Friend

Ghostly, breathy sighs… deep, throaty moans… coy, low whispered cooing… The sounds all drifted by his ears, enticing his interest, and his eyes reflected a confused look, while the protagonist took in the rest of the sights. His vision became blurry and he was barely able to make out his surroundings, only sure that he was currently moving down a shadowy pathway. Every so often, distorted bodies writhing together would briefly flicker in the corners of his eye, and they were all basked in shady lighting that hid their identities. Periodic flashing made him faintly think of a television viewing, but the possibility of knowing what its content were was instantly eliminated as suddenly, the teenage male was roughly yanked away from the setting.

"Hey… Nice… gathering… Stayed quite… Have to go… Thanks… Inviting me…"

"Oh, nooo… Longer… Some fun… Weekend… Enjoy yourself…"

Something cool was placed in his hand just then, and the tingling sensation of icy liquid sliding down his throat made the student jerk reflexively.

"Kenji-kun… Dance…" A firm grip clutched his arm, and refused to let go, forcing him to obey the command.

Dance…? The ninja wondered as he tried to shake his head in denial even as he felt himself be pulled away from his current position. But I don't know how to dance…

Somehow, even without his consent, his body began swaying to the rhythm of techno music weaving through the air that he just became aware of. Multiple figures moved near him, and then left a while later, only to have more replacements fill in the unoccupied spots around him. His face was touched all over: stick-thin fingers trailing down along his cheek, cupped palms grazing against the bottom of his chin, while other hands tickled his forehead. Incoherent murmurs were meaningless to him, as he couldn't make out the words, but he didn't care much anyhow about little chitchat that served him no benefits.

"Do you wanna go somewhere more private, and…play…with me? I promise you'll have a great time…"

The aforementioned sentence played in his mind full and clearly. But what significance did it uphold?

"Do you wanna go somewhere more private… Play with me…"

The sixteen-year-old attempted to mumble in refusal, but the words still rang in his consciousness, repeating and taunting him.

"Go somewhere more private… Play with me…"

*****

"No!"

The shout burst free from Kenji's lips as he lurched up from his bed, heavy breaths wracking his chest and perspiration formed a thin sheen of sweat glazing across his forehead. Blinking his eyes at the bleakness that met his view, it took him a few minutes to realize the current nighttime that plagued his room with dark shadows. His hands ached just then, and he glanced down at them, seeing his fists clenched so tightly that his nails had probably dug far enough into his palms to create small indentations. Releasing his strong grip, the male zoanthrope exhaled deeply, allowing his tension to escape from his stiffened muscles while questions continued to whirl in his preoccupied mind.

Dancing… dancing… he felt bewildered by the information bestowed to his knowledge from the dream. The last time I went dancing was when Uriko and I went to the Sadie's Hawkins… but that had to have been over a year ago. His expression twisted to match his bewilderment. And what relevance does this 'playing' business have? I don't play anything. My life leaves no room for such nonsense with school, studying, and training.

Kenji forced his shoulders to drop and sighed; pressing a hand against his forehead while he shook his head and mumbled confused nothings to himself. His nerves and senses were achingly aware of his sudden insomnia, and he gritted his teeth as he slipped out of his bed. The weekend mystery still sent inquiries soaring through his thoughts, even when he had finally decided not to worry about it anymore after Cronos' strange question to him earlier in the day. When the ninja had sent his best friend back to her home after school, she didn't seem to show any signs of significant interest when he'd casually brought up that ditzy red-haired girl's proclamations. She had just shaken her head, and mumbled something incoherent underneath her breath that was so low he didn't catch what she said.

I'm driving myself insane over nothing. He thought to himself with slight exasperation. I am being paranoid.

