Chapter 3

The Accident

Teto and I walked home together. I dropped her off at her house at about eight thirty-two. I looked in the sky and saw that the sun had now completely set. The cool grip of night had taken its toll on the earlier warm air as I started home. I had walked no more than four miles when I saw a shadow behind me. I turned to see it, but the figure was covered in shadows so I couldn't see its face. I turned and started walking faster to get away. After five long minutes slipped past I checked behind me, and I almost collapsed as I saw the figure keeping pace with me. I turned and started running when I heard a laugh escape from it. I had ran about another mile when I realized I still had five miles to get to my house. I knew the figure was gaining on me. I could hear his heavy footsteps behind me. I tripped and hit the ground hard.

"So I finally get a chance to return the favor," I heard the gruff voice say. He leaned down to look at me closer, "I'll make sure it's fun," he promised. I finally realized who it was and gasped in shock. He gave me a nasty looked and demanded, "What?"

"I-It's you," I stammered. I paused a moment as he started to smile. "Haroshi, why did you do that to me," I questioned as he curled his fist.

He looked at me with piercing green eyes. It was obvious that he was hurt. "Why did you attack me," he asked as he slammed his fist into my stomach. He hit me again and again, "Why did you blame everything on me," he was yelling now.

I tripped him and rolled away. "You should have never threatened me like you did," I proclaimed. I knew that I was in trouble. I was in the middle of a dark alley, no means to defend myself, and the boy that I got kicked out of school for threatening me was assaulting me. He was back on his feet right as I thought about my cell phone. I hit the keypad and started typing in my mom's phone number. I hit the call button and heard her pick up the phone as Haroshi plowed into me.

"What are you doing," my mom asked. I yelled and I heard her call my name. "Miku, where are you," I heard her screaming.

I gave up. Haroshi was about a foot and a half taller than me and weighed in at almost two hundred and twenty-five pounds. I was only five feet two inches and ninety-three pounds. I went limp and waited for what was going happen. I had nothing but fear going through me because I knew what he wanted to do. He was well known for being a pig that wanted to use women for pleasure.

I felt his hand slide down to my belt and start undoing it. He started playing with the waistband and, then slipped into my skirt. As soon as it happened, I felt an erg to fight him. It was like a burning sensation that consumed me. I instinctively threw my fist through the air and felt it connect with his cheek. He cried out and stumbled backwards, clearly shocked about the sudden resistance. I knew I hadn't hit him that hard because there was no mark. "Leave me alone for once," I cried, "You didn't three years ago and got screwed over, so why would you try again?"

He finally got up and took a step toward me, but he jumped back to avoid a car that stopped between us. The passenger door opened and I saw Luka sitting there. "Get in," she yelled. I was more than happy to do so, but I heard him shout something to me as I closed the door. She took off down the road at speeds that I figured were probably illegal, but I didn't care at that point. "What is your address?" It took me a minute to realize that the question was aimed at me.

"Four Thirty-two Logger Street," I told her. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, but as soon as I did we arrived at my house.

I saw my mother come bursting from the house as soon as we pulled up. "Thank god you are okay," she wailed. Her eyes were big and stuffy, she clearly had been crying about tonight. "I was so concerned when I picked up the phone and heard you scream." I thought that she was going to break down again, "I was so worried about you." I gave her a hug and closed my eyes. I felt her shirt get wet and I realized myself that I was crying.

After about two minutes I saw two heads peek around the corner, and then the most shrill scream I had ever heard, "Miku, you're back!"

"Misaki," I yelled and ran over to my little sister. I gave her a hug as I picked her up.

She was embarrassed by something like being picked up, and she quickly started squirming. "Put me down," I heard the child say. She let out a sentence that was barely audible in the noise of my mother and Luka talking, "I thought you weren't going to come home."

I looked at her and she started to tear up, "No sweetheart," I tried to sooth her, "I could never leave you and Ayano." I rubbed a tear from her eye.

"Really," she asked quietly.

"Really," I promised. I watched her start to sob, and I rubbed her head, "I will never abandon you guys," I promised her at that moment.

My mother talked to Luka for about two hours, then she finally finished. Luka explained to her what Haroshi had tried to do. Misaki didn't seem to understand what she was talking about my mother however understood perfectly. She looked like she was in a boxing match. Her hair, which normally is clean and flowing to her waist, was now matted and clumped. I almost wouldn't recognize her in her current state.

