Murasakino

Flying...

   I froze to the spot for a second, wanting to see who was approaching, but also urging myself to go back inside and hide. I gave in and pivoted on my heel, running straight into the door. I fumbled for the key to lock it again, but there was no time. Racing toward the staircase, I caught a breif glimpse of the person through the blurred window; long, black hair and a pale face, like mine. It was one of the girls. As I started to climb the stairs, one appeared at the front door too, but I saw the orange of her shirt and knew it was Honōiro.
   "Murasakino?" came the voice from the back door. I thought it was Midori but I couldn't be sure.
   At the top of the stairs I noticed my heart was beating much harder and faster than a few moments earlier, and considered my options for hiding places. Harper's bedroom, with the wardrobe inside? Or the bathroom, which had a door that locked?
   I started toward the bathroom, but the door was closed and I could already hear footsteps on the stairs. I opted for Harper's room, which I had at least been in before.
   "Murasakino, why are you hiding?" the voice at the bottom of the stairs asked. As I was blocking Harper's door with a chair I wondered the same thing for a second.
   But it was obvious why.

   The chair was a perfect barrier, and the girl outside could not get in.
   "I know you're in there," she said, a hardened tone in her voice. "It's me, Aka. Why won't you let me in?"
   I wanted to shout - "You should know why! It's not right that we are being forced to work like this for Miss Gardner!" - but I kept silent.
   "Murasakino, please. You know me," Aka pleaded.
   "Have you found her?" Honōiro said from the bottom of the staircase. How had she gotten in the front door?
   "Yes, but she won't let me in."
   "Let me try," Honōiro said, and rammed the door with her shoulder. The wood made a splintering sound, and I knew I had to get out.
   There was a window above the bed, which was easy to open. It was at the side of the house, but not far from the front. I started to climb out as another thud came from the door. A gust of wind blew my hair in my eyes, but I persisted and managed to grab the gutter on the edge of the roof. Awkwardly, I hoisted myself up and onto the roof, just as Harper's door was pushed completely off its hinges and Honōiro collapsed onto it.

   I was suddenly very aware of how high up I was, and stayed near the bottom of the roof. I cautiously edged my way along, my foot slipping once and causing my blood to run cold for a moment. At the front of the house, I dragged myself up to the very top and just stood there, straddled over it.
   "She's on the roof!" someone called from the back garden. To my surprise, it was Cathy, and when I turned to look I saw her standing against the back wall with Midori, Ao and Tākoizu.
   "What on earth are you doing?" Midori yelled.
   I just crouched down so I was out of their view, and held on to the top of the roof. Like I had a minute earlier, I asked myself the same thing again.
   I had thought it was obvious, but was it? Did I really need to hide myself from my 'family' and friends just because I had to work at a supermarket?

   It suddenly sounded so pointless. And the fact I was up on a roof was pointless too. I should just climb back down into the window, I thought, and maybe Miss Gardner wouldn't be mad. Maybe she hadn't been scared at all.
   "How did you get up there?" a new voice shouted up at me.
   Harper's voice.
   My anger began to grow again. Could I not trust anybody anymore? Now even Harper had sided with them.
   "I'm not coming down!" I yelled in reply, and a sudden gust of wind knocked me off balance. I slid down the roof but grabbed onto the top and didn't fall off.
   "Oh god, she fell!" Cathy shouted. "Are you okay?"
   "I'm fine," I replied. But was I? The only reason I was up here in the first place was that I hadn't trusted anyone but Harper, and now she was against me too.
   "Just come down and we'll take you back to the lab," Harper said.
   "No! I'm staying up here!"
   "Well... I'll come up there and get you, okay?"
   "No," I replied, too quietly for her to hear.
   A few moments passed, the girls in the garden having a quiet conversation, until Harper's curly hair and face appeared at the edge of the roof.

   "Hi!" she said, smiling even though she was clearly worried. "Just slowly come down here and back into the window."
   I glared at her. Why should I? I thought. You were the one person who promised to hide me and now you're turning me in!
   "Come on! Carefully, though," she said.
   "Yeah, don't fall," Honōiro said from inside the bedroom.
   I carefully rose up to my feet, the wind feeling stronger and colder. Harper put out a hand for me to take, but I paused.
   Then I turned and walked to the end of the roof.
   "Murasakino!" Harper shouted at me.
   "What's going on?!" Cathy asked.
   "She's gonna jump," replied Harper.
   "Jump?!"
   I looked down at the street ahead of me. None of the neighbours seemed to have noticed me.
   "Murasakino, come here," Harper said, beginning to sound upset. "You can trust me, you know you can."
   I turned my head one last time.
   "How can I trust you now? How can I trust anyone?"

   Before I knew what I'd done I was plummeting toward the road, Harper's screams getting further away by the second.