Finally mustered up the courage to post this. First chapter of a long-form story I’ve been working on for a while. I’m not sure where else to publish this, so I figured I’d just dump it here for anyone looking for something to read.
The name of the book is “Many Mornings”, and it’s a modern fantasy about a school of kids who all learn a lot about themselves. It’s a story about identity, and discovering what it really means to be yourself. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1: Ladies and Gentlemen
Do you believe everything you read?
Ahem! Today... I’ll tell you the story of the school known as “Okami”. Okami was a ground for those who honed the various arts of humanity. A school to train the future leaders, defenders, and preservers of the world. Youths from all across the world were enrolled. After the students accepted enrollment the true nature of the school was revealed. Okami was indeed a school to hone talent, but also a school to train young fighters. Police reports of cult-like activity and unidentified, black creatures suddenly were being filed, almost overnight. Okami seemed to have some solution to these problems in mind. This… is the tale of that very school, and the life it sought to protect. It is a tale of kings.
Through the underground pathway, he walked. Climbing up the stairs, and out of the train station, he was accosted by a myriad of senses. The loud and busy city exuded so many sights and sounds. Sounds that even pierced through the blaring trumpets coming from his headphones. Shivering hands clenched in his pockets, he took in a deep breath through his nose. What an ever-nostalgic smell, the city air was. For a moment, nothing in the world seemed to matter; just simple ecstasy. That was, of course, until a meek breeze blew a tuft of rose-red hair into his face, tickling the bridge of the boy’s nose.
Brushing away his red threads, and pushing up his glasses, he produced a small object from his pocket: a cell phone. The boy flipped it open, shot a glance down, and returned it to his coat. Carefully, he began scanning the skyline, until he was interrupted by the exact thing he was searching for: a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his torso.
Startled, he turned completely around at the source of the hug. “There you are,” he said in a voice about a half-octave higher than one might expect. It was a girl, about a head taller than he was. She had light-brown hair that came slightly lower than her shoulders. She wore a pink cardigan, and a heavenly smile. The boy with glasses, red hair, and a high-pitched voice returned her hug, his chin perched atop her breast.
“I can’t believe it’s you, Arisato,” the girl started to well up. “It’s been so long.”
The embrace got tighter and tighter by each passing second. Though it was difficult for his lungs to create the words, the boy called ‘Arisato’ managed to reply. “I’ve missed you too, Hikaru. I’m sorry it’s been so long since you’ve seen me.” Eyes shifting over and down, a somber look wiped across his face. It was then that Arisato noticed himself tearing up as well.
“You don’t have to apologize,” Hikaru affirmed, looking him dead in the eye. “All that’s important to me is that I get to see my best friend again.” A sincere smile began to form between her blushed cheeks.
Arisato closed his eyes and mirrored her smile. “You’re right. And now that we’ll be going to school together again, you’ll be seeing a lot of me.”
Struck by urgency, Hikaru grasped her friend’s frigid hand, and sprinted back, the way she’d gotten to the station. “The dorm is only about a ten-minute walk from here,” she shouted back at her struggling friend, “but it’s almost curfew, and I’ve kind of made a habit of staying out late. I don’t wanna get in trouble.”
“She only moved into the dorm a week ago, and she already has a reputation like that?” Arisato thought to himself. “I guess she hasn’t changed much.”
“Sorry about this,” she called back. “I’ll give you a tour of the city tomorrow. I promise.”
Arisato certainly would have liked to have been able to take in the sights a little more, but it could wait. It was late, it was cold, he was tired, and he knew that this was the first day of the rest of his life. In only two days, he and his best friend were going to be students at Okami Academy. It was nothing short of an honor to be accepted into a school like that. It was something straight out of a story that Arisato would read.
Though, thoughts of doubt raced through his head. “Am I really worthy? Isn’t this a little dangerous?”
He clenched his friend’s hand and was instantly soothed by her smile. He was reassured, if not a little jealous of her. “She’s the most fearless girl I know. She’s not scared of anything. She’s so perfect.”
As soon as he’d forgotten about running, once his legs began moving to their own beat, Hikaru skidded to a halt right outside of a large building. Hedges, concealed by a metal fence, circled the perimeter of the building. Incandescent, yellow lights illuminated the spotless, slate-gray, stairs. At the top of the stairs resided a large double door, and on the red bricks next to these doors lived a bronze plaque with two words: “Aoisumire Dormitory.”
“Here it is.” Hikaru motioned toward the building. “Your new home.”
Arisato felt a well of nervousness form in his stomach. Choosing to ignore it, he joined his friend up the stairs before them. Stepping through the threshold, he was accosted by the lighted room.
Surveying the first room, it appeared to be a lounge. A green and red carpet lined the floor, and immediately to the right sat several chairs and a couch circling a long coffee table, with a television nearby. On the left, a receptionist’s desk was set up, being manned by a young, caucasian lady. She was either of American or European descent; Arisato could never tell the difference.
