Hi y'all. Been a long time ey. I never meant for this update to take over eight months.. damn has it really been that long? I'm sorry... I totally hate my job. It takes away all my creativity. I hope I get it back soon though. Anywho, I hope you'll enjoy the second chapter of OHDD! Please let me know what you think.
Present time
I'm locked in a room. I don't know how long I've been here but it has to be up to at least a few hours. I spend my time wandering around in a circle, trying to control the need. It's tough. I've never gone this long without fulfilling it. The slightest of sounds have me jumping. I'm nervous. I have no clue of what is expected of me but something tells me it's nowhere near good. The room I'm in is small. Claustrophobic to be honest. I don't know whether it's the symptoms of my withdrawal but whenever I look at the walls they close in on me, so I try my best occupying my eyes on other things. Not that there's much to look at. The room is decorated with only a bed.
My feet have begun hurting so I stop circling and reluctantly sit down on the bed. Its metal springs dig into my skin yet I find myself leaning into them. A sense of relief hit me when the pain edges its way to my consciousness. It's not much but at least it causes a slight distraction to my twitching hands. I need another fix. Where the hell has Kitsune taken me? And why have they left me in this room?! If they wanted me dead then why didn't they just kill me?! What value could I have to be kept alive? The many questions make me dizzy and without knowing how, I'm up on my feet again.
Time moves slowly and I frequently change my gaze from a spot on the floor to staring intensely at the door as if by cheer power of thought I can summon someone. Who, I don't know. Frankly I just want to get out of here and find Suigetsu, to get me a new fix, even if I promised myself never to see him again after what he did.
My fingers are tapping against my legs. The sound echo like drums in the room and I can almost imagine a ticking clock in front of me. My stomach is churning from hunger and nausea. How long are they going to make me wait? What is the point of brining me here if they'd only lock me up in a room?
More time passes until a gnarling sound breaks the imaginary ticking clock and the door to the room opens up. The man who enters looks at least 6 feet tall and his body bulky. He reminds me of a gorilla I once saw at a zoo back when I was younger. The thought brings a smile to my lips.
"Get up trash. Boss wants to talk to you." The stranger gruff but doesn't even give me enough time to get up before he starts yanking me by my shirt. My feet stumble over each other and I end up being dragged out of the room. A part of me wants to fight back but my muscles are weak and I'm dizzy from withdrawal. It's a miracle I can even stay awake, let alone focus. The man drags me through a long corridor and then through another room. There he lets go of my shirt and I fall to the floor in a heap of limbs. "Stay here." He orders and then leaves the same way we entered.
I use the last bit of strength I have to sit up as my eyes scan their surroundings. It's dark. Not in a way I cannot see anything but it's dimly lit. Curtains are pulled together, windows completely covered, leaving no daylight to enter. But then again, maybe it was night. I have lost track of time long since. To my right I see a large bed. It makes me slightly uncomfortable. I could only guess why that was there. It's not like I'm a virgin, I had lost that innocence long ago. Yet I can't stop an involuntary shiver from coursing through me.
To my left there is another door, not the one from where I entered, because that is behind me. Then there is a table, a television and a single chair. No photographs, no decoration whatsoever. The room feels stale and cold. Judging by the looks of it, it seemed more abandoned than lived in.
"Uchiha Sasuke, how I've been looking for you." A voice suddenly sneaks up from behind. My train of thought gets broken and I turn to face the newcomer.
"Why me?" I ask intrigued. I'm a simple nobody, just another one of Orochimaru's junkies. I'm not a member of his group, is that what Kitsune-san thinks? I bite my lip to keep myself from doing anything stupid like flip him off or something. God knows what would happen then. Kitsune is a man known for his hot temper but that's about all I know. Suigetsu once told me he belongs to some kind of mob and that it's a rival to the Otogakure group. The rest was lost in another high. Then there was that time, but back then I didn't know his name, all I knew was that I'd never forgive him for what he didn't do.
