Last Man Standing

Panting heavily, I darted down the narrow alleyway, my heart pounding against my ribs in an arrhythmic pattern. I could hear them shouting from behind me, their voice echoing close behind, taunts fueling my desperation to flee. I didn't dare to turn and glance at the distance fearing it would only slow my already slow pace. My sneakers slapped against the gravel, seconds from burning away.

I could hear them gaining on me, they were track stars after all. I pushed harder and harder, begging my sneakers not to give out. A few feet in front of me stood a fence twice my height. If I could just make it over I'd be able to escape them. At least escape them for today.

With the adrenaline rush fueling my soul, I reached for the jagged edges of the fence, hoisting myself up, cutting my hand in the process. I hit the ground on the other side, knocking out the little wind I had left. For a moment I lay there attempting to regain strength. It didn't take long till they pushed against the gate sending me crawling up under some boxes.

“He got away,” a voice called out angrily.

“Whatever, we will get him tomorrow, if I see him in the streets I'll bash his skull in.” another replied with just as much hostility.

Sounds of their footsteps and grunting slowly faded and I crawled out of my hiding place. I slowly got to my feet, wincing over my breath. My body was trembling, and I had no will to push on. I may have had my temporary victory today but I knew it would come back to bite me. Tomorrow and everyday forward I'd have to live with the regret of running instead of surrendering. But for now, I allowed myself the last laugh. Today I was the victor in their relentless game of cat and mouse.

I glanced back over to the side of the fence, eyeing the metal rod they abandoned there. I couldn't help but shudder, feeling the ghost kiss of pain.

I started walking aimlessly towards the street across from me.

Life has always been like this for me. Being chased, threatened, bullied, beaten to a pulp. It became a routine for me and a competition for those around me with no reward or goal at the end. The only person I had to rely on was my best friend, Watanabe Ren.

Ren had been with me since the sandbox, defending me and failing every time. I've looked up to him since I was seven. He didnt care what others thought of him. I always strived to be as unbothered as he was though people like the ‘Big Three’ made it impossible.

I found a bench on my aimless journey and I sat, my adrenaline coming down finally. The scars on my hand are becoming apparent. As the wind played with the loose strands of my torn uniform, a pit formed in my stomach. I knew it would burden my mother to pay. I threw my head back, feeling the warmth of the sun wash over me, letting my mind wander back to Ren.

He was the older brother I wished I had, aside from my little sister, Junko. We shared everything from our deepest secrets to our wildest dreams. I could almost hear his infectious laughter ringing through the air causing a grin to paint across my face. It could light up the darkest of days.

The two of us were inseparable, two peas in a pod rather. We shared the same brain cell though he was the top student at our school and I was in the bottom ranks.

One would never forget the countless nights spent laughing into the abyss of the night, putting all our problems tucked away in the deepest files of our brain. We were dreamers, adventurers.

Life, as it always will, had different paths for us to cross. In my heart, Ren was still a part of me, a constant presence even in my darkest hours, bringing joy and a smile to my face. I could even hear him in the wind.

“Aki?”

My eyes shot open in disbelief. I knew I probably looked desperate but I didn't care.

Disappointed, I viewed the petite, dark haired girl in front of me. Her skirt stopped inches above her knees which were painted pink. She had a worried look on her face and only then did I realize my current state. I was sitting on the bench with a bloody hand and a locket I subconsciously pulled out at some point in my day dream.

I knew no matter how well or horrible life would take me, I wouldn't be able to continue the journey with the one that had mattered most to me. Life had its path paved for the two of us, even if my path was unending harassment and his was a dead end.

I threw my head back once more, ignoring her presence. I waited a bit hoping to hear her shuffle away but the air remained empty.

“What do you want, Chiyo,” I groaned. “Can’t you see I'm worn out enough.”

I heard her sigh before saying, “Junko wanted me to tell you she couldn't come into the shop today, but before i got the chance to say anything you took off.”

I looked up at the mentioning of my sister's name. She was shifting uncomfortably in front of me now. It didn't take long to notice her hesitance. She had a green envelope in her shaking hand, moving it slightly towards me then back.

I knew what it was so I immediately tied my focus back to the conversation, not wanting to entertain her advancements. “What gave you the bright idea to follow me? You would have only made matters worse if we caught up to each other.” I huffed, crossing my arms.

She looked down at her shoes in obvious embarrassment. They were painted red from the dirt. I began to feel bad for my rudeness, she truly had been following me.

“How’d you get over the fence?”

“There was an opening towards the wall,” she gestured. “I crawled through there.” The pinkness in her knees made sense now. “But are you okay, Aki?”

“Akira,” I corrected, causing her cheeks to turn pink. “And of course I am. I’m this close to joining the track team.”

She made a small noise to my joke before backing up allowing me room to stand. “Anyway, tell Junko to be home by nightfall and to be careful. The flu is going around and everyones falling ill.”

“Lord knows you need the extra hands.” She joked making light of our working situation. My family owned a small shop in Bunkyo-ku. Junko and I worked there alongside my mother everyday after school as cooks and hosts. It was really stressful balancing school, bullies and work though lately business has been tanking. Everyone in the region had been falling victim to a sickness spreading like wildfire. We barely had customers now but if one of us were to fall ill it would put us way behind.

“She will be home before then, don't worry. It's just band practice.” She smiled. “I’ll take your word for it.” I said turning away from her. A small hand gripped my arm. I looked down to see her staring off in the distance.

My eyes immediately drifted to the green envelope which she was gripping now. I slowly pried her hand from me causing a confused look to form across her face. “Goodnight, Chiyo.” and with that i turned and left regretting every minute of it.