"Pay close attention, brat…! I'm about to show you what chakra is," Jano said. Yasmine quickly looked at Jano, but her eyes were averted due to a passing blue butterfly. "Brat…!" The child's attention, again, went to the man. Jano sighed heavily. "You ask me what chakra is, and yet you don't pay attention. You really are a brat…" he muttered.
"I'm sorry…! I'll pay attention!" Yasmine exclaimed. The two were in a forest. Yasmine's caretaker had already told her about chakra. The young girl fell asleep about three times during the explanation. Jano was now about to show her how to work chakra. He was standing, hands on his hips, looking slightly annoyed. Yasmine gave him a nervous smile, hoping he wouldn't grind his knuckles in her skull again. The man sighed heavily, closing his eyes.
"Alright, let's see what you remembered," he said. "Two weeks ago, I told you what chakra is used for. What is it used for? And careful when you answer, brat. I won't show you how to use it if you answer incorrectly."
"Chakra… is used to… perform jutsu," Yasmine answered. "Every living thing contains chakra. Ninja are able to perform superhuman feats with their chakra. Normal people have chakra, but they don't use it."
"Hm… I thought you were sleeping when I told you that," Jano commented, and then shrugged. "Well, luckily for you, that was correct. Now I'm going to show you a jutsu. It's the most basic of jutsu. Clone Jutsu!"
"Clone…? What's that?" Yasmine asked.
"It's an illusion that looks just like the user who uses the jutsu," Jano answered. He performed hand signs. A replica of the ninja appeared beside him. Yasmine's eyes lit up in fascination.
"Is it real?!" she asked, poking the clone with her finger. Her small finger went right through the clone; it disappeared, causing her brown eyes to widen.
"Of course it's not real, brat! What do you think illusion means?" Jano asked. The small girl gave him a blank stare, causing him to sigh. "Anyway, even with the most basic of jutsu like that, you need to use chakra."
"If it's basic, then can I do it?" Yasmine asked.
"Eh… no, you can't. Even with the right training, the most you could accomplish with your chakra is with taijutsu. Your chakra reserves are just too tiny," Jano answered. "Attempting to do this jutsu at your age will cause a major strain on your weak little body."
"I'm not weak…!" Yasmine pouted, crossing her arms. "Neji-kun said I was just fine!"
"Does Neji Meji let treat you gently?" Jano asked with a grin. Yasmine looked slightly surprised, and then the nervous look appeared. She rubbed the back her head, causing Jano to roll his eyes. Then she frowned, asking what that had to do with anything. The man chuckled lightly. "That's because he doesn't think you're strong enough to really fight with him—subconsciously, anyway." Jano suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Still, there's a good thing about him thinking like that."
"What's that?"
"You must make people think you're weak when you're actually strong."
"Um… Isn't that bad…?" Yasmine questioned.
"In a world like this, Yasume…" Jano actually seemed serious. His expression slightly frightened the girl. She had never seen it before. "… Public image is necessary."
"But…"
"You'll understand it better when you're older," Jano smirked. "You are only three now."
Yasmine looked annoyed. Well, at least her caretaker was back to normal. A serious Jano was seriously not fun. "You know I am four!" she muttered, glaring up at him. In response, the ninja ruffled the girl's brown hair. She swatted his arm away. "Stop that…!"
"I'm really… getting attached to you, brat," Jano whispered.
"Eh…?"
"Anyway, let's begin…!" the man clapped his hands. "For the next couple of weeks, we will be running around the village, nonstop!"
"What? That's a little too much, mommy!" Yasmine protested. "Think of my age, please!" She really didn't want to go running around the village. "None of the kids my age do this!"
"Those kids aren't going to be very good ninja then," Jano waved off her protest, causing the girl to blanch. "Besides, isn't Neji Meji training at this very moment?" Yasmine frowned. It was true what Jano said. Neji had told her that he was getting trained by his uncle and father and that had been the reason they didn't meet at the park today, or wouldn't be meeting for the next couple of days. "Do you want Neji Meji to come back strong while you're the same, hm?"
"Why do you keep calling him that?"
