FIRST A CRACK, NOW A CREVICE
Wow...It's been over six months since my last update. I should feel ashamed of myself...Well, at least on the bright side, I have renewed conviction to complete this for the sake of my silent readers.
CHAPTER 10
SLAUGHTER
Mitsuki let out a big yawn and stretched. Opening his eyes, he tried to figure out where he was. He peered at Sasuke and a huge smile creased the bottom half of his face.
"Aniki! Mikoto!"
Sasuke blinked in confusion for a few seconds before the boy's misunderstanding dawned on him. When it did, though, he had the young one securely in his arms in a split second.
"Huh? A-Aniki…"
Slowly, Mitsuki pulled away and rubbed his eyes. His little heart dropped to his stomach when he saw that Mikoto was really Sasuke.
"S-Sasu-chan. Where is Mikoto? Where did Aniki go?"
His voice cracked. He already knew the answer.
Sasuke didn't know what to say. How could one comfort a child after his entire immediate family had been slaughtered like beasts? What could one really say to assuage his fears? His loneliness?
The best option that he could see right then was society with the others who were doubtlessly more cheerful and more experienced in the field of communication than he.
"Mitsuki," Sasuke said, pushing him away a bit and drying his eyes. "How would you like to meet the others?"
"Others?" the boy asked, crinkling his brow.
"The people you saw last night. They don't bite, I promise," he teased.
Mitsuki managed a small smile before he crawled off the bed. Sasuke nodded over to the bathroom, assuring him that he'd have some clothes out for him before he got out.
When left alone in his room, Sasuke let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. Things were getting more complicated. The Yamakiko were on his tail and he was in no position to fight them. He definitely couldn't do that. It would endanger his friends and his little cousin. He couldn't care less about what complications would arise for ANBU if word got out that one of its special agents was unlawfully assaulting 'harmless' citizens, but, knowing how cold and revengeful the organization was, it would be unbearable for him to think of Sai, the only associate he really cared about there, suffering for it.
He was stuck for now, and he needed to figure out a plan. The first thing was to strengthen Mitsuki. After Kakashi informed the other tenants of the boarding house about what was happening, he would get every special person to assist.
When the Yamakiko came…when they came… he just wasn't sure about that. To make matters worse, if they chose to strike at the home, (which would be the smartest route) Kakashi would get peppered by the very powerful and influential figures to which the foreigners were so closely attached.
Maybe he would have to move before they did…
Mitsuki stepped slowly and hesitantly into the dining hall. His cousin's stomach clenched when he remembered how bubbly and bold the child used to be.
"O-Ohayo," he stuttered, claiming a seat beside Sasuke.
Julie and Ino nearly jumped over the table in excitement. Tears came into Julie's eyes as she reached out longingly while Billy restrained her. Ino had rest her head on her hands and stared at the startled boy, a little drool escaping the corner of her mouth. She wasn't even aware that Shikamaru had emptied his glass of water on her in an attempt to cool her hormones.
"Aaaw! Sasuke, why didn't you tell us you had a brother. He's so adorable! I hope he doesn't grow out of his charm and end up like you," Shari swooned, clasping her hands tightly around a searing cup of tea.
His eye twitched and he was about to let a nasty retort slap them all back into consciousness when Mitsuki just had to say: "A-ano, Sasu-chan is not my brother. He's my itoko."
Those two sentences instantly bought Sakura, Alice, Hinata and even Runo. Joseph face-palmed. Lucas smiled at how adorable the boy's oblivious innocence was.
"His name is Mitsuki," Sasuke said, sipping some tea, ensuring to steer clear of solid food.
Smiles and giggles were eventually brought to Mitsuki's lips as he received numerous introductions and watched the older people carry on with all forms of antics.
After the meal, as Sasuke was retreating upstairs with Mitsuki, Kakashi stepped into the dining room, face solemn. Bags ornamented his open eye and his silver hair lacked its customary sheen.
He nodded wearily at the two as they passed and he asked the others that were leaving also to stay for an important announcement.
"What is Kakashi-san doing?" Sasuke's young charge asked him as he made his way to the training room.
"Just announcing your arrival."
"Where are we going then?"
"To train."
