• It was raining.

    No, it was thunder storming, and sleep was now far from possible for the young, ten-year-old girl shivering quietly under her covers. The rain poured down on the small, tan house. There was only one floor. It had the girl's room, the mother's room, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. Something tapped on the girl's window, but it didn't sound like the rain.

    All movement stopped.

    Frightened out of her own mind, she held her breath and hoped for the best. She hoped that it wasn't him. No, it couldn't be.

    Who was "him"?

    He was her mother's ex husband, the one who went completely insane. 'It can't be him,' she reassured herself in thought, 'because he's in prison.'

    There was another knock on the window. This time, it sounded more urgent.

    She slowly lifted the covers only slightly so that whoever was out there could only see her piercing red eyes. Her white cat ears perked up from her long, silvery hair when she saw who it was.

    Her eyes widened. She leapt from under her covers, landing on her feet. She walked over to the window, unlocked it, and opened it. The boy climbed inside.

    "Daiki!" the girl shouted and hugged him. Daiki was ten as well.

    The young boy smiled and hugged her back. Her fingers played with is dark, ebony hair before she pulled away.

    "How are you, Hikari?" Daiki asked.

    "I can't sleep," she looked at her feet, and her cat ears went down.

    "Me neither," he replied as he scratched the back of his head.

    "Daiki, wanna play a game?" Hikari asked.

    "A game? Sure... but won't we wake your mom?" he asked.

    Hikari put her finger on her bottom lip and thought for a second. Then she shook her head, laughed and pulled him to the floor.

    "We can play chest!" she whispered excitedly and pulled out the game.

    "Don't you mean chess?" he asked.

    "Oh yeah, heheh," she replied, blushing from embarrassment.

    Hikari made the first move. As they played, they whispered to each other.

    "So how's your mom?" Daiki asked curiously.

    "I think she's getting better," Hikari answered happily, "She doesn't ask for much anymore and her voice doesn't sound rusty."

    "That's good," Daiki smiled. He took her bishop with his.

    "Hey!" she pouted.

    "Sorry," he laughed.

    She took his bishop with her rook.

    "Wait what?" he looked at her, "How did I not see that there?"

    Hikari smiled proudly, "It's because I'm better than you."

    "Oh yeah?" Daiki asked.

    She looked at him. There was a moment of silence as she looked at him straight in the eyes.

    "Yeah."

    He smirked, "You asked for it!"

    He took her queen with his other bishop.

    Her eyes widened with shock, "What?!" she shouted.

    He laughed.

    She pouted and took his other bishop with her queen and put his king in check.

    "Check." she said.

    He moved his king. Suddenly there were footsteps down the hall. Hikari shoved Daichi in her closet and came back out just in time to meet with her mother.

    "Hikari, what are you doing?" she asked.

    She looked down at the chess board and replied, "Playing chess."

    "By yourself?" she asked suspiciously.

    "Umm.... yes?" Hikari said nervously.

    Her mother looked at the board and then looked at the closet.

    "Daiki, you can come out." The mother said knowingly.

    He surrendered and tip-toed out of the closet.

    Hikari looked at her mother innocently.

    "Now, Hikari, you know I need my sleep," she said to her child, coughing slightly.

    "Yes mommy," Hikari nodded, "Can Daiki stay? Please!"

    The mother looked over at Daiki, then back at Hikari.

    "Alright, he can stay. But you two have to go to bed and be quiet, ok?" The mom said.

    The two of them nodded and climbed under the covers. "I love you," the mom said as she turned off the light and walked back to bed, coughing on the way.

    "Love you too Mommy," Hikari replied.

    There was a silence before Daiki spoke up, "Man, your mom still has that cough."

    Hikari nodded, "Yeah... We should probably go to bed." She turned to her side, facing away from Daiki and toward the window.

    "Goodnight, Hikari," Daiki whispered.

    "Goodnight, Daiki."