Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth Toon Style

Chapter 7

Frida sighed as she looked out her window to watch the local children walk home from school. They looked so happy, smiling, and laughing. Happy that they were free to enjoy the world outside. Something she believed she would never have. How she wished her father would let her go outside and be a part of the outside world. She was tired of being kept alone in a big, dark, cold house where her only friends were books and drawings and occasionally birds.

She glanced over at the big grandfather clock in the drawing room across from her room. It was 3:00, her father would be home soon and if he caught her at the window he would be enraged. Ever since the incident with the box of candy he had forbidden her from going anywhere near the windows, covering them all up with drapes. However she just couldn't bear to cut off all contact with the outside world so everyday after her father left for work she would remove the drape covering the window of her bedroom to gaze outside. Then an hour before he came home she would cover the window up again with the drape.

She picked up the drape off the floor and prepared to cover the window back up when she saw something staring at her. No not something, someone. She had thought all the other children had gone home but apparently one had stayed behind. It was a little boy. He was about twelve or thirteen years old, her age obviously and he was looking up at her.

At first she wasn't sure that it was she he was looking at so to make sure she gave him a little wave. He waved back and smiled at her. She was surprised, no one had ever noticed her before and she had always been so careful to make sure no one outside ever saw her at the window. But it would seem that she wasn't careful enough.

The boy continued to wave and ushered her with his hand to come outside. She shook her head, knowing all too well that she was forbidden to go outside but despite he kept on ushering her and ushering her. She glanced back at the clock, her father wouldn't be home for another hour so she figured it wouldn't hurt to step outside and talk for a few minutes.

She covered her window back up with the drape then went downstairs to the back door in the kitchen. She took a deep breath, this was it, her first time in the outside world. Taking a deep breath for courage she opened the door and went outside. She could already feel the sun on her face, the wind in her air, and the ground beneath her feet though she wore shoes. So this is what outside felt like, it was incredible.

"Hi." She was snapped out of her daze by a voice startling her into jumping back. A voice that belonged to the same boy she had seen earlier. Seeing him up close made her nervous and a little frightened for this was person other than her father that she had ever had contacted.

"Sorry about that, didn't mean to scare ya." He said.

"Uh...It's okay." She said getting closer to him. After a moment of brief hesitation she put both her gloved hands on each side of his face and examined his face.

"Um...What are you doing?" He asked blushing.

"Studying your face. Strange it's softer than Father's but harder than mine."

"Whoa back up now." He said backing away from her.

"Who are you?"

"Hi I'm Manny Rivera." He introduced. "I just moved here with my parents a month ago."

"Oh...Really? I haven't seen much of you."

"Well I've seen you."

"You have?"