Flee From Our Troubles
Aftermath: Things Fall Apart
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or "Rush", which belongs to Aly and AJ, who I don't own either.
Author's Ramblings
Okay, as for the results of the question I asked in the last chapter as to whether or not I should up the rating, I've decided that I'll keep it at T until I need to raise it ... so when the rating does go up, you'll know what's happening ... and for all I know at the moment it might be the next chapter ... I can't really type as fast because I have to use this other computer that's a total pain in the arse ... Plus, I have midterms and a new semester coming up. I'll try to get the new one out as fast as I can, especially because of the cliffy...
The next morning I awoke to a slight stinging on my arm. I opened my eyes and lifted my arm, struggling against the natural gravity that mornings cause on your limbs. I noticed a trickling of fresh blood staining the sleeve. I touched it, and realized it was still very fresh, meaning the cut had reopened during the night. I sighed and looked over to Riku's side of the bed. But instead of a sleeping boy, I found a piece of paper with black scribbling all over it. A feeling of dread washed over me as I saw the note.
I picked up the scrap, and examined it. I had never seen Riku's handwriting before. It was neat and very well formed. He obviously had gone to school for years. I started reading the words, and with each one I felt my heart tear a little bit more with each one.
Sora ... about last night ... I realized that I can't stay with you anymore. I would have told you this in person, but I just ... can't. I'm a coward. Good luck, Sora. It's nothing personal ... it's just that there is someone else. I left you half the money. Don't worry about the room; I've already paid for it.
Riku
With a depressed sigh I read the letter over and over. Finally absorbing what was put in front of me, I felt tears pricking my eyes. I didn't want to believe it, I didn't. But I had to face it. Riku had left. And once again, it was my entire fault. I felt a tear break loose from its prison as I threw back the covers and went to the bathroom. I yanked off my shirt and turned on the faucet. Next, I grabbed a towel, and started scrubbing off the blood from my shirt as the tears continued to roll freely down my face. I looked up in the mirror. Big mistake. My eyes were red, and my face looked pale. The spiky brown locks were mashed and stuck up on one side. My body was thin and scarred, not that Riku ever noticed the scars. If he ever noticed me at all. Gazing at myself in the mirror, I realized that it was no wonder that Riku left me. Nobody needed someone as useless as me to bother them all the time.
After a long time of scrubbing, I managed to get the blood out of the shirt. I turned off the faucet and went back to my bag. I could tell that I was still crying, because every once in awhile, sobs would shake my thin-framed body. I stuffed the shirt into my bag and wiped my face, which was ridden with tears. I grabbed my knife and stuffed it into my pocket. Now that Riku wasn't here, I no longer felt safe. I needed the extra protection.
I went back to the bathroom and started searching through the cabinets for bandages. After searching through all of the cabinets above the sink, I opened the doors underneath the sink. Inside I found a small first-aid kit. I opened it and pulled out a bandage. I carefully put it my self-inflicted injury and felt disgusted with myself for the fact that I had to do this – to cut – in order to feel alive. Well, life isn't fair, and anybody who believes that is selling something.
After thinking carefully, I grabbed the box and put it in my bag. I'll never know when I'll need it, I guess. Picking up my bag, I swept my gaze over the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a tan cloth bag on Riku's side of the bed. I went over to it, and inside I found about half of the money that we had shared. I can't believe I almost missed this.
With the money safely in my bag, I returned to the door. Sure that I had everything, I opened the door with a faint creak and cautiously stepped out. I looked up and down the hall for signs of trouble or danger, and after finding none, I nimbly stepped farther from the door and proceeded down the green carpeted hallway. I made my way to the place where Riku and I had first entered the hotel, and immediately spotted the door. Hurrying over to it, I opened it, only to reveal ... more rain.
I sighed dejectedly at the pouring liquid. Great. More rain. Just my luck. First, Riku leaves, and now this. Luck is never on my side. How did Riku get through in this weather anyways? And I wonder where he is now...
"Pretty wet out there, huh?" a voice behind me asked, and I jumped in surprise. I hadn't noticed anyone come in. I spun around and I noticed the raven-haired girl from last night. She seemed like she knew Riku pretty well last night ... would she be mad at me for chasing Riku away?
"Yeah, it is ... well, I guess I'll be going now ..."
"Hey! Wait!" she called putting a wary hand on my shoulder. "You shouldn't go out there in this weather! You'll catch a cold!"
"I - I don't mind ..." I replied, not daring to look her in the eye. I seemed to find my shoes more interesting than anything else.
"Well, I don't care! You're not going out in that weather, and that's that," Yuffie retorted, letting go of my shoulder and walking towards another doorway. "Come and eat, and you can leave if the storm has cleared up any. Got that?"
"Yes ma'am," I said, following her while keeping my eyes to the floor. I can't believe somebody actually cares. Nobody ever cares. No one cared when I almost bled to death ... or when I was taken as a slave ... or even when my parents died ... nobody ever cares for a nobody.
"What do ya want to eat?" she asked me when we arrived in the kitchen. She looked down at me expectantly and I felt so worthless underneath her kind gaze.
"I ... um ... I don't know ..." I mumbled just loud enough for her to hear.
"Well then, how about some bacon and eggs?" she asked, walking over to the refrigerator and searching for the ingredients of the food she was going to make. With her head still in the fridge, she yelled, "You're so skinny … we have to put some meat on ya!"
Not knowing how to respond to that, I just looked down and started playing with the hem of my shirt. Why did some girl that barely knew me seem to care so much? It's not like I've ever done anything for her. People always want something in return. I learned that the hard way.
"Bet you're wondering why I'm helping you, aren't you?" she said in a muffled voice, her mouth full of a yellow package since her hands were full. She set all of the items on the counter, and then picked up a frying pan. She cut off a slice of butter and let it fall onto the pan.
