It's said life's encounters are governed by fate. Within the tangled threads of destiny, cursed flowers bloom. Pitiful, and frail. Lost in their anger, their sorrow, their tears. Beyond midnight's vale lies the revenge you could not exact... Alone.

I hated this town. Ever sense we moved here nothing too good has happened. When I was ten, my mother married a man named John. He always seemed so nice. We were horribly wrong. When I was twelve things started to go downhill. Mom always seemed so upset. I never knew why. She cried often and I always felt sad. I loved mom. I hated to see her like that. She often would tell me not to do certain things because they might anger John. I usually didn't pay attention.
Shortly after mom was acting strange my sister was as well. She was sixteen. She seemed frightened all the time. Very shaky. Often she would just be sitting in her room or on the couch staring off into space. If you called her name she would jump. She would sit in an almost fetal position. I also began to notice that Sarah would sometimes have strange bruises and cuts. I never understood what was going on. She always was locked up in her room

Well, needless to say. I found out what was wrong. It all started on a Tuesday. I came home from school and mom was sitting on the couch crying. I walked over to her to see what was wrong. She looked up. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was red. She looked as if she had been crying for a while. She sniffled as she looked up at me and rubbed the tears out of her face.

"How was school honey?" She asked with a fake smile. I frowned.
"What is wrong mom? you look like-"
"It's nothing dear. Don't worry about it." She cut me off. She stood up and walked into the kitchen. After a few hours Sarah got home but she went into her room and didn't come out. That night, around eleven, John came into my room. He sat down at the foot of the bed.
"You know Lindsay, you're becoming quite a beautiful woman." I smiled at me. I wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Thanks... I guess." there was a strange silence. He began to fidget a bit. He was looking at me strange. I've only been looked at like that a few times, and all of them were by strange boys at school. I didn't like it. I could feel a lump in my throat. Something wasn't right. "Well," I started, "I need to go to bed. I have school tomorrow, so I guess I'll see you then." Before I could lay back down John stood up.
"No, I'll not be leaving just yet." He walked over to my door and locked it. I was scared now.
"What are you doing?" I asked in a soft voice. My eyes were wide.
"I'm simply going to show you a few things." He walked over to me and grabbed my breast. I gasped and pushed his hand away.
"What are you-" He slapped me, hard, against my left cheek. It sounded like an explosion went off in my room. My eyes were watering. I could taste blood, and I could feel something warm slowly trickling down my cheek. I tried to stand up but he grabbed my neck. I couldn't breathe. I began to choke. He pulled away the covers and held me down against my pillow. I couldn't say anything. I couldn't call out. All I could do was grunt and gurgle. I tried to remove his hand but it wouldn't budge, the more I tried the harder he pressed. If I relaxed he allowed me to breathe. Tears were streaming from my eyes. I could feel them filling my ears and wetting my hair.
"Look at me," He said. I ignored him and attempted to turned away. His hand gripped my neck harder. "Look at me!" He yelled. I slowly opened my eyes. Everything was blurry. He was very close to my face. He turned my face toward the pillow.
"I'm going to make you a woman now." He licked my cheek and I felt his had slide inside my panties. I began squirming. I was gurgling now. I could feel myself drooling. It seemed the more I fought the more he enjoyed it. He was able to get my panties off. I felt a sharp pain as he inserted a finger. I started to cough. I couldn't believe what was happening. I tried to think of something else but nothing worked. After a moment, he removed his finger. Then something bigger was being forced inside me. I tried to cry out but nothing but a mangled groan escaped my lips. Something inside me snapped and he pressed in deeper. It was extremely painful. I could feel a warm liquid oozing from between my legs. It dripped down my ass and started to wet the sheets of my bed. He began to pull out then push back in. Each thrust being slightly less painful than the last. After what seemed like days it stopped. He pulled out. He let go of my neck and placed a knee over my chest. I pulled up my legs into a fetal position.
John moaned as I felt a warm liquid spray over my upper chest and face. Then again but it was less than before. Then one final time. I could only imagine what it was. He lifted his knee off my chest and I turned to my side and began shaking. I heard pants zipping and then footsteps. My door opened.
"Sleep well honey." John said, and then shut the door behind him. I couldn't believe what just happened. I ached all over. I pulled the empty trashcan near the bed toward me, and vomited. I was shivering and could barely breathe. Tears were constantly streaming down my face. After a few moments I grabbed a towel and slowly stumbled into the bathroom down the hall to take a shower. I turned on the light but avoided looking in the mirror. I turned the water on and stepped inside. The warm water stung when it hit my face. I ignored it and washed myself. After a few minutes I sat down with my knees against my chest, and cried.
