Chapter 10: One Wish

Takara could not sleep. She had tried to squeeze her eyes shut, tossed and turned and thinking of nothing. She had tried every possible way to get herself to go to sleep but she could not. So, she lay in bed, listening to the sound of her breathing and her heart pounding in her ears. Suddenly, her throat felt dry and parched. She was thirsty. Takara sighed and sat up. She groped about for the lamp switch as she dangled her legs over the side of the bed to search for her bedroom slippers. Shuffling over to the door, her eyes landed on the slightly closed bathroom door. There was light spilling out onto the floor. From inside, she could hear sounds of someone vomiting. Silently, she approached the bathroom, her eyes fixed on the door and her thirst soon forgotten.

"Mummy? "

All that came out was a whisper as her voice caught in her throat. Her eyes opened wide in shock when Yumi turned around to face her. She was disgusted at the sight. She shrank back.

" M-Mummy, wh-what happened? "

Yumi's eyes became sad and hurt. She did not see the need to answer her daughter. She knew that Takara will never accept it no matter how much she tried her best to hide it in herself. She can never accept the fact that her mother had lung cancer.

Takara struggled to take in everything but she could not. Tears streamed down her cheeks in a perpetual flow.

Blood…?

There was blood everywhere. Every inch of the sink was covered in the thick crimson liquid. Yumi's mouth was also stained with it. Her white nightgown was bathed in blood.

Mummy vomited blood?!

" How long has this been going on, mummy? "

Yumi did not answer her daughter's question. Not because she did not want to but she could not.

" I'm sorry, Takara… " She gasped before slipping into unconsciousness due to heavy blood loss.

NNN

" Mummy, you're going to be alright! "

Takara squeezed her mother's limp hand tightly although she was trembling.

Her mother lay on the stretcher motionlessly, her face ashen.

It's like she doesn't have any blood left…

She ran alongside Yumi's stretcher while the nurses rushed her into the intensive care unit.

Please don't leave me like this…

" Sweetheart, you have to wait out here, " one of the nurses spoke gently, placing her hand on Takara's shoulder.

The girl reluctantly let Yumi's hand go. All she could do was stare. Stare after her mother. Finally she sank down onto the cool white-tiled floor, her legs unable to support her body any longer. She cupped her face in her hands and sobbed.

Why? Why must it be this way?

She felt lost and alone. Vulnerable, even. She had no one to turn to. She had only herself.

Why must everything happen to me? Why not others? Why?

NNN

" Takara Lekeisha Satake. "

It was then everyone turned to stare at the empty desk in the middle row. She was not in her seat. It was obvious that she was absent from school.

Wonder why she didn't turn up, Haruhi thought as she continued to stare at Takara's desk.

Just then, a folded-up piece of paper landed directly on her table. She blinked. Quietly, she unfolded it beneath her own desk. The untidy scrawl of a handwriting was familiar. She knew at once who the sender of the note was. The Hitachin twins.

Haruhi,

What happen to the newbie? Know anything about her disappearance?

Hikaru and Kaoru

Kaoru and Hikaru

(Uhm, since they didn't know whose name to put first, they decided to sign their names twice.)

Haruhi rolled her eyes and shook her head at the twins who were anticipating her answer. They did not waste anymore time. The brothers scribbled down another message and passed it to Haruhi. When the teacher had turned his back to write another Mathematics formula on the whiteboard, she quickly scanned through then note.

You want to visit her to know why? Maybe we could all go over to her house. I think Senior Kyouya should know her address since he knows everything about the data of the students here so he should know where she lives.

Looking up, the girl shot them a disapproving look. Again, she shook her head and mouthed the words out, " No, we will be invading her privacy. "

However, Hikaru and Kaoru gave each other a knowing look. Immediately, Haruhi knew that they were up to something.

" Oh boy, I'm sure that I'm not going to like this at all, " she mumbled to herself.

NNN

Takara splashed lukewarm water onto her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She grimaced when she saw her reflection on the surface of the glass. Watery, bloodshot eyes due to crying so hard. Visible black eye bags due to lack of sleep. Overall, her whole complexion was pale. She was scared. Frightened like a deer caught in a car's headlights. She wanted someone to be there for her. To care and to shower her with love and rounds of warm hugs. However, it could not be that way, she knew. Her father was gone. Her college mates.

Everyone! Friends do not always last. They'll come and go…

She was lost and she needed someone to pull her back on track. She wanted someone to whom she could pour her heart out. To tell her that she was safe. To tell her that he would protect her.

Just like my father…

A wave of sadness and longing swept over her heart.

Everyone has someone whom they could depend on. But, what about me? Everyone has a shoulder to cry on? But what about me? I don't have anyone…