The rain was pouring down. Running towards Shirohato park was a blonde girl dressed in a old school uniform. She quickly ran in through the door, into the white, sterile enviroment. Nothing could stop her. Nothing could stop her now! She raced through the corridors, heart in her lungs. Until finally, she saw the white door at the end of the corridor. She lunged at the doorknob. Miyako panted as she tore open the door.
The door opened to a room filled with light. The walls were bright orange. The room was bare, except for a bedside table overflowing with comics, and a bed in the middle. Miyako's heart started beating. She knew. She wasn't alone anymore as soon as she walked in. This room was far from the taunts and daily harassment. This room was, as far as she was concerned, sanctuary.
"Miyako-chan! I was waiting for you all day"
A voice sounded. From under the covers a figure emerged.
"Takaaki-kun"
Miyako walked over to the bed. This was what she had been waiting for all day. This was the reason she put up with her life being in shatters, this was what she looked forward too every day.
She sat down on the bed and the two started talking. Miyako smiled and played with hair. Takaaki listened and smiled back. They talked about nature, rain, anything concerning the world outside. They let the world dissolve around them, as if Shirohato park never existed.
"Miyako-san! Visiting hours are over"
A sharp voice awoke Miyako into reality. She hated how those people always called her by her first name, as if they were her freinds. Takaaki was not allowed any long visits, as his condition was worsening. Still, Miyako visiting him made him feel better, and she sometimes hid under his bed and stayed a little while longer.
"Goodbye, then"
Miyako sighed as she left the room. She walked slowly through the white corridors. Numerous insults rained through the air. Miyako heard them but ignored them all. Takaaki didn't think she was fat, or freakish. And if Takaaki said it wasn't true, then it most likely wasnt.
She opened the door to her room and slumped on her bed. The day was over, as far as she was concerned. She never had anything to do after visiting Takaaki. She had no contact with her parents.
She wasn't allowed. Why? Miyako never realy got a good answer for that. Without her parents, love and understanding did not exist. The employees could tear her apart, hit all of her buttons, break her down completely. The next moment, they'd be cheery and trying to talk to her as if nothing had happened. If she woke up from a nightmare, they'd tell her to go back to sleep. No comforting. They told her to ignore all the bad words shouted at her by the children. They would comfort her sometimes, if she cried, but they just used empty words.
Miyako grasped a purple, worn-out thing from her chilldhood. Before she was thrown into prison. It was impossible to have a childhood here, far from the love and understanding found in a home.
She fell asleep almost immiedietly. She wasn't very hungry, and the sooner she fell asleep, the more she'd dream. An interesting attribute was her ability to sleep for a very, very, long time. She loved sleeping. Sleeping meant dreaming, and in dreams, she'd be home again, far, far from the sterile corridors of Shirohato park.
"UUhh"
Miyako woke up. She was, as usual, not very sleepy. As she went to sleep early, she never had to force herself to get up in the morning. She sighed, and started her normal morning ritual. Got up, took off the pyjamas, and-Knock Knock.
A hollow knocking echoed throughout the room. Miyako didn't answer while she pulled on her skirt and pantyhose. She reached for her shirt, and-
"Hello"
A face stared at her through the doorway, quickly closing it as Miyako was discovered in her shirtless-state. Miyako hated them for that. Even if they knew that she always went up half past 7, and that she never answered the door until she was ready, they still opened the door and barged in on her privacy.
"Miyako-chan"
Chiisame, one of the younger girls in Shirohato stood behind the door. She was the little sister of one of the children there, who sometimes came to visit. Miyako was thankfull that it hadn't been an employee, but rather a child like herself. She hastily pulled on a shirt.
"Ahh, Chiisame-chan! Why-"
The small girl looked at her with watery eyes.
"It's Taa-kun. Something is strange."
A trigger of some sort was pressed in Miyako's mind. A fuse was lit. What if- Did he- Is he already?
Fearing the worst, she dashed through the white corridors, blanking her mind, through the long white tunnels of hell, painted with hatred and despair, towards the door to heaven.
She swallowed and opened the door. There sat Takaaki, along with two nurses. He smiled as he saw her approaching. She hurried over to his bedside, only to see him paler, more tired then normal.
"Miyako"
He looked up with a tired smile on his face. Miyako knelt down beside him, heart aching. She knew. In a moment, her sanctuary would be gone, shattered forever, she herself would be lost in the dark.
"Taakaki!" She smiled sadly as he grabbed her hand weakly. A tear escaped her face. He quickley brushed it away with his sleeve.
"You came"
He stared into her eyes as if she was somekind of angel, a godess. And in his eyes she was, and would always be.
"Thank you... Thank you so much."
Tears welled up once more in Miyakos eyes. She had to try her hardest to push them back. She didn't want to cry for Takaaki. No, he'd see her smile until he left.
"You came to see me... I was so lonely.. Without you"
He held her hand tighter. Miyako moved closer.
"Whenever you came, I was so happy. You'd always tell me about the world, and everything outside"
He took a deep breath. This was clearly hurting him, but he struggled to continue.
"Miyako you were my world. The sun.. Shines in your eyes"
He swallowed. There wasn't much left now. He was losing his grip on her, but her eyes gave him the strength to continue his words, just for a moment.
"Miyako.. I want to see you smile... Forever"
And with those words, he closed his eyes and his grip on her hand loosened completely.
A tear ran down her cheek.
Takaaki would never smile at her again. He'd never tell her how pretty she was, he'd never again smile at her as she entered the room.
Her entire world, her sole escape from this cruel place has been destroyed.
She swallowed her tears. She'd never cry again. She'd smile, forever.
She would always smile for him, even if sacrifices had to be made. She'd go on a diet, no problem, the kids would stop harassing her and She wouldn't have to hold back her tears.
"Forever..."
