So here we are again. The last thing I should be doing is writing another story but I desperately need to get back into my writing. For whatever reason, I can't seem to update the stories I already have so we're going to try something unoriginal. A new story. Try not to put too much stock in it, who knows how long this will last. But yeah, this is for those of you who still bother to linger.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
Chapter 1: Don't Move
Bored. That's exactly how I was feeling right now. Never in my life would I have thought that one single word could sum up exactly how I was feeling. But surely enough, that's exactly what had happened.
Here I was, yet again, in some cramped up apartment on the other side of town. What was meant to be a small kickback had unexpectedly taken a turn for the worst. Soft tones with meaningful words that I had once vibed to in peace had been replaced with blaring wails of explicit lyrics and thunderous basses. The once fully stocked coolers were now filled with the water from melted ice and the occasional bottle of water. And finally, the couches that were lucky if they could get two people to sit there were probably regretting their wishes due to the bodies that were currently taking up every inch available.
I didn't party much, or at least not enough to be considered a party girl. Yet, when I wasn't swamped with endless amounts of homework or working the night shift at the coffee shop, I could occasionally be found lingering in the corner at some kickback. I didn't have many friends but the one I knew I could always count on to drag me out when I didn't want to was my coworker, Ayame. She was the epitome of a party girl. On the off chance that I actually wanted to go out to a party, I didn't have to look much further.
The problem with Ayame though, was that she didn't know when enough was enough. I meant that in two senses. One sense being that she never knew when to stop drinking. I mean it was one thing to drink yourself silly in your own house until you pass out till morning. However, it was another matter entirely when you had strangers in your house or when you were at another person's home entirely whom you didn't even know.
In the other sense, there was nights like tonight. Thankfully we were at her apartment but what was supposed to be a few friends and drinks had evolved into this loud chaos. I made a mental note to decline the next invitation should one arise because I was slowly starting to grow tired of this game. As much as I'd like to leave, it seems I was once again struck with a bit of misfortune. I had left my car at my apartment after Ayame's suggestion to pick me up so I wouldn't have to waste gas.
"Inoooo," a drunken voice that I had become accustomed to, slurred in my ear. Nose scrunching in disgust at the strong smell of alcohol on her breath, I scowled and pulled away slightly. "Where've you been? Your place isn't that big yet I haven't seen you since the start of the damn party." I wanted to roll my eyes at the drunken laughter rolling from her lips. "I've been looking for you doll," she chimed out, swirling her half empty glass of vodka around.
Eyeing it with disgust, I narrowed my eyes at her before snatching it away, "You haven't been searching very hard considering I've been in the same spot since I got here. Plus...I think you've had enough of these." I caught her as she stumbled forward, blindly grabbing at the cup I had liberated from her fingers. "Mmm gimme my drink Inooo," she whined, stumbling behind me and watching with despair as I poured it down the drain.
"Whoops, finger must've slipped," I murmured without the slightest bit of remorse. In what I'm assuming was meant to be a condescending voice, she grabbed onto me again and sighed. "You know what? You're way more fun at work than you are at these parties. I think you need to get laid." Forgetting my manners for a second, I could help but snort distastefully at her words. "I don't think my lack of a sex life is the reason you find me so boring. Anyways, if I'm so much of a deadbeat, why do you keep dragging me to these things?"
"Becauseee, I was hoping you'd loosen up a little. You always look so stressed and worn out. Live a little girl, you won't be young forever," she lectured, finishing with a teasing kiss on my cheek. When I felt her pull me closer, I knew it was time to slip away. Ayame tended to be very affectionate when she was drunk which I normally didn't mind but not tonight. Giving her a sheepish grin when she gave me a look of disappointment, I smiled softly, "I think I'm going to the bathroom so I can freshen up."
Obviously annoyed at being shut down, she huffed and waved me off, "Fine fine. Go use the one in my room." Squeezing her shoulder and with a whisper of thanks, I slipped away and down the hall. It took forever and having to fight my way through grabbing guys, gossiping girls and the like was not helping my mood. The second I opened the bedroom door, I slammed it and locked it shut behind me.
Leaning against the door, I allowed the breath I'd been holding to slip out slowly. Though I could make out the noises on the other end of the door, it almost seemed as if I was in a whole other world. There was no one here to interrupt my thoughts or to ruin my already irritated mood. Taking in the scenery of Ayame's room, I was surprised to find everything nice and orderly. Seriously, it was like some bedroom set in a catalog for Ikea.
I was shocked simply because just like her personality, Ayame's room tended to be pretty wild. Snapping out of my brief moment of shock, I refocused on my original goal. "Right. Bathroom," I mumbled to myself. Careful not to disrupt anything, I gripped the handle only to twist it and find it locked. "Son of a—why in the hell did she lock the door to the bathroom but not her bedroom?!" I groaned, jiggling the handle again, meanwhile hoping it was all a part of my imagination. Just my luck, I was completely sane.