"I'unno," the ninja shrugged his shoulders. His ward sighed heavily. "Maybe you'll start calling him that and it'll annoy him enough to give me a reason to yell at his father. How dare that man say I look like a woman?!" Yasmine rolled her eyes. Her caretaker sure was petty. "Anyway, let's begin! You will be stronger than any person who steps to you!"
"… I'm going to turn into some kinda violence-loving freak, aren't I?"
"Don't sass me, brat!"
0-0
The two adults watched as their children played. The two men were drinking tea as they did so. Jano and Hyuga Hizashi drank their tea at the same time. It was a peaceful moment, and they had to admit that it was nice. The two were sitting on a bench. It was one of those rare moments where both adults were present to watch over their children. Hizashi stared at his son and his playmate. "Hm…" he made a noise, telling Jano he wanted to say something.
"What is it, Hyuga-san?" he asked.
"My son told me something yesterday," the pale-eyed man stated; he closed his eyes for a moment. "I would like to share it with you." Jano nodded his head, and then took small sips of his tea. "Neji told me that he was very fond of Yasume." Jano grunted, already knowing that. They were friends, after all. He sighed heavily as he pulled the cup away from his lips.
"What's that gotta do with anything?" Jano asked.
"Hm… Well, my mind temporarily regressed back to its teen years and I told him that close friends, like himself and Yasume, kiss each other," Hizashi answered.
"Ah… Did you, now?" Jano replied, and then sipped his tea, closing his eyes as he did so. It took a minute for what Hizashi said to sink in. His eyes bugged and tea spewed from his mouth. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!" he yelled, turning to the Hyuga.
Neji and Yasmine didn't even glance at their respective parent. "Let's play in the sand, Yaya-chan!" the little boy said. Yasmine nodded her head and followed Neji over to the small sand box.
"Please, Jano-san… I meant no harm," Hizashi said, putting his hands up in mock defense. "Sit, please…" The man glared, and then sat. He picked up his dropped cup, tea now sinking into the dirt. "I was slightly… impudent in my youth."
"Slightly…?" Jano scoffed. Hizashi chuckled. He turned his pale eyes back to Neji and Yasmine. The two were building a castle out of sand. The Hyuga closed his eyes.
"I… want to enjoy the time I have left," he said. Jano stared at him, silently questioning him. "Come; let us watch what he will do."
Yasmine frowned as she tried to construct a bridge out of sand. The tiny grains just wouldn't hold together. "It won't work if there's no water, Yaya-chan," Neji commented, noticing her problem.
"Then how come yours is working?" Yasmine asked, pointing to Neji's mound of sand.
"Because I'm a genius!" he answered with a grin. Yasmine stuck her tongue out in response. "Come here and help me." Yasmine nodded, and then crawled closer to her friend. The two were now sitting side by side. They both worked to make the pile of sand grower taller.
"This is gonna be huge, Neji Meji…!" Yasmine commented. The boy's face turned a light shade of pink, causing the girl to giggle. She didn't know why, but Neji's face always changed colors when she called him that. Maybe he was happy to have a nickname, or maybe he was embarrassed by it. Either way, she was a bit glad that her caretaker got the nickname stuck in her head.
"Hey, Yaya-chan… Father told me something yesterday," Neji said. The girl didn't turn her eyes away from the sand.
"Yes?" she asked. "What did he say?" Neji turned his attention to the sand as well and continued working.
"He said that really close friends kiss each other," he answered.
"What's a kiss?"
"I asked the same thing. He told me that a kiss happens when a person touches another with their lips," Neji explained. "My mother does it all the time with father when they're alone together."
"Why…?"
"I guess it's a sign of affection. Father says he enjoys it."
"What's a sign of affection?" Yasmine wanted to ask, but she didn't want to come off as an idiot in front of a genius like Neji. She only tilted her head to the side. The soon-to-be genius felt a bit timid, but he asked his question anyway.
"Ne, Yaya-chan… we're best friends, right?"
"Best friends…?" Yasmine blushed. She had never had a best friend before. Did Neji really consider her as a best friend? That is so overwhelmingly great. "Yes, yes we are!"
