In The Blink Of An Eye

It was a bright summer day, in the middle of Tokyo, Japan. The White birds, and white clouds were glistening under the shiny sun. They even sung a sweet tune amidst it.

In a midsize house, I walked over to my nightstand, and slowly picked up the ringing phone that buzzed on it. It vibrated the wood from it. "What's up?" I place the phone against my ear, and speak to the person on the other side of the phone, as I place a cigarette into my mouth and light it up.

"Are you ready? We're definitely gonna show those bitches tomorrow. They thought they could get away with attacking us. Knowing that we're the best gang in Japan." A voice on the other side of the phone, spoke to me. His voice was raspy, and it sounded like his lungs were clouded with smoke.

"Ofcourse. You know I'm ready. Just let me know when Huji is alright, then give me a call." I respond back to him in a calm manner, as I puff smoke from the cigarette that I had between my lips.

"Alright. See you then." He responded before hanging up the phone.

Suddenly, I hear a knock on my door. I groaned in an annoyed way from the persistence in which the person was knocking at my door. "Tsuki, do you want to play with me? I just got this cool game for our new system, and I was wondering if you maybe wanted to play with me." My little brother spoke to me on the other side of the door. I could tell that he was twiddling his fingers together, and tapping the toe of his feet on the floor. He sounded nervous.

I put out my cigarette and put it down into the ash tray, before walking over to the door with a sigh. I had to move my long black hair out of my face as I did. I then opened the door, and looked down at my little brother with an annoyed glare. "I'm busy in here. Ask your dad or something. Plus, aren't you like 12? You can play by yourself." I respond back to him with this frustrated tone. Once I did, the look on his face suddenly dropped.

"I'm actually 10.." He mumbles while looking off to the side in a saddened manner. "B-but dad is out right now. So...so..." He stuttered and mumbled over his words, as he looked up, and into my eyes. Honestly, the sight of him was just annoying me to the extreme right now. I don't have time for this. Between my 3rd year highschool classes, and the gang I'm affiliated with. I can't sit around playing games with this burden.

"Look, Sora, I genuinely don't care right now. Wait for dad to get home or whatever you gotta do. But I don't feel like playing any games with you right now. Cool?" I spoke to him in a very blunt way. I looked him directly in the eyes as I did, to make sure that he knew that I was very serious. His eyes seemed like they started to water, and his lips even started to tremble a bit, as he looked back at me. But he'll be fine.

After I finished that sentence, we stood and stared at eachother for a bit. For some odd reason, the longer I looked at him, the more guilty I started to feel. Though that was just some weakness that I still haven't grown from. Suddenly, he turned away and bolted away from my door with upset ness. I could hear the sobbing coming from his voice when he ran.

Almost instinctively, I reached out to him, with eyes of remorse that sat behind the bangs of my long hair. "Whatever.." I slowly put my hand back down, the remorse in my eyes go away, and I turn back into my room. He will be alright, just like I was alright. Just like I am alright. He's gonna need to learn how to man up, he's way too soft, and way too much of a burden.

"Taiyo!" My mom called out to me from directly behind me. I immediately let out a loud groan and sigh as I turn around to face her, completely.

"What? Jesus Christ." I question her with such frustration and irritation. It seemed like she was upset with me or something, which wasn't new. She's always nagging me about something.

"We have to talk about your behavior lately..are you affiliated with that dangerous gang running around town? Not only that, but I heard you being mean to your brother today. You already shouldn't be smoking, you should focus on finishing school, and finding a career soon." My mom explained to me, while I leaned up against the edge of the door in a nonchalant way. I didn't even make eye contact with her, as I didn't care about the shit that was coming from her mouth.

Her continuous nagging started to annoy me more and more, until I felt this boiling emotion inside of my stomach. "Alright, yes!" I leaned up from the wall and looked at her. She stopped and stared at me with saddened eyes. "I am affiliated with that gang, and I was mean to that little shit. Will that get you to stay off my case dude? Jesus.." I respond to her in an angered way, as I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans, and stomp off to the living room. At this moment, I just knew that I had to get out of this house. It was annoying me. Everything about it was just so aggravating, and I couldn't stand it in this moment. So what I'm in a gang. So what I smoke. It's my life, and I'll do whatever I want with it!

