It smelt like rubber and sheets that haven't been washed in years. It was hard to adjust her eyes at first because the room was lit so brightly it burned her eyes. She adjusted and starred confusingly at a white ceiling. She turned her head to the right but couldn't move. Her eyes darted around and could feel her whole body strapped down what felt light rubber straps.
She jolted her arms up but they didn't even move an inch. The skin on her chin started to burn from the rubber holding it tightly in place.
Her tears made her cheeks itch, and her head started to throb from unknown pain.
She would scream but a mouth guard locked her jaws and muffled her sounds. She could feel the tip of her tongue touch the rough edges of the ball that was placed in her mouth. Drool came out the corners which made the skin irritated.
She stopped struggling on hearing the sound of the door opening.
She shook with fear as she heard quiet foot steps come closer and closer. They stopped and a man looked down at her.
"Not at all like Sakura but…." He snapped a white glove to his hand. "….You should amuse me for the time being."
She started to thrash harder. Her body made the bed shake and hit the wall. She was screaming at the top of her lungs making her throat going numb from the sound getting sucked back in her.
"It's no use. Even if I do remove your mouth piece. No one can hear you. You see, your in the middle of a forest my dear. Not to mention deep under ground." She couldn't see what he was doing. She hear metal clanking against the counter top.
"I'm very intrigued on how the female organs work." He walked over so she could see his face. He had on a white gown, with a blue mask and glasses that glared. She could see what her face looked like through them. Her fear started to block all her senses.
What was he going to do with her?
"By now your guessing what I'm going to do right? Well, we'll first start with your toes, to you vaginal, to your chest, then your brain. But unfortunately I don't know how to keep you alive till that point. Which is why I'm testing subjects so Sakura can be the ….PERFECT specimen."
She shook vigorously, crying, screaming, trying anything in her power to get away.
"Oh god. How am I suppose to know what the hell your saying with that ball in your mouth?" She could feel his rubber gloves touch her skin. Once he tore the horrible object away, she screamed as loud as she could. Her lips were swollen and chapped, the corners of her mouth felt like they were tearing, but she didn't care. She had to get away.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
He walked away grabbing what she thought were horrifying objects.
"Puleess….lehet me gooo." Her voice was shaking and her chest felt like it was suffocating her.
"No can do my sweet. Should I remove your head strap as well?"
"Please….Please…" She was whispering. No longer having the voice to scream.
He walked over. "I'll take that as a yes." He unclasped her head strap. Standing back he looked at her. Putting his hand on his chin in a thoughtful manor.
She glanced around the room. It was a white room with one counter top and top cupboards above it. She saw the assortments of tools and her eyes widened in horror.
She looked at him pleadingly. "Please lehet me go. I'll do anything, I won't even tell the police. Please?"
"Hmm, Here, let me un strap you all the way. But on one condition."
She found a glimmer of hope in her chest. "What?"
"You promise not to tell. If you don't I'll let you go."
She shook her head from side to side. "No please I promise."
He looked at her for 2 seconds which felt like hours to her. "Alright. I'll do it."
She got excited with adrenaline, ready to break through the door. She looked down and saw she was blanketed with a white sheet and gown. He un strapped four and through them over to the other side of the bed.
"You have 5 seconds."
She didn't need a count down. She threw the blankets over and stepped of the bed in a flash. However, she collapsed on the ground from searing pain that shot at the back of her ankles.
"Ahhh! Hhhuuuahhhuhaa!"
"4 and 5. Looks like your out of time." He bent to his knees. "And look what you've done. You opened your stitches."
She clutched one of her heels. Bringing her hand up she saw blood. Her blood.
"I cut both your Achilles tendons. But I sewed the skin back together and gave you antibiotics. I didn't need you to catch an infection. Oops. I forgot to tell you that part." His eyes crinkled as he smiled behind the mask. "Now upsadaisy to the bed you go."
She thrashed in his arms. "No!" She couldn't concentrate. The pain was unbelievingly unbearable.
He threw her hard against the white tiled floor. "So be it." He reached in his deep pocket and pulled out a pair of pliers. "If you don't have a tongue, you can't scream. Remember you did this to yourself." He forced her jaw open with his hands. His elbow dug in her sternum. She felt metal scraping against her teeth as it searched her tongue. She felt him grab hold of it as it pinched.
