Sorry for such a late update. VAMP and other stories... I'll try to update them soon. I finally got an inspiration strike for this one and... well, I've been on a little bit of a writer's block. I've been drawing a lot. Yeah. So yes, again, sorry for my late updates this week. "Finally" is going to be updated last of all my multi-chapter stories.

Consternation: sudden dread or paralyzing terror (dictionary . com)


Chapter 7: Consternation.

Shikamaru held his uninjured hand to his stinging cheek. Ino glared at him, blue eyes blazing. Where her sudden fury had come from she had no idea.

"Don't even ask. You deserved that," Ino hissed before stomping her way back to the village. Shuffling feet were heard a few minutes later.

--

Ino stayed inside her room, refusing to even leave for supper. Her mother was worried sick.

"Ino! Shikamaru's here! He'd really like to talk to you, sweetie!"

Ino snorted and yelled back, "I don't want to see him. Tell him to go away."

There was a silence from downstairs and Ino relaxed in her window. She was perched on the ledge, resting her head against the cool glass. She released a breath as she opened her eyes.

She couldn't believe what she saw.

Sitting across from her was a man in a cloak that exposed his chest. A comforting yet repelling aura rolled off him in waves. Ino's voice was stuck in her throat. He didn't move at all; he just stared at her from underneath his hood.

Then his hand twitched. Ino jumped and set her hands firmly on the wide sill of the window. Her breathing escalated.

"W-who are you?" she croaked, finding her voice. He remained silent, instead tilting his head slowly to one side. The lights flashed; Ino's vision seemed to jerk around. She saw faces – bloody, terror-filled faces. Blood splattered on her window and the lights wouldn't stop flashing around her. She tried to scream, but her voice was lost.

Ino tried to distance herself from him and when she tried to get off the sill and flee her room she saw a very grotesque monster prowling her room. It lunged threateningly at her, wide jaws snapping in the air, saliva running down its chin in waterfalls. She swallowed; her throat was very dry.

Suddenly the lights went completely out. Ino closed her eyes tightly, a single tear leaking out of her eye. A warm breath was released against her face. Unwillingly her eyes shot open.

She blinked.

'What...? But just a second ago... I thought...' she looked around in shock. Her room was empty of people save for her. The disgusting beast was gone. There was no saliva on the carpet, no blood on her window, no people screaming for their lives. She raised a hand to hold her head.

'I must be tired. I'm going to bed.'

Half an hour later and she was crawling under her covers. Right before she fell asleep she felt as though another body had settled next to her.

A hand rose to gently to caress her face.

--

Ino awoke feeling very refreshed. She stretched in her bed and sighed blissfully before planting her hands back against the sheets. Her right hand touched a warm indent. She froze.

'What...? Impossible!'

She felt all along the indent with her hands. Whoever else had also occupied her bed had only recently left.

"No wonder I was so comfortable last night... that sturdy for at my back," she breathed in sharply. It just couldn't be. Everything else she had seen the previous night had been an illusion. Surely this was an illusion too?

She made the appropriate hand seal and whispered, "release."

The indent did not go away.

She left the room in a disoriented daze, all the while feeling like someone was following her. When she entered the dining room no one was awake. She found a note on the table.

"It's just like my parents to leave me alone... oh well, I'll read this," she scooped it up and moved away from the table. There was a light breeze in the house.

Ino rolled her eyes after she finished reading the note – her parents would be home late – and turned around to make her way back over to the table. She shivered when a cooler breeze rushed past her.

'Wait... none of the... windows... are... open...?' she focused her eyes on the table.

It was completely set with a full breakfast meal, topped with orange juice and a little pudding dessert to the side. She slammed herself against the wall immediately, breathing rapidly.

"Who -"

There was a soft touch to her lips and a voice whispered, "Ino..."

She ran out of the dining room as the voice called to her again, "Ino..."

"N-no! G-go away!" she wailed, coming to a dead end. She turned around, pressing her back firmly against the wall. To her horror, at the other end of the hall was a monstrosity of a beast. It was bigger than the one from last night, uglier and looked like it had just come out of an oil fill. Warm tears streamed down Ino's cheeks as it snapped it's jaws in the air and began padding toward her – while shaking the house.

