*HELLO THERE! HERE IS YET ANOTHER CHAPTER OF C&B! AND OF COURSE THE PROMISED QUESTIONS THAT I WILL ASK WITH EVERY UPDATE:

QUESTIONS!!
-What is your favorite animal? (I LOOOOOOVE jellyfish! ~Mastah~ Ooooooh references~)
-What type of music is your favorite and from what era? With 2000's excluded. (I am a sucker for 1940s music and I have no idea why)

OKAY! ONWARDS WITH THE STORY! ENJOY! :D*

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 11

The seat shuddered under me as the school bus drove over roads and turned corners, took stops. My little face nearly pressed against the window next to me as I watched the city pass us by. The school bus was filled with chattering of young voices from the other little kids sitting in the other bus seats. Everyone was excited. We were all on our way to this amazing park as a field trip and only all of first grade could go.This made everyone feel really special and even more excited. I more than others, though, as a special, special surprise was waiting for me at the park. It was all I could think about.

I saw something move out of the corner of my eye and I looked up to the seat in front of me. Daniel was popping his head over the side and looking down at me with his usual playful half-smile. "Are you excited?" He asked me. I nodded and stood up onto the floor of the bus, grabbing the seat in front of me and tippie-toeing to meet Daniel eye-to-eye. "What do you plan on doing?" I asked him. He put his finger on his chin as he made a thinking face. He smiled again and said, "I'll probably play some soccer or kickball with the other boys. Would you wanna play too?"

I shook my head and giggled awkwardly. "Nah, I think I'll keep my distance from sports that involve any kind of ball. Remember last time?"

"Oh yeah," he murmured, "Sorry about your old glasses. But hey! The new ones look way better on you!"

I chuckled and smiled at him. Suddenly, our teacher told us to sit back down in our seats before we hurt ourselves. We both plopped back into our places and stayed that way through the entire ride. Eventually, as more city passed us by, everyone starting getting jittery and restless as we were nearing the park. Kids were already talking about their plans on what to do to have some fun. I already knew what I would do and just the thought of it was making me jump in my seat.

Don't waste your energy on squealing.

I giggled, knowing Sam was talking. "Don't worry," I said to him, "I have energy for anything and everything!"

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, ha, ha.

I smiled.

The bus came to a gentle stop and most of the kids were standing already, even though the teacher said not to. The bus doors opened and everyone squeezed out of their seats and down the narrow aisle, eager to run around and be happy. I slipped my way into the moving line and was soon trotting down the stairs and outside onto the curb. I looked to my right and saw two other buses that held the other first graders. I looked up ahead and saw the park ahead of me. It was vast, spacious and I was just beaming with joy. The trees were beautiful, the ponds were beautiful, the fields were beautiful. Everything was just amazing and I couldn't help but run forward to climb a tree or meet a duck by the pond or run and roll around in the grass. But my teacher kept that from happening just yet as she told my class to get together. She lectured us about not running off too far or where the other teachers can't see them. She told everyone not to jump into the ponds and not to annoy the animals that lived here. After she was done, she signaled us to go free and all of the kids ran off.

"Okay, now remember," I said aloud, though my words were for Sam, "do not move anything while we're here. I don't want to spook anyone."

Alright, alright. I won't.

"Promise?"

I promise.

"Good," I chimed, "let's go look for that surprise!"

Daring boys dared to climb the trees to their highest branch, groups of girls sat by the benches to talk and play little games of Pattie-Cake and I Spy. I could see Daniel running off with a group of boys, holding a red ball in his hand and looking excited and confident. I felt tempted to join him but I didn't want to risk getting hit in the face again by a wild ball. I watched the little kids walk or run around, swing on the swing-sets, slide down the slides and hang around on monkey bars and jungle gyms. All of this excited me but there was that special surprise that was waiting for me here. I turned down the playgrounds, the sports and the mini games. I looked around, trying to spot my little surprise. After a while of roaming around aimlessly, I harrumphed and found a bench to sit on. Swinging my legs back and forth, I wondered where my surprise was. I was supposed to find my surprise around here somewhere-.

Something small hit my head and I yelped. I rubbed the back of my head and frowned. "Hey, that hurt," I grumbled and turned around to see who had thrown whatever hit me. Once I turned, another thing hit me and I caught it in time as it bounced off my forehead. It was an acorn, small, glossy and brown. Furrowing my brow in confusion, I looked up to see bushes. I got up from the bench and walked around to the bushes. I peered into them, trying to see what threw the acorn at my head. Before I could decide to push through the bushes, another acorn hit my head again and I yelped. It came from the bush and before I knew it a little boy had tumbled out of it. I quickly stepped back and looked down at him. Then I smiled as I recognized the blue hoodie, black pants and blue converse he wore.

"Jack, what are you doing in a bush?" I asked the boy. He stood up on his feet and dusted himself off. He looked up at me, honey-brown eyes meeting my emerald pair, and he scratched at his head. He messed up his mop of auburn hair more than it already was. "Uh..." He mumbled, "I was trying to be sneaky."

I giggled and plucked a small leaf from his hair. "Sadly, it didn't work out," I said. His cheeks flushed and he looked away. I smiled and then asked, "Did you bring the stuff that I asked for?"

He nodded and reached into the bush he fell out of. He pulled out a picnic basket and I smiled. "I put some sandwiches, fruits and some water bottles in it," he said, "Sorry I couldn't get apple juice. I couldn't find any. Plus, water is better to keep us cool."

