Title: No Barriers: Solstice
Author: Liete-chan
Part: prologue
Genre: YAOI, Drama
Pairing: MitMiya
Rating: PG-13 for now... will increase later on ^_^
Disclaimer: I do not own slam dunk. They belong to the great Inoue-san. ^_^
Author's Notes: Liete-chan is back, for better or for worse. Well actually, I haven't been gone at all... so... can't truly say I'm back if I haven't left, right? *sweatdrop* Well, nothing much going on in the fandom these days. But heck, I won't stop writing. Solstice is the first out of 3 books of No Barriers. Angst is subtle. The events follow the storyline of the anime and manga. Comments are extremely welcomed. No flames. Why write? Coz heck, there's nothing else in the world I wanna do.
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PROLOGUE
His feet felt like lead.
Each step was made with extreme difficulty as he trudged down the narrow dirt road. It felt like a pilgrimage, this little journey he had made on this particular day. He was cradling a backpack in his arms like a baby, careful not to drop it. For inside was something more precious to him than all the riches in the world.
It was exhausting.
No, it was not just because his knees were about to give way. Neither was it because of the sweltering afternoon heat setting his skin ablaze. Nor was it because he felt dizzy and could barely see where he was going.
His body was in pain, but the hurt went deeper, right down to his very soul.
The grass was taller now than when he - they had first come here. It seemed like not a lot of people knew about this place; it was evident with the dirt road's unevenness and the bush creeping in on all sides. He had to tread cautiously, constantly on the lookout for snakes that might be lurking in the undergrowth.
The thought amused him and brought a smile to his somber face. 'As if it would make a difference.' he mused.
He nearly tripped when his tired feet struck a large rock. His arms tightened around the backpack as he regained his balance. It took another moment or two for the world to stop spinning around him and he took a deep breath before he started walking again.
Funny, he didn't recall it being so difficult to walk down the path. They were together the last time and it had been darker. Faint images drifted through his memory: the dim luminous of a cheap flashlight, his hand in clasped in his being held and guided, laughter, plans of a future that would never be -
- and seawater.
He took a deep breath. The smell of the sea had gotten stronger with each labored step that he took. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, he finally reached the clearing overlooking the sea. The wind caressed his face, a welcome respite to his cauterized skin. He sat down and leaned against the old, wooden fence that served as the only barrier between him and a deadly fall into the sea below. The wood was damp and dilapidated - exactly the way he remembered it.
He laid his backpack carefully next to him and reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette and a lighter. It took him a couple of tries to light his cigarette because the wind was so strong. As he breathed in his first puff, he could feel his lungs crying out for mercy, but he didn't care. He just watched the smoke he puffed out rise up into the air and disappear quickly, falling victim to the wind.
Then he started humming a tune, which was soon joined by words. "Happy birthday to me..."
Today was his birthday, July 31.
He just turned 22 today.
This made him laugh. He ran a hand through his brown, curly hair as he looked at his cigarette. Darn wind, the stick was consumed almost halfway. He flicked the ashes away and stole a glance at his backpack. Suddenly, the pain - the one that penetrated right down to his very soul - returned.
22. He couldn't believe he was 22. The last five years of his life just flew by in a blurry haze. The only solid thing that he could recall was him. He laughed. It was ironic that he couldn't remember the last five years when it was five years ago that his life had truly begun.
No, that wasn't quite right.
It was 7 years ago, that fateful day when he could truly say that he started living.
And just as ironically, on that same day 7 years ago, his life had ended.