The next day, I went into the bathroom to fix my hair. I was shocked to see myself. The left side of my face was swollen and bruised and there was a cut right under my cheekbone. I went to touch it and I gasped from the pain. I began to cry. When I finally pulled myself together I went outside to wait on the bus. My friend wasn't on the bus that day. I had to ride alone. I could feel people looking at me. Whenever I looked up they looked away. I tried my best to avoid crying. I slept through most of school that day. Although it was never for long. I would always wake up gasping, or saying "Stop!" because what happened the night before still haunted me. I was sent to the counselor's office as the teacher didn't believe my story of falling down the stairs was what caused my cheek to look the way it was.
I sat outside the office as my teacher talked to the counselor. There were a group of children on the other side of the hall. Some were laughing and joking. They seemed so happy. So oblivious to the horrific things someone else is going through. Ignorance is bliss.
"God I hate that girl." One of the girls was saying.
"Who? Jessica?" said the one next to her.
"Yeah, she is just so... Ugh. She thinks she is so much better than everyone else so she just treats them all like crap! If she doesn't watch it she just might get taken off by the Hell Girl!" her friend laughed.
"The what?"
"The Hell Girl? You know the website that people go to and they like type in a name or something and the Hell Girl takes them away." I became very interested in their conversation.
"Oh... right. You don't honestly believe there is some website that honestly will take someone to hell do you?"
"Well I dunno. Someone in math class said they they found it! But... they were too scared to put the name in." her friend looked surprised.
"What is the name of the website?" I became excited.
"Uh... Hell Correspondence or something like that. I think you can only find it at a certain time like midnight or something." they began to walk away. Could this be real? Could I honestly use it to take John away. I had to find out. The counselor came out of her office and was ready to see me. I was there until school let out. The teacher somehow guessed what happened to me. I never admitted anything. It wouldn't have solved anything. What could they have done? My only true hope was with this so called Hell Girl.
I came home and went to my room. I didn't do anything all day. I mostly just stayed in my room waiting for time to pass. We ate dinner eventually. No one ever asked or said anything about my face. I could tell mom was worried but I think she knew what had happened. She also looked as if she had been crying. I refused to look at John. That night I sat at the computer after everyone had gone to bed. I searched Google over and over but the website was never there. I was about to give up when I looked at the time. 11:52. That's it! I needed to wait eight minutes. When the clock changed to midnight I entered the search again. The screen went black and a small flame ignited at the bottom. Then in the center of the screen was a blank search bar. The words "Your Grievance shall be avenged." written above it and a send button underneath.
"Oh my..." I whispered. I looked around to make sure no one was there. I slowly pressed the keys to fill in the bar with the name "John Collins" I slowly moved the mouse over the send button. I hesitated. Could this be real? Would this really solve this? I clicked send. The screen went black. I waited, but nothing happened. I decided to go to bed.
When I woke up the next morning I went to get breakfast. I was happy. Mom and Sarah were already eating. I got me a plate of pancakes and plenty of eggs.
"Be careful Lindsay, make sure there is enough for John." mom said. I assured her that she didn't need to worry. I sat down and began to eat. Just when I thought I was going to be truly happy, John walked out of the bathroom and got breakfast. It didn't work. Of course not. Something like that could never be real.
I sat on my bed around eleven biting my nails. How was I going to get out of this? My door opened. It was John. I sunk against the bed, hoping nothing would happen. I was wrong. He didn't even say anything this time. He just forced me out of my cloths and began on me. It didn't hurt as much but it was just as horrific. I was crying the entire time, but I refused to fight. I didn't want to be hurt again. After he was finished I curled up into a ball and was crying. He placed his hand on my neck.
"You're not finished yet," he whispered into my ear. I gasped, as he grabbed my neck and tossed me on my belly against the bed. I felt him slowly push himself inside my anus. I began to yell out. It really hurt. I begged him to stop but he only slapped me. Once he was fully inside he began to thrust. It was just constant pain for me. I could feel a warm liquid oozing down my leg. He placed his foot over the side of my face and groaned. I felt liquid pour inside of me. He pulled out and put on his clothes and left my room. After about a half hour of crying and sitting in my filth, I took a shower.

The teachers at school and even all the counselors became even more concerned. I couldn't take it anymore. Down the street there was an abandoned house. It was four stories. I walked up to the balcony on the fourth floor. I can't live like this. I stood on the edge and looked over. After a moment of pain I would be free. I stepped off. I began falling but things changed. I landed on my knees. It didn't even hurt. I was looking at the ground, which was now red grass. I looked up to see a little girl around my age with long dark hair standing in front of me. She wore a black skirt and blouse with a red scarf. I looked around. The sky was red and the sun was twilight. The woman with the red scarf stood in front of a large tree.

