"Who's out there?" One of the men yelled. Of course only silence met them. I remained quiet and waited for the group to start moving again. "Maybe it was just an animal." Someone whispered. The person, who I assumed was the captain of the small squad, signaled for them to walk again. They clearly showed fear as they kept going; brandishing their weapons to guard themselves with. "Two are holding lanterns. I'll tell you when you're too close to them." I heard my friend whisper in my ear. I followed the men as I picked up another branch and waited for the right time to break it. They continued to walk through the forest, turning their heads in every direction as if an animal might lunge at them and rip their throats out. I guess in a way I was going to do that. "Go back a few feet." My friend whispered. I carefully distanced myself from the group and waited. "Where is she?" I quickly snapped the stick as soon as he finished asking the question. They stopped and two soldiers raised their lanterns to shine its light in the darkness. I quickly hid behind a tree before both of them turned where I was. A low frustrated growl came from one of the men, "The girl's playing with us. She's out here following our every move." How paranoia can cloud the mind. At nine years old, Silver decided to leave her village for the forest. Since then, she's been hunted; everyday is a fight for her life, every breath she takes could be her last, but she's determined to stay alive. Her life isn't the kind anyone would want to live but she's managed to survive this long so, what's a few more years?

All her life, Mieko Miyamoto has struggled to be the perfect student, daughter and athlete. She has sacrificed her childhood to please her teachers, tutors, parents and coaches only getting a rare "good job" in return, and never hearing the words "I love you" from any of them. Jack Patrick, an American kid growing up in the somewhat xenophobic culture of Japan, just wants to get by. He knows he will never fit in and just hopes to get through high school without attracting unwanted attention. Finding in this outsider, a love and acceptance she didn't know was possible, Mieko casts aside the expectations of both her parents and society, sacrificing her future for the present passion she finds in Jack. Though everyone she knows seems determined to pull them apart, Mieko focuses all her discipline and determination into being with Jack, even if it might kill her.

"I saw that little electricity in them that the camera gave out. She was darkness, she did not become darkness and she did not embrace darkness. She is darkness. She was always darkness and I fell in love with her, I fell in love with her darkness."