3: A new start.
Groggily, I opened my eyes. As everything came to focus, I realised I was in an unfamiliar place. The room was brightly lit – too bright for my eyes; I was used to the darkness of a dingy cell. There was no furniture as such except for a desk with mountains of paper and a sofa at the end of the room.
Looking around, I heard the door open and in ran a short, pink-haired girl. Three meters in, she saw me and stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened and her mouth made an 'o' shape.
"Who are you?" she asked in an innocent voice. Her wide eyes were making me feel nervous and since I wasn't used to speaking, my voice felt strangely distorted.
"Um, hello. I am Zooi. Zooi Ya…" I stopped, remembering what my surname was supposed to be. "Sorry, Zooi Tamyaomo. Nice to meet you." It felt weird, speaking that is.
"Ha! You speak funny!" she laughed and ran to the open window. "Kenny! There's a funny girl asleep in your room!" she shouted squeakily. A rush of wind, and suddenly the strange man, Zaraki was at the doorway.
"Yachiru how many times have I told you, stop shouting out of the window, you know I'm never out there. Your sense of direction is hopeless." His iron voice rumbled, resonating throughout the wooden room. Suddenly, my energy diminished and I collapsed back onto the soft pillows. I couldn't even lift my arms, it was as though there was a weight on my chest and I couldn't force it off.
"Hm, I see you're awake now." He turned to look at me and I blushed red.
"What? Kenny, is she supposed to be here? Why wasn't I told?" Yachiru whined.
"Yachiru, be quiet for a minute. I'll tell you later." In broad daylight, I was surprised to see how tall he was compared to the little pink-haired Yachiru. If anything his presence intimidated me. However, there was something about him that strikes me as odd, though I couldn't figure it out.
"Zooi, Miss Unohana will be here in a minute, so please stay where you are." His formal manner didn't seem right, as it was as different as to when he first visited me.
"I had no intention of moving anyway." I grumbled.
Miss Unohana visited me several hours ago and told me that I was to stay here until I was well enough to begin training – training for what though? I can hardly sit up without falling back, so how am I supposed to train? Still, Zaraki stayed by my side all the time she was here – he seemed more relaxed and less formal. Everything's happened so quickly it makes me feel dizzy!
Days later, with the help of Miss Unohana and Zaraki, I was able to walk outside to the garden for the first time in decades. The feel and crunch of grass beneath my feet felt glorious and the luscious crisp hair rasped my dirty lungs. The vibrant colours of the outside world had changed so little in all the time I was imprisoned. Miss Unohana talked with Zaraki inside while I sat on a bench next a pond. The water glistened in the sunlight and the fountain trickled lightly. I reached for the layer of the pond, but suddenly as soon as I touched the water, something felt as though it flew through my veins and through my heart; an electric shock, only this was water. I gasped and abruptly the water turned to ice. Sunlight danced across the surface, however I wish the same could be said for the poor fish that lived in the pond… I took my fingers away and the ice slowly melted (and the fish started swimming, well, most of them…)
It was only then that I realised that Yachiru was standing behind me. Why did that little girl always pop up without warning? I jumped in fright and leant against the back of the back to regain my breath.
"How did you do that?" she asked in her innocent tone. I stared at her but before I had time to answer, Zaraki was standing before me.
"Let's go inside. Too much of being outside isn't good for you." He eye looked wild and excited – his other was covered with the mysterious eye patch. "Yachiru, be useful and help me will you."
"Okay Kenny!" she sang. True, being outside crushed my spiritual energy, but it felt wonderful to be outside again; it was as though I was a new leaf in spring and I was given a fresh start. It was then I realised that I wanted to stay with Zaraki and get better so I could be a part of something and not forgotten about..again…