MoonChild-Chapter 1
A midsummer night breeze blew through the cherry blossom trees adjoining the pagoda-shaped house. Mikazuki Yurimoto was standing in front of the kitchen sink gazing out the window. The full moon shone with a gossamer-like shimmer. She usually liked these nights but tonight she was sad. Her father had left Japan to go to the United States to conduct business or so he claimed. He'd promised to take her swimming. This was another promise he broke. Why shouldn't she be surprised? He'd been doing this since she came to live with him. She had been living in the U.S. with her mom after her parent's separation. During and after their divorce, they shared custody of her. Then one day, her father suggested a trip to Japan for two weeks. It during the last weeks of her summer vacation.
He promised to have her back home to start school. Her mother at first refused to let her go but after Mikazuki begged her, she consented. Everything was fine till it came time to return her back. He refused. Mikazuki told her father her mother would miss her.
She was told everything will be fine. Weeks went by. Then six months later, her father came home with a strange woman. He told Mikazuki, "Meet your new mother." She was had remarried a new woman. Mikazuki hated her from the start because she wasn't a nice person. If that wasn't bad enough, she brought her kid with her: A big, mean, conniving girl named Hebi. She had to share her room with Hebi. After that, things went downhill. Her father began neglecting her. She spent much of her time alone reading and going to school. She often asked him about her mom and he told her to stop thinking about her and to shut up. For two years, she hadn't seen her mom. She wouldn't stop thinking about her mom. She wondered why she hadn't come for her or tried to contact her. A sound interrupted her thoughts. She just dropped one of her stepmother's plates on the floor. Before she could do anything, she was struck across the face. Slap!
"Stupid and clumsy girl!"A voice shouted in Japanese,"Look what you did!"
Her stepsister, Hebi was standing over her with her fists balled.
Mikazuki tried to get up. Hebi put her foot on the girl's back and shoved her back to the floor.
"You don't have any right to touch our things."
"That's my mother's china." Mikazuki replied, in Japanese.
"That was. Now it belongs to us." Mikazuki looked over her shoulder to see Hebi getting ready to hit her again when she slid her foot quickly under Hebi getting her off guard and tripping her. Hebi went to grab her by the hair when Mikazuki punched her in the nose. Hebi hollered in pain.
"What's going on?" Her stepmother asked, coming into the room.
"She hit me!"Hebi cried, holding her nose, which began to bleed.
"Leave my child alone!" The stepmother exclaimed in Japanese, comforting Hebi.
"She hit me first!"Mikazuki blurted out.
"Don't you lie, brat! My sweet Hebi would never do that!" Her stepmother replied. Hebi was a spoiled brat and she knew it. "Clean up this mess and then go to your room! You shall have no supper!" Her stepmother said, pointing to the broken plate.
"I haven't had any lunch or supper."Mikazuki replied, in a low voice.
"All the better. You should've thought about that before you struck my child."
Her stepmother and stepsister went into the living room. Mikazuki went to the small closet to pull out the broom and dustpan. She began sweeping up the broken pieces of the dish. She soon heard the tv in the other room. A movie was on and she heard laughter. Mikazuki was angry. They didn't have any right to treat her like this. She was also mad at her father. It seemed like he didn't care about her anymore.
"It was different when I lived with my mom. She was always nice to me. Why didn't she come for me?"Mikazuki thought, as she swept. She knew she still lived in the United States. She remembered it was in Washington, D.C.
"If I went there, I'd be with my mom. I'd be with someone that loved me. My dad could care less and my stepmom hates me." Mikazuki murmured. She untied her apron and pushed the broom against the wall. She went through the side door and out the kitchen. She tiptoed towards the stairs.
She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw her stepmother and stepsister sitting on the couch with their backs to her watching a movie and laughing.
