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Chapter Three
Soulless Reflection
Asuke paced the crowded streets of Downtown Okayama, shuffling along the sidewalk as people quickly walked past. The cool air pierced his lungs as the sun slowly met the horizon. The old woman’s words scarred his mind.
“Give me your soul.” She had whispered into his ear hours ago. “And I will save Neko from a life of being hunted.” Asuke stood before the woman absolutely stunned. “Go walk the streets and think of your answer. I’ll need it before sundown, dear.” Without saying another word, Asuke stepped outside the front door and began walking the busy streets of a city on high.
“Give me your soul... and I will save Neko...” The words raced through Asuke’s head at a mile a minute. He couldn’t dare forgot them. As the rays of sunshine began to light the western building tops, he sat on a lonely bench and took out the dog tags that lay hidden in his right pocket. Twirling them around by the chain, letting the light reflect off of them into his dark green eyes, Asuke couldn’t resists reading them aloud.
“Let. Col. Elizabeth McCormick
3/17/06 Blood Type: B POS”
“Mom” he said loud enough to hear his own words. Asuke folded the chain and tag in his right palm and placed it back in his pants pocket. The memory of his mother brought tears to his eyes, but he was too proud to let them fall. He sat on the bench, mindlessly starring to the horizon as the minutes inched away.
The sun was little away from hitting the horizon when Asuke got up from the bench and began to run down the street, making his way to the store with the neon sign that read “TWILIGHT.”
Asuke bursts through the front door, breaking apart the ornament that hung on on it, and slammed his fists into the counter once more, this time making the vase fall and smash into the ground below. He glared into the old woman’s eyes, who hadn’t moved an inch during his rampage, and loudly yelled into her face, “Fine!”
The old woman gave a wrinkled grin and jokingly said, “Cutting it close, huh?”
Asuke, who wasn’t in the mood to joke around, asked, “What do I have to do?” with a straight face.
The old woman stood from the stool she was perched on, revealing her true height, which was about an inch or two higher then the counter itself, and began rummaging through the cabinet. After a few seconds of searching, she took out a empty, corked, glass bottle, set it on the counter, and jumped back on her stool. The old woman pushed the bottle towards Asuke. “Uncork it, put it to your mouth, and breath into the bottle.” She commanded.
Asuke hesitantly grabbed the bottle and took off the cork. He slowly began to raise the bottle to his lips, which were sealed tight. He did as the old woman said and put the bottle to his mouth, feeling the cold glass on his chapped lips.
“Hurry!” she impatiently said, pointing out the window. “Its almost sun set.”
He gave a sharp, yet long exhale through his nose as the deadline drew closer. Asuke gave in and opened his mouth, breathing slowly into the bottle. Air from his lungs began to seep through his mouth into the bottle until they were completely dry. A white mist crawled from his lips, recollecting itself within the bottle, swirling around the once empty container. The room spun before his eyes. He stumbled backwards, hitting his head against the wall, then fell to the ground with a loud thump. The old woman gave a sinister smile from behind the counter as Asuke struggled to keep his grip on life.
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A blinding white light shone into Asuke’s closed eyes. He opened them, surprised to see he was no longer in the old woman’s shop, but was standing in a white space that seemed infinite in size. Asuke turned around and was startled to see his reflection looking back a him only inches away.
He put his right palm on the mirror, the reflection mimicking his actions. Suddenly, the mirror image began to fade away, replaced by a saddened Neko, her hand on the mirror just as Asuke. The world began to shake when the mirror bursts in an immense explosion, knocking Asuke to the ground, thousands of shards flying toward him. He covered his head to protect from the falling glass when he awoke to find himself in a familiar place.
Asuke’s bedroom, untouched by time, lay before him in the darkness of the night. Startled, cold sweat slowly dripped from his pores onto his bed sheets as he began to calm down. Asuke rubbed his face with his sweaty hands, trying to rationalize what had just happened.
“Was it all a dream?” He asked the darkness. “Did I really save Neko?” Asuke dropped back into bed, starring into the black ceiling, scratching his bare chest as the whole incident ran through his head. “But... it felt so real!” Asuke thought aloud. The image of a sad Neko crossed his mind. “Neko...” he whispered into the shadows. “I’m sorry.” Asuke closed his eyes for one last time and let the darkness engulf his mind stuck with the image of the lonely Twilight.
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The cloudy skies that were predicted the day before came along just as scheduled. Asuke, in his blue blazer and uniform, climbed the stairs of Okayama Secondary, no bandages around his head today. No one paid attention to him as he entered the first class, as if the rumor of the mugging was old news. Asuke sat at his desk and took out a notebook, writing down his thoughts on the names and amounts from the Imo Power Company.
Maya came up from behind, sitting in the vacant desk to the side. She leaned over, trying to sneak a peak of Asuke’s notebook, but he quickly closed it before she could and placed it underneath his math book.