"… Then could I try kissing you?" Neji asked, slightly embarrassed. "My father told me that I had to… on your cheek, but it you don't want-"
"I don't mind!" Yasmine interrupted. "If it means that we're best friends, I don't mind at all!" The young boy smiled at her reaction. She looked about as excited as he felt.
"Good," he said, and then leaned forward to kiss her cheek. Two adults watched in astonishment.
"Wow, he's really going for it, isn't he?" Jano muttered surprised. Hizashi, equally surprised, coughed lightly.
"My blood does indeed run through his veins," he said, proudly. Jano almost rolled his eyes.
"That's funny. Wasn't it your wife that aggressively pursued you? Seems that your son has more of his mother's blood than yours. Does that make him more of a man?"
"At least I am a man," Hizashi retorted. Before Jano angrily protest, the Hyuga leaned forward, cupping his hand near his mouth. "Yasume…!" he called out. Since he called out her 'name,' Yasmine naturally looked towards him. Now because of this action, Neji missed her cheek and ended up kissing her lips. The two children stared wide-eyed at each other, while Jano gaped. Neji quickly pulled away. "That's my boy!" Hizashi stated with a small smirk. The man leaned back, satisfied.
Jano snapped out of his stunned silence and glared at his fellow man. He made a strangling motion with his hands. "You did that on purpose…!" he accused.
"Now, now, Jano-san…" Hizashi put his hands up again. "You can't blame me for wanting to see my son's first kiss."
"But at the expense of my brat…?!" Jano practically snarled. Hizashi smiled nervously as a sweat drop formed on his head.
"He's even more protective of the girl than I am of Neji…" he thought, averting his eyes so that he wouldn't have to look at the angry expression of Jano.
"All Hyuga are insane…!" the ANBU operative thought.
"What are they fighting for?" Yasmine asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
"I have no idea…" Neji answered. "Oh, here, I brought some candy. Do you want any?"
"Yes!"
0-0
Yasmine watched as the sand slipped through her fingers. She scooped up more sand, and then allowed it to fall again. For the time being, she had no choice. She had already played on the slide, on the jungle gym, and the swing set. But it was a little boring since she had no one to play with. Actually, she was waiting for her playmate.
Jano had gone on another mission, leaving her alone, so she had nothing to do but wait. There was a chance that Neji wouldn't show up again today. It was strange because he told her he would come back, but… that was over two weeks ago. Jano did not know of Yasmine's trips to the park, waiting for her friend, while he was gone. He did not know how long she waited for him to return. But Yasmine believed that Neji would come. Maybe he would come today.
Yasmine swirled the sand around with her finger, not really paying attention to the small designs she made. She sighed heavily. It had been two boring weeks of waiting… The sun was beginning to set by now. Perhaps she should just give up and go back home. Yasmine quickly shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. "No way…! Neji called me his best friend!" she said. "What kinda best friend would I be if I left?"
Unbeknownst to her, pale eyes watched her from behind a tree. Narrowed into a glare, pale eyes watched her. He had not understood what she said, like the other times she had spoken in her strange language. However, she appeared too enthusiastic. Too happy. "She doesn't know the pain of losing a parent…!" the boy thought, frowning. "That's why there's still a smile on her face! Her smile…" Hyuga Neji stepped from behind his hiding place. He quietly walked over to Yasmine. She was none the wiser of his presence.
He reached out to touch her. He had felt her hair before. Yasmine had told him once before that she had convinced Jano to wash her hair three times a week. She had grinned as she told him that story. Neji's face grew hard as he thought about it. He would no longer experience his father washing his hair for him, yet she did. She still could! It was not fair. Neji put his arm down. "Hey…" he said. Yasmine flinched, but then smiled because she recognized the voice right away.
"Neji-kun…!" she stood up and turned to face him. Her smile wavered slightly. Something… was different about her friend. Something about his face wasn't quite right. She shrugged, passing it off as nothing. "How are you? I missed you."
"Yaya… chan…" Neji responded, nodding his head. Again, Yasmine felt something was wrong.
"You haven't been here recently. I was a little worried!" she said, stretching her arms out. She waited for his hug, but it never came. Awkwardly, she lowered her arms. Yasmine looked around as Neji stared uncaringly at her. "Um… Where were you, anyway? Where's your father? Mommy's still away on a mission, so I thought it'd be the three of us again."
