HJROFC Submissions/ Results

Welcome to Shinya High! A friendly easy-going rp environment that welcomes new members.

Join our community!

HJROFC Submissions/ Results
Topic Started: Jun 9 2006, 12:12 AM (324 Views)
Amaya's Bitch	Jun 9 2006, 12:12 AM Post #1
Amaya's Property. Posts: 585 Group: Retired Admin Club Member #3 Joined: April 19, 2006	Thanks for the turn out for the HJROFC folks, it was quite for as fast as I pulled it out on you. Look upon the submissions. Good job all and congratulations our main winner. The reward for winning this contest is that our main winner (listed at the end) is allowed to take one of his or her characters from his or her original fiction and make it an additional character on site if they do so wish, as either a student or a school staff member. This reward can be redeemed now or later if they do not wish to do it immediately, of course.



Amaya's Bitch	Jun 9 2006, 12:12 AM Post #2
Amaya's Property. Posts: 585 Group: Retired Admin Club Member #3 Joined: April 19, 2006	A Flock of Remembrance by Crazy 8 (copyrighted) Many claimed I was supposed to be their savior mallard, their duck to be to save them from their troubles, some sort of Christ of the ducks. However, that is not so. I was lied to by birth and I found out that after I was born that I wasn’t born from a virgin duck. What made my position worse was that my father was loony goose, had to be locked up in the cuckoo’s nest to save him from the coop. Despite religious confusions and false identity during my growing up, life went on and I did what I could to waddle through life. All the other ducks always remembered, and their comments are just as stale as bread. That doesn’t mean I haven’t made a few cronies myself. Heck, even my cronies know I wasn’t the one who fowled, I was just brought up confused. Isn’t it nice to have such an understanding paddling of friends? We get into so much humorous conversations we nearly drive ourselves quackers! Now my wife, she was definitely the mother hen of her team. How ironic that she never became a swan, for, oh!, how graceful was she! We don’t talk much anymore though, after the mistake I made. It all happened the coming of winter—I guess you can say my morale flew in the wrong direction. Heh, you can also say that there are consequences with being with the wrong coop. Before the annual flying away, I was associated with a murder of crows. That’s right, a normal duck involved in the killing of a bunch of crows. How did this happen, you ask? Simple: fowl language gets to me. They picked a mean chicken fight with me and by the time I realized what I had done I hightailed it out of there. Nevertheless I was caught by air patrol and served hard time in the cooler, all throughout the dead of winter. Forty years have past and I was finally free from my cage, and you bet I learned my lesson. I even recently joined a new religion called Hinduism. Finally, a religion where I can be respected and don’t have to worry about being chewed out for who I am. And thus is my life.



Amaya's Bitch	Jun 9 2006, 12:13 AM Post #3
Amaya's Property. Posts: 585 Group: Retired Admin Club Member #3 Joined: April 19, 2006	Hitomi's submission. Hayden stood on the bridge, looking over to the flowing water only lit by the sliver of moon left in the sparkling midnight sky. He felt one shimmering teardrop stream down his melancholy face as he decided how he was going to die. He was either going to let the sun rise and turn him to dust, or go back to his coffin and wither and shrink into nothingness. There was no reason for him to live. His soul had been murdered, his heart stabbed, breaking like a mirror into a million little shards. The moment Sage had rejected him, his heart shattered, leaving him empty. The horrible soul stabbing scene kept replaying in his distressed mind. Hayden couldn’t stop his anxious feet from pacing as he waited for Sage to arrive at the bridge. He had been keeping a deep, dark secret from her and within the depths of his heart, he was sure she would not accept him when he told her. She would run away and scream once she found out he was a creature of the night, a bloodsucker, a vampire. Hayden’s frantic heart skipped a beat as he saw her radiant black hair shine in the moonlight. Everything about her was perfect. The first day he saw her, her ice blue eyes had instantly grasped his heart, making him believe in love at first sight. “Hey sweetheart,” Sage said as she came up to Hayden and cupped his chiseled face in her soft hands. “What’s wrong Hayden, you look scared and nervous for some reason?” her luscious voice asked as it rang through Hayden’s head. “Nothing love,” he replied lowering his face to meet hers for a deep and passionate kiss. He savored the moment; he knew this could be the last time he would ever kiss her. She departed from his lips sooner than he wanted her to. “Hayden why don’t we go and sit on the side of bridge to look over at the water?” she asked running her hands through his thick, wavy, dark brown hair. “Why not,” he replied, pulling her over to sit on the edge. He could never deny her when she looked at him with those precious eyes of hers. “Hayden, something is wrong. You have never acted this nervous around me before. It’s kind of scaring me,” Sage said in worried tone. “Are you going to break up with me?” she asked as tears brimmed her eyes. Hayden’s heart lurched deep into his stomach as he saw tears outline the bottom of her eyes. That was the very last thing on his mind. “Sweetheart, I could never leave you. In fact I have something to tell you, something I should have told you a long time ago,” he said running his hand through her beautiful hair to calm her. “I am a vampire,” he finished in a monotone voice. There was a dead silence, as they sat watching moonlight tripping across the rippling water. He didn’t know whether she had accepted him or not. “Here I thought you were going to break up with me, when you were keeping this secret from me. You could have bitten me, or even killed me,” Sage replied in a downhearted tone as tears ran down her face. “Sage please, I’m sorry, don’t leave me, I love you,” Hayden begged getting down on one knee. “How could I love a bloodsucker like you?” she breathed as she turned around and walked away. Hayden felt his mind come undone once again as the memory finished playing. This was the end for him. The one time he had fallen in love and this is what he got. He could feel the heat of the sun begin to rise. “This is it, goodbye world,” he said as the moon began to switch into the sun. “Hayden! Don’t! I love you too!” he heard a familiar voice scream. It was Sage, and she was running right towards him. “Please don’t kill yourself, I’m sorry. I just didn’t know how to react. I thought about it, and I could never leave you,” she said pulling him into an embrace. Hayden had no idea what to do. He struggled to dredge up the words that he knew needed to be said. “I love you,” he finally replied as he held her tight within his arms. He could feel his normally smoky grey eyes burn to a dark red as he turned to ash within her arms.



