"Honey, I'm HOOOOOOOOOOME~!"

...

Silence.

"Aaaaaaand I'm home alone again."

With a sigh, Rinslet Parker kicked off her black converses and headed upstairs to her room, pulling her long dark red hair out of its ponytail as she did so.

Slamming the door shut, she dropped her bag by the door and went straight to her bed, turning on her laptop. She pulled the headphones out of their socket and the music that had been playing on her phone filled the silent room.

The laptop beeped once and she quickly typed in the password.

Clicking onto the internet, Rinslet's Facebook popped up automatically, letting her know that she had 2 new notifications, one from her crush and long time friend Marc, two from her best friend Eve.

Eve Walker and Marc Pierce liked your status.

Eve Walker posted on your wall.

Rinslet clicked on the notification from Marc and Eve, seeing that they liked the status she wrote last night; "Don't wanna be here."

Ah, yes.

You see, Rinslet doesn't live in the same town as her two best friends. While they both live in a coastal town down South, she lives in a big city further East.

She clicked on her profile to see what Eve wrote.

Eve Walker

Miss you! :( :( /3 xxxxxxxxxxx Get your ass back down here! xx

Rinslet sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. She liked it and wrote underneath:

Trust Me. You'll see me soon enough. ;) As if I'd stay with this lot. x

She heard the door slam and heavy feet pounding up the stairs.

"Rinslet! Turn that damn shit down! You can hear it from down the street."

She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I can't hear you! Music's too LOUD!" she started singing loudly to the song, which, ironically, was "Gives you hell" by the All-American Rejects.

A fist slammed against the door.

"If it isn't turned down in the next three seconds, I'll come in there and turn it down myself!"

Rinslet turned it off and went to open her door. Poking her head out, she spotted a bulky middle-aged man with a beer belly, raven hair precariously dyed and combed to hide his grey hairs and bald spot, and scratchy stubble; he was red in the face.

"Ah! Why din't ya just say so Jerk? I mean, Dirk." she smiled sweetly. Without waiting for a reply, she slammed the door in his face again, making sure to lock it this time.

She heard him go downstairs, probably to grab a beer and a sandwhich, only to head out again.

Before he left, Dirk shouted, "Your mom and I will be out late tonight!" Rinslet tensed in fury.

"She ain't my MOM!" she yelled. "You ain't my parents, ya ain't anythin' to me!"

Rinslet Parker had no parents.

She was a foster kid.

Dirk and Julia Williams were her sixth set of foster parents. She'd been in care homes since she was 4, found wrapped in a blanket with a small bag containing some food and info about herself, no memory of her parents other than one picture of her parents as young adults: a red-haired man with a scarred eye, stubble and a straw hat wrapping one arm around a young woman with long, wavy black hair and unusual fushia-coloured eyes. Both were wearing what seemed to be basic and slightly traditional clothing.

She didn't know their names.

The only other thing she had was her necklace.

It arrived at the Sunny Acres Orphanage 6 years ago, when she was 12.

~FLASHBACK~

A small package wrapped in brown paper dropped onto the floor amongst other mail. Sue, the Head Careworker, was walking towards it as a flash of brown sped past her, skidding on her knees to the mail. By the time Sue reached them the girl had stood up with the mail in one hand and the parcel in the other.

"There's something for Rinny here." the girl, known as Claire, exclaimed. Her short, tomboyish hair swished as she sped off to find 'Rinny'.

Rinslet was sitting high up in the home's oak tree, right at the back of the garden, hidden by many trees. It was where she went to think, when ever she wants to be alone.

"Rinny!"

"Go away Claire." Rinslet sighed, rubbing her temples.

"You got a package in the mail!"

"What the hell?" Rinslet shouted, shocked. She started climbing down slowly.

"Sue said you're not supposed to swear."

"Ain't swearin'."

"Your accent's funny."

"So I've been told. By you. Often."

"D'you want it or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a'comin'. Don't get your panties in a twist."

"They're not twisted! They're pink!"

"That makes the world of difference, Claire." she rolled her eyes and jumped the last three metres down, landing directly in front of Claire. Said girl squeaked. Rinslet ruffled the 8-year-old's hair and took the parcel.

Ripping the paper up, she sat down against the tree and inspected the little felt bag. She felt Claire drop down beside her.

Ignoring the letter attatched and undoing the string that kept the bag closed, the felt material revealed a beautiful dragon necklace.

Its wing were outstretched, the head pointed low to the side, looking up at them with its left eye. It had no legs or arms, and the body curled into a long, scaley tail. It was the size of her palm, made of old-looking bronze. It was on a black leather string.

Rinslet held it up against the sun.

"Neat."

"Who sent it?"

"No idea." She grabbed the letter. Openening it, there was a whole page. "Sheesh, essay much?"

Dearest Rinslet,

my deepest apologies that I couldn't have contacted you earlier than this. Your parents had strictly forbidden it.

"I-it's someone who knows my parents!"

"O-oh my g-god!"

"Claire, I-i'm sorry...I think I need to read this alone."

"Oh." Claire looked up at me. She smiled and gave her a hug. "Come and play later?"

"Sure."

Claire ran off. Rinslet secured the necklace and bag in the pocket of her jeans and the rubbish in the other. She bit onto the letters and climbed up the tree again to her spot, a wide bare branch quite high above. She started reading again.

My name is Makino Ren Isa. Your mother was my older sister, making me your aunt. I'm giving you this necklace in the hopes of keeping you safe. Please, ALWAYS keep this on you.

I don't know if you'll believe me, but the necklace has been charmed to protect you in certain-death experiences, be it a shield or simply removing you from the situation. When the time comes, it will lead you to your true nakama.

Also, should you find yourself in need of help, look for this boy( the boy in the picture).

I hope to see you some day.

マキノ Makino

Attached to the letter was a small picture of a young boy with black hair in a shirt that had an anchor on it and a bandage under his left eye.