Barney Was a Thief of Sorts
By: Rachel Hajducko
Chapter One
"Come on, Satoshi, keep up! I know how you hate it when I get away! Hahaha!"
That's the last thing I can remember. I ponder these words everyday and wonder, who is Satoshi? Why was I running away from him? But more importantly…who am I?
I can't recall whether I had a name or what it was, the only thing that rings in my mind are those words. I believe it is I who is speaking, too bad I never addressed myself. I guess that's a good sign, I wasn't crazy at least. I've been wandering the streets of this foreign city I know not the name of, mainly brooding over my forgotten past, but also trying to find this Satoshi I spoke of. Maybe if I see him I'll remember something, anything! But for now, I have nothing but the strange clothes on my back and the will to find myself to keep me going.
I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for that girl. The first thing that I can clearly remember, aside from that vague patch of memory that still haunts me, is laying flat on my back along some river shore. I couldn't see anything; it must have been past midnight when I came to for all I could see was darkness. My body was numbed by the cold air and icy water flowing around my torso, threatening to devour me whole. I would have lost myself to the elements if I hadn't heard her voice…that girl…
"Hey! Are you okay down there! Can you hear me? I'm coming to get you, hold on!"
The determination in her voice seemed to spur something inside me, something that wanted to fight its way out of that river and run to her warm and caring arms. But my physical self wouldn't have it, all I was allowed to do was let out weak moans to guide her to my location. Once she found me, she dragged my limp body away from the frigid water and onto the grassy bank above where she talked to me and asked me who I was. If only I could have told her, but I didn't know the answers myself.
I can't quite remember what she looked like, only the smell of her perfume stains my senses. A gentle vanilla scent with a hint of floral musk, it was soft yet strong enough to awaken my inner instincts. Just as I felt the urge to speak, sirens pierced the night, causing my body to jump to its feet. Before I knew it, I was running down the street away from the shrill echoes of defeat and the girl who saved me, never to see her again.
So here I am, wandering through empty sidewalks, alone and cold. My clothes are still damp from the apparent swim I took before losing my memory and I have no way of drying them. If only I could change into something less conspicuous than this leather jumpsuit I'm wearing. I must have been an interesting person, hopefully not an exotic dancer or anything like that.
I probably have another three or so hours before the sun comes up and everyone sees me in all my pride and joy, that would stink. These clothes are ripped anyway, and I think my side is bleeding, I can't tell in the dark. But the burning, stinging sensation in my side tells me I'm hurt, despite the pain killing effects of the cold breeze.
There's a fire escape here, maybe I should just climb up onto it and sleep out the night. Wait, there's an open window at the top of it! Why it's open in the middle of winter is beyond me but…it must be warmer inside. Maybe I'll just…stay a little while, until my strength is back. But how can I get up there? Heh, I guess you could say that…this is the beginning of my journey to find myself, starting with the journey up to that window.
Chapter Two
It appeared to be an impossible feat to climb up the fire escape in his condition, but he tried out of spite for the cold. With one swift leap, he managed to grab the fold down ladder and drag it to the ground where he quickly crawled up its rungs and made his way to the window. Peering in before entering, the youth noticed a slither of light dimly outlining the bottom of a doorway across the murky room. Being careful not to alert anyone who was awake, he tried to stealthily climb through the window and into the room. With a short jump and a long painful tumble, he fell into the room and rolled across the floor and random objects. The noise he produced by entering caught the attention of no one but himself as he held his breath, waiting for a reaction to his entrance. When nothing happened, he staggered to his feet, holding his side delicately and gritting his teeth together.
One thing's for sure; I'm not very graceful. Where's the light in this room?
Venturing across the room, he groped through the darkness searching with his hand for anything solid, eventually running into the wall near the door. He felt up and down the wall on one side before crossing the door and checking the opposite side. There he found a switch and flipped it up, blanketing the room with light and revealing the messy floor he rolled across.
A kid's room, figures. A messy kid too, leaving his toys all over the floor for some unfortunate intruder to hurt himself on. I doubt there'll be anything in here for me to wear.
He looked down at his side and saw just how bad his injury was. A streak of blood stained his left leg down to his knee from the gash along his waist, the sight of which caused him to sigh weakly and lean against the wall.
This is not good; I don't even know how I got this far without passing out! I need to find a doctor but…what if I'm a wanted criminal? I can't risk being arrested, not until I find out who I am. I'll just have to take care of it myself.
Looking around the rest of the room, he noticed a small bed by the window he had come through, but the thing that made his eyes widen was the little girl sitting straight up and staring back at him. She batted her long lashes a couple times as if wondering if she was dreaming, since this man didn't look like a normal person to her. Finally, she spoke in a soft, delicate voice that was almost inaudible.
"Are you a…dream?"
"A dream? Why do you say that?"
"You look weird, I've never seen anyone with long purple hair before. And your clothes are all black and shiny…"
"My hair's purple! Really?"
He hadn't gotten a chance to see himself in a mirror yet so he had to take the girl's word for it. He reached up with one hand and pulled a few locks of hair into eyesight. Sure enough, he had purple hair.
"You mean you didn't know?"
"I haven't gotten a chance to look in the mirror lately, so I have no idea what I look like."
He smiled ironically as he sighed and looked down at his blood stained hand.
"Are you hurt?"
"Yeah, I don't know how it happened though."
"You should go to the doctor, mommy always takes me there when I get a boo-boo."
"Is your mommy awake?"
"No, but sissy is. She's always up at night cause she works late and stays up to watch TV before bed."
