Hitomi Kanzaki sat on the sidelines as the tryouts for the track team began; Yukari was yelling out instructions, scaring the first years to death by her loud persistent voice. Yukari had been Hitomi's friend for years, and they shared everything together, even the same crush. But Hitomi had let Amano go, and Yukari had been in a long-distance relationship with him for a couple of years now. Hitomi had thought no one would ever replace Van in her life, but there was someone now, someone very special to her. His name was Chi Wakayama, and he had asked her out two years ago, a few months after she'd gotten back from her trip to Gaea.
Apparently he'd harboured a secret crush on her since he had first met her at the entrance ceremony, and when he'd confessed his feelings, she had hesitantly accepted. As the weeks went on, her love for him blossomed and grew, while the love she had once felt for Van began to dwindle. After a while her connection with him disappeared entirely, and all she could think about was Chi.
Presently, Hitomi gasped as hands encircled her waist from behind and she looked up to see her Chi smiling down at her, his eyes soft and warm.
"Hi," he said as he sat down beside her, his hands still around her.
"Hi," she said, blushing and leaning against him. It was rather cold for that time of year, and there was a cold breeze blowing. The couple sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the young athletes warming up around the field and listening to Yukari bellowing reprimands and insults.
"Hey," Chi suddenly said, tensing. "Who's that?"
"Who?" Hitomi asked, looking around. Her eyes immediately fell on the tall girl gliding their way, her face concealed by a mask of jet-black hair. She was skinny, too skinny for someone her age, and she was wearing a singlet. Hitomi thought she was mad and it was proven when she accidentally tripped over Yukari, who had been on her way to yell at a group of slackers.
"Watch it!" Yukari shouted down at the girl, who lay on the grass unmoving. Yukari bent over her and then grabbed her wrist, hoisting her up. "You all right?" she asked and the girl nodded once. "Are you here for the tryouts?" A shake of her head sent her long dark plait jumping against her back. "Then why are you here?"
The girl just stood there, and Yukari frowned up at her, then scowled and walked away shaking her head. Deciding to involve herself, Hitomi stood up out of her boyfriend's warm embrace and wandered over. Smiling, she greeted the odd girl.
"Hello," she said politely, and bowed. "Are you here for the track tryouts?"
The girl shook her head once more, and tilted her head to the side.
"Did you come to see someone?"
Again she shook her head, and then turned her head to the side. Hitomi saw three piercings in her ear, all of them silver studs, and smiled faintly.
"Don't you like talking?" she asked, and the girl turned her head back to the front. "Did something happen?" Hitomi's Seer powers were coming into affect. "Are you a mute?"
The girl turned her head to the other side, and the Seer saw four piercings, these ones with silver sleepers. "I talk," the girl said, her voice soft and cold.
"Well, that's good," Hitomi said, grinning. "It would have been hard to talk to you if you were a mute. I'm Hitomi, by the way. Hitomi Kanzaki."
The girl went rigid, and she slowly replied, "Senna Fujitano."
"It's nice to meet you."
- - -
Senna was standing in the empty hallway leaning against the wall, when suddenly she heard footsteps approaching; immediately, she tensed, and reached for her bag but stopped when she recognised the voice of Hitomi greeting her.
"Good morning, Senna," the senior said, coming towards her slowly. Senna nodded her head in greeting as Hitomi took the spot on the wall beside her and smiled at her; unfortunately, Senna didn't look at her to notice it. "Why are you here all alone?"
"Because," was the girl's curt reply.
"Oh," Hitomi said, at a loss. This girl, it seemed, didn't want to talk, and there was no point in forcing her to. "W-well, uh, I'll just leave you to your–"
"You're a Seer." It wasn't a question, and Hitomi gasped, regarding Senna with curiousness. How had she known?
"How-?" she began but her voice stopped when the girl turned to face her. Slowly, Senna brushed away her fringe to reveal her eyes. Hitomi gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, and stared at the girl's enchanting eyes. One was a deep blue that would drown anybody who gazed at it long enough, and the other was an emerald green, much like her own. But the main thing that shocked her was the fact that Senna's eyes looked straight past her, even though she was standing directly in front of her.
"You're blind!" the Seer gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief. She'd never met a blind person before, and she didn't know what else to say.
"Yes," Senna said, pushing off the wall and letting her hair fall over her face again.
"Where are you going?" Hitomi cried, thinking that the girl would surely trip over things in her way; but Senna turned around and just smirked at her knowingly. Turning, she began to walk slowly towards the closest school exit, and Hitomi chased after her, her mouth still wide open in shock. "How can you just walk around without a dog or a cane?" she breathed, watching as the girl seemed to glide across the floor.
"I just do."
