To stand on my flames.

No man can chain a flame

~ No man can chain a flame~

It's been two years since Cyruss found and saved me. I am now seven years old and my hair has grown to the full length of my back. Friday and Cyruss are now fourteen and Gun-shot is eleven. For two years Friday, Gun-shot, and Cyruss have showed me how to survive; Gun-shot showed me how to steal this yummy stuff he calls bread from mean old people, he also showed me how to catch fish in the stream next to our club house. Friday showed me how to be a girl. She taught me how to sew with spider webs and how to wear an old kimono she had from before she ran away. Cyruss showed me how to hide my eyes and tail. When I asked why, he looked at me with sad eyes and said " People.. um how should I put it? They are scared of what they don't understand." He gave me a small stick cross that was hung on a old string. When he put it around my neck my tail faded and my eyes went from red to sky blue. I am to keep this on at all times Cyruss told me. I will never disobey Cyruss.

We all sat around the fire one winter night. Even though we were near the flames, we still shivered. During the winter it's hard to get food. The stream is too frozen to catch fish in and there are less people to steal from. So, we all sat there shivering. I looked at the flames. My eyes watched as the flames danced across the air. We were all silent. Then, I looked at Friday and decided to break the silence.

" Hey Friday." she looked up at me. " How did you and Cyruss meet?" She smiled.

" Friday.. that wasn't always my name." I looked up wanting to here more. " I used to be called Yumic."

" Why did you change your name?" I asked.

" Because my parents didn't want me." Her smile started to fade it to a blank stare.

" Why wouldn't they want you?" She looked at me with that blank stare and sighed.

" Because they thought I was a witch." A tear started to fall from her eye." I did whatever my parents told me to. But one day I was accused of being a witch. Even though it was determined I was innocent, my parents still believed I was a possessed by a witch. I tried to be the perfect child." she wiped the falling tears from her eyes. " They tried to beat and starve the witch out of me. I finally ran away on May 7th on Friday. It was the best day of my life. I met Cyruss when he and I were about your age. I don't regret anything." She smiled then reached over and patted me on the head.

" I was the same." I looked over at Gun-shot. " My old name was Hurni." He looked up at me then said. " My parents wanted a girl. Once I was born, they hated me for being a boy." He tucked his head under he knees. " One day they decided that they were going to try again for a girl, but no babies came. They raged and threatened me. They told me to act like a girl or they would kill me. When I refused they brought out a gun. I ran away." He smiled. " I was five those old when I met Cyruss." I looked over at Cyruss hoping for a story from him. He looked back at me then said,

"I was like you." he smiled." I was abandoned when I was little and I don't have any memory." He gave me a sad look then looked at me. "A man found me then named me Cyruss." he looked at me then patted me on the head. And we all sat together watching the flames feeling a bit warmer.

Winter came and went. The town was setting up for the spring parade. Me and Cyruss were sitting on cardboard in our usual spots next to the market shop were we beg or sometimes even pick-pocket the rich people. My stomach growled I was so hungry. Cyruss put his hand on my shoulder. A passing man saw us then gave us a warm smile. " Aww you poor children." I hate it when people pity me, I wouldn't give up this life for anything but if it gets us some money then I guess I'll just suck it up. " Here you go." He reached in to his pocket an pulled out 522¥ ( five dollars) and gave it to Cyruss. Cyruss tried to squeeze a little more money out of home by thanking him then coughing hard. But the man just smiled and walked away. Cyruss looked at me, then at the money.