Shizuka Aki Ueda
Posted: 21 Oct 2012, 09:07
"I'm fine, papa." the child answered, her father having asked if she was feeling well. She'd had a fever again, as well as a stomach ache, and she'd missed school. It'd been near fatal, but the hospital she was laying in had taken good care of her. Sipping at her orange juice, Shizuka smiled wide for her father, then to her mother and sisters when they came in. Of course, Yukiko was still in diapers, being held by their eldest, Rei. Smiling to her sisters, Shizuka soon frowned, looking to her father. " When's mama going to come see me?" she asked. She'd always asked, whenever she was in the hospital, and her mother wasn't there. As usual, her father ruffled her hair, then kissed her cheek. " I'm sorry, dear. You know how busy she is." It was true, her mother had always been busy. As her father was a book clerk and made barely minimum, her mother had went to work hard to support the family. This usually meant she was out of town, or overseas. At least this is what Shizuka's sister and father had told her. In truth, the woman had passed away in an automobile accident, while Shizuka was too sick to leave the hospital room one visit.
A few weeks after her hospital visit, Shizuka had started school again, and met with her friends. She'd worn a new hairpiece, a hair-clip with a bright pink rabbit face. Some of the other girls were jealous, especially one of her friends, Hanako. Hanako was Shizuka's closest friend, having always been there for her. At least, that was what Shizuka had always thought. In truth, Hanako only hung out with her, because she felt sorry for Shizuka, being sick all the time and coming from a poor family. Hanako and her close friends would always gossip about her, stopping whenever the girl came to hang out with Hanako. This would be a constant event, spanning for a few years. As the years went on, Shizuka gave her prized hair-clip to Hanako, as a token of her friendship. Of course, Hanako took it, though she never wore it except when Shizuka was around. When she wasn't, Hanako had always commented that the clip was cheap and ugly, and she figured it was the best thing Shizuka would ever have.
One day, Hanako threw the clip away, though she put on a show to Shizuka, about how sorry she was for misplacing such a prized possession. When Shizuka forgave her, she smiled, then went off with the circle of friends, to go downtown, leaving Shizuka on campus. As she started home, Shizuka found the clip. It'd been thrown in the dumpster, like it was nothing. Grabbing it, the confused girl raced after her friend, and confronted her closest friend. She was met with laughter and ridicule, as well as the crippling truth. " You really are dumb, aren't you? Haven't you ever figured it's just because I feel sorry for you?" Hanako and her friends began to say much harsher things, picking on Shizuka until the girl couldn't take anymore, running home crying, her heart broken.When she reached her block, she heard sirens, and saw a few police cars and an ambulance. Panicking, she rushed toward the house, stopped by her older sister, who held onto her tight.
Rei was crying as she held Shizuka, keeping her from going toward the house, which made Shizuka panic. She saw Yukiko sleeping in the arms of a police officer, but she didn't see her father. Eyes widening, she started to cry to Rei, wanting to see their father, wanting to see their mother. Rei didn't say a word, as she continued to cry, holding her tight. This worried Shizuka worse. Rei was her source of strength, of comfort. She'd never once seen Rei cry. But she was crying now, and it started to make her cry even harder. After a few minutes, and Shizuka had calmed a degree, she asked Rei what happened to Papa. Rei struggled to answer, then looked down. " I'm sorry, sis... He's... well... He's gone..." She never really explained why their father had killed himself, but she soon reasoned it was because their mother was always gone. Rei had later explained why their mother was always 'working' or 'on business trips', which tore at her heart even more, not knowing why they would keep something like that from her.
As time went on, the combined pain of the loss of her parents, as well as the long-term betrayal of the only person Shizuka trusted besides her family, began to eat away at Shizuka. Her will to live had started to decline. Hospital visit after hospital visit, illness after illness, it was almost a curse that she'd been so sick so many times. Once she reached 28, Shizuka was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Rei had made sure she was taken care of, as Yukiko had gone off to study abroad. The family seemed to be born under an unfortunate star, as Rei was sent tragic news about the youngest sibling. The ever strong one, Rei continued to keep Shizuka as well looked after as she could, somewhat lacking on her own well-being. After a colleague of hers suggested that Shizuka be sent to a hospital abroad, to see if they could do anything, Rei first didn't want to... but eventually agreed.
January of 2012, and Shizuka had found herself a vampire, though she had figured it to be an easing of her burdens. In reality, she detested it. The memories of her past haunted her to this day, keeping herself isolated to herself, as much as she could, though it seemed to fail quite often. She had put on the best front she could since then, trying to look happy, especially around those she tried to care for. After the events that led to her splitting with Elliot Lancaster and later Soleil Lenoir, Shizuka's attempt at happiness had started to crumble, leaving her sleepless, alone, scared. She spent nights holding her rifle to her mouth, trying to will herself to pull the trigger, but she never could. Now with Emma and Leila, she felt even more troubled. She'd robbed these girls of their lives, of their futures, and she sought justice for them. It wasn't right, she thought, for her to do this to them. They deserved better. She needed Rei, but she knew that Rei was much better off without her.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Shizuka held her prized possession to her chest tightly, a box of letters from Rei. They were the only thing left she had, of her family. The only thing left that made her truly happy. Of course, Emma, Leila, and Tytonidae had given her some degree of happiness, but they would never know the level of happiness Rei gave Shizuka. She held the box tight, crying, begging whoever was listening to keep Rei safe, thanking them for the strength her sister possessed to do what she did, to persevere what Shizuka couldn't. Rei was Shizuka's only hero. She would never fill her sister's shoes, though. Never in a million years.