“What is it, Maya?” Asuke asked, looking into her big brown eyes, somewhat annoyed by her meddling.
Maya look surprised. “Just want to know what your always writing in that notebook.” She said in a synthetic sweet voice, flicking her eyelashes at him.
Asuke turned his vision back to the front, ignoring her feeble attempts at flirting.
Maya whispered some threatening words in her tongue then changed the subject. “I hear there’s a new girl.”
“Is that so.” Asuke asked in a monotone, keeping his sight to the front of the class, his mind focused on the thought of Neko.
Maya grunted and stood, whispering, “Usted no vale la pena...” and stomped to her seat. The professor came into the room and started the class when Asuke took the notebook back out and put it in between the pages of his math book, reading his own notes.
Half an hour into the first class, the professor was called to the door by what sounded to be the principal. “Solve the problems on the board.” He said then stepped outside the room.
Everyone in the classroom, except Asuke, hushed down and eavesdropped on the conversation. The principal introduced the professor to someone, they both said their hellos, and then he stepped back inside.
“Excuse me everyone.” The professor called to the class. “We have a new student coming from Tokyo.” He waved to the person at the door and in came a young woman, clutching her books for dear life, a shy smile on her face.
She gave a bow and announced, “My name is Kaira Soto.”
Asuke took his attention from his notebook to the young girl. She stood a centimeter taller then Maya, with shoulder length, jet black hair, and thick glasses that hid her round, blue eyes. A sole thought crossed Asuke’s mind for a fraction of a second as he observed the girl. “She’s kinda cute.” He thought, then turned back to his notes.
Hours later, after the English lesson, the final bell rang. Asuke, who has almost mastered every foreign language he has encountered, had kept his eyes on his secret notebook during the entire class, not taking a single note. He got up, ready to go outside, when a loud boom shook the school.; Hundreds of taps began to hit the window. Asuke looked outward, seeing the storm that had ensued.
“Damn.” He cursed under his breath in a mellow tone then walked outside the classroom with the hundreds of other students making their way outside into the pouring rain. Everyone speed walked down the stairs, taking out umbrellas or running to shelter. Asuke just kept walking at a normal pace, making his way home through the storm.
Maya came running from behind, holding a closed umbrella. “Asuke! Wait up!” She yelled at him.
Asuke kept walking, ignoring the attention starved girl. She eventually caught up with him, opening her umbrella as soon as she got to his side. “Go home.” He said, wanting nothing to do with her.
“But your soaked!” She said in a failed attempt to gain his acceptance. “I’ll walk you home under my umbrella.”
“A little water never killed me.” He angrily spat out. “You live on the other side of town. Just go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
They both kept at an even pace. “Don’t worry about me.” She said, a sincere smile illuminating her face. “I’ll catch a bus or something.”
Asuke and Maya both stopped at the street corner, waiting for the traffic to come to a halt, the sound of rain drops hitting the umbrella echoed through their ears.
He looked into Maya’s eyes, who was in a deep trance looking back into his piercing dark green eyes. “I’m honestly not in the mood. Please, go home.” He said in the most serious tone she had ever heard. The pedestrian street light blinked green. Asuke walked across to the other side, Maya stood at the corner, obeying his request.
The rain became a drizzle by the time Asuke got on his block. He turned the corner, ready to climb the stairs home when he saw a woman sitting on the stairs leading up to his house, an umbrella covering her face.
“Did Ro forget he had a date?” He thought not seeing Ro’s car parked anywhere. Asuke approached the woman, startled to see it was Kaira, the new girl.
“Asuke!” she screeched as soon as she saw him coming up. Her voice sounded eerily familiar to him.
“Umm... Yeah?” He said, still a tad surprised.
Kaira Soto dropped her parasol and hugged the damp man, holding him tightly. “I knew you could do it!”
Asuke was completely confused by what was happening. “What the hell are you talking about!?” He yelled, pushing the woman off.
She looked sadden by Asuke’s remarks. “You really don’t recognize me?” She asked, a bit surprised herself. “Wow! That old hag is really good at disguising!” Cautiously, Kaira looked around the block, making sure no one was watching. She grabbed Asuke by the arm and pulled him up the stairs, opening the front door that was supposed to be locked.
Kaira slammed the door shut and pushed Asuke inside. “It’s me...” she said, taking off her glasses, jet black hair and hair net, revealing longer, yet lighter black hair stacked in layers atop her head, two black cat ears poking out, her pupils a dark, musky yellow that pierced through Asuke as he glazed into them.
“Neko!” Asuke’s eyes widen, his breath was taken away. Neko, the once transparent Twilight, stood before him in living color.
 Helm of Demonica · Sat Feb 14, 2009 @ 12:14am · 2 Comments |