Mitsuki's face fell. Sasuke didn't realize until he turned around to close the door. "Hey," he said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. He tilted the boy's head up so that he could look him squarely in the face. "I know you'd rather to be doing something that would lift your spirits, but this has to be done. Suki, the reality is that we don't know when the Yamakiko are coming. You know some of the family history, so you should know that they're always after you. In any case…I won't always be around to protect you, so you need to learn how to help yourself."
He was slightly surprised when the boy straightened his shoulders and nodded. He was recognizing the full gravity of their situation. His situation.
Sasuke gave him a little smile before exiting into the weaponry closet.
"I won't be going easy on you, so come at me with everything you've got." He furnished the boy with weapons before turning to him with his own. To add a bit of variety into the mix, he had included the same 'throwables' which he had supplied him with. "Get ready," he ordered, taking up position.
The boy lowered his body and stiffened, focusing on his opponent, just as his father had taught him to do. A dull pang hit Sasuke in his chest and he almost regretted what he was about to do.
Standing on the other side of the room, he drew himself up to full height and unsheathed his katana slowly, all the while eyeing Mitsuki with mixed arrogance and mockery. "Do I remind you of anything…anyone particular?" he asked, assuming an unmistakable attack stance.
Mitsuki's jaw dropped in horror and confusion. "The Y-Yamakiko. That's exactly how the killers prepared to strike. Sasuke, what are you doing?!" The kunai which he held fell to the matted floor and he began to shake in terror at the memory.
"Aniki, Ojisan, Chichi…No," he sank to the floor, hands pressed to his head.
"Get up and fight," Sasuke demanded. "Picture their death. Recall their cries, their agonized screams." He could have easily conjured up a very realistic illusion with his eyes, but he refused to do so. That would be too risky. Far too risky.
"I don't want to remember," the boy whimpered.
"Oh, but you must. And you will. Can't you feel it? The regret? If only you were a bit stronger, you might have been able to help. Can't you picture the Yamakiko? Grinning over your parent's corpses. Can't you remember how they stole your father's and brother's eyes?"
Tears came fast, but the memories came even faster. Mitsuki grit his teeth.
"Channel your regret, feelings of uselessness, hatred, channel all that into energy." Luckily for Sasuke, there was no need to push his little cousin with an illusion and ending up losing himself or scarring the young lad for life.
Mitsuki's fist gripped the kunai once more and he staggered to his feet, hot, angry tears dripping down his chin. He charged at Sasuke, uttering an agonized shout. Furiously, he swiped at the teen. Sasuke easily dodged and blocked his attacks. Sensing that the poor boy was blinded by rage, he decided to push him over the edge.
"Is that the most you can do, weakling?" Sasuke mocked. "It's a good thing you didn't try to swoop in to help. You would have only disappointed your family before they died. You're a disgrace."
Mitsuki got even more violent and furious. If one of his blows landed, then it would definitely hospitalize Sasuke. A sharp pain shot through his eyes, and suddenly, the kunai fell. He dropped to his knees and crumpled to the floor once more. He shrieked in pain as he covered his eyes which felt like iron pins were slowly being drawn back and forth inside them.
"Sasu-chan, help me," he whimpered.
Sasuke quickly discarded his katana then came to the boy's side. He removed his hands from his eyes.
"Make it stop!" he wailed.
"Hush. If you try to calm down and keep a level head, then the pain will go away. Just focus on getting rid of that fogginess. Don't think of anything happy. Just focus on me, the target."
Mitsuki cracked his eyes open and stared at Sasuke, who held him still. Although shaking from the pain, the boy tried his best to obey his cousin. Sure enough, his eyes bore the Sharingan and sure enough, the pain went away a few minutes after he tried to focus.
Sasuke sighed in relief when the boy informed him of this and his Sharingan was still up.
"Now Mitsuki, you must listen to me very carefully."
The boy nodded.
"Come at me with all you've got. Do not lose focus and don't let yourself be overcome by anger. Try to get accustomed with your abilities."
Albeit somewhat confused, the boy nodded and resumed his stance, giving Sasuke enough time to back away before he sprang. Seeing the attack coming, Sasuke dodged it and let some deliberately off-aim shuriken and kunai fly to allow him enough distance to scoop up his katana. He had only just grasped the weapon when Mitsuki was upon him, kunai ready to stab, but Sasuke deflected both him and the knife with the blunt end of it.
