Sakura

"Syaoran? Syaoran, where are you?" I couldn't help but yell his name as I ran. I didn't know what I was searching for, all I knew is that I was looking for him. Why isn't he answering back? I've been looking for what seems like eternity, he should have heard me by now! I stop and look around. My surroundings are are familiar to me. I had spent many of my days at Penguin Park, but none like this. As I stood at the foot of the slide, I didn't feel the warmth I used to. Now, it felt cold. Almost dead. What had happened here?

"Syaoran? Is..is that you?" I jumped back as I heard foot steps walking towards me. No, their not walking..their running. I turn around just as I hear the sound that will forever haunt me - CRACK.

"SAKURA, are you alright!?"

Sitting up I stare around at the walls before me. It was just a dream...But I couldn't help but wince at the memory that was still fresh in my mind.

"Are you okay? You were screaming in your sleep again..." I look down onto my bed at Keroberos, my protector, my friend. His golden eyes stare up at me with concern. As I tare my mine away from his, I pick up a towel laying beside my alarm clock. After many nights of waking up from the very same dream drenched with my own sweat, I've learned to keep one near.

"I'm fine. I had the dream again. The one at Penguin Park..." My mind flows back to the first time I had had the dream. It has been almost two months since the first night I woke up screaming, my body sweating. My father and brother Touya had come running into my room, prepared to take down an intruder. But all they found was me sitting up in bed with an expressionless face. As they sat down beside me, I cried. I screamed that it wasn't fair, that nothing like this should have happened. I cried until every tear in me had fallen onto my brother and I had fallen asleep. This occurred daily, until the night Touya and my father stopped coming.

Kero sighed as he pushed me down and pulled the covers back onto me. "You should get some rest, you have a big day tomorrow. It's the first day of school!"

"I know Kero, but I just don't think I'll be able handle it. It won't feel right being back there." I looked beside me as he pated my arm. I know he feels the same way. Even though he never liked Syaoran very much, this still hurts him just as much as everyone else.

"Sakura, I know it seems almost impossible to right now, but you need to try and forget. It was a terrible thing that happened to Syaoran, but he's back with his family now." Kero twitched as I stared down at him, analyzing his words.

"Syaoran is safer in Hong Kong. But it doesn't make me feel any better. I just know that I could have done something help him..." I cover my face with my hands and groan. It's all my fault. If only I hadn't made him so angry that day.

"Don't blame yourself for this. It was an accident. But is that the main reason as to why you've been having such a hard time dealing with all this?"

"You know why Kero..." I stare up at the ceiling and close my eyes and slowly fall back into unconsciousness.

---

RING, RING, RING.

What the hell is that noise? This has to be a dream. A terrible nightmare that will go away any second...

"WAKE UP, SAKURA! If you don't get going now, you're going to be late!"

I open my right eye, then my left. Ugg, it's wasn't a dream...sitting up and stretch I look at my alarm clock. "Oh crap, I'm going to be late!"

"I just said that..."

"Oh no!" I scramble out of bed and tare off my pajamas to put on my school uniform, but not before a head rush has welcomed it's presence. I sit down on my bed and groan. Remembering that I was meeting Tomoyo before school, I again jump off my bed, quickly putting on my clothes, and rush down the stairs into the kitchen for breakfast, but not before saying a quick goodbye to Kero.

"Good morning, monster." Big brother takes a sip of his coffee and smiles down at me. He hasn't called me that in a while, not in months. I glare up at him as I sit down and take the first bite of my scrambled eggs.

"How are you feeling today?" I look up as he stares at me. I know that look. It's the one everyone used to give me when they asked that very question back at the beginning of summer. It always made me feel like I should be put in a mental hospital, as if everyone was afraid I was going to scream and attack them.

"I'm nerves for school actually."

"Yeah, you should be. 11th grade is a tough year." He laughs, as if he thinks he's scaring me. I guess he noticed that I didn't seem too interested in him, or in my breakfast. "Hey, you'll do fine Sakura. You got through the summer, I know you can make it through -"

"I'm leaving. See you later." I didn't want to stay and listen to his "you're going to make it, I know you will" speech.

As I skated down the street, I couldn't help but notice, for the first time in a long time, how beautiful everything was. The cherry blossoms in the trees were falling onto the ground and the birds were singing their morning song. Finally reaching the school, I see Tomoyo sitting on the grass with a piece of paper in her hands.

"Hey Tomoyo! I can't believe it's the first day of school already. Feels just like yesterday that we were in the 4th grade." I laugh as I think about us back when we were 10 years old.

"Why are you laughing? If I recall, those were some of the best times we ever had together!"

"You're right, because that was when I first discovered the Clow Cards. Those were some crazy days, huh?"

We laugh as we start going down memory lane. I really do miss those days. I would give anything to go back. I guess I didn't hide my sadness very well, because at that moment, Tomoyo grabbed my hand, a sad smile now on her beautiful face. "It will be okay Sakura, trust me."

I took up as my eyes start swelling with tears. "Thank you Tomoyo. I think for the first time all summer, I believe that everything is going to be okay."