About this chapter:
The dairy, continued. Videl makes a discovery.
Note: Again quite some gloomy parts :/. The next one will be lighter :).

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Chapter2 - The Dairy, Part II

Videl felt so bad for her. This just wasn't fair. This is not what should happen. A tear dropped from her cheek. She pulled the blanket tighter around her and read on.

"I buried him. I buried him under the tree. I wrapped him in sheets and dug the hole. It took me all day. With each shovel of earth I felt him die again. I cried. I cried, but the was no one to comfort me, no arms to fall into. I still can't believe what has happened. These days have been like a nightmare where everything seems to go wrong. I want to wake up but yet I'm already awake. Time seems to have stopped. Everything is a blur. Endless, hopeless and dark."

"It's so quiet around here. The house is filled with sadness. It's lonely. I've been sitting under your tree, thinking. Crying. Hoping somehow you would tell me what to do. The moon is dark. I can't do this, you know. It's not how it is supposed to be. I'm too young! Everything seems so different know. It's just me and an empty house. The nights are the worst. I can't sleep, and sit outside. The house scares me at nights. It's rooms are too empty. Yesterday I went to the beach. I say a rabbit. A white one. Strange place for a rabbit, the beach. It was there just hopping, hopping through the sand. I wondered where his mom and dad were. If he too was lost. It will be winter soon. There isn't that much wood left. I should gather some or it's going to be cold. Very cold. Why does everything have to be so hopeless…"

"Today I gathered wood. I sat by the fire, as I would always when dad was telling me a story. I could almost hear his voice. See him sitting in that chair. But when I open my eyes, I am alone. This house is full of memories. Memories of good times, but now overshadowed by everything that has happened. It is hard not to just sit down and cry all day. The only thing that keeps me going these days is what you told me, mom. That I must be strong. Believe that someday, yes someday, things will be different. Even though it is hard to imagine how they ever could be."

"The days are getting shorter and colder. I'm finding it harder too find enough food these days. The ground is cold and the trees are empty. I ate the last apples yesterday. I've been thinking of going to the city, but I don't know the road. Dad used to go there every once in a while. That is, when you where still here. It should be about two days walk I think. If you know where to go, which I don't. Still I have to try. I can't stay here forever. Like this I'm not even sure if I could get through the winter."

"I left. I left the house, on to the city. I left everything I ever knew. I only took what I really need. I've been walking the entire day. Most of the way through these endless woods. I'm at some kind of river now. There's lots of big rocks and large trees leaning over the water. It's actually quite nice. I've decided to sleep here for the night. I even managed to make a small fire. I've never been this far away from home. I may sound weird but I'm actually glad to be away from the house right now. I better get some rest now, because tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"I slept pretty good last night, something I haven't been able to lately. Also there was a bit of sun, also quite rare this time of year. I tried swimming in the river but that was still too cold. For the first time in quite a while, I actually felt pretty good. I started walking. The sun is setting right around now so I thought I'd take a little break to write. There's no sign of the city yet, perhaps it is a bit further than I expected. I climbed the tree I'm sitting under right now, and it seems there's nothing but woods surrounding me. I'll walk a bit more today, and then I'll try to find a nice place to sleep. I even found a tree with some pears on it along the way, I took them all, so luckily I wont have to worry about food for now."

"I found a rabbit. Or maybe it found me, I don't know. I was just walking and suddenly I see a rabbit in the middle of path. A white rabbit. It stared me right in the eyes. I walked to it but it did not run. In fact, it didn't seem scared of me at all. I crouched right next to her but she just sat there and stared me in the eyes. I don't know what it was, but something in those eyes just grabbed me. I was sitting there, staring her in the eyes, and she was staring back. It was all ready late and everything was covered in the blue light of the full moon. I picked her up and took her with me. I'm staring at her right now. She always stays close to me, like she has known me for years. I'm now sitting at the base of a mountain, and after a few failed attempts got another campfire going. The rabbit is grazing some grass. I don't really have a name yet for her. I'm glad I decided to go to the city, I like the sleeping outside and the walking all day. Exploring these woods is really exciting."

"It has been three days and still no sign of the city. I must really have lost direction. Not that I ever really had direction, but still. I should hurry, because these days are getting colder. I really shouldn't be out here when it starts snowing. It's just that I'm not sure what way to go. Well, the best thing to do now is just keep walking I guess. I've also come up with a name for my rabbit. Videl. I like it. She's my best friend. My only friend actually. I like having some one with me, some to keep me company. It has been so lonely."

Videl smiled. She was named after a rabbit.
Quickly she read on.

"I've come face to face with a wolf last night. I was walking with Videl and then suddenly it appeared. It stood there, on the middle of the road, legs spread. Growling, it's dark eyes filled with fire. I didn't know what to do. I'd never seen a real wolf before. I was scared. So scared, I almost couldn't move. Then I started running, Videl in my arms. I ran as fast as I could, but it was hopeless. I tripped, the wolf jumped. What happened next I'm not really sure. I pressed Videl tightly against me and closed my eyes. My life flashed before me. You, dad. I felt the pain. The pain I felt when you left, when dad died. Something snapped. The pain I felt turned to anger. I could feel it burning inside me. It took control. Then everything goes black. The next thing I remember the wolf is gone. It just me and Videl, lying on the ground, crying."

