I'm loving the magic system, characters and world so far. I'm trying some new things like writing Lust in this scene. Please let me know what you think about it or how it could improve. I'm still fairly new at it, so any advice is welcome and loved.
I've decided that, for my Nano updates, I'm going to post the first 3 chapters - the introductions of each of the 3 main POV characters - then whatever the most recent chapter I've finished unless anyone requests differently.
I hope you enjoy chapter 2 of BURNING POTATOES FOR THE GLORY OF PEACE aka BURNING.
Chapter 2 (Unable to confess)
Ami
allowed the hot water to cascade off of her body for several more moments
before cutting the shower off. That felt
wonderful. She climbed out of the tub and opened the door.
Nearly
falling, her feet slid across the floor. Steam rolled out of the bathroom while
she toweled off. The warm, summer heat created a sheen of perspiration across
her naked skin and maintained the fog that covered the mirror.
I wonder if John will be free tonight after
kickboxing. Ami wiped the sweat off of her body and turned on the fan. Once
she had the towel wrapped around her hair, she pranced about her apartment. I missed my chance the last time … . I
cannot allow another girl to take him away from me this time … . This time —
The
memory of what Haru did zipped through Ami’s thoughts. It was the reason that
John had broken up with his girlfriend after only six months together.
Ami
ground her teeth. That bitch … .
Before turning on the TV, she took a deep calming breath. She would not allow
Haru’s actions to ruin this opportunity. I
will confess to him tonight.
Blood
rushed to Ami’s face. Her foot began tapping on its own, and she found herself
wringing her hands together.
I —
“The
Omiya Yankees struck again last
night,” the reporter on the news said, “yesterday’s victim was a young couple
walking their dog.”
Ami
clenched her fists. Her anger calmed her brittle nerves. It allowed her to
regroup before going over the confession plans again.
“This
attack was only one of seven over this past week,” the reporter said, “and all
of the victims were hospitalized on top of having all of their personal
possessions stolen.”
Through
gritted teeth, Ami growled. “I will bring them to justice,” she said towards
the TV, “tonight —” Her breath caught. But
… what about John?
The
room seemed to drop in temperature.
Ami
shivered. “I can,” she said to herself, “bring justice after my first date …
probably.”
She
continued to build herself up as she put on her gym clothes. After stuffing an
extra set of clothes — for her date — into her backpack, she threw a pair of
feathers, a ballpoint pen and a red-stringed bell into the side pocket. She
zipped up her backpack and tossed the towel across the couch before tying her
black hair into a ponytail. Then she headed out the front door, trying to
maintain her confidence.
###
By
the time Ami finished her workout and dropped the set of dumbbells onto the
rack, she breathed heavily. It is finally
time! She wiped the perspiration from her brow.
Grunting,
groaning and the clank clank clank of weights created a cacophony of sound
throughout the gym. As usual on Saturday nights, a large crowd of people packed
into the weight room. The relaxing stink of sweat hung in the air.
Ami
inhaled through her nose, and using the aroma of people working-out, steeled
her nerves. She could do it. She would do it. From this day forward, John would
be her boyfriend — he would be hers, and no one else’s.
A
chime rang through the intercom, announcing that the hour had changed. Now, it
was seven o’clock, time to go to kickboxing — time to confess her feelings to
John.
Even
though her fingernails dug into her palms, Ami told herself that she was not
scared. Compared to fighting against
thugs and yankees, this is nothing … right? She increased her pace and sped
through the gym.
The
elevator ride was the worst. Despite the minuscule amount of time she spent on
the monster, the inability to move had her huffing and fidgeting out of control.
When
the doors opened after the eternity of moments, Ami sprang into the Kickboxing
gym and scanned the groups of people. Where
is he?
John
was normally with Keisuke and Taisei, but his two friends stood alone on the
far wall. Upon another inspection, there was not a single foreigner in
tonight’s class.