"That's okay," I said, "all that matters is that you're here. Come on, let's find a place to sit!" I gently grabbed his hand and started leading us to a good, peaceful space. Once we picked out a good spot, we sat down and I sighed. Looking up at the sky, I smiled. A cool breeze came in and brushed my brunette hair out of my face. Jack handed me a water bottle and I gladly took it. He got one for himself too and opened it up. I had to get him to open mine as he was stronger. As soon as he gave my water back to me, he asked, "Blue? Do you think anyone is going to notice me? I'm not a part of your class or any of the other ones."

"You'll be fine," I assured after taking a swig of my water, "The teachers won't get mad. Everyone will probably think you're a kid who was already here and met with me. And it's true."

"Well, yeah," Jack mumbled, "But I'm still a little worried. More over the other kids. I'm three years older than you and it shows. I don't want them thinking the wrong idea."

"What kind of wrong idea?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, "Nothing. It's nothing."

I giggled. "You're so weird, Jack. But it's nice."

Jack and I sat in our little picnic spot, admiring the environment together and talking about all the games we can play. We already started playing I Spy like I saw some of the other kids doing.

"I spy with my little eye," I said, "something....green!"

"Grass."

I laughed and nodded.

"I spy with my little eye," Jack started, "something blue."

"Your hoodie!"

"Nope."

"Your shoes!"

"Nope."

"The sky!"

"Nope."

"Uh...the....Uh..."

"Give up?"

I frowned and taut my lips slightly. "Mmmmmm..! Okay, I give up."

"It was you," Jack answered. I stared at him for a few moments until it finally clicked in and I laughed. "Ooooooh," I said, "I get it. Funny!"

We spent our time talking about things. Jack would ask me about school and I would tell him almost everything that goes on. I came up with a question for him and had asked, "How come you don't go to school? It'd be nice for you to do the things I can do there."

He had been polishing an apple as he answered me with, "Because I don't need school. I have my books. I have science books, mathematic books, english books, history books, even some criminal justice and art books."

"That's a lot of books," I remarked, "Don't you ever read any fiction stories? Like 'Little Red Riding Hood' or even comic books. Boys love comic books."

"I don't read those kinds of literatures. I'm not allowed to. I'm only allowed to read educational and informational works. That's how I've grown up."

Adjusting my glasses, I then asked him, "But...if you don't go to school then how will you make anymore friends?"

He shrugged and put a soft, almost amused smile on his lips. "I just won't make any," he responded, "plus...I don't need anymore friends. I'm happy just having you."

Awwww.

Sam chimed melodically. I just ignored him as I felt my face flush and I gave Jack a sweet smile. "You're so cheesy," I giggled. "But that's one of the things I like about you."

More time passed as we just sat there. Soon enough our sandwiches and fruits were running low and our water was nearly gone. A few ducks had waddled up to us and I couldn't help but fed them with some of my bread. One duck had waddled up to Jack, nibbled at the hem of his hoodie and then suddenly stuffed it's head up into his shirt. He yelped and gave me a pleading look. I was too busy laughing to help him out. We had to bribe the duck with food and soon enough all of the other ducks left us and went to waddle around more kids.

"Well, now that we're done, what kind of game should we play?" I asked Jack. He put his empty water bottle in our picnic basket and he said, "How about hide and seek?"

I nodded in agreement and the both of us got up. Jack took the basket with him and said, "I'll count and you hide."

"Okay," I chimed and Jack turned towards a tree and covered his eyes. He started counting and that's when I ran for a good spot to hide. It took me a while to figure out a nice place to hide. I quickly ran and ducked behind a tree with a few bushes around it. Jack will never find me here!

I sat there on the ground, peeking through the bushes every now and then to see where Jack was. He wasn't seeking anywhere near me and I smiled. He checked up trees, behind them, around the nearby playgrounds. I saw him scratch his head and run off somewhere around. I giggled as he had no clue to where I was at all. Maybe I should leap out and surprise him. Oh! Or find a different hiding spot and juke him! That's always funny.

I was just about to look around for another hiding spot when a tall shadow covered me. I looked up and saw a pretty woman standing over me. At first, I thought she was a teacher but once I didn't recognize her, I knew she was a stranger. She gave me a sweet smile and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here. My son lost one of his toys around here and I'm just roaming around to look for it. He's pretty heartbroken over it and I'd like to know if you've seen a green, stuffed monster."

I looked up at her and said, "I haven't seen anything, ma'am. I'm sor-." Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something green and I turned my head to see the stuffed monster in a bush, laying limply in the leaves. I beamed and pointed, "Oh, it's right there..!"

"Where?"

I got up onto my feet and quickly walked over to the bush. Then I picked up the toy and showed it to the woman. She smiled and said, "Oh thank you! I'm so glad it wasn't stolen! My son will be very happy." I liked the way she smiled. Though, it faltered as she had looked over me. But once she looked at me again she put on that smile again. I was slightly confused by this. I looked down at the plush monster toy and noticed a tear on the face. I poked at it without thinking and I was greeted with a small cloud of gas. My nostrils burned from breathing it in, my head started feeling funny and my eyes began growing heavy like I was tired. They began to flutter and I wobbled on my feet a little. The monster toy slipped out of my numb little hands and I fell to my knees. Then the rest of my small body hit the ground and black dots started spotting my vision. Through some haze, I saw a woman's shoe kick the monster toy away and then a figure crouched down near me. Then another figure stood behind them. A hand came into view and that's when the dots covered my entire vision and I fell unconscious.

...

