The rain slowly drizzled down the window while Sho laid his head against it staring out over the city lights. The music was on low playing some rock oldies while his parents talked back and forth about their evening. Sho was tired and having a hard time staying awake. He hated when he would have to go out for family get togethers. Especially when his sister got to get out of it by acting like she was sick. He liked getting to see grandma and grandpa, but his cousins, aunts, and uncles always teased him more than he liked and he just never felt comfortable around the whole family. Lost in his own thoughts slowly drifting away his father called out to him, “Hey Sho, what exactly do you have planned when you graduate? I heard grandma asking you about it but I never got around to hearing your answer.” Sho stared out the window wondering if he should act like he’s sleeping to avoid the question. He hadn’t really thought about what comes next. He couldn’t really answer the question when his grandmother asked him so he didn’t have a real answer for his father either.
“I don’t really know honestly. I was still busy thinking about the end of the semester and just trying to pass all my classes I haven’t seriously thought about it yet. I know I should be but I’m just trying to make it through each day one day at a time.” He thumped his head back against the glass and watched as the water slowly crept its way down.
“It’s okay honey,” his mother cut in. “You have a lot on your plate right now as it is. You should be thinking more about girls by this time anyways.” His mother had a big smile on her face as she looked back at her son. “So when are you going to tell Hikaru how you feel about her? You’re not getting any younger and soon she’ll be moving away to college so if you don’t act fast you could lose your chance! You guys have been close for so long it would be a shame if you guys didn’t end up together.”
“Mom!” Sho interrupted. “Stop she has a boyfriend and has been with him for like as long as I can remember. There’s no point putting that kind of strain on our friendship when she just started playing piano again. I like our friendship and it’d suck if I fucked it up.”
“Sho, watch your language around your mother.” His father cut in sternly.
“Oh, Kondo leave him alone. He’s eighteen now let him be himself. Besides he takes after you so just don’t. It’s refreshing to hear a boy his age think responsibly about his friendships. But if you don’t act fast you’ll loose your chance. I was talking to her mother the other day and she was saying because of her piano lessons her boy friend was growing impatient not being able to spend as much time with her and that they have been having problems. So if any chance was ripe it’s now!”
“Jeeze Ayumi, you snap at me to leave the boy alone and here you are being his relationship manager. If you’re gonna be that way maybe let him have a drink with his old man sometime!” His dad laughed out loud and his mom just smiled and looked back forward out the window.
The main thing he hated about family get togethers was how long it took to get there. They always met up at his grandparent’s house which was almost a three hour drive from where he lived. He listened to the same music his parents liked among many other types but he never could hear the radio over his parents talking and laughing. As much as he disliked the ride he did appreciate that they weren’t bickering and arguing like some of his friends parents always were. His best friend Okumura didn’t have it as easy as he did. Mura’s parents always fought. In private, in front of anyone, it didn’t matter to them who heard it. The one time when Sho was over at his house when Mura’s parents started getting physical, Mura tried to stand up for his mother but his father slapped him down and since that day Mura just pretends like he doesn’t hear it when they fight. It became so uncomfortable that Sho stopped going over there and has Mura hangout at his house instead. For a long while Mura lived with Sho and his family when his parents finally got divorced. His mom ended up in the hospital for drug rehab and while his dad battled for his custody. While the case went on Mura became part of Sho’s family for awhile. Eventually though, his father was granted custody and Mura had to return home. While still watching the city lights flash past him one by one his heart ached. Mura always came to the family get together and it made it bearable. He hated having to explain where he was and why he wasn’t living with them anymore this time. It was extra salt in the wound.
Sho’s phone vibrated and he looked down at it. He flipped it open and had three missed calls and seven unread text messages. His friend Sakamoto had been trying to get ahold of him the whole time he was at his grandparents but he felt that he shouldn’t be on his phone while he was there. Now he’s to ashamed to respond back since it took so long. He opened the first text message and it read:
Hey Taro, you tell her yet? I’ve been dying for an answer man. You said you’d ask her after school and its after school so what’s the answer?
Sho opened the next message:
Hey BRO, its been hours since the last bell and where are you at? A man’s love will know no bounds!