Mitsuki could feel the change in his body. He was fighting for real – at least this was the closest to real that he had ever been. He was unusually fast, and he could see Sasuke's movements. The thing that surprised him the most was that he could dodge and counter them while launching swift attacks of his own. He could even tell that Sasuke was deliberately putting the more lethal attacks off aim.
They sparred until Mitsuki tripped and nearly landed headfirst onto a shuriken that was lodged into the floor. Sasuke quickly darted in and pushed him out of the way. The boy sat on the floor, groaning and rubbing his shoulder.
"That's enough for now." Sasuke cleared up the weapons and put them neatly in a corner. He then took a seat before Mitsuki and smiled at him. "You should be proud of yourself. You did very well."
"Thanks," he panted.
"Did you notice anything different?"
"Yeah. My movements were faster somehow and it was like I could predict your attacks."
Sasuke nodded. "That's your Sharingan." He then pulled out a pocket mirror and held it before the boy's face. Mitsuki gave a start, recoiling violently at his reflection.
"Why do my eyes look so creepy? What's going on, Sasuke?" Panic was slowly creeping up his throat, but when he saw how cool and collected his itoko seemed, he rallied his emotions in an effort to keep them in check.
"Can you guess when that happened?"
"When I started feeling pain…You mean I was fighting with it the whole time? That's why I felt so strange!"
"It's your Sharingan, a special ability that we Uchihas have. That your father and brother had. That is what the Yamakiko are hunting us for."
"That means that we're different. That we're special. And people want to kill us for it. Do I have to have it? Can't I get rid of it somehow?"
Sasuke shook his head solemnly. He had gone through every historical, medicinal, and herbal book he could lay his hands on, but not one mentioned anything on getting rid of the Sharingan – apart from destroying the eyes of course.
Sasuke told him the whole Yamakiko plot and the consequential plight that they found themselves in.
"It needs a trigger to activate in the early stages, and that's usually anger. That's why I had to be rather unpleasant at the start."
Mitsuki frowned. "Since I can't get rid of it, is it possible to strengthen it? You were much better than me, even though you didn't have your Sharingan activated."
"Of course. Through practice, you'll be able to activate and deactivate it at will, see much quicker moves and even make illusions."
Mitsuki's face brightened. "Really! That sounds so cool! I bet you can do all those stuff and more!"
Although Sasuke smiled, deep down, he didn't want his precious cousin to gain so much power. He didn't want him to sink into darkness.
"Let's forget about me and focus on you. We can spar once more before taking a break if you'd like."
"I'd love to."
And so, they went at it again. Mitsuki progressed quickly – something that both scared Sasuke and made him pleased. As soon as the boy fell to the floor, the door slid open.
It seemed like all the teenagers had planned on vacationing in the training room.
The exhausted boy panted on the ground, watching them as they filed inside.
Sakura carried food over to him.
He smiled in gratitude as his mouth was preoccupied with puffing and huffing. He glanced at his cousin. He didn't even break a sweat and his breathing was normal.
"Lucas, come here. We weren't done with our training."
Mitsuki watched with crossed legs and lunch box in hand as Sasu-chan sparred with Lucas who was trying to manipulate a katana. He noted the boy's progress – rather slow, but he was improving. Suddenly, an idea hit him with full force. He was surrounded by strong people. Why not learn from them? Trying out his new eyes on Sasuke's friends would be exciting. He'd even get to learn some new moves.
Shikamaru eyed him carefully as he gobbled down the remaining food in his lunch box. How could this child transform from gloomy to enthusiastic? What had his dear Sasu-chan done to make him so happy? Groaning, he let his head fall backwards onto the wall. Sleeping solved all problems.
"Shikamaru," a small voice called to him. He opened one eye, not trying to hide his irritation at being disturbed. Mitsuki kneeled before him, obsidian eyes piercing his brown ones.
"Spar with me."
The teen's eyes widened. "What do you mean spar with you? Isn't this just your first day of training?"
Mitsuki nodded. "I want to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can…so spar with me," he said, this time more determined than the first.
"Go spar with him instead."
Mitsuki looked over at Daniel who was deftly picking his nostrils. Runo, who was watching, nearly keeled over with laughter at the sight of the young boy rolling his eyes and returning to Shikamaru the Chosen One.
The Chosen One pouted for a bit. I can't just crush the kid's hopes. Maybe I'll let him knock me out so I can get back to sleeping faster. He stood up and moved to the centre of the room, shooing Sasuke and Lucas out of the way.