The sounds of rattling echoed around me. My body jolted. I was too tired to fully open my eyes. I tried moving my hands. I felt something around them. I tried moving my legs. Something restrained me. I tried opening my mouth. Something covered it. Eventually as more things rattled and my body jolted and shuddered, I finally opened my eyes to see nothing. I felt things around me: a metal box, plastic bags. I was lying on something soft yet rough. I tried sitting up but my head rammed into something and I cried out, though that was muffled. I lifted up my legs and kicked up, hitting something hard, not knowing how low the ceiling was. But I'm not in a building. I'm in a very small space. Things rattled around me and my body was thrown here and there. I was in something moving. A car? I listened in closely and heard the whirring of the machine. Yeah, a car. And...I'm in the trunk. That's the only small space of a car. Right? It's too dark to see anything. I don't know what's going on.

Realizing that I had been taken, I began tearing up in frustration and fear. What was happening? What is going to happen? Who's driving? Where are we? Where are we driving to? Why is this happening? I felt a tear slip down my cheek and more followed after that. The air around me felt musky and I felt dirty and sweaty. Something was tickling my face and I soon realized it was my hair, likely to be messed up and sticking out in a lot of places. As the car moved, turned and stopped, I was forced to roll around and bump into things. Once, the car must've drove over a hole or bump in the road that sent my body up and I was smacked against the roof of the trunk. Something hard and metallic hit my head and I cried out. My head pulsated from where I was hit and I trembled. Suddenly, through the terrible silence around me, I heard a voice that made my trembling falter.

Ao, are you okay?

It was Sam. Hearing his voice made me feel calm, but only for a moment as the reality of the situation came back to me and I began panicking again.

Can you move? Can you talk? Ao?

I tried talking aloud but whatever covered my mouth only allowed me to stifle gibberish.

Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen to you. We're getting out of this problem. I promise!

I only nodded though I wasn't sure if Sam saw it. I just lay in the small space, breathing heavily, trembling, scared. As a way to bring my nerves down a bit, Sam starting singing a lullaby to me. It was a song Okaasan would sing to me every night as I would fall asleep. A Japanese lullaby that she grew up knowing. Sam sung it perfectly and it calmed me down, like it always did. Though, sometimes his voice would quiver and in those instances I would realize that he's just as scared as I was. I would tear up at these thoughts. Sam doesn't deserve to be scared. I shouldn't be here. We shouldn't be here.

Through the rattling and jolting around, everything came to a stop and I finally lay still in the trunk. The whirring of the car's engine stopped and everything was silent. A moment passed. Footsteps. Getting louder and louder. Suddenly, the trunk was opened and I was blinded by bright daylight. I heard voices and then hands were grabbing me. I was dragged out of the trunk and I fell hard to my knees. Gravel dug into the skin and I held back a cry of pain.

"Come on, get up," a woman's voice ordered. I looked up and was shocked to see the pretty woman I met at the park. Only, instead of smiling and being sweet, she was scowling hard and being vile. I could only stare at her. She tricked me. The woman tricked me and now I was here...wherever here is.

"Hey, brat? Are you deaf? I said get up," the woman barked but I didn't respond. That's when I felt a rupturing pain in my gut and I doubled over. The pain was so intense that I began bawling. I looked past my tears and saw a man holding a gun. A large one. Shotgun? Rifle? The butt of the handle was out towards me. He hit me with that end. "You heard the lady," he growled, "Get. Up."

I didn't want to get hit again so I immediately moved to get up onto my feet. I struggled but I managed to stand. I swayed slightly and hunched over because of the pain on my stomach. "Now start walking," the man ordered and I did as he said. Crying and sniffling, I followed behind the pretty woman who tricked me. I would stumble here and there, resulting in the man snapping at me. Eventually, we came to the front door of an aged house. The paint outside was peeling and water stains lined the bottom and top of the walls. The man and the woman brought me inside and I was surprised to see that the inside wasn't as ugly as the outside. There was a nice couch and a coffee table. There was a nice fragrance in here that almost calmed me. And there was soft music playing from somewhere. Two other men were lounging on the couch and smiling at each other like they were making jokes. But their smiling was interrupted as the woman called for them and they turned to look at me. That's when their smiles came back but this time they showed mischief. "Nice catch, Liv," one man complimented, "Well, isn't she pretty."

"She'd look prettier if she wasn't crying," she grumbled. The other man waved it off and said, "Oh, I'm sure buyers won't mind. If she looks good crying, then she looks pretty good with anything. Right?" He nudged his friend and the other man nodded. Then he said, "Put her in with the rest of 'em."

"Nah, shit, idiot. That's what I was going to do," the woman growled. She grabbed me by the back of my neck, her nails digging into my skin, and she pulled me down a hallway. She opened up a door and said, "You can try making friends. You brats won't last long anyway." Then, she shoved me in and shut the door. I tumbled over the floor and groaned. I could only lay there and struggle in my bonds. Only one ray of light peeked through a boarded up window, making the room very dim. I looked all around and saw a pair of eyes. I froze. Then another pair. Two more pairs. I started shaking. I counted ten pairs of eyes and it took me a while to realize that there were other kids in here. Some of them were my age and others looked older than me. At least I think. It's too dim to see correctly.

