Hiii!
So this is a short oneshot based on the song How to Save a Life by the Fray. Its a reallt good song so i hope you'll hear it if not already. I know I should be updating my other stories... And I'm sorry that i haven't. I'll update on Wednesday though. Some of you may like this, some may not, but leave a review and tell me what you think!
DISCLAIMER: Do i even need to do tthis?
~Raven
December 2019, Konoha institute for the mentally unstable
" We need to talk."
She looked down at the small boy sitting at the windowsill staring vacantly outside. He didn't respond.
" It's been 2 weeks and they've finally let me in to see you. Are you really not going to look at me while I'm here?" she said with an unhappy frown.
Perhaps it was the pleading tone of her voice which moved him to look up at her. He smiled politely with concealed annoyance but said nothing.
Deciding any further conversation would be useless, she brought her hand to his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I just want to help you, Itachi. Nobody else even wants to see you. Remember, I'm your friend in all of this." she said with a small smile, finally turning away from him to open a window along the right side of the room.
He didn't move from his position, lost in malevolent thoughts as he spared a fearful, accusatory glare in her direction. He still blamed her. And was wary of her. Why had she even come in the first place?
Perhaps if she looks back at it she should have noticed the hints. She should have been able to save him from the bitter mental wreck he had become.
19th December, 2019
The first flakes of snow had begun to fall. They floated gently in the cold winter wing, adding to the white carpet layering the floor.
" It's almost been a month since you came here. You can't keep refusing to talk to anyone."
The boy in front of her turned from his book to look at her. "I talk to you don't I?"
" Only because I force you to. The authorities were all for sending you to do time in juvenile. It took a lot of convincing and pleading with the judges to get you into this institute on a lighter sentence. With the level of crime you were convicted for, you can't afford to show no improvement."
He glared at her, mistrust in his eyes. "What do you know?"
She smiled faintly. " You of all people should know that I know best. Its always been that way."
And it was true. She always knew best.
" But you of all people should know that I was innocent!" the bruised look on his face was proof that she'd finally gotten the reaction she'd wanted. He had lowered his defence.
"You're in here because you killed an innocent clan full of people, including your family. The final court ruling was that it was an act of mental instability. There's too much done wrong to change what happened. I've told you this so many times before. That's why you're here. Now listen listen to me when I say, you have to start cooperating with these people! Its the only way you're not shipped off to prison the second you're of age! And god hopes you listen to me, cause its your only option. "
She picked up her bag and left the room.
She should have tried harder. Made sure he'd hear her words. Looking back at it, she could have changed what happened. She would have stayed with him for nights on end - if only to break the cold bitterness that shrouded his heart. But she didn't. And instead she opened herself to a world of loss. She couldn't save him from the path she led him down. Instead she lost him.
24th December, 2019
" You think you're oh so smart sitting here claiming to help me! You only help yourself!" he shouted, standing up abruptly knocking his chair over.
She frowned at his actions, looking around suspiciously, almost worried about who would hear his next words.
She stood up too, grabbing his arm, saying," Not here. We can't talk about this here. Come with me."
With a quick word to the caretakers that she would take him for a short drive, they were within the serene quietness of her vehicle, speeding ahead on the secluded snowy motorway. On Christmas eve, nobody took to the frozen streets.
" I'm giving you one last choice. If you can't see that all I've ever tried to do is help you get out of this, then at least listen to this."
He laughed sarcastically at her words. " Of course you've never wanted to help me. You don't even feel a slightest hint of remorse or guilt! You just want to keep yourself safe!"
She ignored his words and went on to comfortingly say, "You could continue with what you're doing ignore me- lose whatever chance out of here you have. Or stop doing what you're doing now and start afresh." she paused, looking at him.
He would do the sensible thing, right? Admit that she was right and listen to her. That would help both of them the most.
She bit her lip, asking, "What are you going to do?"
He looked at her with clear unwavering dark eyes.
"I'm not like you. I can't even live with it. The guilt -it tears me apart; haunts me constantly. I wasn't insane when I went into that place. But I am now. I'm not the same as you. I can't be. And I'll tell them everything- the truth. "
She frowned further, her brow creasing.
He left her with no option.
Neither of them returned to the asylum that night. In the early hours of Christmas morning, a body was found dead not far from the mental institution. Several lacerations to the head were the cause of death- caused by a blade also found on the scene of the murder.
She should have tried harder to stop what had happened. She should have kept better control over him. She should have stayed with him longer. That way, she wouldn't have lost him. Not to the bitter cold that numbed his heart. Perhaps then the events of that morning wouldn't have unfolded so violently.
She would have been able to save more than one life.
Where had she gone wrong?
Either way she would never know. Only one fact remained true.
She killed the boy who she had coerced into killing her clan. And in the act, she lost her son as well.