"I'm lost. At first I thought it was just a bit further than I expected, or that I had taken a bit of a detour. But now it has been 5 days and still no city as far as I can see. It's hard to keep direction in the woods. I might as well be walking away from the city right now, I don't know. I have to be prepared for the case I won't be able to find it at all. I don't know how long I will last when it starts snowing. But luckily it isn't that far yet. I'm going to climb up this mountain tomorrow to get a better view. From up there I should be able to see the city. At least, that's what I hope."

"It snowed. I woke up and everything was covered in white. I used to like it when it snowed, when we would build snowmen and go sledding of the hills all day. And then, when we would come home we would sit a the fire, drinking hot chocolate. Now however, snow means something totally different. It's much harder to find food, walking is tiring, and most of all, it's cold. Very cold. I have been trying to walk up the mountain but I haven't gotten very far. It would have been difficult enough without the snow, some parts are just too steep. Luckily I did find a cave. It rather small but it keeps me out of the wind and snow."

"It was a hard climb. But I'm over the ridge, and it was worth it. It's there! The city! It's been over a week but finally I can see it at the horizon. I'm sitting under a large leaning rock, out of the snow and wind. I'm really high up in the mountains. I can see all kinds of woods, streams, lakes and mountains. It's still cold, but seeing the city lightens me up. It has been hard and cold, for me and Videl, but that's behind us now. Now we can both watch the sunset, without having to worry about tomorrow. Because tomorrow will be better."

"I reached the city. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. It's crazy! I don't even know where to start. There are all kinds of huge houses, towering high up in the sky, with thousands of windows. The families who live there must have lots of children! People are everywhere, moving in masses, like ants in a nest. There's also all kinds of shiny beasts flying and moving around, with people trapped inside! I tried to help one out but the man got really mad at me. So strange. The ground is made of stone. They only have small parts that grow grass and trees. That's where I'm now. I wonder why all those people decided to build their houses in a place where the ground is made of stone. Well I'm at some kind of small lake now, but even here there's lots of people. Well, the sun is setting now, and it's as pretty as ever. I enjoy watching it. Videl is grazing around and I've got some fruit. They got plenty here. There were crates full of it. I took as much as I could. It sure has been some day. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

"Today I met Isabelle. I was just walking when she came up to me and asked where my parents where, if I was lost. I told her it was just me and Videl. She seemed worried. She took me to some kind of house with lots of tables. She gave me hot chocolate and asked me to tell her how I got stranded here, without my parents. I told her the entire story. About you, dad and my trip here. The woman stared at me with wide open eyes. I'm not sure why. Her name is Isabelle. She took me to her house. She has three children and a husband. They are very nice. They said I can sleep with them for now. I'd better go to bed now, it's late already."

"It has been five days here and Isabelle said that I can stay! She has been busy doing all kinds of stuff for me. Her kids are about my age. We did all kinds of neat things. It really exciting, I never had a brother or sister before. Yesterday we went to a place where there were all kinds of animals. There were so many of them I'd never seen before. It was amazing. So many things around here are new to me. Isabelle says I should go to school. I'm not sure what that is. She said I'll learn a lot there so I think it's nice. Everything I ever learned was from mom and dad. I'm still a little shook up from everything that has happened over the past days, but I'm ready for this new life. Whatever tomorrow brings me."

The rain had stopped. Videl looked up. Why did she never knew about all this? It's true mom didn't talk a lot about her past, but why did she never mention anything about any of this? She sighed. Her eyes looked back at the book and she turned the page.

"It has been long. Very long. Seventeen, no, eighteen years. Eighteen years since I last wrote in this book. I almost forgot about it. Lots of things have happened since then. Good things, bad things. Too much to write all about now. It's not why I dug up this book. It was the death of Videl, my old rabbit, this morning. It remembered me about my childhood. That's why I went back. Back to the forest through which I traveled, all that time ago, back to house I lived in, back to the tree you used to sit under. The same tree I'm sitting under right now. It's so strange to be back here. Everything is filled with memories. About dad, about you. I wonder where you are. I still feel a part of you inside me. I always will. It is only now I realize you were different from the rest. I know it because I have felt it myself. Your blood runs through my veins, as does it now through my daughter's. The day she was born, just days before her father's death, it was impossible to ignore. She had one. It was just like yours, and it was removed, just like yours. But it was there, just like it must have been with me when I was born. The tail."

Videl sat there, shocked and confused. Her head was filled with questions. What- How could- Huh? My father is… dead? But… how can that be? But what about- is Hercule not my father? And a tail?!? What the hell? How could that- is that even possible? This is all insane! Why didn't I know about this? She still couldn't believe what she just read. She felt anger, undirected, but strong. She felt pain. How could they lie, all this time? Why? Slowly she walked down the stairs to her room. She lay down her bed, confused and beaten.

And that's chapter 2. Please review!