Hizashi always accompanied Neji to the park. Sometimes, the man would let Neji and her climb all over him. He would laugh along with them, bring lunch, and even play in the sandbox with them… if he was in the mood, of course. Sometimes, he had not been in the mood for games. Yasmine turned her eyes back to Neji. The boy's eyes were downcast. She could see the deep frown on her friend's face. His small body was shaking, too, Yasmine noticed.
Neji's expression suddenly turned angry. Who was she to ask that question in such a casual manner? "Don't talk about my father!" he yelled. Yasmine stopped smiling and backed away. Why did he yell…? He was usually a soft-spoken boy. Actually, Yasmine had never heard Neji raise his voice.
"Neji… Meji …? What's wrong? I-"
"Don't call me that, either!" the Hyuga interrupted. Yasmine flinched. Sure, he was usually annoyed when she called him by that nickname, but he would always blush and try to change the subject. It was a little routine that the two children had. Why would he suddenly…? He had never demanded such a thing.
"But that's-" Yasmine tried.
"I don't care! You know what? I don't to see your face anymore, Yaya-chan!" Neji glared at her. "I don't want to see that smile while I'm so unhappy…" he thought. Yasmine's small body shook. She held her arms to her chest as though to protect herself. The foreigner reminded Neji a bit of his cousin. His mild-mannered, pampered cousin. The boy clenched his teethed and squeezed his eyes shut. "I… I do not want to see you anymore."
"But I'm… I'm your best friend."
"No… You're not," Neji told her. "Friends are useless, so I will not have them. My fate is sealed, so I do not need you."
"Neji-kun…!" Yasmine stepped forward, reaching for him.
"You're not my friend!" Neji shouted. Yasmine flinched violently, nearly stumbling backwards. The boy shook his head. "I hate you…" he whispered. "I hate that you have what I do not." He turned his back on the girl, and then stiffly walked away.
"But… Wh-What did I do?" Yasmine asked. Whatever she had done, she would apologize for it. She just really did want him to leave. Neji was her only friend here. She didn't want to be alone again. Not after it took so long to really open up to Neji. "Please, Neji-kun! Whatever I did-" Neji did not look back. He continued to depart, uncaring of the tears that formed. The tears seemed warmer than her skin as she allowed them to stream down her cheeks. He hated her. Her best friend hated her. Yasmine stared at his back. The blurry image grew distant by the second. Confusion and sadness nearly choked her. But it the was bubbling anger that twisted her insides. "F-Fine…" she murmured. "I-I-I don't care…" The girl pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut. "I DON'T CARE!" Yasmine shouted after him.
Innocent bystanders, hearing the strange words, turned to see the source. However, the little girl was gone. She had run away from the park, only leaving behind the wet dirt beneath her. A small glass bird had been left as well. Upon impact with the ground, the gift split in half. It would have been a gift had a friendship not come to an abrupt end.
0-0
She ran. She ran so far away. The tingling in her legs screamed for her to stop, lest they shut down completely. After running around the village five times earlier today, her legs already felt the ache. Yasmine ignored the throbbing pain, though. That pain was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Her heart felt like it had torn right down the middle. "Why…? Why would he say that?" Yasmine thought. Hot tears continued to slide down her skin. The tears blurred her vision slightly, yet she did not stop running. Her throat felt constricting, and it hurt to breathe. She didn't understand anything, anymore. Was friendship supposed to be like this?
Yasmine tried to wipe away her tears, but they just kept falling. Her attempts at wiping her tears caused her to miss the stray tree root completely. She tripped over the root. The impact sent her flying. Her body had gone right off a cliff. Yasmine stared into the darkness of the pit as she fell. But she could not bring herself to care. There was a bit of fear. The bottom of the pit would surely be the death of her, but… "I… I don't care anymore," her mind whispered.
Yasmine Dalton should have died in that car accident along with her parents. She never should have ended up with her abusive uncle. She never should have tried to fight back against him. She never should have been here. She should have never met Hyuga Neji. The tears did not stop seeping through her closed eyes. The four-year-old wrapped her arms around herself, waiting for her doom.
