Naruto and its characters © Masashi Kishimoto

Rated T for disturbing images not suitable for you!

Dedicated to Darkling221 – A scary story for you for the holidays! =)

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ASHES AND DUST

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Ever since he was a little child, Rock Lee had wanted to live in a place with a window seat. There was something alluring about being able to sit by the window and enjoy a cup of tea or read a classic novel under the golden glow of the sun. The orphanage he grew up in didn't have the luxury of window seats. It used to be an old Buddhist temple that was abandoned by the monks. A charity purchased and remodeled the interior, but kept the exterior structure for historical flavor. The windows and doors were covered in thin cream-colored paper, blocking out the view. For that reason, Lee didn't like spending time in his room, living in a chamber of darkness. He liked to be outside and did jumping jacks by the pond. He was able to, in between his exercise regime, to watch the colorful koi swimming contently in their abode. How wonderful it must be to be a fish, Lee would think, there was nothing to worry about! But Rock Lee didn't want to be a fish in a tiny pond. He wanted to be a whale in the ocean, to continue the fish metaphor. He wanted to leave the quiet orphanage behind, though not that he didn't like his home as it was truly a lovely place. Lee wanted more out of life. He wanted his home with the window seat and maple-colored floorboards. It would also be nice if there was a ceiling fan in the bedroom to save room and do battles against summer days.

At the age of eighteen, legally an adult, Lee was ready to move out of the orphanage and bid his caretakers and his fellow orphans good-bye. He had worked vigorously since he was thirteen and saved up a good sum of money, good enough to pay for half a year worth of rent and other expenses. Lee went to the city one day with one mission on his mind: Find his dream apartment. He could do without the floorboards or the ceiling fan, but he wasn't going to admit defeat until he found his window seat. He spent a full day apartment-hopping. It seemed architects nowadays didn't build apartments with window seats. One manager explained that it might be pretty but it was not room-efficient, and people only wanted efficiency in the fast-paced society. Lee was dejected. Was he never going to find his dream apartment with the window seat and the red heart-shaped cushions? He made one more visit to an apartment complex. The outside of said apartment was in need of a paint job. Lee could hardly tell if the walls were supposed to be white or beige. Cracks and water stains were visible. The front gate and fence were rusted. The coat of silver paint was chipping away to reveal the cheap metal underneath. Leaf Village Apartment, the weather-worn sign said. It was the perfect name considering that there were piles after piles of orange leave lazing the pathways. But nonetheless, Lee walked in and headed for the management office.

He opened the door, the knob cold under his touch, and stepped into a cozy if not a bit cramped office. A hidden radio played a static-filled pop song. There was only one ceiling light illuminating the room. Tall file cabinets made up the majority of furniture. Two leather chairs placed in front of a long wooden desk. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged woman with honey blonde hair, wearing a cotton green jacket and a low-cut grey V top. She was scrutinizing the horse racing section of the newspaper and jogging down notes on her desk calendar. She glanced up and folded the paper when she noticed Lee. She took off her glasses and put it aside. She put a welcoming smile on her wrinkle-free face.

"Hello there. I'm Tsunade," she said. She pushed her wheeled chair away from the desk and stood up. She walked around and extended a strong hand to shake Lee's. "How can I help you?"

"Do you happen to a vacant one-bedroom?" He shook the hand and showed a wide smile.

"Today's your lucky day," Tsunade said. She leaned over the desk and pulled open the drawer, retrieving a heavy set of keys. She pulled open the door and waited for Lee to follow her out. She walked across the central courtyard and went up the spiral stairs. "One bed, one bath, washer and dryer included, it's got basic cable TV and internet. It's on the third floor with a good view. Not trying to pressure you but it is a really good deal."

Tsunade unlocked the gate that accessed to the third floor. They were in the east side of the complex. There were four floors; each of them had a gate at the ends of the hallway for security. Each floor had an average of sixteen units, eight on each side. The interior was in slightly better condition than the exterior. The walls were at least the same color. The doors were dark brown with a peephole and the unit number in gold letters. Tsunade led Lee down to the end of the enclosed hallway. A wall light flickered on and off opposite of the empty apartment. The gold number spelled out "302". Tsunade grumbled nervously about replacing the light bulb soon as she unlocked the door and invited Lee in.

A strong odor, like sweaty feet and rotten eggs, attacked Lee's nostril the second he stepped in. He scrunched his nose and eyed the window in the living room immediately. He nearly leaped in joy. There it was: the window seat! He kept a calm face as he very casually strolled to the window. It was padded with a fitted mattress and adorned with two torn cushions. He could easily replace them with newer and better looking fabric. He pulled open the checkered curtains and looked out the dirty window. He could see the branches of a tall oak tree in front of him. It wasn't in the way enough that it would block out the sun. He looked down and a smile crept up his face. He could see the playground perfectly from here. There was a set of swings, a see-saw, and a merry-go-around. Off to side, there was a sandbox with a half-destroyed sand castle. The playground equipment and the yard surrounding it could both use some maintenance.

