Ikari ][ One Piece ][

Chapter Five

~Ikari's POV~

                I stumbled after my parents along the dirt path exiting the village. It was dark, hopelessly so, as we made our way to our remote home. The moon was black in the sky and it terrified me.

"You're such a blessing, Annabelle." My mother cooed as she gripped my small hand in hers. "Mommy and Daddy love you so very much." Her murky hazel eyes were bright at the thought of her prosperity.

                "The best mistake of our lives." Father added with a warm smile as we all made our way to our quaint little house along the seashore. We'd spent the entire day at a festival in town and reluctantly headed home after the fireworks display.

                "I knew she couldn't be so beautiful for nothing." My mother whispered to my father as she pulled me along, her pace quickening.

                Sometimes my parents got antsy and jittery, but they took medicine that made the shakes go away and made them happy. Father had been upset the other day saying the price of medicine had gone up and it was going to be hard for them to find it. So I broke open my piggy bank and brought them what few beri I'd obtained through weekly allowances. Mother and Father were so moved by my generosity that they offered to take me to the festival.

                "Mommy, there's a light on in the house." I tugged at my mother's hand lightly as our house came into view and I spotted an ominous glow from the front window. It was odd, it was our home the lights should feel welcoming.

                "It's alright darling." Mother smiled but it was strained. Her skin was getting paler and her hands began to tremble. She needed her medicine.

                "Mommy, do you need medicine?" I asked worried.

                "I do, baby. Will you help Mommy?" Her voice was desperate.

                I nodded my small childish head, my innocent young mind wanting nothing more than to see my mother and father happy.

                My mother and father smiled brightly. "You're such a blessing, Annabelle." Mother bent down to kiss me on the forehead.

                We reached the house in no time; my parent's quickening their pace due to the pain of their medicinal withdrawals. My mother's grip on my hand was almost painful as she thought of her fix. Father made it into the house first, a cold sweat clinging to his pallid skin, as time passed they needed more and more medicine to cure them. They told me it was because they were building a tolerance to it and they needed to take more to get the same effect.

                I jumped as I spotted a strange man sitting on the sofa in the living room. He looked to be around my father's age and wore a dark blue suit. A simple briefcase lay at his feet and I saw my father's eyes light up when he spotted it. Perhaps this man was a doctor and brought them their medicine. The strange man looked to me, his eyes were a cold icy blue and the moment our gazes met I felt a crippling fear grip my heart and hurriedly hid behind my mother.

                "You have such a lovely home." The stranger said politely.

                "No time for small talk." Father growled he sometimes got irritable if he didn't get his medicine quick enough.

                The stranger chuckled softly. "You don't look too good, my friend."

                "How much did you bring?" My mother asked her voice growing louder with her excitement.