~ No man can chain a flame~

It's been two years since Cyruss found and saved me. I am now seven years old and my hair has grown to the full length of my back. Friday and Cyruss are now fourteen and Gun-shot is eleven. For two years Friday, Gun-shot, and Cyruss have showed me how to survive; Gun-shot showed me how to steal this yummy stuff he calls bread from mean old people, he also showed me how to catch fish in the stream next to our club house. Friday showed me how to be a girl. She taught me how to sew with spider webs and how to wear an old kimono she had from before she ran away. Cyruss showed me how to hide my eyes and tail. When I asked why, he looked at me with sad eyes and said " People.. um how should I put it? They are scared of what they don't understand." He gave me a small stick cross that was hung on a old string. When he put it around my neck my tail faded and my eyes went from red to sky blue. I am to keep this on at all times Cyruss told me. I will never disobey Cyruss.

We all sat around the fire one winter night. Even though we were near the flames, we still shivered. During the winter it's hard to get food. The stream is too frozen to catch fish in and there are less people to steal from. So, we all sat there shivering. I looked at the flames. My eyes watched as the flames danced across the air. We were all silent. Then, I looked at Friday and decided to break the silence.

" Hey Friday." she looked up at me. " How did you and Cyruss meet?" She smiled.

" Friday.. that wasn't always my name." I looked up wanting to here more. " I used to be called Yumic."

" Why did you change your name?" I asked.

" Because my parents didn't want me." Her smile started to fade it to a blank stare.

" Why wouldn't they want you?" She looked at me with that blank stare and sighed.

" Because they thought I was a witch." A tear started to fall from her eye." I did whatever my parents told me to. But one day I was accused of being a witch. Even though it was determined I was innocent, my parents still believed I was a possessed by a witch. I tried to be the perfect child." she wiped the falling tears from her eyes. " They tried to beat and starve the witch out of me. I finally ran away on May 7th on Friday. It was the best day of my life. I met Cyruss when he and I were about your age. I don't regret anything." She smiled then reached over and patted me on the head.

" I was the same." I looked over at Gun-shot. " My old name was Hurni." He looked up at me then said. " My parents wanted a girl. Once I was born, they hated me for being a boy." He tucked his head under he knees. " One day they decided that they were going to try again for a girl, but no babies came. They raged and threatened me. They told me to act like a girl or they would kill me. When I refused they brought out a gun. I ran away." He smiled. " I was five those old when I met Cyruss." I looked over at Cyruss hoping for a story from him. He looked back at me then said,

"I was like you." he smiled." I was abandoned when I was little and I don't have any memory." He gave me a sad look then looked at me. "A man found me then named me Cyruss." he looked at me then patted me on the head. And we all sat together watching the flames feeling a bit warmer.

Winter came and went. The town was setting up for the spring parade. Me and Cyruss were sitting on cardboard in our usual spots next to the market shop were we beg or sometimes even pick-pocket the rich people. My stomach growled I was so hungry. Cyruss put his hand on my shoulder. A passing man saw us then gave us a warm smile. " Aww you poor children." I hate it when people pity me, I wouldn't give up this life for anything but if it gets us some money then I guess I'll just suck it up. " Here you go." He reached in to his pocket an pulled out 522¥ ( five dollars) and gave it to Cyruss. Cyruss tried to squeeze a little more money out of home by thanking him then coughing hard. But the man just smiled and walked away. Cyruss looked at me, then at the money.

" This should be enough to buy some mēn." He looked at the market place then turned to me and gave me that 'this is important' look. " I am going to go inside a buy some mēn. Ok? I want you to stay here and don't go off with strangers and-" I cut him off.

" I know! You tell me this every time you leave me alone." I whined. Cyruss looked at me then sighed. He patted my head then got up and left. I look up and saw a poster for the spring parade. It had a beautiful girl wearing a kimono. Her hair was up, held by a golden flower clip. I took the poster in my hand to admire even closer. Suddently, I was shoved to the floor. My face fell against the dirt. I got up to see what happen and I saw two young girls; one of them had their hair up and it was held by two sticks, the other looked like the first but had her hair down and had a silver flower on the side of her face. They both had the same beautiful kimonos on and looked like they were going to some expensive party. They looked down at me and gave me a smirk.

