Ethos

5 Years Earlier

Thanks for taking an interest in my story! It's just a fun little story that I've been writing. Currently in its early stages so there might come some changes to it or at the very least some small edits. My first attempt at writing anything of this caliber so any constructive criticism or tips would be helpful and I hope it explains the inexperience. I hope you enjoy!

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. The most unpleasant sound ever created begins echoing throughout a barren room. The room looks like a basic bedroom if a little sparse in terms of furniture and objects along with a single bathroom and small kitchen following the theme of a meager apartment. A slim woman sits up on the bed as the alarm clock continues ringing. The woman has long, beautiful cocoa brown hair and eyes, although at this point her hair has a serious case of bedhead. The woman smacks the alarm clock off of the nightstand she had next to her and exits the bed. She walks towards her bathroom and begins getting ready. Yay, she thinks to herself in a monotone voice, Another great day of work is waiting for me. She finishes her daily hygiene routine and takes a peek at her alarm clock which is now resting on the floor. 7:51! Jesus, I'm late! She finishes putting on her uniform, grabs a couple of items and heads out the door. After she makes her way down to the front of her apartment building, she heads towards the bus stop she takes every day to work. Off in the distance she sees the bus already approaching the stop.

"Not again!" The bus opens its doors and begins letting in passengers as the lady looks to cross 2 blocks past a crowded street. She struggles to make it past the dense crowd and realizes she might not be able to make it in time. Gradually, her speed begins to pick up as she continues double-timing it towards the bus while the last few passengers make it on board. The moment the woman makes her way to the bus stop, the bus peels off and continues its route. The woman throws her hands up in defeat and begins looking around her when she notices a child next to her carrying a skateboard.

"Sorry, you mind if I borrow this?". She asks politely but urgently. She takes the skateboard out of his hand before yelling out a thank you as she skates off. She skates between the road and the sidewalk, weaving between cars and pedestrians respectively as she begins trailing the bus. Slowly, she makes her way towards the bus. She tries to maneuver toward the right side of the bus and make it to the front when she's almost stopped by a parked car, forcing her to return to the back of the bus. Once again, she leans towards the right and approaches the bus door. She finally makes her way to the bus door and knocks on it to get the bus driver's attention. The bus driver looks towards the door in shock at the sight of the girl, who just gives him a quirky wave hello in response. The bus driver continues staring at her in disbelief when he quickly looks ahead and sees he's about to run a red light. The bus driver slams the brake on the bus as everyone on the bus jolts forward from the force of it stopping. The lady then trips up off the skateboard and slides on the ground a couple of feet away from the idle bus. The door slowly opens to the bus as the lady picks up her head and looks back towards the bus.

After the entire ordeal, the woman finally walks towards her seat on the bus. All this just to make it to work on time. Day in and day out, she checks her watch. Ugh, and I'm still going to be late... She gazes out the window and takes a deep sigh. When did it end up like this? Stuck with a boring 8-5 and no other way out of such a boring life. I thought once I went out on my own that life would get a lot more exciting. She begins to reminisce. I remember watching those old kung fu movies and thinking just how cool they were and how I wanted to be just like them. Staying up late to watch real martial arts fights. Watching Kenta win the Heart of the Dragon Tournament was like no other, it inspired me to want to become a fighter. I spent days training myself, watching old tapes and studying Kenta's moves to become just like them. It became my dream to become the best fighter in the world. The bus stops near her job as she walks up and exits the bus. As she exits, she looks up towards the sky and tops off her self-reflection. Training and fighting isn't going to keep my lights on though. She walks towards the bodega and enters it. Once she enters, the manager of the store is already standing in front of the door, front and center.