PART II–THE ENCOUNTER
BREAKING NEWS!!!
Date:Saturday,November 11th,2014
A group consisting of 5 high schoolers have gone missing most likely due to the approach of the rift. As we can see, the High-grade mages have sealed the area for further investigation. If you have seen these youngsters, please do report to the nearby police station IMMEDIATELY, you will be rewarded. Here are the following missing youngsters:
GEORGE FUJIMURA (藤村)
-----------------------------
Name:George Fujimura (藤村)
Age:14
Height:174cm
Date of birth:June 13th,2000
Last seen in:Beside Kagemori Academy (影森学園), the rift.
Last seen with:Philip Carter,Ali Okoro,Miyamoto Takeshi, Kaito Takahashi
Status:Missing
MIYAMOTO TAKESHI(宮本 武志)
-------------------------------------------
Name:Miyamoto Takeshi (宮本 武志)
Nickname:Josh
Age:14
Height:182cm
Date of birth:March 27th,2000
Last seen in:Beside Kagemori Academy (影森学園), The Rift.
Last seen with:George Fujimura,Philip Carter,Ali Okoro,Kaito Takahashi.
Status:Missing
PHILIP CARTER
-------------------------------------------
Name:Philip Carter
Age:14
Height:165cm
Date of birth:October 21st,2000
Last seen in:Beside Kagemori Academy (影森学園), The Rift.
Last seen with:George Fujimura,Ali Okoro,Miyamoto Takeshi,Kaito Takahashi.
Status:Missing
ALI OKORO
-------------------------------------------
Name:Ali Okoro
Age:14
Height:166cm
Date of birth:June 7th,2000Last seen in:Beside Kagemori Academy (影森学園), The Rift.
Last seen with:George Fujimura,Philip Carter,Miyamoto Takeshi,Kaito Takahashi
Status:Missing
KAITO TAKAHASHI(海翔 高橋)
-------------------------------------------
Name:Kaito Takahashi(海翔 高橋)
Age:14
Height:178cm
Date of birth:April 15th,2000
Last seen in:Beside Kagemori Academy (影森学園), The Rift.
Last seen with:George Fujimura,Philip Carter,Miyamoto Takeshi,Ali Okoro
Status:Missing
Before the incident…
November 10th,2014
Saturday,9.30p.m.
-Danny's Pizzeria-
Kaito:I'm glad everybody's here!
Kaito claps his hands with excitement.
Ali:Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going!
Ali raises his hand eagerly.
Philip:I'm having an unsafe feeling about this one...
Philip looks outside from the window of the pizzeria.
Josh:Nah it'll be fine.
Josh gives a thumbs up with a grin.
Philip:It's better to be safe than sorry-
Philip glanced at the unrepaired street lights.
George:IT'S ALRIGHT, WE GOT IT!
George grins with confidence.
Kaito:Did you guys come prepared?
Kaito takes out a bag full of tools.
Ali:Who cares? We got five people. How could one stop us when they are clearly outnumbered!
Philip:Well you never know what's lurking in the rift…
Philip's lips went dry.
Josh:It could be something stronger than what we expected, but it's fine, I mean you guys have me on your team. The greatest footballer in Hoshizora!
Josh points to himself with confidence.
George:Enough chit-chatting! We have no time to waste!
George covers the mouth of Josh with his palm.
Ali:Let's go!
Kaito:It's okay if you didn't come prepared, me and Ali had prepared. Come on, I'll be the guide to the area.
Ali:I can't wait to see what's inside the rift!
Ali points towards the direction of the rift.
George:Same!
Philip:I hope we don't die in there…
Philip stares far into the dark neighbourhood while having trembling hands.
Josh:Don't worry Phil. Like I said we are an unstoppable team!
Josh pats Philip's shoulder with his warm hand.
Philip stares at the ground, a strong breeze chilled the entire squad.
George:Oh come on, Phil! Aren't you thrilled for our bizarre adventure?
Philip:...
Philip was stunned, his heart thumped like thunder.
