Bridge In The Rain
Disclaimer: I don't own Zatch Bell.
Story Note: Bridge In The Rain takes place during Zatch Bell's twelfth episode, Sherry's Rhapsody of Life.
Icy torrents of stinging rain drenched a shadowed stone bridge over a close to flooding river. The sky, a dreary gray, provided no light to brighten the structure, and the pouring, relentless showers were no better. Fierce waves of dark blue water crashed against the underside of the bridge mercilessly, fighting it, beating it.
All that could be seen was a young blonde female leaning against the railing of the bridge; the wet, cold rock soaked her pale pink dress. Apparently, she was from a successful family—and a wealthy one at that. Eyes the color of sapphires looked out sadly at the water; salty tears dripped from them and ran down her cheeks, mixing with the rain.
She felt comforted that the world was crying with her, sharing her pain…or so she could imagine. She was drenched by the earth's tears, but embraced by it as well. Through the thin fabric of her pink—such a cheerful color, she mused—outfit, she could feel the hard, solid stone・or whatever the bridge happened to be made of.
Memories filled her sad mind without her permission, painful memories of failure and screaming, of hate and fire. Why do I always disappoint my mother? the blonde wondered, swirling her finger through the damp green moss that thrived on the bridge. Why can't I be perfect and satisfy her wishes?
Stories that the French girl had read in her unhappy childhood had taught her that nothing—and certainly no one, for that matter—was perfect, but perfection seemed to be what her strict and over-demanding mother craved.
"How many times do I have to tell you that our family will not tolerate failure?"
"What did I do to earn such a hateful child, such a stupid child?"
"You will practice until you can play that song perfectly!"
"Why can't you do what is expected of you?"
Golden locks of hair that were supposed to be sunny kept raindrops steadily dripping down from them as the sorrowful blue eyes scanned the water for a way out, for the light that would save her and bring her true, pure, sweet joy for the first time in her miserable life.
Why can't anyone except for Koko understand me? Why can't they see what pain I have to go through just because I don't exceed Mother's expectations?
Unanswered questions whirled around the weeping girl's mind as the tears came at a faster rate; angrily, she brushed down away with her hands. Her "perfect" pink dress was being ruined by the downpour, but the blonde ignored it, staring at the water without truly seeing it, her mind blank, her eyes fixed as if she were in a trance.
Why can't I just live my life the way I want to? All I want is for everyone to understand Koko and see that even though she's poor, she's such an intelligent girl and a lot better than the people who pick on her and look down on her.
But no… she realized. I…I also want something more than that.
Something more than anyone could ever give to me in this world or any other.
I want someone to understand me—more than one person, another person and Koko to see me as I truly am.
But who?
Deep down inside, she already knew the answer. With that last thought fixed ever so firmly in her mind, Sherie Bellmond threw herself off the bridge and into the tumbling waves below.