So far so good. She went up the stairs and walk across the hall to her room. She lifted the carpet up in a corner of the room. The floor underneath was made of thick wooden planks. She took one out. Underneath was a small metal box. She picked the box up to reveal a key. She grabbed the key and unlocked the box. Inside was her passport and allowance money she saved. She grabbed those and put them in her pocket. She then carefully put the plank back and covered the carpet back. She went to her closet and pulled out a duffle bag. After opening a drawer, she filled the duffel bag with a few clothes and her toothbrush. She then grabbed her bag and walked down the stairs taking care not to make any sound. Her stepmother and stepsister were still watching tv. She opened the front door and went out. She then sprinted down the sidewalk making her way to the airport. She went to the ticket booth.
"I'd like a ticket for a flight going to Washington D.C., please." She told lady behind the counter.
"The woman checked the flights on her computer. Then glanced at Mikazuki.
"There's one leaving in ten minutes at gate fifteen."
"I'll take it."
Mikazuki handed her money for her ticket when she handed it back to Mikazuki.
"I'm sorry you don't have enough."
"I have to go." Mikazuki wailed.
Mikazuki then snatched the ticket in the woman's hand and ran off.
"Hey, come back!" the woman yelled, "Stop her, somebody!"
Mikazuki was soon chased by the woman and several guards. She duck in thick crowds and lost her pursuers. Mikazuki found herself on the runway. She was hiding behind one of the planes when she saw an employee had accidentally left one of the cargo holds opened. Mikazuki ran there and climbed up into the hold. The plane was now taking beginning to race down the runway. Mikazuki crawled back to the opening but it suddenly snapped shut.
She was trapped inside. She tried not to panic. Her mother always told her to remain calm. She looked out a small window and saw the plane lifting off from the ground. The airport became smaller and smaller till it was just a dot. She couldn't believe it. It was leaving Japan. She was leaving her miserable home life behind. She felt joy flood her soul. She looked around and saw she was in the part of the plane that housed the passengers' pets.
The stewardess announced the first call for dinner. Mikazuki felt her own stomach grumbling. It was past dinnertime and it never occurred to her to buy a snack while she was at the airport. With no dinner, she decided to just sleep her hunger off. Next to a small stable which housed a pony was a pile of hay. She took it and laid down. The hay was uncomfortable at first since it stuck her many times till she laid her sweater over it. Soon, she was fast asleep. She was awakened the next morning by the captain's voice. He said they had landed in the United States. Mikazuki was overjoyed. She made it. Now she would find her mom and everything would be okay. She looked out the window and saw the runway and the airport. She heard the cargo hold getting ready to open. She hid in the shadows. An employee had climbed up to retrieve a passenger's dog carrier. While he was occupied, Mikazuki snuck over to the opened plane and jumped down to the ground. "Who's there?" He asked in English.
Then seeing Mikazuki, "Hey! You!"
Mikazuki took off like a shot. The employee gave chase. Mikazuki ran through crowds in the airport and across the street.
"Stop!"The man yelled, "Watch out! That's a busy street!"
Mikazuki kept running then collapsed on the street. An oncoming car was approaching fast. Mikazuki looked up and her face paled. Suddenly, two large hairy arms grabbed her and pulled her out of the path of the car. Mikazuki felt herself being lifted through the air. "It's okay. You're safe." A gentle voice said. Mikazuki saw three bikers on motorcycles. She couldn't see their faces because they wore helmets.
The one that held her was larger in size than the other two.
They soon landed on the ground. She felt her eyes closing. Between her fight with Hebi and not eating since yesterday took a toll on her body.
She was slipping out of consciousness. Someone lifted her up. In spite of being unconscious, she heard English voices: one of them sounded like a woman's.
"My God! Is she alright?" The woman was saying.
"We don't know. We just saved her from getting hit by a car."said a male voice.
"Poor kid."said another male voice.
"Quick! Get her inside."said the woman.
"Don't worry. We're going to help you. You'll be alright." said another voice to Mikazuki.
Mikazuki didn't understand their language but welcomed the darkness that swirled into her consciousness.