George takes a deep breath and looks up into the dark sky overcast by dark clouds.
George:(I can't wait to write my adventure in my diary after this!)
-George's Diary-
Date:November 9th,2014
Hello! I'm George Fujimura. I'm currently 14 years old! I decided to start writing my very own diary from now on. I can write my unforgettable memories into this diary! I can't wait for tomorrow because I'm going on a bizarre adventure with my best friends. This is George signing off.
As we walked through the neighbourhood,it was all empty and quiet,everyone had left for a temporary distance from the rift.The neighbourhood was built since the 1900's.It reminds me of something…,my grandfather's house.
-George's mind-
I'm George Fujimura .I lost my grandfather at the age of 8. He was extremely kind and he always treated kids like a valuable treasure to him. Everyone in my neighbourhood loved him. To me, he was the greatest man I could ask for in my life.
The day he died, I isolated myself in my room for a few days. When I finally moved on,I realised. Life wasn't as good as before when my grandfather was still alive. I was always lonely at home since I was a single child. I even skipped school for a few days trying to move on, but it kept getting worse. The silence in the house is drastically destroying my mood everyday. I lost my appetite and even my own pride...My grandfather would always accompany me when I was lonely. I had no friends at school. Until after the day my grandfather died, it was a cold December and my family was celebrating Christmas.He left the last Christmas present for me.
It was a bracelet.It had my favourite charm on it and it must've cost a lot. Turns out,my grandfather was working harder than he ever did just to afford this bracelet for me.My family weren't wealthy, we were just slightly lower than the middle class. After that day, I wore the bracelet everyday,it ''mirrors'' my life with my grandfather in it. Everytime I look at it, it will always remind me of my grandfather. He even spent more time to work than resting. Tears flowed down to my cheeks. I promised to never lose it or break it. I decided to change the person I am.
In the next year, I became 10. I would try to make myself better everyday in order to regain my pride and joy, to never lose a core memory ever again. I met 5 new friends at school, which are Ali,Josh,Philip and Kaito. We would hang out everyday. We even promised that our bond will never be broken. Until today, we are all in the same high school. Everytime my crush came closer, they would always say my name out loud. They are the only people who are keeping me mentally stable till this day.We would go on adventures such as vandalizing our most hated teacher's car,breaking into a farmer's farm and stealing their crops,prank calling our seniors and many more… They were the best friends I've ever met ever since I was young. I wish to not lose them even after we are living our own lives in the future...
Josh:George? George?! Hello? Can you hear me?
Josh waves his hand in front of George's sight.
George shakes his head and snaps back into reality.
George:Sorry, I was just thinking about something else.
George scratches his head while smiling nervously.
Josh:What were you thinking about? We have already arrived in the area.
Josh frowned.
George:Oh! That was quick!
George glanced at the gate of the sealed area.
Kaito:Shh! There are mages patrolling the area, we must act quickly and keep the noises as low as possible.
Kaito slaps his hand on George's mouth.
George:Alright, got it.
As George whispers to Kaito.
Josh peeks at the patrol.
Josh:There are only two mages patrolling.
Josh quickly returned back to the squad.
Ali:Let's get in quick!
Ali didn't hesitate to charge into the gate.
Josh:Ali don't-! Are you insane?! Do you want the mages to hear us?!
Ali:Who cares?! It's not like we've got enough time anyways! Stop acting like you're the leader of the squad! Idiot!
Josh:YOU-
Kaito lays his fingers on Josh's lips.
Kaito:Shh! We've got no time to argue and we must keep our sounds as quiet as possible.
Philip:Kaito, didn't you prepare equipment for our breach? Where is it at?!
Kaito:Calm down, Phil. Here, catch them!
Kaito hands out ornaments to the squad.
George:What are even these cursed ornaments? Woah-!
George catches the ornament mid-air.
George then glanced at the cold, ominous ornament in his cold palm.
Kaito:Do you see this barrier?
George:Uhm, yes?
Kaito:I'll keep this short for you, mage barrier, normal people like us can't get past it.
