Pinwheel
"Grandma, I'm here!" shouted Hitomi as she ran into her grandmother's house. Her grandmother laughed, "I glad you're finally here. Do you know why you get to spend the morning with me?"
Hitomi smiled mischievously and whispered, "I'm here 'cause Mother and Father are planning a surprise birthday party for me, right? I heard them talking about it when they thought I was asleep."
Hitomi's grandmother opened her mouth in pretend shock, "I have a little spy for a granddaughter! What are you going to do when your parents try to surprise you?"
"I'll say 'Oh my gosh! This is all for me?!' and make my eyes and mouth really big, like this!" Hitomi demonstrated. Her grandmother laughed again, "Okay, since you're so smart, how old are you today?"
Hitomi thought for a minute, and beamed, "I'm five!"
"Very good! Now, can you count all the numbers up to five?"
"I-I think so. Why?"
Hitomi's grandmother pulled out an old pinwheel from under her kimono, "Because I want to you to count the blades as they spin."
"Wow! It's so pretty! Is it for me?" Hitomi asked. Her grandmother hesitated for a moment, and then smiled. "Sure, and if you want, we can bundle up and go outside. It's not that cold out, and we can watch the wind blow the pinwheel."
"Yay! I'll go get my coat and shoes!" shouted Hitomi, and ran towards the door to grab her coat off the hook. Her grandmother slowly stood up, and said to Hitomi, "Hitomi, stay in the front where I can see you. I'll be out soon; I'm just going to make some hot tea for us. It will warm us up when we come back in."
"Okay! See you Grandma!" yelled Hitomi as she went outside. Hitomi jumped down the steps, and skipped down the path. The wind was blowing her hair into her face, causing her to giggle with each strand that caressed her cheek. She watched the wind spin her pinwheel, faster and faster, into one big blur that she could no longer distinguish one blade from the other. It was a pretty red, like a bright shiny apple. But the pinwheel turned a deep blue, and Hitomi was puzzled by the unexpected change of color. Suddenly, she saw blue, not only on the pinwheel, but all around her. She felt herself being lifted into the air, and started crying, "Grandma! GRANDMA! HELP!"
Hitomi watched as her grandmother charged out of the house, trying to catch Hitomi. But her hand was too far away, and Hitomi disappeared with the blue light. Her grandmother sank to her knees, weeping, "I knew it was a bad idea to give that to her..."
Hitomi woke up on a small hill covered in wild flowers. She sat up quickly, scanning her surroundings. All she could see was fields and fields of wild flowers; her grandmother was no where in sight. Hitomi's body started to tremble, and she cried, "Grandma, where are you? Where is everybody? What is this place? I'm so scared..."
"Help! Somebody please help me!"
Hitomi's head popped up at the sound of the voice. She wanted to answer back, but she wasn't sure if the voice was real.
"Please help me!"
Realizing the voice was real, Hitomi cleared her throat, calling "Hello? Is anybody there? Where are you?"
"Over here! Please help me, I'm trapped in a hole!"
Hitomi followed the voice, and soon found who it belonged to. Covered by the wildflowers was a small hole, and it was a small girl around Hitomi's age.
Hitomi asked down, "Are you alright?"
The girl looked up, and tearfully smiled. "Thank goodness you found me! I'm alright, I just can't get out..."
Hitomi reached down the hole, exclaiming, "Here, try to grab unto my hands and climb up the walls"
"Okay-y..If you s-say so-o-o..."
Hitomi pulled as the girl climbed out, and soon they both laid breathless on the ground. The girl then turned over to Hitomi and beamed. "Thank you so much. I was gathering flowers for my brother and mother, but then I went too far; I couldn't see them anymore. I'm-m l-lost..."
Hitomi patted the crying girls back, softly saying, "Hey, it's going to be okay. Don't cry." The girl wiped her eyes, and turned towards Hitomi. "Really? Who are you anyway?"
"My name is Hitomi Kanzaki. What's your name?"
"Celena. Celena Schezar."
The braver of the two stepped forward and curtsied. "We're lost sir, can you help us?"
