Chapter One

I winced as my bare toes met the hot, sun baked sand. I was tired, and hungry and covered in blisters and bruises. I had spent the past couple of weeks living on my feet, but this place (wherever this place was) was beautiful, and I was hopeful that I'd be able to rest here, at least for a while. Unsure of what to do, or where to begin I made a beeline for the shade of a tall, gently swaying palm tree and sat down, closing my eyes. It was a warm day, but there was a pleasant breeze, and it was an indescribable relief just to be able to sit down and allow my sore muscles to unknot themselves. I was dozing before I knew it, and it took some effort to shake myself awake. I was warm, comfortable, and very very tired, but now was not the time. I got to my feet and dusted off my knees. I was in a dirty gray sundress that might have been a light pink once, it was far too big for me, and I couldn't remember where I had gotten it.

My memory up to this point was fuzzy, to say the least coming and going in brief flashes, kaleidoscope images, I lived in a state of perma-dizziness, but I knew three things for certain.

1. My name is Kairi

2. I was alone

3. I was running from something.

What, or who that thing was, was a total blank to me, which was going to make things difficult. it was hard to fight or flee from shadows, and potential danger was everywhere, paranoia would eventually kill me. I decided to pick a random direction, and just start walking. Every footstep felt like I was walking on knives, but it kept my anxious mind occupied. Ahead of me the city rose up like a castle, beautiful and shining, so bright in the sunlight that it made my eyes hurt.

I kept walking.

The city proper wasn't as big as it had looked from the beach,and in the pale morning light it seemed quiet, and comfortable. I kept looking around corners and in every alleyway, half expecting to find whatever was after me snarling in the darkness, or watching me with glowing yellow eyes.

Nothing was there, I was safe, for now at least. I kept walking, aimless, my mouth was dry and felt like it was packed with chalk, I needed a drink of water. I looked around for a water fountain, or maybe even a store. This place was so unfamiliar and confusing that I was beginning to get nauseous.

"Excuse me, Miss?" I looked up and saw a pretty young woman, only a little bit older than me, looking very concerned, "are you alright? Do you need me to call someone?"

"Call someone?" I blinked at her, not quite registering what she was asking me. The woman frowned, looking a bit conflicted.

"Are you alone? Is there anyone here with you?" She asked, scanning the street. I shook my head, I had always been alone. "What's your name?"

" I'm Kairi, " I smiled at her, she had asked me a question that I actually had the answer to, and it was good to talk to someone.

"Hi Kairi," she said carefully, " I'm Aqua, are you safe? "

I must have looked like a real mess, she was looking at me like I might have escaped from the circus, or a mental hospital.

"Yes, I think so. What is this place?"

"Destiny Islands," she was carrying a large shopping bag in each arm, but didn't seem hindered by them at all. "Where are you from?"

"I can't answer that," I said quietly, "because I can't remember."

"Did you hit your head?"

"I might have..." I probed my head with my fingers and felt no pain," but probably not. "

"Do you want me to take you to a shelter?"

" I'd appreciate that, thank you, " I gave her a little bow and she smiled at me. "Alright, my apartment isn't too far from here, if it's alright with you, I'd like to drop these off first, they're awfully heavy."

"I can help you carry them," I held out my arms, "I can't run, I have too many blisters, and I don't have any shoes." Aqua laughed and handed me one of the bags.

"You don't look like a thief to me."

The groceries were really heavy, and what's more, the smell of the fresh produce had reminded me of how hungry I was. My stomach growled loudly the whole way there, much to my embarrassment. I tried to ignore it, but Aqua wouldn't let me.

"When's the last time you've eaten?" She asked as we came to her apartment. I tried to think, balancing the shopping bag on my hip.

"Yesterday afternoon."

Aqua sighed and unlocked the door. "Come on in, I'll make you a sandwich or something."

That's how I wound up staying at Aqua's house. She had a lovely one bedroom flat, very tidy and well kept. I learned that she worked as a News Anchor in the city, and that she loved her job.

"Right now, I'm just the weather woman," she said with a little laugh, as we sat having tea on the sofa, " but I really want to make it to prime time someday. "

"I'm sure you will, Aqua," I sipped my tea and sucked in a quick breath, it was still too hot, "whatever 'prime time' is. "

"Have you ever worked Kairi?"

" I'm not sure, " I nervously grabbed the hem of my dress, "I..."

"Can't remember. You know, at first I thought you were trying to run some sort of con, but I'm starting to think there's something really wrong." Aqua frowned, and lapsed into silence, deep in thought.

"I want to work," I said, worried that she'd get upset with me. "I know I could work."

"Oh! I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry, I'm just nosey by nature." She gave me an apologetic look.

"No, That's alright, I really want to work," I looked around the apartment , fighting the urge to pace. "Could you help me?"

"I guess we can look through the paper," Aqua said, bemused.

Aqua spread the newspaper out on the coffee table in front of us. "This is the employment section, It's going to be difficult for you to find a job with no work history."

"I'll never know until I try, right?"

"That's a good attitude to have. Here," she handed me a pen, "circle the jobs that interest you, and I'll be right back." I nodded, absently, trying to decipher the symbols on the paper, when Aqua had returned, I had circled every section on the newspaper. "Um..." Aqua peered over my shoulder, "I'll help you narrow it down a bit."

After a several minutes, Aqua had crossed out nearly everything I had circled, only about four remained.

"I think we should start by looking at temp work, the best thing for you to do right now is get some job history under your belt." Aqua said, I nodded, pretending to understand. Aqua spoke to me me a long time about various things that didn't make sense. I liked to listen to her talk, she seemed very mature and composed, I decided that I wanted to be like that some day.

Around midday I was dead on my feet, I was trying to focus on what Aqua was telling me about bussing tables, but I kept drifting and jerking back awake. I must have passed out entirely at some point, because when I woke up it was dark outside, and I was lying on the couch wrapped in a blanket.

Tears stung my eyes, but I wasn't homesick, it was the first time (in my admittedly short memory span) that anyone had ever treated me so kindly.