Caged, Chapter 5: Damaged

A week passed slowly, most of my time occupied by Amaya when she got home from school and the lone TV that sat in front of the sofa that I was sure was fusing to my butt. When I got bored of basic cable, I'd watch Billy crawl around in his tank, staring back at me through his beady eyes and occasionally flicking his tongue in my direction. Itachi was at work most of the day and went straight to the garage when he got home, sending me his signature smile before he disappeared beyond the threshold. Sasuke rolled his eyes whenever I was within eyeshot; it was the only way he actually acknowledged my existence when he wasn't talking about me like I wasn't even there.

"Why is she still here?" he'd ask Itachi, glaring at me over his shoulder.

"Because she needs a place to stay," Itachi replied every time Sasuke brought it up. "and because she's right over there and if you're expecting me to talk badly about her, you're mistaken."

Sasuke's tolerance of me was wearing dangerously thin and my relentless nightmares weren't making matters any better. I woke up screaming every night; it got so bad, I'd resigned myself to sleeping in the bathroom so I wouldn't disturb anyone. Amaya begged me to stay with her, swearing that it didn't bother her, but I couldn't bear the looks they gave me. Amaya looked at me like I was possessed by the devil, Itachi like I'd drop dead at any given moment, and Sasuke like he couldn't stand to be in the same room as me and would do anything to drive me away. One of Sasuke's little pleasures was waking me up with a cold shower when he figured out I'd been sleeping in the bathtub.

"What's wro-" Itachi would burst into the room to find me shivering in the tub and Sasuke rolling with laughter on the floor. "Really, Sasuke?"

"Oh my God!" Sasuke gasped between fits of uncontrollable laughter. "I've never seen anyone jump that high! Did you hear her scream? Priceless!"

Itachi would chew Sasuke out and haul me out of the tub and carry me to Amaya's room like I was a child who needed protection.

That's what I adore about Itachi. He's so caring and gentle with me and yet, I know there's something dark that he's hiding; I see it every time Sasuke pushes his buttons. I often find myself staring at him, dissecting the facets of his personality that he's exposed to me and trying to piece it together without avail. He's so kind and willing to help anyone in need and yet, there was something gnawing at him constantly, wearing away at his gentle soul. Then again, he could just be stressed from work and keeping Sasuke at bay.

Today was rainy as usual this time of year, the constant pitter-patter of the raindrops echoing throughout the house. I laid sprawled out on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling as the sound of the rain began to lull me to sleep. I fought to keep my eyes open; sleep brought me nothing but unspeakable memories and awful new scenarios that felt all too real. I sighed and sat up, leaning my head back on the couch so I was still gazing upward, hoping for something to keep me awake.

"Hey," Itachi smiled, leaning over me.

I smiled up at him. "Hey, you're home early."

"Yeah, slow day," he hopped over the back of the couch and flopped down next to me. "This all you do all day?"

"Basically," I nodded. "at least until Amaya gets home. She keeps me pretty busy."

"She really took a liking to you,"

I shrugged. "She's a sweet girl. I think she just likes having another girl around."

Itachi nodded soberly, seemingly deep in thought about something. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

I silently complied and followed him to the door of the garage, hesitating when he opened it and beckoned me forward. "It's not a meth lab, I promise." he joked lightly.

I smiled and rolled my eyes as I stepped over the threshold and into the last thing I ever expected to be housed in the garage - it was a studio. Beautiful paintings decorated every inch of every wall, most of colorful landscapes while others were of amazing fantasy lands. A table rested against the far wall with a small stool, both of them covered in what looked like spray paint.

"My God," I gasped in sheer amazement. "did you paint all of these?"

"Spray painted, actually," Itachi corrected with a smirk, rattling a can of paint for emphasis.

"These are all spray paint?" I gaped at him. Every line was clean and precise and each painting looked like a photograph straight out of a magazine; there was no way spray paint could've created them. "How?"

"Want to see?" his smile grew wider and a twinkle of excitement lit his eyes.

I nodded eagerly and slid a box over to the table and sat, impatiently waiting for him to join me. "C'mon!"

Itachi chuckled at my enthusiasm and took his place on the stool next to me, ripping a piece of what looked like cardstock out of a thick tablet. He pinned the corners to the center of the table and took a good look at me before he began. I watched in awe as he went into a completely different world, grabbing cans of paint and strange tools so fluidly, it was hard to keep up. He covered the top of the paper in gorgeous pastels that faded to dull grays and blacks from left to right, accompanied by trees that sprouted up from the bottom of the paper. The trees on the left were bright and colorful with lush, green leaves that gradually fluttered away as they traveled across the paper until they left the trees gray and barren on the right. The grass followed suit, becoming matted and ashy when it reached the right side of the painting; it was like the landscape was wilting before my eyes. Once it was finished, it formed a stunning forest wilting and dying over time, almost as if all the light was being drained as it moved across the paper.

"All done," Itachi sighed in satisfaction, taking the pins from the corners and holding it up to me.

"It's beautiful," I smiled in admiration. It was near impossible to tear my eyes from it. "How do you come up with things like this?"

"Nature," he shrugged, looking down at the painting before glancing at me from behind his lashes. "but this one reminds me of you."

My brows knitted together and a scarlet flush spread across my cheeks like wild fire. "Why does it remind you of me?"

"Well, you started out vibrant and alive," he motioned to the left side of the painting. "but something happened that slowly drained the light away until there was nothing left. Now, you're barren and scarred, struggling to flourish under the weight of whatever is smothering you. That's what I gather, anyway."

I stared at him with my jaw on the floor and my eyes wide; he had me pegged. Itachi just narrated my whole life after knowing me for a week while I knew virtually nothing about him or his family. "H-how do you-"

"Just a guess," he shrugged. "Screaming in your sleep was a clue and that giant knife that's peeking out of your bag isn't for nothing and don't think I don't notice how you're always in long sleeves. You don't have to explain anything to me, I get it. I know what it's like to be damaged."

I chewed on my bottom lip and turned my gaze to the floor. I wanted desperately to pour my heart out to him, to break down the wall I've built around myself, but I couldn't bring myself to do it for fear it'd only hurt me. So, I sat silently, staring at the concrete floor beneath us. "How?" I finally choked out. "How do you know?"

I could see the speculation written plainly on his face as he wrestled with himself; to tell or not to tell. "I think we're all damaged, one way or another, some are just more damaged than others."

"More like destroyed," I murmured under my breath.

"Never destroyed," he corrected softly, holding the painting out to me. "Keep it."

And with that, the conversation was dead.