Ami’s
throat dried. Do not tell me … . She
shuffled towards Keisuke and Taisei. The blood drained from her face before she
made it halfway across the room. It has
only been a week since he broke up with Sara … . Her teeth chattered.
Keisuke
nudged Taisei. “Watch your tongue … the monster is coming.”
“Keisuke
… .” Ami chewed on her tongue, fear repressing her rage.
“What?”
After
curling her toes, Ami studied the floor. “Where is John?”
Keisuke
whistled. “So, that’s what this is about.”
“Well?”
“No
idea.”
Ami
turned to Taisei.
Taisei
shook his head. “Me either. He hasn’t been responding to Emails all day and
wasn’t in rock-climbing class either.” He shrugged. “If I had to guess, he is
—”
Shaking
his head, Keisuke placed a hand on Taisei’s shoulder. “If you don’t want to get
punched, then I’d suggest not finishing that sentence.”
Ami
glanced at her hands and found them balled into fists. When had that happened? “I only want to —”
“Confess
to him?” Keisuke smirked.
Heat
rose into Ami’s cheeks and explode throughout the rest of her face. “Wha— What
… what are you—”
Taisei
chuckled then softly jabbed Ami in the shoulder. “I understa—”
On
instinct alone, Ami twisted her hips stepped in close to Taisei. She pulled her
fist out of his gut and blinked. “Sorry!” Before he could fall to the floor,
she caught him and kept him upright. “I’m so sorry.”
Taisei
worked his mouth, but no words came out.
Holding
onto his stomach, Keisuke fell to
the floor laughing. “Didn’t they teach
you in the police academy not to pet the goril—”
Ami
spun and kicked Keisuke between the eyes.
His
head thumped against the matted floor. His eyes rolled into the back of his
head.
Heart
racing, she bared her teeth. “What did I tell you about calling me that?”
Taisei
croaked out a laugh. “Hanging out with the two of you is more entertaining than
sitting up to watch Twenty-four Hours, No
Laughing Allowed.” He rubbed at the place where Ami had hit him. “Albeit
much more dangerous.”
Keisuke
rustled and moved as if to trip Ami.
She
leaped backwards. “I —”
The
head instructor clapped his hands, and the other students lined up in the
middle of the room.
Ami
sighed before hanging her head. After working up her confidence, she no longer
had any power left. For all she cared, tonight’s class was a waste of time. The
only thing she wanted right now was John.
###
John
wept into his hands, the salty taste of sadness coating his lips. How could this happen to me? He
sniffled. How did I get caught up in this
mess?
By
the time the vault door clicked open, the blaring alarm had died, and he had
burned all of the potatoes in his stomach. Goosebumps prickled across his arms.
It was colder now than earlier, wasn’t it? Several things thumped across the
ground from outside the vault.
John’s
heart skipped a beat, and he looked up.
A
large group of police officers filed into the vault, all with guns pointed in his direction. “Freeze,” the elderly said as one, “you dirty
foreigner!”
Is this it? John chewed on his cheek and
held his hands in the air.
The
police officer with more wrinkles than Japan had trains stepped forward. He
holstered his gun and narrowed his eyes. “Looks like you got caught in the act
you diseased, foreign monkey.”
After
blinking, John wiped his eyes on the sleeves of his shirt, making sure to keep
his hands in the air. The last thing he wanted was to get shot. “I can
explain?”
“Explain
what?” The elderly police officer pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt and
approached John. “How you got caught doing what your kind always do?”
“My
kind?” What’s going on?
“You
bastards are all the same.”
John
swallowed. While his eyes fixed on his bloody knuckles, he wished that he
hadn’t wasted his potatoes of the feather. “Excu—”
A
smack echoed throughout the vault after the elderly police officer laid his
hand across John’s face.
Pain
zipped from John’s right cheek down to his feet. He screamed out.
“Shut
your lying mouth, you dirty foreigner.” The elderly officer snapped the
handcuffs onto John’s wrists and dragged him to his feet. “I don’t want to hear
any of your bullshit.”
