The first thing that I can clearly recall is a never ending meadow. There were sweet smelling flowers, trees here and there, and grass whose color soothed my pounding heart. I couldn't remember how I had gotten there, nor who I was. There was a black scarf that hung around my neck. It had a nice, comforting smell to it. That one smell kept me from freaking out. It was like an embrace of love and safety. There was just one thing in my blank mind; it was the echoing words of a forgotten friend, I assume. The voice told me to not worry, to trust the magic that coursed through my body. What magic? I couldn't recall, but I knew how to use it.

I imagined and there was. A small bunny hopped away from me. I knew what that was, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember who I was. My body was weak at the time and soon, the little energy I had left disappeared with the white hopping animal. I collapsed back to the ground. My eyes stared up at the never ending blue sky. There were clouds aimlessly floating there, as if without a care in the world.

But then, they came. I had been content to just lay there, without a care in the world, but these people came and took me away from my little natural haven. They "nursed" me back to health, only to ask me to do things for them that were preposterous. Even with my empty mind, I knew that what they asked was bad.

They wouldn't take no for an answer. My already weak body was beaten and chained, until I gave the horrible people what they wanted. The magic that I wielded allowed me to create anything, within reason. It took a large toll on my tiny, young body. I was always spent after summoning only a few things. But those things were monstrous. I couldn't fight back, I just gave them what they wanted.

Time always was a concept that eluded me, even after the year I spent in that dark cellar. There was one kind woman in that fray of evil doers. She said she was a slave, much like me. Her name was Yori, it was given to her by the people here. They had forbidden her from being called her own name, which she had told me was Riko Fernandes. Ms. Yori was kind enough to name me, since the others just used me for what I could do. She called me "Suzume" claiming that one day I would escape from here and fly free like a sparrow. I kept that hope in my heart, every time the bad people came to take us away.

Ms. Yori always wore a smile on her face, despite the horrors we were forced to live in. Her hair was a blue color, and even though it was dirty where we were, she always took the time to make it look nice. She had told me that a woman's hair was her pride, after all. Yori even helped me make my black hair look nice. She would put it up in a different styles for me, when we were just sitting in the cell. While she did this, she would teach me a lot of things about the outside world. She told me of her home country and of reading and writing. It took a while, but she taught me well. We could only have those special lessons when the bad people weren't around. They didn't want me to get any foolish ideas. Even so, we continued those little times. I always enjoyed those days. It made what came bearable.

At one point, Ms. Yori told me that I reminded her of her lost son, he was a good boy who always tried his hardest. She told me that he had died when her village was attacked by the Dark Guild where we were being held as slaves. Ms. Yori cried, it was the only time I had seen her do so. I hugged her and told her that one day, she would see him again. However, what I didn't know was that the said day would come soon than expected.

It started off as normal. Ms. Yori and I were awoken (Rudely) by the bad people. Ms. Yori was taken away to do her work. She never came back. I was barely six at the time, so young. And, I didn't have a clue then that she had died, but the realization eventually hit me like a slap to the face. I refused to move for days when what had happened finally set in. The bad people said she had tried to run. I tried to hate her for leaving me behind, but I couldn't bring myself to do something like that to the only person, who I could recall, that ever showed me kindness. I always kept the hope Ms. Yori -no- Ms. Riko gave me in my heart. So whenever the bad people came to take me, I'd smile. Someday, I'd be free and be with Ms. Riko, and her son too.

The day everything changed started like any other day. I was taken by the bad people to the dark room. They took my clothes, everything but the scarf, which I clung to with a ferocity that scared them. My scarf covered that which wasn't meant to be seen by the world. The bad people told me clothes would get in the way of proper use of my magic. I knew it was a lie, that they were just sick people, very sick, but I couldn't do anything to stop them. That day they wanted something truly monstrous: a death dragon.

I refused. To bring something like that into the world would not only mean total destruction, but something within me told me that the dragon's were gone and meant to stay gone.

The bad people didn't hold back in my punishment. They were quick to put those cuffs around my wrists and pull me into the air. My feet couldn't even touch the ground. There was no end to the lashes that cut against my back, nor the pain that I could barely even feel anymore. My vision had eventually began to fade, but still I smiled. I smiled for I could hear the voice of Ms. Riko calling to me. When sight left me completely, I could only hear a commotion that went on. But that too began to grow faint.

Someone brought me down. I could feel warm arms holding me and their smell was different from anyone else in the bad place. I couldn't quite understand who it was. Even so, I let myself be lulled to sleep by their warmth. The darkness that engulfed all of my senses was welcomed.

There was a voice in my endless world of shadows. They told me to hold on, to not give up hope. How? I tiredly asked. All I want to do is sleep forever. Hold on for him. That him was the one thing that I could remember. A boy, about my age, with black hair and red eyes. He smiled to me and pat my head. There was nothing else I could recall. He and Ms. Riko were the only reasons I held on for so long. But I believed my time was up.