I watched the sun rise and sink below us. For days we floated closer to America. With everything in Europe, it was nice to find a new country, new land where people didn't know us. Everywhere there, they always seem to know us. Even if we
didn't know them. It was nice.

On the final day, we could see the buildings clearly. We tied boat down, and had it inspected by two different groups before we could go. We went back onto the boat after a bit of restocking. Once we had stocked up, labeled and logged everything,
we went off to the Ministry. Getting there was hard, to put it lightly.

We held our breaths as we went down to the Wand Permit area. In there was a woman with short brown hair. We stood in front of her. She looked through our files and back at as. "Really? You didn't even finish school, girl," she
told me. "How old are you exactly?" I thought for a moment.

"She's sixteen," Jitsuko told her. "Seventeen next month."

"Can't she speak?" I looked up and locked eyes with her. "Oh. Languages you speak."

"Is this all necessary?"

"Yes."

"English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean."

"Family?"

"Rejina has a brother, thirteen. I have no one, died when I was two. No siblings or relatives still alive." She scribbled it down and looked back at us.

"Here, fill the rest of this out and then you can get a permit."

We took the paper and handed it to her. She looked over it and handed our permits to us. We walked out in silence. I put our permits in my pocket and bumped into a man. I looked at him and took in many things about it. He had red-brown hair,
freckles and a blue jacket. I quickly looked ahead and followed Jitsuko back to the ship.

"We'll get food in a bit," she told me. "First we need to make sure Suiren is fine." I nodded and stared out over the water.

I held my breath as I took a leap into the water. Suiren wrapped herself around me. An air bubble surrounded my head and I smiled at her. Hello, Rejina. How is America? I projected a few images into her mind. It looks amazing. I wish I could
come with you. I nodded and looked at my hands. Jamusu will never find us, but one day we will need to stop running. When will that day be? I shrugged and wiggles a little.

I put a hand on her scales and looked her in the eyes. This wasn't going to end well. I closed my eyes and looked up. When I opened them away, I began to swim up. I scaled the side and landed lightly back on the ship. I waved my hand and
my hair and clothes dried. "She's okay?" I nodded. "Good, let's go get some food."

I walked down the street to where I bumped into the man to see police cars around the building. I closed my eyes and I reached forward and grabbed Jitsuko's sleeve. I felt their magical presence in the alleyway, it disappeared and reappeared
by the building we were just at. The woman that is with him, she must be fast on her feet.

We walked into a store and went around to get food. I held tightly onto the bag as we crossed the street and to the docks. "Hey!" a woman called behind us. We turned to see the woman who had given us our permits. "I could
use your help." She and the man was carrying another man between them. A woman followed them, looking over her shoulder.

"Ms Goldstein, I am afraid we have no room for you," Jitsuko told her. "We are busy anyway."

"Busy doing what?" she asked us.

"None of your business if you must know."

One night turns into many days and nights.

"It does, but we can't use our apartment. They'll know where to find us."

"I don't think I've ever been down this way," the other woman whispered.

You'll fit right in.

I grabbed the bags Jitsuko was carrying and walked onto the boat. They continued to talk about giving space here or not. I heard their voices fade when a man yelled, "Give them space, Jitsuko!" I stopped in my tracks. "You
will also turn over the girl." Screams echoed and Suiren popped her head in the window. "Rejina needs to be handed in."

"Or else?"

"Or else you both face death penalties."

"You know she paid her time, she did."

"She did not come when called."

"She's sixteen. Still in school."

"Then she must learn."

"She'll learn with us," came Ms Goldstein's voice. "I can get her all the textbooks, she can go the the American Wizarding school to take the exams."

"But she is not American."

"She can be."

"Give her back!"

I put the food away and went down to them. I looked Jamusu in the eyes. I am not 'The Girl'. I am a human with a name. Feelings. I am not going back to Japan, not like this. I
used Jitsuko's voice and projected my words to her. "I am meant to be finishing school, not hiding for my life. I am afraid of what you have in store for me, and I am willing to run across the world to stay away from you."

I pulled out the rods and they went down to their full length. "You wouldn't." I smiled. Jitsuko yelled
to duck and Jamusu kept standing, daring me do it. I went down and set it off. The blast went off. Tina and her group fell down, Jamusu yelled and fell down. I looked at Jitsuko. I put back into my jacket and went onto the boat. Jitsuko had Jamusu
behind her. Jitsuko waved her wand and they disappeared.

"They'll forget, Jamusu will forget as well," Jitsuko whispered.

We locked Jamusu in the bottom of the ship and prepared to move further down the coast. I stared at the stars turn into the rising sun. The colors changed all around us and it was beautiful. We heard shouts from below. I got up from where
I was sitting to go talk to him. Opening the door, Jamusu looked at me. "Rejina. Let me out of here," he told me. "What happened? Why am I in here, anyway?"

What's the last thing you remember?

"I remember you getting dragged away and then finding out you had run away. That you broke the law."

That was eight months ago.

"Eight? Really? What have I been doing?"

You've been chasing us because the Government told you, I broke several laws. I read your mind while you were asleep.

"I'm sorry, can you ever forgive me?"

I closed the door and stepped away. I took a deep breath before going back up. I leaned over the edge to find Suiren swimming along. I looked over at where we were heading. "Heading towards New Orleans, there's a big wizarding community
there." Sitting on the ground, I realized I was still madly in love with Jamusu. And he was still madly in love with me.

His Mother stood in front of us. Sighing she said, "If you won't love anyone else but her, then this is a terrible day, indeed." Jamusu looked at me. My eyes red and puffy from crying. "Don't worry, Rejina, you will be with your Father and Mother soon." Jamusu looked at her with horror in her eyes.

"Mother, no! Her brother, he is too young to be on his own!" Jamusu protested.

"He is old enough."

"She can have another punishment, not death," begged Jamusu. "Not death."

"A game of cat and mouse then," she told us. "You run, after a small punishment. Then, Jamusu will go after you. If he catches you, you die. If you manage to keep away from him, freedom."