A/N: Meant to be a one-shot, for now. If you really want me to continue, I promise I will once I get through with my other unfinished stories.
Inspired by: Asthenia, by Blink182.
WARNING: I know, I know- you're going to be confused for most of the duration of this fic, but you'll get it by the end. And if you happen to be particularly slow (like me), or just don't get it, I've provided an explanation in the ending Author's Note.
DISCLAIMER: Are you serious? Is there ever anyone who DOES own it around here?
Does anyone ever read the author's note, anyways? Sigh.
And, finally:
Enjoy.
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XxX ASTHENIA XxX
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...The first thing I noticed was the voices, no- not those kinds of voices that crazy people here in their head, I wasn't crazy.. These voices were real. There were sirens, and yelling, but all faint. None of it alarmed me. I heard calm voices through static, as if speaking through those.. what were those called again? Those little radio-thingies that policemen carried on their belts, walky-talkies, I think. I heard everything, but it was incoherent. I couldn't quite register anything in my mind, but.. it was all vague, but... I was not... frightened, I was tranquil. A little cold. There was music? It was like music, like a flute playing no specific song in my head, because this sound was concentrated in the back of my mind. It was like I was hearing everything through my own little bubble, or water, or something. Water... yeah. Water. Wait... I was.. water... it was...
Someone was pulling- tugging, tugging me out- I broke though the surface, gasping. I saw the silhouette of another person hovering above me in the slightly faraway yellow-orange light, of a lamppost, I guessed. The person- a boy, I think- was frantic, now dragging me carefully onto concrete. I coughed and a warm liquid escaped my throat, sliding down my already wet cheeks and chin. I breathed carefully, and stared up at the night sky.
I could here everything clearer now, but I chose purposely to ignore the noise. After all, I still couldn't concentrate hard enough to understand so many voices, merged into one.
Stars, they were beautiful. Shining, others brighter than most, against the black sky. Some were hued of blue or red, and my attention was brought to two- right next to each other, they were amazing. They were like two large rubies, but completely black in the center. Like diamonds on fire, and they were staring back at me. No, not stars.. They were the eyes of the boy. He had beautiful eyes. They were filled with concern, emotion, agitation, questions, fire... I could stare at them all day. But.... Voices- everywhere, my vision went black, but I don't recall blinking or closing my eyes, again it returned and went out like a light- and I singled out a voice, any voice, and caught pieces of speeding conversation:
"The police can't find-"
"We can't let them-"
"Is she-"
"They're going to frighten-"
"She's fine-"
"We have to get her out of-"
Still, nothing made sense, not the voices and not what they said.
I felt a stab of pain, and I gasped as all feeling came back to me. I was no longer numb, I noticed. This, I didn't like. I was cold, and many things hurt. I heard a moan of pain and realized it was my own, and the next thing I know, I'm standing on my own two feet with warm hands holding me up by my shoulders. They were the boy's. I looked at him. Some kind stranger. His jet-black hair was completely disheveled, and his wide crimson eyes were still as amazing and frantic as before. We were walking, and he was helping me, I noticed. What was going on? We were on the dark side of a road, there were flashing lights of red and blue, and a dark canal behind us. I shivered and winced as we walked faster to the other side of the street, no one could see us. I was confused, but I'd been letting him lead me, for some reason. Why? Why were we running away? Why were we heading to the alleys? With a slight pang of fear and panic, I broke into a limping run. I ran into the alleys, turned a left corner, a right corner, ran and ran, another left and-
I stopped dead in my tracks. A girl stood in front of me. She was tense, chestnut eyes stared back at me, wide, afraid, questioning. Her light brown-auburn hair fell past her shoulders in a wet mess, some of it sticking to her face, like her bangs. Her simple clothing was drenched with water and in some places, blood. Her shirt and pants were muddy, torn in most places revealing bruises, scars and gashes. Her face, hands, and bare feet had a few fresh scars, too. She shook, lightly, and I wondered what happened to her. Did the same thing that happened to me, happen to her?
Suddenly, the boy appeared behind her, panting. I gasped and turned to run. But he was behind me. Confused, again I turned to face the girl, and he was behind her, too.
It took me three whole silent beats for me to realize that I was staring at my own reflection. And his. And another beat to realize that..
I still couldn't recognize either. I began to tremble visibly, my breath creeping toward hyperventilation as I once again turned to face the boy. I reached out to him, feeling the tears prick at my eyes. My legs began to give out under me, and I continued to try to reach out to the boy with a shaking hand, watching the ground rushing up to meet me. I heard him call out a name as he reached out to catch me, while blackness took over my vision.
"Mikan...?!" I heard, and somehow, it forced me to call out a name in response. Like an unbreakable habit, like a reflex reaction, I called out...
"...Natsume...?"
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A/N: Ok, for those of you who DIDN'T get it:
She was in some sort of accident in which she fell in the canal and hit her head against something, (not necessarily in that order), hence the amnesia. Yes, amnesia. For some reason, this boy, (who turns out to be Natsume), does not want the authorities or paramedics to find her. Perhaps for fear that they'd hospitalize her, I don't know- use your imagination. Apparently, it seems he was with other people, thus spoke the closer voices. But, anyways, yeah... It turns out the girl she turned the corner to face was just her reflection, a mirror or glass door in a dead end, perhaps the back door of a building. She didn't know that was her, or who the boy is, but once he calls out 'Mikan' she automatically calls out 'Natsume' in response. So it's safe to say they already knew each other.
I apologize to those who read "Black Mask, White Mask" and wanted me to continue, I can't right now. But I promise that I've seriously considered it and most probably shall, in the near future.
K. Well.
Now all that there is left to do is... (Drum roll, please)
!!!REVIEW!!!
~Yasu