Solitude [Active//Open]

[tomatocakes]

Characters: Sasuke. Anyone else.
Setting: The Dark Room
Time: Night 012
Summary: Sasuke wakes up to find his brother missing.
Warnings: Heartbreaking sadness

Comments

[heartsawakening]

'What . . . when someone disappears . . . what . . . has happened?'

She had heard the answer, the Lanternkeeper's matter-of-fact voice that responded to the question. It sent a shiver down Kairi's spine, and to watch Machi suffer at the answer almost made her sad, despite his usual callous behavior.

'They become monsters or ghosts.'

Kairi had instantly thought of Sora. It had been so long ago when he had arrived in the house, and then disappeared again; she still felt the warmth of his hug lingering on her arms. Now she rubbed her hands against her bare arms, wincing at the sudden cold. Sora . . . a monster.

He just disappeared. I couldn't save him.All those times he had saved her, and she couldn't save him

[tomatocakes]

Sasuke tensed when he heard the footsteps out in the hall. They sounded real, human. He tentatively poked his head out.

"...Itachi?"

The only response was the crunch and splatter of the creature in the hall. Had his brother killed it, or an even bigger monster? He exchanged looks with the eyes on the wall, wiped the tears out of his own, and stood. He really didn't want to open the door. If it really was a bigger monster, it was probably faster, too, and if it got in the room...

The knock on the door startled him into almost falling over, but the voice he knew. Not Itachi, but someone he had trusted. She might even know what happened to him.

Sasuke didn't need to be asked twice. He pulled the door open, relieved that at least somebody was here. A real person. It didn't matter that she was splattered with something dark and stinky, it was Kairi! He could have hugged her!

[heartsawakening]

Kairi was relieved to find Sasuke in his room rather than . . . something else. She slipped into the room quickly, snatching the handle and slamming it shut just as she saw another creature approach in the darkness. There was a 'thud' as it hit the door, just as she thumbed the lock. Regardless of nearly being attacked again, her demeanor was calm, cool, and collected - the only thing that told off her beating heart was a forced exhalation of breath.

Kairi lifted her eyes to scan the dark interior of the room. The bed was the first thing she noticed; empty. It made her heart sink. Perhaps he was just . . . out. Although it was somewhat unusual for Itachi, she knew, especially during the night. Then, her gaze going higher, she saw white orbs on the walls that would disappear and reappear in a matter of seconds. Blinking. They were . . . they were eyes

[tomatocakes]

The hold on the blanket around Sasuke tightened when he heard another thing hit the door. He stood far back as Kairi examined the room. Hopefully, it was dark enough so she wouldn't see he had been crying. His throat still burned, and his mouth was sticky with too much spit.

The eyes watched them both, like a million spectators. It made Sasuke want to pull the cover over his head again, but he couldn't play those pretend games when someone else was here. He had to be strong.

"They're safe," he mumbled, but his voice shook. He swallowed, and repeated again, "They're safe. Itachi said so. He checked. Itachi..."

There he trailed off, looking down at the floor. Where was Itachi? It had been too long since Sasuke awoke for there to not be something wrong. His brother always, always waited until he was awake to go anywhere, and then he always told Sasuke exactly where he would be and when he would be back. But this time was different. Sasuke refused to believe Itachi had just decided to leave him, but there was no sign of a struggle...

[heartsawakening]

She looked back at the eyes. They held no emotion except for that watchfulness, piercing out of the darkness; what could they possibly be looking at? Were they jealous of them, these humans? Or were they eagerly awaiting their pathetic fate? When Sasuke replied, her own eyes - blue and kind, not like the ones on the walls - shifted to watch him from the side. Curious, oh so curious. "Did he tell you where he was going?"

[tomatocakes]

"He didn't tell me anything," Sasuke whispered, staring at the floor. "He was just gone when I woke up." And something he wasn't sure what, told him that Itachi wasn't close by. He knew what Itachi's presence felt like, and it wasn't here. All that was left was the smell of the blanket.