THE AWAKENING: BIO-GENETICS

"Thank you for coming".

Sand steps out of the supermarket, sighing out steams, it was already snowing again and it was getting cold.

He headed back home but on his way, he saw a group of people gathered along with some police light and an ambulance.

Whispers going on around.

"An accident?" He said puzzled.

"Poor child it was a hit and run"

"Just how long has he been out here"

"Poor thing, an awful sight"

"Doesn't he have a guardian or something? He shouldn't be playing out here alone"

Sand heart skipped a bit, what was this feeling.

In panic he drops the bag he was holding as he rushed towards there, fighting his way through the small crowd and then he was at the front, the yellow line restricting him from going further.

The police already covered the body doing their rounds.

Sand stood there in shock, his eyes wide with horror, endless blood was around, signifying the accidents took place like hours ago.

Sand could only see the hand, and the hand was wearing a watch he was all too familiar with and a ball beside he recognised all too well.

Sand screamed in horror when he just realized what was before him.

"DAISUKE!!!" he screamed going under the line as he dash after the body but a police man grabbed him from reaching.

"DAISUKE!!!" he shouts as the tears gushed out.

"Kid do you know this boy?" The policeman demands.

"MY BROTHER, HE'S MY BROTHER!!!" he shouts in tears.

The policeman froze at his words, he held him in place grabbing his shoulder kneeling down to his height.

Sand was in shock as the tears gushed out endless.

"Eye witnesses said the hit and run happened like almost two hours ago or more... young man where have you been not seeing your brother for hours, weren't you worried?".

"I..." Sand eyes shock vigorously as his body trembled endlessly.

"I..." the tears fell endlessly, his heart broke in a million pieces, his brother must have said he was going out to play alone, just when he blocked his ears, his mouth quivered.

"I...I" he went on his knees, his eyes circled in tears more as the realization struck him like a thousand ton of bricks.

"I... I was doing homework".

***

Cries could be heard in the living room.

A picture of Daisuke was put up against the wall, two insects lights beside it bringing out steams.

The living room was filled with a few amount of people all on black.

Sand was seated on the couch, wearing a black suit, his expression dark, the bangs of his hair covered his eyes.

"It's okay dear" he heard his dad's sad voice as he held unto his wife.

"We should have been here" she cried.

At those words Sand raised his head.

"The autopsy report said my boy was there for 4 hours, 4 hours all alone after the hit and run" she cried.

Sand heart slammed a loud heart as his eyes went wide in shock, his body trembling.

"Where was he huh?" His mom said pointing at him.

"Where was Sand when my poor Daisuke was lying in the cold, WHERE WAS HE!" She shouts the last part.

Sand grandma came in.

"That's enough, Hana, this is Daisuke funeral, a time of peace let's not point fingers" she said helping Sand up in his feet who was still in shock.

"Come Sand let's get you inside" she said leading him away from the living.

On their way.

"It's his fault, Daisuke is dead because of him"

Sand halts his step when he heard her words, the tears fell on their own.

"It's okay dear" he heard his dad say.

"Let's go Sand" his grandma said taking him away.

'Ever since that day, my parents couldn't even look at me, ya know. I was a son who caused the death of his little brother because of negligence. No matter how my grandma told me it wasn't my fault, I was smart enough to know that ain't true, it was all because of negligence my little bro died. It haunted me for as long as I could remember'.

***

Matsubara Junior School

"Okay Sand come solve the equation" the homeroom teacher said.

From the silence he paused looking at him.

Sand eyes were widen in horror as his body trembled vigorously, this gained the attention of other's.

'Ever since that day all I could see was my mistake'

Sand eyes trembled vigorously, his gaze was at the entrance of the classroom where a dark figure stood, holding a ball.

"Daisuke?" Sand said in fear.

This alarmed everyone because they knew the name of his demise little brother, it only made them panic.

Terrified, Sand rushed out of the classroom.

"ACKER SAND!"

Sand took harsh uneven breath as he ran across the hallways.