“Ms. Yuri,” the receptionist began, brandishing a look of annoyance, “you’re late, again.” Hikaru nervously smiled.
“Yeah, I know,” she chuckled. “But I had to pick him up from the station. He would’ve gotten lost without me.”
“What a liar. They gave me a map of the city.” Arisato thought.
“I suppose I can let this one slide, but don’t let me catch you late again, Ms. Yuri.” The receptionist turned toward Arisato. “You must be new to the dorms. May I have your name?”
“Um, Arisato.” He spoke up.
“Let’s see. Sousuke Arisato, correct?”
Arisato nodded to the woman.
“Well,” the receptionist began, “lucky for us, we have a room with exactly one empty bed.” She handed him a silver key with the number 128 engraved into it. “On the next floor up, there should be a room with that same number on your key. All of the boys’ rooms are on that floor, with the girls’ rooms on the floor above. It goes without saying, but the boys are not allowed in the girls’ dorm rooms, and vice-versa. We have your suitcase in the luggage room, which is the first door on the left on the next floor. Apart from all that, all I really have to say is to please try to get along with your roommates.”
“Thank you.” Arisato bowed, only mostly sure that all the information he had been given hadn’t just gone out the other ear.
“Oh, I nearly forgot,” the lady added. “Your first day of school is Monday, so tomorrow is your last day to pick up your uniform. And the same goes for you, Ms. Yuri.”
Hikaru smiled, sheepishly.
“I’ll make sure not to forget.” Arisato assured the woman at the counter, before bowing even lower than before. “Thank you again, ma’am.”
“Of course, Mr. Arisato. Have a good night, both of you.”
The two of them bid her goodbye and headed up the stairwell. Arisato wished his friend a good night before she ascended to the next floor. Following the directions he was told, he opened the door to the luggage room, and was greeted with a brand-new suitcase: the same suitcase he’d packed only a day-or-two ago before having it shipped away.
Clutching the suitcase’s handle, Arisato walked to the room marked 128. At the end of the hall, he found this exact door. Inserting the key, he opened the door to be greeted by three other boys.
Two of the boys sat next to each other on the bottom of one of the two bunk beds in the room. The boy on the left of the bunk was the first to speak up, almost instantly.
“Hi there!” He exclaimed. The boy had lightly-tanned skin, and ruffled, dark-brown hair. He was short enough that his legs dangled over the floor, and he had the widest pair of eyes that Arisato had ever seen.
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you.” Arisato replied.
“My name is Sun. Looks like you’re our last roommate.” This boy’s optimism was incredibly off-putting. Almost scary.
The boy on the right couldn’t have looked any different. He was tall, and very pale. His hair was groomed and a black color, darker than midnight. The most noticeable thing about him though was a long, yellow scarf wrapped around his neck. He almost looked like a character from a comic.
“And I’m Ray. It’s a pleasure,” stated the taller boy.
“My name is S-Sousuke Arisato. But most people just call me by my surname.”
Sun began speaking again. “Ray and I already decided on this bunk, so it looks like you’ll be sharing a bed with Gordon.” Arisato looked over to the other bed in the room. On the bottom bunk lay a boy with long, brown hair playing a handheld video game.
“Since we’re introducing ourselves,” he began, “I would be the Gordon in question.” Finally. Someone who looked remotely normal. However, Arisato quickly realized that with his thick-rimmed glasses and rose-red hair, he didn’t look exactly normal either.
Arisato set his suitcase on the carpeted floor before ascending the ladder to survey his new bed. He sat down on the mattress and was completely dumbfounded by how it felt. It was the most comfortable thing he’d sat on in years. And the sheets smelled just as beautiful as the mattress felt.
“This has to be a dream, right? Nothing in this world could possibly be this perfect.”
Arisato’s ecstasy was short-lived though. He was interrupted by a voice. “Is everything OK up there?” It was Ray’s voice.
Without realizing it, Arisato had somehow managed to entangle himself in his bedsheets in an act of bliss. And everyone had witnessed.
“Um, yeah. I’m sorry. I just-I wasn’t expecting it to be this comfy.” Arisato said, his face as red as his hair. “God, what a first impression.” he thought.
“Hey,” Ray chuckled, “quit blushing. No one’s upset. You must be tired. It is late after all. It’s probably close to bedtime” He spoke in such a silky manner. It was almost intimidating, but not quite malicious. Somewhere in-between.
Arisato began to lie down when he realized that he’d never changed out of his clothes. He rappelled down the ladder on his bed, before grabbing his suitcase, and starting towards the bathroom. Turning on the lights, and closing the bathroom door, he looked at himself in the mirror before disrobing.
He unbuttoned his shirt before glancing at the mirror again. He saw himself, standing alone, shirtless. His chest was not bare though; around his torso was a series of bindings. Bindings that concealed the body of a woman: Arisato’s true body.
