“I pinched my face. Was I still alive? Was I awake? I could not believe it. How could it be possible for them to burn people, children, and for the world to keep silent? No, none of this could be true. It was a nightmare….. Soon I should wake with a start, my heart pounding, and find myself back in the bedroom of my childhood, among my books….”

    “You there, kid! Come here!” an angry voice shouted. Takeru stopped and turned to see a dirty old soot kuro jeep pulling up pretty fast towards him. (Noiz note: Kuro=Black in Jap.) A sweep of fear came over the boy as he watched it pull closer to him. So Takeru began running. “TEISHI YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!” the voice screeched louder. Takeru only sped up.

The chase kept on until the boy tripped and fell on a piece of sharp broken glass. Takeru opened his eyes to see….a pool of thick aka. (Noiz note: “Aka”=red in Jap.) “Blood…” he thought in terror. The piece of glass found his slender calf and pierced in deep, leaving the boy’s blood to rush out to the dark asphalt.

    The dark jeep pulled in closer and stopped. Takeru would have gotten up and ran away if he wasn’t in so much pain. Two men dressed in kuro kimonos stepped out of that beat up piece of shit and approached the wounded helpless victim. Takeru slowly looked up. The big muscular man tightly and painfully grabbed the boy in his left shoulder. Takeru gasped in agony. The thin charming man looked at the boy closely.

    “What do you want from me?” Takeru managed to whisper out. “Shut up you piece of shit!!!” the thin man snapped. Then he struck the boy in the cheek lighting fast. Pain shot through Takeru like a spark. But he dare not speak, for it would lead to more pain. “How is he?” the thin man asked the muscular man. “Well Roku,” he began. “Despite that gash on his leg, he’s pretty healthy.” “Perfect!” Roku grinned evilly. “Put ‘em in the car!” His henchmen dragged the boy to the beaten up jeep. Takeru was too weak to fight back or protest. Roku and his henchmen got in the jeep and drove off.

    *End of Nightmare*

    Takeru awoke in a cold sweat panting. When he got his breath, the boy put his hand to his head. Takeru was clearly lost. But naze did this all occur to him? Was it a prophecy?