George:What does this gotta do with these strange ornaments?
Kaito:Well you see, these ornaments grant us access to enter the barrier without any problems.
The ornament burned cold in Kaito's palm, just like the night he got it, reminding him of an unpleasant memory.
George:How does it work?
Kaito:I'm not sure either...our goal ain't researching about this anyways!
Philip:How did you even get these?
Philip raises his suspicion in Kaito.
Kaito:I'll explain later-quick! Get inside! They are coming!
A mage looked in their way and noticed them sneaking.
The mage:Hey you kids! What are you all doing here?!
Kaito:QUICK! HIDE!
The squad managed to find a large bush and dived right into it.
Kaito:Shh!
The mage failed to keep their eyes intact on the squad.
The mage:Ken! Have you seen kids wandering around here?
The mage shouted.
Ken:No, I have not seen any, there are kids who got in?
The mage:Yep, they are definitely hiding somewhere around here, keep searching!
Ken:Sigh, intruders are so hard to deal with.
The mages continue their patrol.
Ali:Guys! The coast is clear!
Ali whispers to the squad.
The squad got out from the bush when the mages went back to patrolling.
Philip:So, care to explain now?
Philip crosses his arms while whispering softly to Kaito.
Kaito:From what I could remember...a stranger handed these out to me. It was like...
-Flashback-
While Kaito was walking his way back to his home on Friday,he stumbled across a stranger following him, wearing a thick jacket and a mask to cover his face.
Kaito:Um,do I know you in any way?
Kaito slowly backs up, creating distance from him and the stranger.
Stranger:Oh no...I heard you and your friends were chit-chatting about breaking into the sealed area.
As the stranger said in a deep voice while grinning.
Kaito:How...How did you know that we were on this topic?
Kaito glances away to find an escape route around the open area.
Stranger:Calm down...don't panic, I'm not here to hurt you.
The stranger pats at Kaito's shoulder.
Stranger:I'll admit it...I am an anomaly. Run if you want, it wont matter anyways.
The stranger whispers to Kaito.
Kaito:What do you want from me...?
Kaito's heart pounds heavily.
Stranger:I am here to help you. The sealed area has a barrier that prevents ordinary humans like you from entering.
Kaito:You're gonna help me...enter the barrier?
Kaito slowly backs up while his whole body trembles.
Stranger:Precisely. Here, take these ornaments.
The stranger hands out cursed ornaments.
Kaito:Why should I trust you...?
Stranger:Don't you want to explore the rift? This is your only chance, Kaito Takahashi. If you don't accept this opportunity, you won't be entering the barrier with your friends.
Kaito:That's true...you've got a point.
Stranger:Come on, take them.
Kaito:Alright...I've got no choice anyway...
Kaito grabs the ornaments and runs swiftly into the direction of his home.
Kaito:That's all I can remember.
Philip:Why would an anomaly help us break into the rift? I don't understand.
Philip glances directly on the ornament.
George:Hey guys! This is the warehouse that has the rift in it!
George points into the sealed gate of the warehouse to the squad.
Josh:It's blocked by the gate though. How are we getting in?
Josh cracks his knuckles.
Philip:This gate...It is made of a special material. It's extremely tough.
Philip knocks on the gate.
Kaito:Fear not! I brought dynamites to blow this up since it is not resistant against blast power.
Kaito pulls dynamites out from his bag.
George:Wow Kaito, you're such a lifesaver!
Kaito:My father keeps these in his basement to defend against armed robberies or massive attacks.
Philip:There are still security patrolling around the area though...
Philip peeks around the warehouse and sees mages patrolling.
Kaito:Lucky for us we are one step ahead!
Kaito pulls out another stick of dynamite.
Philip:Don't tell me...
Philip backs up with trembling legs.
Kaito:That's right, we have to create a distraction or else we can't get in there.
Kaito grins.
Josh:We could end up in serious trouble though...
Kaito:I know...but we've got no choice and all of this will go to waste...
Kaito's grip began to loosen.