“But
—”
Smack!
The elderly police officer’s hand reddened John’s other cheek.
When
tears began to reform in his eyes, John bit into his lower-lip. Why is this happening to me? His resolve
melted.
After
spitting into John’s face, the elderly officer smiled. “Go ahead … something.”
He bared his teeth. “Just give me a reason to break every bone in your filthy
body.”
John
shook his head and kept his mouth closed. What
did I do to deserve this? When the image of his mother’s face hit him, his
knees buckled, and he fell limp in the elderly police officer’s grip. Droll rolled down his chin, and his muscles
convulsed in a quick spasm. His mind contorted, and a spiraling darkness
wrapped around his thoughts.
The
other police officers holstered their guns and grabbed John by his arms and legs.
While
they dragged him from the vault, John once again found himself fantasizing
about his peaceful weekend, and
how great it would have been if not
for Hyuga, and his magic bullshit.
###
Ami
stumbled from the gym with her eyes glazed over. I cannot believe he did not show up for the entire class. He cannot
have found a new girlfriend already, can he?
The
cool night are bristled against her skin, and the hair on the back of her neck
rose. Without the refreshing stink of bodies at work to calm her emotions, she
found her rage screaming inside of her head.
While
grinding her teeth, Ami glanced about the dwindling crowd. I know the perfect thing to help me relax after such a stressful night.
She focused and felt for the lump of potatoes in her stomach.
It
was still there in all of its golden glory.
Ami
smiled before burning. A light-blue light bathed the sidewalk around her while
she walked away from the gym.
First,
she touched the feathers to make sure they still enhanced her physical
abilities. Then, she switched to the ballpoint pen, and her skin hardened into
steel. Finally, after checking to make sure that no one was watching her, she
caressed the red-stringed bell. Fire sprang to life in her hands, leaping onto
her fingers and dancing in the air by her command.
Reluctantly,
Ami stopped burning.
An icy wave swept through her body.
Her
joints ached, and her movements were sluggish. It is time to deliver some justice.
By
the time she had reached Omiya Park, it was as if all the people had vanished.
Chirping crickets filled the night sky with their song. The park smelled wrong
with its lack of body odor, tobacco and car-exhaust.
Ami
rolled her neck; the withdrawal after burning passed. Where should I start looking for these yankees? While glancing
about, she pouted her lips and widened her eyes, trying to appear innocent and
afraid.
Something
crunched in the distance.
Ami’s
heart tried to leap into her mouth. She reached for the potatoes, pulling her
mental hand up short when she heard a flapping sound come from the same area as
the crunch. Before moving deeper into the poorly lit park, she settled her
nerves with a deep breath.
Power-walking
as an excuse to be in the park so late, she made her way to the backend of
Omiya Park. Few people visited this area, and sparse trees grew out of control.
So many shadows and bushes made this an ideal place to rob someone. And the
silence? Pure, unabashed silence?
Well, it was just creepy.
Whenever
Ami passed a bush, she checked behind it,
to make sure that she would not get jumped from behind. This made the search
feel like trudging through waist-high mud.
I wonder if —
“It
— it — it — it — it is time!” a scruffy voice said.
Ami
screamed and nearly jumped out of her skin.
“It
— it — it — it — it is time!” the voice said again, followed by music.
Inhaling
sharply, Ami reached into her backpack and pulled her cellphone out.
“It
— it — it — it — it is time!” her ringtone said again.
If this is not John … . Ami glared at
her phone, hands still shaking. “Fuck you, Taisei!”
Her
voice rolled into the night and across the Omiya Park Lake.
Ami’s
hand shot to her mouth, and she
cursed herself for losing control. Without a second thought, she cut her phone
off and shoved her cellphone into her backpack. I would say that I am going to give Taisei a facelift with fist, but I
already punished him enough earlier tonight.