He mistakenly bumped into someone, resulting him to fall, his butt landing hard on the floor.

"Watch it!" The boy pout.

Sand gaze drift to a pissed Hiro rubbing his butt.

still frightened Sand rose to his feet running away.

"Hey!" Hiro barked with white eyes.

"Hiro, are you okay?" Shinzo said helping him up.

"Who's that?" Hiro asked pointing an accusing finger.

"Oh i think he's 2 classes ahead of us, don't really remember his name but I know that look. I heard his little brother died months ago" Shinzo explained.

Hiro froze at his words, he instantly wasn't angry any more.

"Rumour are saying he died because of his negligence... ah yes I think I remember his first name, Acker I think... ah yes Acker Sand".

"Acker Sand" Hiro said faintly.

***

The Acker's Residence

"Please go away" Sand said quivering at the corner of his bed, he held his head tightly.

"Big brother"

He gasps when he raised his gaze, it lands on Daisuke standing across the room, covered in blood.

"GO AWAY!!!" Sand screamed on top of his lungs.

"Sand my boy are you okay?" His grandma said rushing into his room, she held him firm where he was as he trembling vigorously.

"Daisuke" Sand said pointing at a corner.

His grandma followed but there was nothing there.

She turned to Sand with worried eyes.

"Honey there's nothing there"

Sand froze at her words.

'My folks thought I was losing it, for months i saw a shrink for my condition, over the time I learned to live with the images as it was all in my head, it was all I could do to avoid being thrown to a psychiatric ward, my parents were hell bent on doing so, I knew it was to avoid seeing me as I reminded them as a failure of a son who couldn't protect his little bro. So I avoided them and pretended'

***

Sand sat alone in the park watching the other kids play, he tried as hard to do so to allow the sinister figure beside him, the dark bloody figure of his little bro who followed him around.

Sand hair bangs now covered his eyes and he didn't mind, as long as his parents didn't have to look him in the eyes and be disgust.

"Ha... what a sunny day" a voice came in as a man sat beside him.

Sand turned to the strange man, he looked in his late forties, he had rings from the top of his ear down, also pireced, he had short brown hair, his eyes covered with round goggles, he was on a white suit, a yellow scarf around his neck. His skin was chocolate almost rare to see such color around here.

"Yo kid can you tell me where I can find the supermarket, I'm a bit lost, I ain't from around here" he said scratching the back of his head.

Sand stared at him dumb folded.

"Crap my bad, you don't hear English do you, my Japanese is a little bit rusty" he said chuckling.

"Okay here it go" he said taking a deep breath.

"Could you tell me where the supermarket is, ya know" he said in Japanese.

"I do hear English but it's not that good," Sand said in English.

"Well is that so, then I'm lucky then" he said smirking.

"Weird" Sand said in Japanese rising to his feet about walking away.

"Well I forgot to mention I do hear Japanese, ya know" he said in Japanese but you could still hear his English words.

Sand froze at his words as he gulps hard.

"Now isn't it disrespectful to call your elder weird" he adds.

Sand turns to him his head hung down in shame.

"Tell me boy, what's ya name?" he asked in amusement.

"Acker... Acker Sand".

"Sand huh? Why did your folks call you that?"

"Because of my hair color" Sand said referring to the color of his hair.

"Well you don't say" the man said nodding seeing his hair and no doubt it looked sandy.

"Well boy, I'm Charlie Smith"

The wind blew harshly around them.

'That was the day I met him, Charlie Smith, ever since that day I helped him out with things around in Tokyo, he was visiting our country from New York, he taught me a lotta things ya know. And we became close. But the time came when he had to leave Tokyo but still we talked, he saw me as a son... until Black Storm Day'

***

Present Day 

The Year 2024

Sand still staring at the skies as he recalled the past.

'Being with Charlie I learnt a lot of things and picked up his habits, he saw me as a son, and I saw him as a dad... but that' he head hung down as he turned to a coverage of trees

'That wasn't enough to keep my demons at bay' 

At the side of a tree, Daisuke stood.