George:Are you absolutely sure about this, Kaito?
George grabs Kaito's arm with the dynamite while his hands shook.
Ali:It is the best choice we've got. At least we could face the consequences together..., right?
The mage:Aha! Found you guys! Stand still!
Kaito:RUN! I'll deal with him!
The mage:How are you gonna stop me, small fry!
Kaito:Well...
Kaito pulls out a lighter, threatening to light up the dynamite while the rest of the squad runs away.
The mage:Woah chill out kid...You don't have to do this...
Kaito panics, but then he remembered something from the flashback.
-Flashback-
As Kaito was running away, the stranger stopped him.
Stranger:Hey kid. Wait!
Kaito:Yes...?
Stranger:You may call me Zyo. If you kids are ever caught by the mages, call me. I'll handle it.
Kaito:But...
Stranger:Do you want your breach to be successful?
Kaito:Yes...
Stranger:Well then, call me if you need help, okay?
Kaito:Alright...
Kaito:ZYO! HELP ME!
The mage:Zyo? Who are you talking about?!
Zyo:Well well well, what have we got here?
The mage:Woah, back up, stranger.
Zyo:Why are you still standing there kid? Run!
The mage:Tsk, you're a supporter of the kids?
Zyo:Temporary.
The mage:Looks like I'm gonna have to deal with you first...
Zyo:I'd like to see you try your best, Reio Aoi.
Reio:How did you figure out my name...
Zyo:Don't worry about that...,what matters now is who wins.
Reio:Hah! I'm clearly stronger than you! Zyo!
Zyo:You're being overconfident and underestimating me.
Reio:Where'd you go-
Zyo swiftly flashes behind Reio and knocks him out.
Zyo:Sigh, what a weakling.
Kaito:(Zyo defeated him in just one blow?! This guy's strong!)
George:Kaito! I'm glad you made it back in one piece!
Ali:Are you injured? Please tell me you're okay!
Kaito:Thanks for the concern, I'm alright.
Philip:Hey Kaito, who is Zyo that you called out earlier...?
Kaito:He is the stranger I've told you guys about. Something's wrong with him, he feels extremely dangerous, his skin is pale and dry...his hands are freezing and he has an extremely deep voice...
Zyo:Is that all of them? Only one mage?
Ken swiftly ambushes Zyo when he was letting his guard down.
Zyo flashes behind Ken and slices up Ken with his bare hands.
Blood splashed everywhere, while Zyo was staring menacingly at the corpse of Ken as blood splattered on his face.
Zyo:Sigh, it's been years since I've used my full power.
Zyo wipes blood away from his face using a handkerchief.
Kaito:We can't just keep idling here and waste time! Let's get going while the mages are out cold!
Kaito grabs the dynamite and rushes to the gate of the warehouse.
Josh:Kaito, I'll light it. I'm stronger.
Kaito:Fine-take this and light it up.
Kaito passes the lighter to Josh.
Josh:Alright! Back up guys!
Josh stretches his hands and lights up the dynamite.
Ali:Josh-move! It's gonna explode in three-
Josh:Two-
Philip:One-
The gate erupted, metal shards fling as fire spread around the area after the explosion tore through the gate.
Kaito:Luckily the neighbourhood had moved out, so no one could've heard the explosion.
Kaito exhales out of relief.
Ali:What are we waiting for-Let's get in!
Kaito:The rift should be around the center of the warehouse. Stick together guys.
George:I can't wait to see the rift!
George raises his fist.
The squad sprinted towards the rift, as they saw it, the infamous rift. Ali couldn't resist and charged ahead. The others were gasping for air as they used up all of their stamina.
Ali:Finally...I get to see what's inside!!!
Kaito:Ali-Don't get inside yet!
Kaito pulls Ali away from the rift.
Ali:Thanks, Kaito. I almost got killed!
Ali snaps back into reality and looks at his trembling hands.
George:So...are we going inside the rift or nah?
George points towards the rift using his thumb.
Kaito:We have the cursed ornaments,we should be safe to get inside and outside but wait...
