CROSSFIELD TRILOGY : Volume No. 01

Chp. 04: Mark And Tokyo

(Authors note: im really sorry that this chapter took so long. I had my exams in between so writing was definitely much more difficult this week)

Mark got up and stretched. Opening the curtains, he gave a deep yawn as a beam of sunlight fell onto his bed. Rubbing his eyes,he went towards the sink and splashed cold water on his face. He couldn't understand one bit of what had happened last night. Tokyo had left after giving him a piece of paper which contained  2 specific instructions.
'I. Don't leave the house alone
II. I'll visit you same place same time next week.'
Mark sighed as he read what was written on the paper.
'Do not let anyone touch the Ace of Spades. It would be in your best interest of you kept the card as it is in the metal box. The next morning, everything will be back to normal so just pretend that nothing had happened to you. I dont think I need to say it to you but, whatever I told you last night, shouldn't leave the boundaries of this room.' Mark remembered the angel's words.
He kept the paper on the bedside table, bent down and put his hand under the bed until it could feel something hard with a velvety finish. He pulled the object from underneath the bed and there it was. Tiny golden flowers drawn most probably by hand onto a velvety crimson colored scabbard which contained the most important blade on Earth. The honjo masamune!!
'Now that I permit the sword through my guardianship, it will stay with you lending you its complete power whenever you want. However, let it be etched in your mind, that the sword has a soul of its own which helps it to understand whether its Master is using it for peace or evil. Since, the swordsmith Masamune was a strong advocate of peace, the sword will prove to be  extra efficient in situations where you defend or protect the people close to you.'
These words ran through Mark's mind. 'Tokyo sure knew a lot about this sword.'
Mark thought as he slid the sword back under his bed and went down the stairs towards the kitchen for some breakfast.

He heard cutlery being moved around and the sound of water falling on the sink  which told him that his mom was in the kitchen, probably washing bowls or plates.
"Good morning Mom!" Mark said as he entered the kitchen.
"Oh good lord Mark! Happy birthday to you!" Ms Jefferson said,almost dropping the large ceramic bowl she was wiping dry.
"Thanks mom." Mark took a seat at fhe table. 'From the looks of it, she dosen't remember not seeing me last night.'
"Um... did you get the eggs and flour that I brought last night?" Mark asked her holding his breath.
"What are you talking about? Ofcourse I got the eggs. How else would I have made this cake?" Ms. Jefferson pointed to the oven. Mark looked through the transparent baking door as he could see a giant baking dish revolve in the yellowish light of the oven.
'That's strange. I kept the bag in my room and this morning I unlocked the door myself so she couldn't have entered the room during the night! How did she get the eggs and stuff then?'
"Anyways, what do you wanna have for breakfast. Considering its your birthday, I'll overlook the fact that you have woken up at half past 9 and make you something you want rather than dry toast." Ms Jefferson said as she turned on the gas flame.
Mark scratched the back of his head slightly as he was taken by surprise. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry and was in no mood for a heavy breakfast. "I guess I'll have a glass of orange juice and some of those cheerios in a bowl of milk." He said
"You sure you want cereal for breakfast?" Ms. Jefferson asked as she stared at Mark suspiciously.
"Yup. I'm positive." Mark nodded and faked a smile, trying to act as normal as possible.
                       _____________

Mark sat on his bed. The windows were open and the curtains were tied tightly so as not to flap around unnecessarily from the blowing wind. Mark looked at the small parchment of paper once again. 'I'll come here again after a week, same place, same day, same time.'
He read the words in his mind. The entire week had been stressful for him. He hadn't gone out of his house after dusk except for the times when his mom had to go out for shopping or to work. He simply couldn't stand his mom going out on her own after what had happened to him afterall, as he was now dealing with demons, anything was possible and as a result, Mark too had to be extra careful. Half of his day was mostly passed in school and doing various home assigbments and projects.
In the evenings, he usually paced around the house making sure every exit was locked out. However, the nights proved to be the worst. Mark could barely sleep  as the image of the man getting his ear eaten haunted him throughout his dreams.If that wasn't the case, he had dreams about his dad which ended abruptly without proving anything at all.He held the katana near himself while sleeping but that didnt provide him any relief. On the contrary, he had to wake up early and hide the katana again under his bed before his mom came in to wake him up which further ruined his sleep. If would be highly problematic if his mom saw it. These small things slowly made an impact and Mark's lifestyle had completely worsened in just a span of 7 days.