"Don't worry about that. If I were you I'd be more afraid of what's to come." Kitsune's lips twist into a grin and he closes the distance between us. With one hand he pulls me to my legs and leads me over to the bed. I press my legs tightly together as I sit down, leaving no space for him to crawl between them. But what surprises me is that Kitsune doesn't even try anything.
"Wh-" I start asking but my voice deserts me when the blond man pulls a knife from nowhere. At that moment all I see is the shining blade. It's blinding. Its polished steel arise a terror within me and I start crawling backwards. He's going to cut me. Kill me. I didn't want to die. Not here, not now, not before I had a chance to correct everything. "Don't." I say. I hate how weak my voice seems.
Kitsune rolls his eyes and locks me in place by grabbing my ankle. I start trashing from sheer willpower but the man looks more bored as he pull out something akin to a shot. "You just have to make this harder for us, don't you?" I don't know what it is he injects me but I get tired and then I'm out.
The next time I wake up I'm back in that room from before. My head feels heavy so I linger on the bed for a while. I wonder what he did to me. There's no pain in that place so I know he didn't rape me. When I think of it there's no pain anywhere. I only feel a faint nausea from withdrawal. I roll to the side and stare at a certain spot on the floor. There's something there. A tray? It's food. It is nothing fancy, but I have learnt not to be picky ever since I entered the States. I'm too weak to sit up so I end up rolling out of the bed. I land with a thud on the hard floor, my breath momentarily knocked out of me. I wheeze when I try to breath. I bet it's the tranquilizer from before that makes moving more difficult.
I finally regain the control of my breath and crawl over to the tray. The smell from the food makes me dizzy, so dizzy I have to roll over and lie on my back as the smell courses through me like a hot fire. It has been so long since I ate. It must have been at least two days ago. My stomach has stopped churning but it rings of emptiness.
I end up lying on my back longer than I want. The nausea intensifies the closer I get to the food even if my mind screams for it. My body breaks out in another sweat.
Even though I'm lying perfectly still the ceiling moves when I stare at it and it feels like I'm floating. I would give anything for another fix at this moment. Just to get this out of my system. It's like this every time. I want to quit. I want to go back to the way I was before I met Suigetsu but whenever I reach this point I cave in to the need and I end up going back to him. His curse is branded in me now. It moves like a poison within me.
I shiver.
I hear faint steps from somewhere outside the room. I gather enough energy to tilt my head so I can see the door. Are they coming back to kill me now? I want to pull myself up and put up a fight but everything seems futile by now. There's no fight in me anymore all I can do is lie and wait. Maybe they don't want to kill me, maybe they'll sell me. I've heard about that. To some old man with a weird fetish. Maybe that's the end of me. A slave to another man. I chuckle. Isn't that pitiful.
The door to my room creaks open and a man enters. No it's a boy, a child. I frown confused. Why would they send in a child? I stare at him befuddled. The boy closes the door with his back turned to me and that's when I realize he still hasn't noticed me. He's giggling. Why is he here? I try to speak but no words escape me. The child turns and gasps. So he finally saw me.
"Who are you?!" He questions in a small voice. I watch him back up against the door, his eyes wide from what I can only assume is fright.
I don't care enough to answer, my voice gone anyway, so I tilt my head back and go back to staring at the ceiling. It hasn't stopped spinning.
Footsteps come closer and the boy hunches down beside me. Then I feel a jab in my ribs. "Are you dead mister?"
Right and you expect a corpse to answer you. What a dumb kid. I look at him with a frown.
"Have you fallen and can't get back up?" The boy continues his questions and start pulling at my shirt. I want to tell him off but this cursed state won't let me. Go away stupid kid. I try to tell him off with my eyes but the boy does not seem to get it as he starts pushing me up.
