I looked up into the dark gray sky, the rain hitting my face sliding down the sides, but some of those came from my eyes. I, Kiri, was losing faith in the world.
About eight years ago, when I was eight, my mother passed away from a heart attack during church. This was "normal" in her side of the family her brother said except for the 'in church' part I hoped. So my father and sister were taking care of me. Aeris and I are about a year apart in age, so she didn't really take care of me, my dad was really, but she helped when she could. Though, my life soon began to fall apart.
My father was an alcoholic and had trouble controlling what his actions were. He was always so angry, since his wife passed away. Then one night he came home, as drunk as ever, and soon began beating me for entertainment I suppose, but I was only trying to help him. As they shattered on me, I tried to run but I didn't make it. I slipped on a glass piece, which cut into my foot, and fell onto ten more. I shrieked as they dug into my skin. I struggled to get up, but I couldn't, it was a death trap. Aeris came scampering down the stairs to see me on the floor with glass shards everywhere and a man laughing hysterically. She jumped over the banister and pulled me onto my bloody feet.
"Go, get away from him, I'll get some help!" she yelled over our father's laughter.
Aeris soon ran into the kitchen and grabbed the phone. I turned and looked at my father and then began to feel so miserable. I ran away from him, from my life. Tears built into my eyes, but I kept running, and ran through backdoor.
I stumbled into some mud because of a nail sticking out of our molding wood stairs. My face, hands, and my favorite purple shirt had mud soaked through it. I turned around and looked back at the back door that was slightly open. The moon made the door glow and made me realize how ripped up it was. But the noise from inside was even worse than looking at the shredded door, much worse.
I shivered through the cold night air, and trembled through the woods. A sharp sting came to my arm. I had gotten it hooked on a tree branch, which had scraped my arm as I had pulled my arm off. I pulled my hand away, to dry my tears, but only smeared blood onto my face. I had locket held in my none-bloody palm, it was a gift from my mother before she passed away. A flash of memories came across me, I felt so miserable for doing this, I had been missing for a month. I bet they aren't even looking for me. And then I ran, running away from everything.
Gazing forward, I saw a concrete slab ahead. Stumbling across the woodland floor, I ended up getting caught by another tree branch on my shirt. I pulled with everything, but only ended up shredding my shirt and my skin ripping against my shoulder blade. I tried to ignore the pain, but it was just stinging and throbbing so much that I couldn't ignore it. I finally stumbled onto the sidewalk, and as I did so, it began to rain.
I leaned against the rusty gate and then slid down in a sitting position with my knees close to my face. It was crowded and it made me nervous, since I had been in the wilderness for a month with out talking to a single soul. I put my bloody palms to my face and began to cry. I looked up, to watch people go by through all of my tears. Then, I saw a familiar face. Her longs bangs were gone into droopy pigtails, the rest of her hair was neatly brushed which was terra cotta. Her hair was as long as her arms. She wore a green dress that fluffed out at the end. It was short, right above her knees. She had neatly done blue ribbons on her arms. She looked like an angel.
"Aeris!" I cried as I got to my knees.
Her head turned, but was blocked by the crowds of people who went by. I shot up and began to push my way through the people.
"Aeris!" I called again pushing through people and trying to see over them.
But she was nowhere to be found, so I fell to my knees on the curb.
" Aeris…" I whispered, " I wish you were here. And knew where I am."
Then I began to cry my heart out, rubbing my eyes with blood stained hands. I felt someone touch my shoulder, it was warm, but it burned as it touched my scar. I flinched and then looked up to see a young man's face. He smiled softly; it was nice to see a friendly face. I began to get up, but then world went dizzy and my stomached felt uneasy. Then my world went black, though it was nice to know I was safe.
I woke up with a sharp sting in her shoulder. I was lying in a bed, but not in a hospital, a bed that someone has in his or her room. I found my hands were cleaned and my wounds bandaged. But I was still wearing my ripped up clothes. I tried to move, but a sharp pain shot up through my body. Then I heard voices:
"So, what do we do with her?"
" We can get her back on her feet, and then let her choose where she wants to live."
" You make her sound like an animal."
" I'm tryin' not too"
" Anyways, sounds reasonable enough, I'll go check on her."
I was nervous and afraid and so I pretended to be asleep. I heard footsteps enter the room. Then they stopped, and I felt his warm hand grab my wounded arm. It stung so bad, that I couldn't take it.
