All Around The Town

All Around The Town

By Musou Misora

Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own BSSM, and the real story 'All Around The Town' was written by Mary Higgens Clark, one of my favorite authors in the real world! I had to make up names for Ami's parents because I don't know what their real ones are. I see this as an explanation as to why her parents were divorced...kind of...

I'm sorry if this is too much like the book, but that's how I meant it to be. And I'm guessing at the years, dates, and places.

***

Apartment Building in Tokyo, 1983

The day was bright and hot out. The apartment building's pool was overrun with families trying to escape the heat no AC could cure. One such family, consisting of a father, a mother, and a playful three year-old girl, sat on the tiled edge, hovering over the cool chlorine water.

"Ami!" the mother cried, as her only daughter tried to slip from her grasp into the water. "Wait until I put your swimmies on!"

The little girl called Ami pouted, but waited patiently for the extra help she needed. Her father laughed at her face-making.

"If you keep that face up," he said jovially. "It will stay that way!"

Ami gasped and instantly hid her face in shame. Her mother shook her head. "Don't tell her such things. She's only a little girl." Mr. Mizuno only laughed some more. He started to hum the tune to 'All Around The Town', he and Ami's favorite song.

The day went on as such, when finally the pool area became less crowded and the sun began to set below the horizon. Mrs. Mizuno turned away from her departing friends to look for her daughter. At the other end of the pool, she saw her husband chatting with the workers there that day. Little Ami was no where in sight.

Her heart split in half; one side was filled with curiosity, the other with growing dread.

"Kandan," she called urgently. He looked over at her. "Where is Ami-chan?"

Kandan's eyes searched around the pool, but all had left, and no sign of their daughter was found.

***

Little Ami had been very good today. She knew that her parents were very busy, and so did not get a chance to talk with their friends often. The girl decided to be very quiet and play with the other children at the pool, but soon they had all left. The few people left were all older, and Mr. and Mrs. Mizuno were still chatting happily away. Ami pulled herself out of the now freezing cold water and waited beside the edge.

A man she had never seen before walked into the pool area, unnoticed to all but her. A woman followed him, looking around nervously at all the people. She whispered something into the ear of the man, but he silenced her with a glance. He smiled, a very ugly grin, and strode right up next to Ami.

"Hello, chibi-chan," he said sweetly. "Would you like to get some ice cream?"

Ami nodded, but did not move. The woman scooped her up without a sound. The man nodded at her, and led the two out to an old battered car. He seated Ami on the backseat and strapped her in tightly. He and the woman stepped into the front, and they drove away.

***

Downtown Tokyo, 1986

Oushi growled at the old TV. Chibi-chan's parents were still searching endlessly for her. They called her 'Ami'...Oushi had wondered what her real name was. He had heard that the two had divorced about a year ago, because of fighting about what to do. He smirked. Oushi loved causing such chaos in people's lives, especially their's...

Aozora watched him from the dirty kitchen. This hellhole of an apartment had been their home for three years now. The woman closed her eyes, wishing that she could get Chibi-chan away from Oushi, wishing that he would stop hurting the little girl so much...yet the six year-old never seemed to be altogether 'there' when the beatings took place, something that angered Oushi.

She set her jawline straight. She needed to get the little girl out of there soon. Her planning, however, was interrupted.

"I'm going for more beer," Oushi grunted out at her. "Watch Chibi-chan."

Aozora nodded nervously. He peered into her eyes, and then left. As soon as the old car could be heard starting outside, she rushed into the bedroom where Chibi-chan was recovering from the last beating. The woman scooped her up as quickly as she had done against her will that day at the pool. She didn't even bother closing the door as she rushed down the two flights of stairs to the sidewalk.

Chibi-chan blinked sleepily. "Go back to sleep," Aozora commanded. "You'll be home soon."

***

Aozora ran the entire way to the apartment building Mrs. Mizuno lived in still. She deposited the girl on the doorstep outside her old home. She rang the doorbell and hurried down the stairs again.

A woman opened the door, face streaked red with tears. No one was standing outside. Aiji wondered about this, and then heard some quiet whimpering below her. She turned her eyes downwards, and beheld...

"AMI!"

***

(No, the story's not over yet! Keep reading for more, and don't forget to review PLEASE!)

---Musou Misora

"Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way?
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind?"

-Train, 'Drops of Jupiter'