Burn

It was a bright and sunny day. A man was walking through town. He was going to pick up supplies. His wife had just given birth to a baby a month ago. The baby was very sickly and needed constant care. The man was going to pick up some medicine from the town medic.

As he was returning, he heard a sound of crying. It was easy to tell the crying belonged to a baby. He walked toward where the sound was coming from. He found a young baby who looked to be only a few months older than his daughter. He picked up the crying child and shushed her.

"Shh... It's alright... I'm going to help you." He hushed the baby.

The man took the baby back to his wife. She was furious that he would bring another child to her to raise. The man tried to explain that the child needed them, but she refused to listen. She wanted nothing to do with the baby. The man sighed. He wasn't going to just abandon the child again. He was going to have to raise her himself.

...

The two girls grew up together. They believed they were blood sisters. No one said otherwise to them. They grew up in a church. Their family ran the church.

"Hey, Maru?"

"Yes, Yoshiko?"

"Um... I was wondering if you wanted to go play outside?" Yoshiko mumbled.

Hanamaru looked up from where she was reading a book, "What about all the other kids? I don't like the games you play. They're too rough."

"But I wanna play with you!" Yoshiko protested.

"You know I don't play the games you like. What could we play together?" Hanamaru sighed.

"Um... we could go and play hide and seek." Yoshiko recommended.

"I guess." Hanamaru replied.

She set her book down and followed Yoshiko out the door. The two of them went into the woods. Yoshiko went and hid first. Hanamaru counted to 10 and went searching for her.

She heard crying. Hanamaru ran toward the sound. Yoshiko was sitting on the ground crying. Hanamari ran over to her.

"What's wrong?" Hanamaru asked.

Yoshiko pointed to her bruised knee. She had tripped and scraped it on a tree log. Hanamaru frowned. She placed her hand over Yoshiko's scrape. Her hand glowed and then suddenly the pain vanished.

"W-what?" Yoshiko was in awe and also freighted at the same time.

Hanamaru held a finger to her lips, "Shh. Don't tell anyone, but I'm a witch."

"B-but-" Yoshiko was freaking out.

"Yoshiko, we aren't sisters. I heard dad and mom arguing. Dad found me abandoned and raised me. I'm not your sister." Hanamaru said, "I know what dad told us about witches... so, go ahead. I won't hate you if you turn me in."

"We're not sisters? Then, that means..." Yoshiko suddenly leaned into Hanamaru and kissed her.

Hanamaru's eyes widened in surprise. She found herself kissing back. They might only be eight, but they knew what they felt for each other wasn't friendship.

"I love you, Maru. I'd never turn you in." Yoshiko stated.

"Y-Yoshiko... we can't be in love..." Hanamaru protested, "That's against the beliefs of the town. We'll be killed."

"No one has to know." Yoshiko shushed her with another kiss.

"Promise?" Hanamaru whispered, "Promise me this'll be our secret. You can't even tell any of our friends."