365 Days Separate Me from You
It Always Begins With a Promise
Dark eyes peered around the dark room from beneath a bundle of bed sheets. They observed the sleeping forms, verifying that they were indeed in deep slumber.
"Is it really the day?" I child's voice asked from under the covers.
A pair of tiny, sock-covered feet landed on plush carpet. Then, a young boy with dark, raven locks slipped out from beneath his fort of sheets. He craftily arranged his pillows under his covers into the shape of a sleeping person. He wiped his hands and smiling triumphantly as his handiwork.
Then, he carefully maneuvered his way around the room. Quietly, he began to rush towards a door at the room's end. It was slightly open, allowing a thin sliver of light to leak into the vast room.
He was only a measly distance away when he felt his feet give way. With a gasp, he fell on the floor flat on his face, followed by a thud. He rubbed his sore nose as he turned to the culprit that tripped him, a toy truck. In childish rage, he grabbed the toy and thrust it across the room. Following his poorly judged throw, he heard a loud bang.
He winced in fear of being caught, but no one woke from the sound. He sighed in relief and began to proceed towards the door, but he then heard footsteps coming from the hallway outside.
He held his breath and ducked into the shadows of a nearby bed.
The door swung open and a slim women with sort brown hair peeked inside. The young boy dared not to breathe as the women scanned the room. He hugged the side of the bed as the light slowly streamed towards him. It came closer and closer as the women opened the door further.
With the light only mere inches away, the boy felt his heart begin to race and he squeezed his eyes shut. It tauntingly inched closer and closer. Then, it came to an abrupt halt.
"I could have sworn I heard something," the women muttered. He heard her footsteps fade down the hall. He looked up from his hiding spot and noticed that she had left the door hanging ajar.
His lips pulled into a smirk as he crawled out of the shadows. Now on his two feet, he passed through the doorway and entered a dimly lit hallway.
The lights buzzed above him and he looked left and right as if he were crossing a street. Suddenly, he heard someone walking his way far down the left of the hall. Immediately, he fled in the opposite direction.
He quietly ran as the lights began to flicker. He picked up his pace not wanting to be cast in the dark.
He stopped next to a door at the end of the hallway. He looked up at the metal plate on the door that was engraved with the label 'Girl's Sleeping Quarters.'
He opened the door, causing the hinges to squeak. The boy felt his muscles tense. He quickly slipped into the room and slowly shut the door behind him.
Once inside, he could here the chorus of the breathing of the inhabitants of the room. Ahead of him, at the far end of the room, he saw a large arched window. He could see snow falling daintily outside the glass and a thin layer of frost that formed at the edges of the windowpane. Silhouetted against the fine light of the dawn that remained masked by clouds, he could see a small figure that sat in front of the large, glass window. The corners of his mouth arched up and he tiptoed around the room, trying to avoid another fall.
He approached the still figure from behind.
"Boo!" He whispered.
The figure spun around, revealing wide gray eyes full of shock. The young boy chuckled but then brought his index finger to his mouth and let out a quick, "Shh."
Gray eyes began to fill with silent joy as a gentle smile pulled at soft pink lips. A hand came up to pull short, dark locks behind an ear. The young girl looked up at him with great tenderness. Though the light of hidden dawn was very faint, it still lit up her face significantly. Her chin-length hair and full bangs framed her face perfectly. Thin rays of light that bounced off the silver clips that she wore in her hair circled above her head. The girl's face was a welcoming sight, which sent a surge of warmth through the younger boy's core.
"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Came a gentle and somewhat squeaky voice.
The boy smiled at his companion and, keeping his voice low, answered, "To see you of course."
The boy noticed a small object resting on the girl's lap. Pointing at it, he asked, "What's that?"
"Oh, it's a book." The girl raised the object. It was indeed a book.
"And what is it about?" The boy questioned curiously.
"Well, it begins with two people who become friends. One is a boy and the other is a girl."
The little girl began.
"Like us!" The boy said with a grin.
The girl nodded and continued, "But they are both from different kingdoms—"
"Wait!" The boy interrupted, "Is this one of those princess stories?" Disgust was apparent on his face.
The girl pouted then answered, "No, not really. Now let me continue, please."
The boy consented and allowed the girl to continue talking. She smiled than started, "The two are from two different kingdoms. Those kingdoms are fighting. I don't know why, but they are. This means that the boy and the girl are not supposed to be be friends but they stay friends any way in secret. The boy is a prince in his kingdom and the girl is the daughter of a knight. The boy's daddy finds out that the two are friends. But he doesn't get too mad. He makes the boy learn the secrets of the girl's kingdom by letting him be her friend. He makes the boy betray the girl and then the girl's daddy finds out that they're friends and locks her up in a giant tower, and he says that because of her, their kingdom will be destroyed. The boy feels bad for what he did! Then… Then…" She trailed off.
"Then what?" The little boy pressed onward, eager to hear the rest.
The gray-eyed girl turned to the boy. She mumbled, "I didn't finish yet."
"Oh." The boy smiled at the girl and added, "That's okay. You can finish it and tell me another time."
With a frown, the little girl muttered, "But I'm leaving today."
The smile on the little boy's face faded away and his gaze fell to his lap. "I know." He whispered.
The girl sighed and reached her hands out to lift the boy's face. She looked into his sad eyes and forced a smile. She asked, "But we'll still be able to see each other again, right?"
The boy only continued to stare. Would they really see each other again? A hand ran through his hair, remembering a thought, he said, "Oh, I got you something. Hold your hand out."
The little girl held out her hand, waiting. The boy dug through the pockets of his pajama pants. Rummaging into the pocket, he found the object of his search. He smiled and pulled it out and placed it in the girl's open palm.
"It's so pretty." The girl exclaimed, staring at it with awe. It was only a single flower, with its rich, blue petals still velvety and healthy. "Where'd did you get it."
With pride, the boy told her, "I got it from that flower shop down the street. The blond girl whose family owns the shop gave it to me, no charge! She says it's called a Forget-Me-Not."
"Thank you, Sasuke." The little girl hugged the boy, surprising him a little but then he eased himself and returned the hug.
"I'll never forget you." He heard her breathe.
He pulled away from the hug with a slightly hurt smile. He stuck his pinky out and extended his hand before him and his friend. "Promise we'll see each other again one day. Then maybe you can finish telling me the story."
The girl smiled cheerfully and hooked her pinky with his. Then, she locked her eyes with his.
"I promise."
[Author's Comments]
This has been sitting in my computer for a while now. *whispers* Since January. I rediscovered it just today and re-read it. I absolutely love it still, even if it is still the introduction. I hope you all liked it too. ^-^ Please leave some reviews, I 'd appreciate the feedback. :D