The Black Sheep

CHAPTER 1: A VOICE

Despite living in the city for three whole years. Koe Kakudo still couldn't figure out where everything was. When she thought left would be where the train station was it was straight ahead.

Perhaps it was just the nerves getting to her. Koe still couldn't believe that she managed to get a spot at the most wonderful place. The money was great. The girls were nice and so were the staff and manager too! It was a dream come true.

It seemed like just yesterday when the only audience she had was her parents and younger brother, James. She would sing for hours in front of them. Any song Koe sang would sound as if an angel had sung it. As she grew older, her whole town wanted to hear her beautiful voice. Her very first real audience was the best. All she sang that day was jingle bells. But the crowd jumped on their feet when she finished.

She took singing classes with her grandfather, a retired voice coach. If you saw the look on his face every time Koe sang, you'd thought he'd become 30 again. She practices every day after school and on weekends. And it paid off too.

Soon, every time there would be a special occasion, Koe would be invited to sing.

Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, carnivals, and even funerals.

Everyone would feel better or happier just by hearing her voice. Her family was probably the richest people in town because of her singing.

However, Koe wanted to spread her singing further into the world. She wanted her voice to go further than the mountains that surrounded her village.

So when she finally finished school in the middle of her first summer as a young adult, she announced that she wanted to move to the city and start her career as a singer.

Of course, at first, the whole family immediately said no to this. It was too dangerous for a young girl to go and live by herself in the city. Koe's father even said to her "you're a pretty thing my young bird, but pretty things get unwanted attention." The family then said to make them feel at ease to at least learn self-defense and stay with them until the next spring. Koe agreed as there was no other choice in the matter and waited for the day the flowers bloomed at their best again.

And so during the hot summer, Koe's father taught Koe how to protect herself with a gun, a knife, and of course, her fists. During the cold autumn and bitter winter, her mother taught her different quick and easy, and cheap meals to cook so she could, according to her mother, at least cook something for herself and gave her a cookbook just in case.

And just before the flowers started to bloom, Koe's older brother surprised the family. "I bought you a place to stay! It's in the north of the city, which is the safest part as well, it'll get cold though once winter hits the city so make sure to bye a heater!" Koe's older brother was working hard for months just to buy his little sister a house. He even somehow managed to pay her a year's worth of rent so she has time to worry about a job rather than bills during her first year in the city.

Koe made sure to make him his favorite dessert the day afterward as a thank you.

But soon spring had come once again and clothes and of course lots of presents from everybody were packed and things were collected. Koe had 3 suitcases a box of treasures and a handbag at the end of all her packing.

In her handbag was the address where she would live for three years.

The trip to the train station was emotional. Before leaving the whole town celebrated her departure and every single person wished her goodbye.

The nearest train station was an hour and a half away. Koe's mother and father were in the front while grandpa, James, and koe were in the back. Everyone was using the hour and 30 minutes they had altogether to talk about memories and funny stories to prevent from everyone crying with sadness on the dive.

However, when the time came to leave. Everyone was too upset to talk. The train that would take Koe to the city would arrive at noon. The family arrived at 11:50.

Grandpa made sure to buy koe some lunch for her trip and gave her some money for a taxi.

However, even though Koe's family wished it would never happen. The train that would take their little bird arrived.

"You make sure to come home when Christmas comes, you understand!" Koe remembered what her mother said to her as they said goodbye.

"Make sure to get a job before the next spring alright?!" James said repeatedly to her.

"Make sure to keep practicing your vocals!" her grandpa said.

After a lot of hugs and kisses later, Koe finally got on the train with her stuff packed somewhere on the train. She had a compartment all to herself and quickly stood by the window and stuck her hands and head out of the window and waved goodbye to her family. She cried as the train began to move from the station toward the city. Her family waved goodbye and soon they were out of sight.

And her journey began on that day.