It all came crashing down
Chiyo screamed as she felt the pulsing pain as she tried to push the baby out of her body.
"Lady Chiyo you must not scream ''. The midwife scolded
"Don't you know how much pain I'm in!'' Chiyo yelled.
"It will be over soon lady Chiyo just one more push'' said the midwife.
Chiyo pushed with all her might struggling not to make any noise, suddenly sounds of a crying baby filled the room.
"It's a girl, would you like to look at her. "
The midwife handed the baby over to Chiyo
"My what a pretty girl you are, I will name you Shizuma. "
As Chiyo held the baby tightly, a tall slivered hair man entered the room.
"Chiyo are you, all right?" he asked.
"Hai" answered Chiyo.
"is it a boy or girl?"
"It's a girl" Chiyo said disappointed, as the baby slept peacefully in her arms.
Takayama picked his daughter up gazing at her.
"She's a very beautiful hopefully, she will grow up to attract the interest of lord."
At eight years old Shizuma was becoming quite a beauty, her father thought her
how to read and write Japanese characters at age of five. By age eight she
was able to read novels.
"I will not have my daughter just grow up to be another pretty face she will be
clever was well and know how to read and write ". Takayama protested.
Takayama sat down kneeling as he dipped his ink brush into a small jar of ink
eloquently writing kanji on to a scroll.
giving detail to each stroke he wrote, Shizuma sat amazed watching him
"Father what are you writing?"
"it's a journal "
"What do you write in it " Shizuma asked
" I'm writing about events that happen in my life "
"Is there anything about me?" Shizuma inquired.
"Yes, for example the day you were born and when you lost your first tooth. "
"Father can we go outside I want to look at the town?''
"Hai I will send a maid to help you pick out the prefect kimono to wear."
Shizuma ran to her room beaming with happiness she was so excited to go
outside she hated being coop up in the palace all day.
"What about this color Shizuma?" said Chizuru her maid holding out a blue
kimono for Shizuma to see that she pulled out of a huge box.
"Too plain, I want something brighter and oh this yellow kimono would do just great. "
Shizuma said pulling out the kimono from the box, her maid helped her put on
the kimono and tied her blue obi tightly around her waist. The maid then combed Shizuma silver mane.
"Why can't I wear it down?''
"Your hair is too long, and it will get dirty when you walk outside, then we will have
to spend the whole day washing it. Plus, you don't want people to accidentally
step on it, I heard it can be quite painful " the maid scolded.
"Fine put it up in a bun. "
Chizuru oiled Shizuma's hair then put it in a tight bun leaving only her bangs in place.
"Arigato Chizuru" Shizuma said before running off to meet her father
"Father, I'm ready to go. "
"Why don't you look lovely Shizuma. "
Shizuma looked out of the palanquin staring at the towns people on the street,
the town looked so lively and beautiful with everyone hustling and bustling. Then
she saw three children on the street, their clothes were dark and dirty, their
faces smeared with dirt, they held out bowls in their hands as the begged passersby for money.
"Do people really live like that daddy?"
"yes, dear not everyone is as fortunate as us "Takayama answered.
Rubbing his daughter on the head
"Here we are "
"What is this place?" Shizuma asked.
"It's where your future husband lives "Takayama smiled.
"Husband?", Shizuma said with a puzzled looked on her face.
"Yes, your future husband you will marry him when you're an adult.''
"Father, do I have really to do this, I don't want to marry anyone?''
"Just… meet him and see if you like him "
"Ok I will father. "
Shizuma and her father stepped out of the palanquin they were greeted by a man named Hiroto
"It's nice to meet you Hanazono- sama and you brought your daughter. She is more beautiful in person than you described her, my son will be most pleased."
He said as he looked down at Shizuma, He lead them inside of the house,
where a young boy with jet black hair sat, he looked the same age as Shizuma,
he stared at everyone that entered the house. as they knelt on the other
side of the room. Hiroto knelt next to his son and whispered into his ear
"That girl is Hanazono Shizuma Takayama's daughter your future wife, you should go over and talk to her. "
"She's so pretty father I just don't know what to say to her "
"Start by saying hello my name is Genji, it's nice to meet you. "
The young boy walked over and bow in front of Shizuma and her father.
