Chapter 9

I was winning the uphill battle against my cousin, she was staring directly at the situation, with no idea what was about to punch her in the face, repeatedly. The idea felt unnatural leaving a buzzing feeling in my hands. It felt good. Her curt voice bolted out quick instructions thinking she was still in control of my life, "My friends and I are going to the mall. You are to walk home today." Elizabeth said. There it was, plans and hopes crashing down as she launched a catapult full of assaulting insults and threats in the undertone of her sentences.

"No." I growled back towards her as her eyes went wide.

"I'll-"

"You have nothing on me."

"That's a lie...you know I have your world, and everything in it." Her atmosphere pushed out an aura of dominance.

"I am not your doll." I knew I would suffer later from my outburst of courage, but I needed to see her angry. I needed to see the frustration of her lack of control illuminate her eyes.

"Go now. And I could ask for pictures of your friends, I can have your stuff, anything I want within minutes. I can also prolong your stay, have your family will in debt longer." I felt my mouth open to argue with her, there was no way-I wanted to argue with her over her own cruelties, I wanted to fight her, there and now. Her glare stared through my entire being like a garbage bag, "Now be quiet, be good, and head home." Elizabeth smiled.

My confidence melted the way chocolate did.

Elizabeth outstretched her hand, tugging on my hair as she did so. "What do you want now? I'm already your prisoner." I muttered struggling to get away from her grip. Yanking away from her I hit my head against the wall as her hands forcefully shuffled around in my hair removing the hairstick. "You can't have it, it was a present." I growled at her. She scoffed rolling her eyes, with the sound of the zipper of her purse my hairstick was gone. "Elizabeth!" I shouted chasing her out of the room as I slammed the door open, only out of the corner of my eye did I see that it was just about to get dark, running down the hall trying to find her.

She was too fast, I had to go home and set a trap for scheming queen. I glanced outside to see dusk rapidly approaching as I sighed.

I muttered to myself opening the school door, well this situation could be an exception there was no other way to get home. I found myself wandering the town from sidewalk to sidewalk wondering if the mall was even in the town. Or if they took a bus to get there and there was no way I was going to find her.

I flopped down on the sidewalk, annoyed and exhausted. By this time it was dark the only thing that lit the streets was street lamps even other sidewalk. The town had a lack of people. Everyone probably already finished their after daytime activities and was either at home or getting ready for a glorious night out.

My legs were numb from trying to find such a place that I didn't know what it was looked like or was called. My mind was fuzzy. And Elizabeth had me both emotionally and physically exhausted. Scrutinizing the area I found myself incapable of remembering which way I had come from in my rage, it couldn't of been that far from the Blitztag home. This was supposed to be a small town.

"Hey...is this that girl?" A voice muttered.

"No way...she's just out here...she wouldn't be in such a bad condition and she's so far away from that place, that place um...that place." The second shadow muttered.

"Hey...hey you show us your face." the first orge strutted closer.

I felt myself gather the courage and voice to muster a facade of confidence meeting their eyes until I noticed their faces were green and covered in blue spots and horns extruding from their heads.

An ogre reached out grabbing my wrist, "What the hell do you want?" I shouted attempting to pull away as the second one pulled a picture out of their pocket.

"She's the one." The second one smiled that was until they collapsed, a bunch of plant seeds spreading out by them. I glanced down towards it as suddenly the large ogre let me go.

Silver-flashed by, a weight tugging my hand along. I chased after him surprised that I could barely keep up to such a pace.

"You shouldn't lose this." He smiled towards me unwrapping his hand as he handed me back, my hairstick.

I sat on a bench unsteadily trying to get it back into my hair, "How'd you..." I whispered happily taking it, but unable to put it back in my own hair since I didn't have a mirror.

"It seems it's your cousin's fault for you being put in danger today." Youko shook his head. I was likely dehydrating from wandering about most the day. Then he was gone. I smiled wondering if he was really part of my dreams or if he was just someone that this life decided I needed. Well, right now I knew I needed someone like that. I wasn't any Cinderella I could rescue myself, besides Cinderella deserved rescuing she did nothing but what she needed to do. People who burnt down schools didn't get rescued.

Shuichi was leaning over me, a bemused and confused look on his face, as he was talking, "How did you get out here? How did you get a hold of this?" Shuichi scrutinized his eyes investigating the hairstick that decorated my hair.

"It was a gift." I replied quickly my instinct wondering if he was going to try to take it too, but logic of his personality so far won over.

"What are you doing out here?" He whispered as I glanced around, Youko was definitely gone. Off on whatever flamboyant adventures he could find. I considered explaining to Shuichi the situation that Elizabeth was putting me through, but explaining how I retrieved my hairstick when I was out in the middle of nowhere was going to be a harder task. I shook my head, "Well, let's at least get you home." Wind rushed through the area. "Aren't you cold?" Shuichi asked shutting the front door.

"I'm fine, promise!" I lied struggling from attempting to stop and hold my arms in an act of being cold. "Thanks." I whispered as he glanced away a glare towards the edge of the sidewalk before returning his gaze to me.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow." He took a glance towards the house, likely looking at the darkened windows.

A look of relief flashed through his eyes, he quickly adjusted the look into pity before the average person would've guessed, "You've only been here...less than a week and they aren't worried?" Shuichi asked as I shrugged.

"Probably not, but it's alright. Anyway, you have your family waiting, don't you?" I asked, he nodded. Making his way down the street towards his home he shot a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure I had gone inside the house. Inside the only sound was the quiet ticking of the grandfather clock.