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The house was silent and the night was dark and. It was so silent that if a mouse had passed gas in a corner, the whole household would have heard it. Suddenly, a low groaning sound rose and fell, then silence, then more groaning, rising like a wind warning of tempests yet to come.
"Master!" The servant hurried through the house, searching for where Sokaku Takeda slept, for the Master slept in a different location every night, and changed his location every hour or two. It was the only way, he claimed, that he could be safe from his enemies.
"OOOO!" The moan was now a full throated shout, and the members of the household could be heard moving about, muttering nervously at the sound of the Master's nightly dreams. At last, the servant located where Sokaku had unrolled his bedding--in a cupboard under a stairway.
"Master Takeda!" The servant called softly, afraid to knock on the door of the cupboard, for his master slept with an iron fan and a sharp dagger and, and in the middle of a nightmare he could easily kill his faithful servant. The servant found a nearby umbrella.
Tentatively, he reached forward and tapped on the cupboard. The doors burst open, however, and before the servant could even see the old man, Sokaku Takeda had thrown him on the floor. A sharp dagger was pressed to the servant's throat.
"You! Did you think I wouldn't know you? I fought you before and won, and I can...what?"
Another servant appeared with a lantern, and the sudden influx of light made Sokaku blink. He was disheveled, bleary-eyed, pale. The dagger had brought forth a drop of blood from the first servant's throat, and the arm of the first servant, where Sokaku had gripped him, felt like it was going to break.
"Master Takeda?" The first servant begged. Sokaku looked at the man in his grip, then he began to understand what he was really doing.
Tired, but still charged with power, Sokaku reached back into the cupboard and brought out his bedding. Without a glance, he went from the room, searching for another place to attempt to sleep. If only he could rest undisturbed, just for a while, but always...it seemed...the souls of the people he had killed looked for him and found him.
"Master!" The servant hurried through the house, searching for where Sokaku Takeda slept, for the Master slept in a different location every night, and changed his location every hour or two. It was the only way, he claimed, that he could be safe from his enemies.
"OOOO!" The moan was now a full throated shout, and the members of the household could be heard moving about, muttering nervously at the sound of the Master's nightly dreams. At last, the servant located where Sokaku had unrolled his bedding--in a cupboard under a stairway.
"Master Takeda!" The servant called softly, afraid to knock on the door of the cupboard, for his master slept with an iron fan and a sharp dagger and, and in the middle of a nightmare he could easily kill his faithful servant. The servant found a nearby umbrella.
Tentatively, he reached forward and tapped on the cupboard. The doors burst open, however, and before the servant could even see the old man, Sokaku Takeda had thrown him on the floor. A sharp dagger was pressed to the servant's throat.
"You! Did you think I wouldn't know you? I fought you before and won, and I can...what?"
Another servant appeared with a lantern, and the sudden influx of light made Sokaku blink. He was disheveled, bleary-eyed, pale. The dagger had brought forth a drop of blood from the first servant's throat, and the arm of the first servant, where Sokaku had gripped him, felt like it was going to break.
"Master Takeda?" The first servant begged. Sokaku looked at the man in his grip, then he began to understand what he was really doing.
Tired, but still charged with power, Sokaku reached back into the cupboard and brought out his bedding. Without a glance, he went from the room, searching for another place to attempt to sleep. If only he could rest undisturbed, just for a while, but always...it seemed...the souls of the people he had killed looked for him and found him.
About the Author:
Al Case has practiced the martial arts for over 40 years. Get his free ebook at Monster Martial Arts. Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
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