The Death Dealers

Chapter 1: Rina

Cherry Blossoms? 

Where am I?

"Rina?" That voice.

"Rina?" It sounded like it's singing my name.

"Rina?" The flowers are falling.

"Rina!"

I wake up gasping for air. Shocked with that shouting voice. Maiko? Maiko is standing in front of me. A friend of mine back when I and my family was living in Japan. We lived there for 5 years. We moved there from the Philippines two years after my birth. My father only told me that it was because men were hunting us. They didn't told me the specific reason. When I was 5 we moved to England. But my parents got divorced and my mother left. When the news of my grandparents' death reached us,  my father and I flew back in his hometown at Stonestrong. Maiko and I never stopped communicating with each other. She send me mails and with the help of father I send her replies too. Growing up, technology became available to us and it helped us to communicate easier.  

"Maiko? You're here!" We hug each other. It has been years. 

"Happy Birthday, Rina-chan!" 

Oh. I forgot my birthday.

"But my birthday's tomorrow..."

"I will be enrolling at your school tomorrow so I wouldn't be able to celebrate your birthday tomorrow." Maiko say with a smile. 

"Happy birthday, biatch!" Josh burst in from the door holding a cake. Josh is my only gay friend. Even though we had a lot of differences. We are comfortable with each other. He knows that I don't support him being gay but I support him as a person, a friend, a family. We had our arguments and misunderstanding but we made peace each other. To be honest he's more fun than Trish. Who just came in after him. Trish and Josh have a lot in common. Dresses, make ups. girly stuff. Alex and Trish always teases Josh. But Josh always have the best comebacks. Jane is like the mother of the group. She has 3 younger brothers, no parents. So I kind of understand why. Markus and I are the most quiet and maybe weird. Maiko only met them online. This is the first time they meet each other. And they are all getting along so well.

They place the cake in front of me. Candle is already lit. They are asking me to make a wish and blow the candle. 

Wish.

I wish I could have my mother back. I wish I could have my family back. That is all I wanted. I made my wish and blew out the candle.

Trish and Jane took all the plates and utensils and they are asking me to slice the cake. First slice's mine. 

Day's done. But there's one thing that keeps bothering me. Markus. I observed him the whole day. No one seemed to notice. Loneliness was written all over his face. There was something in his eyes and his facial expression that keeps me thinking. 

I should clean the house. Father wouldn't like it if the house isn't clean. I wipe the dining table. But I caught myself thinking again. 

Until I smelled something burning.

Next thing I know I'm in a hospital bed. I slowly open my eyes and find Maiko sleeping on the couch beside the bed. The window is open. What happened?

I feel pain all over my body. Like I had a full body work out. I can't wake up Maiko. I can't move. There's an oxygen in my mouth. 

I just look at the window. It's night. There are no clouds. The stars are shining very bright. How strange.