Kaito notices a strange object in front of the rift.
Ali:I feel a strange and uncomfortable feeling in me...
Ali's face turned pale as his voice cracked.
Kaito:Wait a minute...,is this from those mysterious cursed relics that I have read from the book?!
Kaito took a step forward to the strange object, as the object rings his ears while putting pressure towards Kaito's energy.
George:Relic...?
George tries to stop Kaito from getting too close to the rift by blocking his way.
Kaito:George! You're in my way, please move.
George:W-What's in your mind?! You realize that you may potentially die if you get too close to the rift!
Kaito ignores George's warning and pushes him away.
Kaito:These relics...they support a massive amount of energy...
Kaito moves his fingers closer to the relic.
Josh:HEY KAITO! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO! THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!
Josh rushes towards Kaito, attempting to stop Kaito.
Ali:Kaito, these relics might be dangerous! It's like picking up a poisonous mushroom!
Ali takes a step towards Kaito while raising his hand.
Kaito:No way...wait a minute...this relic,the material...IT IS MADE FROM THE DARK MATTER OF THE COSMOS!!!IT'S THE RAREST MATERIAL!
Ali:Are you out of your mind?! Throw that thing away or you might die painfully! Give it to me!
Kaito:No...We must keep this relic away from the anomalies! We gotta leave!
Ali:OI-! What's the deal with this?! Don't tell me you're planning to betray us! I'll dispose of it now!
Kaito:NO! THIS IS POWER!WE CAN'T JUST SIMPLY LITTER IT AND LEAK IT TO THE ANOMALIES, THAT'LL END THE WORLD!!!
Kaito shouts aggressively towards Ali.
Ali:I'M DOING THIS FOR THE SAKE OF OUR SAFETY, WHO KNOWS THIS RELIC MIGHT BE SOME SORT OF SECRET BOMB THAT KILL US ALL?!
Ali steps forward and tries to grab the relic away from Kaito.
Kaito:NO! DON'T SNATCH IT AWAY FROM ME! STOP IT!
George:GUYS!!!STOP FIGHTING! YOU'RE ONLY MAKING THIS WORSE,ALI. WE SHOULD HEAR AN EXPLANATION FROM KAITO BEFORE ACTING.
George tried to convince Ali and Kaito to stop fighting…but then it was too late. While Ali was snatching the relic away from Kaito, his hand slipped. The relic fell to the ground, shattering into pieces of material shimmering like fragments of the cosmos. The warehouse was instantly filled with silence.
Kaito:No…NO!!!WHAT HAVE WE DONE?!
George:Calm down, Kaito. We shouldn't alert the anomalies.
Kaito:No...You don't understand...This was a huge opportunity...but it's all wasted.
Kaito looks down at the floor in frustration.
Kaito:We should leave the area containing the pieces of the shattered relic,it leaves an unpleasant energy that overdrives your body.
Kaito sighed heavily.
George:It's alright guys,as long as we are all safe.Let's keep going.
George glanced at Kaito as he moved ahead.
Josh:Oi, George-Watch your steps!
Josh points towards the shattered pieces of the relic.
George:Huh-
George didn't notice there was a piece of the shattered relic right on the floor in front of him,he slipped and fell onto the jagged pieces.
Josh:GEORGE!
Josh rushes towards George.
Kaito:NO Don't-This will only trap you in it too!
Josh:I don't care! I'm supposed to save my best friend's life, not watch him suffer!
An overwhelming energy surges through George's body. It felt like it was exploding inside out. The force was so intense that it made him pass out instantly.
Josh:George...Can you hear me?!Hello-
Suddenly,an evil laugh is heard from a distance. An ominous energy surges through the warehouse.
???:Hello young explorers,how's it going in here?
An unknown entity arrived in the warehouse and stumbled across the squad.
Ali:Oi! Who the hell do you think you are?!
Ali takes a step back.
???:Allow me to introduce myself.I am Wilson.An anomaly that has survived for over 150 years!!!
Kaito:It's one of the strongest anomalies...We're so done for.
