This Is Dashi

Prologue

It was a calm summer night. The moon was only a silvery white sliver in the sky, but it was utterly breathtaking. The world was bathed in a silver glow. 

The magical night couldn't fully be enjoyed from the windowsill. Dashi knew that for sure, and she was planning to act upon it. The plan was simple; wait until Mama went to bed, sneak out, and stay quiet enough that she didn't get caught. Now she just had to figure out what the plan to do that was. 

Problem one: Dashi was technically grounded. (Note to self: Don't sneak out in the middle of the night on Thursdays) 

Problem two: Mama had taken to staying up later. (Don't sneak out on Saturday either (Also, don't believe your idiot older brother when he tells you there's a magical dragon on the roof that only appears at by moonlight )

Problem three: Mama was expecting it. (Claire Garcia was getting really sick of her daughter sneaking out at night) 

But try letting that stop a four-year-old. 

Dashi's bed was right next to the window, so she could see her window while still laying down, though it was partially obscured by her frilly purple curtains. Why did her mother have to pick purple, of all colors?

Even at four, Dashi was logical for a child. She just didn't use it much. Dashi gazed out the window, kneeling on her bed, but she still kept alert. There was the shuffling of footsteps in the hall. And there was Mama's soft laugh as she read the sign's in Dashi's childish scrawl that she had taped rather messily to her door (Keep Out, Best Child In The Universe Would Really Hate To Blow You Up).  There was the opening and closing of her mother's bedroom door. 

And that was when Dashi moved. 

She didn't wait for Mama to fall asleep like most children would. Then she would just risk waking her up and having her even grumpier because of it. No, she had to act now. She leapt up from her bed, landing as softly as she could and ran to the door, opening as quickly as possible without it squeaking. 

As Dashi ran down the hall, making for the front door, she had no idea that this escapade would be her last. She had no idea what she would see that night. She had no idea that 17 years from now, she would be sobbing in her sleep and thrashing about a thousand miles below sea level.