The mole zoanthrope slowly strolled over to his bedroom window, and unlocked the hatches before pushing open the twin glass doors. He pressed his open palms against the chilly wooden sill and leaned partial weight on his forearms for support as his face tilted upward. Shady, troubled brown eyes roamed the starry black night, exploring the vast bleakness that resembled the same soulless feeling reflecting in the dark, confused pupils. The cobalt-haired teenager swept his gaze down over the tips of the treetops scattered around the various front yards of his neighborhood, spying the ebony outline of birds lurking within the spidery branches. A crescent sliver of the moon hung in the midst of small blinking stars, spreading pale white light gleaming over the ground-level setting, save for the spots that hid away in the shadows.

All the while during his scouring, a heavy emptiness lodged itself in his throat, and his breathing became strained and slightly erratic, his facial features masked with an emotionless expression as though he could portray no other alternative. The male student barely acknowledged a shrill screeching noise when his fingernails scraped against the windowsill as he tightly balled up his hands into fists. Admiring the quiet, peaceful environment just made him envy the easiness, and reminded him of his bafflement through his adolescence puzzles and hardships. He truly possessed the spirit of a grown man that was merely trapped in the body of a teenage boy; his experiences ran farther and longer than those of many in his age range. And yet, he had to struggle and undermine himself to understand the language of youths, but still had trouble with socializing, earning him a private, enigmatic profile at school.

This is a beautiful, serene night. A ghost of a smirk played over his lips. Well, then… why do I feel so perturbed?

Shaking his head, he started to turn back toward his room, but then a faint glow in the distance caught his attention; when Kenji realized that it was coming from the area where his best friend's house was a few blocks away, he quirked a brow in curiosity. He pivoted to glance in that direction, silently wondering, Could she still be awake right now…? At that moment, he wished more than anything that he were with his female companion, so that the two could converse, and perhaps she could answer some of the questions that drove him to the heights of frustration. But, hmm… Maybe…

Stealing a quick glance at the square frame atop his bureau, the ninja caught sight of his friend's heart-shaped face and the angelic smile curving her lips. One eyelid hid her chocolate brown irises, as in the picture she was in her taunting pose, winking and sticking her tongue out playfully at the viewer. The sixteen-year-old male couldn't help but let a partial grin grace his expression; she had that shot taken at the Sadie's Hawkins dance a while back, after snorting at his refusal to be in it with her. And even though the feline had seemed a bit irritated with his attitude, she gave him the picture to keep, it was quite strange, how the ties of friendship worked between them.

It must be past midnight, Kenji confirmed his assumption by peering at his digital clock. I would be intruding… But what if… What if she's still awake anyway? After a short dispute with his conscience, his curiosity and need won over, and he pulled open a drawer from his bureau to retrieve suitable attire for the upcoming nightly visit to his friend. Well… only one way to find out for sure is to go see for myself… He glanced over at his keys, but dismissed them with a wave of his hand, deciding that if he were going to possibly disturb the Kenpo student's rest, he should at least partially redeem for it by walking to her house on foot.

I hope there is an utterly bizarre chance that Uriko is not asleep… was his last thought as he stealthily sneaked past his brother's room, tiptoed downstairs and sailed out the front door.

*****

"Ugh… I hate math…" Honestly… it should be illegal to give students homework more than three nights a week…

Comforted by weak lighting from her desk lamp, Uriko remained in her slouched position over her math textbook, one hand gripping her head as if she were in pain. Her eyelids drooped slightly from fatigue, but she struggled to stay awake and finish the homework assignment, inwardly maledicting teachers for putting students through such daily torture. She tried unscrambling her brain to tediously work out the next problem, continuing to deprive her weary body of sleep and swallowing the yawns that strove to surface in her throat. The chilly wind breezing into her room due to her open windows had been the only thing keeping her senses aware, but even now the coldness was becoming numb and unnoticeable.

Releasing a sleepy sigh, she felt her head slide down against the length of her arm, stopping only when it met the cool top of her desk. The girl wanted to fight it, but maybe just a few minutes of rest wouldn't hurt… just a few minutes, then she'd go back to finishing her homework. After all, she was already in fitting sleepwear; comfortable in her thin white nylon shirt and dark navy jean shorts, she felt her eyelids slide down shut and her breathing grow slow and serene. The Kenpo student shifted her armrest where her head was lying upon it, and snuggled into the cushion as her lips parted in sleepiness.

