Lightening flashed and the sound of thunder filled the dimly lit room. The flames of the candles situated throughout the room danced along the walls, breaking the darkness that seemed to be expanding. Perched on his shoulder stood a raven, periodically squawking at the shadows.
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary..”
The man glanced up, revealing his painted, pained face. Before him was the familiar kids game Jenga.
“Sarah loved this game. We’d sit for hours contemplating our next moves. Making the right move required discipline and precision. One wrong move and the balance was lost.”
The raven squawked as the man’s fingers gripped the wooden piece, removing it, and gently placing it upon the top of the tower.
“But as you know, Ken, balance is a fleeting thing. Life has a way of taking chunks of you, unbalancing the very fabric of your life.”
The man grabbed another piece of the wooden puzzle game and placed it on top. The tower slightly wiggled, but steadied itself.
“It’s true that all men navigate tough times. Often we are able to course correct, stabilizing our lives.”
The man again removed a wooden piece from the tower, causing another slight wiggle. The man smiled as he carefully placed the piece on top.
“But what happens when we’re unable to recalibrate, Ken? What happens when this world continues to take and take and take? What happens when this world grabs the one thing holding your life together, Sensei, like say a prized Dojo? What would happen to that discipline and balance?”
The raven let out a screeching “caw” as the man pulled a block from a load bearing area of the tower.
CRASH!
The Jenga blocks crashed across the table, some cascading across the floor. The man abruptly stood as the lightening flashed outside, revealing his painted face.
“I can tell you what happens, Ken, it all falls down! She was my everything. She was the lynchpin that held the delicate fibers of my life together. When that happens, things like order, balance, and discipline mean NOTHING!”
The raven’s wings fluttered to life as the man swiftly turned, punching a mirror to his right.
“Ken, your tower stands tall at the moment. But those missing pieces will soon begin to take their toll. You’re about to learn that balance and discipline are nothing but a mirage of the mind built by your psyche to make you believe that everything is okay. The only absolute in this life is chaos. Chaos is knowing that in the blink of an eye everything you love and care about can be taken from you.”
The raven squawked loudly as the lightening flashed once again. The man walked over towards the window in the dimly lit room and sat down Indian-style. His stare peered forward as if focused on some far away object.
“Your lesson in chaos begins this week, Ken. Unfortunately, you will be the first example of what happens when individuals get in the way of my quest. You’re all dead, you just don’t know it yet. It’s time OSW learned of true vengeance. Quote the Raven…Nevermore.”