I screamed as men ran into the house, men with guns. They shouted things in a language I didn't understand, but I could tell they weren't happy. My mother stood up from the breakfast table, shouting things in the same language they were speaking. I should have been suspicious, I had never heard my mother speak any language other than Japanese, or a little Chinese when arguing with a foreign merchant.
They ignored her, and one of the men, the one standing in front, shoved her to the side, as if she were an animal he didn't have time for.
"Haha!" Mother! I screamed, jumping up, and backing away from the men.
Two other men grabbed my mother's arms, pulling her a few feet towards the far wall. The first man turned to me, and I slowly backed up, shaking slightly, not understanding this. What was going on? Who were these men?
The man looked down at me, and said something in the strange language. "Ostanovite plakatʹ!"
I winced at his angry tone, "Nandesuka? Watashi wa rikai shite inai?" What? I don't understand.
They rushed at me, grabbing my arms, trying to drag me out the door. My mother screamed at them, begging them to leave me alone, to take her instead. They paid her no heed.
"Mama! Watashi o tasukete! Te kudasai!" Mama! Help me! Please! I screamed, thrashing around and trying to get free. A ten year old's struggles don't amount much to two fully grown, very strong men.
A woman stepped foreword, smiling, and said something in the same language as the man.
"Nanda?" what? I asked weakly.
She smirked down at me, and asked, "Dekinai no wa anata ga eigo o hanasu?" Can't you speak English?
I glared daggers at her, "Watashi o baka ni yame nasai! Aku no josei dake de o makase kudasai!" Stop taunting me! Leave us alone evil woman!
She smirked more, and turned to the men who were trying to hold down my mother as she struggled to reach me. She snorted, and said "Anata ga jissai ni wa korera subete no hito o tatakau koto ga dekiru to omoimasu ka? Awarena, anata dake de futsū no ningen. Anata no musume-san wa betsu no mondai no entirleydesu." You think you an fight all those men? Pathetic, your just a regular human, your daughter is a different matter entirely.
I struggled against the men as they tried to pull me into a big truck they had come out of.
"Mama!" Mother!
"Watashi wa mio o oshieta oboete iru! Zugatakai hōrudo!" Remember what I taught you Mio! Hold your head high! She cried out to me.
The woman said something to the men holding my mother in the strange language, and then one of them let go of her, and took out his gun.
"Nai!" No! I yelled, trying to break free of the men.
Mother just smiled at me, "Subete ga buji ni naru, watashi wa anata o aishite!" Everything will be alright. I love you!
The one with his gun pointed it at my mother, and then shot her. I heard that shot better than I had heard anything in my entire life. It wasn't like in the books I had read, where everything goes in slow motion as the hero of the story is thrust into the saddest part of his life. One second I saw him aim the gun, and as fast as lightning, the gun went off. The next second, my mother's head was covered with blood.
"Nai!" I screamed, jumping up in bed, screaming and thrashing out at the air in front of me.
I felt arms wrap around me, and I screamed trying to get free, until a voice made me stop, "Mio, stop! What's wrong?"
I shivered, looking over my shoulder at Conner. "Con-Conner?"
He nodded, "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine…" I mumbled.
"What were you dreaming about?" He asked quietly, pulling me onto his lap, gathering the blankets around us both.
"Uh…" Conner always slept in black sweat pants, so this was a little distracting. "My mother…"
He paused, putting his hand on my shoulder, "You never told me about your mother."
"I… I don't wanna talk about this." I mumbled, suddenly, I heard little feet running down the hall, and to my room door.
Akihiro flung open the door, staring at me with wide, worried eyes, "Daijōbudesuka!" Are you okay?
I sighed, staring at the sight of the little boy in one of my old white work out shirts. He was so small the shirt came down to his knees like a dress. Give me a break, the only pajamas I had that would fit him were a pair of Lovette's that she left behind. Akihiro had refused to wear them, since they were pink with little kittens on them.
I understood completely.
"Watashi wa komakai Akihiro yo." I'm fine Akihiro. I said.
He stood in my doorway, eyebrow raised, "Sonogo, naze anata wa himeiwoageru nodesu ka?" Then why did you scream?
I shrugged, "Akumu wa, sore ga subetedesu." Nightmare, that's all.
He gave me a sympathetic look, slowly walking across the floor and hopping onto the bed, next to Conner. "Ni tsuite no anata no yume wa nanideshita ka?" What was your dream about?
I smiled at him sadly, "Watashi wa jissai ni sore ni tsuite hanashiau made kanjiru koto wa arimasen." I don't really feel up for talking about it.
He frowned, pouting at being denied what he probably thought was a good story. Then he looked up at he, frowning, "You said Mother."
I raised an eyebrow, "Anata itsukara wa eigo o hanasemasu ka?" Since when do you speak English?
He smiled, "Watashi ga renshū shite kitaga, watashi wa migi no sore o iimashita ka?" I've been practicing! Did I say it right?
I nodded, smiling. "Hai." Yes.
Conner raised his eyebrow, "Please teach this kid more English. You're both giving me a headache."
Me and Akihiro both turned to him, glaring. I was glaring because Conner was talking about a headache when I had just woken up from a dream that would have made him pee his kryptonian silk boxers. Akihiro was glaring, probably because he didn't like Conner to much. Don't know why.
Conner sighed, "Sorry." He tightened his arms around me in a hug. "Mio, you have to talk to me about things like this, really. I want to know if something's bothering you."
I shook my head, "It's just a nightmare Conner."
Akihiro suddenly flung his arms around me in a hug, and I smiled, ruffling his dark mohawk. "Anata wa kodomo o surīpu jōtai ni modotte shutoku suru hitsuyō ga arimasu." You need to get back to sleep kid.
He looked up at me with pleading eyes, "Can I stay?"
I raised an eyebrow, and he attempted to continue his limited English. "Stay with you… sleep?"
"Why?" I asked, not sure if he could understand.
He sighed, giving up on English, much to Conner's disappointment. "Watashi wa, anata ga futatabi obiete shutoku suru hitsuyō wa arimasenshi, sono baka wa dono yō ni anata no hōyō o ataeru tame ni wa aidea o motte imasen. Anata no uesuto no mawari no kare wa hōyōde wa naku, anata no i." I don't want you to get scared again, and that idiot has no idea how to give you a hug. He hugs around your waist, not your stomach.
I smirked, "E e, sonotame no riyū ga arimasu." Yeah, there's a reason for that.
Daken just gave me a weird look, and I nodded, "Fain." Fine.
He smiled brightly, burrowing under the covers.
Conner glared at me, "What did you just agree to?"
I rolled me eyes, squirming out of his hold, and burrowing under the covers with Akihiro, "Go to sleep Conner."
Conner sighed, slipping under the blankets, and wrapping his arms around my waist. I didn't miss the glare Akihiro shot Conner, or the glare Conner shot back. Brilliant.