"Ahhhh!"
Slowly he started to pull till it was no longer attached. "Now…" He had blood splattered on his glasses. The woman put her hand to her mouth starting to feel dizzy from the excruciating pain, as he wiped his glasses clean. "…since you made me start from your mouth, we'll just work out way down."
….
Sakura woke up when she heard Kian crying. It's been 4 months since she left the hospital with her son. She turned over moaning not wanting to leave the warmth of herbed. Itachi stuck out his arm and stopped her.
"I got this round." She turned her head giving him a kiss. "Thank you."
Itachi covered her up with the blanket and walked across the room to his sons cradle. He picked him up and walked down stairs to get him some milk.
When the microwave chimed he sat on the couch and started to feed him with the warm bottle. He quieted instantly, feeling comforted and no longer hungry.
When Itachi knew he was done, he threw a white blanket over his shoulder and started to lightly pat his back so he could burp.
Kian started to fall back asleep, and Itachi held him a little longer in his arms before he made his way back to their room.
Taking care of Kian was easy. The only time he cried was when he was hungry and needed a diaper change. He only woke up twice during the night, so they got more sleep than he predicted.
Itachi would leave tomorrow to film another movie around 3pm. Leaving Sakura to take care of him alone. They were paying him more than usual because the theme was fantasy. He would be the elf prince and be gone for a total of 5 months in Europe. Then come back for 3 weeks, and return to finish. So a total of 8 months. He told Sakura that he was going to decline. But she persisted him to go. Saying that he was doing his job as a father and was doing a great job. He couldn't say no to her. He knew that depending how the film turned out, it would turn into a sequel. But by then Kian would be over a year and would be able to handle travel.
He asked her friends if they would take turns staying over at the house with her. He did NOT want her alone with the baby and wanted a male figure in the house at night. He knew the police were good but should someone break through their defenses, he would place either Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, and Sasuke inside.
Itachi walked over to the cradle and placed him back inside gently. Getting into the bed, he pulled the blankets over himself and kissed his blossom on her head.
He hadn't been this happy in years.
….
"Hey Itachi don't forget this!" Sakura ran out the front door giving him his bag.
"Ah yes. Thank you." He threw it in the back of a hummer along with his other clothes.
He turned around and hugged her. "I'll be back in a few months."
Sakura hugged him tighter. "I feel like I'm having déjà vu."
Chuckling came from him. "I know what you mean. Except…"
"This time it'll be different." She looked up at him. "I will not let anything happen. I swear."
It felt like she was speaking more to herself and her son than him. He smiled reassuringly at her. "Of course." He kissed her before he got in the drivers side.
Starting the engine he spoke before he put his foot to the peddle. "I love you. Be careful Sakura."
"I will."
He easily put his foot on the peddle, trying hard to keep his eyes on the road instead of his rear view mirror.
Sakura saw him round the corner of the long drive way, out of her sight for the months ahead.
She turned around and walked inside. She took her son from the maid and told her she could go home early.
"Thank you miss." She bowed thankfully, grabbed her purse and walked out. Sakura locked the front door behind her, feeling a little uneasy.
Because of what she experienced in the past, she did a walk through her house. Locking all the doors and closing the blinds. After feeling secure, she walked to the family room near the kitchen, sat in her rocking chair and turned on the T.V.
The news lady spoke, filling the house with noise. "Police and investigators, are still trying to find the man who killed the young 16-year-old girl, who was found dead on clear creek trail…"
Sakura toned herself out of the news and looked down at her sleeping son. She looked over at the clock and it said 4:58. Ino should be coming soon.
Sakura heard a chime throughout the house. I spoke a little too soon.
Putting Kian in his rocking cradle, she walked to the front door. Looking at the camera on the wall she saw who it was. Sasuke? Why is he here?
She undid the locks, looking up at him surprised. "Sasuke? Why are you here?"
"Ino couldn't make it. Something about a meeting."
"Oh. Well please come inside." She stood sideways with the door, letting him enter her home.
Sasuke took his shoes off, tossing them to the side of the shoe rack. "It's been awhile since I've been in here."
"Really? When was the last time?"
"The day you were kidnapped. I watched over Itachi, as he sat there for 3 days." He pointed to the Black leather couch diagonal from her.