"So you live with your mommy and sister?"
"And my daddy too, but he's away for work so mommy's alone. Do you want me to get her to take you to the doctor?"
"I think your mommy would take me to the police instead, kid."
"Why? They don't take care of boo-boos."
"Well, seeing as I climbed through your window there, I think she'd figure I was a burglar trying to steal stuff."
"Are you a burger liar?"
"You mean a burglar? I don't know…maybe."
"You mean you forgot already? Did you hurt your head when you fell?"
"Heh, I hurt my head before that, kiddo."
"So you don't know who you are?"
"Nope…not a clue."
"Not even your name?"
"I wish I did."
"Well, my name's Becky. I know! I'll call you…Barney!"
"Barney? Who's Barney?"
"A magical purple dinosaur."
"So…I remind you of some dorky dino?"
"Yeah, cause you have purple hair! teehee Don't you like your new name?"
"Well…it's a name at least."
His side began to ache again and he groaned, holding it gingerly as he turned slowly away from the child's curious eyes. Becky pushed the covers off her tiny body and crawled to the edge of the bed before sitting and swinging her legs over. Hopping down, she tottered over to the injured man and took hold of his arm, pulling gently.
"Come, I'll take you to sissy, she'll help you!"
"She'll scream and call the cops, that's what she'll do! Honestly, kid-"
He groaned again and Becky's face drooped sadly. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with the glory of an idea and she pulled him over to a rocking chair by her bed. Stumbling into it, he plopped down with discomfort and said, "What are you-"
"Stay here, I'll bring her to you!"
"Becky, wait!"
But before he could stop her, the door was open and Becky bounded off into the darkness. With a sigh, he leaned back and thought of how bad things were going to get in a few minutes if he didn't get up and out that window before Becky returned.
Chapter Three
"Sissy! Sissyyyy…" Becky hissed softly to the lump slung on the couch, the bluish-white glare of the TV screen reflecting on her body. She crawled up onto the couch next to her sister and gently shook her arm, bringing a moan out of the form as it twitched before going silent again. Becky shook her again and finally woke the slumbering sibling.
"Wh-what? Becky, what are you doing out of bed?"
"Sissy, I need your help!"
"Did you have another bad dream? I told you, Santa Claus isn't out to get you…"
"No, my friend's hurt, he needs help right now!"
"Sure, your friend…go back to bed, Becky…."
"Sissy, I'm not dreaming, he's real! He's sitting in my chair and he's hurt and you have to help him, pleeeeeeeeaaaaaase?"
Becky bounced incessantly next to her sister until she sighed in exasperation and said, "Fiiine, I'll come up and help your 'friend'. What's his name?"
"Barney!"
"Oh boy…did Santa attack him?"
Sissy followed the eager little girl up stairs to her room where she stopped behind her. Becky turned and said quietly, "Promise not to scream and call the cops?"
"Huh? Scream? Why would I-who's in there?"
Sissy pushed the door open and stepped around her sister, taking one look at Barney and letting out one of the loudest shrieks any of them had ever heard. She desperately turned to flee out the door with her sister but he seemed to move like lightning, quickly getting between them and their escape and slamming the door shut with his left hand. Sissy pulled Becky against her and backed away quickly, yelling "Who are you! Get out of our home! HELP!"
"Please, don't scream, I-"
His side burned more and he couldn't take the pain in his weakened state. Falling to his knees, his hand slid down the door leaving a smear of his blood behind. Sissy's grip on Becky loosened as her eyes stared at the stain, realizing he really was hurt and wasn't manipulating her little sister.
"You…you're really hurt…but that doesn't explain what you're doing in my little sister's room!"
Becky tried to run to him but Sissy pulled her back into her arms, holding the writhing child at bay.
"I…I just needed a place to…to get warm and…"
His voice trailed off as his head fell against the door, his eyes beginning to slowly shut. The little girl squirmed free and stumbled over to him, shaking his shoulder and calling to him in her small voice.
"Becky, get away from him, he could be danger-"
She listened to her own words and thought about it for a moment. He wasn't exactly in top shape and was bordering unconscious, looking more pathetic than a wet cat after a bath. With a sigh, she cautiously approached him and took a closer look at his wound.
It's pretty deep, he shouldn't even be alive…I guess I should do something for him, even if he did break into my home.
"Becky, go get the emergency kit out of the bathroom."
She pulled Barney away from the door and let Becky out while holding him, making sure he didn't pull anything and make a break for it. Closing the door, she let out a sigh and muttered to herself, "I can't believe I'm doing this."
"Wh-what's your…name?"
She jumped and looked down to see the man weakly looking up at her with his mysteriously alluring magenta eyes. Her body told her to drop him and run but her arms wouldn't let go for some reason.
"It's…it's Krissy, but Becky likes to call me Sissy instead."
A soft smile caressed his lips as he whispered, "She called me Barney."
A chuckle escaped Krissy before she knew it and she looked away in embarrassment, a slight rosy blush powdering her cheeks.
"So…what's your real name?"
He didn't respond and she looked back to see his face had saddened, causing her to be confused momentarily.
"I…I wish I…knew…"
"You don't know?"
A soft knock at the door startled her and she heard a tender whisper on the other side telling her it was Becky. She opened the door to let her in and said, "Did mommy wake up?"
"Does mommy ever wake up when we're noisy?"
"Good point, she does sleep like a rock. Here, give me the kit. Alright, whoever you are, I'm gonna take care of-"
But Barney was finally asleep in her arms, completely unaware of anything to happen after that.