Rape

It was autumn, the leaves had just began to turn.

Dad had left me. I had to leave, too. I had to find him. He was my father, and I would follow him to hell and back if I had to.

I had no idea where he went.

So I wound up wandering. I don’t know for how long, probably a couple weeks. I have never been so panicked in my life. I wandered to markets, listening to conversations, and hearing anything that sounds like Fuji, I would tail that person until it just turned out to be another false hope.

I stumbled into a camp, in the middle of the forest. It was highly organized, even though it appeared to be a mess. Men were shouting orders to other men, no, they weren’t even men. They were boys.

I must be in Maise.

I know that men and boys alike were looking at me. After all, what’s a blonde haired 13 year old girl doing in a military base?

“Hey, kid!” a man with a deep voice called out to me, and placed a dirty hand on my shoulder. “What do you think you’re doing here?”

I shrugged his hand off of me. I didn’t want him near me. I didn’t say anything.

“I’m talking to you. Why are you here?”

I was never going to see Dad again.

I was going to die sooner or later, without ever hearing him call out his name for me again.

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

Dad probably already forgot about me.

“I’m here to join.”

“You can’t join. You’re a girl. Besides, even if you could, you’re too young” he turned to leave, “Go back to wherever it was that you came from.”

I walked in front of him, cutting him off from wherever it was that he was going to. “No.” I said, more forcefully then I meant, “I’m joining. I’m tougher than you think. I can fight.”

“No, you can’t. Now go home before I lose my patience with you, girl.”

“Let me join.”

“Do you have any idea who I am?”

“No.”

“I’m Commander Ryozo Yamagata. I have things to do, important things. So why don’t you go home and fight with your mommy or something.”

This man was excruciatingly irritable. Nevertheless, I wasn’t giving up.

“At least let me stay.”

He brushed his long bangs out of his face and thought for a second. “Fine. Just go to my tent, okay? It’s over there. I’ll try to work something out. You better be quiet, or I’m sending you outa here.”

I nodded in thanks, and saluted, after all I was to be a soldier.

Yet there was something I didn’t know about him. Commander Ryozo Yamagata was a horrible man

I did as I was told. I wondered why I had to stay in a tent, instead of signing up. What was Commander Yamagata going to do to get me into the army? I know that it would be difficult, as Maise didn’t generally allow women into the army. But they have been so low on army personal so I doubted that they would turn down anyone offering to be a soldier.

I sat on a small bed that was set up in the corner of the tent. It was a rather large tent, compared to all the other tents that had been set up for the troops. I expected that I would have to share mine with strangers. I didn’t mind.

The sun had set, and I was beginning to wonder if the Commander was not coming back at all when suddenly the man walked in a rush of cloth flapping as he angrily pushed it aside.

“You.”

I looked up.

“What’s your name?”

“Ri-..”

My name was not Ri-chan anymore. I didn’t want anyone other than Dad calling me that.

“Rin. Rin Tsuzuka.”

“You’re not joining this army.”

I stood up; it was my turn to be angry. “Why the hell not?”

“Because, I own you now.”

“I’m sorry?!” I nearly choked on my words. Own? As in a slave? What is wrong with this guy?

“You heard me. I own you.”

“You know what. Forget it, Commander. I’ll just take your advice and go fight with my mommy.” I went to storm out of the tent. I reached the opening.

“Oh, no you’re not.” He grabbed me by the arm, “You’re not going anywhere.”

I tried to pry his hand off of me, but it wouldn’t budge. “Let go of me!”

I slapped him as hard as I could across the face. He just threw me on the ground like I was worthless. I guess I was, now.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

He grabbed my arm again and dragged me to the small bed in the corner. My skin was burning with pain from where he was clutching my arm. I fought him as hard as I could, but just like every other challenge I have been faced with in my life, I wasn’t strong enough.

I was his slave. Masters could do whatever they wanted with their slave.

Commander Ryozo began to slip off my simple white dress. I pushed his busy hand away from me, only to have it come back at me. “What the hell are you doing?”

I was panicking.

“You’re a very cute girl, you know.” He whispered into my ear, his breath hissing on my neck. I jerked away from him. I had no idea what he meant. I may have been taken away from the innocent life my parents gave me, I may have experienced horrible things, but I had no idea what he was doing.

But I didn’t like it.