Sasuke shot him a questioning look but a shrug was all he needed. When he saw Mitsuki take his battle stance before him, he cringed. Regret swelled within him. Not pride. The Sharingan was nothing to be proud of. He had thought like untainted Mitsuki once – before he knew of all its secrets…Before he knew the monsters that it could turn people into. He just had to go draw it out of his little cousin. He just had to go rob him of his innocence. He just had to go secure his doom.
He could only watch wordlessly as he took on foe after foe, not stopping until either he or his opponent was on the ground. It hurt. It made him sick to the core. Mitsuki's genuine excitement over his new abilities stabbed him, but there was nothing he could do about it but pray that the child could keep it under wraps…Pray that someday he wouldn't become like dear Sasu-chan.
Mitsuki held on tight to his cousin's hand as he was led down the long hallway of a huge school. They separated from the rest of their housemates when they made a left turn. He tried not to panic; not to feel scared, but the place was enormous, and he was so small. Just as small as when those tall people killed his family.
Sasuke sensed his uneasiness and squeezed his hand. Sai, who was with them, flanked his other side, and suddenly he didn't feel so tiny anymore. A large wooden door loomed ahead of them. As they approached, Mitsuki mentally chanted what his cousin had so earnestly pleaded for him to do.
Keep your Sharingan a secret.
They were finally at the door. Sai knocked and they stepped inside.
You don't know anything about it.
A silver haired woman's eyes widened. She motioned them to sit after giving a short greeting.
If anyone asks, you don't have it and you've never known anyone with it.
Beside her stood two men. One with red hair and burgundy eyes and one with jet black hair and grey eyes.
Don't trust anyone but us with this secret.
"Lovely seeing you again Sasuke-kun, Sai-kun. Little Uchiha, I'd love to know your first name."
No one must ever know.
Instinctively, Mitsuki recoiled. If he was standing, he would have hidden behind Sasuke.
"T-Tongaku," he stuttered, genuinely scared. The man with the scar had a wild look and the grey eyed one was disturbingly calm. The principal herself seemed uneasy with them around. Tension emanated from his two protectors.
"Aaah. Little Tongaku. Are you and Sasuke-kun close?"
"Our relationship is none of your concern. We are here to enrol Tongaku and receive our mission." Sasuke levelled the man with a glare. He knew that the ANBU agents had already drilled the Principal with questions, so it wouldn't make sense to act as if Mitsuki was a regular.
"Sasuke, I'm rather intrigued by this young one. He bears a striking resemblance to you. Maybe you are similar in more ways than just looks…"
"If you are assuming that Tongaku-kun possesses the same gift as I, you are sadly mistaken. Not all Uchihas have been blessed with the Sharingan. Now if you'd be so kind as to allow me to register him and send him on to his classes, so we can attend to more pressing matters…"
The redhead snarled dangerously but motioned Sasuke to the principal's desk. With shaking fingers, Tachibana penned in the information that the boy provided her with and handed a schedule over to him. It was a good thing Kakashi had informed her of his arrival beforehand.
Mitsuki stared at the schedule and wished that his brother was there. He would always help him in tough situations. He looked up at Sasuke who simply nodded at him and gently pushed him away, in the direction of the door and the humongous building.
He's a smart kid. He'll figure it out.
"Come Tachibana-san. Sign and record so that we can collect the boys and leave. While the intimidated lady penned her signature once more, Sasuke retrieved some uniforms kept for them in a hidden closet and Sai opened the envelope with their mission. As he skimmed over it, his eyebrows rose in surprise and he glanced hesitantly at Sasuke. He wouldn't like this one bit.
The redhead frowned in annoyance. He was very curious to know what had stirred the impassive youth to display some form of emotion. Sadly, he and his associate were not permitted to know the details of any mission they were not assigned to, although they were members of the organization. Such was ANBU's secrecy.
After they were dressed, the boys exited the school quickly by a restricted route and boarded their unit van. "What's the mission?"
Sai hesitated before deciding to give him the envelope anyway. Sasuke sent him a questioning glance. Sai never hesitated.
Slowly, he opened the package and reviewed the sheet. Once. Twice. A third time to ensure that what he was reading was true. And so it was. Right there printed in blank ink. They were to infiltrate a laboratory and do away with 'defective subjects' in the southern section of Kamagasaki. They had to clean up after some disorganized freak show but nothing was said about capturing the instigator. This was the first time they were being sent on a mission like this. Test subjects. They reminded him so much of the Yamakiko. Maybe that's why Sai's behaviour was so strange.