" Aww look the little dirty pig fell in the mud." said the first one. I looked up at her.. This is why I hate the people from the outside.

" Here let us clean you up." the second one looked behind her and saw the hose the owner of the market place used to water his lawn. She took the hose and sprayed it at me full blast. I was soaked and cold.

" Ha!" laugh the one with her hair up. " Now she is a dirty wet pig!" I tried to ignore her and to stand up. But as I stood up they pushed me back over. " A filthy smelly pig crawls! Crawl pig."

" S st stop it. Leave me alone!" I managed to say. The twins looked at me then screamed back at me,

" Gross little PIGS don't speak to us in such a manner!" The one with her hair up reached her hand to slap me but a hand came and grabbed her wrist. I looked up to see Cyruss with the girls wrist in his hand. He looked disgusted and angry and gave them a hard look.

"This gross little pig, is with me. So if you don't want trouble I suggest you leave." the girls looked at him then at me. The girl with her hair up broke free from Cyruss and they ran away. Cyruss looked down at me and reached his hand out. When I got up, I looked at the poster again. The girl on the poster looked so pretty. I looked at my torn dirty old dress, and thought maybe they were right. A dirty ugly pig like me shouldn't expect much different. I started to cry, warm salty tears streamed down my face, washing away the dirt. Cyruss quickly hugged me tightly hoping to calm me down. We got up and started home, his hand and my hand clasp together.

When we got home Gun-shot and Friday met us smiling, but the smile quickly turned to worry as they looked at me.

"What happend?!" yelled Friday, she ran over and looked closely at me, I looked down and saw that I had mud on me from head to toe and bruises and cuts everywhere.

" Oh I just fell." I lied. Cyruss looked at me knowing that I'm lying.

" Ok." said Friday sarcastically. " let get you cleaned up shall we. We don't want you to be dirty during the spring parade!" My heart sank I don't want to go to the spring parade. I don't want people to make fun of me, but before I could say anything Friday grabbed me.

We went to that stream that's beside our house. I sat in the cold clear water and Friday sat behind me on the grass. She used the soap Gun-shot and I had stolen a while ago, but it got in my eyes. I screamed and kicked. I hate it when Friday gives me a bath.

" Oh hush you big baby!" pouted Friday. She took the old bucked filled with cold water that was next to her and dumped down on me. She pulled me out and used an old piece of cloth to dry me off. She looked at me with a fake smile, (Friday only fake smiles when she brings out the one thing in the world that I hate more that the people on the outside). She pulled out the old rusty comb and a rope. I tried to run but she threw the rope and caught me around my neck. She gave it a hard yank that sent me flying backward. She continued to drag me back to where she wanted me. She dunked my whole head into the water and started to comb. I tried to get my head out of the water but she was too strong, air started to escape from my mouth and nose. It was like this every time and every time I thought I was going to drown. I know what you are thinking, that because I'm a demon that shouldn't bother me. Demons can be killed like humans, but we live longer than humans, forever, if we're careful.

When she finally finished she let go of my head and I flung my head up gasping for breath.

" Akuma." I looked over at her. " She pulled out a box wrapped in old newspaper and placed it down in front of me. I looked at her and said in a scared tone, " What is it?" Slowly, I tore at the paper and saw a box with a lid. I opened the lid and saw a beautiful kimono. It wasn't the one I saw on the poster, but it was still beautiful, and on top were silver ribbons to put in my hair. I took the kimono out of the box and looked at it. It was red with a golden flower on the side and it had a pale green strap around it. I looked over at Friday and smiled. I rushed over to give her a hug she patted me on the back.

" Now lets get you dressed. We don't want to be late." She said. I shook my head and smiled.

" Hī!" I replied.

~ HEY SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTERS BUT I HAVE A LOT TO WORK TO DO FOR SCHOOL SO I WILL TRY TO GET THAT DONE QUICKER. AND I USED ALOT OF JAPANESE PHRASES IN THIS BOOK SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THEY MEAN.~

MĒN: RAMEN

KIMONO: A DRESS OR CLOTH PEOPLE IN JAPAN TRADITIONLY WEAR.

HĪ: YES.

AKUMA: FLAME.

STAY AWSOME MY FRIENDS AND JOIN THE DEMO- CHAN1 ARMY😝