" Stop!" I finally cried.
He immediately let go and fell back. I pulled my arm to my chest.
" That hurts…" I mumbled. " Why did you take me here?"
" Um… I'm not totally sure, something told me to," he said uncertainly.
" Where's my locket?" I grimaced.
" Wha-?" he was cutoff.
" My locket! It was a sliver heart! And it was in my hand, what'd you do with it? I need it my mother gave to me before she died! That's the only thing that I have to remind me of her! I need it, or I might forget her and she'll fade away like a lost memory!" I cried angrily at him.
Before he could answer another man entered the room, holding my silver locket in his right hand. I stared quietly at the locket, it had been polished, and my mother's pictured had been fitted into it. He walked over to me and pressed it in my hand.
" Thank you." I whispered to him.
" Your welcome," he whispered to back.
I quietly stared at my locket, I missed her so much, I almost started crying again, but I was interrupted.
"So, what's your name? I'm Leon and that's Brad," the man that handed me my locket said as he pointed his thumb at the still-in-shock man.
" I'm…uh, Kiri," I said nervously.
" That suc-" Brad was elbowed in the side by Leon, "Super."
I glared at Brad, I knew exactly what he was going to say: sucks. I hate people when they ask where I got my name. Everyone who's met me has at least asked once even my best friend. I always said that I don't know, because too many persons asked me. But honestly, it was my mother's middle name and I liked it, but I don't know where her mother got Kiri. Though I think it's some Japanese name or some other foreign culture.
There was a long awkward silence between the three of us. No one had something to say, we were all to busy thinking about something to realize the silence. But I decided to break it.
"Did you hear about my dad? He was a drunk insane man about a… a… um, uh, a month ago?" I asked interrupting their thoughts.
They thought for a few a moments.
" Yea, I think I remember, he was arrested for child abuse, which I take was you, and driving home a block away for being drunk. He was a creepy guy… was he really your father?" Leon said.
"Yea… I was afraid of him, he was always so mad at me and my sis," I said with disappointment.
" Oh, I see…" he trailed away.
There was another long silence.
" Do you know what happened to my sis? I want to know where to find her, please I need to know, I need to talk to her about something…" I said as my voice faded.
" Um, I think she was taken to an orphanage, but was soon adopted," Brad said.
" She belongs to the Finch family," Leon said.
"Really, do you know where they live?" I asked.
" No, but we could look 'em up in the phone book," he quickly said.
All of the sudden there was knocking on the door. Brad looked up at the empty doorway and then looked at Leon. Then Leon hinted for him to get it. The knocking began again, but louder. Brad hurried for the door. We waited quietly staring at the doorway, looking into the empty hallway with many doors. There were voices.
" Hello," an unfamiliar voice said.
" Hi," Brad said uncertainly.
" I believe that you have taken in a child from the streets, correct?" the voice said steadily.
" Um… uh," Brad stuttered.
" Yes or no?" the voice said unsteadily.
" Yea… so what? What are you going to do?" he stumbled through his words.
" You were suppose to take her to an orphanage, not your home," the voice sounded firm.
" We can take her wherever we want… and how do you know that we have her?" he shot back.
" Some one told me who did see you, now where is she?" the voice said a little more annoyed.
I quickly looked at Leon worriedly. I don't know who they are or where they are going to take me. I didn't trust that voice at all. Leon and Brad I trusted well, but I couldn't hide, I am incapable of doing so.
" Do something Leon," I whispered worriedly.
He looked nervous. There were footsteps on the tile, getting closer to the room. He fidgeted around and then got up and swooped me out of the bed. He opened the closet door and stuffed me in between the clothes on hangers. My knees were shaking and the sharp pain was shooting through my body.
" She's in here," Brad's voice said.
There was a silence.
" There isn't anyone in here, do you have her or not?" the voice from earlier stammered.
There was another silence.
" Uh, yeah, we were tricking you, cause if I'd said that I didn't you'd probably would be suspicious, am I right?" he seem relieved.
" Uh huh… I better go…" the voice said as I heard footsteps leave the room.
My knees collapsed soon after she left the room, and I fell to the ground leaving a loud thump. My world was dizzy and was spinning into a black pit. The last I heard was: "Kiri…I'll make sure you're all right…"