"Here are the washer and dryer and the electric box," Tsunade said. She slid open the closet door by the door, revealing said appliances. "I wouldn't mess with the box unless you know what you're doing." She left the sliding door open and gave Lee a quick tour of the rest of the apartment. They rejoined in the living room. "The last tenant left his furniture so you can take them. I won't charge you extra. So what you think?"

What did he think? What did he think? Lee was so excited he could hardly contain himself. Not only did the apartment have his dream window seat, the bedroom also had a ceiling fan, and the unit came furnished. His wish had been granted. Today really was his lucky day. He couldn't help himself anymore. He jumped to Tsunade and pulled in her for a bear hug. "Oh thank you, thank you! I will take it. Where do I sign?"

"Woah, okay, okay, woah. Let go now." Tsunade had to pry Lee off her. "You don't wanna know the rent first?"

"I will pay anything for this lovely apartment!" Lee shouted. Once he put his personal touch to the place, it could quickly become his sweet home.

"You know what, kid," Tsunade said with an amused smile, "I like ya. I'm gonna give you your first month free. How about that?"

"That is wonderful!" Lee gave Tsunade another hug and danced around the kitchen. "Thank you, thank you, ma'am!"

They left the apartment and headed back to the management office to sign the lease. Lee was happy to know that the rent was affordable and reasonable for an apartment complex in such a run-down condition. He didn't mind. It was going to be a temporary location until he could build his dream house with a well-groom front lawn and a backyard full of poppies and pansies, and a small pond for koi.

"You'll love this place," Tsunade said.

Lee already did.

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Lee returned a few days later to Leaf Village with three boxes and two suitcases. It was all his possession in his eighteen years of life. As he had only so little belongings, he didn't want to bother his friends to help him move. Besides, he didn't want them to criticize his new home. It was in a bad condition, he knew that, and he would show it off when it was remodeled. Since his manager was kind enough to give him a month free, Lee was planning to use the extra money to buy some nice things for his apartment. He had already asked and he was allowed to repaint the interior as long as he didn't make a mess. He was thinking of an earth tone. One of the caretakers at the orphanage was very into the superstition. She told Lee that orange and green were his lucky colors. Lee figured it wouldn't hurt to believe her words; he liked orange and green anyways.

Lee spent a half the day cleaning and scrubbing and vacuuming and mopping every nook and corner of the apartment. He inhaled so many chemical that he thought he was a moose for a good minute. Once the rigorous sanitation was complete, Lee moved on to rearrange the furniture to his heart content. There wasn't much room to maneuver but with his new arrangement, the apartment looked more spacious. He then unpacked what little of his belongings and scattered them around. At seven o'clock at night, Lee finally took a breath, flopped on the couch, and gave himself a well-deserved break. He had moved in for ten hours and the place was starting to look more homely. The stuffy odor that plagued the apartment was masked by sprays of "Spring Flowers" air freshener and the opened windows. Tomorrow, he would go to the department stores and pick up kitchen appliances and utensils and more toiletries. In fact, there were many things that he needed to get. He would have to write out a list so he didn't forget. He was excited about them too. It would be a sign of his independence, a new chapter of his otherwise boring life. He made a cup noodle and sat in front of the television to enjoy his first dinner as a grown-up. With the sip of pork-flavored ramen, Rock Lee kissed his childhood good-bye.

Lee spent the rest of the night watching a soap opera marathon. The orphanage had a strict rule about what they could watch and they wouldn't. The headmaster didn't think soap opera was tasteful and forbid the children from watching it. Lee could understand why the old man didn't like it. Each episode was an over-the-top melodrama-filled exclaims of unrequited love from one character to another. There was usually a mean-spirited woman who sought to sabotage the relationship. It wasn't great writing, but it was unseeingly addictive! Before he knew it, it was almost midnight. He pried himself away from the television and took a quick shower. There was a busy day ahead of him, he wouldn't waste his energy tracking Yuki and Mei Mei's relationship and what would happen to their unborn love child.

He had previously purchased a new bed set so he didn't have to sleep in another person's sheets. He fluffed his pillow and snuggled in bed with a loud yawn. The mattress was a little soft for his taste. He figured he could spend the night trying it out, and if he didn't like it, he could set aside money to buy a firmer one. He didn't ask for many luxuries in life, but a good bed was a must. He set his alarm before he settled down and let sleep take over him. He was happy that the complex wasn't in the least noisy. He had spent the whole day in his apartment and he hadn't even heard a sound from his neighbors. He hoped they weren't all shy people. Lee would love to make friends with them. Neighbors should help each other out. Once everything was good to go, Lee would be sure to introduce himself around the complex.