He smiled. "Of course. I just came from the woods near Fanelia. I'm sure if I take you there, you be able to find your way home. And by the way, call me Jajuka."
Hitomi and Celena followed Jajuka quietly. Hitomi was still scared of him despite his kind manner, for she had never seen a dogman before. She thought again to what he said earlier, of where he was taking them. Fanelia.. Hitomi wondered, What is Fanelia?
The question built up so greatly inside of her that she blurted out, "What is Fanelia?!"
Jajuka and Celena, both quite stunned by her outburst, turned towards Hitomi.
"Fanelia is a country. It's no surprise that you haven't heard of it, for it is a small country, but I expected you to know what it was, with you two being in this area." Jajuka answered.
"I know what is because I live in Austria, which is really close to Fanelia. What country are from Hitomi?" beamed Celena.
"I'm from Japan." Hitomi exclaimed.
"Japan? I never heard of that country before. Have you, Mr. Jajuka?"
"No I haven't. Hitomi, what part of Gaea is this 'Japan' located at?" asked Jajuka.
"Gaea? I've never heard that word before. Japan is located on Earth."
"Earth. Is that another country located on our planet Gaea?"
"'planet Gaea'? No! Earth is a planet by itself. If I'm on 'Gaea', as you call this place, that means...." Hitomi started to cry. "...that means I'm on another planet! How am I going to get back home now?"
Both Jajuka and Celena stared at Hitomi. "Y-y-you m-mean y-y-you're from another planet?" stuttered Celena. Jajuka's mouth hung agape, but then he composed himself. "Don't worry Hitomi. I'm sure you'll get back home. Since you came here, there must be a way to send you back. We'll ask if there is anyone in Fanelia that can help us with your problem. Look, there's Fanelia down there."
Hitomi wiped away her tears, and then laughed, "Well, come on slowpokes! Race you down the hill!"
Hitomi was already near the front gate when Jajuka and Celena slowly walked up. "Wow Hitomi, you're fast. You're going to be a runner or something when you grow up." exclaimed Celena.
Jajuka smiled at both of them. "Come on, let's go. We'll catch a coach to take us up to the palace, to see if they can do anything for Hitomi's problem. Then, we'll take you home to Austria Celena."
They hailed a coach, and oohed and aahed at the scenery as they rode up the hill. Hitomi looked on in amazement as she saw different people and things she never saw before. They soon arrived at the palace, and Jajuka turned the girls, "Stay right here. I'm going to talk to a few people and then come right back." Then Jajuka walked towards the palace, followed by two guards.
Hitomi and Celena lounged around the coach, fidgeting with their dresses and looking around. Hitomi's face then brightened, and she tapped Celena's shoulder. "Tag, you're it!"
Hitomi giggled, but Celena just stared at her. Hitomi turned somber and asked, "What's wrong? Haven't you ever played this game?"
Celena shook her head. "No, how do you play?"
"Well, whoever is it has to tag people to make them it. If you're not it, you run away from whoever is it so you don't get tagged. Got it?"
"Okay. And by the way, 'Tag! You're it!'" exclaimed Celena as she jumped out of the coach.
"Hey, that's not fair!" shouted Hitomi as she chased after Celena.
"Van-sama, I'm bored! What else can we do?" asked Merle. Van shook his head, "I don't know, there's nothing we can do inside or outside the castle."
"Caught you Celena!"
"I don't think so! I'm going to get you Hitomi!"
Van and Merle watched as two young girls came running through the garden, laughing and giggling. They ran towards Van and Merle, and then stopped shyly. The girl with green eyes and short brown hair asked, "Do-do you want to play with us?"
Van and Merle nodded their heads, and the girl with blue eyes and blond hair tapped Van on the shoulder, shouting "Tag! You're it!"
"I'm what?" asked Van. The green eyed girl sighed "Doesn't anyone around here know this game? Just try to catch us!"
Van stayed in place for awhile longer, and then started to chase after them throughout the garden.
They had agreed to have everyone was tagged be it, and Hitomi was the only one who hadn't been caught yet.
