Chapter 8: Back Track:

I was getting hungry, and I don't plan to go back to the Sueki's anytime soon. You can bet on that!

Since the Market was just opening, that doesn't help me at all. I have no money, and as far as I am concerned, no home either...

I had to keep my balance when walking in. Small children moved all about, playing chase, junken, and marbles. The parents running after then, grocery bags in hands. One family caught my attention. It can't be! It was the little boy from the other night.

There was a mother, father, and older sister. They were picking out fruits and vegetables for tonight's meal. There was another group of children, six of them. There was one little girl. She was laughing and talking about many things that she has seen and places she has been. She had pink hair, shaped in the style of bows, a warm smile, and soft dark rose-colored eyes. She was dressed in a checkered blue and white uniform.

She won the game of marbles she was playing. But she didn't boast about it, like I have heard the others. She just smiled and continued to play another game with them. I tumbled and reached for the closest thing. It was a brown table, with silver trim. There was a jewelry box on it. I couldn't pull myself away from it. Opening it, I heard... the song. A song that I didn't think you could find in a jewelry box... a song that only my mother would sing to me. The words were floating in my head...

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*DON'T YOU CRY...

I WILL BE HERE BY YOUR SIDE...

I HEAR YOUR VOICE...

IT'S YOUR CHOICE, WHAT TO BE...

MY SMALL LITTLE BABY...

MAYBE, WHEN YOU'RE OLDER, I CAN SHOW YOU THE WORLD...

MY BABY GIRL...

I WILL PROTECT YOU STILL...

I ALWAYS WILL...

CAN'T YOU FEEL, THE WAY MY HEART BEATS FOR YOU...

I'M HERE FOR YOU...

THERE FOR YOU...

CARE FOR YOU...

ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU...

WE'LL GET THREW...

I LOVE YOU TOO...

*MY LITTLE ONE...

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Mom, you promised you would be there for me, return to me, stay with me. I could feel water on my cheeks. I slammed the box shut and ran away from the music playing in my head, away from the market. All I seem to do is run, run away from my feeling, my emotions, but I can't stop running, not until... until I find you again. Both of you. Exhausted, I collapsed on bench. The sign on the top of the shop says Crown. Looking at all the people go in and come out. Ice cream, drinks, and food... food. I can't think about that now, I have to find somewhere to stay tonight. The radio in some car said it is supposed to be cold tonight. I have to keep moving. I stood up and slowly began to walk away, and then someone spoke to me.

"Are you okay?" Why do people ask me that? I'm fine... I'll be fine...

"Miss?" What now! I turned around and looked at a nametag. AND.

I begin to feel dizzy. I closed my eyes for a second and when I opened them, I was looking at the ground.

"Ann! Call a doctor!?" Ann? I focus for a second and looked into a dark blonde hair guy's deep blue eyes.

"You don't look well. What's your name?" I didn't want to answer questions! I can't explain. Too hard to explain...

I tried to rise to my feet, but I couldn't...

The last thing I saw where people in white and green surrounding me... all in blurs, then in fades. My mother's song played in my head...

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ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU...

WE'LL GET THREW...

I LOVE YOU TOO...

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"I... I want my mother! Get me my mot..."

Everything faded to black...