All of a sudden a thought hit me. "Ayano," I shout out. I heard no response and ran upstairs to the room she split with Misaki, and found her curled up on her bed. "Ayano," I whispered weakly when I heard small crying coming from the near lifeless looking lump on the bed. "Ayano, are you," I started when the rag-doll launched itself out of bed and wrapped her arms around me, now crying harder than before.

"Why," she asked.

"What?"

"Why would someone do that to you," she begged to know as she calmed down.

I hesitated a second, then pulled her closer to me, "Because some people just don't care about others."

At that she started to cry again, and we just sat together as I waited for her to go to sleep. As she finally drifted to sleep, I tucked her in and went downstairs to send Misaki to bed. I turned to my mother once I saw her go into her room, and I thought one last time about what Haroshi had yelled. I know where you and your sisters live! The words rang threw my head and split my ears again. I decided then that it was time to defend myself.

"Are you okay," questioned my mother as she walked back out of her room. I thought to myself for a moment and then shook my head. I guessed that Luka either didn't know what he had said to me, or didn't tell my mother.

I glanced at her again, "I have one question," I said quietly.

She turned her head to me, "What is it?"

"I want to defend myself," I knew it wasn't really a question as much as it was a statement.

I told her the story of what happened that day with Hiroshi. I wasn't sure of what her reaction would be, but she looked at me and said something that scared me, "Nothing will happen to this family while I'm still here." The promise was intended to sooth me, but it didn't work. She must have seen me look down because she blurted out suddenly, "And that's not going change anytime soon."

I looked at her and started smiling, "Just go to sleep." I yawned as I said it. "Misaki will be upset if we don't have a party for her birthday," I promised.

Mom knew I was right and laughed. She started hobbling upstairs and turned to me, "Good night Miku." I never realized how much three words could mean, though I was going to quickly learn that lesson.

The next day went by quick. Mom and I spent the day frantically planning, contacting the parents of Misaki's friends, working the budget, shopping, and creating the decorations since I didn't feel like going to school after the previous days events.

Since Ayano felt she shouldn't have to go to school when I stayed home and Misaki didn't have school that day, she was given the job of keeping Misaki busy around town all day, to which she disliked, "But all she ever wants to do is go to the park," she whined before finally giving in. Misaki and Ayano got home around nine, and mom and I sent them to bed and started hanging the decorations. We finally finished hanging the powder blue tinsel at about twelve-thirty and quickly went to sleep.

The night passed by quickly, though the next day made up for the fast night. I woke up at seven twenty-three and yawned. I walked into the bathroom as I heard my feet patter on the cold tile that filled the floor. I turned on the water that ran to the shower, and liquid started pouring out of the showerhead. I looked at the tile closely, "White," I whisper so soft I almost couldn't hear it. I pulled of my robe and stepped into the shower. I felt the warmth of the water tingle against my cold skin, and shivered from the feeling.

I heard my mother call from outside of the bathroom, "Hurry up Miku." I listened as she continued, "The guests will start arriving soon, and Misaki needs to shower as well."

"Okay," I yelled as I grabbed the shampoo. I opened the bottle and squeezed the gooey substance into my hand. It smelled like strawberries, and I was again swept back to a time before the city. I remembered my strawberry plant that I had outside of the house. I would always pick a bowl full of the delicious red fruit and run to my mother so she could clean and slice them.

I sighed as the memory washed over me like the warm running water of the shower, and quickly scrubbed my hair until it was all white with soap. I leaned my head back and began to rinse my hair, and when I was finally done, turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, and dried off with my towel.

I opened the door and started to step out when Misaki quickly ran into the bathroom in front of me. "Whoa there," I exclaimed at the sudden body in my way, "You had better watch out, or you will end up getting run over."

"No I won't," was all I heard her say before she slammed the door shut and the shower turned on. I laughed slightly to my self and walked to my room.

My mother saw me and informed me that the guests were going to start arriving in ten minutes, and that I needed to help Misaki get ready.

I responded with a smile, "Okay," and walked to my room. I stepped inside and quickly grabbed an outfit from my closet. I let the towel fall to the ground and slipped into my stomach cut, black and blue sleeveless top, and pulled on my black jeans with red detail stripes going down the side. I rolled the bottoms of the legs once so that they fit well over my boots, and walked downstairs.

I saw Misaki walking out of the bathroom, and walk into her room to get dressed as the doorbell rang. I opened the door expecting to see guests, but instead saw Luka standing on the doormat. "Hello Miku," she said hastily.

