Neon District: Redux

Part Two Chapter Six: Election Day

       Eiji could only stare at the TV in disbelief.

       He didn't know if he felt surprised, shocked, or upset. 

       He only leaned up against his office desk and stared at the TV that was turned to the news channel.

       The letters that spelt out "Manzo Ogawa" pinned like needles against his pupils as he read the tape reader on the TV over and over again. How was this possible? Did Manzo have enough of a following to do this? No, only a handful knew that he still existed while the majority of the population thought he disappeared.

       Eiji's brain tried to think up every possible excuse of how this was possible, but the quick beating of his heart filled up the space in his mind faster than he could think. Sweat trickled down his forehead and fell down his neck, leaving his face feeling sticky.

       He continued to stare down the TV to make sure what he was seeing was true and not just his mind playing tricks on him. But he eventually had to tear his eyes away as his vision began to fog over and his head feeling light. 

       Taking off his glasses, Eiji attempted to place them on his desk but he missed and they dropped to the floor with a soft clank against the carpet. When he went to kneel down to retrieve them, his body shook so violently that he fell to his knees, slamming his forehead against the carpet floor. His heart thumped so fast that he thought it was about to explode.

       Eiji tried taking slow breaths to calm down his heart, but even when he closed his eyes all he saw was Manzo and the arrogant expression he made the last time Eiji nearly got beat. His mind was all jumbled up, his heart racing, and his body rattled as he rested his head on the ground as if he asked someone for forgiveness. Maybe he was desperately trying to ask God for His forgiveness. Maybe if he did then he wouldn't be hyperventilating on the floor right now. Maybe if he did then he wouldn't have to have troubles worrying what came next.

       But Manzo Ogawa won the election and Eiji Okamoto, himself, had lost.

       Eiji screamed frantically, but he was unsure why he did that. It wasn't screams of frustration, or anger, or even sadness.

       He was scared.

       He was scared of what came next. What Manzo would do to the District. The same District Eiji spent years trying to fix only to fail and have it dropping in his enemy's hands. He was scared what the old man would do to the people that worked for him, what he would do to Sayuri--

       Sayuri.

       He broke out of his fits and scrambled up from the floor; nearly shoving everything off his desk in the process as he used it to drag himself off the floor. He swiped his Zen phone off the desk and frantically tried calling Miss Taniguchi's number with shaking fingers.

       A knock appeared on the door.

       Eiji slowly twisted his head around towards the door to see it slide open with two Watch officers entering, their stun batons positioned at the ready near their waists. They wore their full, darkly coloured, ballistic uniforms with their helmet visors covering their faces. In the reflection of their visors, Eiji saw the horrid expression he was making on his face of him gritting his teeth tightly with terrifying eyes. His grey suit was wrinkled in some places with his dark hair being matted near the front where he slammed it on the floor. The gel in his hair became undone and his bangs drooped down, covering up his thick eyebrows.

       "Mr. Okamoto we have been requested by Mr. Ogawa to apprehend you for the crimes you committed against the District," one of the Watch officers explained, taking a few steps towards Eiji.