[Jikanu]

The night air was clear as my tweleve year old daughter and I walked down the sidewalk of our favorite shopping district down town. her bright blue eyes sparkled as we window shopped for a while. She stared at the clothes and jewlery with excitement.
"Do you know what you want for your birthday yet?" I asked when she stopped to stare at some necklaces displayed in a window.
"mhm, I want this nicklace." She said pointing at a small heartshaped locked with leaved carved into it and on the inside, in beautifully drawn letters, 'Daddy's Girl' was written.
"I want it because I'm your little girl, even though I'm going to be thirteen. Because when I'm older I want to be like you Daddy. I want to be kind and brave!" She said, staring at me with her huge blue eyes and long black hair, the spitting image of her mother. She was exactly like her mother form her looks to her personality, even her tastes in food and clothes.
I didn't realize how long I had stared at her lost in a memory until she asked "Daddy, that is alright, isnt it?"
"ofcourse it is sweetheart" I said immediatly, embracing her in a hug. "I'll go ahead and buy it, since the store is closed tomorrow." I told her as I noticed hte open hours sign.
"Can I get some ice cream while you get it? It's just right over there." She asked, pointing to the ice cream shop across the nearly empty street.
I bit the inside of my cheek as I thought about it. "Don't talk to strangers... and be careful." I sighed, finally. " Stay in the store till I come get you."
"Okay! I love you Daddy, thank you!" She giggled as I handed herr a ten dollar bill. I watched her runa cross the empty street before I went into the shop.

"The one in the window with the leaves" I told the shop keeper.
"Ah, this one? She must be a special pearl." he chuckled gently as he began to wrap the small box.
"A pearl more precious to me than any amount of jewels." I said, "she's the spitting image of her mother."
His old leather-like wrinkled face turned to me, "A pearl that causes as much joy as it does pain, I take it. Hold that pearl close." He told me as he handed me the box.
I slipped it gently into my pocked. As I did I heard a scream. It sounded like Valerie. Suddenly the warm night ari felt cold... so cold that it chilled me to my very bones as I ran across the street.

"Shut up, stop that crying!" Someone grouled ina hushed voice. "Damnit do something! She's going to give us away."
I heard the scream again as I ran down a alley, but it was cut off.
"What the fuck man... what did.. why..."
"You said so something so shut hte hell up and lets get out of here."
I was finally at the end of the alley when I saw two guys climb over a fence and run. On the ground was alimp dark figure covere din blood. "Valerie! No... no... Valerie!" I ran to her and held her blood soaked form in my arms.
"Daddy...?" She sobbed as I stared into her tear and blood streaked face.
"It'll be alright Val."I sobbed as her blood slowly began to stain my clothes. "It'll be alright... I wont lose you to... I won't... not the same way.... not now."
I carried her out of the alley as fastas I could, telling her it'd be alright. I could hear siruns getting louder, someone must have called for help. The jewlery shop keeper ran toward me as I emerged from the alley with my blood soaked angel.
"Help is... help is coming." He stammered as he saw Valerie.
I nodded to him, holding her close to me. I didn't want to hand her over when the ambulance arrived- but I did. I couldn't protect her, least I could do was put her in the hands of people who could save her.
I watched the ambulance leave with her, feeling as if my heart was being torn to shreds. But... they had siad there was hope- though small. But there was hope!


Today she woke up from her coma. She has been in it for three months. The doctors had said her surviving was a miracle. If they hadn't been able to get her there that fast she would have been in a coma for possibly years... or worst case senerio she could have bled to death. Over the months I learned that the shop keeper had called the police. I tried to go tell him how much I appreciate it, how thankful I was, that he helped save my little girl. But when I went back to his shop it had been shut down and no trace of him. But his words rang through my head. I would hold her close.
Tomorrow we'll celebrate her thirteenth birthday that she missed, and she'll finally get the necklace she picked out.