I kept struggling in my bonds and that's when a dark skinned little boy crawled to my side and untied them. First he untied the bonds around my hands and then the ones around my legs. The legs bonds were looser which explained how I could walk. At least a little. I tore away the rag around my mouth and scrambled to the farthest wall of the room. All of the kids in here stared at me. They just stared. Fear was all I could see in their eyes and their eyes were surely mirrors to mine. I waited for a few moments until I spoke up though my voice was extremely loud in the silence of the room. "Where are we?" I asked them. No on answered me. I tried again. "What's going on?" No answer. Not even a scuffle from movement. Barely even a breath.

I turned my attention to a kid two feet away from me. She was balled up in the corner, hugging herself, her black hair coming over her face in tangles. She was probably no older than fourteen. She looks like a teenager. She's similar to the ones I see near the high school near my school. I noticed her poor choice of clothing. Short shorts that left her scraped up legs bare, a spaghetti strap tank top that exposed her slender arms. It was cold in the room. Her clothes won't keep her warm. I decided to ask her, "Why are you wearing that? It's too cold in here. You'll get sick."

She flinched at my voice and looked at me with paranoid eyes. I heard her gulp until she answered me in a hoarse whisper, "It's easier to take off.."

"Why would you want to take it off?" I asked, confused.

She tightened her grip on her arms and said, "It's not for me to take off..."

From that point, I knew she wouldn't talk. But I didn't know what she had meant. What was that supposed to mean? I looked all around the room at all of the shaking, fearful, dirtied children. How long have they been here? Some of them look starved. I looked up at the boarded up window and frowned out of determination. I got up onto my feet and stormed over to it, startling some kids along the way. I grabbed at the wood, pulled at it. It creaked from me pulling on it even though the nails held it in place. I kept pulling and pulling. My skin grew red from the struggle and chaffing and I eventually gained a splinter. Yet I still tried. I clawed at the rough wood until my nail beds grew raw and ached. Tears brimming my eyes out of frustration again, I punched at the wood, hoping to break it.

"You can't break it," I heard a voice say. I turned and saw the little dark skinned boy who untied me. Huffing, I said, "Yes I can. I just need to keep trying."

"We have tried," he told me, "but we can never remove them. And you should stop right now before you get in trouble. The last kid who tried to break the wood was dragged out of here by that lady. The next day he came back with broken fingers..."

"He wouldn't stop crying after that," another little boy added, "and that's when one of the men took him away again. He never came back."

My decisions faltered. Will that happen to me too if I keep trying to escape? Why would those people do something so hurtful? Even though I desperately wanted to keep trying to break the wood, I didn't want to end up like that kid. So I shakily backed away from the boarded window and slumped down against a wall. Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks and I hugged my legs to my chest. Through the dimness of the room, I could see the scrapes on my knees. My shorts exposed my legs and gave me little protection against the cold temperature of the room. I wanted to be safe and warm. But that wasn't happening right now. There was no way out besides the window but I can't get caught. And my hands are already too sore from trying.

Ao, let me try.

Sam suddenly said. Through all the panic, I almost forgot he was still with me. I didn't have to answer him to get him going. I looked up to see the wood bending slight and cracking. All of the kids looked up at it and stared in confusion and a little bit of fear. It seemed I was the only one smiling as the wood kept cracking and cracking and cracking until-.

The door suddenly flew open and one of the men stood under the doorway. It was one of the ones sitting on that couch I saw earlier. He had a distasteful grin on his face. In a joyful, though mocking, tone, he announced, "Alright, you little brats, it's time for your routine check-up's! We gotta make sure you all still look pretty!" He strolled around the room, scanning all of us. Once he gave us all a big smile, he said, "Aw, you all are still adorable. Perfect items on the market!" He cackled and began turning around when he looked up at the window and his wide grin faltered. "Who the hell's been trying to break the wood?" He asked. He scanned all of us again, only with a glare, then he asked, "Who did it? Huh? Which one of you brats tried breaking out?" No one answered because no one had an answer. There was no culprit. At least to the kids. They don't know Sam exists. They shouldn't know. I'd like to keep it that way. I'm sure he would too.

"Someone better give me a damn answer right now," he ordered. No responses. He walked further into the room and scanned everyone again. Then, his attention diverted to the little dark skinned boy who helped me. The poor kid was looking down at the floor; looking nervous; looking guilty. I shook my head, knowing the man will take things the wrong way. And, before I knew it, he leaned over and grabbed the boy by his shirt. "Did you do it? Did you crack the wood?" he growled, glowering down at him. The boy shook his head rapidly. The man scowled harder. "Don't lie to me...!"

"I-I'm not lying!" The boy stammered. The man glared. The boy added, "S-Sir...!"

"Ya know, I hate it when people lie," the man sighed, "especially if they're little kids." Suddenly, he shoved the kid down to the floor then kicked him. A few other children gasped, others stayed silent. But I couldn't. I gasped and then glared up at the man. Without thinking, I shot up to my feet and started punching his stomach. "Don't hurt him!" I screamed, "He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Fuck off," the man grumbled and shoved me down to the floor too. My elbows hit the hard floor and a painful shock ran up my arms. I grit my teeth and looked up to see the man glare back down at the little boy. He started raising his foot to either stomp or kick him but before he could go through with it, I screamed, "It was me!!! I did it!! I was the one who tried breaking off the wood!! See?!" I raised up my scratched up, splintered hands, showing the proof that I was the one to blame. The man shifted his gaze from me to the boy then back to me. Then, regret and fear started rising within me as his attention was now on me and me only. I began crawling away but he caught me by my ankles and roughly pulled me towards him. I screamed as loud as I could, hoping someone would help me. Smacking my scraped hands at his face, flailing my feet, I struggled. The other kids started backing away from this. Why aren't they helping me? I need help!