A few weeks after her hospital visit, Shizuka had started school again, and met with her friends. She'd worn a new hairpiece, a hair-clip with a bright pink rabbit face. Some of the other girls were jealous, especially one of her friends, Hanako. Hanako was Shizuka's closest friend, having always been there for her. At least, that was what Shizuka had always thought. In truth, Hanako only hung out with her, because she felt sorry for Shizuka, being sick all the time and coming from a poor family. Hanako and her close friends would always gossip about her, stopping whenever the girl came to hang out with Hanako. This would be a constant event, spanning for a few years. As the years went on, Shizuka gave her prized hair-clip to Hanako, as a token of her friendship. Of course, Hanako took it, though she never wore it except when Shizuka was around. When she wasn't, Hanako had always commented that the clip was cheap and ugly, and she figured it was the best thing Shizuka would ever have.
One day, Hanako threw the clip away, though she put on a show to Shizuka, about how sorry she was for misplacing such a prized possession. When Shizuka forgave her, she smiled, then went off with the circle of friends, to go downtown, leaving Shizuka on campus. As she started home, Shizuka found the clip. It'd been thrown in the dumpster, like it was nothing. Grabbing it, the confused girl raced after her friend, and confronted her closest friend. She was met with laughter and ridicule, as well as the crippling truth. " You really are dumb, aren't you? Haven't you ever figured it's just because I feel sorry for you?" Hanako and her friends began to say much harsher things, picking on Shizuka until the girl couldn't take anymore, running home crying, her heart broken.When she reached her block, she heard sirens, and saw a few police cars and an ambulance. Panicking, she rushed toward the house, stopped by her older sister, who held onto her tight.
Rei was crying as she held Shizuka, keeping her from going toward the house, which made Shizuka panic. She saw Yukiko sleeping in the arms of a police officer, but she didn't see her father. Eyes widening, she started to cry to Rei, wanting to see their father, wanting to see their mother. Rei didn't say a word, as she continued to cry, holding her tight. This worried Shizuka worse. Rei was her source of strength, of comfort. She'd never once seen Rei cry. But she was crying now, and it started to make her cry even harder. After a few minutes, and Shizuka had calmed a degree, she asked Rei what happened to Papa. Rei struggled to answer, then looked down. " I'm sorry, sis... He's... well... He's gone..." She never really explained why their father had killed himself, but she soon reasoned it was because their mother was always gone. Rei had later explained why their mother was always 'working' or 'on business trips', which tore at her heart even more, not knowing why they would keep something like that from her.
As time went on, the combined pain of the loss of her parents, as well as the long-term betrayal of the only person Shizuka trusted besides her family, began to eat away at Shizuka. Her will to live had started to decline. Hospital visit after hospital visit, illness after illness, it was almost a curse that she'd been so sick so many times. Once she reached 28, Shizuka was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Rei had made sure she was taken care of, as Yukiko had gone off to study abroad. The family seemed to be born under an unfortunate star, as Rei was sent tragic news about the youngest sibling. The ever strong one, Rei continued to keep Shizuka as well looked after as she could, somewhat lacking on her own well-being. After a colleague of hers suggested that Shizuka be sent to a hospital abroad, to see if they could do anything, Rei first didn't want to... but eventually agreed.
January of 2012, and Shizuka had found herself a vampire, though she had figured it to be an easing of her burdens. In reality, she detested it. The memories of her past haunted her to this day, keeping herself isolated to herself, as much as she could, though it seemed to fail quite often. She had put on the best front she could since then, trying to look happy, especially around those she tried to care for. After the events that led to her splitting with Elliot Lancaster and later Soleil Lenoir, Shizuka's attempt at happiness had started to crumble, leaving her sleepless, alone, scared. She spent nights holding her rifle to her mouth, trying to will herself to pull the trigger, but she never could. Now with Emma and Leila, she felt even more troubled. She'd robbed these girls of their lives, of their futures, and she sought justice for them. It wasn't right, she thought, for her to do this to them. They deserved better. She needed Rei, but she knew that Rei was much better off without her.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Shizuka held her prized possession to her chest tightly, a box of letters from Rei. They were the only thing left she had, of her family. The only thing left that made her truly happy. Of course, Emma, Leila, and Tytonidae had given her some degree of happiness, but they would never know the level of happiness Rei gave Shizuka. She held the box tight, crying, begging whoever was listening to keep Rei safe, thanking them for the strength her sister possessed to do what she did, to persevere what Shizuka couldn't. Rei was Shizuka's only hero. She would never fill her sister's shoes, though. Never in a million years.