Hello! Here's the next chapter! Duh! When the text is italics, like this, it means it's a memory/flashback.
Dwell in possibilities- Emily Dickenson
Midorai was awoken by the sounds of a newscast reporting that the snowstorm had closed schools all over the city. She sighed, rolling over to lie on her back, her eyes staring at the ceiling. The sound of amiable chatter filled the air and drifted into the room.
She just sighed, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and heaving her body upright. Her muscles were sore as she slowly stretched her arms above her head. Silver morning light streamed in through the window and filled the room with a cold sort of light that offered no comfort or warmth.
Slowly, she made her way to the window, shivering slightly from the icy chill that crept from the glass. A thick blanket of snow covered the cars, houses, lawns, everything, covered in the pure white snow that was still falling.
With the rustling of fabric she pulled on her robe, tying the sash around her thin waist, letting the long bow hang down from her hips. She shoved her feet into a pair of soft cotton slippers and made her way down stairs, her long hair flowing out behind her like a silver sash. It had fallen out of its braid during her sleep and was now in loose waves.
Her feet skipped nimbly down the stairs to the living room, where Daisuke sat with his family on the sofa, watching the T.V as a reporter discussed the sudden snowstorm. The picture of the storm was still on the screen as she made her way to the couch.
"Oh, good morning Midorai," Emiko said happily, motioning for her to sit down.
"Good morning, Mrs. Niwa," she nodded her head to Emiko, and then sat down on the floor, after bidding good morning to the rest of the Niwa family.
"So, I heard, no school, cool," Midorai smiled, hoping it didn't look too forced.
"Yeah, but we have a play coming up soon, I was hoping we could get some work done," Daisuke moaned, rubbing his hair, "And break is coming soon! We'll never get any work done."
"Oooh! But just look how beautiful the snow is!" Emiko cried, snuggling up to her husband, Kosuke, who just blushed slightly, resting a gentle hand on the crown of her head.
"Yeah," he replied softly. With the sound of rustling cloth, Midorai made her way to the window, placing the palm of her hand of the glass, staring out into it. Daisuke just looked at the girl, who was staring so intently at the gray sky flecked with snow. It looked as though she was searching. He had seen that look her face before, that same creepily intense stare, as though she was looking for something that no one could see. It was in those times her eyes held such a look of anguish and longing, he wanted to tell her it would all be okay… but what would be okay?
Then, as she turned away from the window, her hand lingered for a moment, the slowly, her fingers left contact from the glass, and she looked the same as ever, smiling, and cheerful, her face flushed from the chill of the glass.
"And we advise that families not leave their homes, as the worst of the snowstorm has yet to come, but onto other news, it seems the phantom thief Dark is having some competition," the news reporter just smiled at the screen as a picture popped onto the screen. It was fuzzy, and from the security cameras.
It showed a young woman with short red hair, dressed in a black Chinese style dress, cut to her knees. She also had a pair of fox ears and a tail, and was smiling coyly at the phantom thief. Midorai nearly choked, as she gasped for breath, looking at the screen, her hand steadying resting above her heart, as though to steady it, though the Niwas didn't know why.
"Imagine that…" she managed to gasp out, before quickly excusing herself to the bath.
Still breathing quickly, she turned the smooth silver knob, letting the steamy water gush onto the tile of the bath. She grabbed onto a fistful of her thick hair, and soon pushed the rest of it over her shoulder, and gently placed her fingers on her neck. Softly, she ran the tips of her nails over the barcode on her neck, and sighed.
She remembered the day she got it, and the searing pain that stabbed through her neck for the next week. The needle was long, thin, and small drops of the black ink dripped off the tip. It was a scary thing to a child that age…
A girl around six years of age, was being dragged by her mother into a large building. Her head bowed, tears falling onto the floor, the girl shuffled her feet, staring at her patent leather shoes.
"Now, Midorai, remember, this is where you belong, do not run away, or mommy and daddy will die…" she then roughly yanked the girl's arm, making her cry out in pain as it popped, and the mother didn't stop the pressure until the girl looked at her with fearful eyes, "GOT IT?" she spat out, her voice filled with venom.
"Yes…" the girl replied softly, and her mom let go of her arm. Promptly, she pulled her arm closer to her chest, cradling it to her breast.
"Ah, this must be the girl," a middle aged man murmured as he walked up to the girl, placing a pudgy hand under her chin, pulling her face upward so he could see her as he bent over. The girl's eyes held a look of pain and remorse, tears still rolling down her face.
"Yes, now then, how much money will I get and when will I get it?" the mother asked, placing her free hand on her hip.
"Well, let's get the girl out of here, and ready, and then we'll discuss pay, thank you," the man replied, and motioned to a group of people standing behind him. They slowly walked forward and grabbed the girl, yanking her away from her mom.
The girl promptly started to cry, struggling to get away from the arms of the men who held onto her roughly, their fingers digging painfully into her ribs
"MOMMY! MOMMY! DON'T LEAVE ME! I'LL BE GOOD!" as the girl was dragged away, her cried of anguished slowly became smaller, until the last thing the mother heard was "I promise, I'll be good, please don't leave me…"
Midorai slowly sunk into the bathwater, letting the warm water lap slowly against her pale skin, and she stared at the ceiling, breathing in the humid air of the bath, filled with scent of jasmine…
Midorai was left in a room with a woman, who looked as though she was in pain. Her face was scrunched, her nose wrinkled under her small glasses and her brown hair pulled back from her face into a tight bun. She looked more like some kind of vulture, then a woman.