"Hello," I replied, confused on why my teacher was standing at my house on Saturday. I looked at her and noticed a tenseness about her that wasn't there yesterday morning. "Would like to come in," I offered.

"No," she replied. "I have other places I have to go today, but I had to check and see if you were okay."

I was shocked at her concern. She had seen me two nights ago before she left. I gave her a worried look, "Yes I'm fine, but what's going on," I asked.

She thought for a second, but then quickly muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?"

"It's fine, just don't worry about it."

I reluctantly gave in and told her goodbye before she departed.

My mom looked around the corner, "Who was that?"

"Luka, my teacher," I told her, and her expression seemed to soften.

She gave me a smile and quickly commanded, "We need to hurry up, the day will go by slowly," and she was right.

It was only about two hours into the party and I walked up to room to lay down. I had spent the day herding primary schools kids around and getting hit on by Ayano's thirteen and fourteen year old friends who thought that I would date them. One of them even offered to kiss me after I caught him trying to kiss Ayano. I questioned him on what he was doing to my sister, and he said that he was trying to make me jealous, so I started upstairs.

I put my headphones in and quickly fell asleep. I woke up three hours later as the party was ending, and went downstairs to help clean up. I zoned out and went on autopilot for about another four hours, to get everything cleaned up, doing anything from sweeping, to mopping, to picking up wrapping paper. I sighed when my mother told me that we were done.

She dismissed me to go to sleep while she started picking up the last of the wrapping paper, but I told her to go to sleep and I would handle it. "How can you take Misaki to the beach tomorrow if you are falling asleep in the car," I asked, and at that she relented and wandered off to bed. I watched her walk off to her room and started to pick up all of the loose wrapping paper from the gifts, but after about twenty minutes a piece of paper caught my eye.

I walked over to the couch and slid my hand under it to feel a slip of paper. I pulled it out gently and slowly began to unfold it. I instantly started to wonder what the note could be. I finished opening it, and read the small print on the tiny page. It was a set of words that I didn't fully understand the technical meaning of, but I knew enough key words to generalize what I had read.

"No," I whispered to myself. "No," It was a little louder this time until it was almost a yell, "No, no, no, no, no!" I felt tears come to my eyes as I dropped to my knees. I read the paper one last time and said to myself quietly enough that I almost couldn't hear it, "She quit responding." I thought about her cancer and thought back the days before where it was under control.

I immediately heard small feet racing down the stairs, and turned to see Misaki standing in the doorway. I hid the piece of paper in my pocket and wiped away my tears. She looked at me and asked what was wrong.

I looked at her and forced out a smile, "nothing sweetie, everything is all right," I promised.

She slowly walked towards me, and rubbed my eyes, "Don't cry," was all she said, and I realized that I was going to have to be more of her mom soon, and less of her sister.

I hugged her and started walking her upstairs, "Everything will be fine Miki, just go to sleep and tomorrow we will go to the beach."

"Really," her voice glazed over with wonder and tiredness.

"Yes," I promised and led her to her room. She walked inside and I slowly started to wonder off to my room after helping her into bed. After what seemed like the longest journey of my life, I found myself laying down in my bra and panties, drifting away to sleep.

I slept restlessly that night. I kept seeing visions of my mother in a coffin with Misaki, Ayano, and me standing around it. I kept trying to comfort Misaki as Ayano just stood there, silent as a statue, trying not to cry. Finally my sisters faded away without a trace and my mother sat up in her coffin. I wanted to run up and give her a hug, but I also wanted to scream until my throat was raw and my voice was gone.

My mother turned to me and let a smile take over her face. I opened my mouth, but couldn't get any words to come out as my mother started to speak. "They are yours to take care of now Miku," she started, "Don't let them down."

I knew she was talking about my sisters. I tried again to speak and managed to get out a few words. At first I couldn't even make out what I was saying, but knew I was repeating the same sentence over and over again. I finally caught what the words were that were coming from my mouth, "Please don't leave us, please don't leave us, please don't leave us."

My mother looked at me and I watched the smile slowly dissolve off of her face. "I wish I could stay, but I'm afraid I have to go now." No sooner than she said the final word did her coffin begin to slide away taking her with it. I took off after the coffin, but wasn't able to catch up to it. I finally hit the ground and saw my sisters in front of me staring at me. Suddenly they started walking towards me and turned into a substance like mist before my eyes. I screamed as the mist rushed down my lungs and began to suffocate me, and in that moment I heard my mother say goodbye one last time.