Center Pre-Chapter
One Chance /center
I often stay awake at night, thinking of ways to kill my father, or myself. My sister rested, my strong arms held her close to me. Her strawberry colored hair tickled my nose, and it took all I had to stop myself from sneezing. My mother, she tried to do the best for us, but staying married to him was that worst thing she could ever do. My shirt was still wet from my sis' crying, and it is still just another day in a sorrowful life.
The dawn broke, yet I had been unable to sleep. My sister, fluttered her eyes and shifted herself off of me. I let her release my embrace, almost unwillingly. She was so warm against me, but now I felt alone, cold. The bed shifted up as she got off. She stripped her night gown off as I too lifted myself from the bed, and looked over at her. Her hair smooth skin shone with the radiance of the rising sun. Her brown eyes, hopeful, and her body was flawless.
She turned to me, as I quickly dropped my head and blushed. I lifted from the bed and stood erect, my shirt and jeans were disheveled on me. I walked to our closet, and pulled the clothes for my day from it. I walked into the bathroom, where Shizuka already was. My family was poor, and we had to shower together in order to keep the water bill down.
I stripped as she began run the water. The dull sounds of water drizzling on old ceramic tiles buzzed in my ear. I walked in after her. Her back was turned to me. I took shampoo and lathered my sister's strawberry hair. She began washing her own arms, scrubbing them while I finished her hair. She rinsed her hair and the suds on her arm then handed me the wash rag. I massaged her back, washing it thoroughly. She was just, so beautiful.
As I finished Shizuka, I turned around and handed her the rag. She began washing my back, no longer bashful to do so. I washed my own hair, the blonde strands falling into my eyes. I finished washing the rest of my body and turned back to my younger sister. She then said, "Jou, I love you." Before quickly kissing me with fiery passion. Her eyes shut tight, as if scared to do this.
I broke the kiss when I heard the door bang open, and my father pulled the curtain back. "I can't leave you two the fuck alone! God Damn it, why don't the two of you just go fuck each other!" His voice was booming in my ears, Shizuka's arms trembled around my neck. His arm began to strike at her, and without another wasted movement, I shifted our naked bodies, allowing myself to take the blow. I slammed into the wall behind me, and fell into the wet shower floor. I tasted warm fluid in my mouth before passing out.
I awoke that night, my sister was in my arms. The next thing I noticed was the scab on my tongue. I must have bit it when I was slammed into the wall. The moon was bright this night. Beautiful really. I noticed again how smooth my sister felt against me.
Her hair felt like silk in my hand, as I caressed lightly. I imagined her heart-warming eyes, her 'I love you' smile. Why must I be cursed so? Why does she have to be my sister and not my lover? Despite the thick taste of old blood, and the scab wounds my teeth made, I could still taste her kiss. As sweet as sugar, but fierce like the fruits of passion. Until then, I never thought so clearly, so caring.
Just as I was about to dose off, I heard my mother come in. She was panicked and worried. Her face wrinkled with the stress which burdened her. "Shizuka." She whispered, shaking her violently. She did not notice that I closed my eyes, which is fortunate, because the news might be something I would care to know.
"Shizuka, this is a Friday night." She said, trembling, "And on this night, your father is going to leave me." My mind raced. If he left, a demon though he was, how might I ever, how will we ever survive? "And, I want to save you." I could feel her, staring at me. Burning me with her desire to help me. But it was better this way, I would, if needed, give an opportunity to leave, to my unscathed sister, the one I love. "And, Jou...will be fine...I promise. But you, you have to leave now. You won't survive." Her tears fell on my hand, which bound tightly to the other. I still refused to let her go. But when her hand touched my arm, pulling for her release. I just, could not stop her. It is her life.
"Mother . . . how?" She asked, still in a dreamy state from being awoken.
"Here is all the money I have saved. Go buy yourself a dancing dress." I knew she was looking at her with a fire of determination. "Now you be nice to the gentle men now, and they'll be nice to you." Her weight on the bed lifted. And she proceeded to the door, as indicated by her heavy footsteps.
"But mom..." Began my angel. My mother turned back, and must have gripped her by her shoulders, holding onto her strongly. "Shizuka, here's your once chance, baby, don't let me down. Now excuse me for what I do," She said this and I could feel her eyes press sorrowfully against my back, "but this is up to you. Now, honey move yourself up town."
I fought hard, but I then fell asleep.
A/N:
Alright, just a promise, a little love for Um, I like it, I think it is different, a LOT different from the usual. I really think highly of it, almost a novelish piece of work. Oh, this is from the Jou POV but only this chapter. (FYI, the rest will be third person limited.) I plan on some of the themes here coming up in later chapters, but who the hell knows...Eh, I don't care right now. Got 4 stories to read and 3 to finish and 2 to plan out. I am a busy literary...
Laterz!