As a last resort, even though I shouldn't have, even though his safety was more important than anything right now, I called out for Sam.

"SAM!!! HELP ME!! PLEASE!!!!"

But, Ao, what if-.

Something hard connected with my face and my head smacked the floor hard. Something started dripping past my lips and down my chin, jaw and cheek. My mouth hurt. The man punched me. My vision was hazy from another hit to the head. But my hearing was loud and clear as kids starting screaming in surprise and I heard a loud yelp from the man who hit me. An ear splitting crash erupted and the children's screams spiked at the noise. I felt someone grab for me though their grips were gentle and their hands were smaller. They dragged me away and propped me up against a wall. A moment later, my vision cleared up and I looked in front of me to see the dark skinned boy I saved. "Are you okay?" He asked me. Still a bit dizzy, I shook my head which only made it worse. I touched my damp lips and then pulled my hand away only to see red staining my fingers. Blood.

"Wh...What happened...?" I mumbled, making more blood drip down my chin.

"I don't know," the boy responded, "The guy just went flying out of the room and he was sent through a wall. I don't think he's gotten up yet."

"S...Sam...," I whispered, feeling relieved that he was able to help me after all.

"What?" The boy asked. I shook my head and said, "We have to get out. C-C'mon..!"

"But the other people are coming!" He argued. I got up onto my feet and said, "That doesn't matter. We're getting out of here! I'll make sure of that!" Quickly, I ran over to the boarded up window and began pulling on the wood again. My hands ached more than before but I didn't care. It's not as bad as whatever pain I'll get staying here any longer. "Sam!" I called for him.

On it.

As I pulled, I could feel another force on it, like someone was pulling with me. Smiling, I pulled and pulled and pulled until finally the wood snapped off, sending a few nails flying. I threw the wood down and looked through the window. The room was more illuminated as more daylight seeped in. But instead of feeling happy to see out the window, I was more confused. Because outside of the window was a little boy wearing...a blue hoodie.

"Jack?!" I exclaimed. His face lit up and he pressed his hands against the glass. I did the same and screamed for him. "Jack!! Jack!!" I could hear his muffled calls of my name behind the window. Tears of relief swelled in my eyes and I just wanted to hug him but there was a stupid wall and window in the way. He punched at the glass as hard as he could until I could see his knuckles redden. He gave me an exasperated look and I could see the frustration in his eyes. I smacked the glass with both hands and kept calling for him. That's when I noticed something wrong. Jack's expression faltered into one of terror. He screamed, punched, smacked at the glass. Then he pointed past me. Before I could figure out what he was trying to warn me about, a pair of hands grabbed me by my waist and I screamed. I kicked my legs in the air and desperately hung onto the rest of the wood but it ended up breaking in my hands. My hands smacked at the arms of a man and I whirled my head around in protest.

"Quit it, you little brat!!" A man snapped in my ear and I recognized it as the man who hit my in the stomach with a big gun. I screamed even louder and harder, trying desperately to make him let me go. I quickly checked the room and saw that most of the kids ran off expect the little boy who helped me. He was being held by the second man who lounged on the couch. "Let him go!!!" I screamed and kept on struggling. I heard the other man ask, "Hey is that kid outside ours?!"

The man holding me looked at Jack who was still punching at the glass and he said, "I don't know and I don't care. We can't let him leave and tell somebody. Go get him."

"What about this kid?"

There was hesitance before the man answered with, "Get rid of him." I didn't have to know what that meant to know it was bad. I screamed louder and reached my hand around to the man's face. I clawed into his skin and I heard him scream. He dropped me and I started running towards the other guy but then I was grabbed again and thrown against the wall. I looked up and saw a man in front of me, the one I scratched. I could see a cut down the side of his face, near his eye and he seethed at me. "Forget that boy!!" He snapped at the other man, "The only kid dying today is this little bitch!!"

"What do I do with him then?!"

"Tie him up and let him watch!!"

"Alright then," the other man said and started tying up the little boy with some bonds he already had. Then he shoved him in one corner and started walking towards the door. Before the man in front of me could come in to punch me, there was a loud smack. All of us turned and saw an unconscious man on the floor, with blood sprayed across the side of his head. Then I looked at the doorway and saw a woman there but it wasn't the one that tricked me. This woman was different. She wore a cracked mask that was made to look like a lady's face with a lot of make-up. Even though the mask had a casual, red lipped smile it still sent chills down my spine. And in her left hand, resting on her shoulder, was an aluminum baseball bat that was spotted with blood. The man that was still standing glared at her. She spoke, her voice so beautiful yet taunting and strict at the same time.

"Damn, I gotta hand it to you guys, you're as twisted as me and my husband. Though, not by a long shot. You must be a sick man to want to beat a kid to death. But that's not a man, is it now? Right. That makes you a pig. And you know what happens to pigs?" I could just hear the amusement in her tone. But then that quickly changed when she continued in a dark, growling voice, "They get slaughtered."

