The doll was missing. She searched high and low, but she could not find the doll. It was an important doll, and she was upset. The doll had been her mother's and now it was gone. Her mother was gone too, maybe that said something about the dolls disappearance. She had no mother, and she had no doll. The little girl ran through the park, calling for her mother, but she knew that no answer would come, for her mother was gone, lying deep in the cold ground.
She tripped and fell, landing at the foot of the slide. Tears slid down her cheeks and she began to wail. Her mother was gone, and so was her doll. Other children came to gather around the small girl in the solemn black dress. They asked what was wrong but she could give no answer, only cry and cry and cry. Finally the younger children, tired, bored and disturbed by her cries, wandered away. The other trickled away, one by one, until there was only one child left.
She continued to cry, paying no attention to the boy whom squatted before her, peering quizzically at her through his mass of red hair. She could not stop the tears they came and came. Her mothers loss, combined with the loss of the doll, making her feel worse and worse.
Ran sighed and continued looking at the girl. She was much younger than he was, closer to his sisters' age. She cried and cried, the tears making her face blotchy. Ran shook his head and sat down on the sand, keeping his body between hers and the slide. She was pretty, like one of the flowers his sister was always presenting him with. She was pale, and hand long blonde hair. She wore black, and her eyes were blue, although they were mostly red and puffy.
He began drawing patterns in the dust, waiting patiently for her to stop crying. But her wails had disturbed several babies, and a few mothers were advancing on them. Ran decided that if he didn't stop her, she would cry for hours.
"I'll let you play with my sword." He offered, and smiled. "Its not real, not yet, but I'm gonna have a real one someday. Then I'll be able to do what I want. And my mom will be proud." She quieted.
"I don't have a momma. She's gone. Like my dolly." She whispered, looking up at Ran. "They put her in the ground. She isn't ever gonna come back. I miss my momma. She gave me my doll. Now they're both gone."
"I'll find your doll for you. And you can have my mom. She's real nice and she smells like flowers." Ran said, standing up. He took her hand, and led her towards the woods on the edge of the park. "Were you over here?" She nodded, and they began to search the trees. They found nothing and moved on to the cherry trees. "What does your doll look like?" He asked, spying a patch of color under one of the trees.
"She's wearing a pretty white dress, and has long black hair. She's a bride." The girl replied, looking around. Ran led her towards the white shape that lay among the cherry blossoms. The girl saw the colored patch, and cried out. "My doll!" She pulled her hand from Rans, and sprinted towards the doll. She picked up her treasure and laughed with joy. Ran slowly followed after her, taking his bokken, his wooden katana from its sheath on his back.
"You can play with 'em both" He offered, holding out the sword. She took it, and smiled at him. Just then, A man appeared, calling out for someone named Kate. The girl frowned and turned to go.
"What is your name?" She asked, stopping suddenly and turning back to him.
"Ran, Ran Fujisawa. You can keep my bokken. Its called Aya." Ran replied. She smiled.
"Thank you Fujisawa Ran. I'll never forget you." She ran away, towards the tall man, and another boy who had appeared beside him. Ran followed.
"Wait!" He called. "Wait! What is your name?" She stopped and turned back to him.
"Its Kate, Kate Crawford." She called, and ran on.