Sho thought to himself, I don’t know how that saying goes but I’m pretty sure that’s not how it goes… He opened the next text: and then the next:
WHAT IS THE ANSWER? I’M DYING OVER HERE! DID YOU TELL HER I LOVE HER OR NOT MAN?!
Sho grinded his teeth in anger. He furiously texted back:
No calm down, I was going to but its freaking weird that I have to tell her you’re in love with her why can’t you do it yourself. It’s lame you want me to do it. I don’t want some loser who can’t even tell her himself dating my sister.
He sent the message and slammed his phone shut. Damn he can be annoying sometimes he thought to himself. Sakamoto has been in love with Sho’s sister Izumi since they were kids. He never has been able to tell her his feelings for her and is always bothering Sho to do it for him. Since Sho can’t even tell the girl he likes he doesn’t want to do it for Sakamoto. His phone vibrated with a mad storm of messages. He only opened the last one he received which read:
You are the catalyst in this love equation my brethren. I lay my fate in your hands…
The world isn’t short on idiots, Sho laughed to himself. Just then if it wasn’t for his seat belt Sho would have been thrown across the back seat and possibly out the window in a matter of a second. The tires of their vehicle screeched as the car jerked to the side and slid across the pavement. What felt and sounded like a train slamming into the side of a building crashed into the passenger side of their car forcing the car to steer into the stop light. The stop light immediately came crashing down on top of the car smashing in the windshield and crushing the roof in. A reoccurring grinding sound of metal followed by the thud of one and a half tons of steel shattering the pavement thundered outside their crashed car and then abruptly came to a grinding halt.
For a good minute only the rain could be heard pattering against the car. The sound of a crackling fire came next followed by a deep groan. “Sho…” his father uttered. “Are you alright? You have to go help that other car. Please son wake up. They need help.” Sho’s mind finally stopped spinning and he came too.” His arm was in searing pain but he could move. “Sho, hurry. There isn’t much time. I’ll help your mother.” Barely able to comprehend his father’s words he forced the door open and stepped out of the car in a hobble.
A moment ago, everything was calm and rainy and now what laid in front of him was a hellfire of a raging inferno beginning. Without a moment to spare he charged over to the other car and reached in the windows. The car was completely upside down in the middle of the intersection as if it had rolled a few times. In the car was an older woman and what looked like a younger girl that could possibly be her daughter. Sho reached in and tried to wake the driver but had no success. The fire was getting hotter and hotter to the point he wouldn’t have much time to try to save them. He crawled in through the shattered window and undid the drivers seat belt and dragged her out through her window to the side of the road. He ran back and climbed through the busted back window and saw that the girl was tangled in her seatbelt and the buckling mechanism wasn’t unbuckling. He didn’t care what he had to do all he knew is that he had to save her. He picked up a piece of the busted glass from the broken window and attempted to cut the seat belt. The shard of glass started digging into his hand in his desperate attempt to set her free. The more he tried to cut the deeper into his hand the glass cut. His arm was definitely broken, but what’s a few broken bones compared to someone losing their life? While grinding his teeth he thought to himself: I’ll cut every damn finger off if it means saving this girl. The seatbelt then slit apart and the girl came crashing down onto him from out of her seat. Holding her tight he pushed himself and her out by using his legs to push off of the seats through the shattered glass on the ground. As they emerged from underneath the car, the car was now completely set ablaze. He took her to where he laid the driver and laid her on the side of the road next to her. He wasn’t sure if they were alive or not, but he wasn’t going to let their bodies burn in the fire regardless.
Writhing in pain, Sho turned to his car to see his father still struggling to get his mother out. Determined to save everyone he took one step forward and stepped in a huge puddle. He thought nothing of it at first since it was raining but within a moment he felt his leg heating up. When he looked down, his leg was on fire. He also noticed the puddle he had stepped in was now ignited and the flame was quickly traveling up a small stream of gasoline that was leaking from their car. For the first time in Shotaro’s life, his heart had completely stopped. He couldn’t breath. It felt like, since his heart had stopped pumping blood, that every cell in his body was screaming for oxygen. His lungs were already burning from the heat and smoke. He felt like he was screaming as loud as he could but only a gasp for air escaped when he opened his mouth. He forced himself into a second step. But within that second step, in a flash of searing hot light, everything had gone black.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCX3eRWLNO
