Hey everyone.
So, this week I was sitting in my local coffee shop, Coffee Beans and Brew, writing this weeks post, when the realism of life struck me like a brick flying into the side of my face. Those who don't know me personally obviously wouldn't know the kind of stress I'm under everyday from school, society, and all the idiots of the world. Every time I write, I try to take my stress and put it into figurative speech and, I guess, that's where Ankoku no Ki comes from. Yes, I understand the main character is a girl...I'm not a total idiot...but a lot of the situations each character is involved in is taken directly from a part of my life. Whether it be Rachel watching someone else date the person she wants to be with (but can't) or Yoshiro (as you'll see below) talking seriously and ecstatically about something he believes is important yet can get no one to really listen. Each character and event is part of me in a way, and I guess that's why I find so much pleasuring sharing my writing with everyone. Otherwise, I'd just be the guy that absolutely no one knew.
Well, here's this week's chapter of Ankoku no Ki. The story is moving slowly so far, I know, but there's a good reason, trust me.
If you ever have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at brinque@msn.com
Thanks for reading.
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The Truth is Fleeting
1.
“I realize the discomfort you all must feel adjusting to this new climate and my culture, but I guarantee that this will all be worth it when our goals are met,” addressed an eighteen year-old Japanese boy, Yoshiro Yami, to five young adults—Huey, Melanie, Angela, Justin, and Rachel. Each of the young adults sat on a couch near the entrance of their Tokyo apartment listening to Yoshi prep them on their new life in Japan. (That is, all of them except for Justin and Angela who were preoccupied stealing quick glances at each other every few minutes.) Behind Yoshi sat an older man by the name of Dr. Hartmann who sat with his hands clasped beneath his chin in a pensive pose. “If you weren’t aware already, you all were brought here to keep the world in balance. All five of you, elementals, the demon, and the gatekeeper, will be responsible not only for the safety of each other, but the task of searching for the gate between worlds so that we may secure the safety of every other person on this planet. Are you all ready to heroes?” With his final statement, Yoshi threw his fist in the air and yelled his words with a delighted smile.
“Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?” Huey asked with a bit of sarcasm. Angela giggled, but more at something Justin had whispered in her ear than at Huey’s insensitive remarks. Rachel glared at the two with a growing envy.
“Oh, throw him a bone, lard butt,” Melanie interjected. “Plus, I think he’s kinda hot when he talks about us bein’ heroes.” She winked at Yoshi, who proceeded to blush a deep red and turn away from the group of young adults. Dr. Hatmann remained still, staring off into space.
“By the looks of you, you probably think all guys are ‘kinda hot,’” Huey defended. Immediately she turned and glared at him with knives.
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Nothing…just that you look like the time of girl who all the guys back home might like. And, yes, I do mean that in a perverted way.” Huey smiled wide at the now furious Melanie.
“Well, you look like someone that owners of an all-you-can-eat buffet would love!”
“Now guys—” Yoshi started.
“Oooo a fat joke. What’s next? Are you going to make fun of me for being black?” He laughed heartily, making Melanie even more heated. Meanwhile, Justin and Angela had forgotten them all and talked lively about their favorite hobbies while holding hands. A small flower had begun to come out of Rachel’s shoulder. Yoshi’s eyes widened, feeling that something bad might happen. “I guess I shouldn’t expect so much from a stuck-up cracka like you, huh?”
“You son of a bitch!” Melanie drew back her fist and brought it smoothly through the air quickly.
“That’s enough!” Yoshi yelled with force as a gale of wind flew forth from somewhere behind him and slammed into each of the five troublemakers. Each of their bodies fell forward after impact almost in unison. All the air in their lungs had been forced out and pain now traveled up their abdomen as they coughed hard and attempted to gasp for air at the same time. Yoshi quickly regained his senses and reached out to help them up with a sincere expression on his face. “I’m so so sorry. I-I-I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Do not apologize to them Yoshi,” Dr. Hartmann stated clearly, slowly standing up. “If you had not done what you did, who knows where their quarreling would have gone.”
“It still hurts like a bitch…” Huey said breathlessly.
“Maybe next time you will think first then before you start bickering with one of the people who will be responsible for guarding your life.” Justin helped Angela to her feet with consoling hands.
“Are you okay?” he said to her.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she responded meekly, blushing lightly. Rachel coughed lightly, still on the floor.
“Thanks for the concern, Feldini…”
“Rache, I’m sorry. I-I—”
“It’s fine,” she stated harshly, getting to her feet. “I can help myself. I don’t need your help…”
2.
