Wednesday, April 14, 2004

   Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Imprisonment

Iruka’s head bobs up and down as the large alligator inhales and exhales. The rays of the morning sun break through treetops and illuminate the area below. Iruka awakens as the light scatters across his face, beaming into his eyes. Sitting up straight he rubs his eyes to remove his sleepiness.
Iruka: “What happened? The alligator!”
Iruka turns around and sees the large alligator sleeping soundly. No traces of the bruises or cuts that marked his blue body were nowhere to be seen.
Iruka: “He’s alright. [stomach growls]”
“[sweat drop] And I’m hungry. [stands up and begins to walk forward] I think there are some apple tre--”
Iruka trips over the alligator’s tail.
Iruka: “Uff!”
???: “Leaving already?”
Iruka: “!!!. Uh no I wasn’t planning on leaving!”
Iruka rises from the ground nervously and turns around to confront the alligator. Iruka falls back to the ground as the alligator began to rise. Standing erect, the alligator was taller than the trees around them, his belly protruded out with a expanded V shape, a few teeth overlaid his mouth, and green markings painted his body. His icy blue eyes fit his ocean blue skin and red dorsal fins.
Iruka: “[paranoid] You got to be taller than a 10 foot latter…”
???: “You sound scared”
Iruka: “Scared? I’m terrified! I didn’t expect you to be this tall or so large…”
???: “Well don’t be. [smiles] It’s not like I’m going to eat you or anything”
Iruka: “[nervously] Hahahaha….ah….”
Iruka stomach growls.
???: “[laughs] Seems that someone is hungry. Come on, I’ll take you to this place where you can get something to eat.”
Iruka: “[paranoid] Sure ok”
???: “Oh by the way, my name is Aisu. Iruka, right?”
Iruka: “Yeah”
[ Somewhere in Meiro Forest]
Aisu: “I’m pretty sure there where some apple trees around here?”
Iruka: “They’re on the other side of the lake”
Aisu: “[sweat drop] Oh that’s right. Well guess we are going to have to cross over.”
Aisu walks into the water but stops and turns around.
Aisu: “Hop on”
Iruka: “You sure?”
Aisu: “Yeah”
Iruka slowly but gradually mounts Aisu and across the lake they go.
Aisu: “Where you trying to sneak off home?”
Iruka: “I have no home..”
Aisu: “But that kid yesterday he--”
Iruka: “He’s the son of the family that adopted me”
Aisu: “So you’re an orphan?”
Iruka: “I lived with the Takabashis for nine years. They where the only family that would take me in when I came to Yoshiro. Thos were the worst years of my life.”
Aisu: “Why?”
Iruka: “Everyday I was forced to do work without any rest. I was lucky enough if they fed me. Problem is they would give me scraps left over but I only ate vegetables or fruits. I’d sneak an apple or orange here now and then.”
Aisu: “You don’t eat meat?”
Iruka: “Nope I’m a Vegan”
Aisu: “Well I’m a vegetarian myself”
Iruka: “No way! That’s a first!”
Aisu: “What is?”
Iruka: “A Repthian that is actually a vegetarian.”
“Then what do you do for protein? A gator your size needs a lot of protein”
Aisu: “Have you ever heard of Taka Roots?”
Iruka: “I think I have. Don’t they have the same proteins as meat does? Except they produce excess amounts?”
Aisu: “Yeah they do. Well I generally eat that instead so don’t worry about me eating you [laughs]”
Iruka: “[laughs] I got to try that”
Aisu: “They taste and smell like meat too when you boil them.”
Iruka: “Hey maybe you can move up to Vegan if you gave it a try”
Aisu: “Yeah, I’ll give it a shot”
They arrive on the other side of Lake Meiro. Iruka slides off Aisu’s back and walks up to an apple tree. Dangling from it’s branches, the red juicy apples became tempting.
Iruka: “Now if there was some way to get up there?”
Aisu slips his head between Iruka’s legs and hoists him up to the tree branch with the delicious apples.
Iruka: “Whoa..”
After eating a couple of apples, Iruka rests against Aisu’s side while Aisu finishes gulping down his last apple.
Aisu: “Can I ask you a question?”
Iruka: “What is it?”
Aisu: “If you live with a foster family, mind if I asked….what happened to your parents?”
Iruka: “[sudden change in tone] My parents….died….“
Aisu: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you….”
Iruka: “They died because of me….it’s my fault that….[chokes up]”
Aisu: “Iruka….”
Iruka: “[his eyes focus on the water]
The night was beautiful. There was a full moon and the stars where shining their brightest. I couldn’t fall asleep at the time when it all happened. Then I saw a bright red and orange glow dancing on my bedroom wall. The glow seemed to emit outside my window. I was curious to see what was generating those auras of beauty. I thought it was my parents coming back from a dinner they where invited to, swinging their lanterns around. So I peered out my window and a blazing fire began to slowing set ablaze around my home. I was so scared that I just hid under my covers hoping it was just a bad dream.
Then I heard a loud “BOOM!” from the living room. I began to cry silently and wished that my parents would be home. All I heard was furniture shattering and the air becoming warmer and thinner. Soon I heard a familiar voice at my door. It was my father, “Iruka!! Iruka are you there son!!”
I flung from my covers and ran to the door. I tried turning the doorknob but it was stuck.
“I can’t open the door daddy!”
“Step away from the door Iruka!”
My father rammed into the door and sent it flying across the bedroom slamming into the wall. My mother then entered the room which rapidly filled with black smoke.