"For the love of god why must my night continue to be shitty?" I groaned, turning to scowl at the door. I was not looking forward to going back into that madness that some might call a party. Weighing my options, I decided that it wasn't worth it. Walking back over to the door, I examined the handle, noticing right away, the small hole in the middle. I had seen many like this before and if I remembered from my brothers' example, sticking something small into the hole could unlock it.
Getting an idea, I walked over to the dresser and began examining each drawer. I found many things, even a few things that I'd rather not see. After what felt like hours later, I finally stumbled across just what I had been looking for. Rushing over to the bathroom door, I dropped to my knees and stared at the handle curiously. "Alright," I mumbled with a bite of my lip, "Let's see if I remember how to do this." Carefully stretching the bobby pin apart, I stuck one end into the hole and pressed it around. Fingers grasping the handle at the same time, I turned it and almost squealed when I felt it turn all the way.
Excitement rushing through me in waves, I swung the door open, screaming when I heard a curse on the other end. Stumbling back, I looked for something to grab and instantly snatched the book that was lying on the bed. "Fucking hell man!" An annoyed voice sounded from behind the bathroom door. Waiting with my book for protection, I watched slowly as the door swung open. Standing there with a bleeding nose, was another girl with very very pink hair.
Lowering the book back onto the bed, I took a step forward, "Were you in there the whole time?" Bright green eyes narrowed in obvious loathing, she snapped, "No shit Sherlock." Not amused at all by her tone, I sauntered up to her and shoved her back, "Umm, excuse you! I didn't know you were there!" Hand moving to cover her nose, she winced, "Why the fuck else would a bathroom door be locked?" Tone rising in anger, I snapped back, "No one is supposed to be in here!"
We simply stared at one another, eyes challenging the other to make another smart remark. Though I'd like to think that I was pretty tough, with the way her eyes were burning and lower half of her face covered in blood, she looked downright menacing. Tearing my gaze away first, I sighed, "Whatever." Smooth, real smooth. And original too.
Arching her brow, she stepped to the side, "Are you going to use the fucking bathroom? You must have to considering you had to hit me in the damn face just to get in there." Annoyed huff ghosting past my lips, I countered, "Now listen here. I did not know you were behind the damn door! I just wanted to freshen up and be alone for a second so Ayame told me to use her bathroom." Looking completely indifferent, it was her turn to sigh, "Whatever. Just go on."
She brushed past me without another word but before she could get to the door, I was calling after her. She stopped, albeit hesitantly. Hand still gripping her nose, she mumbled, "What is it now?" Ignoring her bad attitude, I stepped closer, "Let me see." Head tilting in mild confusion, she asked, "See what?" Obviously I meant her nose but to avoid another argument, I just walked over and pointed to her face. Nervously she lowered her hand, watching my every move.
It felt odd, being watched so closely. However, I felt even worse when her arm snatched my wrist when I made a move to touch it. "Don't," she said in a tone that reminded me of a growl. Rolling, my eyes, I broke free and snatched her wrist before pulling her behind me and into the bathroom. "Sit," I instructed, pointing to the toilet once I had lowered the lid down. Scoffing at my demand, she rolled her eyes in turn, instantly setting off my mood.
"Will you just sit the fuck down!" I groaned, shoving her down myself. A string of curses tumbled from her lips as she narrowed her eyes at me. Focusing my attention elsewhere, I looked through the cabinet beneath the sink and grabbed a washcloth. Running it under some lukewarm water, I wrung it out and started by wiping around her face. "You do realize you're getting my blood on your hands right?" She informed me with feigned amusement.
"I'm in medical school. I've seen my share of blood," I murmured softly. Returning the cloth back under the water, I removed as much blood as I could before turning to face her again. "Lean forward," I told her begrudgingly. With a scowl, she did as she was told. I held the cloth to her nose, scowling when she cursed and pulled away. "It's going to hurt, just sit still," I lectured sternly.
"You're not the one with a bloody broken nose," she hissed in annoyance. "Oh give it a rest," I said with a roll of my eyes, "It's probably not broken. Just bruised and you're being a baby about it." She wanted to say something else but one final glare and she was huffing and mumbling under her breath. Smirking in triumph, I returned the cloth to her face and held it in place. When about five or so minutes had passed, I removed it.
Gently taking her chin, I inspected her nose to make sure it wasn't still bleeding. Satisfied, I gently pressed against it with my index finger. She scrunched up her face but didn't pull away. Sighing, I pulled my hand away, running it along my neck, "I'm really sorry…uhhh…" It was then that I realized that I had never got her name.
"It's Sakura," she whispered, rising to her feet. "Ino," I returned with a small smile, "So yeah. Sorry about your nose." She watched me for a second before moving back to the door, "It's whatever. You helped so thanks kid." Frowning, I snatched her wrist before she could get to the door. I'm sure she was tired of me foiling her attempts to leave but I didn't care. Correcting her, I said, "It's Ino, not kid."
