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feedback, but be kind, this is the first story I've had the guts to
post.
The darkest hour is just before dawn
Raye Asaoshi looked around the karaoke bar she had found. Yep, it was perfect. Seedy and clouded with cigarette smoke, the low rumble of voices almost drowned out the high, reedy voice of the only singer. Show me the meanin' Of bein' lonely It's just a feelin' I need to walk with Tell me why I can't be there where you are There's somethin' missin' in my life. Raye settled glumly on a barstool and ordered a beer. When it came, she nursed it and thought back as to why she was here. Her one true dream was to be a star singer, so after collage she had moved to Harajuku and searched for an audition. She had finally found one, only to be usurped by a shallow but gorgeous ditz with only a fraction of her talent. The people running the place said they were sorry, but she just didn't have the kind of looks today's audience wanted. I don't get it. What's wrong with the way I look? Even as she asked she knew the answer, though. Singers were always beautiful, and she fell in the category of pretty. Her hair was glossy, but it wasn't blonde or black, it was brown. Her eyes weren't black or blue or hazel, they were a dark, intelligent gray. She just looked too intellectual, the sort of person you'd expect to see running a library, not singing for cheering fans. She had come to this hole in the wall to try and escape the reality that was staring her in the face: she had to go home. Her dream could never be realized. She'd just have to go back to Uenohara and get a job as a teacher like her parents wanted. She sighed and took another swig of beer, trying to forget. There's nowhere to run I have no place to go Surrender my heart, Body, and soul There's somethin' missin' in my Heart. * * * Logan entered the bar. For some reason, his eyes were immediately drawn to the slim figure at the bar. Poor kid. He could see that something was troubling her. Maybe he could help. He walked over and sat down next to her. "Hi." "Hi." "What's yer name?" "What's it to you?" "Ya looked down. Thought maybe I could help. Somethin' the matter?" She looked at him with tired eyes, eyes that were too old for the young face. "Got a few hours?"
* * * Raye had been hit on by enough drunk guys to know when someone was trying to pick her up, but this guy didn't seem to fall in that category. He seemed genuinely concerned, and to her surprise she found herself telling him the whole sob story. "ˇ¦ So that's it. I figure I'll just have to go home and be a schoolteacher like my parents wanted." "So yer just gonna give up? Pack yer bags an' go home?" "You have a better idea?" "Yeah. You keep tryin'. You find a company that'll judge you on talent alone, an' ya stick with it till ya hit big time." She looked at him with total disbelief. "What do you know about dreams?" she said angrily. "What do I know? Kid, my friends fight every day for a dream that may never be realized. But no matter how many setbacks or bumps are on the road, they keep fightin'" "Then they have no sense of reality." "Actually, they're more in touch with reality then most people I know. 'Cause the reality is, the world screws everyone once. But thing is, you don't just give up, 'cause then you lose. The world's just testin' ya. You pass the test, an' the entire universe conspires to help ya achieve yer dream." "Yeah, right" "I know it kid," he said firmly. "'Cause I've been there. An' I've been meanin' ta ask, can I hear ya sing. That way I can brag I got ta hear ya live way back when, before ya hit big time." She shrugged. "Whatever." He motioned to the barmaid and ordered a song, then handed her a mike. "This one's a favorite with a friend o' mine." Raye watched as the words appeared on the screen, then began to sing. I will survive As long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive 'Cause I've got all my life to life An' I've got all my love to give I will survive Hey Hey Raye was suddenly transported to her dream. The special dream that had kept her alive and strong during the hard times when it seemed she could never accomplish her dream. She was in a stadium singing for hundreds of cheering fans, pouring her heart and soul into the music, and maybe changing someone's life. She remembered the words of her old music teacher, Setsuko-san "If a million people hear your voice, and one person is inspired to change his or her life for the better, then you've done something, and made everything worthwhile." I used to stay up nights just feelin' sorry for myself Then I grew strong And I learned how to get along I will survive As long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive 'Cause I've got all my life to live An' I've got all my love to give I will survive Hey Hey Hey. The song ended and she slowly came out of her trance to find the entire bar staring at her. Then they burst into applause, accompanied by the usual cheering, shouts and whistles. She said into the mike, "Ladies and gentlemen, you have just witnessed the first live performance of the soon-to-be star, Raye Asaoshi." She put the mike back onto the bar and walked out into the humid Tokyo night. Raising her fist, she let out a triumphant cry. Somehow, the old man had cured her of her fear. Now she knew that no matter what was to come, she'd pass the world's tests. And most importantlyˇ¦ "I will survive!" *** Raye and Logan, better known to us
as Wolverine, never met again. Raye went on to accomplish her dream
and became world famous, even winning a Grammy, the first non-American
to do so. Whenever she was asked how she rose to fame, she would relate
the story of that one night in a seedy bar in downtown Tokyo.
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