"Well, how did you know about me being a Seer then?" Hitomi asked, bristling with anger.
Senna chuckled softly, and to Hitomi it sounded like humming in her throat. "I just did," she replied cryptically, and Hitomi found her temper beginning to rise.
"But how?" she persisted, crossing her arms.
Senna turned her head slightly, and smirked. "Why do you want to know?" she asked innocently.
"Because no one knows that," the Seer huffed, flushing from anger. "No one except my friends." Senna remained silent, a smirk on her lips, and she turned a corner, utterly amazing Hitomi. "I still don't know how you can do that," she muttered, and Senna chuckled again. When they were outside a few moments later, Senna stopped in her tracks and seemed to freeze. Hitomi, who hadn't been paying attention, walked into her, and frowned.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Senna didn't reply; she just stepped forward to resume her walking, and Hitomi followed her warily. She could feel something coming, but she didn't know what. Out of nowhere, the Seer was tackled from behind, and she shrieked as Chi threw her over his shoulder, laughing wildly.
"Chi!" she screamed as he spun her around. "What are you doing?"
"I waited for you," he said, laughing and setting her down. He stopped when he saw Senna standing a few feet ahead, and frowned. "Hi," he said, awkwardly.
Hitomi sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist. She knew Senna wouldn't give him her name, so she answered for her. "This is Senna Fujitano." She saw Senna turn around and smiled softly. "Senna, this is Chi Wakayama, my boyfriend."
Senna mumbled something incoherent and turned away again, sniffing the air and tilting her head left and right to hear better. Her senses were on edge, and that could only mean trouble. Hitomi, who had been watching the girl, frowned slightly, and called out to her. The blind girl turned around, and bowed.
"Where are you going?" Hitomi cried.
"Away."
"Where to? Home?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" Hitomi was becoming exasperated and she wanted straight answers from this strange young woman. She pulled away from Chi and stalked towards the blind freshman; Senna just sighed and took a step forward. Hitomi tried to grab her but before she could, she found her arm pushed up between her shoulder blades and screamed in pain.
"Let her go!" Chi yelled, shoving Senna away and pulling his cherished girlfriend out of harm's way. Senna staggered back until she was almost against the wall, and she turned around, baring her teeth at him. He tried to charge her again but Hitomi held him back.
"Chi, no!" she pleaded, tears forming in her eyes. Sure Senna had hurt her but she was blind and it would be unfair to let him attack a defenceless girl. "Please, just let's go!"
"But Hitomi," he tried to argue but she looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and he caved. "Fine," he said, and protectively wrapped his arms around her. He looked at Senna, who hadn't moved an inch from her spot, and glared at her. "If you ever touch her again, I won't stop." Senna ignored him and the couple left, Hitomi glancing over her shoulder as they did. She hoped the blind girl would get home safely.
- - -
Little did Hitomi know that was the last thing Senna wanted to do: get home. Who cared about the safe part when there was no safety in her house? Not with a drunken abusive stepfather who seemed to have a grudge against her. When she stumbled through the front door after tripping over his discarded shoes, she heard him come charging at her and she only missed the punch he threw at her because she slipped on the wet floorboards.
"Where've you been?" he roared, grabbing her by her long plait and dragging her into the stingy living room. "You're late!" Senna cringed as he threw her to the floor, and she lay shuddering beside the couch. "I expect you to be home before me! I don't care if you're blind!" He then began to kick her in the stomach, the leg and the chest, and she held in a whimper, for she knew he would only beat her harder.
"You stupid bitch!" he continued, kneeling down in front of her and grabbing her shoulder, forcing her to sit up. "Why'd you have to be blind? Why couldn't I marry a woman with a normal kid?" He slapped Senna hard, and she gasped at the sudden pain. "You're whore of a mother died on me, just so she didn't have to put up with your disability! She didn't want you so she took the easy way out, and left me to deal with you!" He slapped her again, and continued do this till her face was swollen and her lip was bleeding. He then let her slide to the ground and left, slamming the front door closed as he left the house. Senna pulled herself up onto the couch and curled into a tight ball, wishing that she could just escape from her world; she had no one there who loved her, no one at all. She cried herself to sleep that night, and wished once again for a saviour.
- - -
Hitomi was waiting for her at the gates; Chi was with her. It seemed he felt the need to be her bodyguard whenever she was involved, and when she stopped before them, he wrapped an arm around Hitomi. Hitomi sighed inwardly, and smiled at Senna, then remembered she couldn't see it. The Seer puzzled over why she wasn't in school uniform; Senna was wearing tight black pants and a loose fitting white singlet, and on her back she had a black bag. She also noted that Senna wore no shoes.