"P-please n-no l-leave me alone..." Ino waved her hands at the beast and the flaps on its head seemed to rise as if trying to hear her. Its "ears" looked like rags.

Soon the beast was no more than four feet away from her and Ino began hyperventilating. The monster took a step back and bit at the air, making a light snapping sound. It took another step back.

Warmth enveloped her and Ino clung to the invisible arms around her.

"He merely wishes to escort you back to breakfast... he won't hurt you... a punishment worse then death will... present itself to him if he so much as gives you a rash."

The deep, wispy echoing voice soothed her and she wiped away her tears, dropping the note. She reached a shaking hand toward the beast and it lowered its head, allowing her to pet it.

As soon as she did it turned into a beautiful white husky, blue-eyes and all. She allowed the beast-gone-dog to lead her back to her most extravagant breakfast.

The day passed by with no events, as Ino refused to leave her home. Instead she rested on the bed with the husky – whom she'd nick-named Snow – waiting for her parents to come home.

It was nearly dinnertime and still her parents had not returned. She sighed and got off of Snow, who started at the sudden loss of weight resting against his side. He yelped quietly and followed her out of the room, wagging his mighty tail.

When she entered the dining room she was stunned to see that the cloaked man had returned. Candles floated in the room; the table was set, roses in the middle, petals everywhere. A fine maroon silk cloth over the table. Snow nudged her forward and she took her place across from the man.

He didn't speak when he gestured toward the food.

'D-don't be nervous Ino, just eat the food. Focus on eating the food,' she popped the first bite into her mouth. She struggled to contain herself at the taste of the meat. It was steak, and done perfectly. Just the way she liked it.

She continued eating her meal in glee, savoring the mashed potatoes and the gravy, the sparkling mango juice – in an intricate wine glass none the less – the steak and lastly the pie.

Ino couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in question at the man across from her, who seemed to know everything she liked. The pie was blueberry, and Ino loved blueberry pie. He laughed lightly at her expression.

Once she finished her last bite of pie she wiped at her mouth with the silk napkin.

'Now to ask him a few questions...'

Just as Ino was about to, however, Snow perked up and snapped his head toward the door. He got up – tail wagging – and scampered over to the front door. The room began flickering.

"Your parents are home... I have to leave..." he turned his head to the side. Ino closed her eyes in somewhat of a rage and when she opened them she nearly screamed.

The room was empty of all extravagances.

"Ino, what's the meaning of this dog? Not to say that I don't like him, I just want to know where you got him..."

She whipped around after standing, "ah! Well, I went out for a short walk this morning and he followed me home. He was too gorgeous to leave outside."

"I see. Have you named him?" her mother asked, stroking the husky. Ino nodded, "I call him Snow. 'Cause he's white."

Ino proceeded to leave the room after giving her parents hugs. Snow trailed after her.

"I-Ino! Where are you going?"

"To bed."

"What about dinner?!"

"I've eaten already thank you. Good night!"

Ino took ten minutes to get ready for bed. She lay down on her blankets and sighed.

Suddenly Snow started licking her hand and he whimpered. She gave him a curious look before he gave her a dog smile and informed her in a raspy voice, "Sssssoorrrry. I haave to returrrrn to my ooother fooormmmah."

Ino bit her lip and buried her head in the pillow, "okay."

She was awakened later at midnight by low growls in her room. Low growls that were soon accompanied by voices. She heard a deafening scream in her room and muffled her own against her pillow. Claws touched her back but they were whisked away again.

Ino wanted to reach out to her sides to grasp something, anything.

"Please come back... please, please. I need you. Oh Kami... please where are you? Where...? Oh Kami, make it stop, make it stop!" she screamed into the pillow.

Ino didn't stop screaming until comforting words flowed into her ear from her savior, and she immediately curled up against him, her lips pressed to his neck.

The sounds died away to the night.


Yeeeeeees Ino's hauntings have officially started.