I My name is Amaris. And I am the Second Priestess of Suzaku.

Yeah, I though it was crazy too, until I was told so by the Emperor Saihetei of Konan.

Or is it Hotohori?

Nevermind..I'm just getting ahead of myself...

As I said before, my name is Amaris and I'm a seventeen year old artist. Meaning I love the arts and such. I'm also a big anime and manga fan(Demon Diary and Mars rock!)

Though I don't have much time for that stuff anymore...

You see...I'm a victim of domestic & sexual violence. My parents fight... a lot...

So much in fact that the one doesn't work and drinks all day and the other works two really stressful jobs. Naturally, tensions are high. And I'm the tension reliever.

Or should I say punching bag?

I have learned not to resist when I was being beaten. And I'm also good at hiding bandages and healing bruises. Though, the other thing still hurt... immensily. And the trauma is also easily hide...

Sometimes...

My teachers are suspicious, but do not say anything. I have zero friends because of both fighting parents and I didn't want to get hurt or for them to get hurt. It hurts a lot that way...but it's the safest way.

I also draw a lot to escape the hellish reality I live in. In my favorite anime-ish style. I draw happy characters. No cares, no worries, no sad faces...It makes me thing that there is always a better place out there. Where the grass is green, the sky always blue, the clouds always white and the sun always shining. Hakuna Matata really...

Though...I know that Hakuna Matata doesn't really exist in this world. Nor a better place for me to find. I will probably always be a caged bird, only seeing life and joy through steel bars figuratively.

And now..my owner has come to hear me sing my song of longing for an end or for sweet, sweet release from this prison...

I hear his slurred tongue as he approaches the winding stairs leading to the base level of our home. You see, I live in the basement of our home. It's the only room left. Everything else is storage or hiding places for broken stuff and treasured items. Anyway, he stumbles to my door and enters without permission. He grins maliciously at me, mentally undressing me, like he always does before turning mental to physical. It always happens this way...not matter the circumstances.

After he finishes with me, he leaves my room, whilst I remain on the cold floor, fraining tears. I'm bleeding from down there and bruises are sorely red. My cheeks are stinging and my lips are brusied. I sigh quietly and weakly pull a blanket to cover myself from under the bed. I try to sleep, but a red light flashes before me. I look up to see a big..red..peacock...

Big... Red... Shiny... Peacock... with fire coming from it's tail feathers.

Now how did that get inside here? No windows..especially for one this size. He winks at me, and flies away, leaving a book in it's wake. I try to sit up, but can't. I reach over and grab the book. It looks old, though its red color is very prominent and vibrant. I lay the book in front of me and open the front cover. The words seem to glow in a crimson glimmer as they appeared on the page.

And as I read... a mysterious red glow takes me as I pass out from fatigue and stare into a world of darkness...and light