Crazy 8	Jun 9 2006, 12:16 AM Post #4
Amane's Older Sister Posts: 1,726 Group: Members Member #30 Joined: April 20, 2006	A Year of Eternity -By Willy Book I: Summer Flowers are blooming in everywhere. It's getting warmer outside. School is over and children are playing in the streets. The days are lasting longer, the nights are full of stars and the sun is chasing all the clouds away. It's one of the happiest periods of time for most people. We call this period of Time: Summer. Chapter one: the Punishment ''Bring him here! I want to see Lenathos right here, in front of me!'' The voice echoed through all the OtherWorld. The Mighty Creator was really angry. and no other gods wanted to defy him. Soon, a young man stood in front of him. The man was looking directly at the Mighty Creator. It was something that no one ever done before and The Mighty Creator couldn't say he disliked this kind of attitude. One of the eyes of the man was hidden under his red hair, but the other one was glowing red. The smile on his face was something no one would forget after seeing it. The young man was almost laughing… ''Lenathos, God of Chaos! You have gone too far this time!'' The voice of the Mighty Creator was almost creating an earthquake in the OtherWorld. Lenathos didn't seem nervous; his smile was getting wider every time the Mighty Creator shouted. ''For my defense, my lord…'' Using these terms was making Lenathos' smile wider once again. ''I shall say that I've only been here for 100 years and the title you just gave me is suiting me quite correctly… I am the God of Chaos after all…'' ''That is correct, Lenathos. But I shall remember you that your original title was: Lenathos, God of Destruction and Creation. Am I wrong?'' Lenathos couldn't say he was lying. This title was originally his but; he didn't like to create things… ''Yea, Yea… I know… But isn't what I am doing? I'm destroying everything now and I'll be creating it again in a thousand years…'' ''…And you will destroy everything once again?'' ''Bingo!'' Added Lenathos with an arrogant smile. ''Lenathos! Don’t make fun of me like that! You have caused two World War, Killed incalculable numbers of people, Sent incurable plagues and, the worst of all; you have implanted ideas in the human race's brain for laziness and destruction! You have destroyed more than any of the gods here have created!'' Shouted the old Creator. His face was all red and, if he could, he would have sent Lenathos down to hell for all eternity and more… ''It's not my fault! I don't like to create things… It's your fault for not creating another God only for creation…'' With this, The Mighty Creator got an idea. He smiled and Lenathos didn't like this smile. ''Lenathos…Your idea is quite good. I'll create another god only for Creation and he'll rebuild everything you've destroyed…'' He said as he turned around and started drawing on his creation board. ''While he'll be here, we will have no more needs of you…'' Lenathos smile had completely faded. What would this old man do with him? ''You shall be sent where no other gods have been sent before…''The Creator had already finished his drawing and he was walking toward a machine. He put the drawing in it and waited for the result. ''Where?'' Asked Lenathos as he followed the old man with his eyes. The machine started to work as he said that. A large blue door on the side opened as two young god got out of it. One had black, long hair and the other had short white hair. They both had the same eyes: One green and the other blue. They both smiled and waved at Lenathos. ''Lenathos, I'd like to introduce you Arlot and Nelik'' Arlot was the one with white hair and Nelik the one with black hair.'' They are the new gods of Creation…And they will follow you every where to be sure to repair everything you destroy…'' ''May I ask again where am I going?'' Asked Lenathos who was getting nervous about the idea of his superior. ''Ah! That's right…You shall be sent below our World… In the world where you have destructed everything the people here have created! You shall go down in the Human world! The Earth!'' He said as he left the room, laughing. Now, Lenathos was alone with the two young Gods. He wouldn't let the old man get away with this. Not without a final gift for the gods… ''Hi!'' Said Arlot walking toward Lenathos ''Hello!'' Added Nelik following his brother. Lenathos had enough already of these Gods. He remembered that they will be following him everywhere he went and, since he was tired of them, he chose them as his target for his last gift… ''You fools have taken my place! And now I'm forced to go down where I've destroyed almost everything and everybody! And more, I'm forced to go there with both of you! You shall not get away with this!'' He said as a huge red glowing circle appeared in the room and his visible eye started to get a Crimson colored glow around it. The two brothers and Lenathos were trapped inside. Suddenly, a voice could be heard in all the OtherWorld; ''Emergency Code! All Gods in Sector G! We have an attempt to use Forbidden powers! This is not a simulation! I repeat! We have an Emer~'' ''Just shut up! I'm trying to concentrate here!'' Said Lenathos as the voice faded. ''Where was I? Oh yea the curse…'' At the same moment, all the doors of the room exploded and Gods were entering the place, trying to use their powers against Lenathos. ''Try as much as you want! This circle is protecting me from any of your powers!'' He said before laughing evilly. Gods were starting to panic. Questions such as ''Where did he learn to use this kind of magic?'' or '' What is he going to do?'' were ask everywhere around him. ''It's good to have witnesses for my last act in this world!'' Lenathos continued to laugh before he suddenly stopped. ''Time to start!'' The circle began to glow even more and Nelik and Arlot were being drag in the air by an unknown force. Lenathos began his curse. ''Akafet Purelios Iminile Vetefot Kilok Feran Silios!'' The Mighty Creator had now entered the room. He knew what was going on. ''Please, Lenathos! Don't do this!'' ''This will be my last act of destruction! Old man! You should be hoping they know what is happening to them!'' He said before he continued. ''Yolan Tenethos Dirometh Xenathe Nelik Orlin Arlot Betominis!'' The red circle suddenly vanished and the two boys fell on the floor, unconscious. ''Lenathos! I was hopping cooperation from you and this is want you are giving me?'' Said the Creator walking toward the young man. '' Because of your last actions, you shall be sent to Earth…'' ''Yea, yea… I knew this already…'' ''No, you shall be sent to earth with those two and your powers will be limited to the minimum!'' With these last words, a hole opened under Lenathos and under the two unconscious boys and they all fell toward their new world, Earth…. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Translation: With All the powers which have been given to me, I curse those in front of me. The Gods of Creation shall become the ones who are going to destroy everything. **Translation: Nelik and Arlot, if you are to be split apart, this world and Earth shall now the greatest destruction that any living beings have seen!
	The Mysterious Janitor Craze Ayte Craze's current appearance.


Crazy 8	Jun 9 2006, 12:18 AM Post #5
Amane's Older Sister Posts: 1,726 Group: Members Member #30 Joined: April 20, 2006	Amaya: Part One: The Fool The wind blew gently through the trees of the small town and stout homes poised upon dipping hills. Perhaps you’re familiar with a town like it; one with friendly neighbors, calm, serene scenery, and fields as far as the eye can see. Warm breezes caressed and cradled blossoming flowers within their reach, tossing the sweet smell of honeysuckle through out the town and the surrounding area. There was not a single care in the town as they drifted through, day by day, in a haze of tranquility. It was odd though, to see this town with all its primitive stone buildings, cobble-stone streets, and oil lamps when only a few miles away lay a bustling town full of cars, tall sky scrapers, and busy streets. Perhaps it did make sense though, as the towns main export were various food stuffs and other homemade items. A quaint place, indeed. In the town showers brought from May had been forgotten in the warmth of June and children played seemingly endlessly throughout the month. Games of tag waged war throughout the town, along with hide-and-go-seek and other such childhood games. School was out and now was the time for celebration; in fact, a celebration was being planned. The summer festival was coming up and those that were not busy cooking or preparing decorations were occupied with picking and choosing the proper attire for the main event of the festival; the Summer Dance. Hearts were all a flutter as pairs courted, young males beckoning to the prettiest females in hopes of winning the hand of a beauty for the festival. Love was in the air and it showed, though in all this tangle of love was one boy, unaffected by the