Chapter 2

Sakura ran.

She had no idea where she was going, but she ran nonetheless. Questions ran her mind, at the same speed as she ran over the stones of the streets.

What the hell was going on? Who was at the door? The government? Or was it the family that wanted the book also? Or maybe there were more people after the book then she knew.

How did they know she had it? She never told anyone, nor did her foster parents. Her real parent didn't even know where she was – or so she thought – so they couldn't have said anything about her or the book.

Maybe they searched all houses and they didn't know that she really had the book. Maybe they where only after the book and they would leave her alone. Maybe… "What am I thinking?" she thought. "They may never have the book. It's the key to my past, and dangerous in the wrong hands! Isn't everybody saying that?"

Streets with houses where passing by at full speed. She was really running hard, she realized. Slowing down, she tried to focus on her surroundings. Where was she? It was already dark, so she didn't recognize it at first. But then she saw it, she was near a train station.

She must have run very hard, to get here that fast. She walked quickly through the station doors, not wanting to attract any attention. She entered the first train she saw that would soon leave, wanting to get away as fast as possible. She had no idea where the train was going, but it would surely bring her away from here.

Sitting in the train she tried to relax. But where should she be going now? She needed shelter for the night, she needed sleep. On the other hand, she wasn't tired, adrenaline was still flowing trough her veins.

She looked around. There was just one man sitting at the other end of the compartment, with an extremely large hat on his head. It was very quiet for this hour of the day. The train began to ride, making the same noises over and over again.

The man was reading a newspaper and didn't pay any attention to her. She looked at her bag, maybe there was something useful inside it. Opening the bag, she found some candy that she had secretly hidden in her shirts, which her mom had thrown in the bag.

Chewing on one of the candy's, she explored the bag. There were clothes in it: underwear, trousers, shirts and sweaters. There was a clock – her alarm clock, which she didn't like at all – some ballpoints and paper, her first-aid set (How could her mom think about such a thing AND find it, while she was acting almost paranoid?), a pair of gym shoes, a comb, and two wallets, one of her own and one her mother gave her.

Realizing that she didn't wore any jacket and was still wearing her slippers, she picked sweater and shoes out of the bag, together with the wallet. Switching the shoes, pulling the sweater on, she calmed down a bit. Then she checked the wallet of her mother. It was a large black thing and kind of heavy for a wallet. She opened it and…

SHRIEK!

'SOME money?!?!' she almost yelled. She looked quickly at the man in the corner, but he apparently didn't noticed her quiet yell .

Did her mom gave her the wrong wallet or something? There was more then enough money in that thing to survive for an entire year AND rent a room.

She also discovered a plane ticket and a letter. With trembling hands she opened the letter and started to read.

Dear Sakura-chan,

If you read this, you'll be probably running away from the people following you. Who they are, we don't know. It can be the government, it can be the Li-clan. It even can be someone we haven't heard of yet.

In this wallet is enough money to survive for a while. We saved it for you, because we knew that having that specific book in your possession would mean trouble.

Remember one thing: you have to get away from Hong Kong!

You'll also find a plan ticket in this wallet. It's a blank ticket to Tomoeda in Japan, where we think you will be save, at least saver then you are here.

You must go to the reception in the airport, where they can validate your ticket. You need your identification for this, so if you don't carry that with you, you have to sneak in.

Don't look back, dear. You have to escape, make sure you are save, with the book and key. You can only use them in utter despair. Remember that!

Remember, we love you! Don't forget us, but don't come back, until all is save.

Love, Mom and Dad

Trembling more then before, she stared at the letter. She would do what they had said, but she couldn't believe she wouldn't see them anymore. She didn't even say goodbye…

She read the letter a couple of times, before she put it safely away in her bag. The key pendant hung around her neck, under her sweater, where no one could see it. The train was arriving at its first station, but she didn't get out.

Someone on the intercom named the places where they would still be going, and luckily, Hong Kong Airport was the next one. Maybe luck was on her side, while else everybody had left her, or she had left them.

When the train arrived, she did as the letter said. She went to the reception, validated the tocket and waited for the plane to arrive. Luck was on her side again. The plane would be arriving in half an hour. She bought herself a cup of hot chocolate, and waited on a row of chairs.

The airport was crowded. People rushed to there planes, or they where going home. Some waited, like her, for their plane. Some searched for friends or family, who had just arrived at the airport. People where sitting next to her, and she made herself as small as possible.

When the intercom said that the plane for Tomoeda was ready to take it's passengers, she quickly got on the plane. Sitting there, she finally relaxed a bit. She couldn't do anything but sit and wait now, and soon she fell asleep from exhaustion.

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