Volume 1: Chapter 2, The Way Forward Part, 2

The wind is warm on this July evening. I stand hunched over gribbing the wound on my stomach as my stand is next to me. I understand that the stand is like me in a way but, the way its postured it seems, almost confident. Thinking to myself, "Damn these cuts hurt. I'll have to grab some medical supplies if I win this." We stare at each other for minutes without moving. We both await the next move. Soon someone will break, so I study my surroundings. I notice the building is poorly maintained and that breaking one beam could cause the entire rickety old building to collapse in on itself. The wind blows and my hairbrushes in front of my eyes. I remove the fair from my face to meet the enemy stand powering towards me running with a certain amount of hatred in each footstep, making creaks in the old, rotted floorboards that somehow hold our weight.

Its strikes! The blow hits Yacht Club right in the chest. Even though the stand hit Yacht Club, it still hurt me, as the blow knocks me down to the ground gasping for air as quickly as my bruised body can. "Is this it..." My mind racing through my past. Mom, dad, my siblings, and Claire. I'll never get to see her again. I will never be able to figure out the mystery.

I push myself back onto my feet. I'm not ready to die. I'm mad now, I haven't been this mad before. The closest thing to it was when my siblings broke my oak bed that dad hand carved with my name on it too. "Stay out of my way lady, or you will die!" I lunge forward with my stand and strike. throwing my hands in front of my body I hear the air whistle as the punches fly. I hit the stand directly in begin to through a barrage of attacks knocking this old hag over the counter. "You're Finished. Give up I don't feel like killing anyone today."

"Stop, please I surrender. I haven't met a stand user in this town before. Clearly my stand isn't capable of fighting face to face. I guess, to show you that I really am done fighting you can keep the book. My stand can make any kind of book on any piece of knowledge ever. Even if it hasn't been discovered yet." The lady deactivated her stand and handed me the book, the cover is a little bruised, but the cold leather spine is still intact. "Thank you, ma'am, I'll remember this. I'm sorry we fought I shouldn't have tried to steal the book from you. Maybe one day we will see each other again." "Oh, don't worry dear, these won't kill me. I just need a little rest to recover. I also have a good feeling we will see each other again."

I walk out of the library to the nearby saloon. "Ah, Lucas welcome it's been a while since I've seen you. What can I get you to drink or eat?" "I think I'll just have a cup of coffee and a cup of your chili." "12 dollars and take whatever seat you want. It's a really slow night." "Thank you, Billy," I hand him the money and take a seat in the corner of the saloon and wait for my food. As I sit down in the old oak chair, I examine the book before I read it.

The book is meticulously designed with stitching around the words, "Funny Valentine," the book is a dark green dyed leather such of what a cactus looks like. There is a large flag of the USA behind the title of the book. "Here is your chili and coffee. This seems like a bad idea Lucas, good luck." He chuckles and walks back to the old, cracked bar. This book is where I begin my journey. This is where I begin my quest forward.