A while ago someone challenged writers to create
a story in the vein of a professional writer. At first
I ignored the challenge, but this idea popped in
my head so I decided to try it out. This fic is written
in the style of Paul Auster who is most well known
for his 'New York Trilogy' and for writing the
screenplays to 'Smoke' and 'Blue in the Face'. Enjoy!

All characters belong to Rumkio Takahashi

The Dangers of Recurring Dreams

Chapter One

Ryouga Hibiki was confused with the situation
he was confronted with and for some strange
reason that's the way he thought it was supposed
to be.
He had been sitting in his apartment for once and
had not really been doing much of anything. Watching
a silly television show, thinking about what to make
for lunch. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Then the mail had arrived. The carrier slipped a few
letters through the slot of the door and had left. Ryouga
kept his eyes on the door and managed to reach it.
Lying on the floor were various letters and Ryouga
knew who they were from even before he picked them
up. Bills, a letter from his parents and a letter from
an old childhood friend that chilled Ryouga to his bones.
It usually doesn't bring great terror to a man's soul to
find a letter from an old friend, but this was a little
different. Most people don't get letters from dead men
and Ranma Saotome was most certainly dead.
Opening the letter Ryouga had emptied the contents
of it and found only an address on a piece of paper.
Raising an eyebrow Ryouga couldn't understand what
it meant.
It was a mystery and Ryouga was going to solve it.
Picking up his back pack from the floor Ryouga opened
the door to his apartment and went to find out who lived
at the address he held tightly in his hand. Walking around
outside of his apartment Ryouga came to the instant conclusion
that he would probably be walking around for all eternity trying to find the
address, but he felt too compelled to give up.
Wandering the streets of Tokyo Ryouga thought about
Ranma. They were both thirteen years old the first time
they had met each other and were the best of friends.
It was really strange, Ryouga thought to himself, never had
any friends before that. It had been very hard for Ryouga
to accept Ranma's death and now to have this thrust into
his face was a little overwhelming.
Too lost in thought Ryouga didn't look where he was going
and stepped into a pool of water. Losing his balance Ryouga
fell face first into the water. Lifting himself from the water Ryouga
looked at his surroundings.
He saw that he was sitting in a small pond  that had several
large stones around its perimeter. Looking further around him he
saw that he was in someone's yard. There was a large stone wall
surrounding the yard and a large house with a porch in front of him.
Ryouga blinked and stepped out of the pond and tried to shake
himself dry.
"What are you doing?"
Ryouga turned to look at what he believed to be the most beautiful woman he
had ever seen. She had short black hair that seemed to
carry a streak of blue through it and chestnut eyes. She was wearing a plaid
skirt and a purple sweater.
Ryouga couldn't help, but stare at her. She looked so feminine and demure,
but held herself with a great deal of strength. She-
"I asked you what you're doing?"
Ryouga snapped back to reality and said,"What I'm doing?"
"Yes," she said obviously irritated.
"Shaking myself dry," he said quietly.
"I can see that. But why are you shaking yourself dry in my yard?"she asked
almost growling.
Ryouga said,"Uh... I was looking for an address..."
"Yeah, that's no reason for you to be running through my yard," she said.
Thinking for a second Ryouga said,"Yeah, I guess so."
They stood there for a second looking at each other blankly.
Ryouga said while turning around,"Well, I gotta go."
"What's the address?" she asked.
"Huh?" he asked turning to face her again.
"Show me the address. Maybe I can help you." she said as she
stepped off the porch onto the lawn.
Ryouga handed the note to her and he said,"Do you know where
the address is?"
Blinking she said,"This is my address."
"It is?"
"Yes, why are you here?" she asked.
He thought about it and could only say,"I don't know."
"You came to my house and you don't know why," she said in an unbelieving
tone.
"... Well... Not really..." he said almost backing away from her.
"Yes?" she said glaring at him.
"It's just that the person I got it from was an old friend," he said now
looking anywhere but her.
"And this old friend would be...?" she asked waving her hand.
"Uh... His name's...  Ranma Saotome."
Neither one of them moved for a few moments remaining perfectly
still.
Quickly gaining her wits she said,"That-that's not possible. Ranma
Saotome's-"
"Dead. I went to the funeral," he said.
She said,"So, you can see that he obviously couldn't have sent this
to you."
Ryouga said,"Yeah, but that doesn't make that letter any less real."
She stared at Ryouga for a few seconds then said,"Who do you
think it was from?"
"I don't know. It just came in the mail." he said.
Ryouga sneezed and she said,"Oh, you shouldn't be out here in this weather
in those wet clothes! Why don't you come inside?"
"Uh... Okay..." he said.
She turned towards the house and he started to follow her. Then she faced
him again and said,"Oh, one thing. You didn't tell me your name."
"Ryouga Hibiki." he stated and sneezed again.
"Akane Tendo. Nice to meet you Mister Hibiki," she said while sticking out
her hand.
Ryouga took her hand and said,"Just Ryouga please. I don't want to
impose on you I just sort of wanted to know a couple of answers to some
questions I had."
"So do I," Akane said too softly for Ryouga to hear.


Ryoucilo
Until I find better things to write about. Ja ne.