"You, girl, get into those clothes, we'll dispose of these," she pointed at white dress that was folded neatly, a pair of white flats resting on top.
"Why?" Midorai asked, looked at the woman fearfully.
"Because I will hurt you if you don't, and you don't want that, now do you?"
"No…" and she began to undress, feeling uncomfortably under the eyes of the woman, who sneered at her, her eyes scanning the girl's pale body. She reached for the dress with trembling hands, and pulled it on, wincing from the rough texture and slowly pulled the zipper on the side up.
It was far too big, the hem wrinkling on the tops of her feet. The neck was tight, painful, making it hard for the girl to breathe. She shoved her feet into the stiff shoes, her toes pressed painfully against the tips.
"Now, it's a bit long," the woman muttered, pulling out a pair of scissors, cutting the hem until it reached her ankles.
"There, all right… next room with you," the woman grabbed the girl's upper arm, and dragged her out of the room, where for an instant, the girl saw her mother, but was shoved into a small room, where a man waited, a long needle in his hands…
Midorai's head rested on the bottom of the bath, her eyes closed under the warm water, her breath captured in her lungs, unable to take in any more. She could end it right there, just this simple, and no one would miss her, maybe the Niwas, but they had only known her for a few days, not a lot to miss.
Her lungs felt ready to burst as she reached slowly sat up, letting the water run off her face and back into to bath. She took in a few steadying breathes, before going back under, back to the silence of water…
The man slowly placed the tip of the needle on the back of the girl's neck. She could feel it bite into her skin, and feel the ink stain her pale flesh. Biting her lip to keep from screaming, the girl waited until the man was done, her breathing quick and shallow from the pain. The man just grinned at her with a sinister look in his eyes, as he wiped off the needle, and let her push herself off the chair, tears stinging her eyes, and was dragged off again to a cell, the metal doors clanging shut behind her, heralding her doom.
Water dripping off her body; she got out of the bath, wrapping a towel around her body, shuddering from the memories that were burned into her mind. She slowly began to dress, pulling on her outfit gently, and thinking about just what had happened in those times.
Soon, she pulled on a thick, navy blue sweater over a white tank top, and finished wringing out the last bit of water from her thick locks.
"I badly need to cut these," she muttered to herself, tugging at them playfully, before pulling them back with a hair band, and she made her way to the room she was staying in.
Resting on top of the desk was a deck of Tarot cards, one she had bought the other day. The tips of her long fingers rested on the smooth tops, Celtic symbols were printed on them, in green and gold. She hadn't read a fortune in a while, but she remembered.
A girl around 9 years old was sitting on the bed in cell, her white hair hanging over the side. She kicked her feet, which were covered by worn white flats.
"So, you're the girl they sent here," a voice murmured, seemingly out of nowhere. The girl's eyes darted around the room, looking for the source of the voice.
"Who are you!" she demanded, jumping off the bed, landing gracefully on the floor.
"A visitor," the voice replied, and then, out of the shadows, a woman stepped into view. She had thick purple hair, cut at her waist and pulled back by gold net. Her eyes were a shimmering lilac, that glimmered in the dim lighting like diamonds. As she stepped forward, Midorai pulled back, placing her hands against the cool wall.
The woman was regally dressed, not in garb of Midorai. No, she wore a dress of deep blue velvet and silk, thick gold cords were tied around her waist and her elbows. From her elbows the sleeves billowed out in a blue chiffon, past her fingers, which were adorned with thick gold rings.
"Me? I am Desdemona, fortune teller, and dear child, I am here to visit you," she replied in her voice, that seemed heavy, as though her words were a prophecy.
"Desdemona? You're the fortune teller the boss uses!" Midorai gasped, stepping toward the woman.
"Yes, and I am here to read the cards for you…"
She had seen Desdemona read fortunes before, and knew every layout by heart; every meaning was burned into her memory, like a brand. She ran her fingers along their surface.
"Do you read Tarot cards?" she heard a voice asked. She spun around, it was Daisuke, who was standing the door way.
"Just a bit, an old friend taught me," she replied, sighing.
"Oh, who is she?" he asked, walking over to her.
"No one, she's dead now…" she replied, "It's silly for people to believe these can really tell the future…" but she trailed off.
"Dear, you're cards do not look good… A lifetime of pain and loneliness… I will try to pray for you…" the woman trailed off, collecting the cards off the floor. Midorai sighed, falling back onto the ground.
"Great…Just great…" she thought, and it felt as though chains were tied around her, binding her to that fate…
"Wanna come down, you can bring those, for some fun," Daisuke smilied at her, holding out his hand. She took it, smiling back, and they walked down the stairs.
'Maybe… just maybe I can change that fate…' Midorai thought to herself…
The cell seemed darker then usual after Desdemona died, and Midorai lay on the top bunk, staring at the ceiling, imaging the large steel chains that bound her to her fate of being alone and stuck here… She knew that Wyngs had killed Desdemona, and she could feel her death creeping up on her… maybe death wouldn't be that bad, or maybe, just maybe, she could change her fate, and break the chains of her destiny…
There we go, end of another chapter. Please review! The next chapter is coming up! Thanks