I wake up before the sun comes up and notice the lack of snoring in the next room. Sakashi never wakes up before late noon. I know I should worry but I can't bring myself to care.

I pull my cap further down on my head when I walk by the small mirror I have propped up against my dresser. It almost fell off, and I can't let that happen. I slept in my clothes from the day before. It's still clean. I walk back to the mirror and inspect my collar bone. It has red marks from the tweed. I hate tweed. Sakashi buys my clothes, I don't have money nor a job.

Downstairs it's quiet. That's odd because Sakashi is always banging pots around trying to make rice. He puts rice in everything; rice cakes, rice pancakes, rice and eggs, rice and soup, rice bread. It's not very appealing.

When I open the door to go outside the hot air hits me like a cart. It's foggy outside, everyone's least favorite day. I have to run errands for Sakashi, he needs vegetables and herbs. I say we need candy and meat. The markets are busy today, overrun with hapless travelers. Foreigners are the worst guests, they have no respect for our customs or our laws, not that we have many.

Sakashi barely gave me enough money to buy one carrot, nevertheless anything else. I turn back to go hassle him until I think I see his black hair among the crowd. Maybe he took the rest of the money with him and decided to go be an adult for once? While I muse on this I go to the luxury stall, it's outfitted with red silk and shiny gold.

The merchant gives me a hesitant smile while I look over his wares. I want to buy candy. I find that five pieces of chocolate are only one coin, so I buy them up along with three big blocks of caramel.

I walk back to Sakashi's, chewing on a small piece of caramel. Sakashi will be cross with me when I tell him I bought caramel. I collapse onto a pile of pillows once there. The days are so long, and the sun is sweltering. It was dark just a few minutes ago. I fall asleep.

I wake up to a buzzing in my ears and smoke seeping into the pitiful window near the front door. I wipe my eyes and clutch onto my bag of goodies possessively. I rise to look out the window before my balance is shaken by a loud boom. The only thing I can think is that we're being bombed, but that can't be right. We aren't at war with anyone, and this is an improper way to declare it.

I open the door and am assaulted with smoky air and sparks. My tongue burns. There are holes in the street, blood running into them. I clamp my hand over my mouth and look for Sakashi, knowing he isn't in the house. I run every which way, observing dead bodies and I balk, ready to vomit. I close my eyes and-

Wake up! I jump out of bed and tear away the curtains from my window, ripping them. My body is slick with sweat and I'm panting. It's a bright day outside, devoid of blood. I can hear Sakashi's snoring in the next room, and my heart aches. That was one of the most terrible nightmares to date.

War is terrifying.

I knock on the door to Sakashi's house, though he always tells me not to, and go in. I insist on announcing my presence first. Who knows what may be happening behind closed doors?

I walk into the kitchen, a small cramped area, and see Sakashi brewing tea. I hope he gives me some. "Ah, Helen! I was worried you'd gotten kidnapped." He said, coming to greet me. He doesn't ask me to take my hat off, he knows I never will.

"I got cornered by Jake Breck." I say somewhat nervously. Sakashi doesn't like Jake Breck. His eyes narrow and he turns back to the tea. "And what did he want?" He asks. I come up next to him and shrug. "To tease me." He looks at me angrily. "No, to bully you, Helen. Don't let him." He says before pouring me a cup of tea and ushering me into his equally cramped living room. He has a small bamboo table that I sit my tea on.

I kneel on the floor in front of the table, since Sakashi doesn't have chairs or couches or normal things. We sit on finely decorated pillows. My tea is billowing steam into the air and I sigh, scratching my head through my hat. My hat, the destroyer of my hair. It's matted and crinkly now.

I like Sakashi's tea, he brought it directly from Asia! He has a large stash, ensuring he never runs out. He can't return to Asia now, something is happening over there that he won't tell me about. I don't really want to know. I sip my tea, which burns my tongue. But that's the way tea is, at least Sakashi's. He makes me drink it hot. He says if it isn't hot it tastes like water. I think it's more flavorful when it's cold.

A few minutes pass and he doesn't join me. I suppose he's gone up to his rooms to sulk and mutter about Jake Breck. I don't mind him, I don't like him, but at the same time he doesn't bother me very much. I simply ignore hm when I can.

After I have drunk all my tea I make my way up to the rooms, the smallest of which is mine. It's right next to Sakashi's and I can hear his heavy snoring. It doesn't keep me up.

Jake Breck walks up to me. He doesn't like me. No matter, I don't like him either. He pokes my hat.

"Why'da always wear that Hellboy? Got little horns or something?" He jokes. It's not funny. Why can't they just leave me alone? I don't like being teased. If he keeps teasing me I don't know what I'd do. I don't like him, but I don't want him to die either. I tug my hat further down my head.

"Please don't call me that." I say quietly. My name is Helen. I like my name. I want him to call me Helen. He looks at me for a moment before making a move to grab my hat. I sidestep his hand and run away. Momma always told me I was a flight not fight kid.

I don't run so far, just up to the big oak tree in front of the school. Jake follows me at a leisurely pace. "Sorry." He says. How uncharacteristic of him. I blink at him. "Why?" I ask.

"I mean, well, who knows. You could be balding or have a terrible scar. I'm a bully, but I'm not that bad." He rubs the back of his neck. I guess he isn't so bad. At least he has morals. He isn't bad. He isn't particularly mean; he just harrasses me. Everyone.

"Okay." I say and spin on my heel. I have to get back to Sakashi, he doesn't like it when I'm late. I don't like it when I'm late. He makes me Chinese tea if I'm on time. It's a rarity now.

Jake Breck clutches onto my arm. "Well don't run away again." He says, pulling me over to his side. I struggle out from under his arm. "I can do what I like, and what I'd like is to go home." I say, and this time I sprint all the way to Sakashi's home.