Prince of the Afterlife
Once upon a time, there lived a happy, little family. This family lived on the outskirts of a town called Hanacho. The family consisted of a generous father, a caring mother, an over-achieving sister, and a small boy. The family lived in a normal house, and they had a pet piglet named after the sister's favorite pop singer, Ayumi Hamasaki. The family was preparing for a big day—the little boy's eleventh birthday.
The boy's name was Hikaru Yokoshima, and he was in his fifth year of school. He had a mop of shaggy black hair on top of his head, and big, round eyes. The boy's best friend was a beat-up teddy bear named Mr. Bear. He carried around his best friend where ever he went, only departing his furry friend's side when it was time for school.
"Onee-san? Onee-san, where are you?" I call out as I drag Mr. Bear around behind me. My older sister, Yuurie Yokoshima, walked out from the kitchen doorway, gulping down a glass of milk.
"What is it, Hikaru? If you don't mind, I'm fairly busy." I glared at her. Even though she was four years my elder, I knew full well that she was lying to me. She probably had the telephone hidden somewhere behind her back, and thought of me as too annoying to bother with. I loved having a sister like her, for the sole reason of sibling rivalry. But, tomorrow was my birthday, so she would have to be nice to me at least for one day of the year. I smiled at her, and she sneered at me. "Ew, what's wrong with your face Hikaru?!" She walked off, putting the phone to her ear, and I grinned.
I stared into the blank face of Mr. Bear. He had lost an eye somehow, so I had replaced it with a shiny, black button. He stared back into my face.
"Gee Mr. Bear; I'm so glad that I have someone like you for a friend. What would happen to me if I didn't?! How would I ever deal with her if I didn't have you?" I smiled into his black eyes, and he returned my gaze. He always did. He was my best friend in all of Japan—maybe the entire world!
The next day, I woke up as soon as the sun was up. I rushed out of my bedroom with Mr. Bear, and ran to my parents' room. "Mama! Mama, Daddy! Wake up! Guess what day it is today!!" I hop onto the end of the bed as they begin to stir. They looked at the disturbance that awoke them, and laughed softly.
"Well good morning to you too, Hikaru," mom smiled sweetly, and sat herself upright, "Isn't this the birthday boy, honey?" She smiled at Daddy. He smiled back and ruffled my hair.
"Happy birthday, son. Why don't we go downstairs and make some breakfast?" my eyes widened. My Daddy made the best breakfast ever—or at least I thought so. I rushed downstairs, with them close behind me. Yuurie was already wide awake, and she was watching the latest Ayumi Hamasaki video on the music channel.
"Happy birthday, brat," she called to me as she heard me rush by. I ignored the 'brat' comment, and continued to the kitchen. Our breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice. I shoveled the breakfast into my mouth, and washed it down with my orange juice. I was satisfied. Mr. Bear and I flew out of the kitchen and into the backyard to play. I laughed to myself as Mr. Bear and I kicked around the soccer ball.
The events of the day still are vivid in my mind: the birthday party, the cake, the presents, grandma and grandpa coming to visit! I had at least fifteen of my friends over, it was so much fun! But, not all of the day's events were fun. You see, after my friends had left, and I had said my final farewells to grandma and grandpa, I had scampered off to the front yard with Mr. Bear. It was mid-autumn, and all of the trees aligning our street were orange and red. When the orangey-toned light of a sunset hit the trees, it made the street seem as though it was on fire. I loved it. Our street was full of friendly people, and most of the houses were the same: 2-story houses, a family sedan in the driveway, a tree or two in the front yard, but a small front yard. I sat down in a pile of leaves that my Daddy raked up early this morning, and I tossed Mr. Bear high up into the air. I caught him, and he smiled at me. "Mr. Bear? Do you want to play airplane?" I giggled softly, and smiled into Mr. Bears face.
"Yes, Hikki-san, I love playing airplane with you!" The voice of Mr. Bear rang clear like a bell in Hikaru's mind. I giggled again. I hugged Mr. Bear tightly, and tossed him into the air. Just as Mr. Bear hit the peak height of his flight, the street racer of the notorious gang, the Boxcars. The Boxcars had been terrorizing the streets of Hanacho for the past four months, and it had affected the whole town. Their rival gang had gone into hiding after losing a rather large gang battle with the Boxcars. The Boxcars had been going around neighborhoods doing drive-bys to try to find their rivals. It just so happens that I was playing outside as a horrific drive-by played out on my street. Mr. Bear soared high into the air, and the car screeched by. Several loud gunshots rang out, like angered crows calling out their turfs. I looked towards the street, eyes widened, and stricken with fear. Several bullets shot out from the barrel of the gun resting on the car door, and flew across the tarmac. I shook my head, and stumbled to my feet. The bullets shot at me in slow motion, but seemed to be jets flying at me.
I blinked, and turned on my heels. My brain told my feet to run, but they wouldn't. Something seemed to be preventing me from running. I closed my eyes for a brief second, and everything turned black. The bullets tore through my flesh, and I let out a cry of pain. The pupils in my eyes got smaller and smaller, and then completely closed up. I coughed in pain, and a small bubble of blood enveloped the inside of my mouth. Mr. Bear fell onto the leaf pile beside me, and I heard a faint scream inside of my head. It grew dimmer and dimmer, and the light from my life faded away…
Chapter 1—