Chapter 4: Destiny
Months passed, how the girls managed to survie the winter even their adoptive parents weren't sure. But none the less the girls survived, an despite the lack of proper care made it to their 4th birthdays. The girls celebrated it alone togeather in their dark dingy room over a single old molded cupcake. The thin nearly waisted candel flickered before they blew it out, wishing one anouther a sad yet happy birthday. They attempted to make the most of their lives. However it was right after their 4th birthday that their "adoptive" father stumbled into their room drunk an high as a kyte one night.
Cornering Shanna he attempted to take advantage of the young girl. Scared an afraid shanna tried to huddel herself away from his advances, only to hear a sickening cushiy thunk as Sharra slamed the curtatian rod that hung in the closet against the side of the mans head, knocking him unconious from a combination of the drugs an alchol i his sytem an her blow. Quickly grabbing her sisters hand, the two quickly took their chance, and dashed free of their tiny prison an out the front doorof the apartment unobstructed. Nearly stumbeling the girls raced out into the night.
They ran, hand in hand for several blocks before ducking into an alleyway an huddeling togeather as thunder began to roll over head before the first cool droplets of rain began to fall. the girls glanced around before managing to find some shelter underneith an old half collpased over hang. There they remained for the rest of the night, afraid that at any moment someone would come for them.
By the time dawn came, the girls were damp, chilled and exhausted. The realization dawning on them more so now then ever that they needed to get father away from their adoptive family, and that they couldn't go to the police for risk that they would end up seperated. Clinging hand in hand, the two filthy girls made they way, back alley after backalley, pausing to steal a peice of fruit fro some small stores outside display or to rummage in the garbage for something to eat. Eating rotten food was nothig new to the girls, infact thats how they had managed to stay alive for their year in hell. While their foster family spent their money on booze and drugs.
Slowly the days seemed to draw out, night an day blending togeather, weeks, then months. It was durring december, that sharra decided it best to leave her sister in their tempoary shelter an try an seek out something beter, and perhaps bit of food. Carefuly, her teeth chattering in her head she crept around the old warehouses that lined the docks. a light snow had begun to fall, dotting her raven black hair with small white splotches which melted leaving her hair damp. Seeing an open door to one of the older buildings, she decided to investigate, an sliped inside.
Somewhere within the old warehouse, voices reached her ears, one spoke in japaneese, the other seemed a bit rusty at it, an kept getting the dialect wrong an mispronouncing words. Curriously she crept nearer to the voices. Carefuly peering past several large dust covered crates, she spied a man in what looked like a black and purple kimono, his hair was drawn back in the traditional topknot, though he bore no blades at his hip, she couldn't help but feel something familar about the man. As though she had met him at some time before. Perhaps in a life before this one. She never saw the shadow that sliped up behind her, but only felt the hand that covered her mouth, before the world went dark.
Meanwhile elsewhere Shanna stired a bit restlessly in her sleep. A chill had begun to creep over her despite the layers of old clothes that she wore to try an stay warm. With her sisters absence she had started to get cold. A frown slowly creased her young face as she realized she was alone. "Sharra?!" She called out tentively as she carefly crawled out of the small shelter an looked around for any sighn of her. She managed to spo a few half faded tracks in the snow, an quickly began to follow them. After short distance however they seemed to stop, just outside of an open storm drain which lead into the sewer. Her cold tired eyes didn't spot the tracks that lead on past toward the warehouse, instead she sighed an climbed into the drain, an beagn to make her way threw it, into the sewers.
She didn't even notice the stale old smell as she moved threw the dim tunnels, the glow of streelights an the ocassional securiy acess light illuminated the chilled tunnels, which were surprisingly warmer then the above ground. Shanna trembled a bit blinking as a pack of rats scattered before her. Again she tried calling for her sister. "Sharra! Sharra where are you!" She had taken so many turns in the gloom that she was no longer sure of exactly where she was. A feeling began to settle over her, as though she were being watched from somewhere in the darkness beyond, an this only incressed her aphrension. "Sharra come on please! I wanna get out from down here?! Sharra I'm Scared!" She whimpered an finaly setteled down finaly in a small inclove drawing her knees to her chest an wraping her arms around them, tears began to flow freely as she beagn to cry. Never had she been alone in her life, her sister had always been there. Now where was she? She was terrified now, wondering if perhaps their past had cought up with them an taken her sister away an left her an her punishment for being bad by running away.
Something soft brushed her hand, causing her to jump slightly as she looked up expecting to see anything but what she saw before her. Instead of seeing her sisters worried face, she found herself staring into the gaze of a verry verry large rat. That was more then she could handel, an her young mind shut down, as she sliped into unconsiousness..