"Please come back Taiyo! I want to help you, but I can't if you won't let me in!" My mom called out to me as I was beginning to head out the door. My little brother looked over at me as I was about to, with confliction.

"I already told you, don't call me Taiyo. And I don't need your help. Just leave me alone." I reply to her before leaving the house, and slamming the door behind me. As I ran off, my mother stood behind the door, and started to cry, with tears sliding down her cheeks. My little brother, proceeded to start crying a bit as well.

As I ran and ran, I felt the sun beaming down onto my skin. It was so hot, but despite that, I kept my all black hoodie and jeans on. I didn't know why I was so frustrated with this situation. My mom acts like I'm some charity case, and my brother just keeps asking me to do things with him. Not to mention my dad trying to connect with me, or whatever he calls it. But I have much better things to do...

In another area of Tokyo, a girl with Black hair and black eyes walked down the sidewalk with her friends. They all seemed very popular, and extroverted. They all had smiles on their faces. "So, Suruyu. what happened with you and Tsuki? Weren't y'all like best friends in grade school? Now he's just a straight delinquent." One of the girls said to the girl in the black hair. She proceeded to look down at the concrete sidewalk that they were walking on, as if she was in deep thought.

One of her friends waved her hand in front of Suruyus face, trying to snap her out of the deep thought that she was in. "Hello, earth to Suruyu." She called out to Suruyu, causing her to immediately jolt her head up, and snap out of whatever deep thought she was in.

"We were friends in grade school, but you know. Friends just drift apart some times." Suruyu mentioned while staring straight ahead. Both of her friends on each side of her looked at her for a bit, as Suruyu looked back down at the ground.

"Well, speak of the devil.." Suruyus friend said, causing her to lift her head up and look over at her friend, to see what she was talking about. I saw her looking at me in the distance, and I also saw Suruyu turn her head to look at me.

I proceeded to not make eye contact with the girls, as I just walked passed them. Suruyu seemed a bit frozen, and even a bit saddened once I passed her. But I didn't notice. "Stop! Please!" Someone suddenly yelled infront of the girls. It sounded like an elderly woman begging.

I turned around to look at what was going on, but once I did, I saw that Suruyu had already rushed to intervene. Some mugger was trying to mug an old lady. But I guess that was none of my business. I think to myself as I look down at the ground, and proceed to walk across the street. I didn't want to hear anymore noise, so I put my earphones right into my ear, to avoid it all.

"Suruyu, be careful!" One of her friends called out to her, but it seemed like Suruyu was more than determined to stop the mugger. Unfortunately, once she tried, the mugger pulled out a gun, and pressed it up against Suruyus stomach.

Suruyu, along with all of her friends grew narrowed eyes, that had sunken terror inside of them. And while I looked down, I saw a black crow suddenly fly around me. I hadn't noticed, but a truck was only seconds away from hitting me, just like a bullet was only a few seconds away from piercing Suruyus stomach.

While the music in my ears played, I started to hear this loud sound coming from around me. It sounded like something gigantic was approaching me. So I turned my head to the right, and that's when I was face to face with a speeding truck. It stood feet taller than me, and I didn't even have any time to think before...before...it felt like time was moving in slow motion. The black crow that was around me, suddenly disappeared.

Then, the speeding truck made contact with my body. And the bullets made contact with Suruyus stomach. Every bone in my body broke, my broken ribs pierced my lungs, causing them to bleed, along with my cracked scull that pierced my brain. I was ran over by the speeding truck, and it was so quick, that everything just went black. I didn't feel anything. It felt like something just hit me for one moment, and the next, everything was black.

Black

Black

Nothingness

Empty space

Empty void

Empty...

Quickly, my eyes open up, and I scream out loud like I was about to be hit by the truck. I felt all around my body, and I noticed that I was still in tact. There were no bruises, no scars, not even a drop of blood...but as I stop examining my body, and look around, I think I realize why.

I was in a black space of nothingness. There was no noice, nothing to see, nothing to feel. I looked around, and turned to face every area of this empty void in a panic, but nothing was there. "Hello?! Someone! Get me the hell out of here!!" I screamed and pleaded for help, but to my suspense, no-one answered. At this moment, everything hit me. How I stormed away from my house, and how I got hit by that truck.