"Hello, my name is Koizumi Genji it's an honor to meet you both finally. "
"Genji, why don't you show Shizuma around the palace, while Takayama san and I have a little chat "said Hiroto.
While the two men knelt chatting, Genji showed Shizuma around the palace first visiting the garden, where she saw a koi pond.
"The fish are so beautiful "said Shizuma as she gazed at the pond.
"When you marry me you will get, to look at them as much as you want."
The two walked to another part of the garden Genji turned around suddenly
"How about we play a game?"
"What kind of game?" Shizuma asked
"How about we play hide and go seek, you hide while I count. "
Before Genji could even start to count, Shizuma was already gone, after counting
he began searching for her, he looked in the bushes, but could not find her, then
looked behind the tree, she was not there.
Where did she go? he pondered
He saw traces of a yellow kimono sticking out from behind a tree. He was about to approach her until suddenly he hears a voice
"Shizuma it's time to go" Takayama said
Oh, thank God! Shizuma thought to herself.
Shizuma came out of hiding running towards her father.
"Sayonara Genji-san" Shizuma said before taking her father's hand and following out of the palace.
At home Shizuma's day was the hot topic of the evening
"So Shizuma how did you like the boy your father introduced you to?"
"He's …. ok I guess, we played hide and seek, and he had a hard time finding me. "
"It makes me happy that you've taken a liking to your husband"
"Husband! no mother I don't even like him, I don't think he'll ever get to that stage. "
"Don't worry you will learn to love him when you get older and be a good wife to him.''
"I only liked his koi pond, mother. "
"We'll find other suiters since she has no interest in him "Takayama interrupted.
Shizuma said good night to her parents then into her futon, while sleeping
Shizuma heard a loud noise, she raced out of her room to discover what it was,
she heard sounds of objects being broken, and strange male voice she's never heard coming
from her parents' room. She crept to their room and peeked through the
crack in the sliding doors, she became horrified by what she saw, inside there was
a man holding a sword to her mother's back, her father was pleading with the
man offering money in exchange for his wife's life.
"You see, if it were up to me I would take the money and run, but my boss sent me
to kill you and He pays very handsomely; Plus, after I kill you guys I can just take all your shit, that gives me double or even triple the pay."
he thrust the sword into Chiyo's back so far that you could see it sticking out of
her stomach. Shizuma was frozen in fair she tried to scream up no sound came
out, the man then grabbed Shizuma father made him kneel on the fall, then he
held the sword over Takayama's head, as he looked up he saw his daughter's
horrified face through the screen, with tears running down his face he mouthed
the words I love you to her before the man beheaded him. Suddenly Shizuma
felt someone lifting her up and coving her mouth, carrying her out of the house,
she tried her best to fight them off, but she wasn't strong enough. Outside the
palace, the stranger let Shizuma go, Shizuma realized this wasn't a stranger at all it was her maid Chizuru.
"You must run away from here it's not safe, promise me you will start a new life and never come back here. "
"Chizuru, you can come with me "Shizuma said pulling Chizuru's hand
"No, you have to find your own way "said Chizuru.
"You will not survive here they will surely kill you "
"What about you? "
"It's the end for me, please run live a full life and don't let my death be in vain."
She said pushing Shizuma away
Shizuma ran away as fast as she could tears rolling down her face tears in just one
moment her whole world came crashing down.
* Author's note *
I know I've been absent for a long time , but I'm back to continue the story , I can't apologize enough for leaving you all waiting for such a long time , but a few things happened in my life (due to health reasons )that kept me from being able to publish future chapters , I will make up for my years of inactively again I apologize to all my fans and thank you for supporting the story .
The main inspiration for Crimson Rain came the song track of the video game Mad world with the song of the same title . There are other song influences but I'll list them later .