She stepped forward, her boots thudding on the floor and she ordered to me directly, "You might want to leave, little girl. That shirt looks very pretty. I wouldn't want to stain it with this pig's insides." I didn't complain to this. She seemed just as scary as the other lady. So, I just ran past her and out the door. I started running down the hall and not even a moment later is when I heard a loud shout and a watery smack in the room I just left. I ignored it despite how disturbing it sounded. I didn't want to see what had happened because I know I would end up regretting it. I ran into the living room and went for the door, when I stopped to see a commotion. There was a man and a woman fighting, viciously attacking each other like stray dogs. Through the blurring movement of their bodies, I saw that the man had a mask too. It was like a clown mask. The mouth was red with sharp teeth and there were blue diamonds across the eye holes. It was also cracked, like the woman's. As I watched, it seemed like the man was winning. The mean lady was getting beaten around and she looked tired. She already had bruises on her face too. The mysterious man had grabbed the lady by the hair and then smacked her into a wall, face-first. He threw her down on the floor and then pinned her down. From his belt, he raised a large knife. The woman, face dirty with blood and sweat, pleaded feebly for him not to kill her. But he didn't say a word as he raised it high above his head and rammed the blade down into her skull, cutting off her screams only to replace it with cracking and the wet sounds of blood and insides spurting and spilling. I could only watch as he stabbed her over and over and over again and again until only red painted the floor around them.

I stared for the longest time, watching him wipe off the red from his knife, making sure every spot of it was gone. He slid it back into a holder on his belt and then stood up to his feet. As I watched him, clunking footsteps echoed down the hall behind me and I quickly ducked into a different room to hide. The masked woman passed the doorway and walked into the living room. Poking my head out of the room, I watched the two masked people meet up. "Damn..," she sighed, looking around the room cluttered with broken things from the fight.

"Yeah, I had a bit of trouble," the man said.

"Well, it's what you get for fighting hand-to-hand," she teased.

"What can I say? I needed the work out," he joked and the woman stifled a dry chuckle. She stepped up beside the limp body of the dead woman and examined her. "Jeez," she muttered, "the things we do for our son."

"His friend needed help. He was begging, honey," the man replied.

"Still," the masked woman said, "the danger he gets involved with."

"Oh, yes, so much danger," the man jeered, "so much more dangerous than his own mother and father."

"You get the point," the woman growled. She leaned down and inspected the dead woman's disfigured face. The man walked up behind her and said, "But look on the bright side. Four dead adults? All for us? Hell, he gave us tonight's dinner."

"Babe, with four bodies, that's not dinner, that's a god damn banquet," the woman stated.

"Exactly," the man said, kneeling down next to her, "this will be enough to last us weeks. So, sure we went through some trouble, but our boy did help us find food. And I think we make sure he knows that we're thankful."

The woman signed behind her mask and said, "Fine."

"Good," the man said, ending the conversation. After that it was silent and I knew I had to leave. I started quietly crawling down the hall to look for another exit when I bumped into someone. I screamed and scrambled back into the living room, right out into the open. I backed up right into something else and I looked up to see the woman looming over me. I screamed again and crawled away from her into a wall. Finally, my panic was ceased as I heard a soothing voice call out my name. "Ao?"

I looked to my right to see Jack standing there, looking more relieved than I've ever seen him. Something inside me snapped and I couldn't control the tears streaming down my face and the way my lips quivered to restrain a sob. My hands trembled and every bit of pain on my body left me. I was practically numb yet my heart was pounding fast. Though not because I was scared. It's because Jack was here even though I feared I would never see him again. I wanted to get up and throw myself at him for a hug but I was too shaken, too weak to move. So Jack moved for me and fell to his knees in front of me to bring me into a hug so tight, I thought he'd squeeze the rest of my breath out. I let my sobs out into his hoodie and clawed at it too. Running my hands through his auburn mop of hair, messing it up more than it was, I let all of my fright go. Jack was here for me. He was here.

Through my sobs, I heard him whisper softly, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you at the park. I'm sorry, Ao. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I cried, "all that matters is that you came. That you're here..!"

Jack pulled away and pulled up the right sleeve of his hoodie over his hand. Then he gently brushed my tear stained cheeks and my blood covered mouth. He took off my glasses, wiped them off and then gingerly put them back in place. I managed a smile and he returned a soft one. He leaned in, placing his forehead against mine, and he whispered to me, "I promise I'll never leave you again. I promise to see you everyday and hug you everyday and make you smile everyday. I promise."

I closed my eyes and leaned in more. "Okay," I murmured and he brought me into another hug. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Anything for you," he whispered back. I cried a little more into his shoulder. My bruises and scrapes began aching again but I ignored them. I could've fallen asleep in his arms if I didn't have to go home, away from this nightmarish place. Jack had me get onto my feet, even though just the thought of walking made me want to cry even more and just crumble up into the ground. He led me out of the crumby house, without saying a word to the masked man and woman who had began discussing something else. As we walked, with him helping me every time I stumbled, I asked in a tired voice, "What happened to the other kids?"

"They're headed towards a nearby police station," he said, "I gave them directions. They should have reached the station by now. They're okay now."

I smiled. "Thank you for helping them. I tried but I ended up getting hurt instead."

"It's okay. As long as your wounds aren't anything serious. You'll be okay," he assured me in a comforting, soothing tone. Jack kept walking with me, towards the city. He said he was going to take me to a hospital where I would be treated and taken care of. Okaasan and ChiChi will find out and come for me then I'll be able to be with them in safety. But all I felt like doing right now was sleeping. I felt like falling asleep in Jack's arms as he would hug me and pet my hair. We could sit under a tree and just stay there, resting after so much struggle and panic. I want to close my eyes, knowing he'll be there as I sleep, watching over me. But I have to go home and see my family again. I have to sleep on an actual bed and under an actual roof rather than a tent of trees. The only difference is that Jack won't be there because he'll have to go home too and get some sleep of his own. The sun was already setting so Jack had to make me hurry along with him so we wouldn't get caught in the dark. And even though my legs were weak and my head was spinning most of the time, I still kept going. My motivation was getting sleep, seeing my parents again, going home, being safe and staying with Jack. And to keep me strong, as Jack and I walked, we held hands. His fingers between mine, his grip firm and warm. We stayed like this throughout the time we walked. I never protested, I never flinched in his hold. I would just squeeze and sometimes he would squeeze back, letting me know I was okay, letting me know he was still there, letting me know he would always be there for me. And I couldn't feel anymore happier.