pierce of that blind messenger’s arrow. His days were spent not on things such as love, but simply basking in the sun beneath an old tree near a steep cliff, the tree’s limbs reaching high in an attempt to grasp the very sun that warmed it. The boy was around the age of eighteen, ripe still with life and opportunities. But nay did he listen to the constant barking of his older brother to set his mind on something, to find a goal in life. Time and time again the elder boy sat his brother down, looked him in his deep blue eyes and begged him, pleaded for him to not be so calm and carefree, but nothing got through to the blonde haired boy. “I’ll do no such thing, brother!” The blonde called to his elder brother, hands resting gently on his jean clad hips, clean blue t-shirt rippling in the wind. “You can’t force me into it, and I won’t go.” The steady hum of music echoed behind the pair, the festival already off to a booming start, the sun hardly having set upon the town. The older of the two, long hair cascading gently over and down his shoulders could do nothing more than stare at his brother’s back, green eyes boring into the tanned flesh of the boy’s neck. “I won’t allow it, Elliot.” He said firmly, fists clenching before his arms crossed firmly over the green sleeveless shirt he wore. “Perhaps I can’t force you into college or any kind of school for that matter…But…I won’t let you just leave like this!” A fist struck the hard wood of the tree the pair stood by, the younger boy, Elliot, visibly flinching at the dull thud that reverberated from the hit. Though, despite himself, Elliot smiled and turned toward his brother, eyes flashing brilliantly in the setting sun’s light. “You can’t be serious, Alex. You expect me…to just stay here, in this town doing nothing that sparks any interest at all from my heart?” He paced quickly up to his brother, and at first seemed about to strike him as his hand rose, though just as swiftly it glided down and clasped at his brother’s heavily callused one and began to pull him along, briskly spinning around the tree that had been, and always would be Elliot’s favorite place in the world. “You, brother, expect me to simply sit still while there’s music playing through the world! There’s an amazingly exotic dance going on elsewhere, and you expect me to stay here where the music is bland and boring!” The boy laughed at full volume as he continued to pull his sibling along in a disorganized waltz. “Elliot, please!” Alex groaned, trying to free his hands from the grip of his brothers. “You talk all this nonsense about dancing when the only dance you do is within your mind as you daydream endlessly on this god forsaken hill! Mother did the best she could for us after our father died…and this is how you repay her!?” Alex’s hands pulled sharply away in disgust and he stood, broad shouldered, adjacent to his brother who from the force of the push found himself teetering on the edge of the cliff. Emerald eyes wide, Alex’s hand shot out, only just catching the collar of his brother’s shirt who balanced with his arms waving wildly and desperately in the air. With a firm yank, he sent himself and Elliot falling head over heels on top of each other toward the tree and away from the steep crag. The darkening night was quiet for a while, filled with only the hushed drone of the music still coming from the festival as the brothers lay panting, chests heaving rapidly from the scare. Though, the moment was just that, no longer, as Elliot quickly sat up and upon letting out a loud ‘whoop!’ grinned ear to ear, looking down at his brother. “Well, that was pretty fun, wasn’t it?” His words were met with an annoyed grunt and the image of his brother swiftly rising to his feet, hands working the dirt and grass out of his pants. The brunette spoke not a word as he paced away, fists clenched again at his sides. Elliot watched this with curiosity, looking rather hurt. “Brother…” He called out meekly, eyebrows knitted in confusion. Alex paused for a moment and turned toward the boy, looking over his form in the twilight before bellowing out, “You’re a fool!” at the top of his lungs. He disappeared down the hill after, moving at a steady pace. Elliot sat still for a moment with the same dumbfounded look on his face, though this too didn’t last long. A small smirk curled onto his gentle features as the boy sprawled out on the ground, eyes closing gently. He murmured to himself, knowing no one was there to hear, “I know brother…Perhaps I am…But I must know where I belong, if not here. If not here…Then where?” He rolled over and bent his arm beneath his head softly, letting out another fleeting sigh. “I think you’re right…I am a fool.” Part Two: A Trickster Alas, what more is left in a town where your own brother loathes you and your mother is too senile to even recognize your face or voice? What remains when all that was good betrays you like a flower that radiates beauty but smells as putrid as death? There was nothing. There remains nothing. There will be nothing. So, in a nutshell this is what drove Elliot to this point. A bag over his shoulder and a glint in his eyes the boy sat off on the ‘adventure of a life time’ poised and ready for whatever may come his way, yearning for a place he truly belonged. No one came to see him off. A walk that should have taken a day at most took nearly a week for the boy to complete. Constantly sidetracked and distracted, the boy seemed a fool indeed from the hours wasted staring up at the sky, declaring this cloud a rabbit, and this one a bird. His mind was wandering, never on task, but that was how he liked it best. Why waste life worrying when there was an entire world to explore and daydream about. But sadly, Elliot failed to notice the flaw in his plan, that he himself was wasting time; though it was on more practical things like sleeping and dreaming. Eventually, as it was bound to happen, the blue-eyed blonde finally reached his destination; heart all a flutter at the reaching sky scrapers and regular hustle bustle of the city. HE looked out of place though, to say the least; a humble country bumpkin in a sense that wore worn and dirty pants, and a shirt that seemed two sizes too big. The boy walked, his neck looking almost broken, as his awe filled eyes glimmered with the shimmering buildings that no one else around him saw as intently. Pushing and pulling waves of people guided his steps round and round till Elliot was sure if he took one more step he’d fall in a heap right in the center of the wave of business suited civilians. Pressing himself up against the safety and cool of a building’s shadow, he wafted in a deep breath; then coughed it right back out. “I must say…if anything the air here isn’t as…Refreshing as back home.” He murmured to himself, coughing once or twice more to free the unclean air from his lungs. Despite this small set back, everything else seemed wonderful in his young eyes. After a moment’s rest, he dove once more into the flood of drones, allowing them to take him where they pleased. “Hello, hello, hello!” A voice cut loudly through the normal hum of noise, making it quite known, forcing itself to stand out. “Men, women, and country men!” Elliot’s ears perked at this. Country men? Is he talking to me? The boy thought naively, letting the voice pull him closer. “Lend me your ears and all that jazz!” The voice laughed loudly. Elliot found himself suddenly resting at the perimeter of a circle drawn tightly around a man holding a megaphone. The man had and air of respect around him, one with the most prestige, enough so that he demanded the respect, he radiated that power. Transfixed, the boy watched the man pace back and forth on the ledge he had claimed as his stage, arms outstretched in welcome, or calling, or both. His hair was as dark as the blackest night, feathered slightly at the sides and reaching to just below his ears. Skin was tanned, and eyes were hidden beneath a pair of sharp black sunglasses. The whole crowed seemed in awe of him, though nothing amazing other than that drawing power showed on the man. He looked ordinary, dressed in that red buttoned shirt, the first couple undone to reveal a white shirt underneath and an odd golden necklace that glinted in the sunlight. And yet, he stood out just as sorely as Elliot did, as someone that was there, but not quite accepted into the community. “Ladies, Gents, let me welcome you to this little corner of magic you’ve all come to,” He was grinned, broadly, flashes of white sparking over the crowd as he paced back and forth over his stage. Pausing momentarily, his brows furrowed and the hand not holding the megaphone scratched at his cheek. “Well, you know…I haven’t really given it a name but uh…We’ll wing it, eh, folks?!” A flood of laughter raced over the crowd, Elliot also finding himself chuckling at the man. He was so oddly alluring, carrying himself so well. The mysterious man’s hands fanned down after a while, calming the laughter before speaking again, looking over the crowd through the abyss of