"Don't really care," she informed with a shrug, making another attempt for the door. This time, it wasn't me who stopped her from leaving but a loud scream followed by a gunshot. Eyes widening, I rushed forward, "Oh my god…what was that?!"
"Shut it!" She hissed quietly, slapping her hand over my mouth to silence me. Shaking nervously, we stood in absolute silence before another set of shots and screams rang out. I was dreaming, I just had to be. No way in hell this shit was happening right now. The screams got louder and closer forcing me to jump back with a gasp when someone pounded heavily on the door.
Sakura stood there, eyes wide with terror and shock. "Sa-Sakura?" I asked nervously as I gripped her arm. "Get under the bed Ino," she told me. I stood there, legs unable to move. With a growl and forceful shove, she pushed me, "I said get under the damn bed!" Scrambling quickly, I slid under the bed, eyes clenching tightly.
I watched as Sakura quickly ran about, turning off the lights before sliding underneath the bed beside me. The pounding at the door grew fiercer before another gun shot rang out. I felt one hand grab my waist as Sakura pulled me flush against her chest. I was shaking, literally quivering as I stared into Sakura's panicked eyes. Tears threatening to spill, I felt her lips brush against my ear as she whispered, "Ino, I need you to listen to me. I'm going to get you out of this, I promise."
"How?" I choked out quietly, "Someone's coming! I don't want to die Sakura…I don't—"
"Quiet." She told me flat out, "You're not going to die. Now someone's going to come in here. No matter what…don't move. Got it?" I don't know what it was that was fueling my faith in her but I found myself nodding, "Okay…" No sooner than I agreed, I heard someone kick the door open.
My nails instinctively clung to Sakura's shirt as I buried my head into her chest. Her hand wrapped around me tighter, carefully pulling me closer. Footsteps crunched softly against the carpet as the suspected killer made their way around the room. "You think someone's in here?" A gruff voice called out.
Slowly, another pair of footsteps entered the room. The other voice didn't reply right away. Instead, he circled about, almost like a vulture. Finally, he answered, "No…I don't think so. Bitch probably locked the door so no one would mess up her shit." Just hearing them talk so casually literally made me sick to my stomach. Instantly, my mind began reeling about what could've happened to Ayame.
With the eerie silence lingering about, I had a feeling that my worst fears were already confirmed. Biting my lip, I felt my body begin to shake. Sakura's nails dug harder into my skin, trying desperately to get me to remain still. But it was hard. With my heart racing a mile per minute and my mouth drier than any desert, it proved to be far too challenging to act like I was some statue.
The soft whimper of fear that slipped, seemed all but silent in my ears. Frozen. That's immediately what happened to my body. It's almost as if I was just begging for someone to come in and kill me now. "You hear that?" The first voice called to the other. "Yeah, probably this bitch out here. Don't worry, I got it." I don't remember how many gunshots I counted tonight but I prayed that this would be the last.
I almost wanted to claw off my ears when I heard the sick and maniacal laughter coming from the two men. Of course all of this was just another way to get their kicks. Cringing, I waited a bit longer to see what would happen.
"Shit! Is that the cops? Man we gotta go!" The first voice spoke again. "Alright man, let's get the fuck outta here!" I didn't bother to listen any further, instead, I just held onto Sakura for dear life. She allowed me to soak her neck mercilessly with silent tears as we waited. And then, after what felt like hours later, a voice called into the room, "Hello! Police! Is there anyone here?"
Slowly, Sakura pulled back as she inched from under the bed, pulling me along with her. Dropping the gun when he realized we were no threat, the officer walked called back into the hall, "We've got two alive in here!" Walking over to us, the officer looked us over, "Are you two girls alright?!" Sakura looked at me but I couldn't answer.
Instead, my eyes were locked onto the body laying lifelessly by the door. Blood stained the walls, the carpet and the door where a person had once been knocking for her dear life. Taking a slow step forward, I felt my eyes fill to the brim with tears. A hand on my shoulder tried to pull me away, "Come on kid, you shouldn't be looking at that." But I couldn't bring myself to tear my eyes away. Suddenly and without warning, I fell, only to be caught by Sakura.
Hand returning to my waist, she carefully lowered me to the floor. With my back against the door, I drew my hand over my lips and allowed the tears to fall freely down my cheeks. "My god…Ayame. I'm so sorry." I whispered to no one, knowing fully well that she'd never hear my voice again. Next thing I know, I'm blacking out and the last thing I can make out is worried green eyes staring back at me.
See this nonsense right here? That's what I'm talking about. Why is it that I have to write a new story just to get the motivation to write something? Hopefully this fixed my writer's block but I guess we'll see. Anyways, I'm curious. Tell me what you all honestly thought and if this is something you might be interested in. I'll try to get something else out soon as I can. Thanks for being patient. Kat loves you all!