• The Story of Katakune Tamoku
    (Hardships)

    Chapter 2 - "Alone"


    I woke up to the calls of morning birds. My eyes flutter open and I stare at the gray sky. "What happened last night? Why am I outside?" I felt something cold on my cheeks so i reached to my face to see what it was. I could feel a soft glistening wetness on my finger. "What is this? I don't remember it ever raining last night. Maybe it's dew?" I lick my finger and taste a bitter saltiness. I finally understand and sit up straight. "Tatsuka! Where is Tatsuka?" I looked around the whole field and saw nothing. My eyes drifted to the open back door. I wince as i try to get up and walk inside. The first feeling that I got was death. The stillness in the air almost scared me. A sudden burst of thunder was heard from outside and the ghostly presence creakily closed the door behind me. I jumped a little and kept walking into the house, arms near my face. As I walk through the hallways I can hear my footsteps clearly and get more scared. No lights are on in the house and no sounds can be heard but the silent winds outside. I've never felt this way before. I finally walked to the door of my room and opened it. I never noticed the creaking sound it ever made until now, it's so quiet. I think I know now what it's like to be alone.
    I slowly walked to my bed and fell ontop of it, face first, sobbing. I still couldn't believe the one i've lived with my whole life, my idol, has gone. After a while i finally stopped and wiped the tears off of my face. I crawled up into the bed and under the covers, staring at my ceiling thinking about Tatsuka. I spent that whole day thinking about Tatsuka and crying.
    BOOM grroughf... tchshhhhh. My eyes widen to the sound of a loud thunder. "It's raining," I thought to myself. I turned my head to the side and saw a picture of me and tatsuka in a rusty frame on the dresser next to my bed. I closed my eyes and waited for the next thunder boom. I apparently missed it because I fell asleep. All day and all night for weeks was a cycle to me. I'd wake up, think about Tatsuka, eat leftovers, spend time alone to think about what I should do next, then cry myself to sleep. I think crying took up the most of my time though. I couldn't stop thinking about him. Everyday I'd worry about where he was right then and if he wasn't too far, if I could try and find him. I know I shouldn't bother my brother though, and plus, it's probably already too late anyway.
    It's been about a month now and my vision is getting dimmer by the day. I can't seem to see as well as I used too and I think it's because of the tears. I've finished eating everything we had left, even the food we have that has spoiled and rotted. I had to survive on the rain water and my tears and moldy food half eaten by cockroaches. My clothes have also gotten torn up and ragged. I haven't bathed since Tatsuka left and I'm starting to have a very foul smell. My hair feels like it could come out at any minute, it's so greasy and messy. I think now is time to go out and finally fend for myself. I sniff and weakly get out of bed and put on my shoes. "I think I'm ready now, Tatuska."
    I look around the house trying to find loose change and get lucky, very lucky. I find three gold pieces which can buy a Sata Andagi a piece. Even though it's not alot, I think about those soft sweet buns with frosting and fruit filling and suddenly my stomache rumbles; it's so worth it. I step out of the house for the first time in months and walk a little. I stop and turn back to see what the house looks like. It's made out of old Bonzai trees with no windows and very little light source. The only distinct feature of the whole house is the old broken door in the front and the back, other than that there was bearly any shape to it. I turn around and squint my eyes. I see a bunch of tall trees everywhere, not much else. I'm getting scared of my vision, I don't want to go blind!
    I start walking, not knowing where I'm going until I find a clearing in the trees and a thin marsh starting inbetween them. I walk more and the marsh turns into a stream which turns into a little river. I walk more until my legs hurt and I finally find a three-way bridge. Three river paths under each. I turn right where the trees stop and see a whole bunch of empty huts. I squint my eyes more and on the other side of the river, I see people walking in what seems to be a marketplace. I open my eyes astonished as I finally remember. This is where Tatsuka used to always take me to get groceries! I run across the bridge and into the nearest store, lucky me, it's the baker. I go up to the counters and look through the glass. "Donuts, Eclairs, Sata Andagi," I say to my self as i giggle with joy. I look up to the clerk with squinty eyes and reach up to put the gold coins on the table. "I-i'd like three Sata andagis please." The clerk looks at me with old baggy eyes like he was trying to accuse me of something. I get scared and pull back a little, "Is- is there something wrong, sir?" This is the first time I've talked to anyone but my self in a long time, I thought I was talking in a language he couldn't understand. "Not at all little boy."
    "Uh, ok, then. Can I get m-my food now, please?" I hesitated, this atmosphere felt akward to me. I could hear people chat behind me in a menacing sense and now an old man looking down my nose right in front of me. I got scared, I almost grabbed the money and ran, but I didn't. "Tell me boy, can you see me?" I got shocked. "Uh, yes sir. Um, not really, but kind of. What is it, sir?"
    "I think you should wear these," He pulled something plastic and clear out of his back pocket, "My daughter got contacts the other day and kept her glasses. She gave them to me because she said she thought she didn't need them, but maybe you do." I stared at these so called "glasses" and touched them then grasped them. I've never seen glasses before so I got really confused. The clerk felt sorry for me and gave me three Sata Andagis for one gold each. I thanked him and put the glasses on. When I looked up I could see perfectly. This discovery made me extremely happy, I felt like a new person, like I had been recovered from blindness or something. I grabbed the bag of donuts and quickly ran back home with new encouragments.
    This encouragment didn't last long however. Half way home I came across a wolf. He was very large and looked rabid. His gray colored fur barely casted any light from the moon and his left eye was scarred. I got scared and tried to back away, he could sense fear though and suddenly started running at top speed towards me. My heart sped faster and faster and my eyes got wider and wider. I was stunned and couldn't move. I dropped the bag of donuts and screamed. The next thing I knew I was laying on the ground with blood and fire surrounding me everywhere. I looked up at the burnt wolf and almost screamed again, my fear was the only thing that kept me from doing that though. I looked at the gleaming red jewel on my neck and back at the wolf. I sat in silence trying to fit the pieces of this puzzle together. It seems that the power of this Fremere's Guard has used it's powers to shield me from the wolf and killed it. I am so thankful for still being alive right now. If Tatsuka hadn't of gave me this, I probably would have been dead by now. I suddenly flash back to when Tatsuka left. "It's just my time to leave. I'll always be with you in your heart, you know." He said that, and he ment it. I think he really is looking after me through these jewels. I smile and hold them close to me thinking of Tatuska.
    I get up and pick up the donuts and walk the rest of the way home. I suddenly feel a chill on my back. I better get home quick, it's starting to get cold.