his glasses with a smirk. “Anyway. Magic, who’s heard of it?” A few little mumbles of a reply, nods and yes’s. “Alright…Lively crowd we have here,” He said with a sarcastic tone, grinning all the while. “So you’ve heard of it…Now do you believe it? Do you believe that with just a slight of hand, with a flick of my wrist, I can make something beautiful arise?” The crowd hushed as he hopped from his perch and strode toward a small child near the edge of the circle who looked up at him, eyes wide with wonder. “How about you, little one?” He smiled favorably on the child and held his hands, one cupped over the other out to her. “Do you believe in it? In magic?” She was hesitant as she nodded, clutching the string of a balloon hard in her tiny hand, long blonde curls cascading down her shoulders in dramatic waves. The man smiled, winked, and then slowly unfolded his hands, angling them toward the girl. A deep intake of breath echoed from around the little girl, and it was with great effort that Elliot pushed himself high enough to see over the onlookers whose height exceeded his own. He succeeded though, just in time to see the dove resting between the man’s hands before it took flight in a flutter of white wings. Applause erupted and the crowd cheered, the little girl giggling and looking happily up at the man as he paced back and re-took his perch, hands moving to calm the audience again. “Now, now, that’s only a minor example…I’ll need a volunteer…How about…” His finger danced over the crowd, pointing to a few people, though each time he shook his head, dismissing them. Finally, the indicator fell on Elliot and rested there a moment before beckoning him closer. “You, you look like a simple guy…C’mere.” Blushing a bit at being selected, Elliot cut through the crowd and walked up to the man, smiling awkwardly, shifting on the spot. “U-uh…” The blonde mumbled, shifting his weight again. The man laughed at this and hopped from his ridge, standing a good foot or so taller than the boy, patting him once on the head as he paced around him. “So what’s your name, pal?” He asked gently, coming to a halt in front of him. “E-Elliot…” He responded, nervously shifting the bag over his shoulder while looking up at the man, trying to determine the color of his eyes through the black tint. So far, he was guessing blue. “Well, Elliot…I’m gonna do a trick so…Give me…That bag you have there.” He smiled gently, outstretched hand waiting to have the bag handed to him. Elliot hesitated, remembering that everything he had was now in that bag, the only things he had. But under the pressure of that man’s gaze no one could deny his will, he mused. Hesitantly, the blonde relinquished all his worldly possessions to the man who turned the bundle around in his hands, eyes appraising the treasure. “Nice, nice…A traveling man we have here, eh buddy?” He smiled at the blonde, chuckling softly as he balanced the bag in one open palm which he held up for the audience to see. “Now, my friends, I shall display for you a trick I think you’ll find a most fitting…conclusion. I disappearing trick!” The man reached into his back pocket, and with a flick of the wrist drew out a long black cloth that dangled in the air momentarily before falling ever so gracefully to the earth. “Now, my assistant here…” The man trailed off and looked toward Elliot, eyebrow cocked up. It took the boy a moment to realize he was asking for his name again in a round about way, so it was with a gasp and a blush that he replied, “Elliot.” In a soft, shy tone. Large crowds at home were normally something that drew the boy’s attention, but here, where he knew no one, they were just intimidating. “Right, Elliot.” The man nodded curtly toward the audience, offering the blue eyed boy the black cloth. “Elliot, my boy, I’m gonna need you to hold this cloth up in front of me, waaay above your head, arms spread apart. It adds to the suspense, ya know?” Nodding, Elliot awkwardly stepped in front of the man, gripping the cloth at either corner. “Alright now folks! At the count of three, old Elliot here is gonna drop this cloth, and the bag will be gone!” The man must have noticed Elliot’s apprehensive look, because he then added. “But I’ll bring it back, no worries, no worries! So lift that cloth up, buddy, and we’ll get this show on the road!” Still hesitant, but more relaxed at just the man’s smile, Elliot rose the fabric slowly, letting it ripple in the air gently in the process. Fixated on the cloth, it wasn’t until the crowd began its dramatic count from zero to three that Elliot realized the cheery smile on the man’s face hadn’t looked like a smile at all, but more of a sneer with a mock, ‘Gotcha’ carved subtly into his gentle features. “Three!” The crowd called out in union, giggles and cheers rising up from a dull murmur to a loud roar as Elliot dropped the cloth, showing that not only was the bag gone, but the mysterious man was gone as well. The boy’s face leaked worry as he turned around, looking throughout the crowd and all around, desperately searching for his goods. “There, there he is!” Someone’s voice called, pointing toward the back of the crowd at a large fountain where the mystery man stood perched, smirking with Elliot’s bag in hand. “Folks, if you weren’t convinced before, you should be now! Magic is all around you, dripping off your very beings! Available for use if you’d just want to grasp it!” His voice bellowed over the crowd and any passing cars, drowning them out in a soft melody of words. The boy had released his stifled breath; sure his possessions were going to be returned to him soon. Another roar of applause welled up, but never quite made it as the man ushered for silence. His head bowed and his free hand removed his glasses, showing that his eyes were indeed a brilliant shade of blue, piercing like the clearest sky. His tone hardened as the crowd hushed, the hand holding Elliot’s bag visibly tightening. “But if you decide to tinker in the affairs of the supernatural like a fool…To be mesmerized by the unknown and unseen, be prepared to be fooled.” A flash of a grin twisted to the man’s lips and after securing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose he let out a loud chuckle. “Anyway…Thanks for the loot folks! Now you see me…” He reached within his pocket, withdrew a small ball and hurled it into the air over the crowd. With a loud crack the ball exploded, showering the crowd with a thick fog which left them coughing and hacking. “Now you don’t!” Elliot gripped at his throat, coughing and waving the smoke away with one hand, eyes squeezed shut. The boy’s mind reeled, dizzied from the sudden action and the smoke, thought it was short lived as a shriek echoed from the crowd, snapping him from his trance. “My purse!” Some woman whined, looking around on the ground. “It’s gone!” It wasn’t only her that seemed distressed through. With snarls and cries, the entire audience noticed that their most expensive possessions had been taken right from under their noses. The magic show had been a ruse by a clever conman who had disappeared from his perch with the smoke bomb. It all seemed to go in slow motion for the blonde boy who stood still on that ledge, black cloth in hand, as he stared out toward the rioting mob as they all tried to talk and find the man at the same time. Elliot’s mind was a blurred mix of emotion and thought as his mouth hung slightly agape; was this how people really acted? Only moments after this thought, the boy caught a quick distorted red clothed figure dart down an alleyway. Without thinking, his feet carried him quickly after the figure, pushing and pulling his way through the horde of angered masses until he finally managed to heave himself into the deserted ally. A chill crept up the boy’s spine as he looked into the murky darkness. Trashcans lined the edges of the narrow passage, some upturned or open, tossing up their innards onto the damp ground below. Elliot’s nose scrunched up at the rank stench that smelt of urine, mold, and god knew what else. Tentatively the boy stepped forward and called into the dark two words, “M-Mr. Magician?” a call from a child, from one too young, naive, or both to know better than to make yourself aware in a frightening setting. Each step he took echoed for ages in the empty corridor he found himself in though he kept walking, firmly placing one foot in front of the other, only faltering once as a mouse scurried over his path. Finally, further ahead, the boy noticed a small glimmer of light along with the hearty laughter of men. With a large exhale, the boy dashed forward, eager to be away from the damp, frightening ally. He stumbled into the light, blinking and frozen where he stood like a pathetic animal in headlights. The laughter stopped and Elliot was sure he heard a noise of metal on metal, a clicking noise he wasn’t too familiar with; the sound of a gun cocking. “Boys, boys, boys!” An all too familiar voice chuckled and grew louder as Elliot rubbed his eyes, letting them adjust. “No blood needs to be