The sweltering summer sun blasted through the windows of Yakimura's office, where, at the moment, Yuri's face was covered in blown up ashes. Her lungs hurt terribly as the black substance flew up around her and into her mouth and nose. Covered in sweat, Yuri scrubbed relentlessly at the flakes with a loud pant. Blisters were forming on her fingers; she'd been at it tiresomely for an hour or so, and so her body began to ache.

"Far off, far wide...m-my heart wanders terribly into the night sky," she muttered softly to herself in a short breath. The fan was broken in Yakimura's office, and, due to financial shortages, the air conditioning was turned off throughout the late afternoon and into the evening. Thus, Yuri was left to clean the ashes of the fireplace in the summer heat.

She often wondered if the headmistress purposefully fueled a fire in the middle of the year, so, as a consequence, Yuri and others would clean it every so often. Then, she started to think the woman used it to burn pages of information she didn't want others to see. Yuri theorized this by the little flakes of paper mixed in the ash, white and un-burnt.

"Waiting for a day...home at last..I can..see your face," she blew the strands of hair from her face as she sung to herself. It was both out of tune and more of a mumble to accompany her in her chores.

A large sigh came from her lips. It had taken almost an eternity, but Yuri stared at the fireplace and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her clothes were soaked from the heat; Yuri felt a tad bit nauseous as she thirsted terribly.

Rising to her feet, she glanced out the window at the sight of the laundryman returning for another load of bedcovers and sheets. Then, Yuri felt her eyes lingering to the trees blossoming outside the window. It was strange; in this place she hated so terribly, it seemed as though the flowers carried her sadness away. Yuri was able to watch them blowing off the branches and into the wind and feel herself smile a bit.

"Yes, mama...I hate this place so much. I cry in my bed almost every night...and my body aches terribly, but I know you're there. I know you're waiting for me, you and mam too..."

She lifted the pail of ashes up, along with the brushes and rags she'd used to clean it with. Yuri's knees were worn and skinned, and her palms were covered in blisters. Yet, just but looking at the flowers blowing off the trees, she forgot about it. It was a rare moment of peace for her.

Naturally, Yuri's calmness had to be interrupted. She collected the rest of her things, and departed the office space. A few long minutes passed by as Yuri walked through the halls and to the door leading to the basement. The ashes would be thrown out through the door leading from the basement and to the back of the building. She was hot still, and as she carried the heavy bucket, began to desire a cold bath to soak away her cares.

She flicked the light switch on at the top of the staircase and made her way down the steps. It would be terrible if she dropped the ashes, so she held firmly to them. "When I'm done, maybe I could..." She muttered lightly, her voice trailing off by the darkness of the basement's lower floor. There were a few mattresses laid up against the wall, and a few bed frames lying amuck. Yuri scrambled past them and closer to the edge of the room where the furnace rested its coals.

The dreary room had spiderwebs and cobwebs hanging from the ceiling as Yuri moved about. She walked into a few, but continued on her way until she reached the door. Yuri pressed her back up against it, pushing it open as she succumbed to the warmth outside. It was bright and sunny that day, and Hatori smiled in the heat of the sun.

"It feels so good..!" She found herself exclaiming happily. Returning to her duties, she lifted the latch of the disposal and dumped the ashes inside. They flew about and back into her nose and mouth again. Yuri coughed rapidly and turned away from it to catch her breath; this had to be extremely unhealthy for her as she struggled to breathe.

The task was finished; Yuri pulled the bucket away and closed the lid. Her eyes wandered to the gate locked at the end of the alleyway. The opposing quarter of the building rested on the other side, making the back of the building into a tunnel of sorts. The sun beamed down from above, though. Yuri wiped the sweat from her face again and set her things down; after a few moments, she walked to the iron gate and looked about.

Most of the girls Yuri knew were on kitchen duty today; she began reflecting on their location and brushed away her fears. Yuri was a small girl, five or so feet in stature. The lack of food along with anemia made her quite thin enough to fit through the gap created in the gate's separation. Subsequently, she raced along the gravel road leading from the back of the house and down the grassy slope.

Her heart was racing, and Yuri was drenched in sweat from the sun. At some point, her laughter began to arch across the sky. It was moments like this that Yuri enjoyed dearly. She raced down until her body could bear no more, collapsing in the grassy field and rolling down the hill. Somewhere near the tree line and the flat land was a lake. Yuri had gazed affectionally down at it from the attic one particular evening while moving things. She longed to feel it for herself.

The day was so sunny and the light glistened off the lake. Yuri pulled herself up to her feet and ran along the shoreline, pulling her shoes and stockings away as she ran. Her sweater flew away in the wind as she stripped her clothes away, laughing happily. "I'm coming!! I'm coming!!" She squealed happily as she ran into the water. It drenched her undergarments as she cried out in joyful laughter, splashing around carelessly.

Yuri fell over into it, drenching her face and hair. It was cold in contrast to the weather, and felt as though she was swimming in the cold tears of God. She felt the relief of it, and began to wonder if her prayers had been answered.

The flowers had floated from the house on the hill and to the water bellow, falling and flurrying around Yuri as she laid there in the shallow water. It was as clear as day, and the flowers floating around happily beside her.

Yakimura entered her office again to find the fireplace completed, and Yuri nowhere in sight. She was holding a fan tightly in her palm as her eyes wandered about. "Why that girl.." She said quietly, turning the switch of her table light on. Though slightly annoyed, she was quite impressed by the cleanliness of the brick inside the fireplace.

