Hapaxanthous [Long Hiatus]

New Beginning

Shadows danced playfully across the girl's vision, their strange darkness engulfing her world. Stray beams of sunlight shone through the canopy of shadows. The girl stepped forward, and her flowing ebony hair swished along behind her. Gray eyes stared up at the sunlight, as if willing them to take her away, to take over the darkness. She walked along the surface of the ground and found her way into the path of a sunbeam. The beam stopped on her, like a spotlight. The wind strengthened, whipping up long, black hairs. 

Hotaru awoke from the dream and rose up. Her pristine white covers were held up closely to her chest. Her hair was messy and large clumps framed her face. Hotaru yawned and turned around in the bed until her long, tanned legs hung over the side. She slipped off the edge and turned back around so she could fix up her bed. The bed covers were wrinkled, and Hotaru didn't like it that away. Thin hands fiddled with them, and like magic, she smoothed them out until the bed looked new and immaculate.

She stifled a yawn and trudged up to the mirror. She could now properly see her messy ebony hair, which was all over the place. Hotaru gently picked up a black wide-toothed comb and ran it through her hair carefully. It soon began to loosen and become neater. Before she knew it, her hair no longer resembled a haphazard bale of straw, but instead ran down her back in neat, black waves. 

She then plodded out of her room, pushing open her cream-coloured door, which was completely covered by her numerous pieces of artwork, which were placed along the wooden door according to the date the artwork was conceived. Some were realistic sketches, others paintings or portraits. 

She walked through the house, the thick carpet feeling uncomfortable under her bare soles. Hotaru was a tall Japanese-Filipina girl who had been blessed with tanned skin from her Filipina side and then long, luscious black locks from her Japanese side. Her name was also Japanese, meaning Firefly. Sometimes, fireflies would gather outside their small house. Hotaru would always creep outside and watch them light up the night in orange sparks.

Hotaru found herself in the dining room, where breakfast was all ready for her. It was simple porridge with maple syrup. 

She sat down elegantly, with practised swan-like grace.  Her mother came from the kitchen, both pale hands holding a china teacup. "Good morning, my firefly." she smiled. Hotaru returned the favour.

"How did you sleep?" Hotaru's mother asked calmly, and after the words left her mouth, she took another sip from the pretty china cup. Hotaru's mother was tall, thin and elegant, hailing from the Japanese side of the family. She had black shoulder-length hair, and her usual attire was a pink kimono. Her eyes were small and deep brown in colour.

"Good enough." Hotary replied. "Could've been better," she mumbled to herself.

Her mother nodded and glanced at a picture of her father. "After you have finished eating, I will tell you something very important." Hotaru's mother looked back at her daughter and smiled. Hotaru liked it when her mother smiled. She looked like an angel.

"Why would you wait?" Hotaru asked.

"So you have more time to treasure your breakfast." she replied, raising one delicate hand. Hotaru's mother had noticeably painted her nails a deep magenta.

Hotaru finished her porridge and put her spoon down, wincing as she heard the loud clink of the spoon hitting the porcelain bowl. She smoothed a few stray curls with her hand before putting them together and resting them on the table.

Beginning with a sigh, Hotaru's mother approached her and sat down on a spare wooden chair. Hotaru took a moment to admire the beautiful tablecloth, which was more a piece of art than a rag on a table. It depicted a large, looming forest, with lights in the trees. "I wonder if those are fireflies;" Hotaru thought, smiling mentally.

"I got a message at 2AM last year from Oceanside College that there was a case against them and that they had to shut down. This I am sure you know."

Hotaru nodded, this being old news. 

"Luckily for us, Oceanside was partnered with a school named Lakewood High School, who would happily take in all students who passed Year 6. The rest are being sent to Clearwater Primary." 

Hotaru almost felt like yawning. 

"Is this your way of saying that I got through into Lakewood?" This earned a nod from her mother.

"Ok, so, I have the uniform and bag prepared already, correct?" Another nod.

"Yes, they were supplied to us in the middle of the holidays."

"Will we be toured around, or at least given buddies?"

That was replied to by another brief nod from her mother. "How am I going to cope?" Hotaru stood up and pushed her wooden chair in, the worry and realisation sinking in. She dipped her head to her mother in respect and began to leave for her room, so she could get ready for her first day at Lakewood High School.

Hotaru hoped that perhaps Lakewood would be a welcome change from the chaotic school she had once known. She opened her bedroom door, plonked herself down on to her swivel chair and sighed. Today was going to be a long day.