Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Paradise Lost ❯ The End of Asia ( Chapter 30 )

Chapter Thirty: The End of Asia:

October 31st, 1999.

Today would be Daisuke's last day in the world of the living. He didn't exactly know when it would happen, but he had a strong feeling that the end was near. However, the man decided not to alarm his daughter. Things were starting to return back to normal between them. Daisuke decided to make the most of this day.

That morning, he knocked on Anna's bedroom door. The girl was just starting on her homework when she looked up.

“Come in,” she said. Daisuke slid open her bedroom door and poked his head inside.

“Hey, how are you?”

Anna didn't even look up from her homework. “I'm fine. How are doing?”

“I'm good,” Daisuke said with a nod. “Hey, what are you doing today?”

“I was going to do my homework and maybe watch some TV, why do you ask?”

Daisuke managed a little smile on his face. “Let's spend the day out together.” Anna paused and looked up at her dad rather confused.

“What?” she asked.

“You know,” the man explained. “We can go out on the city and catch a movie or something, my treat.”

“But I still have my homework.”

“Just leave it for now,” Daisuke insisted. Anna tilted her head.

“But…” she started to say again. Her father gave her an innocent pouting face.

“Come on,” the man pleaded. “It is Halloween; we should be out on this nice day today. Please?” Anna tried to look away from those puppy dog eyes of his. She always didn't have much of a chance against him when he pulled such a charm on her. Anna put down her pencil.

“Alright,” she said with a defeated sigh. Daisuke looked like he was going to explode with excitement.

“Thank you!” he shouted with a bow. Anna gave him a rather worried look at her face.

“Papa, you're scaring me,” she told him. Daisuke stood up straight and cleared his throat.

“I'm sorry about that,” he muttered. “I'll be waiting by the door.” She watched him back away from the door and disappear into the hallway. Something told her that he wouldn't change his mind so easily. Anna closed up her textbook and notes and went to the closet to get a sweater.

Daisuke paced around near the front door. He did his best to push away the thought of death. Today was not going to be about that. The man just wanted a nice day out with his only beloved daughter. He couldn't let her know that he was going to die maybe in a few hours from now. However, he couldn't let his guard down either. His family could strike in broad daylight if they wanted to.

The man put on his brave face again. Right, I won't let anything ruin our day out today, he thought. He turned when he heard footsteps coming towards him down the hallway. Anna stared at him wearing her school uniform. Daisuke looked at her clothing choice in a strange way.

“Why are you wearing that?” he asked. Anna looked down at her clothes.

“This is one of my favorite clothes,” she said. Daisuke shook his head and waved her off.

“That won't work, go change into something causal.”

Anna frowned at him. “But…”

“Please? Do it for me.” His daughter dropped her shoulders and rolled her eyes.

“Fine, I'll go change.” The girl turned and went back to her room. Minutes later, she came back in a black sweater and a long brown skirt. Daisuke looked her up and down and smiled.

“Good enough,” he said. “Now let's get going.” Anna followed her father out the door. On the street, she glanced up at him.

“So what exactly are we doing today?” she asked. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders.

“I just thought that we could see a movie, get lunch, walk around the park, and then maybe go home,” he answered, “Something like that.” He noticed the strange look on his daughter's face.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“You didn't plan this out too well, did you?” she asked.

“Not really,” her father said with a sheepish smile on his face. Anna smiled and giggled to herself.

“So what movie do you want to see?” she asked. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders.

“Whatever happens to look good at the moment,” he admitted. The man noticed his daughter trying not to laugh.

“What is it?” he asked. Anna smiled and shook her head.

“You really didn't plan this out too well, did you?”

“Hey come on. I just thought of this nice day out. Can't you at least humor me by enjoying it?” Anna put up her hands at him.

“Alright, aright,” she said, “I will enjoy today just for you.”

“Thank you,” Daisuke said with a little bow. His daughter shook her head smiling at him acting like a big goofball. They settled on the movie, Owls' Castle. Daisuke spent most of the movie comparing it to its original, Castle of Owls. Anna shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“Papa, it's just a remake,” she complained as they walked out of the theater.