“Oh my little baby! [While hugging him] I thought I lost you!”
“Come on dear! We need to leave quickly before the whole house caves in!!”
We ran out of my room, I was clinging tightly to my mother’s hand. The house was screaming in pain as the fire ate away. I could hear some of the rooms collapsing in and others the door just flew across as the flames began to devour the sweet delicious wood.
We where almost out. The door was wide open, the wind carrying in the sounds of the villagers screaming and crying. We where about to embrace the outside world, when the door shut. The purity of the air was cut off.
Iruka’s Father: “What the..!?”
Iruka’s Mother: “What are we going to do dear!”
Iruka’s Father: “I…I don’t know….”
My father was beginning to panic and my mother began to weep. I was too scared to join my mother and I was to weak to help my father. I wanted to do something but for my age…there wasn’t anything I could do but just watch them. The living room roof collapsed from the fire but something was standing within the fiery ashes. A large monstrosity was standing before us. The entire body was made of flames. The eyes a bright glowing yellow.
Iruka’s Mother: “It…it can’t be!?”
Iruka’s Father: “No….”
???: “At last I have found you!”
“The one that is suppose to be the savior of this forsaken land.”
“I must…..kill you before your powers awaken!!!”
Iruka: “What is he talking about mommy!!”
Iruka’s Mother: “[kneels down to Iruka] Listen to me Iruka. We love you very much and we want to live a happy life. I want you to run…[begins to cry] run as fast as you can from here..”
Iruka: “No mommy! I won’t leave you and daddy behind!!”
Iruka’s Mother: “Just run Iruka!!”
Iruka’s Father: “Just do what your mother is saying Iruka. You have to live! You may be to little to understand but you are special. The time will come when your--”
The monster begins to slowly approach. Iruka’s mother clasps Iruka close to her in fright. Iruka’s father jumps in front of them.
Iruka’s Father: “If you will have to go through me!!”
???: “Hah! You think you can stop me!? Foolish imbecile!”
A explosion of fire engulfed my father before me. When the smoke cleared he was gone. My mother cried loudly, shouting his name him. The monster approached closer and closer. My mother searched for a way out and quickly she then grabbed me and darted down the hall again. The monster began to chase after us, slowly gaining speed. My mother ran and ran turning here and there until we reached the bathroom. For some reason the flames have not reached this part of our home. Me and my mother began to cry as the monster came closer and closer.
She glanced up and saw the bathroom window was big enough for me to fit through. She lifted me up and kissed my cheek on last time and said, “Never forget who you are and fight in what you believe in.” She then lifted me up to the window just when the monster entered the room. I stumbled out and landed on the warm earth below. I then got up and called out to my mother, “ Mommy! Mommy!! Come on mommy you can make it!!!”
I didn’t hear her respond.
“Mommy!!” I cried out one last time. Then monster’s fiery eyes gleamed at me through the window and released a horrible shriek. I jumped back and that’s when I knew my mother was dead, along with my father. A group of villagers came in and took me away when the monster burst through the wall. Another group of villagers came in and began to cast elemental magic on the beast but with one giant sweep of his arm, they were all eradicated. As the monster came closer more of the villagers rushed in, trying to destroy the beast. One by one each man and women fell. I was the only one left standing before it. My legs frozen to the ground by fright, the beast moved in to the kill. Out of no where a huge blue dragon came from the sky. (He shared similar characteristics like you except he was completely blue). He began to fight the beast with minor difficulty.
Dragon: “Run Iruka! Run as far away as you can!!”
How he knew my name I have no clue. I know that he was able to stall long enough for me to run. I heard his distant cries even….when he was killed.”
Iruka: “Now you know my past….I nothing but a mere problem. My parents, the lives of the villagers and the life of the dragon was lost that day because of me….[begins to cry] and yet that is all I remember. Plagued by nightmares of this memory…I want it all to go away!”
Aisu: “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Their death did not go in vain, you are still alive. You should be happy about that.”
Iruka: “I never felt happiness nor love but for some strange reason…being here with you. You being near me, my unhappiness goes away. I know this may sound strange but…it feels like I have known you before..”
Aisu: “To tell you the truth….I feel the same way.”
Iruka: “May--”
Caskets full of gas drop from the tree tops. Iruka and Aisu are blinded by the smoke and begin to cough violently.
Aisu: “What’s going on?”
Iruka: “Aisu help!!”
Aisu: “What? Where are you!”
As Aisu searches for Iruka, a large net falls over him and emits a powerful shock, rendering him unconscious. Aisu’s body is loaded into a black van and Iruka is thrown in with him, tied by his hands and feet and blindfolded. The morning light disappears as the doors close.
Officer: “[his face covered by a black gas mask] Targets captured! Now brining back to headquarters. [car doors closing in background]”
Microphone: “Excellent! I shall await your arrival.”
Officer: “Yes Dr. Shigomoto”

© Iruka Keiko Nanaki. All Rights Reserved.
Comments (1)