02

The Guest

Buttercup - James Howard Newton


My father had always told me that to overcome your fears, you must face them.

Sound reasoning from my 6 year old perspective, as my father was surely the wisest man on the planet. I accepted it without thought or question. That was, until he placed my greatest fear directly in my lap. A frog. Of course I screamed, and cried. But he quieted and assured me that the frog wouldn't kill me. After much time spent panicking, I calmed and even pet him. Once.

My father showered me with compliments, and was so earnestly proud of me. He swept me up into his arms and told me, "My dear, you will be such a strong women. Running from your fears is not how my daughter will live." He told me many wise things during my childhood, but this one always pressured me. It put a weight on my shoulders.

This weight was very noticeable now.

Although, I wasn't sure if I was paralyzed from the strangers eyes, or the crushing desire to not disappoint my father.

Which ever it was, I couldn't move. Standing in the doorway, I was locked in a silent but ferocious staring match.

His eyes were dark, oddly exotic and held no expression except for a certain chaotic intelligence. He was analyzing me. Was this man even human? He looked it, but everything about him screamed that there was something more.

He was holding himself up, arms shaking. Labored breathing filled the room as I racked my brain from something to say. Anything to say.

My mouth fell open and a quick, "Hey there." escaped. I accompanied the odd greeting with a forced smile, and a meek wave.

I held back the urge to hit myself. Hey there? That's what I choose to say? Even worse, my voice quivered and squeaked when I had said it. The creepy smile and wave probably didn't help. If he wasn't confused before, he certainly was now.


Itachi was confused. Perplexed, as to what exactly this situation was.

When he woke it was through a daze of senses. Just like coming out of unconsciousness, he was foggy and lost. However, he had been able to notice the sensations of his surroundings. Warm, soft, cushioned. A flicker of confusion had passed through him.

He knew where he had died, on the cold ground in the midst of a beginning downpour. But, had he really died? Could this be the afterlife? Or maybe he had been saved? He wasn't sure.

By the time he was fully lucid he had already deducted that there were two other people in the house, non threatening. One directly to the right of him in a different room, sleeping. The other downstairs, also sleeping.

It was extremely important to gather information quickly when faced with a possible captive situation. However he felt no chains, or other restraints on him. Was it possible that he wasn't a captive? Or were they aware of his weakened state? His very weakened state.

His bones felt as if they were rusted metal when he tried to move. But Itachi knew that he would have to move to collect more information, he had to be as prepared as possible. There was a window beside him that he just barely couldn't see out of. Good. He could map the outside of the area of his imprisonment.

He took his time rising, but not by his own accord. If he was at full strength he would have immediately and silently left.

He pulled himself up and against the wall, so he was sitting on the bed. He took this time to analyze himself. Any injuries? No. Chakra reserves? Very, very low.

Even though he had no visible injuries he was extremely debilitated. He was aware of a rattling in his chest whenever he breathed, but that was normal for him. However, it was much more prominent now. Loud, wet, and raspy. He tried to suppress it, but sputtered a cough from the irritation. He silenced himself as best he could and listened. No movement from the person next to him.

He looked outside. Clouds were passing over the moon, light and darkness melding into one. It seemed he was in a forest. He needed to see clearer, map out chakra signals.

A searing burn crossed his eyes as he tried to activate his Sharingan. One hand flew to his face, the other reached out to find something to hold onto as the pain racked his body. It collided with something hard, sending it crashing to the floor. Damn it. The noise was incredibly loud, and it sounded as if something had shattered.

He drew his hand back to his side, ignoring its throbbing pain, and closed his hot eyes, listening.

Movement.

His eyes opened and concentrated on the door. One of the people were coming towards him.

The footsteps grew closer then stopped. The person hesitated just behind the door. Then, it creaked open.

Messy brown hair, and bunny pajamas.

She appeared from the darkness of the hallway and just stared. Itachi stared back. He tried to make himself seem threatening, or at least not as sick and feeble as he truly was.

They were locked in a staring match until her mouth fell open.

"Hey there." A toothy smile formed onto her face and her hand shook weakly, a wave perhaps?

Hey there? Itachi did not reply. Or, he couldn't reply. This situation was to strange, he was having a hard time understanding what exactly was going on. Her greeting replayed in his head. Hey there.

"I... uh..." Her face grew red, "I found you in a field..."

"A field?" He repeated. She jumped at his voice.

"I thought you were drunk... passed out, so I brought you to my house..."

Drunk? He broke their intense eye contact to look out of the window. Just where was he? Who was this girl?

As if to answer his questions she stammered, "My names Maria, I'm sorry if I frightened you. It must be scary waking up in a strange place."

The more she talked the more questions arose. Itachi had many to ask. He contemplated pressing for more information, but it seemed she didn't recognize him from any bingo books. Good. He wanted to keep it that way. At least until he recovered.

She was shuffling her feet. "...and you are?"

"I don't remember."

It came simple to Itachi, as it made the most logical sense in this situation. He could feign amnesia, gather his strength, kill the girl if need be, and escape. All of the basic necessities; food, water and shelter, were readily available if he stayed here. He could also easily obtain information, since he could fake being clueless from the amnesia. With his current state and chakra depletion, he estimated it would take about three weeks to recover.

