Dear Motoki,

When the leaves have become brown and orange, and the air starts to get cold, I find myself very inwardly joyful. It is so nice to walk when it is this time of year. And it also helps that I am at a good time for all the areas of my life. It is only early November, but it feels like a very long time ago when I came here, and that was only the end of July. I have been fighting so many nights that it feels like I have been living two days for every one.

But it has all been worth it. I have wrote to you many times in the past few letters that I am now working harder not just to stop drugs, but to save lives. This past week has been a good one, and I have saved many people. Yesterday I saved a girl from getting hit by a bus. She was just not paying attention, and the bus driver was tired. That is bad, he should drink coffee before going into work.

It was fortunate that I was in the area, because I was about to leave. My mission for yesterday was at the pier, because it will be easier on me later if I simply stop them from shipping the drugs into America. Mostly the Coast Guard deals with that, but somehow a few make it by shipping something like wheat along with the drugs.

There is no room in Southerland for people to grow drugs without getting caught. I think that is true of a lot of America. I learned by books that a lot of drugs are grown in oppressed and poor countries where there is a lot of crime. That is sad. People who buy drugs are many times allowing people to buy guns to oppress people and make them grow things like opium. I wonder how much money those farmers get from growing it.

Usually I just steal the drugs and get rid of them, but this time I had to fight two guards, and the others began to signal that I was there. But I was very quick and I snuck onto the boat and set it on fire. It was on the front page of the newspaper this morning!

In fact I am very successful, and they even said on the news that the mayor ordered everyone not to dress as me for Halloween, because the bad guys might think that they are the real Jupta! But they were not going to find me on Halloween, because I was a fairy. I got a dress and wings, and Elsie and Sammi did my makeup. I looked so different than usual, because I don't wear fancy things to school. I put a picture of us in the envelope so that you can see.

Elsie is a big fan of Jupta (how I wish I could tell her!), but in the end she decided not to dress as me. That is good. Instead she went as a hippie. Sammi was a princess, Jimmy was a werewolf, and Ed was Elvis, and he sang lots of Elvis songs when we went to the Karaoke party after a little trick-or-treating. We were so silly that night. Oh, and before I forget, there was a cute little girl dressed up as Sailor Moon. It was a little strange because she had red, curly hair, but she was still very cute.

We have so many songs in our band! I know I wrote to you when we finally had made music for all of the songs Mia wrote, but now we have many more songs of our own, and we have a gig next Saturday! I will have to take a break from my night work then, but that will be okay. We will definitely be a successful band! Though it was a little scary two weeks ago when Sammi and Jimmy were fighting. But they have made up, and our band will now all perform together at a concert at our local coffee house.

Do you remember when I told you what happened at the Monaghan's Restaurant and Brewery? And do you remember when I wrote to you when I finally saw the one who got away? I found out what happened to him. For a while I didn't know and had no way to find out how he got away from me, but then his story came on the news and I knew it had to be him. He turned himself in.

Apparently he had gone back into the shop to find out who I was, and he learned that no Asian girls worked there. So he thought I was an angel, all because of some stupid donuts. If he knew who I really was he would hate me for what I have done. The news didn't say what happened to him, but I think he is not in Southerland anymore. He must have given the police the names of his accomplices, so he will not stay here. It is not safe.

Oh yes, I saw...that man again. You know, the one I met in the pawn shop. And just like when I wrote to you last time, I cannot remember his name, not for my life. I wish I could remember, because he was a very kind man. But anyway, he was at the dance studio where I learn karate. He has a daughter, but I did not see her. He was talking to one of his friends, someone I have not seen before.

"It's just as well that I got rid of the Winchester." he said. "They don't carry the ammo at Jim's anymore."

"You could just go to um, what's the place...." his friend suggested.

"There's a store over at the edge of town. Over by the old mall. Is that the one you're thinking about?"

I recognized the old mall he spoke about. I fought near there once. It is good to know that there is a place I can get the proper ammo at. I did not mean to listen to his conversation, but he was nearby. I should have said hello, but I was on my way to an extra band practice at the time. I do not believe he even saw me. I should talk to him if I see him there again. I wonder which one of the girls there is his daughter.

My dreams have been getting better. It is nice to remember them. Yet to have them so close for five years, and now never see them again...especially since my parents are gone. I feel that they were my family, the sisters I never had. You knew my parents, and I do not remember for myself. Why did my parents not have any more children?

I am tired of moping! Often enough I write to you about these things. I am sorry, I will stop writing now.

Sincerely,

Makoto Kino

P.S. I am so crazy! I forgot to write to you about the best part! The President is coming to Southerland! He is from a nearby town that is very small, and it is in fact so small that he wanted to do his speech in a place where a lot of people could gather. I am so excited to see him. I will have to make sure that he is extra safe -- and then disappear for a while. I do not want to attract too much attention to myself.