Well.. This is my first fanfic.. Surprised it's not a Naruto one but what can you do? This story was inspired by Alice: Madness Returns. I have not played the game yet so NO SPOILERS! I do not own Aku or Hana. Those are my two friends. You'll see who they are soon enough. *Wink* Ok! On with the show!

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I bolted up from my bed almost as fast as my own eyes opened. Looking around the room, there was nothing out of place.. The dresser was still the same burnt color it had always been, the floorboards were still chipped, the windows cracked.

Yeah. It was still the same crap hole it was before I fell asleep.

I rushed down the depressing hallways of Madam Tara's School for the troubled twenty minutes later than I should have. When I have nightmares, it's hard for me to fall asleep again so I end up sleeping in. But I must have used that excuse too many times because Madam Tara won't stop glaring at me when I enter her classroom.

The woman only has to worry about.. What? Twenty-two students? I mean, come on! If I'm supposedly "troubled" you think she'd understand! Right? Sure I'm not the perfect student but she runs a reform school! It's filled with kids that carry nothing but baggage. And I mean LOTS of baggage. I don't know all the stories of every student in this school, but even though it's filled with psychos, there's still gossip. But as far as stuff on our backs goes, my two best friends and I are made for each other.

First I met Hana. She was your average spoiled, stuck up, daddy's-little-girl, only child.. But when her mom died..

Daddy took it out on his little girl.

Long story short, this hell hole was called Sir Cross's School for the troubled… Before Hana came along, that is.

Next one we met was Aku. Her name means "evil" in Japanese.. I always love explaining why. It was her sixth birthday party. And Aku was the sweetest little thing, therefore all the parents came with there children.

One thing about Aku.. She has always had a thing for games. Did back then and still does today. She also has the competitive spirit to match. But she was just a liiiiittttllleee too set on winning that day, and she slaughtered ten of her friends that day in a game of hide and seek. They were stabbed, beaten, or drowned to their ends and Aku still cried out "I win!" with a big, proud smile.

But sadly for Aku, a six year old committing a homicide is frowned upon these days.

Then there's me.

I was eight when I was admitted here. I was smart, nice, cute, etc. I had parents who loved me and younger siblings that brought out the mean in me. It was my "friends" that made me..

Troubled.

To other people –Normal people- these friends "weren't there" but I saw and heard them as clearly as I saw or heard anyone else. I called them "shadows" mainly because of the shape they take. They always spoke in whispers which I always found soothing. All the other kids my age thought I was crazy so they kept there distance, which deeply worried my parents.

They took me to several therapists and even more doctors, but none of them were as concerned as my family. They classified it as an "imaginary friend" kind of thing. But as I started waking up at 3 am screaming because of a cat that tries to kill me, the doctors started paying attention.

I was still talking to the "shadows" at the time and that didn't help my parents' nerves. I had taken several medications and they had done nothing.

That bought me a one way ticket into Hell-On-Earth.

"Yumi!" Tara screeched as I opened the door to the classroom. "You are a whole half hour late to class! Do you have anything to say for yourself?" I sighed as she tapped her foot, impatiently.

"No, Madam." She rolled her eyes and strutted over to me. She handed me a note. "Cafeteria. After class."

"But-"

"Don't worry. You will be accompanied by Aku, Hana, and Luce." My two best friends smiled at me while Luce glared daggers. I grinned.

"Can't wait."