"Good morning," she greeted cheerfully, and Senna jerked sightly. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm not angry about yesterday, and I hope you got home all right."
Senna choked on the piece of gum she had been chewing, and hacked and spluttered till it came right back up and landed on the pavement. She then straightened, and scowled. Sensing something was amiss, Hitomi asked if Chi would go ahead without her. Reluctantly, and after much badgering from her part, he left for class, severely put out by the current circumstances.
"Senna?" Hitomi asked, and gasped when Senna suddenly embraced her. The blind girl felt hot tears on her cheeks and she pressed her bruised and still swollen face down against the crook of the Seer's neck. "What is it?" Hitomi asked, awkwardly placing her hands on the girl's back.
"I want to leave this place," Senna whispered, fighting down her tears. "I just want to leave."
"Senna, what happened?" Hitomi peeled the blind freshman off her shoulder and brushed away her fringe, gasping when she saw the purple bruises and scab in the middle of her lip. "Dear God!" she breathed, staring at the horrid contusions. How had she gotten them? "Senna, tell me! Please!"
Senna sniffed and rested her chin on her shoulder. "He beat me," she muttered, somewhat embarrassed.
"Who did?"
"My stepfather," Senna spat bitterly, and Hitomi was surprised at the hatred in her voice. "He beats me incessantly." The blind girl pulled back from Hitomi and sighed, pulling her plait over her shoulder and running her hand down its length and then back up, over and over again.
"Is that why you ran away?" Hitomi asked softly, thinking that if she spoke too loud she'd spook the girl.
Senna smirked. "Yes. He doesn't know." The blind girl shuddered to think what would have happened if he had caught her sneaking out of the house, and she pushed those horrible thoughts away.
"So I take it you're not going to school today?" asked Hitomi, leaning against the wall as the first bell went.
"Today?" Senna asked, frowning. "Never again."
"That's right," the Seer said, narrowing her eyes in thought. "Yesterday you said you were going away but you never mentioned where."
"I don't know where."
"Surely you must!" Hitomi exclaimed in exasperation. "You can't just pick up and leave and not know where you're going!" She ruffled her long sandy brown hair in frustration. "Do you have some idea where you're going?"
Senna shook her head and then turned her head to the side. "I have to go," she said suddenly, and began walking away down the pavement. "Farewell Hitomi Kanzaki."
The blind girl walked purposefully towards the shrine across from the school, and only tripped once; she had told no one how she could walk without aid. She hadn't even told Hitomi, who was one of her kind. Senna didn't like to broadcast she was a Seer, nor did she like her gift. At night she had dreams that never concerned her, and usually woke up sweating. That was the main reason she was so bitter and cold towards everyone. Her mother had possessed the same gift, though not as potent, and when Senna had 'come into her gift', she had been so thrilled. But after her death, Senna thought of it as a curse; she hated seeing things. Although, she had to admit, if she wasn't a Seer, she wouldn't be able to walk around the way she did.
When she stopped, she sensed she was on holy land, and knelt down where she was, putting her hands together and silently praying. She wasn't religious but surely it couldn't hurt; she just needed something. She knelt for over an hour, praying that something would happen, and it did, although not what she wanted.
"There you are!" came her stepfather's voice. "You ungrateful bitch!" he yelled, marching up behind her. She tried to stand and run but he grabbed her hair and pulled her to him. "You thought you could run away but I found you again!" By the stink of his breath, Senna knew he was drunk. "I won't let you get away that easy, you slut!" He grabbed the front of her singlet and she screamed in fright as he spun her around and then threw her a fair distance away from him.
Rolling as she landed, Senna lay on her side panting and crying; her side was sore and she knew her arm would be bruised later on.
"Please," she begged, sobbing. "Please take me away."
"Shut up!" her stepfather yelled at her, grabbing her singlet and picking her up again. He roared as he lifted her above his head, and she continued to beg silently for anyone to save her. "I'll teach you obedience!"
"Please!" she screamed as he threw her, and she suddenly found herself floating. From her stepfather's point of view, she was floating a few feet off the air, surrounded by a white torrent of light, and he fell on his backside, utterly gob smacked. Senna floated above the ground, slowly turning around, and she was terrified; she didn't know what was happening, and her Sight was momentarily impaired. Suddenly, she began to feel as if she was being pulled up, and she screamed as she began to spin. Hurtling upwards, she had no idea where she was going, or what was happening, and she lost consciousness.
- - -
A/N: Okay, not the best story ever written (probably one of the worst) but it was relentless, and wanted to be written. So, even though nothing bloody happened in the first chapter, there will be something in the next one; please make my life by reviewing. Criticism is as welcome as congratulation.
Note: There will be swearing in future chapters, a lot of it, so be warned.
Sincerely, Rhys.