It was a cool December night in New York city. The wind was harsh, blowing away the warmth from buildings when doors were open to welcome customers. Somewhere farther east of the great city; a young girl and her mother were sitting in their home; the girl freezing , and her mother warm under a fleece blanket. The young girl was covered in cuts and bruises; all haunting gifts by her mother's hands. "M-mommy, might I be able t-to join you under the b-blanky?" The seven year old girl said barely above a whisper. The woman grew an angry face, and slapped the child. "How dare you consider that! How selfish of you to want your mother to be cold while you hog all the warmth!" The woman slapped the child again, making a cut grace the child's face because of her ring. "I-I'm sorry mommy." The little girl huddled in the corner; hugging her legs to her chest trying to gain warmth for her numb body. She fell into a harsh slumber of nightmares, awaiting the rude awakening she received from her mother every morning... Ever since her father left.
The next morning, the sun peeked out of the horizon to greet the many buildings and people of New York. As expected her mother woke the girl by smacking her hard, in the side with a wooden bat. It hurt much, but the little girl knew better than to cry out. If she did, she would receive much worse from her mother. She didn't understand what she had done. She loved her mother, but for some reason unbeknownst to her; her mother hated her. She always told her that it was her fault the her dad left. That SHE was the cause of her mom's suffering. "Get up you worthless piece of crap." The mom spat, kicking her daughter. The little girl of seven years rose; tears brimming her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall though, or she'd be punished for being weak. "Yes m-mom?" She said weakly. "Get the hell out of here, and get your ass to the grocery store!" She said in a bitter voice, throwing the money at the girl. "Okay!" The seven year old ran out of the small apartment building, and into the streets.
She didn't know why she kept going to get food; she never really got any to eat. When she did; it was barely any. She walked into the small store putting on a false smile. "Good morning Akayla." The clerk greeted her. He was in his thirties, and was engaged to her neighbor Ms. Kokosing. They were a nice couple. "Hi Benny!" She greeted. "Can I help you with anything?" He asked kneeling down to her level. "Yeah, my mommy wants some bread, milk, and eggs." She said with a cherry voice. "Okay." He helped her get what she needed, and rung her up.
"Your birthdays coming up, isn't it?" He asked giving her the change. "Yeah... But I don't think mommy is going to get me anything... I don't think she loves me" She said with a solemn face. Benett put his hands on her shoulders, and made her look at him. "What do you mean? She's your mom of course she loves you!" "Does hitting someone everyday mean I love you?" She wasn't being sarcastic, she really didn't know. That's all she had known. "No... Akayla, why did you ask me that?" He was confused. If she had been being beaten, wouldn't he have heard her screaming? Akayla, who had been wearing a long sleeve shirt, rolled up her sleeves to show the confused man. His mouth hung open when he laid eyes on her arms. They were almost completely purple there were so many bruises. Looking at her face again, he saw cuts, including the one she'd received last night. "How long has this been going on?" He said pulling her sleeves back down. "Since daddy left." Benett looked at her in shock. That was a little over two years ago! "I'll make sure she doesn't hurt you anymore." He said picking up the girl. While he was carrying her, he realized she was lighter then a girl her age should be. He hugged the girl closer to him, he wouldn't let her be abused any more.
He owned the shop so he could leave as he pleased. He walked out the doors straight to his home, with Akayla in his arms. 'How dare Maribelle lay a single hand on Akayla!' he thought as he walked through the icy streets. She was like a daughter to him. Before Derek, her father, had left he would always watch her while her mom and dad went out.
Arriving at the building, he brought Akayla to her apartment, promising he'd get her out as soon as possible. Akayla sheepishly walk into her house, quietly shutting the door behind her.
"H-hi mom..." She said handing over the groceries. Her mom slapped her saying, "you're late!" Akayla slowly walked over, and sat down on the couch. Her mother wasn't done with her assault yet though. She came over and hit Akayla repeatedly, covering her in bruises. When the girl began bleeding, her mother roughly picked her up by her shoulder-length hair, and flung her out the door, and over the railing. They lived on the second floor of the apartment building, so she landed roughly.
Akayla laid there as pain overwhelmed her frail body. She was sore from the beating, and her ankle had twisted to an angle that shouldn't have been possible when she was thrown out the door. She weakly dragged herself over to the tree her dad had planted the day she was born, and slouched against it. Her breathing was ragged, and vision was becoming blurry. 'Why did daddy leave...' she thought weakly. For some reason when she thought of her father, her left arm felt better. She weakly rolled up her sleeve to reveal a cherry blossom branch covered in blooms, and three pink pedals falling down her forearm. 'Huh?' when she closed her eyes, it felt like someone was holding her. Then she heard a soft voice, speak to her in her mind. "Akayla, you're a very special child. You've always loved plants, and helping others even though you have not been in caring arms since your dad left. Because of your heart, and will, I give you the gift of healing. Through this marking of the cherry blossom, you can raise dead plants, and heal others' wounds. Use it wisely child, for with power comes responsibility." The voice faded, and Akayla looked up at the tree she had grown up with. She touched her right arm and face, and instantly the cuts were healed, though the bruises remained. She stood up, went back up the steps, and sat in front of the door, pulling her knees to her chest.