Rachel opened her eyes to the sight of her plain bedroom wall. She sighed lightly. “Why do I keep dreaming about that day?” she whispered softly to herself before the sound of her roommate’s snoring brought her out of her small post-dream trance. She sat up, throwing her bedding off of her, and glanced over at Melanie who was sprawled out on her side across her futon, with her mouth wide open and a small stream of saliva spilling out onto the bedding. “I’m surprised to see her home so early…” Once more, Rachel sighed as she stood up and made her way to the door.
3.
After a trip leaving her room, Rachel had made her way out the front door. Standing just outside her apartment building, she looked over the buildings to the darkened sky above while leaning on the wooden railing that they had been made specifically to make the steps to her right more necessary and safer. The sun was just making its way over the horizon, but from her field of vision she would have never known. Outside the apartment, everything was calm, with gentle noises in the distance from busier streets blocks away from the strangely silent road her apartment was located on. Her mind was heavy with dissatisfaction at the thought of how Justin had grown more attached to Angela and less attached to her.
“What’s so special about her?” she thought aloud. “So what if she can make fire and knows some karate or whatever? Justin and I have known each other for so long and have been through so much…Why would he choose that Hispanic bimbo over me?” Leaning harder against the railing with crossed arms, she placed her head in defeat onto her wrists. “Maybe it’s just because she’s more attractive than I am. That’s probably it, what kind of guy would want a plain, pale-skinned, nothing-special girl like me? Only the creepers, that’s who…”
That’s when she began to hear a small sound, like the gentle pitter-patter of feet upon the ground. Looking up, she tried to find the source. “Hello?” she asked the empty air. “Who’s there?” At that moment, a small, white rabbit with red eyes seemed to hop into existence out of nowhere. “What’s a rabbit like that doing here?” she said absent-mindedly. The rabbit stopped about a meter from the platform on which she stood and stared up at her with cute eyes. Softly a smile was brought to her eyes by the animal’s cuteness, until she realized that small fang protruded from the right side of its mouth. “That can’t be…” Quickly, the cute rabbit’s body exploded into a collage of grotesque shapes and figures which slowly began to form together into a gruesome creature the size of a grown man, who flew on gigantic moth’s wings, and whose mouth had been sewn shut and eyes had been replaced with seemingly endless rows of sharp fangs. Its six arms/legs were jagged claws with twisted nails that looked strange on the hovering monster.
Its teeth holes suddenly widened as the creature loosened a high-pitched screech that stung Rachel’s ears. She grimaced lightly and tried to focus enough to do her job. Jumping straight up, her feet landed on top of the railing as she stared down at the monstrosity. “It’s 7 a.m. Why must I kill again?” With a sigh, she tried to make her vines come out from beneath her skin, but the more she tried, the more her mind seemed to focus on Justin. After a moment she stared in defenseless terror at the monster that now lunged at her. Jumping forward, she missed a swing of his strange claws by mere centimeters. Landing wrong several meters away, pain shot up her legs upon contact with the hard ground and her body was forced to collapse to the ground.
“Damnit…” she spoke harshly at her unwelcomed pain. The monster quickly turned to face her and rushed in her direction headfirst. Once more, Rachel tried to make her vines appear, but Justin clouded her mind too much. “DAMN YOU!!” she yelled as her arms quickly flew up to block the monstrosity that grew ever-closer to her. Unable to bear the sight of her impending doom, she squeezed her eyes shut as a whirling sound flew by her left side. Warmth consumed her body as if she were laying next to a campfire.
When she opened her eyes Rachel could see a ring of fire circling the area where she lay, the monster backing up in fear from the flames, and Angela standing almost in the flames in a singed, black robe, paying no attention to neither the heat nor Rachel.
Suddenly, the Spanish girl raised her right hand above her hand and drew a circle in the air in front of her. Wherever her finder went, a trail of fire followed. At the closing of the circle, the loop of fire twirled up and wrapped itself tensely around Angela’s arm, enveloping it in a tangible rope of orange flames. She smirked defiantly, before she launched herself towards the fearful creature and slammed her fist into the center of its body. The rope untwisted quickly and spun down her arm and into the creature as it proceeded to incinerate its body, leaving the only remnants of the being as the singed ashes which floated upwards into the atmosphere.
Rachel stared with uncertainty at the girl she despised as the girl stood still, tinted by the flames, taking in the results of her actions. A moment later, Angela’s right hand snapped loudly and all the flames faded. The sun was slowly peeking up from behind the buildings and now shone light on the front of the apartment building in front of them. Slowly Rachel got to her feet as Angela walked silently back up the stairs and disappeared into the apartment.
“Why do I hate her so much?” Rachel thought aloud, her weaknesses brought alive before her eyes.
Provehito in altum
~Alex
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