Gazing at the rising dawn, Kuroi couldn't help but feel envious of all the people on this earth who wake up taking for granted that they survived another day. People expect to live to see the next sunrise while she thanked yet cursed whatever deity allowed her to see tomorrow's dawn.

Silently, she opened the window, and sang, not once looking away from the ball of light. Every day she sees the sun rise, she sings for the ones who could not. For the oppressed, broken and dead, she sings, and hopes that her voice will reach them. 

The townspeople called her 'The Ghost Who Sings', for they could never tell where her voice was coming from. Softly yet clearly, Kuroi's song filled the air.

(The song is How Do You Love Someone . The video at the top of the page is the song)

Mama never told me how to love
Daddy never told me how to feel
Mama never told me how to touch
Daddy never showed me how to heal

Mama never set a good example
Daddy never held mama's hands
Mama found everything hard to handle
Daddy never stood up like a man

I've walked around broken
Emotionally frozen
Getting it on, getting it wrong

How do you love someone without getting hurt?
How do you love someone without crawling in the dirt?
So far in my life, clouds have blocked the sun
How do you love, how do you love someone?
How do you love, how do you love someone?

I was always the chosen child
Their biggest scandal I became
They told me I'd never survive
But survival's my middle name

I've walked around hoping
Just barely coping
Getting it on, getting it wrong

How do you love someone without getting hurt?
How do you love someone without crawling in the dirt?
So far in my life, clouds have blocked the sun
How do you love, how do you love someone?
How do you love, how do you love someone?

It's hard to talk, to say what's deep inside
It's hard to tell the truth when you've always lied

How do you love someone without getting hurt?
How do you love someone without crawling in the dirt?
So far in my life, clouds have blocked the sun
How do you love, how do you love someone?

How do you love someone and make it last?
How do you love someone without tripping on the past?
So far in my life, clouds have blocked the sun
How do you love, how do you love someone?
How do you love, how do you love someone? Someone. . . . .

(Stop music)

How do you love indeed, the girl thought wryly 

Finished with the song, Kuroi looked out for a moment longer, then reluctantly shut the window. Turning around, she started doing her second half of her morning ritual. Taking out a black backpack covered with pockets, Kuroi began packing her belongings and supplies in it. Every morning, she did this in faint hope that she would be able to escape. Lifting the now full bag, Kuroi laid it underneath the false bottom of her closet next to her guitar case. Closing the doors, the girl went downstairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her 'guardians'.

After setting the freshly made coffee on the table along with breakfast, Kuroi began cleaning the house from top to bottom. Normally, it would take half a day to thoroughly clean the entire house, but she did it within three. If she didn't, then her 'father' would prevent the girl from eating anything for two weeks. 

Needless to say, Kuroi learned to clean fast. 

After cleaning the house, Kuroi went back to the kitchen where a list of all the chores she had to do for the day was taped to the fridge. Tearing it from the door, the girl read the list:

Make breakfast  [check]

Clean the house [check]

Make preparations for lunch [check]

Blockade the Punishment Room

Say nothing negative about your life to the Inspector

Wordlessly, Kuroi lit the candle she kept in the kitchen and set the paper aflame. When it burned to ashes, the girl gathered them and threw them in the trash and set off to the torture chamber. Entering the room, she got to work, dragging the tables to the far end of the room, away from the door and covered the tables with several drapes. The girl did the same for the tools on the shelves, only with smaller cloths.

Closing the door from the outside, Kuroi grabbed the wooden boards leaning against the wall. She nailed the boards to the door, preventing anyone from entering. 

Finished with all but one of the assignments, Kuroi glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearing ten, so her 'guardians' had already eaten almost two hours ago. The inspector was to arrive at ten, so the girl climbed the stairs to wait by the front door for the inspector.

Looking at herself, Kuroi made sure that none of the bruises and scars showed. She was wearing an over-sized white sweater with sleeves that covered her hands over a black long-sleeved shirt and baggy pants with an excessive amount of pockets that reached the floor. She didn't wear any shoes but wore white socks, for no one is to wear shoes inside the house. 

At exactly ten, the inspector came. He looked to be in his mid-forties, with an average height for his age. He had dark brown hair in a crew cut and brown eyes that were partially hidden by his glasses. The Inspector wore casual clothes; a white coat over a simple long-sleeved grey shirt with jeans.

"I am here for the inspection that is to commence today.

Staring at the inspector, the girl felt that faint hope of being able to escape grow into a weak flame.

In the beginning I was naive enough to believe that I could escape simply by using words. Even though I grew out of that mindset I couldn't free myself from this hellhole. 

But you just may be the one who will present me a chance to escape, for I have always tried to do it alone. Kuroi smiled humorlessly.

And done! Did you enjoy chapter 2? I've tried to make it not seem like a filler, because for every story I write, the second chapter always seemed to come out as such. For those of you who have read my first story, Eternal Wanderer of the Elemental Nations, do not worry! I have absolutely no intention of abandoning it. It's just taking a while to get my imagination flowing for it. 

I might rewrite this chapter, so if I don't update for a week or so, that's probably me rewriting this and writing the next chapter. I don't really like how this one turned out. To me, it seems very disjointed.

Comment if you like this, vote if you love it, do nothing if you hate it.