She would be joining her parents. "Finally… I get to see them again," she thought. "Daddy… Mommy…" Yasmine's body sunk further and further down. She never tried to stop herself. She had given up. The only thing that waited for her was the endless darkness below. The darkness came.
Unfortunately, it was not endless…
0-0
Jano stepped into his apartment. He closed the door behind him and locked it. He yawned loudly. The missions from the Hokage might have been quicker, but they sure were tiring. "Brat, you here?" he called as he tossed his keys on the counter. Of course, the little rascal would be here. She knew that when the sun went down that she had to be here. Jano stifled another yawn as he walked towards the kitchen. He opened up the refrigerator, searching for something to cook for himself and Yasmine. Speaking of her, she still had not returned his call. "Brat…?" he called again. He lifted his head and looked around the apartment. Silence greeted him.
Jano closed the refrigerator door. Come to think of it… The lights in the apartment were still off. "She's… probably sleeping in my room again," Jano thought, walking towards the door to his bedroom. He smirked. After all, she had to run five laps around the village today. She was usually curled up in a ball on his bed after running. Jano pushed the door opened and peeked inside. The light was off. He didn't bother to turn it on. Perhaps that was the reason why he always banged his knee against the dresser… "Damn it…!" Jano grumbled, rubbing his knee. "Every time…!"
The off-duty ANBU operative felt his way over to the bed. He, luckily, found it and sat down. His hand felt on the bed, searching for the usual small body. "Brat…? Where are you?" he muttered, still feeling around. When he didn't feel her body, he immediately grew alarmed. He stood up and pulled back the covers. The sight that greeted him was the white sheets. Jano's eyes widened considerably. He dashed back over to the door, running into the dresser again. "Shit!" he cursed, hitting the wall as if he tripped. He felt for the light switch. He turned it on. Light flooded the room, washing away the shadows. There was no Yasmine. "Brat…!" he called out, leaving the room.
"I can't even feel her here!" Jano thought, frantic. He moved over to the window that had a clear view of the park. "She couldn't still be there, could she?" he murmured aloud. He opened the window. His eyes scanned over the park. Still, there was no sign of his ward. "Yasume—I mean, Yasmine… where the hell are you?" he practically growled. Jano jumped out of his window, landing quietly on the ground below. He dashed towards the park, heart rate escalating. It wasn't like Yasmine to still be up, especially at the playground. Once there, Jano scanned the area again. He chewed his lip. "This child is gonna lead me to drinking!" he groaned. "Where are you?!"
He walked forward, almost tripping over something by the sandbox. He grumbled and looked down to see what he had tripped on. In the light of the moon, the object twinkled. Jano crouched down. With his hands, he completely uncovered the object. His eyes expanded because of what he saw.
Jano picked up the object, now defined as a bird. A small glass bird lay broken in his hand. He stood up as he examined it. "That boy's present…" he stated. "That brat had begged me to buy this for her to give to him." Jano took one of the pieces into his other hand. He clutched both pieces, causing him to bleed. "Yasmine would have never let this be broken, so why is it broken?!"
The Hyuga kid had something to do with it, he knew. Jano knew of his father's death, but… that kid wouldn't seriously take it out on his friend, would he? Jano narrowed his eyes. "He's a Hyuga, capable of anything…" he muttered. "What did he do to her?" It was time to have a little chat with the pale-eyed brat…
0-0
Yasmine's body hit the wall hard. She dropped to the ground and winced in pain. This—it didn't hurt as much as it used to. Why…? Perhaps she had gotten used to it. A large hand grabbed her hair and hoisted her up. Hot, smelly breath caused Yasmine to grimace. "Do you know how long it took to find you?!" a harsh voice asked.
It was a rhetorical question. It wasn't meant to be answered, but something inside of her made her respond. "I don't know, how long, dear uncle?" she asked. She knew it was wrong the moment those words came out of her mouth. Her uncle looked shortly dazed by the response. He quickly composed himself, and then struck Yasmine across the face. He dropped her to the ground.
