A/N: Well, here it is. I'm not sure what else to say, so…I'll just let you start reading.
It was a beautiful day, just as many others were in the glorious little town bordering the ocean. Well, maybe glorious was a bit of an overstatement, but honestly, as long as you were someone that enjoyed the country, it was a fine place to live. Gentle waves lapped against the shore, the white, foamy residue it left behind creating just a thin line separating the warm sand from the shimmering ocean water. Beyond the beach lay a vast valley, home to many a species of animals and plants, as well as a small number of people. Small, however, might have been a bit of an understatement. The population number of the tiny isolated town was no more than three hundred, and there were no signs of that number increasing by much anytime soon.
But really, if you were to just sit atop one of the luscious green hills surrounding the town, gazing out in either direction- to the beach, or to the nearly infinite array of mountains on the other side- you might just realize how nice it was. Friendly people, friendly environments, and friendly lifestyles- it was all good. Of course, maybe such a place was only appealing to certain individuals; others might find it completely and utterly unbearable.
Such was the case of one particular young woman, who'd been begging her parents to allow her leave the horrid little town for years before she was legally allowed. Of course, each time she had been refused, as was to be expected. Ever since she'd taken a brief trip to the city as a child, she'd longed for a different kind of life. In her eyes, small-town folk were just exceptionally boring, as was the whole lifestyle. She needed a change. She needed to get away from it all. She needed to leave and never look back.
A middle-aged couple sighed again and again as they stared out their house's window, wondering just how far their daughter hoped to go. All she'd said was that she wanted to explore the world- cities in particular- and that she promised to write to them whenever she could. Hopefully she would follow through with that promise.
Meanwhile, the girl herself wasn't exactly maintaining the same kind of calm composure as her parents.
"Just let me on the freaking boat!"
A man who appeared to be in his early twenties sighed and shook his head, as if he was trying to get through to her. She was obviously frustrating him. "Please sis, you have to understand that the boat schedules screwed up this morning, so we have no idea which boat this is. You'd have no idea where you were going! Besides, I don't know if it looks too sturdy… We wouldn't want you getting hurt, or even killed, now would we?"
The young woman groaned again and stomped her foot down on the dock beneath, her high heel clacking against the fading wood, clearly hoping to intimidate her brother on purpose. "I said I don't care! Where else would this stupid boat be going but the city where I want to go, anyway?"
"Well I'm not really sure but that's beside the point…"
The woman glared at him, her piercing eyes plunging into his consciousness as if she were going to eat him.
Finally, he heaved an exasperated sigh, and shuffled away from the edge of the dock, allowed her to pass through to the extended ramp leading up to the rickety boat. "Fine, fine, but don't come crying to me when you end up on some deserted village…"
"Psshhh. As if that would happen," she retorted with a snicker.
"Take care, Ichiko…" He pulled off his brown cap and gave a small bow, his eyes now a bit more somber than before.
As if something had just been triggered in her mind, the woman known as Ichiko gave a very faint smile, her expression suddenly morphing to a much softer, more appreciative one. "You too, Robert."
The siblings exchanged a quick, though affectionate, hug before Ichiko boarded the boat. She scooted over to the side a bit and leaned against the railing, peering down at the dock once more as she offered her brother a wave. "Take care of mom and dad for me, mmkay?"
The man known as Robert nodded and smiled. "Of course! Now don't forget to write! And happy birthday again!"
Ichiko grinned, and with that, the boat set off, leaving the small town to fend off on its own…not that the unbelievably lethargic woman ever really did anything useful, anyway.
After she'd gotten all settled in the boat, and was now slouched down in a fuzzy armchair, Ichiko gingerly toyed with a small trinket hanging on the chain that loosely wrapped around her neck. It was an angel, and her brother had gotten it custom-made just for her birthday. It was clear that she didn't ever want to take it off. When he gave it to her earlier that morning, he said he got an angel because she was just the opposite of one...but she knew he didn't actually mean that. Even through the blaring thoughts that buzzed about in her mind, Ichiko managed to slip into a welcoming snooze. Despite the rocking sensations and creaking hinges of whatever was holding together the whole boat, she actually seemed to sleep quite at ease. However, as she was falling asleep, an odd sense of worry washed over her. Was this really what she wanted?
Birthday. The word weighed down on her like a long-awaited Christmas present…no, more than that. It was like all she'd ever wanted in life, all she'd ever anticipated, was finally within her grasp. Her eighteenth birthday. It just seemed too good to be true…
Regardless of her sudden concern, Ichiko's dreams were full of fond memories and blissful hope for the future.