The Kite-Flying Girl(rachel) One day, when it was raining and windy, we, me and my family, drove by a lone house on a hill. Then my younger sister shouted, “Theres a strange girl up there!” When I looked, a girl with nothing more than a blue t-shirt and shorts, stood upon the roof of the lone house, flying a kite. The kite had a yellow sun and stars on it with a purple background, and a long tail that reached 10 feet, with orange and yellow colours. Four tassels, two on each side, hung off the sun. My parents, however, were not fascinated and started criticizing her parents, saying how bad they were because they let their child run lose. We kept driving by, and finally the girl was out of site.

The next day at school, I saw the same girl. I waited till the end of school to approach her.

“Were you flying a kite yesterday?” I asked casually.

“Yes, in fact I was.” She answered with a sweet voice. We parted without another word, and continued on home.

Some time passed, and we grew closer and closer. I discovered her name was Tomari Kaze. Eventually, she invited me to her house. I told her I would ask permission, and she said she would wait. I didn't tell my parents that it was 'that girl', as they so blandly put it, but I simply said it was a friend. They accepted my request, and I told them that I would bike there and home, because we didn't live far away from the school, and neither did Tomari.

The day came when Tomari and I got together, so after school we peddled to her place. Her house was empty, battered, and broken. It looked more like a haunted house than anything. Inside, torn rooms and tattered curtains littered the floor.

“Im sorry.” Tomari wept. “My house is like this because of my parents.” Snow began to lightly tap the windows, but the wind clashed with full force against them. “My dad usually comes home drunk, and then he fights with mom. Mom smokes, and so it's sometimes hard to breathe. But when I feel trapped, I fly my kite.” Tomari motioned for me to follow. “Would you like to fly with me?” She questioned.

“Sure.” I responded. We went into the garage and retrieved the sun kite. Outside we climbed a fence onto the roof of a shed, and from there onto the roof of the house. She stood there, while i crouched, and we flew the happy kite. It didn't fit so well with the winter scene, but it was fun.

“Ya know,” I said, “My parents are always looking down on others. I hate it when they do that.”

Tomari looked at me and asked, “Even so, do you love them?”

“Of course!” I answered, a bit surprised.

“That's good.” She continued. “Because I love mine too.”

For the next while, we sat there flying the kite. All I could do was watch the back of this strong girl, as she stood without wavering against the biting cold and violent winds.

“So you don't think I'm uncool, right?” Tomari said in a quiet whisper that was almost lost with the howling wind.

“Well duh!” I shouted. “In fact, I wish I could be as strong as you.” When those words left my mouth, that is when Tomari quivered. “Come on.” I smiled, “Lets get off of here.” Tomari nodded her head, and we climbed off of the roof. We parted, and I biked home. When I reached my house I shook off the snow, and sat in front of the fire. Dad was watching the news, and I tilted my head to see what was going on. What I saw, I shall never forget. There, in front of me, was a burning house. The exact same house I had just left. The reporter said that this incident had happened over 20 years ago, and that a young girl had died within it. Her name was Tomari Kaze. She went on to explain that eye-witnesses had seen a lonely house on that hill, with a girl flying a kite on the roof. My dad went on an insulting streak, on how the eye-witnesses were all liars and superstitious freaks. I flinched as I went to bed.

“That could not have been real.” I thought. “No way! I will ask Tomari tomorrow.”

That morning, at school, I never saw Tomari. Or the day after that, or after that. It was like she just disappeared off the face of the earth.

“Was it all my imagination?” I pondered.

10 years later, I had become a strong woman and prospered in my business. Life was good. One day, I passed the Cold Kite Hill, as it was called, and looked upon it. There, in the pearly snow, stood a girl upon the roof of a lonely house. The girl had nothing more than a blue t-shirt and shorts, and flew a kite with a yellow sun and stars on a purple background, and a long tail that reached 10 feet, with orange and yellow colours. Four tassels, two on each side, hung off the sun.

My eyes widened. “Tomari!” I screamed in my head. I stopped the car and ran up to the house. “Tomari!” I yelled. The girl looked down at me, smiled and giggled. Then, she and the house, vanished.

“Thank you Tomari” I whispered, and continued on to my home.

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