"Sarcastic lil bitch!" her uncle said. "Just like that fucking slut of a mother." The giant man turned his back to the small child. Yasmine's body quivered as she struggled to stand.
"D-Don't talk about my mommy…!" she shouted. Her uncle slowly turned to face her.
"Oh, still got some fight in ya?" he asked. He backhanded her.
Yasmine's head practically bounced off the wall. "Bastard...!" she muttered, trying to stand again, but failing.
"You listen here, bitch… You have nothing to fight for, so why try? Don't step to me again or I really might kill you," the man said. "I don't know what the hell happened to you while you were gone, but you're back here. And I show no mercy, so go back to the pathetic bitch you were. The one who didn't talk back and just asked for me to kick her lil black ass!" Yasmine used the wall as support to help her stand. Her head bowed.
"Yes, uncle…" she whispered. "I will try not to upset you anymore."
"That's more like it, ya dumb lil ho," the man said. "Now go in the bathroom and wash yourself off. I ain't paying for no mo medical bills, either, so you better not fall unconscious again!"
"Yes… I understand," the girl responded. "You won't have to worry about any more medical bills."
The man's eyes narrowed as he watched her go into the bathroom. It was like a different person was talking to him or something… The man shrugged as the girl closed the bathroom door. "And don't use no hot water!" he called. He moved his way over to the comfy chair and sat. His hand reached for the remote and turned on the TV. The television was god. As long as he had that, nothing else mattered, not even a stupid child that he was supposed to take care of.
Brown eyes glared at the man through the keyhole of the bathroom door. Soon that bastard would be asleep. The girl moved again from the door, a sadistic grin on her face. "That's the last time you fucking hit me… bitch," she said to herself. The girl made her way over to the shower. She quickly undressed and got in. "Don't use the hot water…? Tch." The warm water washed over her body, washing away the blood and splinters. The girl hissed as the water touched the long wound that had yet to heal fully. She put a hand on her shoulder and looked back at the thing that would turn into a scar. "Don't worry, dear uncle, I'll pay you back in full," she thought.
0-0
Like a cat, she quietly moved around the apartment, obtaining the things she needed for her plan. That man sat in his chair, sleeping so peacefully. He was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen to him. The girl, scurrying about, had a smirk on her face. She had everything she needed to carry out this plan, everything… except the gun. If she remembered correctly, that man kept his gun in his bottom desk drawer, under some porno. He probably thought it was safe from view because Yasmine never went in his room. The girl stealthily moved towards his room. It wasn't long before the Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power gun was in her gloved hands; it had been equipped with a silencer. And what luck, there was a bullet still in it.
The girl picked up the metal stool, much too heavy for a normal four-year-old to pick up. Grabbed a pillow, and then stood up on the stool. She had placed it behind the chair of the sleeping man. "It begins…" the girl grinned. She tapped the man's cheek with the gun. He didn't wake up. She smacked him hard. The man woke up with a start.
"What the fuck…" he muttered, slightly dazed, not to mention confused. "Why am I all tied up?!"
"That would be my doing," the girl smiled, hiding the gun behind her back. The man turned his head.
"Yasmine…?! What the fuck did you do to me?!"
"Oh, nothing…" She chuckled darkly. "I just had to make sure you sat still enough so I can speak."
"What the hell are you up to?!" the man yelled, struggling against the rope and tape.
"Don't even try to escape. You're stuck," the girl stated, raising the gun.
"What are you doing with that?" the man growled.
"This gun?" she asked. "I aims to kill you with it." Her playful laugh seemed as sinister as her smirk. "Are you ready to return from the hell pit you crawled out of?"
"You bitch…! How dare you threaten me! When I get out of here, I'm going to-"
"Oh no," the girl said, interrupting. "You won't be getting out. For your crimes while caring for your brother's daughter, your fate has been sealed." She leaned closer, lips almost touching the crown of his ear. "Don't think I didn't know you were planning on selling her soon… You disgusting human. How could you treat your blood this way? You're supposed to be family. And yet you blamed your niece. How pitiful you must be." The girl lifted the pillow, pressing it against the man's head.
"What the fuck are you doing, Yasmine?!" he shouted.