“I can't help it, I will in the film club in college.” His daughter turned to him with big surprised eyes.

“You were in a film club?”

“Yep. That's how I got to see My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies.”

“I remember Totoro,” Anna replied. “But I don't remember Grave of the Fireflies.” Daisuke shook his head.

“You would not have liked it.” His daughter tilted her head puzzled by this statement.

“Why not?”

“You were five years old at the time and I found it too depressing for you,” Daisuke answered, “The kids died in the end.” He noticed his daughter frowning at him.

“You spoiled it!” she said, play-hitting him. Daisuke turned to shield himself away from her repeated swings.

“Come on!” the father wailed. “I just saved you from watching something that would bum you out later on in life.”

“What if I wanted to see it?”

“Well then, I still saved you the disappointment,” Daisuke said. Anna frowned and pouted at him.

“What?” he asked as she walked ahead of him. He raced to catch up with her. They passed a jewelry shop in the city.

“Papa!” Anna yelped with her face pressed up against the glass. “Look! Look!” Her father paused and turned around.

“What is it?” He came over to the window and looked with her. A gold necklace was on display. It had a small charm in the middle shaped like a cat with its paw out and away from its little body.

“It's so pretty!” Anna said as her breath fogged up the window.

“Yes, it is,” Daisuke replied with a nod. His daughter whipped around to him with big angelic eyes.

“Could you please buy it for me?” she pleaded. “Please?” Daisuke gave her a rather nervous chuckle.

“I don't know. It looks rather pricey for my taste.”

“Please?” Anna begged again. “I promise I'll wear it every day. Please, it's all I want.” Daisuke smiled and shook his head.

“Fine, fine. I'll get it for you, but you have to keep your promise to wear it every day.” Anna nodded quickly.

“I promise I will!”

“Okay, I believe you,” her father said. Anna squealed and hugged her father wildly in the street. Daisuke patted her on the head.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Anna said aloud repeatedly.

“Calm down,” Daisuke said. “Let's go inside and get your necklace.” They headed into the jewelry store. In three minutes, Daisuke bought his daughter her precious gold cat necklace. In truth, he formed a motive to have this piece of jewelry for Anna later on down the road.

“You feeling hungry?” the man asked her. Anna turned to him with a huge smile on her face.

“Sure!”

“Where do you want to eat?”

“Sushi bar!”

“Very well,” her father said. They headed out to her favorite sushi bar. As they walked through the crowded Sunday streets, Daisuke secretly opened the velvet box in the bright pink bag and rested his fingertips on the gold clasp. His lips murmured a silent incantation. A small yellow light disappeared into the clasp.

“Say, Anna-chan,” Daisuke spoke up. “Do you want me to put your necklace on right now?”

“Yes, please,” his daughter said with grace in her voice. They paused in front of the sushi restaurant's glass doors. Daisuke reached into the bag and pulled out the newly purchased cat necklace. Anna lifted up her long auburn ponytail and let him clasp her charm around her neck. She turned and looked in the glass.

“It's so pretty!” she said with a smile on her face.

“Shall we go in?” Daisuke offered with his arm out to her.

“Yes, Papa.”

The man walked her into the restaurant. They sat in their usual place at the window. Daisuke listened happily as Anna shared funny stories about what happened at her school. It was going to be a shame that he would never hear them again. It reminded him that he still had one more thing to do.

When they made it back home after their last day together, Daisuke paused in the living room. Anna looked up when she heard him stop.

“Something wrong, Papa?”

“Anna-chan, I think I left something at the post office yesterday,” Daisuke lied. “Could you go and check to see if it is still there?” Despite thinking that this was an odd request, Anna nodded her head.

“Okay…”

Her father listened as she put her shoes back on and head out the door. Once he was sure that she was gone, Daisuke walked down the hall to his office. At his desk, he set up his tape recorder and hit record for the very last time.

Owari