spilled! Er…Not yet, at least. Put down your arms, put down your arms!” There was a brief silence as the blonde once more lifted his head, looking around the room. Several men as well as a few women rested on make-shift chairs, all their eyes plastered on the black-haired conman who stood near the center of what looked like a small lot that had been fashioned into a crude hang-out, one arm outstretched toward a man who still had a pistol pointed at Elliot. The boy gasped and stumbled backward, stupidly raising his arms over his head as if it would stop an oncoming bullet. Foolish as it was, there was no need for protection. With a snarl, the raven haired man’s eyes narrowed between his glasses and he barked, “Put down the goddamn gun!” which effectively pressed the burly man with the gun into submission. “There…Isn’t that better now, Edward?” Elliot’s arms lowered and he blinked, noticing the man looking at him. “E-Er…My name’s Elliot.” He corrected, glancing around at the rough tables, chairs, and lights that decorated the lot nervously, arms still poised to cover his face. “Oh uh, sorry about that, Elliot.” Was the man’s response as he strode over toward the blonde, placed a hand on his back, and maneuvered him toward a shed near the back of the lot. Following numbly, the blonde was ushered into the shed where the thud of a bolt sliding into place was heard behind him. Despite everything, the boy seemed almost relaxed as he looked around the shed, dubbing it pretty cozy for only having one small tattered couch, a chair, and a full bookshelf in it. He was shepherded toward the couch and sat down, blinking at the raven-haired man as he stripped his sunglasses and plopped down on the chair opposite him. His blue eyes were hard as he looked over Elliot, fingers laced in his lap. From this range, Elliot could clearly see the necklace hanging around the man’s neck, though he didn’t know quite what it was. An eight on its side? He kept himself busy with this thought as he waited for the man to speak. Finally he did as he sat back more comfortably in his seat, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair, cheek cradled in his palm. “Anyone follow you, buddy boy? I really don’t want, nor need any blood shed, ya know?” He seemed to calm, relaxed, so casual while he spoke of needing or not needing to kill someone. “No, I don’t think so…” Elliot replied timidly, eyes still downcast. Another silence hung in the air for a few more moments, quiet save for the steady drone of laughter outside of the shed and the steady breathing of both men. “You’re an idiot, you know that?” The raven-haired man finally spoke, reaching out with his right hand toward Elliot, leaving his palm there, and waiting for the other to grasp it. “But I like that about a guy. Then name’s Andrew, Andy works just fine though. Mr. Magician is just a bit too formal, huh pal?” Nodding, Elliot took Andrew’s hand and gave it a few firm shakes before the two split. “So…I’m guessing you just want your bag back, eh? Not playing hero and trying to pillage from the robber to give to the poor?” His voice was calm, soothing, and had a faint air of amusement as he spoke to the boy, eyes glinting in the dull lighting. “Oh, uh…no not really, I just need my stuff. They look like they don’t need it so much.” The blonde replied, lifting his head slowly, looking over the man sitting across from him. “But…That’s all I have in there, I really need it. So if you wouldn’t mind…?” He looked hopeful, but frowned as Andrew laughed. “Just give it back? Just because you had enough balls to stupidly follow me? Nah, it isn’t that easy.” He shook his head and reached behind the chair he sat in, retrieving a long board and three cups. “If you win this game…We’ll call it even and I’ll hand your stuff over. If not…well, we’ll just call me the winner and you get to leave alive, how’s that?” The boy’s mouth was agape again in surprise. All he had was left to a simple game? A game he had probably never played before? Ludicrous. Though, what was he to do? Deny the man his fun; lose his possessions and possibly his life in the process? No, he’d have to play. So with a nod the boy leaned forward, concentrating on the cups as Andrew set them up in a row, upside down on the board he had laid across his lap. “Right buddy, now the point of this game is to keep your eyes on the cup you want, which is this one.” He tapped his index finger against the middle cup before lifting it, revealing a very old looking coin for a moment before covering it again. “You pick the right cup three times, you’re set. Got it?” Elliot nodded and the game was on. At first, Andrew moved the cups slowly. The right to the left, middle to the end, and back again. He stopped, and Elliot easily picked the correct cup from the line. With a chuckle, the man nodded and started again. Right to middle, middle to left, left to center, all in a quick blur of Styrofoam and flesh. Elliot paused for a moment, eyeing the cups one at a time before nervously pointing to the middle one. Laughing again, Andrew tipped over the cup, showing the coin to the boy before covering it again. “Alright, alright…No more playing around; lightning round.” And indeed it was as the cups indistinctly moved back and forth rapidly, nearly making Elliot dizzy at the speed. “There, figure that one out bub.” Andrew grinned, leaning back with a satisfied look on his face. How do I figure this out? Elliot thought numbly, staring at each of the three cups. In truth, he had lost sight of the cup with the coin ages ago; all he could do was guess. The boy inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, his finger pointing toward the left cup after a few moments. His fingers crossed and he waited. A sigh finally caught his ears and his eyes opened, happily spotting the glint of gold on the table. “Ha!” The boy cheered out, punching the air as he jumped to his feet. “I won! I get my things back, right?” Andrew let out another sigh and ran his hand back over his slicked back hair, nodding with a sort of bitter contempt on his frowned lips. “Yea, yea…You win your stuff back… Though I don’t know why you even want it. Do you even know what’s in that bag? It’s just full of junk.” He paused for a moment, standing up slowly as he eyed Elliot’s slightly shaken face. “You…don’t know what’s in there, do ya pal?” The boy hesitated, sighed, and then shook his head. “No, not really, Andrew…I just kinda…Shoved handfuls of whatever I grabbed into the bag…Er, sorry.” The raven-haired man was quiet for a while, then let out one of his loud laughs, his arms wrapping around his stomach as he leaned over, as if in pain. He continued like that for a few more minutes before straightening up, one finger rubbing the tears from his eyes that had been provoked from his hard laughter. “Ha, pal…I’m sorry, but it’s people like you that make me hate the world. You set out on an adventure to god knows where…and just pack…Just junk! And you, you even have the audacity to not even know what you have in there! Tch…Here, take it.” From behind the chair, Andrew lifted and hefted the bag toward the blonde with a small grunt of disapproval. “I rooted through it,” He mumbled, sprawling out on the couch with a sigh and closed his eyes. “Took some stuff out, put some stuff in… Maybe. Now get out of here and don’t come back,” His hand wafted through the air as if waving an unpleasant stench away. “You’re bothering me.” He rolled over, away from the boy, and fell silent. Elliot caught and clutched the bag to his chest and started toward the door then halted, looking down at the bag in his arms. “So,” He muttered softly, eyes lidded slightly. “The magic’s there, all you have to do is want it, right? You can have, and do whatever you want if you grasp it. That’s what you really meant, isn’t it? There’s no real magic, or if there is you didn’t use it; just clever tricks.” His gaze turned back to Andrew, who spoke without even bothering to shift himself to face the boy. “Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.” He replied, sighing yet again though a small smirk was on his lips, unknown to Elliot. “Guess you’ll just have to find out for yourself,” Shifting yet again, the man’s arm folded under his arm and he seemed to drift to sleep. “Go grab yourself some magic, make something of yourself, my dear fool.” And it was with a smile that Elliot padded from the shed, letting the door swing shut behind him, and through the lot, disregarding any of the men and woman that gave him odd looks with the grin on his lips. He knew he could do now, thanks to the abstract advice of the conman, the magician. Anything he wanted was within his grasp if he wanted it, he could take as he pleased so long as he understood that what he got could be taken away just as quickly as it was received. With a newly found air of excitement and happiness, Elliot set out once more into the deep flood of bodies, allowing himself to be pushed and pulled along again. -Amaya
	The Mysterious Janitor Craze Ayte Craze's current appearance.


