17 A Lone Soul
10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven
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A black-haired young man stood before the counter of a bread shop, rummaging through his wallet looking for his bill. He smiled when he fished out the needed amount of money and then gave it to the man manning the counter.
"Thank you for your purchase. Is it for your sister?"
"You're welcome and, yes, it's for her."
"A good brother, aren't you? Tell her I wish her a speedy recovery."
"I will, Mr. Jay. I will."
The man manning the counter, Jay, smiled at the young man. The young man had been his loyal customer for two years. The first time he came here, he looked like a man lost in the way of life. He had bought his bread as if only to take his mind off somewhere. Jay didn't charge him a single penny for what he had bought.
His action bewildered the young man greatly; he kept staring at him while eating his bread at his table. When the young man finished his brad, he met him at the counter and bowed deeply. The young man only said thank you but the tears that fell to the floor said a thousand words. Jay knew he had made the correct choice at that time.
Ever since then, the young man kept coming to his bread store. His complexion got better and livelier each week. He looked exhausted but alive. He looked way better than he had when he came to his bread store for the first time.
"I have added an extra Brioche for your sister, don't eat it."
"I know. I know. I will not have the heart to eat my sister's portion."
The young man laughed at Jay's mock threat. A smile crept up Jay's face as he realized how far their relationship had developed. The young man bade his farewell before exiting the bread shop. The smile dropped from his face, unnoticed by Jay.
Crossing the road, he walked for 400 meters before turning left at the intersection. Walking for another 600 meters, he stopped before a hospital. He walked through the entrance, passing everyone with fluid motion. Before long, he arrived at the room where his sister was treated. Wearing his smile back, he opened the door.
"Kay, I have come! Through the door bringing bread for my lovely sister like the good brother I am!" he exclaimed powerfully, fully knowing his sister wouldn't get the reference.
"…"
Ignoring the lack of response, he walked to the bed and put the plastic bag he was carrying on the desk beside the table. Sitting down on the chair beside the bed, he crossed his arms as he eyed his sister.
"Mr. Jay gave me another extra Brioche for you. Just because I told him you liked it once; he keeps giving it to me whenever I buy some bread from him. I mean, he could have given other types of bread. Don't you think so?"
"…"
"I am not being insolent or ungrateful, but a little bit of variety won't hurt, no?"
"…"
"Okay, I concede that sounded ungrateful, but don't you feel like he is just dumping his Brioche stock on us? It's not bad, but don't you find it suspicious!?"
Beep!
The young man sighed and then leaned on his chair. His head tilted to the ceiling, letting his eyes gaze at the white and empty scenery. Slowly, he turned to the heart monitor. He had seen it a lot of times, so he knew how to read it without anyone teaching him.
Heart rate: 88 bpm. Blood Pressure: 97/70mmHg. Respiration Rate: 14. Oxygen Saturation: 93. He read all of the provided data and nodded his head in approval. Everything seemed to be normal. The heart rate was a bit fast, but it was because of his sister's low blood pressure. It was not enough to cause a problem.
Beep!
The sound made him turn his gaze back to his sister. He thought about what he should say but came up with nothing other than anime.
"The English title of an anime is sometimes bad, you know. One of my favorite anime is named Bleach even though it should have been titled Soul Cleanser."
Not interesting enough.
"Despite its dubious title, it's a refreshing story about the afterlife and its connection with the world of the living. The world-building intrigues me the most as it shows us that the afterlife is not the resting place you imagine."
His sister had never tried anime.
"The afterlife has Death Gods (Shinigami) to guide the soul of the dead and purify corrupted souls called Hollow."
She didn't know how to respond.
"Some of the purified souls have depressing life stories. People claim those who have suffered on earth will laugh in heaven, but that is not true in the Bleach universe."
She couldn't.
"It's unfair and I am afraid that might be true."
After all…
"I find myself angry at the Shinigami whenever I think about it. I certainly don't want you to go to that place after what you have been through."
She hadn't been conscious for two years.
"Stay with me, Kay. Don't be tempted by the Shinigami and remain here in the human world."
Clasping his hands in a praying gesture, he prayed to the God whom his parents told him to believe. His faith had been dwindling for the last two years, but he never stopped praying. He knew his prayers wouldn't come true, yet he needed to keep his mind sane.
"It is hard. This silence is loud."
Breaking his promise after two years, he cried beside his comatose sister. His body was begging him to stop, yet he couldn't. His mind was on the verge of breaking, yet he was forced to persevere. He needed his sister to live. She was the only family he had left. The thought of losing her brought more pain to him than his struggles did.
Despite his perseverance, he was still in pain. The whisper was getting louder every day. It told him to be free, but not in the way many condoned. He ignored it, always, but it was getting harder each day. He contemplated doing it once, but his sister stopped him. He needed to live even if it was only to postpone his sister's death.
By the time he knew it, his tears had run out. He went home with puffy eyes, causing people to shoot him a pitying look. He was used to it. Getting out of the hospital, he briskly walked to his apartment. It was quite far from the hospital, but he couldn't afford to take a taxi. He had to forego luxury to keep his sister's heart beating.
"Hey, you!"
Someone's call made him turn around. An irritated look crossed his face as he thought another obnoxious punk was trying his luck on him.
"What is it?"
"Don't go there. I heard it is crazy there right now."
The helpful information made him give the sincere man a surprised look. "What happened?"
"It has not happened yet. I heard some punks are going to 'hang out' out there."
The young man nodded his head casually, unbothered by the information. He was already used to it. The hangout was nothing but an empty show-off. None of the punks dared to cause trouble as they also didn't want to end up in jail. They only wanted to scare people off and they did, which was why they kept doing it.
"Thanks for the information."
"Sure. What's your name by the way?"
"My name…?"
It had been a long time since someone called his name. He used a fake name and lied about his age for his work. No one knew him but his sister. He contemplated for a while on what he should tell the man.
"My name is…"
In the end, he gave the man his real name. The man called him by his name, making him feel weird but also bringing a smile to his face. He continued walking home with a lighter mood because of the encounter. His day wouldn't be so bad if he had heeded the man's word. He found that day that the punks were not showing off.
Bang!
A stray bullet found its way to his lungs despite his effort to shield himself. As soon as he coughed up blood, he instantly recalled his sister. Despite wanting it for so long, when he was right before it, he was afraid to die. He was afraid to leave behind his sister. He writhed and screamed, angry at the world. Alas, his voice was but an extra noise in the entire chaos.
"Kay! Kay! Kay!"
He kept calling his sister's name, hoping that she would call back. She didn't. Of course, he knew it would be the case. What a tragic end his family met indeed. His parents died without anyone able to retrieve their bodies. He would die with no one to call his name. His sister would be left alone to die. They left this world without anyone attending their funerals.
A defeated chuckle came out of the young man's mouth as he closed his eyes. Reopening them, he found himself staring at the ceiling of his bedroom in Karakura town; they were wet with tears.
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Honorary Mention:
Venerable Immortal Adan Smith
Venerable Immortal Haider Alkefaji
Venerable Immortal B0mbaCl0ckBob
Venerable Immortal Jack Wright
Venerable Immortal SilverWolf