"She's too fast!" Merle breathed heavily. "Don't worry. She'll have to slow down for that log ahead of her!" shouted Celena, but they all watched as Hitomi merely leaped over the log. Hiding his amazement, Van put on extra speed. "I'll catch her! She's got to slow down sometime!"
As they turned around the tree, they saw Hitomi had stopped and was looking at something in her hand. Van snuck up her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Got you Hitomi!"
"What?..Oh, yeah. You got me..." Hitomi muttered. Van, Celena, and Merle all looked concerned about their friend, but then Merle noticed the thing in Hitomi's hand.
"Hey, what's that? What does it do?" she asked.
"It's a pinwheel. My grandma gave it to me today for my birthday. I miss her.." sobbed Hitomi. "Happy birthday Hitomi! How old are you now?" exclaimed Celena. "F-f-five. My Mother and Father were going to throw me a surprise party, but how can they if I'm not there?" Hitomi cried harder.
Van and Merle felt awkward, and Celena was frantic to help Hitomi. "It's okay Hitomi. We'll get you back. Look, it's almost nighttime. Look at the stars and see if you can find your planet."
"HER WHAT?!" asked Van and Merle.
"Her planet. Hitomi comes from a different planet. Isn't that right, Hitomi?" answered Jajuka as he stepped out from the shadows.
"Oh, sorry Mr. Jajuka. We didn't mean to run off. Hitomi and I were playing around, and than we met Van and Merle. We're sorry if we worried you." replied Celena.
"There's Earth right there! It's right next to the moon! That blue ball! That's my home!" Hitomi suddenly blurted out. Jajuka looked up and frowned, "The Mystic Moon? You're from there?"
"There's no way she can be from that accursed place. She must be making up some fantasy." replied a guard who suddenly appeared by Jajuka, and turning to Van, said, "Lord Van and Merle, it is almost time for dinner and-"
"No! I am from Earth or the 'Mystic Moon' or whatever is, I just want to go back there to my family and friends and I want to have my surprise birthday party!" interrupted Hitomi and started weeping again.
Van taken back from the whole ordeal, dug through his pocket before finding a tiny box. He handed it to Hitomi, saying "Here Hitomi. Happy birthday. Mother gave me these for when I get married, but I want to give them to you. Please stop crying."
Hitomi slowly opened the box, and gasped at the turquoise earrings that lay inside. Her eyes brimming with tears, she hugged Van "Thank you. They are beautiful."
"Lord Van, you can't give those to her! You are supposed to give those to the woman who is destined to marry you, not some common girl!" shouted the guard, but everyone ignored him. Hitomi hugged Celena, Merle, and Jajuka next, whispering, "I just met all of you, and you are already my best friends. I wish I could go home now though..."
Suddenly, the blue light again bathed Hitomi, taking the others by surprise.
Jajuka shouted, "Hitomi! What's going on?! Are you okay?!"
"I think..I think I'm going home!" shouted Hitomi as she was lifted into the air, clinging the precious box and her pinwheel in arms. She tried to wave good-bye, but then her pinwheel fell, stuck into the soft ground. Before anyone give it back to her, she disappeared, her pinwheel spinning wildly in the breeze.
Hitomi quickly woke up, and looked around her room. Was it all just a dream, or did I go to Gaea ten years ago? she wondered. Hitomi suddenly remembered something as she sprung up from her bed. She looked around in her jewelry box until she came upon a small worn velvet case. Hitomi slowly creaked the lid open and found delicate earrings the color of turquoise.
I thought I just were given these as a random birthday present, because Mom wouldn't let me have my ears pierced! But now I know Van gave me these, even though he wasn't supposed to...Van, I miss you so much... thought Hitomi, as she quickly got dressed.
She grabbed the earrings and ran outside, all this time remembering what the guard had said. ...supposed to give those to the woman who is destined to marry you...
Hitomi braced for the pain from jabbing the earrings into her ears, but nothing came, as it was like she had pierced ears all her life. Hitomi smiled as the blue light surrounded her for the third time in her life, lifting her up to the heavens, her head spinning as fast as an old pinwheel.
Please review!! And, if you are the first one to write why I chose turquoise for the earrings, I promise I'll email you back with some goodies!! ^_~