The First Friend She Ever Had
Hanajima Saki sat in the corner of her room, her knees tucked close to her chest and her chin dipped down to hide her tears. She didn't mean to do what she did.. But somehow she didn't regret it. That just made her even more sad.
A human would feel badly if they did something like that. Maybe she was right, maybe I'm really not human. The tears continued to stream down her cheeks, making salty rivers of sorrow. I can't go back there. They'll never forgive me. But do I want them to forgive? Do I really want to be one of them? I' ve seen how their minds work in ways I never knew possible. I've seen through their deceit, seen their evil intentions, ... do I want to be like that?
I can't stop the waves from coming, I didn't mean to hurt her. I'd do anything to take it back. She was the first one, the first and only one to see me as a person rather than a freak. How could I hurt her... how? She showed me nothing but kindness, she always had a smile, and how do I repay her? What happened to me! Her tears started to come more from anger than sadness.
An evil voice started to come into her head, no matter what she did to suppress it. "She deserved it. She lied to you all these years. She was never really your friend." it told her.
No! She was always there for me! She was my best friend, my only true friend! "But then why aren't you sorry?"... I am sorry. "No you're not. Don't lie to me, I know more about you than you know." Who are you?
There was a silence in her head for the first time. No waves entered her head and the evil voice had stopped talking. Who are you? She said earnestly. " I am you, Hanajima Saki, as you could be. I am YOU!"
"No you're not!" she shouted out loud.
She had unconsciously lifted her head at her words. She stood up and looked out of her apartment window. It was raining hard and huge thunder heads churned majestically above her.
She had moved out of her family's house soon after her second year in highschool had started. She had been getting headaches from all of the arguments her parents had been having lately. The waves of anger had been seemingly poisoning her. Even though her brother had pleaded with her to stay, she had declined. The purpose of moving out was to help her find more peace, but the opposite had been happening to her.
Her hands moved slowly towards the latches on the window. Slowly, she opened it and reached out for the tree branch that often banged against the window. She felt it's strong hard bark in her clutching hand. It was strong, strong enough to support a good deal more weight than her own. She had only used this means of escape once before, that was when . . .
She grabbed it with both hands and put her weight on it as she slipped her bare foot on the slippery windowsill. In one sweeping movement she swung out of the window and sat side-saddle on the branch. Her long cape swept behind her with her free jet-black hair. She didn't bother to close the window or even to put her hood up against the rain before she dropped down onto the ground. "You can't run from me."
She stayed there, on one knee with her cape and hair draping about her. Then, as suddenly as a flash-flood, she ran into the night.
"Why are you here? She'll never forgive you." You don't know that. She said defiantly to the demon. She silently prayed for forgiveness. If anyone in the world could find the heart to forgive someone, it's you. Help me one last time. Please.
The evil voice who had been chanting that she would never forgive, never help, suddenly ceased. Hanajima collapsed with exhaustion. She lay there, face up breathing hard, for a long time. She felt the seemingly cleansing raindrops wash over her and opened her eyes. She might have been imagining things in her tired state, but she thought she saw the smiling face of her friend in the thunderous clouds above her.
"Thank you." she whispered.