Wilson:You're pretty smart, kid.Since I'm in a good mood tonight,I'll share our Ultimate Plan.
Wilson slowly emerges towards the squad.
Philip:What are even you anomalies and what are your goals?
Wilson:We are from a different dimension,this dimension has been attracting our attention since the existence of the mages as this dimension has a worthy amount of power we could collect and fight for.
Kaito:It's all my fault...I shouldn't have led you guys to come to this area...I'm sorry...IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!!
Josh:No Kaito-! We will get out of this and survive! We were the ones who agreed to come anyway.
Josh pats Kaito's shoulder with his pale hand.
Wilson:Get out? Survive? Me? Brats,look at you. Pathetic.
Ali:Hah,try me then! You brat!
Wilson:You asked for it…
Wilson flashes around the warehouse, too fast for the squad to follow. In an instant, he pierces Ali's stomach. Blood pours onto the floor. Ali collapses.
Kaito:Ali! Are you okay? You guys! Get out as soon as possible, I'll distract Wilson.Carry Ali and George out of here! Quick!!
Josh:What about you?!
Josh carries Ali and prepares to sprint.
Kaito:It's all my fault...If I don't redeem myself right here,I'm a murderer. Now, take Ali and George with you guys and RUN!
Philip:But Kaito-
Josh:There's no time LEFT, Phil. QUICK!
Philip:(Kaito...you sacrificed to save us all...but why...Josh pulled me and ran towards a nearby forest along with Ali and Philip. I'm sorry...Kaito Takahashi.)
Philip carries George and sprints away along with Josh.
Wilson:So Kaito. You call this survival? This is mercy!
Kaito:I'm sorry, Zyo, but I need your help!
Zyo:Well, what have we got here-Oh long time no see, Wilson.
Wilson:Nice to see you again, Zyo Hakashima, also known as The Infamous Soul Cleaver.
Zyo:It's been so long, Wilson. Have you gotten stronger?
Wilson:Well, yes but it was only a little compared to last time we fought.
Zyo:Glad to see you still alive.
Kaito:What are you doing, Zyo?! Help me please!
Wilson:It's obvious who's stronger here, Zyo. Take another step closer and you'll feel the hellflame.
Zyo:Fair enough. I'll leave him to you.
Kaito:Zyo...you betrayed me! Bastard!
Zyo:I never mentioned that I'll be your savior forever, Kaito Takahashi.
Zyo slashes deep into Kaito's neck.
Zyo:This is goodbye for us, Kaito.
Wilson:I'm glad to see you improve your spirit, Zyo.
Wilson and Zyo grins at each other.
Philip:Damn it! We barely made it out alive...Now we lost Kaito. What are we gonna do now?! Ali might just bleed and die out here! George might be even dead by now! What have we done?!
Philip shakes Josh aggressively.
Josh:It's okay Phil...we have to find out a way to get to safety for now.
Josh looks around the forest for an escape route.
Philip:WHAT?! You are telling me to calm down?! After that tragedy?! Now we're lost in a random forest. How are we gonna get out?! Ali and George will consume our energy twice!
Josh:Philip, shut up. You will only lose energy if you keep yelling like that. We...have to find a way out as soon as possible. This is no joke.
Josh covers Philip's mouth.
Philip:We are already in the middle of the forest. Wilson should not find us, we're safe...for now.
Philip sat down onto a nearby rock, placing George next to him and exhaled out of exhaustion.
Josh:Our only choice...is to keep marching forward...towards the light.
Philip:How do we even know if we are going the right way?
Josh:Exactly, we take a gamble.
Josh snaps his fingers.
Philip:Sounds pretty logical. We ain't got a compass or something. Carrying him is so exhausting!
Josh:We have no choice, we can't let another one die!
Philip:He is bleeding intensely though...I guess I'll use my clothes to wrap up the wound.
Philip takes his jacket and covers Ali's wound.
Josh:If you ever feel tired, we'll stop by an area and rest. We don't have to be extremely fast because we'll only consume twice of our normal energy.