"Where am I?" I asked. The girl did not respond. "Are you...? The Hell Girl?"
"My name is Ai." the girl replied. She sounded monotone and her eyes were blank and hollow. Her voice sent chills up my spine.
"Ai?" I stumbled
"You've summoned me." I stood up.
"I... I need a way out! My stepfather! He is horrible. Please you must save me! Save us!" she did not change her expression.
"It is not within my power to save your family. All I can do is exact revenge for you."
"How?" I pleaded.
"This is for you." She held out her hand. In it was a black straw doll in the shape of a man. I was compelled to take the doll.
"If you truly wish revenge, simply untie the scarlet thread from his neck. Doing so binds you into a covenant with me. I will ferry the soul of your tormentor straight into the depths of hell." Could it really be this simple? I slowly reached for the thread.
"However," she continued. I stopped and looked at her. "Once vengeance has been served, you will need to deliver on your end of the bargain." My heart sank.
"My end?"
"There always has to be a price. And so, when you die, your soul will also belong to hell." I gasped and I could feel the blood drain from my face. "You will never know the joys of heaven. Your soul will be left to wonder in a world of pain and agony. There to remain for all of eternity." Suddenly something grabbed my leg. I looked down and could see a skeletal hand. I screamed. Another hand grabbed my opposite leg. I tried to break free when an explosion of pain hit my abdomen. I coughed and looked down. There was a skeletal hand protruding out of me. I looked behind and saw the hand went all the way through me. I began to yell but two hands grabbed my shoulders and began to pull me down. My heart was racing. I was sinking into the ground. There was nothing I could do. Everything went black.
I sat up gasping for air and looked around. I was in my room. Did that really just happen? I pulled the covers away to look at my belly. It was fine. I went to scratch my head when I saw I was holding the black straw doll. I screamed and threw it across the room.
"And now, the decision rests with you." the sound of the Hell Girl's voice filled my head from nowhere. I knew it couldn't be easy! I want to be rid of John, but going to hell? How could that possibly be fair?
School seemed to drag on forever. I couldn't stop thinking about the Hell Girl. I would often pull out the doll just to look at it. I could never bring myself to pull the thread. I got home and put my backpack on the table. I heard yelling. It was mom. That bastard! How much more could he do to us! I grabbed the doll and ran down to mom's room. John had her on the bed with a knife at her neck. I gasped and he looked at me.
"I'll kill this other little bitch too and you'll just have to watch." John stood up and began to walk over to me.
"No!" mom screamed and lept at him. He pressed the knife into her abdomen. Mom coughed and her eyes widened.
"Mom!" I hollered and ran down to Sarah's room, who's door was opened.
"Sarah!" I gasped when I reached the door. There was no reply. "Sarah? I took a step in and the floor was wet. I looked down to see blood. I gasped and looked over toward the closet. Inside I saw Sarah. She was naked with cuts and scars all over her body. She had been stabbed many times. I fell to my knees. It wasn't just me. He did it to her too.. Sarah! My only sister. Damn it, if only I had found out sooner. I began shaking as I slowly raised the doll with my left hand. I reached and pulled the thread. The doll flew out of my hand and disappeared.
"Your grievance, shall be avenged!" said a voice that shook the house. I felt a hand on my shoulder and was pulled onto my back. John stood over my with a knife. He smiled.
Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed him. He stopped moving. The Hell Girl appeared.
"Oh pitiful shadow lost in the darkness, bringing torment and pain to others. Oh, damned soul wallowing in your sin. Perhaps... it is time you see what death is like?" John's eyes widened and the hands pulled him into the wall. He was gone. I blacked out. My eyes opened and I was in a boat. I was paddling. I couldn't move. John was laying in front of me. He sat up.
"Where are you taking me?" he demanded.
"To hell." I said. It was the Hell Girl's voice. John's eyes widened.
"What? You can't do this to me! Take me back-" he was cut off when a skeletal hand impaled him. "What is this?" he gurgled. More hands came out and began to pin him on the ferry.
"This is vengeance. So I'm to ferry you to hell."
I woke up. I looked around and saw that I was lying in the pool of Sarah's blood. I Walked over to her and hugged her body and began to cry.

I told the counselor's about what John had done. They had already assumed as much. Even though he was gone we were able to receive all of his belongings as a way to compensate for what had happened. Me and my mom were able to finally be happy. It took a while for us to be at peace with Sarah's passing, but we were able to finally live happily. However, the time will come when I will have to face the consequences of the decision I made that day. I am reminded of that every time I look at the symbol on my chest. All I can say, is that I just wish I could have saved my sister. Sarah, if you can hear this... I love you very much, and by the way, don't bother waiting for me. I have somewhere else I'm supposed to be. I just hope that at least you can finally be happy.

Author's note: And there we have it. My very first Hell Girl fanfiction. I've wanted to do one for so many things but I've never gotten around to finishing any. Hell Girl however, is a little more simple.
Just to clarify, this... "contract" takes place during the time of the first six episodes, before Hajime was introduced.