Wingless Bird

Toppled

Akari and Hawks pulled up to the orphanage. It only took a glance to notice how underfunded it was. A fence that was falling over on itself and concrete steps that were uneven and soiled with cracks greeted all visitors. Akari stepped out and slowly walked up the steps as Hawks followed. Akari knocked on the large doors. They creaked open to see a short women with dark hair in modest, plain black dress.

"Hey," Akari started and bowed respectfully, "Wantanabe-sensei."

The women stepped aside and smiled softly, "Welcome back, Hajiken. And you are?" She asked Hawks.

"He's my legal guardian," Akari replied for him. She seemed annoyed already, a shortened fuze.

Wantanabe-sensei nodded at Hawks, "Nice to meet you. Now Hajiken, what are you doing back here?"

"To grab my stuff," Akari continued to walk in front of them. Almost rushing down the hallways. Any kids that were in the hallways avoided her like she had the plague. They barely would look at her, some even turned their backs on her or would run into a room and slam the door.

Wantanabe and Hawks exchanged glances as they walked behind her. Akari walked out the back door and turned towards them, "I'll just be a moment."

Hawks watched her through the window. Akari walked past the ran down play set and into a sad shack that sat at the edge of the property. There wasn't even a door, just a flimsy curtain that blew in the wind. He could see her legs under the curtain and with each gust of wind, he could see glimpses of what she was doing.

"What is that?" Hawks asked Wantanabe.

"It was a storage shed a long time ago," Wantanabe said and sighed before continuing, "but now it was her space for quarantine."

Hawks looked at Wantanabe, "Quarantine?"

"As her guardian I'm sure you already know about the toxins in her blood. Well, anytime she would bleed she had to be separated from the others for their own safety-"

"So instead of having a medic treat her wounds or even bandage them," Hawks shook his head trying to comprehend, "You would just push her to the side and isolate her?"

Wantanabe looked at him sharply, "If we had the funding, I would have. This facility cares for over 40 children, feed over 40 children, cloth over 40 children. We cannot waste such money or time on such luxuries or comfort."

"So those scars on her face?"

Wantanabe stiffened, "An accident. A troubled some boy attacked her."

"What happened to said boy," Hawks asked staring at Akari who now was crumbled on the floor of the shack. She was shifting with something.

"Died." Wantanabe stated now busying herself with minor chores.

"It's a pretty nasty scar."

"You can read about it in the police report," Wantanabe said coldly, "I don't need to answer your questions. I am much too busy."

"Does she have any charges since it went to the police?" Hawks ignored her statement.

She sighed heavily, "No, but I know if another situation were to happen," Wantanabe looked out the window at Akari with a sad face, "she'll be punished."

<><><><><><><><>

As Akari entered the shed, a strong odor of dust and mildew welcomed her. She quickly covered her nose and mouth with her shirt. She gazed around, remembering her lonely childhood sitting on the spare bed in the corner or on the cold concrete floor. She would just sit there, empty minded, waiting to be reunited with the other children.

The floors were now cracked and weathered, the bed covered in dust and the ceiling grew mold. Akari grimaced at the thought of having to go down to the floor, but she reluctantly did. She pulled a metal box from under the old bed and opened it up.

Inside the box was all of the letters her mother sent her. When she ran away, she knew she wouldn't have room to take them. She went through the box slowly. Small toys she had hid to play with were also in the box. A small figurine of a horse, rearing up with wild wind blowing through its hair. A doll the size of her palm with missing eye and ripped arm. To pitifully admit, these were the only two friends Akari made at this facility. All of the other kids were afraid of her, and rightfully so. Besides the boy, no one was necessarily mean to her. But no one took the time to know her either.

She placed the two toys on the bed and collected the letter back into the box. Before leaving the shed she gave one last glance to her old prison cell. She extended her arm towards it, palm facing down. Her hand formed a fist, and she turned her hand slowly before quickly sending her fist towards her side.

She started walking towards the door that Hawks held open for her. Behind her, the ground trembled before the old shed toppled over on itself. On that day, Akari made a life changing decision: she will never live in isolation again.