The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. She took a sock out of her pocket and shoved it in his mouth. "Shut up. I've never fired a gun before. I need full concentration…" she said. Muffled shouts were his response. Again, she pressed the pillow against his head. "And do you know why I'll get away with this?" she asked. "Because no one will believe that a four-year-old planned and followed through with this… cold-blooded murder. In fact, they will most likely think this was done by a tall robber, seeing as how I'm standing on a stool to do this," She chuckled. "I'll make it look like some forced their way into this horrible place you call home. But what's this? There's someone here? The robber will panic, tie you up, and shoot your brains out. Scared, he'll leave without checking any of the other rooms. Long story short, you'll die. I'll get away with it." More muffled shouts. "Oh, and by the way… the name's Yasume, bitch."
And with that, Yasume pulled the trigger.
0-0
Yasmine groaned, and then slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt like it was floating… She opened her eyes fully to see that she was floating! And naked…! She seemed to be floating in a dark… dimension of some sorts. "Why am I…?"
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face," a voice said. Her body seemed to turn on its own. What she saw caused her to gape.
There was another…! … Only, this one looked much more confident. She was actually grinning as she floated towards Yasmine. "Who are you?" she asked. The copy chuckled.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "I am you…"
"No… No, I don't think so…"
"Oh, fine, fine! Ruin the introduction!" the copy said. She circled around Yasmine, causing the girl to become slightly uncomfortable. "I am your defense mechanism. My name is Yasume."
"Yasume…?"
"That's right… For here on out, I'll be your protector," Yasume said. She stopped orbiting Yasmine and put the palm of her hand on the confused-looking girl's head. "I will also be like a sponge. I will absorb every bad thing you want to forget."
A dark aura of sorts suddenly manifested in the palm of Yasume's hand. She pulled her palm away from Yasmine's forehead. The dark aura seemed to vanish. "What did…?"
"See, all gone!" Yasume said.
"…"
"You won't remember the things that happened when you were 'gone.' You won't remember any of it."
"I don't know what you're talking about… but I kinda feel relieved," Yasmine admitted. Yasume grinned.
"Good, now wake up."
"What are you tal-"
0-0
Yasmine sat up in bed. What a strange dream… She yawned loudly. She flipped back her Barbie printed covers. It was the one thing that her uncle gave her that she actually wanted. He probably only did it to look good in front of guests. The young girl quietly slipped out of her bed. The first thing she did was walk in the bathroom with a set of clothes under her arms. It was all a part of her daily routine.
Get up, take a shower, brush her teeth, and get yelled at by her uncle because of something he forgot to do, eat breakfast, and then go back to her room, praying her uncle wouldn't strike her that day. Yasmine yawned again as she undressed. Stepping in the shower, she turned on the cold water. Heaven forbid she uses her uncle's precious hot water.
After her three-minute shower, she turned the water off. Her uncle hated it when she took longer than three minutes, so she took very quick showers. She couldn't even feel the coldness of her showers anymore. Yasmine dried herself, and then put on her clothes. It was hard, but she managed to brush her teeth as she put on her clothes. Her uncle didn't want her to take too much time in the bathroom. Apparently, it was a horrible thing to do.
You don't have to worry about him and his rules anymore…
The red toothbrush fell from Yasmine's mouth. She looked around, thinking she had heard something. She shrugged, and then picked up her toothbrush. She rinsed it off, and then drank some water to rinse her teeth. She spit it out. Yes, everything was all going according to her daily routine. Yasmine exited the bathroom. Her dirty clothes fell from her arms. Her eyes grew wide, her mouth dropped open. As usual, he was in his chair, but… there was a hole in the back of his head and blood spattered on the television. Yasmine stood there, frozen. "Un-Uncle…?" she tried to call out, but her voice came out as a whisper.
Yasmine took slow steps towards the bloody corpse. "Uncle…?" she repeated. She bit her lip. "Uncle… I broke the TV in your room!" She waited for the smack, but it never came. Her uncle sat there, motionless. And he smelled horrible, more than usual. Could her uncle be dead, like the guys on those crime shows? Yasmine continued to stare.
…
She screamed.
This was definitely not a part of the routine.