My body freezes up, and my eyes widen, with the possibility that I might've died. "I couldn't have..." I say to myself in disbelief, while turning to look down at the black nothingness that I was standing on top of. In my head, there was no way that I could be dead. Maybe I was just in a dream, or possibly a coma..

While looking down, everything around me starts to go bright. I have to shield my eyes with the back of my hand, as I try to look up, and see what it was. The brightness wasn't alarming, in fact, it was comforting compared to all the darkness. Not that I needed such comfort.

Once my eyes adjust, I get to see what all that brightness was. It was all of my memories, being played back to me, around me. Memories with my dad...memories with Suruyu when I was in grade school. Memories with my mom playing with me. In a lot of these memories, I seemed happy. I look at them in disbelief, not believing that this used to be me. "What the hell is this..?" I question as I look at all the memories around me. I proceeded to walk around, and that's when I saw bad memories as well.

Memories that I didn't want to see..so I didn't look. "Hi there." Someone spoke from behind me. It startled me, so I jumped a bit and turned around to face it. Once I saw who it was, my jaw dropped. It looked like some pretty angel facing me. She had this sweet, genuine smile on her face, along with these golden wings.

"Who are you..? Where am I?" I ask the angel, as she floats in front of me.

"Well, these are your memories..long story short, when someone dies. Guardian angels such as myself, play the memories back to the person that died. We want them to see what they did with their life, while they lived it. After the fact, we ask them if they think they should be reincarnated, or go to the afterlife. Though your answer must be genuine, or else you'll end up nowhere." The guarding angel explained to me. When she did, I felt my heart sink to the bottom of the ground. So it was true. I was..dead?

I suddenly start to get angry at the thought of being dead. I stare down with clenched teeth, and clenched fists. "There's no way I'm dead!" I yell before staring at the angel before me, and pointing my finger at her. "Stop bullshitting me and get me back to my damn body!" I demand in an aggressive tone, while she continues to keep the same, persistent smile.

Her smile aggravated me even more, as it felt like she was clearly mocking me. I growled at the thought. "This is nothing to smile about bitch! Take me back right now!" I demand, once more.

"Why do you want to go back so bad? I assure you, you are dead.." She spoke to me again, this time, her smile was gone. She looked at me in a more serious tone, and it made the denial that I was feeling start to fade. I start looking around at my memories again, and shake my head slightly in disbelief. I believed that I was dead, but I also didn't. Like there was no way.

"Who wants to be reincarnated...I doubt anyone would want to go back to that world.." I mumble to the guardian angel.

"Well, once people look at their memories, they usually decide if they lived a good life or not. If they don't think they have, or they feel like they haven't fulfilled their purpose, we send them back for reincarnation. Otherwise, you'll go into the afterlife. So I guess it's less about whether you think you should be reincarnated, and more about if you think you lived a meaningful life. But since meaning is subjective, it's all about what you believe is meaninful..I'll know if you're lying, as I am your guarding angel afterall." She explained to me furthermore. This time, adding a bit of brag to her explanation.

All of this was a lot to take in. I sat down on the floor, while looking down at the black nothingness beneath me. For some reason, I started to remember the very last moments that I had with my mom and brother. "I just...is there no possible way for me to go back to the life I just lived?" I ask her, while still looking down.

The guardian angel stares down at me for a bit. The two of us remained a bit silent, before she finally responded to me. "Well, there may be a way where I can reunite you with your family, now that you mention it." She mentions to me while looking up in thought.

I immediately look up at her, with wide eyes of curiosity. I wanted to go back. I just felt like I had something to do there. Something in that life, not something with my soul. "Really? Don't bullshit me here.." I ask with a bit of skepticism.

"No no, I assure you, there's a way...all you have to do is save the afterworld." She says to me with a sudden smile. I stare at her like she was out of her mind. Save the afterworld? How would I do that? Something so magical and otherworldly?!

"You've gotta be shittin' me.." I respond back to her, while staring at her in disbelief. She proceeds to look at me with a smile, showing that she wasn't joking at all. But, I did want to go back. So...