They rattled along in the van, sailing past high-class businesses and luxury homes and zoomed towards high rise ancient clumsy apartment blocks and crowded concrete benches. People walked around aimlessly, hunched forward as if they carried an invisible load on their backs. Several kept what little belongings they had in garbage bags. As they progressed through the district, things became drearier. The population thinned out and the homes became smaller and more deformed. Although the streets were paved, they were still filthy.
Sai sighed when he saw the concrete. Even though it was dirty, he gave thanks that it wasn't mud. Anything was better than mud. Sasuke smiled when he saw the faint trace of relief on his features. His gaze never left the window though. They moved farther and farther on until they were on the outskirts of the city. A large compound stretched out before them. The entrance was barred by a heavy metal gate. The driver poked his head through the window and signalled to the security guard. The gate sluggishly pulled sideways, clearing the path for the van to roll through. All was silent. The guard tipped his hat at the agents and walked out of the compound. Some other guards joined him and they let the gate roll shut.
They were locked inside. The securities shook their heads at the van and tipped their hats once more – either out of respect or a wish of luck.
Sasuke immediately slipped into ANBU mode. He got his weapons ready and attached his earpiece. For this mission, they'd be working in pairs, and needless to say, Sai was his partner.
He scanned the expansive compound. The low building loomed ahead and the concrete driveway was barren. Evidently the whole place was deserted. On lockdown. Why would an organization like this need to call in ANBU to do its dirty work? Aren't the subjects usually taken out quietly with poison?
All the workers at the facility had been discreetly evacuated a few days before. The security guards were left to man their posts until ANBU came. Sasuke looked back. The men were nowhere to be found. They had scampered away from the place as if it were haunted. Poor fellows were frightened sick. He scoffed mentally.
Sasuke listened keenly as they were briefed by their unit leader. The subjects had been deemed defective a week before and the execution date was set for today. Somehow there was an information leak and the subjects learned of their judgement. They went berserk, killing several facility workers and trying to escape. The whole facility was, however, placed under lockdown.
Sasuke inhaled and exhaled deeply. These people weren't normal. They were genetically enhanced. They were dangerous. He steeled himself. He only had three objectives. Complete the mission. Protect Sai. Get back home to Mitsuki and the others.
After customary warnings were given out, they filed out of the van. Sasuke and Sai fell behind the rest. They were to go to the bottom floor – the place where the most volatile subjects stayed locked in cells and shackles.
Gunshots suddenly broke the silence. Several bullets whizzed through the air. The team before them signalled subtly that it was time to split up. The two ducked behind a tall thick concrete pillar. Chips of it flew off violently as stray bullets struck the sides and explosions rocked the air. Sai quickly painted several vipers onto his sheet and soaked the parchment in poison. In seconds, the black inky creatures rose from the paper and slithered silently along.
He then painted a black rat. When that rose from the page, he stuck a small chip to its head and slipped a pair of glasses on. The rat scuttled off across the hazardous entrance, aiming for a narrow dark staircase that led to the underground chambers. Sasuke waited for Sai to arm himself with senbon before unsheathing his katana. Sai took the lead. They wove through a sea of bullets and picked out humans flitting among the shadows. The frontline agents continued their advance, determined to raze every one of the creatures to the ground. They went by unnoticed. Other agents assigned to the second and third underground floors clamoured down after them. They attracted such great attention that the second wave of rebels came meeting them halfway.
An involuntary smile tilted Sasuke's lips. Chills ran down his spine and his blood raced through his veins. Sai's vipers had already reached the bottom floor. The rat was hiding in a crack, waiting for its master to draw near.
Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. He tried to suppress it. He tried his best, but when he saw his foes, he thought against it. Letting it takeover would be best. He would need the deranged beast within him to slaughter all these humans. These innocent people who were experimented upon without their consent. His pupils dilated and he let his Sharingan consume him.
It feels good to be back, Sasuke-kun. You should try letting me out more often.
Sasuke licked his lips at the anticipated gore. Sai instinctively gave him way. The hairs on the nape of his neck stood on end as he watched his friend brutally hack away at innocent people. The howls of pain and bloodcurdling screams echoed straight up the staircase.
