Lighting the Way: Chapter Four

Written by: Liz Donovan

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Onou Toufuu jerked awake, clinging to his bed covers, blinking about in the near blackness of his bedroom, unable to see anything. He pushed the sheets and covers off and fumbled around for his glasses, putting them on. He glanced at his digital display clock, reading: 1:34am. He moaned.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Who was that? Some banging on the entrance doors…He stood up, fastened his top about him and stepped into his slippers. He slid the door from his room to his office open and stepped through, yawning.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Alright! Alright! I’m coming!" he called out, scuffling along towards the clinic entrance. He unlocked the door and slid it open, adjusting his glasses.

"Doctor!" Hiroshi cried relieved. "I’m so glad…" he panted. "…that you’re here…" he stopped and nodded to Akari, who’d started crying, fearing that Doctor Toufuu wouldn’t answer.

Toufuu’s expression hardened, and he went to Akari, to see what her ailment was. She looked at him and sniffed. "What seems to be the problem?" he inquired of Akari.

"Ka…ka…katsu…" she whispered, but couldn’t finish.

"Katsunishiki, her guardian sumo-wrestling pig is dying." Hiroshi stated, unfolding his arms from the forest green sweater his was wearing, and putting his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans. He seemed a bit indifferent or uncaring towards the situation.

"’Guardian pig’?" Toufuu repeated. "I’m afraid I’m not a veterinarian…" he replied, sadly looking at Akari’s pained face.

"Oh please Mr. Doctor!" she begged. "You have to help him, he…he isn’t well! I know you must be able to do something for him…please!" she cried desperately, tears streaking down her cheeks. Toufuu shook his head.

"I suppose I can just look at him, but I can’t guarantee any-whoa!" he cried as Akari took his wrist and started dragging him off the front landing.

"Akari, wait!" Hiroshi cried after her, chasing her and the doctor. "Where are you headed?!"

They ran, and soon Doctor Toufuu was running along side Hiroshi and Akari, as opposed to being dragged, huffing and puffing all the way. Nearby a train whistle sounded. Akari turned towards it and picked up more speed.

"Its this way! Quicker!" she urged. The three ran on, but soon Hiroshi came to a halt. Before him loomed a lumbering train. He blinked as Akari and Toufuu ran along. "Inside, hurry!" she cried. Doctor Toufuu ran up and onto the train and she turned to look at Hiroshi, and waved for him to come on. He shook his head and ran along, and hopped onto the train as well.

Doctor Toufuu stood, breathing hard, holding to the back of a seat. The train whistled again and something started to move. "Wh…where is he?" the doctor panted.

"This way, come one." Akari said, only have listening, slightly winded herself. They walked through a car door getting closer towards the front of the train. They reached the third car from the locomotive engine and Akari walked to a seat that had something in it. Toufuu assumed it was a sick pig.

She went and sat down in one seat and looked out the window, sighing.

Both Hiroshi and Doctor Toufuu looked about for signs of the sick sumo-pi.

The train lurched, whistled, and started rolling forwards, slowly at first, but gaining speed as it went. Hiroshi stumbled forward, and glanced out the window as the station started to slowly move. His eyes widened.

"Its moving!" he cried as the train picked up speed and started moving more fluidly. Toufuu’s eyes widened behind his glasses, as well.

"Where is the train going!?" he cried, a bit alarmed, looking at Akari. She looked up at both of the men and blinked.

"I’m taking you to Katsunishiki." She simply stated, as if they ought to know that.

"On your country farm!?" Hiroshi squealed.

Akari nodded, eyes closed, and smiled, cutely.

Hiroshi and Doctor Toufuu looked at each other wide eyed and then sank to their knees as the stations flashed by in a stream of blurred color.

To Be Continued…