Crazy 8	Jun 9 2006, 12:19 AM Post #6
Amane's Older Sister Posts: 1,726 Group: Members Member #30 Joined: April 20, 2006	The Promise -Restez I never asked for this. I sit here now, alone by the frozen lake, wondering what could have been. The sky is a lonely gray, and the air is bitter. Snow is falling gently and the silence is deafening. Perhaps the towering trees around me are laughing, but even if they are, the silence drowns it out. My hand is still gripped tightly around my katana. Blood spilt not too long ago is drying on the blade as an eternal reminder. My clothing is stained with blood as well—a mingling of friend and foe. The sounds of everything past are screaming in my mind. I never asked for this, but I knew all along that it would end this way. Every soul is born with honor, but preserving that honor is what every man is destined to do. Perhaps the time for me to defend my honor is over, and I have no more reason to live. Have I kept my promise? The streets were busy at the local market. People were bustling around in their kimonos haggling prices and trading livestock. I was maneuvering my way through the throngs of people, a small bottle of sake in my hand. “Mamoru!” I heard someone shout from behind me, “I want my sake back!” I rolled my eyes and turned around. Shogo, a drunkard with only fine sake and women on his mind, was running up to me shaking his fist. “I won this sake from you fairly, Shogo. Go is a hard game, but I beat you and the prize was this,” I replied sensibly, shaking the bottle lightly. Shogo didn’t like the response I gave him, “You cheated you dirty scoundrel! Give me my sake back!” “Shogo, think rationally, it’s not easy to cheat at Go. Besides, you were watching me like a hawk the entire time. Simmer down and buy your own sake,” I said as I turned to walk away. Shogo wasn’t worth my time. Shogo slurred something as I was walking away, but I ignored him. I know that I didn’t cheat, and I really didn’t care what Shogo thought. I didn’t exactly keep the best company, but my love for gambling attracted the worst in society. Perhaps I was no better, but at the time, I didn’t really care. I continued walking through the bustling town. A wooden cart would roll past me every now and then pulled by a man or an animal. Beggars, traders, and merchants alike were going about their businesses in the bustle. I had gotten used to the crowds and the masses of people, but going home was always a small salvation to me. Even though I was considered a failure for not marrying or getting a respectable job, being that I was already twenty-four, I loved my home. I was eventually able to tune out the noise of the masses of people and thought only of the great taste of the sake I was holding. The thoughts of my sake and the peace and quiet my rural village brought were enough to get me home. I lived a little way away from the town marketplace up a hill. The views were beautiful and the quiet that the nights brought were timeless. I had finally arrived back home and was walking down the dirt path that led to my house. I stopped short when I arrived in front of my house. It looked no different, what with its white walls and black paneling over it. It was only one story as most houses were, but the inside was very comfortable. I stopped short because my younger sister was walking up and down the walkway leading to the house. Her dark blue kimono tied with a red obi was swishing about her furiously as she awkwardly walked along. Both of her arms were out so she could balance herself as she walked, but any effort she was attempting wasn’t working well. My younger sister was a beautiful girl of nineteen. Her eyes were a soft brown and shaped more oval-like than the rest of our family’s. Her hair was smooth as silk and ended at her elbows. Many men in town would tease me for having a beautiful sister because they wanted her as their own, but I always assumed that one day she would have a descent husband. She didn’t deserve the life I led of gambling and risk taking. “Practicing walking in your geta again, Eriko?” I asked as I started to walk up the walkway toward her. She turned immediately and started to quicken her step toward me, “I think I’m getting better at it, Mamoru-kun!” she said excitedly. Before she was able to make three steps however, her ankle wobbled and she fell to the ground. “No! I was making such progress too!” she exclaimed, quite defeated. “You have to act more ladylike, Eriko. What man is going to want to marry a girl that falls in her geta and shouts once she’s fallen?” I chided, now standing over her with no intention of helping her up. “I have little interest in being ladylike, Mamoru-kun,” she said, her stubbornness clearly evident. All I could do was laugh, “Mother and Father would beat you if they heard you say that. They’re both fixated on having you married to a nice family and they’d be destroyed if you refused to be ladylike.” Eriko frowned and began to stand up again. With a mild level of difficulty, Eriko was able to get herself standing erect again. She brushed off her kimono and looked at me angrily. Without saying another word she turned and walked briskly back toward the house, stumbling every few steps she took. She managed to make her way back to the house without falling again however. At the door, she kicked off her geta and made her way into the house. It is still a mystery to me how people can walk in geta, being that they are made so uncomfortably and raised so awkwardly. I chuckled and followed her into the house as well, the bottle of sake still in my hand. As I rolled the door open to the right, I kicked my much more comfortable zori off and made my way into the house. My mother was walking into the main room as I entered. I bowed respectfully to her, but as I straightened my back again I was met with an unfriendly glance. My mother was a short woman with piercing eyes. She was aging gracefully, but her attitude toward life was far from pleasant. She always pinned her hair up in the back as most wives and mothers did, and she always wore pale-colored kimonos. “You go out of the house, and instead of bringing back food you bring back sake from the streets. Everyday you bring more dishonors to this family. You may not be our eldest son, but you are our most capable, and you bring us no honor,” my mother said as she prepared to make dinner. At that point I was quite used to the verbal abuse I received from my mother and father. My oldest brother was of little use outside of the house because he was blind, and I was next in line. I never met their expectations, and I never had plans of doing so. “Do you want my sake?” I asked simply. “I do not want anything from you anymore. I no longer want you living in this house and wasting food that could be fed to your younger siblings. One more week and I want you gone,” my mother said as she sliced away at a fish she had laid out on a cutting bored. I was utterly speechless. There was nothing I could do. I couldn’t disrespect my mother, and I knew all too well that my father would give me the same command upon his arrival. I bowed respectfully. “Yes, Mother.” I straightened my back and walked away. All I was good for at home was tending to the field, but my family was better off without me. Oddly enough, I wasn’t sad. I knew that this moment would come sooner or later, but I had always assumed it would be later. As I walked into the recreational room of the house I was met with Eriko sitting on the floor, the door rolled open, and her looking out of it dreamily. “Shouldn’t you be practicing your walking? Mother will be very displeased if you can’t walk properly in your geta when you wear your furisode,” I advised. She continued to look out of the door, “What use is it, Mamoru-kun? I’ve practiced all day and I still have made no improvement. I give up.” “I may not be the perfect model for you to follow, but I know that giving up never solves anything. Keep trying, Eriko, and one day you’ll be able to walk perfectly in your geta. Once you’re able to do that, you’ll be able to present yourself to a fine man that you’ll wed so that you can get away from this family.” Eriko turned her head and looked up at me, “I don’t want to wed a fine man. I love Keisho!” she said passionately. “I know you love him, the whole family does, but you can’t marry him Eriko.” Suddenly she stood in a fury of passion, “If I am to wed, I will marry for love!” I put my index finger to my lips to shush her, “Eriko do not say such nonsense! Mother will hear and certainly beat you!” Eriko held strong to fantasies ever since she was a young girl. Romantic love was something that didn’t exist; it only existed in Eriko’s world. She loved Keisho, but Keisho was a farmer’s son and was not deemed by Father worthy of her hand in marriage. She was doomed to marry someone hand selected by Father, and that was something she couldn’t accept. “Let’s run away together! We can live off the land and live away from this nonsense! We can marry who we want, when we want, and we’ll only have each other as keepers!” Eriko said, sounding insane and, and yet rational at the same time. There was nothing I could say in response to that. I knew Eriko was serious, and that she would easily run away in the middle of the night if I agreed to go with her. I was convinced that there was no other person in Japan that was like Eriko. Before I had any time to even think of a response, our mother came up behind us. Whether she heard Eriko’s blasphemous statement will forever be a mystery, but her anger was quite evident. “Eriko! I ordered you to practice walking in your geta until Father returns home! What are you doing sitting idly inside?” she asked, furious. Eriko bowed quickly, “Forgive me!” she said as she hurried out of the room. “Her