author's note: from this point on "underlined dialog lines (that look like this)" are responses written down by characters, usually Rika, who is still not speaking.
new chapter up!
Driving by the condo building, Ayaka saw Hitomi waiting anxiously on the sidewalk beside a lamp post. That eager beaver.
Ayaka parked her car on the roadside as Hitomi walked to over to meet them.
“I see you want to be alone with her tonight…” Ayaka joking at Hitomi.
Ignoring Ayaka’s joke, “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, breakfast.”
“Gyokai, Gyokai! Undoukai!” Ayaka said with a salute.
Hitomi smiled “You can be so weird at times.”
“I know… anyway, I’ll be leaving Ms. Ishikawa in your hands. Be nice to her, okay?”
Taking a sleeping Rika in her arms and carrying her off to the building, Hitomi looked back at Ayaka. “Don’t worry, I’ll be nice!”
Rika walked out of the room. She wanted to find Hitomi. At first, she didn’t know where she was. She kept on walking. She heard her father’s voice calling her name. She missed him so much. She followed the voice, hoping to find him. The voice led her to Hitomi’s condo. Walking on, She found a door in the middle of the room. Out of curiosity, she opened the door. Out of nowhere, a hand pushed her in. When she looked back, the door and the person who pushed her were gone.
She looked around trying to figure out where she was and found the place familiar— Sampaloc, Manila… the last place in the world she wanted to be…
Hitomi laid Rika on the bed in the guest room. She looked tired but she slept peacefully. Hitomi took a chair to the bedside and sat on it, gazing at Rika. Gently brushing off hair that fell on Rika’s face, Hitomi saw her face clearly for the first time. she felt blood rushing to her face.
She’s pretty. Hitomi slapped herself on the face. This is not the time to be thinking of these things.
Hitomi continued watching her in her slumber.
They were there, outside the small apartment. That her stepmother and that man. It was as if they were waiting for someone. As if they were waiting for her. A van parked by the road. An angry-looking short dark man emerged. The man looked familiar.
Suddenly Rika’s expression fell. She tossed and turned in bed. Her peaceful expression turned into an agitated look. Tears rolled her cheeks as she shook her head. She breathed heavily.
They looked towards her direction and saw her. The recognized her and began running to her. Rika wanted to run away. But before she could turn, the woman she called Auntie had grabbed her arm and pulled her to that van again. No… please!
Hitomi did not know what to do. “Rika? … Rika!” Hitomi called to Rika, hoping she wakes up. “Rika, wake up!”
Rika suddenly got up, her eyes wide open, short of breath and her heart beating like crazy.
Hitomi took Rika into her arms. “Rika… Don’t be afraid… I’m right here” Hitomi whispered into her ear.
Rika heard the soft whisper and felt Hitomi’s warm embrace. Rika sighed in relief. It was all just a dream. She saved me again.
“Are you okay?”
Rika nodded. Hitomi opened the bedside drawer and took a small sketchpad and a marker out.
“Here. Tell me with this.”
Rika nodded in comprehension of Hitomi’s idea. She took the marker and flipped a page on the sketchbook. “I’m okay now, thank you, Hitomi-san.”
“You’re welcome. But please, just call me Hitomi.”
“Okay… Thank you, Hitomi. I’m sorry I worried you”
“It’s nothing. It’s good that I was here to wake you up”
Rika just nodded.
“Anyway, you hungry?”
“Yes, Ayaka and I, we didn’t each lunch. She must be hungry too. Where is she?”
“Oh, Ayaka had some work to do and had to leave early but she said she’ll be here to cook breakfast for us tomorrow!”
In bold letters, Rika wrote “HOORAY!”
“I bought food. It’s in the kitchen.” Hitomi braced herself to carry Rika *again*.
Rika hesitated. Taking the sketchpad, “Hitomi, I can walk”
“Sorry… I thought you were still tired.”
Rika shook her head. No, not anymore
Hitomi walked ahead of Rika to the kitchen where the lomi (noodle soup) and siopao (dimsum) from Chowking that Hitomi bought for dinner were waiting.
The food was turning cold but both Hitomi and Rika were to lazy to heat it up. Rika was amazed at how much Hitomi ate. Rika had to force herself to finish one bowl of lomi and one snack size siopao (so that Hitomi wouldn’t be disappointed) while Hitomi was already on her third bowl and second regular sized siopao. Rika remembered her father who could eat that much. ~To-san. She missed him. A teardrop rolled down her cheek. Hitomi caught the teardrop with her thumb and wiped it away. She didn’t say anything but placed her hand on Rika’s.
If there’s something troubling you that you think you can’t handle alone, you can tell me.
Topic: Runaway from the Past (Read 314940 times)