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The sun was high in the sky before Riku pulled the blankets from her head—she had managed peaceful, dreamless sleep that morning, a relief from the hellish nightmares she had suffered the night before. The birds outside chirped, a sign that spring was on its way. Riku listened to their sweet melody as she contemplated getting out of bed or not. Although she tried to block it out of her mind, she asked her self the same question over and over again. Why? Except now, she wasn't even completely sure it had happened the way she remembered. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was with Daisuke.
After her sister left for school, Riku found herself feeling more alone than ever before. All she wanted was to let someone in, to let someone know what was going on inside her, but how could she tell about something she wasn't exactly sure of? The cuts and bruises made her sure something had happened. With her hand covering her worst scar, Riku slid out from under the covers and made her way to the bathroom to inspect the damage done to her body the previous night.
Upon reaching the bathroom, Riku removed her clothing to stare at the scars stretched across her body. The figure reflected back at her was that of a stranger. "Why?" She screamed. "Why would he do this to me? It doesn't make any sense!" she choked through uncontrolled sobs as she crumpled to the ground; her naked, mutilated body twisted around itself.
She had been wrong. It wasn't better in the morning.
The throbbing ache she had been ignoring the past night hit her with full force. Still sobbing, Riku stood up and stumbled to the medicine cabinet. After a careful inspection, she removed three extra strength painkillers from their bottle and took them straight—without water.
Her head was no longer her own. Instead, she was forced to share it with haunting memories, memories that should not have plagued the mind of a fourteen-year-old child. In one night, her innocence had been taken away from her; the very innocence she tried to keep for so long was gone forever. In moment of fury, Riku swung her arm as hard and as fast as she could at the mirror, shattering it into millions of tiny glass bullets. The flying glass mocked her; she had again caused her own destruction.
Not bothering to avoid the broken glass, Riku staggered to the bathtub while the jagged glass pushed its way into her tender skin. She turned the faucet on cold and sat at the edge waiting for the bath to fill. When it had finished, she slipped into the ice water without even the slightest shiver. The water tinted red with her entrance, but she didn't seem to notice. She placed her newly wounded hand under the running faucet to watch the blood mix with water. A peculiar sort of curiosity came across her face.
After she was done in the bath, Riku dressed herself in a dirty pair of jeans and a red long sleeve shirt. Shit. What am I going to do about the mirror? Should I leave it? Maybe I'll just throw the glass away. She picked up the glass quickly, and wiped the blood from the floor before addressing her dirty clothing from the night before. Because school was just about out for the day, Riku threw the clothes into the back of her closet and decided to wait until another time (when the house was empty) to clean them. She then made her bed and unlocked her bedroom door just as Risa arrived home.
"I wish I had stayed home today too. You missed cooking class." Risa exclaimed, walking into her twin's room. "Why'd you stay home anyway?"
"Couldn't get up."
"Oh. Hey, Niwa-kun was asking about you today. I told him you were obviously faking sick. He was worried because you didn't call him after you got home last night." She explained while fingering little trinkets on Riku's shelf. "He's probably going to call you when he gets home though."
"Okay." Riku answered with both hands behind her back.
Ring, ring.
Riku moved from her uncomfortable spot next to her bed to answer the phone, causing her sister to leave the room.
"Moshi, moshi."
"Riku-san?" He questioned worriedly, although he knew it was Riku from her voice.
"Mm. Konichi wa, Niwa-kun."
"How are you doing? Weren't you sick today?" Daisuke was always a worrier, just like his mother.
"Not really. Tired maybe."
"Did you get some rest?" His voice still sounded concerned.
"Some." She didn't mean to answer every question so nonchalantly, but she couldn't really let him know what was bothering her. It would only worry him more.
"The snow is starting to melt, finally. Think you can go outside tonight? I really need to see you."
"I'm still tired, so I should probably stay in." He couldn't tell from her voice that she had lied to him. That's what the problem with Daisuke was. He was too naive.
"Oh. Well I hope you're feeling better. Since you can't go out, do you think I could stop by for a few minutes after dinner?" He asked timidly. "I need to talk to you."
"Yeah, I guess. I'll see you then. Bye Niwa-kun."
"Ja ne, Riku-san."
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