The Sword of Darkness

1 Itazuki

Part 1

The Sword of darkness

The boy stared death in the face. Death happened to be an old familiar one. The boy slouched against the store aisle like his life force was vacuumed out. His muscles torched and drained, his stomach wounds blistered up like tiny red mountains with rivers of pus.

He stared at the strange man who towered over him. His katana blade had changed becoming like a wilted tree with limbs snaking out a few feet from the trunk and ready to topple over from the next breeze. But the appearance was deceptive. Deception could be applied to anyone, even to the seemingly weak.

Today started out like most, waiting ten more minutes after the alarm went off in bed, but the ten shifted inconspicuously to thirty and then to an hour suddenly without him knowing, letting him be late for work. Life continued the same for twenty years. Existing though became a chore instead of a thrilling prospect to engage in, it was a thing he wanted to get over quickly just so that he could slumber more and escape. But today was different. The gears had shifted and he needed the old life he once fled. But only a taste, not the four course meal. But life can be generous at the wrong times.

There was a brief glimmer in his eyes and a subtle smile. He was more nervous than that moment before getting ready to deliver a speech to classmates. Legs trembling so bad they feel like they'll run off without you. More worried, seconds before a first kiss where your heart beats so loud you think they can hear it. He was anxious but it was a sign that your about to face something important. He was excited.

The day before Rylan operated the computer screen, pushing the button to process the groceries, a very menial and repetitive task. He grabbed the woman's items. Such as boxes of cereal, ketchup and cheese. A random list of things, he swiped another item and looked up; their eyes met and were locked onto each other. Her eyes were turquoise. The color seemed to hypnotize Rylan, and then his eyes began to wander down and up. Her frame resembled a pear, small upper body and as it traveled down her hips, butt and legs, her size grew out from the center. Her reddish hair flowed freely down to her mid back.

"How are you?" He said softly while finishing up her order waiting for the payment.

"I'm good thank you," She looked up startled at Rylan. Rylan was at least a good foot taller than her. She shuffled through her purse to find her wallet. "How are you?" She asked

"I'm fine." Rylan never had truly felt good enough to say he was good..

She smiled only enhancing the startling beauty in her eyes, she handed him the money, the exact amount. Rylan had always appreciated when customers did that. It made things simple and easy.

"Good bye, thank you and have a good day." He uttered a phrase that annoyed him to death every time he said it. It was like force feeding oneself, painful. He watched her leave then looked over at the customer service desk across the registers. The clock's hands were at 5:55 P.M. His shift was almost over. He started to clean, he grabbed the blue spray cleaner and sprayed the scanner plate and the conveyer belt and wiped it down with a paper towel.

Then Jeremy walked straight and tall, except he was only 5'7", an average height. But smaller than Rylan.

"You can go." Jeremy's face seemed blank almost all the time as if he carried no emotion within himself. That, through Rylan off and whenever Jeremy laughed it seemed fake and forced. It was unnatural as if he was hiding something. Rylan stepped around the register looking at the other cashiers, friends he was forced to make. But making friends was close to compromising. He clocked out and headed home.

Rylan walked outside, feeling the sudden rush of humidity. He looked at the yellow sun and began his journey home, how he longed not to have rear ended that woman's car. There were many things he had wished he had done differently. His car was totaled and he sold his moped. All he had now was his legs.