Hours later, a man in a suit came and knocked on the door. While he was waiting, for the first time he had noticed Akayla sitting by the door. He knelt down to the girl, and touched her shoulder. She jerked her head up at his touch, fearing it was her mother, but found it was just a young man who looked to be in his late thirties. "W-who are you?" She stuttered. "My names Phil, and I'm going to get you away from here." He said softly. He got up and knocked again. A woman called from inside, "Brat! Get the hell away from the door!" She kicked the door. "Mam, this is child services. We got a call about abuse, and I'm here to investigate." The door instantly opened, and the woman made a fake smile. "I'm sorry. Please come in." He scowled at her, and walked in.
It was a nice apartment. There was a couch, a large tv, and all that. "May I see the child's room?" He questioned. "She doesn't have one. She sleeps on the... Erm... Couch." She lied. Phil looked down to the girl standing by him and she shook her head, indicating her mother was lying. "You know you can be arrested for lying to me." He said sternly. She told the truth, saying that her daughter slept on the floor, without any blankets. "That's all I need to see. I find you are guilty of child abuse, and fir having unfit living arrangements for her. For these reasons, I am your daughter away from you." Phil picked up Akayla, and walked out the door. "You will have to pay a hundred dollars a month to help your daughter through her expenses." With that, he closed the door, and left.
Akayla peered out the window from the car she was riding in. She was finally free of her mother's torture. She couldn't help but wonder where she was going, and if she would be treated the same as she was at her home. She didn't need to go to some orphanage; all she needed was a hero. Before her dad left, he'd always tell her stories of princesses and even normal girls being rescued by their heroes. That's what she wanted. To be taken far away from those who hurt her, and to be with someone who loved her for her, and wouldn't judge her for being different. She may only be seven, but she knew what the people of New York were like, and that no matter what she would get judged.
Akayla closed her eyes and thought of what it would be like to be loved. Would it cause joy, or pain? Would she be free, or a prisoner? Would it be true, or a lie? She had so many questions that would probably never be answered, but she continued her thoughts. They were cut short though, because the man she knew as Phil, stopped the car, and said they were here.
Unbuckling herself, she opened the door, and stepped out of the car. The building she saw was huge, but it seemed gloomy. It was a deep gray, and had large black gates surrounding the entire thing. No children were laughing, in fact, there weren't any other kids in sight. She gulped before she began walking towards the strange building. She was scared of being beaten... Or worse.
They entered the building, and walked through the endless corridors. When they finally stopped, it was in front of a large black door that said :
Just the name was enough to make Akayla feel unsafe. Phil opened the door, and ushered her in unaware of her fear. "What do you want?" The woman said bitterly. She looked to be fifty-seven. Her hair was gray, and she was wearing way too much make-up. Her eyes were cold, and held no sympathy for anything. Akayla cringed at her look. She knew she was going to be miserable here..."This is Akayla, and she needs a home. Do you have any open rooms?" Phil asked, completely clueless. "Why yes we do..." Mrs. Blackheart said with a wicked smile. "Good. Goodbye." Phil said. He left, leaving Akayla and the old hag to settle things. "Alright, get to your room!" She yelled when she saw Phil exit the building. threw a card at Akayla with her dorm number on it, and slammed the door behind her.
Akayla slowly walked down the halls. They were filled with cameras and doors. Finally arriving at her own, she opened the door. There were four beds, and all but one had a child her age, weeping on it. They all looked up immediately when Akayla entered, fearing it was . "Oh, it's the new girl." One of them said. She had blonde hair that came down to her shoulders, and glasses. She was the first to get up and introduce herself to Akayla. "My names Anibelle, what's your name?" She asked. "I-I'm Akayla..."Akayla said looking down. Anibelle put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll get used to it here eventually. This is Emma and Emily. They're twins." Anibelle said gesturing to the other two girls. "Hi..." Akayla said quietly. She walked over to the bed she assumed was hers and laid down. All she really wanted to do right now was sleep. She was emotionally drained, and just wanted to hopefully fall into a peaceful slumber. She was about to when a tall red-haired woman slammed the door open, and dragged all four girls out by their wrists.
"I can't do it!" Akayla cried as she was forced to pull a heavy load of cement up a hill where they were to be building a giant monument. A man slapped her yelling, "Do as you're told!" Akayla pulled at the load again, only to fall to the ground. Once again she was slapped for not following orders. She got up, and trudged on, hoping that the suffering would soon end.