spirit will be much tamer with you gone. She will be much easier to groom into a proper bride,” Mother said decisively. ‘I seriously doubt that…but for Eriko’s sake, I hope her spirits calm without me around,’ I thought, for I would never talk back to Mother. I stayed silent and waited for her to leave; being in her presence for too long was unnerving. With one final look of disgust my mother turned and walked briskly back toward the kitchen. My initial plan was to sit and enjoy my well-earned bottle of sake, but my plan was cut short when I heard the front door slide open. Father was home. I walked respectfully out of the room to where I could meet him. Upon rounding a corner, I was able to see him standing and talking to Mother. He was wearing a dark blue kimono and had his dark hair tied up in a small bun atop his head. He looked as menacing as Mother did, but that was no surprise. There was no doubt that he had been the master conspirator behind the plan to evict me from the house; Mother had just been the messenger. He turned his head to meet my glance, and I bowed respectfully. I did not like my parents a great deal, but I would always have respect for them. Father turned his head back toward my mother and I took that as my cue to vacate the room. I walked slowly back to the room where Eriko and I had been conversing, but stopped halfway. I began to wonder why I was feeling sorry for Eriko, because I hadn’t up to that point. ‘She’s going to be handed an easy life with few strings attached— there’s no reason for me to feel sorry for her,’ I thought. I wanted nothing more than to have an easy life handed to me, but that would only happen if I married a rich girl, and I knew that was never going to happen. Suddenly I heard a scream from the yard where Eriko was practicing. The scream sent a shiver down my spine and it felt as if my body had just been thrown into freezing water. The scream was unlike anything I had ever heard before. It wasn’t a scream someone gave when seeing an insect, nor was it a scream that someone gave when surprised. No, the scream was otherworldly. The scream was a cry of desperation and fear. My feet started moving before my brain registered the movement. I found myself running to the back exit of the house in a fury. The scream did not indicate to me that Eriko had fallen down as she usually did— no, that scream was made in terror. Something was wrong, and I had every intention to find out what. I finally made it, and in a panic I rolled open the back door. I froze the instant I did so and stared out into the yard. A tall man was standing by the exit gate with Eriko thrown over his shoulders. The fact that she wasn’t moving indicated to me that he had hurt her. The man was menacing even with his back turned to me. He had long black hair that fell to his mid-back, it was dirty and unkempt. He turned his head slowly to meet my glance. “Murimoto was right,” the man began in a deep gruff voice, “A beautiful girl lives in this house. Rather, she lived here, she’s mine now.” Without even thinking I raced from the house at the man. “No! Put her down!” I shouted furiously. The man laughed menacingly and broke out into a full run with Eriko still unconscious over his shoulder. I nearly flew through the back gate of the house and ran after the man. Weaponless and shoeless, I didn’t stand a chance. In one swift movement the man reached into his kimono. With a flick of his wrist he sent a shuriken flying toward me. I ducked down, but the shuriken grazed my shoulder. Tearing my kimono and my skin as well, I stumbled and fell onto the dirt road. I tried to stand again but stumbled once more, and by the time I was able to get back onto my feet, the man was gone. I cursed with all the intensity my voice could ever give. I fell to my knees and pounded the ground with my fist. I had failed. There wouldn’t have been any use in running after the man. He had been long gone, and so was Eriko. I walked slowly back to the house, many ideas floating in my mind. Should I worry about her? She won’t have to go through with all of Mother’s plans now. ‘Maybe she’ll be able to escape and live the life she always dreamed of now,’ I thought. I thought much differently back then. I was more worried about myself than anyone else. I was a selfish fool, and I was even able to overlook the fact that my sister had just been kidnapped. More than just being selfish, I was a coward. I slowly made my way back home, heavyhearted and very pensive. I wasn’t truly sure of how to assess the situation, whether I should be happy or upset. I was confused and misguided, among other things. When I finally made it home I was met with my father outside in the yard. He was on the ground reading a note. I walked up to him as he read. “He’s taken her…” he said, tears welling up in his eyes, “This man, Makoto Kazutaki, has taken Eriko. He’s written that if she is not claimed in two months he will make her his!” Father exclaimed. He had been reading a crude ransom note left by Eriko’s attacker. It hadn’t occurred to me at the time, the man had mentioned a familiar sounding name to me before he ran off with Eriko. “Murimoto. Shogo Murimoto— he was the one who told Kazutaki that Eriko lived here!” I shouted, realizing that Shogo had been the one that tipped Kazutaki off about the whereabouts of a “pretty girl.” Father looked up from the note, “How do you know this?” he asked. “I saw the man who took her. Before he ran away, he said that Murimoto had said that a beautiful girl lived here. He gave Kazutaki the idea to come and take her!” “You saw this man? You saw the man that kidnapped Eriko? Why didn’t you bring her back?” Father asked me furiously. “I tried! I chased after him, but I couldn’t catch up with him. He through a shuriken at me, and it temporarily disabled me,” I explained myself. My shoulder was still bleeding, but it was the least of my worries. “You must bring her back! She will bring our family great fortune if we play our cards right! Go and bring her back!” he shouted at me like a madman. I was more shocked than I should have been. I knew that my father was only interested in Eriko’s future marriage, but I wasn’t aware that her marriage was his only concern. He didn’t care that his daughter was kidnapped; he only cared about the fact that an asset was lost. “I cannot leave my job, and your brother cannot because of his blindness! You are the only one who can bring her back, Mamoru!” he shouted at me as he stood from his spot on the ground. He grasped my shoulders frantically. “Now that I am of some use to you, I’m suddenly not a failure and a burden?” I asked, forgetting my place. He shook me twice, “My feelings toward you are irrelevant! You must bring her back, or else I will disown you!” he shouted. “Then disown me! It’s not worth it!” I shouted in return. I took a step backward with the idea of walking away, but my father had other plans. He reached out with his right hand and gripped my shoulder— my injured shoulder. I winced as I was forced back around. “You will find out where this man is holding her and you will bring her back! I am your father and I have every right to command you!” he shouted furiously. I was about to open my mouth to protest his statement, but Eriko’s words flooded my mind instead. Let’s run away together! I was being selfish for not even considering going after her. I did not want to rescue her for Father’s sake, but for her own. If I was able to recover her, we could do exactly as she had so passionately suggested. I had nothing left here, and Eriko had nothing to live for that she wanted here either. “I will go,” I said, knowing full well that Father was unaware of my epiphany. “But if I do not return in the two month allotted time, assume that I am never coming back with Eriko,” I finished firmly. Father was shocked that I had agreed so easily to recover Eriko. I knew that I would never come back after I left, regardless of whether I rescued Eriko or not. I left the next day, but before I did, I was forced to watch my mother cry over Eriko’s disappearance. It was sickening. She was devastated that she had lost her last link to some sort of money; she was just like Father. They both saw past the fact that their daughter was missing; they only saw the money and opportunities that could be lost because of it. I packed what I could and left without another word. I knew that my chances of even finding out where Kazutaki had taken Eriko were slim, let alone the chances I had if I had to face off against him. I had no weaponry or skills at using weapons for that matter. I was completely at a loss of what to do— all I knew was that I had to set Eriko free, be it for my own sake or for hers. Before I left, I stood outside our house and made a promise, the wind my only listener. “Eriko… I promise to bring you peace,” I whispered before turning to leave. The next month I spent wandering like a nomad. I slept in any village that would take me and slept on the ground in the wilderness the majority of the time. I ran into several people that had heard of Kazutaki in my journey. He was a known man that committed many acts of evil. He was known for robberies, kidnappings, and beatings. In short, Kazutaki was not a friendly man. Luck struck me in the midst of my suffering when I stumbled upon an old samurai encampment. Old weapons were strewn about, clearly abandoned by their masters. It was at this old encampment where I acquired a katana and three kunai for my journey. I did not know the proper techniques for using them, but a desperate man can use any weapon. I continued my journey with a new glimmer of hope. My time was running out, and I knew that I would have to reach wherever Kazutaki was hiding soon. Villagers and wanderers had given me valuable information regarding where Kazutaki had been staying and possible locations of his current hideout. Kazutaki was apparently a well-guarded man, and was rarely found alone from what I heard. My best source, a wanderer who had previously run into Kazutaki, told me that he was most likely in a forest nearby. That next morning I traveled into the snow covered forest the man had indicated to me with the hopes of finding Kazutaki alone. The wind was calm, but the air was bitter. The forest was completely silent except for the sound of my footsteps. Towering trees covered in freshly fallen snow were my only company as I trekked closer to my destination. I walked through the forest for at least three hours before I caught sight of tracks. There were at least three sets that I could distinguish, and they were all leading up a path that was off the main road through the forest. Naturally I followed, hoping with each step I took that they would bring me closer to Kazutaki and Eriko. The path soon led me uphill, but I didn’t care. Fatigue was setting in but I fought against it with every fiber of my body and mind. ‘Mind over matter, mind over matter.’ I kept thinking to myself as I climbed higher. Every step was taking me closer to Kazutaki, and Eriko. Of course, at the time I only had vague guesses that Kazutaki was at the top of the incline, but it was enough to keep me going. I walked for another hour before I came upon what looked to be an old house. It was traditionally made, much like mine only smaller. A slightly raised wooden deck encircled the one floor house covered in lattices. A large lake was set behind the house that had nearly frozen over completely due to the cold weather. I knew at that point that I had stumbled upon either a hermit’s home or Kazutaki’s hideout. I saw a man stumble out of the front entrance of the house, and I quickly darted behind a nearby tree. He turned and shouted something back into the house. Within a few more moments, Eriko followed him outside. I wanted to run out and grab her, but I knew that it wouldn’t have been a smart idea to do so. Eriko looked beautiful. She was wearing a red furisode adorned with flowered decorations and intricate designs, tied with a black obi. The sleeves of her furisode ended below her waist and the obi was tied in an elaborate bow in the back. She looked rather angry and she obviously did not want to go anywhere with the man that had just exited the house with her. Suddenly I felt a hand grasp my shoulder and twist me around. I was abruptly face to face with Kazutaki himself, and he didn’t look pleased to see me. He looked even gruffer than he did since the first time I saw him. He was unshaven and his hair looked filthy. “So you decided to come and die for your sister, eh?” he said genially. “I’m so delighted to have your company!” he said with a roaring laughter. Eriko had obviously heard him for she was rushing toward me shouting my name. The man she was with rushed forward as well and grabbed her arms before she could make any real progress however. The man attempted to drag her back into the house, but Kazutaki held up his hand. “No! Let her stay, she deserves to see her brother die!” he shouted, “She speaks highly of you, Mamoru. Regardless, I am looking forward to seeing your body lying bloody in the snow!” With a powerful force, he pulled me forward and swung me out into the clearing. Drawing my katana, I prepared to fight him. I looked back momentarily at Eriko who had stopped struggling with her captor. She looked at me with desperate eyes. In that moment, I knew that I was her only hope left. Kazutaki drew his own katana. Without waiting for even a moment he charged at me. Not having any previous fighting skills, I raised my katana also. Our swords met with a clash of metal. He threatened to push me backward, but I continued to press onward with my sword. In a quick decision I swiveled my sword and aimed to slash at Kazutaki’s midsection. He obviously had training in some sort of combat, for he practically foresaw my movement and countered by moving his sword along with mine. We were once again in a deadlock, only at that point our swords were meeting at a lower point. Finally he was able to shake me off and I stumbled backward. He turned around in a very cocky manner to face Eriko’s direction. “Once your brother is dead, I can make you my wife!” he shouted. Eriko struggled again in her captor’s grip. “I will never be yours!” she shouted back at him, venom running in her words. While his back was turned to me, I reached into my pack and pulled out one of my kunai. Praying to any god that could hear me, I threw it at his back. With a novice’s accuracy, it somehow managed to pierce his upper left shoulder blade. With a cry, Kazutaki turned around to face me. “You fool!” he yelled in blind rage, ripping the kunai from his flesh. “Die!” he shouted as he ran at me with his katana raised over his head. I raced at him as well, and at the last possible moment before he would have certainly beheaded me, I placed my katana in front of me. The force of my momentum drove the katana through his abdomen and out through his back. He was frozen in mid attack, his sword still in the air. With a gurgle, the sword slipped from his fingers and fell to the snowy ground. How I had managed to pierce his flesh without being killed was beyond me, but my rushing adrenaline prevented me from thinking about it properly. In that moment, the sky seemed to open and a light flurry of snow started to fall from the heavens. I withdrew my sword from Kazutaki’s abdomen and let him fall to the ground. Eriko’s captor yelled and fled in fear. Eriko started to run toward me, tears streaming from her eyes. She flew her arms open and nearly jumped at me, wrapping her arms around me as if her life depended on it. I couldn’t return her embrace. She released me from her grip and moved backward to face me. “Mamoru? Are you alright?” she asked me, tears still welling up in her eyes. I turned away from her and faced the forest. Everything was silent as the snow fell around us. Everything was perfect; Kazutaki was dead, Eriko was safe, and I had saved her. But I didn’t feel right, something was wrong. Had I come all that way for the right reasons? I didn’t intend to bring her back, I knew that, but would she have been better off married and taken care of? Suddenly I heard a familiar sound. It was the same sound that I heard when I plunged my sword into Kazutaki’s abdomen. I quickly turned around and was faced with a wide-eyed Eriko staring at me, her face mingled with pain and fear. My eyes trailed downward until I saw the tip of a katana sticking out from her abdomen. Abruptly it was withdrawn, and I heard something behind Eriko collapse back onto the snow. “If I cannot have her… no one will…” Kazutaki mumbled before death finally set in over him. Eriko blinked and started to slowly fall forward toward me. I caught her before she fell to the ground. Kneeling down, I laid her over my knees, her eyes facing heavenward. It was my turn to have tears well up in my eyes. I hadn’t saved Eriko after all. I had failed her. I gripped her small hand tightly, wishing that it would keep her heart beating. “Eriko… please… I’m so sorry,” I said, a tear escaping my right eye. It slid slowly down my cheek and finally fell onto hers. Eriko had stopped crying. Rather, she was smiling. “It is not time for apologies, Mamoru. You saved me. You saved me from him. I can finally go somewhere where I can live for myself… Thank you.” With a glance up to the gray sky above, Eriko’s body relaxed. Death had set in peacefully upon her small body. Her eyes continued to stare up to the heavens above. I started to shake as more and more tears flooded from my eyes. I closed both of her eyes with my index finger, saying a small prayer for her peace and happiness in her death. I stood up over her body. I glanced downward at her feet for a brief moment, and noticed that she was wearing geta. She had run at me and stood perfectly in them without stumbling. Eriko had finally mastered walking in them. She was able to die a woman, as my mother always said. Mother believed that a girl could only become a woman when she was able to don her furisode and walk gracefully in geta. Eriko had done both. I turned and walked over to the lake that was behind Kazutaki’s hideout. I sat down and faced the lake, wondering what to do next. Everything swirled in my mind like a whirlwind, and I couldn’t make sense of anything. This brings me to my current state. Alone, depressed, and without honor. I do not know if I kept the promise I made for Eriko before I left— the promise to bring her peace. I know that I have changed since I set out to bring her back. I know now that I did this all for Eriko, but what difference does that make now? Eriko is gone. However, Eriko no longer has to live up to expectations that she wanted no part of. She died free. Freedom was the one thing Eriko always yearned for, and perhaps now she has finally gotten it. I cannot return home though. There is nothing for me there now. Eriko is gone, and the family will not even recognize me as their own any longer. That does not matter now either. I am free as well.
	The Mysterious Janitor Craze Ayte Craze's current appearance.


Crazy 8	Jun 9 2006, 02:16 AM Post #7
Amane's Older Sister Posts: 1,726 Group: Members Member #30 Joined: April 20, 2006	Best Work in Category of Humor: A Flock of Rememberance by Crazy 8 Best Work in Category of Romance: Untitled by Hitomi Best Work in Category of Action: The Promise by Restez Best Work Overall: The Fool and The Trickster by Amaya
	The Mysterious Janitor Craze Ayte Craze's current appearance.


1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


« Previous Topic · Fanworks · Next Topic »