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Yasmine watched as the man beside her knocked on the blue door. He impatiently tapped his foot as he waited for someone to answer. She heard footsteps, and then suddenly the door opened. There stood an African American woman. Her appearance told Yasmine that she was old, but that grin, along with the sweat, told her 'don't judge a book by its cover.' Chills went up and down her spine.
"Here she is," the man said, giving Yasmine a slight push forward. The woman had to move backwards, least she be knocked down. "The papers will come in the mail in about two weeks."
"Why didn't they just send the papers with you?" the woman asked, frowning.
"…" the man didn't respond. Instead, he just walked off, leaving Yasmine and the woman standing there, looking at his departing back. The man was no random stranger. For six years, he had taken care of Yasmine. Now, she was being turned over to a new caretaker.
"Well, that's just plain rude," the woman muttered, causing Yasmine to refocus her attention. She then turned her brown eyes to Yasmine. "Come in, come in…" she said, motioning for her to walk forward. Yasmine did so, eyes scanning around the house. It was a small, simple home, but it seemed cozier than her last living arrangements. "I'll show you to your room, dear." Yasmine nodded and followed the nice old lady.
All around, there were pictures of what Yasmine assumed were family. However, there were a few people that didn't seem related at all. But she supposed that it was a family portrait. There were two elderly people in the picture, looking of Asian descent. The woman wore a scowl as though she couldn't be bothered with taking a picture in the first place while the man smiled. Perhaps they were married? In front of them, sitting in chairs, were three men—perhaps brothers, seeing as how they looked similar. One appeared apathetic. Another wore a giant grin. The one in the middle wasn't even paying attention to the camera. His eyes were on the darker woman, sitting in his lap. She had an arm wrapped around his neck as she posed for the shot with a victory sign. They must have been a couple.
The picture frame beside that one showed the same two. There was an addition of a child. She looked around the same age as Yasmine. Maybe she was ten as well. Her left cheek pressed against the man's right. The woman's cheek was pressed against the girl's other cheek. They looked like a happy family, though the resemblance was a bit off. Not to mention the girl had blue eyes and dark skin. Yasmine had never seen that combination before. "Um, ma'am…"
"Don't call me that. My name is Theresa," the woman stated. "And if you're curious, they are members of my family. My daughter, her husband, and their daughter live in Japan."
"Their daughter?" Yasmine asked. Theresa nodded. "She's not adopted?"
"Her blood is of Ishikari." Okay. That sounded weird. But the girl was not about to question it. "Anyway, enough about her! There will be plenty of time for that later. My granddaughter does visit from time to time," she said. "Tell me something, Yasmine." The girl nodded her head. "Have you ever run a mile before?"
0-0
Yasmine set her bag on the bed. She breathed out quickly, trying to catch her breath. The girl fell to her knees. "What's with that old woman…" she muttered, still panting. Theresa had made her drop her bag, and then run around the house about twenty-five times! Her heart felt like it was going to explode! This is where she would be living for a while? Hell. Just great. Still, at least the older woman told her that she was cooking dinner and that she could rest until then. In addition, Theresa had mentioned that she was adopting a ward to her daughter, so her granddaughter got interested. This led the foreigner to send a letter. Since they were the same age, the old woman gave the note to Yasmine, telling her to write back when she had time. The 'when' part freaked her out a bit. What the heck was this old lady going to make her do? Well, it couldn't be worse than her previous caretaker.
Yasmine pulled the envelope from her pocket and opened it. She pulled the paper out. Thinking it would be in the Japanese language proved false. This girl had written in English. Cool. She supposed that it was normal for a child of an interracial union to know, at least, two languages instead of one. The girl blinked at the handwriting. She might have known English, but her handwriting needed work. Luckily, Yasmine got the gist of it.
This 'Muya' girl seemed energetic and wanted to become friends right away, almost demanding that she write back as soon as possible. Yasmine blinked, dropping her hand, which held the letter. The only friend that she had right now was Yasume. No one else believed that she existed, though. If she told this Muya girl about her friend, would she deny her existence as well? "I don't want that…" she murmured.
Then don't tell her right now.
"Alright," Yasmine replied, shrugging. "I wonder… if we could be friends?"
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