"I know! I'll help you!" He proceeds by dragging me back to the bed and then perch me against its side. By the time he's done he's sweating too. Judging by the boy's length I'd guess he's about three-four, but he talks as if he's older. "Don't worry I'll help you get your food."
I raise a brow when the boy walks over to the tray and then puts it down next to me. "Do you want help eating too?" But he leaves me no option to answer before he shoves a piece of bread in my mouth. I move one of my hands and slap his away. I can eat by myself. Then I take the bread from my mouth and chew slowly.
"My name is Haru. What's yours?" If anything he doesn't seem discouraged by my silence. I wonder what it takes to make him go away.
"Can't you talk mister?" And the award goes to the short dumb blond kid. "In that case I will just call you Mishiranu." His smile is blinding. "I want to ask you why you are here… But I guess you can't answer that either. This is a part of the house no one lives in. Father tells me I can't go here but I'm playing hide and go seek you see so I think this is the best place I could hide. Nata won't ever find me here." The kid giggles, but I'm too focused on the word 'father'. Just who could he mean by that? And then it dawns over me. I stare at the kid long and hard. He's the splitting image of Kitsune minus the crazy. Oh no.
"-tell me why but I want to bring friends home. When Adrian had a sleepover I was invited but father said no because it wasn't safe. It's never safe. Do you know I have a bodyguard? His name is Chouji. My friends think he's cool. He's fat though 'cause he's always eating."
The kid rambles on and I only catch bits and pieces. I'm finding it too hard to believe that someone like Kitsune would have a child. Who would be crazy enough to fall in love with a murderer like him? Or maybe he was a bastard child.
"I like your hair. It looks cool. Have you showered? You smell weird. Like strawberries. Why would you smell strawberries? I really like strawberries. And ice cream! I like vanilla the most."
Showered? Hair? Damn this kid can ramble on about anything but I don't remembering showering. I haven't showered for a couple of days and my hair hasn't been cut since I left home. I move a hand through my hair and realize it's a lot shorter. It's not reaching down to my shoulders anymore. Why, why had they cut my hair? If not… They are selling me. My skin is clean, the grayish skin less gray. So this is my fate? What once held a promising future is now merely a distant memory? Pathetic.
"I should probably go now. I don't want father to worry. He always gets angry. But I will be back. Nice to meet you Mishiranu-san!"
I watch the kid leave and the room reverts to silence. Snorting, I can't keep the smile away from my lips. What a strange kid.
x
The vile force its way up my throat. I heave for the umpteenth time this day, hour. Actually I'm not too sure. All I know I've been in this room for a long time. It has to have been days since that Haru kid was here but then again, time move slower when there's no perception of time. What might feel like days might just be hours. Every now and then a woman will come but Kitsune or anyone else for that matter has yet to show their faces. The woman will help me shower, bring me food and change clothes. I guess they have to make me healthier. That way I will sell for more.
Having finished heaving I sit back against the wall. The bucket the woman had given me was almost full to the brink from my own stomach acid and the little food I have managed to eat. Looking at it makes me ready to go at it again but I suppress it and inch back to the bed. The cover is damp and cold. My sweat must have drenched it before but I remain lying on it. There's not much else to do than sleep in this room. The only thing they have added since my arrival was the bucket and a tiny table. Nothing else.
The familiar sound from the door opening had me looking up. It's the woman again. She greets me and places the tray on the small table by the bed. She must think I'm a pitiful sight. "How are you feeling?" She questions her face twisted of concern. I don't know if it's out of pity or just stupidity. I don't answer her but settles on staring at a spot on the cover. There's a tiny rip in it. I wonder how it got there.
"Not much of a talker today either I take it." She says her voice a soft tone as her hands starts pulling at the cover. "This is drenched." She states and tells me to get up. I don't want to but know there is no use in fighting her. "I'm going to make you take a shower, do you think you can manage that by yourself or do you need help?" The first times I hadn't had enough strength to do it myself but I am beginning to feel better.