...

It was a Saturday. The sun was out and seeping its rays into my bedroom window. I was all cuddled up in my dark blue blanket and my fluffy sky blue pillows. I opened my blurry eyes and sat up in place. Stretching my arms up over my head, I yawned and my sleep wore off. My brunette hair was loose and hanging over my shoulders, stopping near the midsection of my torso. I grabbed it all and draped it to one side as I reached near a nightstand and grabbed my glasses. I slipped them on and my whole view became crystal clear. I looked to the nightstand again to check the time on my clock. It's 9:15. A little later than I wanted to wake up but I'll still take it.

Putting on a big smile and getting myself pumped and ready, I shuffled out of bed and stood. I looked down at my ankle and sighed as it was still healing up. Limping over to my splint, I grabbed it and slipped it over my foot. After that, I grabbed my crutch that leaned against the wall and started walking out of my bedroom. As soon as I walked out into the hall, I could smell the delicious scent of breakfast. With this, I picked up my walking pace and made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen where my mother was cooking and my father was going over a few papers at the table. Smiling, I said, "Ohayō!"

"Ohayō," they said in unison. I limped over next to my father and took a seat. He gave me a smile and I asked him, "Last minute paperwork, ChiChi?" He laughed and nodded. I smiled. A hand came into view with a plate of breakfast and I smiled up at my mom. "Thank you," I told her.

"Oh, you're welcome, my little rairakuu," she chimed sweetly. I looked down at my food and fist pumped the air. Streamed rice and miso!!! Yes!! I dug in immediately and relished in the wonderful breakfast my mother made. With a side of some gorgeous vegetables, of course. As I was eating, my mom finished making my father's dish and hers and she sat down to eat too. But before she did, she asked me, "Blue, when is Kayla's regional competition again?"

"Mmmm...tomorrow," I mumbled through my miso. She smiled and asked, "So, that means you're free today? Nothing to do?"

"Nope," I answered before popping a carrot slice into my mouth.

"Oh, good," she said, "I'm glad you're free. Because today your father wants to take you to work."

I dropped a cucumber into my soup and stared up at my mother in surprise. Then I looked at my father for assurance. He nodded and said, "Sore wa hontōda." It's true. I wasn't at all annoyed by this. In fact, I'm actually pretty excited to visit my father's workplace. The last time I visited was when I was ten. I wonder if anything's changed these past five years. "That sounds fun," I said and my parents smiled.

"Great," my mother tweeted, "you both leave in twenty minutes."

...

My father carefully helped me into the passenger seat of his car and then closed the door for me. I waited until he came around and hopped into the driver's seat. He started up the car and sighed. "Junbi deku teru no?" He asked. I nodded and answered him briefly, "Ready!" He gave me a soft smile and began driving. After we passed the gate, I started getting comfortable in the napa leather seat. It takes a while to drive to my father's workplace so I might as well relax until we get there. My father turned on the radio and then put a CD in the music player. Not a moment later, big band music started playing and I felt like I was practically in heaven. "You know me so well, ChiChi," I remarked and I heard him chuckle. After that, the both of relaxed in the car, taking in the calm of a beautiful Saturday morning.

Twenty-five minutes later, my father was pulling the car in through the company gates. Security affirmed his ID and mine too, though I didn't have a card, then they let us through. We quickly found a parking space that was only for my father and then he shut the car's engine off. My father quickly got down and came around to help me out of the car. Then, he opened the back door and grabbed a suitcase for work. After that he locked up the car and we began walking towards the corporate building. As we walked, I wondered where I'll go. I'm sure my father has determined some areas restricted. He probably has a whole path for me laid out. I'm sure of it actually. I wonder how the company even allowed him to take me. But then again, he's done it before and he is a high ranking official. I think I'd rather not work my brain over this and I should just enjoy this rare visit.

Soon, my father and I were already walking up onto the curb. I stopped for a moment and gazed up at the tall building, with its silver exterior and shining windows that practically made up all sides of it. It's been so long since I've been here and I nearly forgot what marvelous architecture the place had. It was gorgeous.

"Ao!" My father called for me and I quickly rushed to catch up to him. I met up with him and he flashed me a gentle, amused smile. The both of us walked through the doors and, just as I had guessed, we were greeted with a security gate. My father was checked first, along with his suit case and he scanned his ID card with a card scanner. Then it was my turn and I was checked. I had to remove my jacket and a security guard quickly waved a detector over my body. After that the security guard gave his partner a thumbs up and they returned my jacket back to me and let me pass. I meet up with my father and we started walking again. We got into an elevator and he pressed the seventeenth floor. Viewing the buttons and their labels, this building has twenty floors to it, excluding the basement down below.

The elevator ride was a long one, especially since so many other officials and employees were on and off. My father didn't seem to mind the wait but I was growing a bit uncomfortable with standing and waiting for so long. I guess he's just used to it. To pass the time and keep my hands busy, I messed with my braids and admired the elevator's interior. Before I knew it, we finally made it to the seventeenth floor and we stepped off the elevator. My father and I walked down the bright hall and then we came to a stop at a door, with his formal name on a silver plaque. He unlocked the door and we walked inside. I couldn't remember the way his office looked until now. Everything was neat and organized, like my father. The office even had this scent to it that made me feel nice, kind of like how someone feels when they smell that new car scent. Everything was perfect.