As he hurled senbon, Sai hoped and prayed that Sasuke would remember the plan. He confined his bloodthirsty rampage to the staircase and left all else to the other teams hot on their heels. Finally, they were at the bottom floor.
The stairs ended and they stood empty, corpses littering the steps. The vipers had done their work.
"Sai," Sasuke said.
The pale teen advanced to his friend's side. He inwardly sighed. At least Sasuke wasn't that excited. If he was agitated enough, then he would see everyone as a foe – another animal to butcher.
Sasuke's clothes were soaked with blood. Sai's were spotless. On missions, Sasuke refused to let him get his hands dirty.
An inhumane scream sounded down the corridor. They moved forward slowly, peering into each and every cell. Corpses adorned all of them. Through the suffocating heat and the higher pressure, Sai and Sasuke moved on. Sai, driven by a desire to get back home and get this nightmare over with. Sasuke, driven by intense boredom. His targets before had been too weak and they were moving far too quickly for him to torture them. He longed for something, someone, to brighten up this boring mission. His thirst for gore intensified and his eyes darted with disturbing anticipation from cell to cell.
Eventually, they came to the last two. A huge man gripped the bars of the first one. Sweat coated his bare upper body and he grunted and roared as if in intense pain.
"So they sent you for us. ANBU scum here to do the dirty work. Finish what the koi started."
Finish what the koi started? Whatever does he mean by that?
Sai looked on as Sasuke walked to the last cell. He guessed the hefty man was all his. Something more challenging than this giant must have dragged his attention elsewhere.
The giant huffed and hawed and squashed four of Sai's snakes underfoot. The young man felt a jolt of pain ripple through his chest and he nearly doubled over. Clutching the area and gasping for breath, Sai desperately tried to take him down with senbon and some more of his snakes. The poisoned needles stabbed the man, but he kept stomping snakes as though his body wasn't supposed to be going numb after getting caught in vital spots by so many poisoned needles. Pain and exhaustion crept over Sai's small body as his creations were killed. He just barely managed to get the last four out of harm's way.
Sasuke was oblivious to his friend's predicament. His charge was much more intriguing than Sai's life right then. Far too interesting to let go.
The giant then did something that Sai didn't even know that science could make possible. He broke free of his chains and pushed at the metal bars. The things bent so easily and quickly that they seemed they were made of paper. Apparently anger increased Mr. Giant's strength. The man darted out of the cell, surprisingly fast for his enormous size.
Sai didn't have time to react. He was caught by the neck in a hand so large that it encircled the whole joint. His back collided with the concrete wall and he shouted out in pain. He dared not, however shout Sasuke's name. He would kill them both. Sweat dripped from his chin as he tried to avoid the man's stinking breath.
"Look at you. You're so high and mighty that you don't even wear a mask. You should be in school, kid."
Sai's hands were pinned to the wall. He only had one option of escape which might cost him his life.
He felt his limbs go numb as his air supply was cut off. The man raised an almighty fist to his face and prepared for an almighty punch. Sai directed his snakes to make a sort of elevator. He sent his scout rat up it and on the back of the man's neck. The rat sunk its sharp fangs into his flesh and the snakes wrapped themselves around his ankles and wrists and bit with all their inky, toxic might.
The giant howled and fell backwards, crushing the rest of Sai's creations in the process. Sai gasped for air when he was released and nearly fell to the ground from fatigue, but he couldn't waste a second. In one swift motion, he deftly poured an entire phial of poison onto a sharp flat edged half sword he kept with him and plunged it into the man's heart. Mr. Giant convulsed and foamed at the mouth but soon stopped moving.
Relieved, the teen staggered backwards. His vision blurred and he fell against the wall once more. As his strength faded, he sank to the ground and watched his teammate through half lidded eyes.
Sasuke stared at the person before him, completely entranced. A beautiful girl with brown hair looked up at him, eyes ablaze with unidentifiable emotion. It was not her beauty that attracted him though. Instead, it was the pair of red eyes that stared back at him.
Hope that wasn't too disappointing. I don't want to make any promises about when I'll update again. It wouldn't make any sense to get anyone's hopes up.
The weather here is awesome right now. It has been for the past few weeks. Nothing but rain, wind and overcast skies...Aaah. Paradise!
"After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If you have love for yourself and others, you won't need it."
― Shannon L. Alder
~Anne Callendar