"I can do it." I say. The woman looks surprised. I guess this is the first time I have ever answered her.
"Let me just take this with me," she replies and strips the bed of the bed sheets. "And I'll take you to the shower room." That's another thing. I'm not allowed to leave my room by myself. So far whenever I leave the room the woman goes with me. We walk the familiar path to the shower and that's where she leaves me. I hear the sound of the lock clicking and I know I'm trapped. Not much else to do I strip my clothes and step into the shower. The hot sprays feel good against my cold skin and I welcome a feeling of relief. But I know my time is limited so I go on the daily business and scrub my body, though there's not much dirt there to begin with. Finishing up, I'm back to smelling like berries and the layer of sweat is gone. I see the new clothes lied out before me and I quickly dress. As if queued the lock make another click and the woman is back to take me to my room.
"I changed the sheets and cleaned up." And by that she means emptied my bucket. I snort. "Hopefully you'll soon feel better. I can't imagine what it must be like sleeping in that bed." Oh yea? I bet you don't know how it feels to be taken hostage either. How could anyone work for someone who took people hostage?
I'm left in my room again and I'm back to being alone. Not that I mind. I'm rather alone than pitied by some woman I do not know. But I barely make my way back to the bed before a knocking sound disturbs the silence and the door opens once again. It's that boy again.
"Mishiranu-san!" he smiles and runs up to my bed after carefully closing the door. I raise a brow inquiringly. "It's Sasuke." I say.
The boy looks just as surprised as the woman did before. "You can talk." He says. "I didn't think you could talk."
"Of course I can." I snort. "More importantly, how did you get in?" The question has been bugging me ever since he first came here. They lock the doors so how come the boy can enter as he like?
"Oh I have a key." He answers and holds it for me to see. I stare at it, my mind immediately forming a plan. For the first time my head feels focused and my body more powerful. "Can you open any doors with this?" I question trying my best at hiding the excitement I felt from my voice.
"Uun," He says and shakes his head. "Just here." He puts the key back in his pocket and then sit down on the bed next to me.
"Oh." Knowing this might be the only chance I have of escaping I ask if he wants to play a game. As predicted the boy nods enthusiastically. "Let's play hide and seek." I propose and the boy jumps up excitedly. "Yes! That's my favorite game!"
"If you count to a hundred I will go hide." I suggest and the boy nods hysterically. He puts his hands before his eyes and starts counting. This is my chance I think and hurry out the room. I walk the corridor I think leads out. I keep to the wall, my feet moving quickly but silently. I take two turns and come to another aisle. I'm sure it is built to confuse the enemy from attacking from within. The faint sound of voices gets me on edge and I escape through a door to a luckily empty room. It doesn't seem used as its dark, the air damp and the little furniture covered by sheets. I back up further from the door until I come in contact with a hard surface. It's a tall object, a statue. It seems old by the looks of it, cracks here and there. Why was it there? It seems like an odd place to put it.
I stare at it for a while until I notice there is something behind it. It's a door. Realizing it is most likely a secret passageway in case of an emergency I start looking for a release on the statue. Something that would make it move and that's when I see it. It's not a crack in the stone, it's a button. I press it and the statue moves to the side. The voices from the outside have grown clearer and without hesitating I enter the door. Inside it's darker. I have to feel the walls to know whether I am moving forward or not. The dirt under my feet is uneven and I have to be careful so that I don't trip. The tunnel is long but eventually I see a stream of light even out over the floor.
My condition has begun to worsen again. The adrenaline I felt just moments ago must have dissipated and I'm back to shaking but I push myself further. The door creaks when I open it and I realize I'm back in the house, just another part of it. The room I enter seems more alive though. Light shine through large windows and judging by the looks of it, it seems to be the lounge of the main room. It was your everyday living room, sofas, bookshelves, toys which most likely belonged to the Haru boy, and other posh looking items.
