Before and After

Sleeping peaceful on the bed were two young children, no older then eight years old. Their black hair lay silently around them. They made slow and calm breath while they slept dreamlessly.

All of a sudden there was a loud noise that woke both the children.

"Sister?" asked the little boy as he rubbed his eyes sleepily. The little girl looked at him as she did the same. They both jumped a little when they banging started up again.

"Shizu? Hitoshi?" called a familiar voice.

"Mommy!" they both screamed as a young pale faced woman came in the room. She quickly ran over to them and hugged them before looking them over to make sure everything was alright. "Mommy what's going on?" asked the girl named Shizu.

"Don't move just stay here." Her mother pleaded with a worried face.

"But mommy-" the little boy named Hitoshi was cut off by his mother.

"Please just stay here and don't make any noise." She said before standing up and running over to the door. She opened it wide enough so the person out side could only see her and her alone. Shizu moved closer to her brother who pulled her in. They both watched as there mother face continued to grow worried. Who ever she was talking to was telling her horrible news. She nodded before she closed the door.

"Mommy?" half yelled the little girl. She was scared and confused. The women looked at her children with tears in her eyes. She walked over to her children and grabbed both of them by their shoulders. "Listen to me both of you. I need you both to go and collect some clothes. Bring enough for a few days and then meet me in the kitchen , now go hurry!" she said giving her children a little push before turning and running out of the room.

"Sister what is going on?" asked Hitoshi as he reached under the bed and pulled out two traveling bags. Shizu looked at him before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. Hitoshi watched as his sister's body relaxed and soon drained of all color. She quickly opened her eyes and looked at him worriedly. "What is it?"

"The damn broke. There is a huge flood on its way." She whispered. Her body started to tremble and she closed her eyes and curled up in a ball.

"Shizu!" yelled Hitoshi before running over to his sister. "Please don't do this, not now! We need to get out of here!" he yelled. She slowly nodded but still did not move. Hitoshi ran over and picked up the bags before running to the closet and stuffing them with clothes. Once he was done he ran over and grabbed his sister's wrist, pulled her to a standing position before dragging her out of the room.

The dark night covered the village. The moon lit road was filled with town's people, leaving their homes and heading for the shelter. In the crowd, young one held onto their mothers, afraid of what was to come. Everyone followed each other to a large building at the top of a hill, the flood shelter. It was the only save place these towns people had to go to escape the deadly flood.

"Mommy" called Hitoshi as he entered the shelter. It was a large building that held many rooms. Everyone had begun to crowd in and Hitoshi had gotten separated from his mother in the process. "Mommy!" he called again.

"Hitoshi!" called a small voice behind him. He turned around to find Shizu squeezing through the large crowd over to him. "Hitoshi where is mommy?"

"I don't know." He said worriedly. "I can't find her."

"Maybe we should go look for her." Shizu said looking around. Tears began to fill her eyes. She was beginning to worry that she was never going to find her, Hitoshi, seeing this, became determined to find her, for Shizu

"Come on." He said grabbing her wrist and pulling her along beside him. He walked through, the crowd, looking for her.

"Hey you kids!" called someone. Hitoshi stopped and turned around to find a man walking over to them. "Get over here!"

Hitoshi made his grip tighter on his sister before pulling her away and down the hall. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

"Hey you kids need to get into a safe room! Come back!" he called after them Hitoshi ignored him and continued on his way.

Hitoshi turned down the halls, not stopping until he was sure that they had lost the man. When he was sure, he stopped and bent over, trying to catch his breath.

"I think we lost him." said Hitoshi as he leaned up against the wall. "Are you hurt anywhere Shizu?" Hitoshi asked. Shizu, to out of breath to answer, shook her head. The boy nodded.

"Hitoshi!" Shizu yelled out of no where. Hitoshi looked up to find a young woman standing a few yards away. She was in a long white dress that flowed behind her as she walked up to them. The woman had curly dark brown hair that came just past her shoulders. Her beautiful greenish brown eyes stared at them with concern and worry. She knelt down so she was now eye level with the two children. Reaching out her hand she said.

"My name is Asa. Please, come with me. I can help you." Her voice was that of an angel. She spoke in a low, comforting voice, which made the children trust her.

"We want our mommy." Shizu said as she took a step back. She had suddenly gotten a bad feeling from the woman.

"I know where she is." Asa said. "I can take you to her." She extended her hand a little farther out. Hitoshi stood up straight, not taking his eyes off of the woman. He took a step closer; something about her was drawing him in.

"Hitoshi!" screamed Shizu. Hitoshi turned around to find that Shizu was standing there, tears flooding down her face. "Please." She whispered. Not sure what to do, Hitoshi looked back towards the woman, who was waiting for him.

"Shizu-" he pleaded.

"No!" Shizu screamed holding herself back. "She is lying! She doesn't know where mommy is! She is just going to hurt us! Hitoshi please!"

"Shizu." The boy whispered looking down. Looking back up at the lady, who was still waiting for him. "You've been wrong before."The tears Shizu was desperately trying not to cry, suddenly ran down her pale cheeks. Her chest began to ach with every beat of her small heart. Hitoshi turned his back towards her and began to walk towards the woman. He had not only turned his back towards her, but he had also betrayed his friendship, trust and love.

A boy in all black walked down the long dark hallway, thinking. He placed his pale white hand on the cream colored wall. He knew exactly what was happening, yet for some reason, his mind kept trying to find a way around it.

"Was this your plan from the beginning?" he asked to the nothingness around him.

"Of course not." said a voice back to him. In the darkness a young woman wearing a long white dress appeared. She took a step towards the young boy, making sure to keep her distance from him. "I wanted Mai to remain dead."

"And if she had, what would have come of it?" The boy asked, turning his white face towards the woman, staring into her greenish brown eyes.

"I would have had him, and you would have lived."