A warriors heart

Memories

Memories
    It was a good day at home... Momma wasn't upset. I had just packed all my stuff and was ready for her to take me to Karate with Sensei. I was nervous for today... My big test is happening, and if I pass, I get my black belt! Now, I was trained in swords-mans-sip? No, it's swordsmanskip? I can never pronounce it... but I am also training as a Jiu Jitsu fighter. According to Sensei, I am a 'formidable'' fighter with great skill. Now that is something I am proud of, as I am top of my class and Sensei's top fighter. Mom picked me up and held me in her arms as she walked out of the house and took me to the car, the cold winter air nipping at my cheeks and the slight breeze making me shiver.
She opened my door and placed me inside before buckling me in my seat, shutting the door when she was finished. I watched as she went around the car to the driver's seat and got into the car, sighing. She then took her keys and placed them in the slot as they jangled around. The engine rumbled to life and my favorite song began to play on the radio. I laughed joyfully and then began to sing along. Momma laughed as my voice cracked at awkward times and she turned to me quickly, smiling warmly. I looked into my mother's happy eyes... the freckles along her nose spread out to her cheeks. Her long, wavy, dark brown hair tumbled down from her head in extravagant curls while her deep green eyes glowed with a light I hadn't seen in a long time.
The car began to back up and we went out into the road before turning to the left and driving away from our bluish gray house. We drove to the old country music my father used to listen to before he left. I looked out the window as we passed the tall city buildings. I then looked at my reflection in the glass. I noticed my eyes looked more green than usual today, but they're always changing. Sometimes they look brown or other times they look green. Momma always says my eyes are hazel but I just say my eyes are rainbow because they are always changing color.
    The familiar parking lot of the karate place came into view and I began to get the flutters in my stomach. "Calypso?" My mother said in her southern accent that I had aswell. I quickly turned my head to her at the sound of my name and replied with a high pitched, "Yes ma'am?" She smiled softly and reached into the backseat after pulling into the parking lot. She placed a hand on my knee and squeezed it reassuringly. She gave me a loving look and winked at me. "Go show em' what you're made of! I'll be right there watching." I smiled and patted her hand, laughing playfully.
    I unbuckled my seatbelt and pushed open the door, practically jumping out of my seat. My excitement flooded my entire body as I walked confidently to the building. Then, Momma called my name again and I turned to see her running over to me with my karate bag. I laughed as she handed it to me. I went into the building and immediately recognized the smell of rubber and above all else, feet. I looked around for Sensei and when I caught sight of him standing in the dojo, I ran over. As I looked up at him, he towered over me like one of the tall skyscrapers of the city.
    I bowed to him and set my heavy bag down. After bowing to him, I looked up at his smiling face. "Are you ready for your assessment, little one?" He asked with a raised brow. I bounced up and down, practically able to hold in my excitement. "Aye, Sensei! Aye Sensei!" I called enthusiastically. "Very well. Go set your belongings in the chair over there and then begin your warm-up." He said, pointing at the blue chair in the corner. I nodded and did as he instructed. I completed my warm-up drills as I waited on the rest of the class members to arrive. As always, Kent and Faith showed up first, followed by Lucy, then Katherine, then Josh, Kevin, Dawson, and finally Eliza.
    Sensei paced in front of us slowly, studying each of his students. "Class, do you know what today is?" He asked, voice low and cool. Kevin raised his hand politely and then when he was granted permission to speak, he asked, "Is today is our assessment?" Sensei nodded his head and placed both hands behind his back as he stood in front of us. "Correct. You will duel one of your teammates. I expect you to fight as if this were a real moment when your life has been put in danger. Defend yourself and find the weakness in your opponent." He said as his almond shaped eyes locked with mine. "Calypso, you are up first. You will duel Kent." He said frmly.
    I immediately looked over at the short blond haired boy sitting on his knees beside me. He turned to me and narrowed his eyes. I returned the favor with a determined look of my own. "Aye Sensei." I said as I rose to my feet and walked to the soft mat in front of us. I walked to the middle of the floor. Kent walked in front of me and we both took one step back before bowing our heads to each other. We then backed up to the edge of the mats and took on our ready stances. Through a side glance, I saw my mother watching me intently through the lobby window. She nodded once at me and I turned my attention back to Kent.
    Sensei stepped in front of us and then signaled for us to begin. We circled around the mat, sizing each other up. I then faked a lunge at him to check his reflexes. He jumped back and then quickly regained his form. I narrowed my eyes and he came at me, sending a fist to my head, followed by a kick. I blocked both attacks and as he was still close to me, I uppercutted him. Kent's head went up as he stumbled backwards. I then swept my foot underneath him, kicking his legs out from beneath him. He fell to the ground with a grunt and managed to grab my heel right before it could make contact with his face.
