Coraphyee

It was night, cold and wet, the black ebony of the sky swirling with the bright lanterns of angels. To the eyes of anyone else it would seem beautiful, a calm night of sleep for all of Tokyo. But Sakura knew better. To her and the world she was a part of, night was the time of sin. When the lowly creatures of Japan crawled out of their holes, and quenched their thirst for drink and lust. Sakura stood on a wooden stool, looking out her window as two seamstresses fitted her performing kimono. The kimono was the soft hues of pink, decorated with white cherry blossoms that she had been named for. It exentuated her sandy hair and brown eyes, that would have been beautiful, if not for the harsh coolness that lay within them. From where she stood, Sakura could see the men entering the shady night club below. Although she hated Moon Dig, the night club at which she sang and danced, it had been her home for all her life. Sakura turned towards her door at the sound of furious knocking.

“Come in.” The door opened, and in walked Sakura’s two best friends, Mehlin and Madison. Sakura smiled and her hard brown took on a soft tone. Her friends were the only thing that ever took the frost from her eyes.

“Hi sweetie!” Madison hugged Sakura gingerly, trying not to scrunch the kimono, then sat down on the generously proportioned, crimson colored bed. “Are you ready for tonight?”

Sakura frowned, “I think so. If this kimono is ever finished.” Her voice was tinged with annoyance, but the both girls working on the outfit knew that Sakura didn’t mean anything by it. Madison smiled and wiggled over to make room for Mehlin on the bed. Mehlin grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest.

“I’m up for bid tonight.” Mehlin growled. The seamstresses shot pitying looks at her, which only put Mehlin in a fowler mood. Madison put her arm around her friend reassuringly.

“Don’t worry sweetie. No one will vote on you anyway.”

“Hey!”

Madison had always been the only one to tease Mehlin. Sakura didn’t have the temperament to tease anyone, and everyone else was scared of Mehlin. But Mehlin never really seemed to mind it when Madison teased her. In fact, at times Sakura thought Mehlin liked it. Sakura thought while her two friends chattered to each other. Out of the three, Sakura was the only one that was never bided of. She had a deal with the owner of Moon Dig, Jagged. Sakura entertained the costumers on stage, not in the bedroom. And he had agreed. Partly because Sakura was the most talented performer at the club, and partly because her wanted to be the first to take her. Sakura was brought back from her thoughts when a pillow came out of nowhere, hitting her in the face.

“Ow!” Sakura glared at her friends, who were in the middle of an all out pillow war.

“Sorry sweetie!” Madison laughed while trying to protect her self from Mehlin’s’ wrath. Sakura spent a moment attempting to look angry, but eventually gave in to giggles. She rushed at the two girls, pillow in hand. The seamstresses stared in horror as Sakura ruined her kimono. All three youngsters shrieked with glee as they became lost in a whirlwind of feathers and fun.

Sakura waited in the wings, fidgeting with her kimono. She watched Jagged introduce her on stage. The crowd hung onto his every word, he had them enraptured in his gravelly voice. Sakura thought of how talented he was at this. He could stand there and control the throng of people before him. He was the tamer, they, the lion. To bad he was such a sleazebag. Sakura heard the sudden roar from the stage, and knew they were calling her. The lights went out, and Sakura glided onto the floor, taking her pose. The music started and she swayed her hips to the soft lullaby of the piano. She could see Madison smile at her, and Mehlin pouting as she carried trays of drinks around. Sakura kept dancing, trying to ignore the lust and desire in the eyes of every man that watched her. They were silent as death, gazing at her with glazed expressions. And then she opened her mouth to sing. Cheers erupted! Hoots and howls directed at her. She closed her eyes, refusing to meet the looks of corrupt men around her.The song was beautiful. Sad and lonely. Sakura’s eyes fluttered up slowly as she spun around on her toes, and she found herself staring strait into the eyes of a boy. The only thing that made her notice him was how out of place he looked. To any other costumer he would have looked the same, but Sakura’s trained eyes picked up the difference in him. He was watching her dance, like the rest of them, only his eyes were poles apart from the others. His lacked the hunger that was so common in the usual consumer that showed up at Moon Dig. Sakura stopped singing, to the dismay of the crowd, and slowed the pace of her dance ever so slightly. She was caught in a daze. He was leaning against the wall, in a self confident, almost arrogant pose. His hair was brown, and fell forward onto his face in soft waves. Sakura guessed he was about her age, maybe older.He looked at her shamelessly, his face a stone mask. There was something stubborn in his eyes. In the set of his jaw. The song ended, breaking Sakura’s trance. She bowed low and left the stage.

Once she was off, Sakura let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. She had the sensation of his eyes still on her. It shook her up.

“Hey sugar!” Madison came up behind her and rested her hands on Sakura’s shoulders. Sakura leaned back into her.

“Where’s Mehlin?” She spoke softly.

“Hmmm. Probably skulking somewhere. You know she hates it ewhen it’s her turn.”

Hmm.” Sakura mumbled contentedly, resting her head on her friends shoulder.

Suddenly, the weight of Madison’s hands on Sakura’s shoulders left, and Sakura, who had been leaning against Madison, was thrown backwards. She let out a cry as she fell. Just before she hit the ground, a muscle born arm snaked around her waist, pulling her upright. Sakura looked up to see herself in the arms of Jagged.

“Hello luv.” He grinned suggestively at her. Sakura twisted away, trying to worm her way out of his grasp. His grin widened, as he relished in her discomfort.

“So, you in on the bid tonight?”

Madison, whom Jagged had pushed onto the floor, lifted herself up and plastered a fake smile on her now bruised face.

“You wish, sugar.” She spoke the words in sickeningly sweet tones, and emphasized the word “sugar”. Not the way she spoke to her friends, the loving way she called them pet names; this was full of bile hate for the man that governed all three girls’ lives.

Jagged smiled at her in his crooked way, “your friend will be on soon. Come and watch her if you like.” It was an order, not an invitation. With one last look at Madison, he let go of Sakura and walked back to his table, joining in on the bid for Mehlin.

“Gross.” Madison curled her lip up as she watched him. She turned back to Sakura and her expression changed back into the loving girl she was.

“Come on honey, let’s go watch Mehlin.”

Mehlin was onstage parading around for the bidders to inspect.

“Starts at 50 $ only 50 for all night!” Onigomo, a worker at the club was opening the bids for tonight. Madison watched with eager eyes, but Sakura drifted of into her thoughts.

“60!”

“65!”

The bids went higher and higher, blared out by gruff voices. Sakura ignored them all, only when she heard a softer voice, that was obviously younger then the others, did she look up.

“100.” It was the boy that had been watching her on stage. Mehlin’s eye brows shot up, and she exchanged looks with Madison. Sakura felt a twinge of, and mentally kicked herself for it. If the boy was here it was living proof her was no good. And still, she couldn’t help but feel spiteful towards Mehlin, as she watched her friend take the boy by the hand, leading him to the back rooms.