Philip:Ah...gambling...Let's just go towards this path! It feels right.
Philip points towards the direction his instincts told him.
Josh:Let's get going!
Philip carries George and continues down into the path with Josh.
Josh:(It has been a few hours of walking, all of our energy has been drained down to the ground. We are still stuck in the forest but I believe we are getting warmer...and warmer...to the light...)
Philip:It has been a few exhausting hours of agony. Can we just stop here and rest?
Philip and Josh stumble across an open area in the forest.
Josh:This place seems to be very safe for our temporary stay.
Philip:Josh! There's a waterfall right there! We could use that as our source of water and it's also an open area.This is the perfect area to stay!
Philip points towards the waterfall. Moonlight glimmers through the cascading water, while fireflies hover among the bushes and massive rocks.
Josh:Excellent choice,Phil.
They decided to stay near the waterfall since it is easy to spot nearby predators easily.
Josh:Get some rest you deserve, Phil.
Philip:Ah finally some rest, I'm probably gonna get intense back pain tomorrow. Ugh...What about you, Josh. What are you up to?
Philip couldn't resist but lay onto the grass with dry leaves on top, staring at the twinkling stars in the sky.
Josh:Don't worry about me, I'll keep watch of the area to avoid predator attacks.
Josh grabs a wooden stick and crosses his arms.
Philip:Are you sure?
Josh:Yep, I am strong.
Josh stares up into the sky and glances at the moon. Suddenly, a memory stirred in Josh's mind.
-Josh's mind-
Just like that, I've lost one of my best friends, Kaito Takahashi, and possibly even George…if he couldn't bear with the pain…I can't lose any more valuable treasure like them…I must keep protecting them as the toughest in this group…
-Josh Backstory Flashback-
I have an elder brother, James. He rarely speaks to me and left our family at the age of 12. Our family was poor. It was only my parents, James and me. My parents could barely afford school for me. I was always made fun of for having a poor family. No one at school talked to me, the girls were disgusted by me.
At the age of 10, my mom was diagnosed with a rare disease that reduces her lifespan down to 1 year left to live. My father and James had to work for 17 hours per day in the market just to afford food for a few days. The villagers often make fun of our family as "The Cursed Family". Our shirts were torn apart and we couldn't even afford to take a shower. I've always had a passion for helping others when in need, whenever anyone is struggling, I would not hesitate, my body moves before I have the time to think. Even though I had helped tons of people in my village, they still hated and threw their anger at me. Due to our mother's disease,our burden has increased significantly, father and James had to work extra hours and sacrifice meals to afford medical treatment for our mother. As time passed, her disease got worse and worse, our hopes were destroyed.
James had to commit robbery just to get enough money for a treatment. We've tried everything up to the point that she eventually died at the end of the year. Since James had committed robberies in the past, the judge of the village punished him by execution.
Our family tried to convince the judge to not punish James by executing him but no matter how hard we try, nothing works. We've lost everything to the point where we give up on living and accept our fate. James told me one last sentence that had changed my entire life.
James:Miyamoto, you're a strong person, protect and help others around you...
I didn't cry. I couldn't. It felt like my chest had been hollowed out. After James's execution, father decided to send me to the orphanage and give up on me. A miracle happened when a family decided to adopt me as the youngest child and gave me a nickname of Josh to resemble my brother's name, James Takeshi. My new family was extremely nice to me and sent me to the school I'm currently in. I was extremely grateful that I have a second chance in life for a different path. The sentence my brother told me had always been stuck in my mind. I helped tons of people and they were thankful for me and sent me tons of gifts. My best friends are the only people in school that could brighten up my day. Losing them is like losing a treasure sunk into the abyss…God gave me a second chance at life…and now I'm gonna cherish it!
(Hello this is a message from the author, do you think Josh's writing is good enough, I'm sorry but I'm just asking if it is good enough since I've spent quite some time on this, if you could let me know it will be appreciated.Thank You.)
END OF PART II-THE ENCOUNTER