Tatsu - The Threat

Chapter 1 - A Dying Peon

Brian was rushing, speed walking to get to her house. He had that gaze of love, that glare that showed hunger for a sweet good night kiss from his girl. Life was good, better than ever, but then he heard the shots just half a block away. No, not again! Right there, right in front of her house, bullets were looking for an innocent target. That damn car, he could never forget it. The tail lights were bright red reflecting death as dozens of smoking casings fell out the passenger window. The friction from the tires on the asphalt shrieked announcing the conclusion of a horrifying deed.

Reliving the pain, Brian couldn't run to her, he couldn't be her hero. He was begging his legs to respond, but his heart pounded instead. Not this dream again, not again!

In his sleep, Brian was screaming in agony. The perspiration of panic and horror formed drops on his forehead. His heart was racing for its life like it did every night. His pulse could bear no longer the hurt that flowed through his veins. Screaming usually helped, but not anymore. He tossed, turned and groaned, fighting the torture, but Brian knew his nightmare would get worse the minute he woke up. A dilemma that had him wishing the end of everything. But he still wanted to save her. If only he could get his legs to respond.

Tossing and turning more violently, as he saw her blood in his dream, Brian hit the shelf next to his bed causing his book to fall. He yelled out her name in his sleep. The hardcover crashed against the floor and the book opened on page 173, right at the scene Brian had read hundreds of times.

An 8th century woman was running through the streets of Kyoto as if she had seen a ghost. As if she couldn't escape what was chasing her. The torment was almost palpable on that face, a face that was out of breath. Ryū noticed and quickly helped her hide in a shed.

  "Why are you running?" whispered Ryū. The shed was dark.

  The woman replied panting, "I can't take it anymore! I feel so scared of everything. I just had to   run."

  Ryū stared at her. "People are usually afraid of dying, but some are afraid of living. You         must stop trying to run away from yourself and face yourself instead."

"You make no sense." said the woman. She was hyperventilating.

"I was once as foolish as you." Ryū lit a fresh candle and brought its glow close to the woman's     face. "We are as we are. You need more right or more wrong. Bring the one you need to your life. You will stop running."

"I don't want more wrong in my life!" replied the woman.

"Right does not come when there is no wrong, and evil will always be present where there     is good. The day this stops happening for you, it is because you are dead. Sometimes we do the wrong we do not want to do. And sometimes we do wrong thinking it is right. Walk down your kannagara and you will find the right you need, even if it seems wrong, " said Ryū.

"Your words confuse me and bring me no comfort. Just....please allow me to hide here until my   fear passes," replied the woman.

  Ryū seeing the strength of a hundred men in the woman, gave her the candle and smiled.  "As you wish," he replied.

Brian woke up that morning drenched in night sweat. The battle in his soul was intense every night, and although he could win, he always wanted to lose. Life is just that way sometimes, especially for young people. Brian's meaningless life was just about out of breath and though he didn't want to die, he was walking down that path on purpose. Still, that morning he had to be ready. It was the day of the meeting with John Samson.

Brian forced himself to buy his first suit the day before, even if looking good conflicted with his sorrow. If this was going to be his last shot at life, he wanted to make sure he was dressed for the occasion. The lack of excitement should never lessen the importance. That morning he dressed his inner emptiness with outer elegance and began his journey to meet the man who could help him live.