"H-How did you know?" I asked, watching her as she waited for the butter to melt.
"You just looked like you were wondering, that's all. If you want the answer, it's because Riku asked me to. He saved my life one time. I had just quit my gang, you see, and the punishment for that is harsh. You can die from it. They literally beat the shit out of you. He found me and brought me here. He knew the owner of this hotel. Her name is Aerith, and she owed him a favor, so she gave me a job here. If it weren't for Riku, I'd probably be dead."
'Wow, Riku really does have a kind heart ... he saved this lady's life. Too bad he's slowly killing me on the inside ...' I thought while I bit my lip and continued to stare down at the table.
"So how did you meet Riku?" she asked while she broke an egg over the pan and started to fry it. I watched in fascination as it started to take shape.
"We ... we just kinda met ..." I replied quietly as she finished the egg and placed it on the plate. She took out some pink strips from the yellow package and started to cook them as well. It smelled so good ... can I really except all this kindness?
"Well, whatever. You must be a good person if you're hanging out with Riku. If you weren't, he wouldn't care what happens to you."
"Do you really think he likes me? It didn't really seem like it in the note that he left ..." I asked as she put out the food in front of me.
"Yeah, he liked you. He wouldn't have asked me to take care of you before he left if he didn't," she replied, putting the ingredients away. This made me look up surprised, the question in the back of my mind finally breaking free from its mental prison.
"Do - do you know where he went?" I inquired, wanting to know if only to have the chance of seeing him again. At least one more time...
"He ... uh ... didn't want me to tell you ... I tried to convince him to stay, I really did ... but he's just so stubborn! All he said was for me to make sure I take care of you. Besides, I don't think you'd want to go where he's going, anyways," she said, taking out a piece of bread and biting off a piece. She looked to be in thought for a moment, before she pointed at me with the bread and commanded, "Eat up. You'll need the energy. My cooking may not be the best, but at least its edible ... I think ..."
'Gee, her confidence is over whelming,' I thought as I started to eat. Not the best I'd ever had, but it was a heck of a lot better than what I usually ended up with.
After I finished, I offered to do the dishes, but she refused, shaking her head and saying that it was her job. I went over to the kitchen window and gazed out, noticing that the rain had finally cleared and that faint signs of what would be a beautiful day peaking through the clouds. I looked over at Yuffie, who smiled and said, "Good luck, Sora. If you're ever in town or need help or anything, come find me. I'm usually just a holler away."
"Okay ... thanks, um ... Yuffie?" I asked, not quite remembering her name for sure.
"Yep. There should be another hotel a few towns over. It's called the Twilight Hotel. Some old friends of mine live there. They're names are Leon and Cloud. They're a little weird, but they're nice people. Just tell them that I sent ya."
"I'll do that. Bye," I said, gathering up my rather large bag and heading towards the door. Without one glance back, I opened the door and stepped into the bright light of the new day. Everything was damp and people were just now coming out of their homes, like crabs out of their shells.
I walked down the street without even a passing glance to the people around me. To me, they were nothing, and to them, I was invisible. I didn't know how long I walked, my comfortable silence surrounding me as I traveled, allowing me to mull over my thoughts. I thought about many things during my walk. I thought about Riku, my past ... my mom. I loved how she used to sing me songs. And before I knew it, I was singing.
Into your head
Into your mind
Out of your soul
Race through your veins
You can't escape
You can't escape
Into your life
Into your dreams
Out of the dark
Sunlight again
You can't explain
You can't explain
Can you feel it
Can you feel it
Rushin' through your head
Rushin' through your head
Can you feel it
Can you feel it
Don't let nobody tell you your life is over
Be every color that you are
Into the rush now
You don't have to know how
Know it all before you try
I was faintly aware that it had started raining again, but I was too lost in memories to notice. But still, I sang.
Pulling you in
Spinning you 'round
Liftin' your feet
Right off the ground
You can't believe
It's happening now
Can you feel it
Can you feel it
Rushin' through your head
Rushin' through your head
Can you feel it
Can you feel it
Don't let nobody tell you your life is over
Be every color that you are
Into the rush now
You don't have to know how
Know it all before you try
It takes you to another place
Imagine everything you can
All the colors start to blend
Your system overloads again
I was so oblivious by this point, that I didn't even notice the group of three familiar people come up behind me. That turned out to be my biggest mistake.
Can you feel it?
Don't let nobody tell you that you're life is over
Be every color that you are
Into the rush now
You don't have to know how
Know it all before you try
Don't let nobody tell you - yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't let nobody tell you - yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't let nobody tell you that your life is over
Be every color that you are
Give into the rush now
You don't have to know how
Know it all before you try
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
"Now boys, wasn't that a lovely song?" I heard a deep voice ask behind me, and I turned around to come face to face with a boy with black hair. Behind him was a red head and a slightly dim blonde, both snickering at their bosses comment.
"Yeah, it was. Let's find out how loud he really can scream," the red head smirked smugly.
"Huh?" I asked, frozen in a state of pure shock and terror. I felt as he grabbed me by the neck and started leading me down the road. "Ow!" I screeched, trying to free myself from the harsh grasp. I grabbed for my knife, but he knocked it out of my hand as I did.
"You will be coming with us, kid," the black haired boy sneered, and I did the only thing I could do. I screamed.
Author's Rambles
Ooh, things are heating up now! You are all probably gonna hate me after the next chapter ... but I promise things will get better for him! If I get around 80 reviews I'll try and have it done by the 21st ... but that will be hard. But I'll try for you guys! At least a little ... I might raise the rating next chapter; it's up to you guys and what you want. Ja, I have to go study for my Algebra test!