Hours later the four girls were brought back to their room, weak and exhausted. Akayla slowly crawled to her bed, and climbed up. Not ten seconds later of collapsing on the bed, she succumbed to fatigue.
The next morning, Akayla awoke to the shrill sound of an alarm. She immediately got up, and ran to the cafeteria knowing it meant breakfast. She was half way there when she noticed one of the windows were open. Looking out, she saw the park and all the buildings. Not thinking of the possibility of cameras, and only of getting out, she started to climb out the window. She landed on the ground, and began running for the exit. She heard the sirens that told everyone someone had escaped, but she kept running. That is, until something sharp pierced her skin. Her vision began to haze over, until everything went black.
When she woke up, she was on a hard metal floor that was surrounded by metal walls. All of a sudden, a woman's voice rang out from a loud speaker attached to the wall. "Welcome, Akayla, to 'the box'. This room is specially made for brats like you who try to escape. In this room, you will be questioned daily. The less you know, the more you will suffer. If you answer incorrectly or lie, you will be shocked. If you refuse to answer you will be shocked. If you pass out, you will be shocked. Now, let us begin." Akayla was continuously questioned, getting shocked nearly every time. This went on everyday for four months.
When those four months were up, Akayla was barely able to move. She had received little food and water, and was shocked everyday, all day. Actually she was only being set free now because a rich man was coming to the orphanage to get a daughter. She had to be escorted there since she could not walk up steps by herself. The man would have no idea she was abused for four months in a metal cage because they had already cleaned her up. She was put into a room with ten other girls as the man checked each one to find which one he wanted. When he came to her, he took her by the arm, and walked over to . "I'd like to take her home." He proclaimed. Though she was shocked, let her go.
When they arrived at the house it was night time. The man lived quite far from the orphanage as Akayla had found out. When he invited her inside, she said she wanted to sit on the porch for a bit and think. He left her without question, and as soon as the door closed behind him, Akayla took off into the streets.
She walked for hours before collapsing next to a building. She leaned against it, waiting for the blackness she knew was soon to come. That's when she heard it, a car door. Soon after a big hand placed itself on her shoulder. "What do we have here?" Said a male voice. She was then lift into the air, and towards the car. "AAAAAAAH! Help!" She screamed. She began kicking her legs, screaming, doing everything she could think of to get out of his grasp. "Shut up!" the man said, punching her in the face. She was now to tired and weak to fight back, and waited to be shoved into the car. Barely conscious, Akayla heard the other two men scream, and then everything went silent. Thats when she fell out of the man's arms, and into a stronger pair as she heard the man scream. "H-huh?..." She murmured looking up. When all she saw was warm blue eyes filled with concern, she let the darkness consume her, feeling safe for once in two and half years.
When she opened her eyes again, she was on a couch, with a damp cloth on her forehead. Looking around, she saw she was in someones home, but didn't see anyone. She decided to get up and look around.
The first door she came to, she heard someone inside, and slightly cracked the door open. She heard a voice cry out as if in pain, and then another older voice call, "Enough Raphael!" She leaned against the door until she felt it opening more. She lost her balance and fell inside of the room, and immediately unfamiliar eyes fell upon her. She would have hid, but decided against it. Staring at her was an older looking rat who was somewhat smiling, and a turtle that looked to be in his teens looking menacingly at her. She probably would have ran if it wasn't for seeing another turtle, but he was younger, and lying on the floor clutching his arm. Worry taking over her and pushing the fear aside, she ignored the two others, and walked over to him. Akayla knelt down next to him and offered a hand to him to help him stand up. He stared at her for a moment. For the first time she noticed how beautiful his eyes were. They were a bright golden hue, and were wide with shock and fear. Her eyes traveled down to his arm that was obviously injured. Akayla placed her hand on the hand that was covering the wound and slowly lifted it off the wound. It was bleeding profusely, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the rat and older turtle watching her in amazement. She gently put her left hand over it, and it glowed bright pink until the gash completely disappeared. She removed her hand and smiled at him. The young turtle sat up, staring wide eyed at his arm. That was when the rat game over to them. Akayla stood up in slight fear of what he might do, and backed away. "Do not be afraid child. We mean you no harm." He said reassuringly. "I am Splinter, and this is my son Raphael and Zaiden." He gestured to both of them.
Akayla's fear dissipated and she slightly smiled. "I-I'm Akayla Sakuraya." She said. He smiled at her. "Your last name means cherry blossom, does it not?" He asked her. She nodded. "It's nice to meet a human that has no fear of us... Come Raphael, I think you need a lesson in knowing when enough is enough." With a wave goodbye, he left Akayla in the dojo, alone with Zaiden. She turned to him and helped him stand up. "How's your arm?" She asked "Fine..." He said not looking her in the eyes. Her eyes once again filled with concern for the turtle. "Are you okay?" She asked. He looked her in the eye, and left the dojo. Akayla didn't know why he looked so broken, and sad, but she was determined to find out.