Too Late

A Prayer for The Impossible

Arata decided to not go home tonight. It was only a week before his birthday and he could tell his parents were getting more and more nervous, freaking out on things they wouldn't have been mad about even in the past.

He figured his siblings would be alright, for one night at least.

So instead of going straight home from practice, he went to a vacant park and just settled on one of the swings.

He hummed as he took a long drag from the joint he had lit a minute ago.

It was a peaceful night. The stars and moon shined bright in the sky. The only disturbance of quietness was the night's official choir, crickets and frogs. Their song was peaceful and calming and allowed Arata to plan his next moves.

His plan was quite simple when spoken but probably not when being done. He was going to, on his birthday, take all the evidence he has been collecting through the years to the police station. Then he'd hopefully take his parents to court, get them found guilty, then get custody of his siblings. The only thing is that he did not have a stable income and was a high school student. These, pilled on top of other shit, he wasn't probably the best candidate, but hopefully, if he consulted his teachers, friends, and coaches, hopefully something could be thought out. Another choice was the Oikawas, his uncle and aunt. Maybe they could watch after his siblings?

The plan was simple, but that's because it's purposely just a bullet list. In larger terms, there is a whole bunch of legal issues that go into it, and Arata wasn't sure he was ready for it, but he knew it was something he had to do.

He has to save himself and his siblings.

"Ehm...God...I don't really...know if you're there or not. I'm not sure if you can hear me but...my name is Yoshida Arata and my family isn't doing too well right now. I'm just asking, please, please help us. If you can hear me, please make sure that we are safe, that my siblings are safe. That's all...that's all I ask....oh and uhh...amen. Thank you." Arata was in no means religious, never even really thought about that stuff.

Maybe Heaven and Hell but nothing else.

But right now, he needed anything to be on his side. Even if that thing was a higher entity that could be either real or just a safe haven for those in need of a spiritual guide.

His head hung, as he watched the small bit of joint burnt his fingers before burning out completely.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a feeling of dread creeped up the back of his neck. It ran through every nerve, organ, muscle, and bone in his body.

Something wasn't right.

He whipped his head up, looking around to see that there was nothing there.

"Huh." He hugged his arms across his torso before slowly standing up.

His bag was right next to him, on the ground, and his phone was placed neatly on top.

Grabbing it, he flipped it open to check the time, but stopped and noticed he had a few missed calls from both of his parents.

"I should probably head home." Grabbing his bag and tossing it over his shoulder, he pocketed his phone, gave one last glance at his surroundings, and headed to his house.

Little does Arata know, he will be greeted with a sight that will be ingrained into his head for days, until he too, will be a sight for someone to greet.