A
bit closer to the lake, the smell of burned potatoes pushed her into a run
towards its source. There were two distinct strands of the scent.
When
she reached its origin, Ami’s jaw went slack and her mouth fell open.
Eight
unconscious men lay in heaps on the ground. They were all clearly yankees as
shown by their hair and manner of dress. Two of them had pipes wrapped around
their heads, and not even one of
the yankees moved so much as to be called a twitch.
Ami
leaned down and checked each of their vitals, admiring the breaks and bruises
while she worked. Whoever did this was
really good. After turning burning, she gathered the yankees and used their
clothes to tie them together. The least I
can do is turn them over to the police. She grabbed ahold of the feather
and began dragging the string of unconscious bodies.
###
When
Ami finally made it back to her apartment, she felt the desire for another
shower overcome her weariness. She sniffed then shook her head. Why do I smell this bad?
The
chill in the air vanished soon after heater started up. Though, the fact that
the heater had to be used in the summer was a testament to the strangeness of
the day. With luck, there would still be hope.
Ami
smothered her desires before undressing and tossing her rancid clothes into the
washing machine. Why do they stink worse
than rotten grapes?
Once
in the shower, she scrubbed her body with the roughest brush she owned. Then,
while the water soaked her hair, she ran her fingers across her smooth skin.
The laser hair-removal surgery would ensure that no one ever called her a
gorilla again.
The
thought brought Ami’s mind back to Keisuke which led it to John. I will call him wh— She moaned the
moment her fingers brushed across her nipples. Once her fingers slid between
her legs, she allowed desire to consume her.
Pleasure
stretched time. Nothing existed except for the image of John in her mind. A
beeping sound echoed from the other room — she had used too much hot water.
Sighing,
Ami cleaned up and cut the water off. It
is time to call him! Heat flushed her face while she dried her hair and
body.
The
air in the living room was thick like a sauna. Each breath needed to be chewed,
but it was better than being cold.
Ami
cut off the heater and turned on the TV. She had to create a natural
atmosphere. If I can lull him —
“This
just in,” a reporter said when the news interrupted the TV drama. “A foreigner
has been caught trying to rob the Omiya West-Bank Securities Firm. He is currently
being held and questioned. When more information comes to light, we will be
sure to shed it here on NHK.”
While
shaking her head in disbelief, Ami pulled her cellphone out. I cannot believe that anyone is that dumb.
Once
her cellphone was turned on, it vibrated out of control. Fifty missed calls and
twenty Emails.
Ami
ignored the Emails and opened her missed-call log.
Most
of the calls had come from Taisei. None from John. Though, surprisingly, some
were from Keisuke.
Ami
blinked. Well … this is odd.
It
had been — what? — seven years since Keisuke had
initiated contact with her. Well, without being forced by Moe at least.
What the fuck could he want? Ami licked
her lips before flipping to John’s phone number. Here goes nothing. She hit the call button.
It
rang and rang and rang.
When
his generic voice mail answered, Ami cursed before calling again.
Time
and time again, each call received the same result.
Ami
screamed. After cocking her fist back, she prepared to chuck the cellphone
across the room. “What is he doing?”
“It
— it — it — it — it is time.”
Before
flipping the cellphone open, Ami swallowed. “John?”
“No
… .” Taisei said from the other line.
“Fuck!
What do you want?” Ami ground her teeth, still thinking about throwing her
cellphone through the window.
“It’s
about John.”
Ami’s
heart stopped. She froze in place. “Did … did … did something happen to him?”
Taisei’s
audible gulp set Ami’s nerves on edge. He took a deep breath. “Yes … sort of.”
Oh no! Tears flowed down Ami’s cheeks.
“Is he dea—”
“No!
Just … in jail.”
“Jail
… ?” The phone slipped from Ami’s grip and crashed against the floor. The … foreigner arrested … was John … . She found herself sprinting towards the front
door, wallet in hand.
Next: BURNING Chapter 3
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