"I wasn't aware of the fact that homework bored you to sleep…" an amused-sounding voice lightly teased from behind her.

"…? Who's there??" Startled, Uriko quickly jumped up from her chair and pivoted around, banging her foot against one of the posts of her desk, griping in complaint, "Ow! Darn it!"

Her visitor was perched on her windowsill; the outline of his body length stretched across her soft carpet floor and his head of dark hair wavered when he flinched in response to her reaction of his presence. But then, he resumed his stiff pose, his form facing hers and he had one knee bending down and its partner up at waist level, his left arm outstretched while the other was creased at an angle near his chin. The black short-sleeved shirt and matching colored slacks that he donned just made his stance seem tainted with malice, definitely most intimidating to her current position. Two fingers poised a mere sliver of distance away from his nose, and when the young feline squinted, she could see that his eyes were closed. "…Kenji?"

Immediately, his eyelids sprang open and a diminutive smile made its way over his expression as he calmly greeted, "Good evening, Uriko."

She blinked in reflex. "Um… hi!" Inwardly scolding herself for her high-pitched reply, her brows knit together in a slight frown. "Hey… um, what are you doing here? It's kinda late…"

"I know." He spoke, slowly rising from his spot and descending his feet to the ground. "I apologize for disrupting your rest."

"Ah, well, it's okay, really," the auburn-haired teenager dismissed the issue with a wave of her hand. "I'm supposed to be finishing up this stupid homework assignment anyway, and I'm so tired that I kinda dozed off… It's a good that you came to wake me up."

He nodded slightly, taking a few steps toward her as he tilted his head to the side a little. "At least I'm of some use."

"Huh?" She cast him a suspicious look. "What do you mean 'some use'?"

Silence was his only response as his attention averted elsewhere, his dark eyes curiously glanced at her desk, at where her textbook lied with binder paper stuck in-between two pages. "You need better lighting than that, or you will hurt your eyesight."

Rolling her eyes, she slammed the cover shut and pushed the heavy object away from her. "What are you, my mother?"

A rare teasing glint shimmered in his pupils. "Since she won't be present for the next few weeks, someone must substitute into her role."

"Alright, alright," the cat zoanthrope relented, holding her hands up. Shaking her head but giggling quietly, she strolled over to her bed and sat on it, patting her hand on the mattress in an invitation to her friend. He seemed a bit nervous as he cleared his throat and looked down while proceeding to her location, and taking a seat beside her. She noticed his rigid posture, and grinned, "You can relax, Kenji, I don't bite. I just scratch."

He chuckled softly, visibly releasing some of the tension in his body.

"So…" she peered at him curiously, lifting her legs up onto her bed to cross them and rest her forearms on her knees. "What's up? You don't usually come visit me this time of night, hehe." Except for last Saturday, that is, her mind helpfully chimed in.

"......" He turned to face her, and his expression grew serious. "Uriko, I have been plagued with flashbacks lately."

She quirked an eyebrow. "…Flashbacks? What do you mean?"

"Flashbacks displaying to me situations and events that I don't understand myself," Kenji appeared irritated at that tidbit of information. "I believe they relate to something that may have occurred last weekend" - she briefly revealed a hint of panic, then hastily wiped it away from her face - "yet I have no reliable knowledge of them. What does this mean? Am I going insane? Or is there something serious that I have done but somehow have forgotten about, and whatever incident it was is now trying to surface in my mind to let me know of my most recent sin?"

"No! Oh, Kenji. You're always worrying about doing bad things…" His companion sighed, but he wasn't sure if it was in sympathy or perhaps it was partially from… relief? "Maybe your mind is just playing tricks on you. Like, you had an intense dream one night, but then you forgot about it, and now your memory is just trying to bring it back up again. It's really no big deal, I'm sure. Don't worry about it."