    He pulled my leg forward and I fell down, landing on my side. Kent wasted no time as he quickly got up and crawled on top of me. He pinned me down with one knee on my stomach and a hand on my shoulder. He then brought his hand back and hit me square in the nose, busting it. I whimpered in pain as blood began to trickle down my face. The blonde haired jerk brought his hand back a second time, I brought my elbow up and thrusted it into the side of his chest. Kent clutched the area I hit him in and groaned. I pushed him off and then grabbed his arm quickly.
    I brought his arm far behind his back until he wailed out as I heard a "crack" from his shoulder. The boy cried as his arm flopped to the ground, clearly broken. I wasn't finished as this was how I had been taught to fight. I then sent a hard kick to his shin, breaking it on impact. Another wail of pain came from my opponent. As I backed up, I took on a finishing stance. Sensei didn't call an end to the fight, but instead instructed me to finish the helpless boy off. "But, Sensei...? That isn't how we fight...? He's disabled and can't fight ba-" I began to say. "Calypso! Finish him off or you fail." Sensei said with narrowed eyes and a low voice. My eyes widened as I slowly turned my head back to the sobbing boy on the ground.
    My eyes then flicked to my mother who watched me with a concerned look on her face. Stunned, I look back down at Kent and meet his gaze. His eyes pleaded with me to spare him. I lowered my stance and bowed my head to him instead of throwing a finishing blow. My eyes warily returned to my mother. Her face was full of something unreadable.. Sensei scowled at me and crossed his arms. "You have failed... I do not want you back in this class. Now, leave!" He said angrily. I lowered my head and felt tears slide down my face.
    When we returned home, my mother pushed me out the front door of our house. "Leave... I don't want to ever see you again." She yelled as tears streamed down her face, making her hair stick to her face. When I turned to her and begged for her to stop, she shoved me out the door and slammed the door shut, locking it. I fell onto the hard concrete of our porch, scraping up my knees and elbows. It was nighttime and it was snowing. The freezing cold overtook me and I sobbed into the darkness. I picked myself up and began running.
    I kept going until I reached a small alleyway where I scurried behind the dumpster and held my knees to my chest, sobbing. I shivered as the cold enveloped me. The wind blew across my wet cheeks, making me shiver more. By some miracle, I survived that night. So much has happened since April found me there. I can't move at all, I'm stuck in this overpowering void of darkness. It feels like I have been trapped in this place for all of eternity. I can't tell if I'm dead or what. I feel like I'm on the verge of life and death. A place of uneven ground. While I'm trapped here, I am at the mercy of my imagination and mind. The memories of my childhood and the events before everything went down constantly play, like a never ending movie.
    I thought about the day me and April were at the beach house and how the salty sea air breezed past us as we cruised over the sand & ocean below. I could practically feel the warmth of the air as it breezed over my wings. I remember April's cheers as she held tight to my neck and her smile as she fell onto my back, staring up at the sky. I could see the sunset as the orange sun set above the deep blue ocean, doing wonders to the sky around it. I felt so free when we were there, and what I would give to see April again.
    While I know I couldn't cry physically, I knew that if I did have a body, I'd be crying right about now. I missed my dear sister... I thought about Leonardo's face as he looked into my eyes. The tears on his face as he held me close. I then thought about the night on the balcony when me and him clinged to eachother like there was nothing left in the world to keep us down on the ground. I felt myself smile at that memory (or at least I wanted to smile). Then my thoughts went to the first time we kissed and when Leo admitted he liked me. I could feel the longing to be reunited with my new family tugging on me.
    I gave into that feeling as my memories flashed by. I saw all of us as we gathered around the TV in the apartment. I relived the moments when Leo and Raph were arguing and how I navigated to the roof from the balcony just to comfort Leo. It was then that I realized something I had never seen before. In the time I had gotten to know Leonardo, so much has changed in my life. Meeting the brothers gave me a family, taught me many lessons I never knew I needed... like how to cut a pizza in midair with my Tachi.
    My mind grew bright with a young April who had first seen me in the alleyway. Her bright blue eyes wide as she looked at a helpless and dirty younger girl. Her dark brown hair bouncing around her face with her bangs. I had pulled my knees closer to myself and tried to hide behind the dumpster. But she came around with her hand outstretched, trying to get me to come with her. I reached my hand out hesitantly and then placed it in hers. She smiled softly, telling me that everything was going to be okay.
    Ever since that moment, I knew I would be safe as long as I had my loving, caring, amazing sister by my side. I hoped that at some point soon, I would see her and the rest of the ones I love again. In this empty darkness with no obvious way out,. I felt myself breathing. It was a strange sensation, but although I wasn't awake, I was breathing... I was breathing! I'm alive! So what is this place I'm in?  That's when the realization struck me. I was alive, but likely in a coma. I've heard of them happening when someone takes a major blow to the head or something, but I lost so much blood... Everything went dark. I wasn't fully sure on my theory, but I did know that somewhere, I was awakening.