Ice Cold Love

-Chapter One-

Megumi awoke from a fitful sleep. She was drenched in a cold sweat. She sat up in her bed and sighed as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She heard a noise from downstairs. Someone screamed and then there was a crash. Megumi jumped from her bed and padded down the hallway and down the stairs. She entered the living room to see her father hovering over her mother with his hand upraised.

Megumi’s mother sat on the ground holding her face. “Kenji, please don’t do this. I am your wife!”

“You should have thought of that before you brought that witchcraft into my house, Setsuko!” he backhanded her again then turned to the coffee table. He picked up a red gas tank and poured out its contents on Setsuko’s head and body. Kenji lit a cigarette then looked over at Megumi who stood shivering in fear. He took two drags off his cigarette then threw it at Setsuko.

Megumi watched, horrified, as her mother screamed and cried and begged for mercy as she burned alive. Kenji turned to his daughter and smiled a sinister smile. Megumi raced upstairs to her room and dialed 911. Her father backhanded her, sending the phone flying.

“Hello, state your emergency…

Megumi shrieked as her father advanced on her. She kicked him in his shin and ran for the stairs. She stopped when she saw her mother’s burning body. She was no longer screaming. Megumi gulped then for the kitchen. She grabbed a big knife then headed towards the back door. a hand on her shoulder made her stop and scream. She turned around and slashed her father across his hand. He howled in pain and let her go. “You little wench!”

Megumi ran into the back yard and hid in the brush.

“Megumi, come here sweetheart”, Kenji said sweetly, but he was losing his temper. “Megumi Setsuko Sakura! Come out right now so I can kill you!”

Megumi cried silent tears, ever since her father came home from the war, he had been different. He was no longer her father. She screamed when he grabbed her by her hair and dragged her out of the bushes. She could smell the whiskey on his breath. “How dare you hide from me you little wench!”

He brought down the knife in his hand and it pierced Megumi’s skin and went into her side. He jerked out the knife and stabbed her again this time in her back. He dragged the knife down from her shoulder blade and back around to the other side of her hip.

“Freeze!”

“She must die, I must save her soul!” Kenji screamed as he lifted the knife, preparing to stab her again.

Gunshots rang out in the night. With six holes in his chest, Kenji dropped the knife and fell face down into the grass.

Megumi screamed and screamed while the police enclosed on her. She did not believe them when they said everything was going to be okay, they were lies. Nothing would be okay. Her father killed her mother, burned her alive. Her father tried to kill her. Megumi Setsuko Sakura knew deep in her heart that nothing would ever be alright.

XoXoXoXo
I awoke in a cold sweat. It was just a nightmare. It had been a few weeks since that night. I spent two weeks in the hospital until I was healed. I now lived with my best friend, Amy, while the police tried to contact my aunt in Japan.

I got up from bed and got ready for the day. I took a long shower, careful of my cuts and bruises, then got dressed in a pair of purple skinny jeans, and a silver, backless halter-top. I know it bothers Amy and her family to see my back, but I don’t care. Besides the doctor told me to wear shirts that wouldn’t bother my back and I like the feel of the air against my back. I pinned my black, waist-length hair up then went downstairs for breakfast.

My silver eyes scanned the room as I nodded a greeting to Amy and her parents before sitting down. I ate quietly, ever since that night, I don’t talk much. I sighed and got up to wash up my plate. A knock sounded at the front door.

“I’ll get it”, said Mrs. Jones, Amy’s mom. She walked towards the front door and greeted a woman dressed in a cream-colored pant suit. “Hello, how may I help you?”

“Is this the residence of Megumi Sakura?”

“Yes, she is staying with us, may ask who is asking for her?”

“I am Charlotte, her social worker, and I have some news for her about her family.”

Mrs. Jones stepped aside and let the woman in. she sat down on the overstuffed sofa while Mrs. Jones raced into the kitchen to set up a tray of lemonade. I got up from my seat and went out into the living room. While Charlotte got out some paper work Mrs. Jones came in with the tray. Mr. Jones and Amy came in as well and Amy held my hand.

“We have finally contacted your aunt; she has agreed to let you come live with her in Tokyo, Japan. I have come to help you pack and see to it that you are boarded on the plane tomorrow at nine A.M. sharp. Do oyu understand, Megumi?”

I nodded my head. “Yes.”

“Good, well I believe my business is here is settled. I will be here to pick you up at seven tomorrow morning. Do not make me wait, Megumi.” Charlotte picked up things and left without a word to the Jones’.

“Well, Megumi, I guess you’ll be leaving us”, said Mr. Jones.

I sighed, “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“I’ll help you pack”, said Amy.

“I’ll order some pizza for dinner tonight, is that okay Megumi?”

“Yeah, that’s perfect.” Amy and I walked up the stairs to my room and took out my bags. Everyone had thought that I wouldn’t be leaving so I had unpacked all my stuff once I got Amy’s house. I looked around my room, the room I was always given whenever I crashed over here.

“I’m really going to miss you, Megumi.”

I sighed and fought back tears. I threw my arms around her neck and held her tight. “I’m going to miss you too, you’re like my sister. Promise me you’ll come to Japan to visit?”

“Only if you promise to come back to America for a visit”, Amy giggled.

“Deal!” We laughed in unison. I turned on my radio and Amy put in her Lady GaGa CD so we could dance while we packed my life into three suitcases and a travel-on.