Slam Dunk Rewind {Rating = GP}
(Prologue)
It was a gray cold October morning. The rain ran down the glass window. Through the glass there was nothing to see but the rain splotched wall across the street.
Suddenly the door was opened so violently that the little silver chimes tinkled wildly. The cause of this, was a boy of fourteen or fifteen, quite small for his age, his coat was soaked and dripping, he has a backpack slung over his shoulder, He was quite pale and out of breath but despite the hurry he had been a moment before, he was now standing by the doorway as though rooted to the spot.
Before him lay a long, narrow room the back was covered in
darkness. The walla were lined with
shelves filled with old betamax tapes. Behind one of the shelves, the light of the
television and the muffled dialogue could be seen and heard. A cross voice from behind those shelves were
heard “Don’t just stand there like the
idiot that you are. Close the door!”
The boy obeyed and then cautiously approached the voice. There sitting on a worn leather chair was man with a thick crop of graying black hair, of normal height and stern features. He looked at the boy and snorted then stood up to turn off the television and took out the tape. Returning to his seat he placed the video on the side table.
The boy did not know what else to do thus stood there
gapping. Finally the man sighs and
glared at the boy “Listen kid, I don’t
like teenagers. As far as I’m concerned
they’re always up to no good, they make lots of noise destroy all in sight, act
as if they carry the world in their shoulders.
It never occurred to you selfish brats that other people also have their
own problems. Anyway I have none of
those uncouth blockbuster movies here and I wouldn’t rent my videos to hooligans
like yourself.
So we now understand one another.”
The boy nodded silently and turned to go, but somehow he felt that he couldn’t take the last remark lying down. He turned around and softly said “Not all teenagers are like that.”
Slowly the man looked up “You’re
still here? What must I do to rid of
you?”
The boy repeated in a much softer voice “Not all teenagers are like that.”
“Really?” The man raised his eyebrows “Then you must be the big exception. I presume?”
The boy only shrugged
“What’s your name
kid?”
“Aida Hikoichi”
“Odd, sounds like a
girl’s name. Not that you can help it
you didn’t choose it. I’m Moichi Taoka.”
“That sounds like a
girl’s name too”
“Hmph... sad but true. Anyway, names
doesn’t matter, as we’ll never see each other again. But before you leave, just one thing I’d like
to know. What made you come bursting in
here like that? You’re running away from
someone am I right?”
Hikoichi nodded
“I suppose you stole
something”
Hikoichi shook his head
“Speak up! Who are you
running from?”
“Ryota,
Hisashi and
“Who?”
“Kids from my class”
“Why?”
“They won’t leave me
alone”
“What did they do?”
“All sorts of things, They locked me inside my locker, push me around and laugh at
me.”
“And you put up with
it? Why don’t you give them a good punch
in the face or tell them off”
Hikoichi paled and shook his head “I ... I can’t ... they’re bigger and I’m no
match...”
“In other words,
you’re a wimp. Do you at least do well
in school?”
Hikoichi shook his head
Taoko shook his head and muttered “A total failure all around.”
Hikoichi quietly bowed his head and at that moment the telephone rang. With some difficulty, Taoka pulled himself out of his chair and went inside a smaller room.
Hikoichi stood there, not knowing why he admitted so much. He broke a sweat upon realizing that he’s already late for school. His mind screams that he should hurry but for some unfathomable reason his feet stayed roots on the ground.
The muffled voice from the the back room can still be heard.
It came to Hikoichi that the whole time he was staring at the video by the side table. He couldn’t take his eyes off it. Like it had some magnetic power over him.
He slowly held out his hand and touched the video. Hikoichi suddenly got a vague feeling that touching the video had started something irrevocable.
He picked up the video and examined it from all sides. It was a plain normal video tape. The label was embossed with some strangely intricate lettering
Slam Dunk Rewind
Staring at the title of the video, Hikoichi turned hot and cold, cold and hot. He knew he had to have this video at any cost.
However Hikoichi didn’t have much and moreover the cranky Mr. Taoka clearly stated that he won’t lend Hikoichi a thing. Yet Hikoichi knows that he couldn’t leave the video. It was clear to him that he came to this store for this video. It called to him in a mysterious way, because it wanted him too.
Without a sound Hikoichi placed the video under his coat and slowly backed towards the door. Cautiously he turned the door handle, pulled the glass door wide enough for himself to slip through without touching the silver chimes.
Hikoichi ran, the rain ran down his face. The cold wind passed through his coat but he didn’t feel it, his conscience was bothering him too much.
As he ran, he holds the video tightly under his arm. Regardless of everything else this video might cost him, he couldn’t bear to lose it. It was as if it was all he has left of this world.
He stopped running and realized he’s taking his usual route
to school and he’s very late. He could
bear to get detention with Ryota, Hisashi
and
He then remembers the unlocked window that leads to the school basement, and the secret place there where no one will find him of think to look for him, the perfect place for the time being.
The school basement was large and dark. It smelled of dust and kerosene. Here and there are spider webs as that looks like giant hammocks. A little mouse hobbled across and vanished into a hole on the floor. Hikoichi headed towards a small door hidden from view.
Hikoichi slowly pulled opened the squeaky door and slipped in and closed the door. He them flicked the switch and a weak light coming from a single light bulb lit up the room.
Hikoichi began to shiver, his coat was soaked and it was cold in the basement. He looked around, the place was crammed with all types of junk including the schools’ old audio video equipment, broken gym equipment, soiled mats, old pans, a model skeleton and more. Hikoichi took off his coat and hung it on the skeleton, dragged the gym mats into the middle of the room, and set up the old television and betamax machine.
Hikoichi looked at the video “I wonder ... What are you
all about?”
Suddenly a warm and adrenaline pumped feeling came over him. He then settles and pushed the video into the machine.
A/N: Hey there! This is my answer to the challenge to write a non-humour work. Not to worry I’m still working on my other fics just got distracted to write a new serious one. *smile*