Her lips frowned. A part of her will always feel guilty for not contacting him sooner. Letting him go through all that pain. She remembered the day when she called him. He was a star so he had lots of fans that would pretend to be his wife. And she was positive he had to sleep with at least a couple. She was afraid what the answer would be so she never asked. But hearing that woman's voice on the other line when she needed him most, was heart wrenching. She didn't even think it could be a lie. At the time what she heard was the truth. And pictures of Itachi with another woman also didn't help. She was afraid he'd moved on. So she didn't let him know she was still alive.
"You're a good brother to him."
"Hm." Sasuke walked over to the kitchen grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filling it with water.
She looked down over the railing and still saw her baby sleeping. She sat on the chair, contemplating if she should ask Sasuke how he was doing. It's been over a year now since it'd happened. And the police still haven't found her body. Sasuke loved Mitsune. So it must be difficult for him to talk about her.
"How are you doing? I haven't seen you in months."
Sasuke's eyes closed, he leaned his body against the white marble counter, holding his glass in his right, left hand in his pocket, with his head hanging south. He looked up ever so slightly. "If Itachi died, disappeared, not knowing if he were dead or alive, not able to find his body. Knowing that he would never be part of your life again, how would you act?"
Ouch.
Sakura winced under his gaze. She turned her head away from him, no longer willing herself to look in his eyes. Apart of her was angry at him for using cutting words like that. And her of all people. He wasn't the one who stayed behind and watched her fall. He wasn't the one who saw her horrified expression as she fell under the alter.
"Your not the only one who loved her. Everyone else was just as deva…"
"How do you know how I feel? Your not me." He glared at her through his bangs, keeping perfectly still.
This time she turned her head looking at him with equal glaring strength. "No I'm not, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out Sasuke."
"Hmph. No your wrong, it only takes one person to ask a stupid question, which they already know the answer too. Stop humiliating yourself."
Sakura stood up, the chair squeaked as the wood slid on the tile. "Forgive me for asking if a friend was alright."
Sasuke put his glass on the counter, then put his hand in his pocket. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you the one who didn't give a rats ass if YOUR friends were ok after your disappearance? Now that's even more fucked up than Mitsune's death."
Sakura walked over to him, raised her hand, but before she made contact with his cheek, she hesitated.
"Do it."
Sakura grunted as she stood there a moment longer. She slowly let her hand fall to her side. "No. Because, I'm not about to be on your pathetic level. I am sorry for you and Mitsune. I'm sorry for what I did in the past, but at least I owned up to my mistakes. Move on Sasuke. Don't make the same mistake I did."
"Tell me, just what am I doing that you did as well?"
She angled her body away from him, but still keeping eye contact. "Your being a coward. Your afraid to move on because you don't want the same thing to happen twice. Your afraid that you'll loose another person you love. So your being arrogant and rude, pushing your friends away and cutting your ties. Thinking that if you had no connection with any person at all you'll stop feeling the pain. You're the one being stupid."
She turned around walking away from him.
Sasuke sped after her and grabbed her arm, and pushed her backwards till she hit the railing.
"What the hell Sasuke?!"
"You know NOTHING." He clenched his teeth speaking just above a whisper.
"Let go. Now." She glared up at him.
"No,"
"Sasuke Damn it I said…"
"You know nothing of heart ache and pain. Seeing the love of your life taken away from you."
Sakura's stance loosened and her face softened. She took this too far. "Sasuke I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up Mitsune like tha…"
"This isn't about Mitsune Sakura."
She looked up at him Confused. "Then what is it?"
"This whole time I've had to sit there in the background and watch the only woman I've loved, fall in love with another person. A person which I charished."
"Sasuke…I don't understand?"
He looked down at her. "I liked Mitsune. But I didn't love her. I used her. And now I feel guilty for it. And I deserve any punishment that comes my way. And this is it. And it Fucking sucks."
Sakura tried to put the clues together. Her gaze fell to the ground. He couldn't be talking about…"Sasuke, I don't know what to say but…"
"I know. I don't want to hear it. Sakura I…"
She looked up at him terrified. "Don't."
"I love you." His mouth came crashing down on hers forcefully, not even thinking that he'd just betrayed the only family he had.