"Curious little thing," she muttered softly before calling in one of the girls from Yuri's room. "Chikai, dear!" Yakimura called as the girl came running in from the hallway.

"Yes ma'am?" She said, looking in from the doorway clinging a broom.

Yakimura turned her way and saw the girl, her soft black locks contouring her face. She smiled warmly at her, pulling a lighter from her drawer and sitting in the chair. "You wouldn't happen to know where Yuri Hatori is, do you?"

Chikai quickly shook her head. "No ma'am." She said.

"Ah, very well then. Inform me if you find her whereabouts." She said, swiveling her chair around and staring out the window.

Chikai left the room and hurried off to find the girls in the kitchen, dropping her broom down by the door. "Have you guys seen Yuri?" She said curiously, sitting at the table and taking an apple from the basket.

"No, why do you ask?" Eimi replied quietly, washing a tier of dishes in the sink. Chikai sunk her teeth into in apple as she shrugged.

"Yakimura wants to see her for whatever reason. She probably screwed something up again." She sighed, shaking her head some.

The taller girl in the room, Hikari, was holding a basket as she sighed. "I'll see if I can find anything; first I'm going out back with Mr. Yamasaki for eggs." She replied as Chikai stuck her tongue out.

"Fine, but if Yakimura gets upset I'm blaming you!" She whined, Eimi spraying her with the water in the sink.

Within moments, Hikari left through the kitchen door and out into the side yard where Mr. Yamasaki was holding a bundle of cheese in his hand. "Hikari?" He began, shaking his head a bit. "Always late," he laughed slightly as the girl walked beside him.

"Sorry, sir." She replied with a vague little laugh. The man brushed his palm against her hair as they walked along, Hikari feeling slightly uncomfortable by his comings. The two of them walked down the gravel road in the back towards the chicken coop, opening up the gate and walking to the chicken house.

Hikari began to collect the eggs as Mr. Yamasaki held the basket now. "Pesky little creatures," he muttered tiredly, the chickens scattering amuck. Hikari fumbled with her apron as the man sighed.

There was a loud cry by the chickens, and, when Hikari and Yamasaki jerked their heads about to inspect the situation, they gasped in realization. The gate was open, and out flew a pesky chicken.

"The little bastard!" Yamasaki shouted relentlessly, dropping the basket of eggs into the grass. Hikari gasped loudly and followed the man who was now following the chicken.

Dropping the egg in her palm, she raced after the animal that had fled the coop. It flew terrified from the two chasing it down the grassy slope and beneath the sun. "Come back here!" She shrieked, heading the man behind her now. Her body tingled in the warm summer weather as she chased it, but something, rather someone, caught her eye as she stopped at the foot of the hill.

"I'll be darned..." She muttered, staring down at the lake. Her hair blew in the wind as she laid her eyes upon Yuri, floating among the shallow waters as though she were the Savior. Hikari stood at the foot of the hill as the chicken flew its wings down the hill and into the sky.

"Why..why did you stop?" Yamasaki panted, standing beside the young woman.

Hikari pointed her fingers towards the lake as Yamasaki lifted himself up in pants. "What are you pointing...at?" His voice began to fade off as he could see it too; Yuri looked quite happy, and he quickly realized she was breaking many rules.

"That little.." He muttered before trampling down the hillside. Hikari's eyes grew wide as she began to realize the man's fury and wrath. "Hatori! Get your ass over here you little brat!" He shouted as most of the wildflowers crumbled beneath his feet.

"Wait! Yamasaki stop!" Hikari begged, chasing after the man. "Yamasaki she's just a baby!" She shouted again, this time a few emotions swirling up in her eyes.

The man ignored Hikari; he seemed to be having one of his moments of anger, and Yuri was quick to realize it as she stood up in the water to meet him. Yamasaki trudged down the beach with his fists clenched. It was little moments of disloyalty and disorganization that caused him great fury. Unfortunately, in this particular moment, it was Yuri and Hikari who would suffer his wrath.

Yamasaki walked into the shallow water closer and closer to Yuri, who was wide eyed and defenseless. Within seconds the man gripped tightly onto her hair, lifting her slightly from the water. Yet, Hikari yanked on the man's arm in opposition. "Stop it! Stop it!" She pleaded, trying to pull him away from Hatori.

He responded with a quick slap across her face, pushing her down from the water and into the grass. "Don't touch your superior that way!" He hollered. The consequence for Hikari was unconsciousness as she fell to the grass.

Yamasaki turned back to Yuri, who was now shaken as she turned to Hikari. She called out her name before Yamasaki yanked harder on her hair, pulling her from the shore as she started to uncontrollably scream.

"Hikari! Hikari!" Yuri cried; the man threw Yuri into the grass, along with her clothes.

"Put your damn clothes on!" He shouted in an aggressive manner. Yuri struggled to her feet and pulled her dress on, looking to Hikari with tears flooding her face.

"H-Hikari.." Yuri said softly, leaning down beside her. Yamasaki had enough; he grabbed her by her hair again, causing a sharp scream of pain to escape her lips. Hikari was dragged back to consciousness as she struggled to regain her composure.

"Inconsiderate little..!" Yamasaki taunted as he pulled the two girls up the hill by the hair. Strangely enough, Yuri could see her own reflection in the tears of Heaven. When she cried, she looked up and could see God crying with her.

Then, it began raining.