Lee didn't usually dream. Or if he did, he didn't remember them the next day. But what was going on in his sleeping state was baffling. He was floating in the sky, or what seemed to be the sky because everything was very dark. He looked down and saw another him sitting in an ocean of sand with a toy shovel in his left hand and a bucket in his right. He saw himself digging up the sand. The sand-digging version of him soon abandoned the shovel and started digging with his bare hands. If he was trying to build a sandcastle, Lee figured he needed more practice. Lee saw a wave of sand rose from the side. It was like an avalanche coming to swallow him. He told the sand-digging version of himself to move away. He didn't know if the other him heeded the warning. His dream was cut short. He snapped his eyes open at a series of loud bangs.

It was coming from the living room. Lee was an alert person and never put anything off as nothing. He put on his slippers and carefully walked out to the living room. He kept his eyes out, in case someone had invaded his home. He flicked on the light. There was no one there fortunately. He listened, waiting for the bangs to sound again. He checked the windows; they were all closed and locked. He checked the cupboards. Maybe a hinge was loose, but they were all secured. He stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. The apartment was so still and quiet that he would hear his own breathing. It was probably one of his neighbors, Lee thought. As long as it didn't happen again, Lee would sleep well through the night. He checked the door just in case to make sure that it was locked. He didn't want to get robbed his first night in. He turned off the light and walked lazily back to his room.

BANG!

Lee spun around. It sounded louder than the previous ones. It came from the front door. Maybe someone needed help. He hurried and unlocked the door. He stepped halfway out, a little self-conscious of his pajama, and looked to the left, then to the right. No one needed help, that was for sure. He kept his eyes at the end of the hall closest to his unit. The rusted security gate was slowly creaking shut. It made a loud clank when it locked. There really had been someone here. Before the gate closed, Lee caught a glimpse of a young child running off. What kind of parents would let their children loose past midnight? Vigilante that he was, Lee put on his sandals and left the apartment. He unlocked the gate and could hear rapid footsteps running down the metal steps of the spiral stairs. He followed the noise down to the first floor. The central courtyard could use more lamp posts. Lee could hardly see past his own fingers. He saw the silhouette of the child heading toward the playground and went after them. He didn't think he was in the kind of neighborhood where children would roam free without adults.

He walked through the low open gate that separated the playground. The sole lamp post was hissing electricity. He didn't see the child anywhere. But Lee couldn't sleep easy if he didn't make sure that the child was safe. He circled through the small playground, looking for sign of the child. He stopped by the sandbox. The once half-destroyed castle had been rebuilt with footprints all around it. He couldn't tell how recent the footprints were and couldn't use it to determine if the child was here just now. He headed toward the unkempt yard and peeked through the tall bushes. It was too dark to see anything. Though he didn't want to, Lee gave up his search and returned to his apartment. He took off his sandals and put them neatly on the shoe rack. He closed and locked the door. Out of curiosity, he walked up to the window and looked down. A frown came over him when he saw someone in the sandbox. He was too far up and it was too dark below to tell if it was a kid or an adult, and if it was a boy or a girl. He opened the window and leaned out for a better look.

"Is it not a little too late to be playing with sand?" he said quietly to himself.

The person seemed to have heard him. He stood up and Lee could tell it was a young boy, about the age of eleven or twelve. He turned around and walked back toward the apartments, out of Lee's sight. Lee was hopeful that his words had gotten to the child. He closed the window and went back to his room. He climbed back into bed and heaved a sigh of relief. Bedtime was one of his favorite times of the day. He pulled his blanket up to cover his shoulder, feeling that the room had gotten chiller in the short ten minutes that he was gone. He checked the time. It was almost one o'clock in the morning. He really needed to get some sleep.

Lee closed his eyes and tried to drift back to sleep. He heard the floorboards creaked. He shifted and the bed frame groaned under his weight. Lee had to open his eyes again. He was sleeping in the middle of the full-size bed. His hands clutched the sheet beneath him. He swallowed hard and blinked twice. Something was different about his bedroom. He felt the comforter move slightly and a weight leaning down on his body. Then he felt a breath against his neck. Maybe it was just the air from the vent, he told himself. But he couldn't explain why he was feeling a pair of hands holding his shoulders.

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Boyue's Note: Horror is really my love. This isn't scary yet, but it will soon. I hope. o.o;;

So um, the usual... tell me what you think about it! xDD

Until next time!

12.22.08

9:33 PM