My father told me to relax and take a seat and I did so on a couch on the wall opposite from his desk. He started typing on a laptop that was waiting for him on the desk and I noticed how silent the area was by how clear his typing sounded. I looked around the office, noting the cabinet files labeled with Japanese kanji that also had english labels in parenthesis below them. I found this a little funny and I stifled a soft, short chuckle. I swept my gaze over the rest of the office and my eyes landed on pictures on shelves behind my father. There was one of him and my mother, standing and raising glasses of champagne. She wore a beautiful white wedding kimono with light pink lotus patterns here and there. I think she still has it somewhere in her closet. I remember always being so fond of it and I would always tell her that I'd wear a beautiful kimono for my wedding too. Actually, I still dream of wearing one. I looked to my father's figure in the picture as he only wore a black and white kimono, a formal attire for the groom. But he made it look as vibrant as my mother's. My parents have this picture somewhere in the house and I feel a sort of warmness knowing my father has one here too.

Next to the wedding photo, there was one of me. I was small and young and I was giving a big smile at the camera, showing my teeth and one space where I lost my first tooth. My hair was still braided, like it's always been and I smiled, seeing how much I have yet have not changed. There was many more photos of my parents and me and then all of us together. My father even kept some little art works I did as a kid and I giggled at my adorable messes of paint. There was one painting that I did that was only a messy kanji in blue:

家族

It meant family. I can't believe my father kept it all this time. I forgot I even made it. And now that I see it, I couldn't help but feel even warmer inside. Not only was my father's office just his place of work but it's his place of memories and significance. I looked at my father, watching him type on his laptop with an intent look in his dark eyes, and I smiled. Oh, ChiChi.

There was a sudden knock at the door and my father called for them to come in. The door opened, revealing a man in a white lab coat, with a tablet in one hand and his thin glasses in the other. His hair was blonde and his eyes were a sharp blue. Looking at him now, I began remembering his name. Dr. Stephens. He's my father's colleague. "Dr. Matsukochi, the lab is prepped. We should begin on the project soon," he told my father.

I couldn't suppress myself as I said, "Hi, Dr. Stephens!!" He looked at me with surprise, probably because of my outburst, and I waved at him. "Do you remember me?" I asked him. He stared at me for a while, probably trying to recognize me, until he said, "Little Blue."

I smiled and nodded. Back then, everyone here working with my father called me Little Blue. I felt happy knowing that Dr. Stephens still remembers. He gave me a respectful smile and said, "Not so little anymore, now are you?"

I laughed. "Nope. I'm fifteen already. Going to be turning sixteen soon."

"Wow, it really has been a long time," he remarked. "It's nice to see you again, Ao."

"You too, Dr.," I replied and we both shared smiles. My father shut the laptop closed and then stood up from his desk. He walked up next to Dr. Stephens and shared some whispers with him, though in Japanese. It's a good thing Dr. Stephens can speak and understand the language. They whispered to each other, discussing something intently. After they were done, Dr. Stephens told me, "Ao, your father knows you wouldn't want to stay in here all day so he's offering to have you walk around the facility. Though you will be chaperoned, of course."

"Okay," I said, "who's my chaperone?"

"Dr. Stephens!!!" Someone exclaimed. We all turned to see someone running up to the door, looking exasperated. It was a man, around his twenties judging by how youthful his face looked. He looked like the youngest person I've seen around here. His hair was brown, tussled. His eyes were a dark grey and his skin was fair. He wore a lab coat, just like everyone else, and he had a messenger bag hanging on his shoulder. Pushing up his thin rimmed glasses, he said, "There you are Dr. Stephens. I was looking for you."

"Ah, Mr. Harris! Good morning! You're just the person we need," Stephens said.

"Awa?"

"Yes, you'll do. Ao! Meet your chaperone, Ian Harris. He is my intern. Mr. Harris, this is Ao Matsukochi, daughter to Dr. Matsukochi. I'm sure you're familiar with him, as you should," Stephens explained, "You will give her a show around the place." Stephens's intern, Ian Harris, smiled at me and stepped forward to shake my hand. "Nice to meet you," he said, with a ring to his voice. I stood up and shook his hand. "Hello," I greeted and we let go of each other.

"I heard Dr. Matsukochi had a daughter but I didn't think you'd look so pretty," he complimented and my cheeks flushed. A loud 'ahem' cut through the air and I saw Dr. Stephens giving him a look. Mr. Harris chuckled nervously and said, "Anyway, I guess I'll be giving you a tour of the place. Even though I'm supposed to be assisting in a lab experiment...!" The last sentence was directed to Stephens and the blonde man waved him off.

"Well, come on, let's get started," he told me and he lead me out of my father's office. I heard my father behind us, "īe omoshiroi bijinesun!"

"He said 'no funny business'!" Dr. Stephens translated.

"Don't worry," Mr. Harris shouted back. We started walking down the hall and he explained, "I'll show you around the labs and give you the basics of what we do here. I'd tell you to take notes but you don't have any, so try to remember and enjoy the tour!" I smiled and replied, "Thank you, Mr. Harris." He took a glance at me and smiled, his eyes bright with energy.

"You're welcome! And you can drop the formalities. Just call me Ian!"