Knowing I have no time to waste I close the door behind me and hear the sound of something moving. I turn back to look at the door I came through but stand face to face with a bookcase. I move silently across the room over to the open doors, glancing around the corner. It's empty. I move tentatively. But just as I've lulled myself to a sense of security I hear another set of voices. One of them is angry. I start backing up, reasoning my best option is to return to the longue and from there find another way but my back hits something hard and my breath hitches. I feel the object behind me, it's soft to the touch but beneath it there's firmness.
Oh shit.
Something clutches my shoulder. I freeze. No, no , no. I have been caught.
"And where do you think you're going?" The voice was soft but held a threat behind it. I shiver as another hand close in around my throat and I'm turned to face the man behind me. A choked sound escapes me when I see it's Kitsune who has found me. Anyone but him I think. "You can't keep me here forever." I snarl, though I'm in no position to disrespect him. But then again, my fate had already been decided, was dying so much worse?
For a third time today, I seem to surprise my counterpart when I speak but Kitsune is quick to recover. "I'm not planning to." There's a glimpse in his eye that I can't place. "Believe me. You'll soon be home. In the meantime, I just ask you to stay obedient."
Strong fingers cut into my trachea just as another strong wave of nausea hit me. Feeling the vile force its way up my throat I can do nothing when it bursts through my lips. Kitsune's reflexes must be quick because he lets go of me the next second and I fall to the floor, emptying my stomach's contest right in front of him.
And be it the worst moment but that's when Haku, the boy I've been playing hide and seek with, appears calling, "I found you." I barely hear the words over my own noises, next thing I know I enter oblivion.
Next time I come to, I'm warm and hushed voices are speaking. "How should I know he'd become sick?! You told me to put him there so that's what I did!"
"That's beside the point. He's worthless to us as he is now. We need him clean before we can use him against Itachi." It's difficult to place the voices and my head is heavy. 'Itachi?' Why are they talking about my brother? How do they even know about him? I try to stay awake and listen to more but sleep pull at my consciousness and before eventually giving in, I crawl deeper under the cover, absently noting this isn't the bed I've used these last few days. Once asleep I dream about my brother. An old memory surfacing,
"Aniki! Aniki! Want to play hide and seek?" Today my brother is free from school. He promised we would play all day long. I've been looking forward to this since Wednesday, that's when he promised, that today we would play. I bang on his door as I yell through it, eventually rewarded when he opens the door. "C'mon aniki! You promised we will play today. You promised. Remember?!"
Itachi smiles like only he can and nudges my forehead with two fingers. I rub at the spot but my grin remains as I look in awe at my big brother. He's a hard worker and excels in whatever he does. He's the kind of person people tend to look up and depend on. When I grow up I wish to be just like him.
"Aniki you count and I go hide." I say but I don't even wait for his answer before I'm off. I hide behind the curtains in father and mother's room. It doesn't take long until Itachi's found me. I don't know how but he always seems to know exactly where I am. "Now it's your turn aniki!" I say but he says it's time to play something else. I frown but agree. He tells me to follow him out to the backyard. That's where he tells me to sit down so I do.
"Sasuke," He starts, taking a seat next to me. "You-" But whatever he wants to say gets cut off by a phone ringing. He curses. He's not supposed to but I won't tell. The phone call continues and Itachi seems annoyed. I find a stick next to me and start poking the grass below the veranda. When the phone call has ended, Itachi rises and I follow him ready to do whatever he wants to do. "Sasuke, I need to go. There's something… I have to do." He says but something is weird with his voice.
"But you promised aniki!" I object blowing up my cheeks.
"Yeah, I know." He says. "Sasuke, when you grow up... Don't become like aniki. Promise me that." I stare confused at him. I don't really understand. But the next thing he does, he waving me forward and as I comply he pokes my forehead again. "Ouch." I say but he only chuckles.
"We will play later kid."