Gazing into the Shadows of Yesterday
By Ninn
A young boy stood in the middle of the small town of Parm. He had been waiting for what seemed like hours, though it couldn't've been more than five or ten minutes, for Justin and Sue to return with the treasures. He knew that they would, but hoped they wouldn't, he hadn't been kidding when he threatened to make Sue marry him.
Gantz grinned and rubbed his hands together. He had found the best spot in the town to make his 'headquaters', the bridge that ran over the river. No one could miss him, they would have to notice him!
He glanced around, trying to see through the mass of heads, looking for his two victims to return empty handed. He had hidden the treasure really well, and was quite suprized a moment later whey they returned carrying the 'Shield of Light'.
But all he did was laugh like he owned them and told them that that was the easist one to find, that they would never find the other two pieces.
They argued between the three of them for a short amount of time, then Justin and Sue went off in search of the next item. Gantz watched them leave, and setteled into a comfortable sitting posistion on his bridge.
He was beginning to look forward to his marraige with Sue, and was quite sure that he could make her feel the same. He was still grinning moments later, when they returned again. Gantz stood up quickly, how had they found the 'Warrior's Helmet' that fast? As his dream was slipping through his fingers, he told them, still sounding self-centered and confident that they would NEVER find the third piece.
All they did was nod, and scurry off in search of it.
Gantz re-settled into a sitting posistion and listened to the river running underneath him. Even if they were able to find where the third piece was located, they would never be able to get to it. He had locked it in a chest, and given the key to his brother, who he knew hated Justin. He knew it was a dirty trick, but he liked it all the more for that. Sure, he was still a kid, but he could be as devious as anyone.
He was alone for at least twenty minutes, basking in his self-glory, and quietly scanning the crowd. Still no sign of them. And that was a good sign - it meant they were stuck, that he would soon be the winner.
Gantz waited, and waited. He was getting tired, and he could tell that soon the sun would be setting. That meant they didn't have much time. Gantz was just standing up, ready to call and end to the search, when they returned, with the 'Spirit Sword' in hand, smiles on both their faces. Gantz stared at them, then began to argue, but didn't get anywhere, becuase Justin and Sue had already walked away, leaving him staring at them angrily, his hope of marrying Sue shattered.
When Gantz woke the next morning to track them down for another contest, another chance at the honor of marrying him, he found that they were gone. Through a bit of searching, and putting up with those stupid adults who thouhgt he was a brat, he was able to find out that they had left seperately on a boat earlier that morning.
Gantz ran to the dock, knowing that he was too late to catch them, and contemplated jumping into the water, but instead he just gazed over the water, he would wait forever for Sue to come back.....
Gantz blinked a few times, and brought himself back to the present. He kept remembering that scene, fifteen long years ago. He had told himself that he would wait forever for Sue to come back, but he hadn't had to. She had returned alone a few months after that day. He felt himself slipping back into the memories, and let them consume him.
He had tried to talk to her, but she refused to acknoledge his presence. She had never liked him, he knew that now, and had only seen him as a bully. When that had sunk throuhg his head, as hard as it was to admit, he knew she was right, and vowed to change. He did, but not that much, and Sue still hated him. That was the easy part, though.
A few weeks after that, word began to get around from new travelers about what was happening in the world. About how one young boy and his small group of friends were going against the seemingly corrupt military - and winning. It hadn't taken much to find out that that boy was Justin. That was what got to him, the one person who he had hated, yet who always did what he said, was the one getting all the fame... It was rumored that he had been past the end of the world, and Gantz almost believed it, it seemed much more likely than the story that he had been traveling with one of the creatures called an Icarian.
The stories went on and on. Every week more travelers would come through the town, building it bigger and bigger, and telling tales of the heroic boy who had saved the world, though no one was quite sure of where he went to after the threat was gone.
Gantz had been so jealous, he wanted to do something like that, he wanted to prove that he wasn't worthless, as everyone thought. But he couldn't escape the now city of Parm. As he kept trying to get out, the town would grow bigger and bigger, keeping him in. That may have been a good thing, though. He didn't know how to survive in the wilderness. He had always been so intent on getting Sue to like him, so intent on bullying other people that he had never learned any skills, nothing that would make him useful...
His last hopes had been shattered when Sue announced to him that she had a boyfriend. He knew that she did it to spite him, and it had worked... He felt even more worthless than he thought possible, and stopped doing everything. He didn't bother to do anything when he heard that Justin had returned, Gantz knew that he wouldn't be able to face him, not after how he used to treat him, not with the knowledge that he had aspired to nothing, and the one who he hated was a hero.
Gantz pulled himself out of the memories one last time. He knew that he couldn't keep living in them or he may lose his sanity. He also knew that if he kept living, that he would keep remembering. Confused and upset, Gantz made his decision.
Later that day, as light merged into twilight, Gantz stood perched on top of the tallest building in Parm. A single tear slid down his cheek, and he muttered apoligies - to Justin and Sue, to anyone he had ever bullied, and to the town in general, for being such an annoyance to it.
Then, without any thouhgts, he jumped, soaring through the air in a rapid descent until he met his final resting place.