"What! You don't remember? Are you okay?" The girl, Maria, sounded very concerned. "We should get you to a hospital, you could have a concussion..."

"No." It was soft, but a demand. He couldn't risk his identity being uncovered while he was weak.

"No? But..." Her confusion was shown through every action. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, a subtle furrow in her brow. She was incredibly easy to read, and obviously not a ninja."But, you even look sick... your breathing..." Her train of speech trailed off, she looked at Itachi for an explanation.

"I don't remember who I am, they wouldn't be able to treat me in a hospital. I don't have any identification on myself."

Her brows furrowed even more. "I'm sure they'd make an exception, you're obviously sick!"

"They only area that would treat an unidentified person would be The Sound. And judging from the landscape, we're either in or close to, The Land of Fire."

"The what?"

Itachi paused. What did she mean? Why had she said that with such disbelief? Had he said something wrong?

"We're in Canada? British Columbia to be exact..." There was an edge to her voice, a suspicion. "What the hell is the land of fire? It sounds like something out of a book."

Itachi paused before calmly replying,"Yes, Canada. Forgive me, I'm still slightly concussed." He made sure his voice was smooth, and not giving any hints to the fact that he was confused. He had never heard of Canada before, nor British Columbia. Even the names of things here were strange.

Maria scratched her head. "I suppose that makes sense." Her eyes found Iatchis, but she quickly looked away. "You gotta be hungry. Its almost five in the morning now... but I guess I could start breakfast."

Itachi bowed his head slightly in appreciation. "That would be lovely, thank you Ms. Maria."

"Oh god, please don't call me Ms."

Itachi nodded. An awkward silence found its way between them.

Her face turned red. "I guess you can follow me downstairs?" She turned slightly, her hand now resting on the doorknob.

"Yes, but I am weak so I will be slow."

Maria gave a quick acknowledging smile and leaned against the door. Itachi moved his legs over the side of the bed, trying to ignore his protesting muscles. He stood slowly, but became dizzy from the lack of blood flow to his head. Itachi faltered and grabbed the side tables ledge.

"Are you okay?" Maria stepped towards him but he rose his hand, signaling her to stop. "Woah, your hand!"

Itachi glimpsed at his hand. It was cut open and dark blood had coated it. He hadn't even realized. It must have happened when he hit the lamp.

"Hold up, I'm going to get a broom for the glass and something for your hand." With that Maria was gone and he had time to further reflect on the situation.

Was it possible she was purposefully trying to confuse him? Maybe. Itachi had never heard of British Columbia, nor Canada.

Even her name was alien to him. He repeated it to himself, rolling over the sound. Maria. It was pretty. She might have been attractive, to somebody else. Abnormally bushy eyebrows sat above her circular eyes, and her nose was small and round. Her thin lips seemed to be in a continuous grimace, except when she smiled.

He heard rushed footsteps approaching and straightened up on the bed. She appeared out of the darkness just as she had done before, except this time she brought objects. She clutched a broom and dust pan in her arm pit, in her hands was a box and she carried a towel in her mouth. Itachi watched her while she worked. She cleaned the glass slowly and cautiously, collecting the shards into the dust pan.

"I will help around the house to repay for the lamp."

Maria looked up from the floor, her eyes shone in the moonlight and Itachi's breath almost, almost, caught in his chest. Her eyes were the color of springtime, lush and green. A color Itachi had never seen before in someones eyes. His breath didn't falter for their beauty, but for the fact that he could actually see well enough to pick out their color.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I was about to throw the old thing away." She had looked away from him and her lips corner had twitched. A lie, Itachi determined. "And can you stop talking so formal? Its weird."

Weird? He was being polite. However, from the way she was speaking to him he assumed that it was strange in their culture. Whatever their culture exactly was.

She bandaged his hand rather poorly, but Itachi made no comment. There was a slow trip down the stairs where they would pause every few steps for Itachi to catch his breath. She didn't make any comments on his rattling gasps for air, which he was thankful for.

The kitchen was an odd sight for him to see. The architecture was vastly different from the usual tatami mats, and wooden stoves that he was used to. Still, he easily glided into an abnormally high chair at a counter.

"Tea?"

He nodded. She filled up a kettle and switched it on, then sat across from Itachi.

"So..." She dragged out the word, trying to elicit a response. "What were you doing in the middle of that field?"

"I have amnesia." Itachi reminded her, still surveying his surroundings, and taking in the clarity he hadn't experienced in years. He did catch her face turn red out of the corner of his eyes. She did that a lot.

"Right. That makes stuff complicated then..." She murmured, tracing something with her finger on the counter top. "Ya know, you kind of remind me of someone!"

Itachi froze.

"My younger brother likes this comic, and you remind me of one of the characters in it." Itachi caught her eye and looked for any signs of fear. If she knew who he was, she would betray it somehow. "God what was his name..." He kept watching.

"I don't remember right now, but you do look like him." Her fingers had stopped, and she had let her chin rest in her palm, gazing directly at him with scrutinizing eyes.

"But of course you're not him. Comic book characters aren't real, however cool that would be."

The kettles sudden scream echoed through the room.