Hitotsu Hōkai: The Girl On The Run

Chapter 1

I nock my bow, focusing on the target a few meters in front of me. Whoosh. The high-quality arrow silently whisks past my pale face, blowing my dark auburn hair with it. The arrow barely misses the target, one of a crimson red, snow white, and patched with holes after the many years of practice it's been through. My brows knot as I watch the arrow whisk into the forest.

"Oh come on! You can do better! I didn't raise a wimp!" I hear my dad behind me, and turn to see him with his bow, nocked and ready. I gasp and jump aside just in time as an arrow whisks past me. It lands a perfect bull's-eye. I rub my cheek and glare at him.

"DAD!" I shout, a shriek of urgency in my voice. "You could've killed me!" My dad grumbles something unintelligible. "Be careful!" I snap back, not knowing what he said.

"Yeah, but I didn't. A true master doesn't. If I wanted you to be killed, you would've been killed." I sigh and roll my eyes as my mother calls from the house.

"Masutā! Hitotsu! It's getting late! Come on inside!" My sore mind immediately welcomes the kind voice, a wonderful alternative to my father's.

I think about getting the arrow first, but decide against it. A single leaf falls from the trees above, and lands in my palm. It's beautiful, I think. My dad yells for me to hurry up, and the leaf floats away in the wind. I sigh. Autumn has always been my favorite season. Turning toward the isolated house, I tense up. Immediately, I start running. Why, I don't know. But I have a strong feeling that I need to get out of here. Now. Soon I reach the two-story cottage, and my mother greets me.

"Hitotsu! How are you and your father? I heard yelling!" She smiles at me, a kind motherly smile, and slowly I look up and smile back. I walk away, my faux smile disappearing from my cold-pressed lips. I jerk into the house, almost knocking over a vase my mother had put up the day before. It held the most beautiful of roses you could find around here. My mother would scream if anything happened to them. "Hitotsu? Be careful! Wha-" I cut her off with a glare.

"Careful? You should say that to my dad." I turn away, aiming for my room, when my mother grabs my shoulder. I shake it away, but turn around reluctantly.

"What do you mean? What happened?" My mother looks genuinely worried. I roll my eyes.

"Oh nothing. Just a minor thing, really." I sneer, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just, y'know, my father? Yeah... Just that he shot a fucking arrow at me." I can already hear my father's voice. I know what he will say. I know what happens next. I walk off, not wanting to repeat what has happened so many times before. Stomping into my room, I inspect it. It looks fairly the same. Good. My little trinkets line one wall, my bed the other, with my nightstand of course, and my brother's area. Not that he needs it. I walk over, and a sudden thought hits my head like lightning. I forgot to get him something. My piercing blue eyes soften, then sadden.

I turn toward the window. A light snowfall has begun. No way I'll get anything for Ushinawa now. I can hear my parents downstairs, arguing. No doubt that it's about me. I change into my pajamas. Sitting on the bed, I can hear everything they say. Everything the yell. Everything they do. Everything that's constantly ripping their relationship apart. I stuff my face into the pillow. I don't want to hear this anymore. I don't want to. My dad yells. Loudly. Louder that when he shot me with that arrow. I hear a crash. My mother's scream. I rush to the window. A broken vase lays on the white-specked path. Wildly scattered around it are some of the most beautiful roses you can find. I force myself to keep watching as I hear my dad's defensive voice. He backs out onto the ground, sprinkled with snow. My mother follows, obviously angry. The kind voice asking how I was doing was gone. It now has a sharp tone, her words being fired at my dad like bullets.

"You shot at my daughter?" She barks, stomping closer to my dad. His hands are up in front of him, trying to explain.

"N-No! No! Da-I-I... No!" He stammers, stumbles, and falls back, saving himself just in time.

"No isn't enough. You were being reckless! I might've lost my last child today! It's been enough to deal without Ushinawa. Do you want me to... Do you want me to go insane? Because of you? I don't. I also don't want to see you. Ever. Leave." I flinch. Life without my father? Let me be dreaming. He's bossy, yes. But he's... He's my father! I step away from the window, still taking in what just happened.

"Leave? O-Omoiyari? Please! I-I won't... I'll give up my arrows. Let me stay! You-You can't do this!" My father stammers. This day has turned from bad to worse in a matter of seconds.

"Yes I can. And don't call me Omoiyari. Call me Hōkai-sama. In fact, don't call me anything. Leave." Leaving it at that, the door slams. Curled up on my bed, I start to weep. Not again... I can't lose another one of my family members. The snow is fresh. Tomorrow I can look for him. Tomorrow I can have my father again. But I need to wait. He's obviously still angry, and won't accept anything I give him. At this thought, I start to drift off.

My dreams are short and far between. My sleep is soon interrupted by a light crying. My mother? It's sure to be. She must regret what she did. Crawling out of bed, I go to comfort her. Wait... She just needs to be alone for now. Deciding  to listen to the little voice in my head, I instead turn to the window. Nothing except a thin curtain to stop me, I can easily climb out. Why not? The air is cool, and I haven't felt snow in a few years. I measure up the jump. Grabbing a jacket and my boots, I softly land on the ground below. I almost yelp as my feet burrow in the snow. I'd forgotten how utterly freezing snow is... Silly me. I put the leather boots on, sighing at the instant warmth they give me. Slipping on the jacket, I look around. Sure enough, there's a light trail, made by my father's hiking boots, that leads into the forest. Saving the picture in my mind, I start to head back. I'd forgotten how cold it is. I stop at the door when I realize I can't just waltz in. Treading around the house, I wondered how to get back to the second story. Finally, after almost an hour, I gave up. Reluctantly, I headed for the forest. There might have been some firewood, or maybe a piece I could use as a ladder. It's so beautiful... And so different than what I see in the day. I've never been here at night. I should come more often. About a half an hour later, my feet are sore and the cold has worn down my muscles. Sitting on the unbroken snow, I light a fire. Looking around, nothing is familiar. Everything looks off... Disproportioned... And weird. Almost like it isn't the same forest. I recognize nothing. It takes a few moments to register the fact: I am lost. In the dark. In the middle of the woods. All alone. A branch snaps behind me, and I jump around, heart racing, as I peer into the darkness. At least, hopefully.