits and pieces of his past few weeks, but that most of it is a blur. He wants to help the family, but he doesn't know what to do. He tells the father that the family needs to stay together in a place where they can get their heads back together.