He nodded uncertainly. "I suppose you could be right." His cloudy brown irises appeared bothered however, as if he didn't truly believed her theory. It is about something more than that… I am certain of it… he gazed at the sixteen-year-old female intently, perturbed when he spied her looking down, fidgeting with the ends of individual strands of her hair. And an instinctive feeling is irking at me that perhaps Uriko knows more about this than she is voicing. "…Uriko."

Her hands let go of her tress and she glanced up at him. "Yeah?"

"You didn't even ask me what the flashbacks were about."

"Oh! Right!" She attempted a carefree laugh, but it transformed into a weak cough that made him raise an eyebrow in concern. "Sorry. What were the flashbacks about?"

The mole zoanthrope shrugged and remarked nonchalantly, "No need to inquire if you are not interested."

"Hey, I am, really!" She insisted, scowling a little. "I'm just tired, you know!" He gave her a guilty look, and opened his mouth as if to apologize. "No, don't gimme that look, Kenji. I don't want you to be sorry. I'm glad that you trust me enough as a friend to come and tell me what problems you have, and don't doubt for a moment that I'd turn you away if you needed someone to listen to you! My brain may be malfunctioning right now, but I'm still listening to you, I swear. Just… don't get mad if I take a while to respond, okay?"

The ninja nodded slowly. "Alright. Thank you for your patience and compassion."

His friend smiled smoothly. "No problem. Now, go ahead and tell me about those flashbacks of yours…"

He exhaled a deep breath, then began to speak, "I had the first one last Sunday, in the morning, when I first awoke with that horrible migraine wracking my senses. I'd been trying to remember what happened the night before, and that was when the flashback had hit me, but it merely consisted of broken dialog, so I didn't think much of that at first."

"Hmm…" she noised, crossing her arms over her chest. "Go on…"

"The second one was very brief, only one line if I recall correctly," Kenji continued, a slight frown creasing his brows. "It happened in school earlier today-or, wait, since it is past midnight now, I guess that would really make it yesterday." The teenage girl giggled at his technicality. "And anyway, that hadn't made much sense to me, so I wrote it off."

A shrill sigh escaped from the corner of his mouth. "The third and most recent… This one was a dream. In fact, I just had it not long ago; I woke up from the dream approximately a little under an hour prior to my arrival here to your house." His eyes met hers, and she could see specks of confusion lingering within his shady pupils, sensed his bewilderment, and was aware of his dire need to solve the dilemma that was clearly baffling him. "Again, the trend of broken dialog issued, but this time, I was presented with blurry…pictures, that could possibly help me along with the unfolding scene."

Uriko made a pouting mew of sympathy, and gently placed her hand over his, encouraging him softly, "What happened in your dream, Kenji?"

"I…I don't know…" he mumbled, hanging his head in defeat. "I mean, I think… correction, I knew, that there were other people around. Wherever I was, it was dark… and I remember someone asking me to dance, and I wanted to refuse, but then I got tugged away against my will, yet I didn't fight it. Also… while I was dancing, I suppose, I kept getting touched." A soundless growl rumbled in the Kenpo student's throat; as if reading her mind, he clarified, "It was just on my face. I don't think I was touched any elsewhere," he snorted in disapproval, "…at least, I sincerely hope not."

"Sounds rough…" she commented while casting her large, compassionate eyes full of adoration on him. "You must've been really creeped out by all that when you woke up."

"To say the least," he agreed, returning her gaze, and then his expression turned thoughtful. "One thing that I found peculiar…"

"Oh yeah?"

"A single line etched itself into my mind just as I was waking up… A line that rang clearly in my subconscious state when other parts of dialogs were just senseless words striving to be linked together into a full sentence."

"And what was that?" she inquired curiously.

He closed his eyes and quote softly, "'Do you wanna go somewhere more private, and…play…with me? I promise you'll have a great time…'"