❝I should have stayed in bed today.❞ ㅡ Maki Hashiri
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
ORANGE EYES
Dim light slipped in through the closed window — the only one in the room —, through which she could catch a glimpse of the street that spread far beyond the hospital and the small shops located at its sides. There was no soul walking by; no sight of the usual merriment in which the city drowned every morning — just the occasional man stumbling across the pavement, too intoxicated to stand on his feet.
Drifting her gaze to the clock hanging on the wall by the door, Rei hummed in understanding. It was way past midnight, hence the lack of people in the streets.
With sleepy eyes, she gave one last glance at her surroundings before letting them close, too tired to stay awake. But an alarm seemed to go off somewhere in her mind, warning her about a potential threat, and she shot up from bed.
Impenetrable darkness had appeared out of nowhere, embracing the room with outstretched arms. Yet she felt it — them. Her eyes, no matter their attempts to adjust to the absence of light, were useless, but her good senses made up for it.
She caught the intruder within seconds, almost launched herself at them. Had she been under different circumstances, she would have; however, her whole body felt numb, still recovering from the fight against Lee. Besides, for some mysterious reason, her ankle was all wrapped up like a burrito and hurt like crazy.
Thus, she was forced to remain unmoving, on guard.
But nothing came at her, only stupor upon catching sight of the pair of orange eyes staring at her from the other side of the room, close to where the window had once been. They were so familiar, not because she knew the one who bore them, but because they were just like hers.
Feeling like she was staring into a mirror, Rei asked, "Who are you?"
However, her question was never answered.
--
Rei woke up with a start, shooting up from the bed and gasping for air; as if she had been under pressure for the past minutes, drowning in a pond of never-ending thoughts.
Warm light flooded the hospital room, the window was wide open as to let the morning breeze slide in. The calmness by which everything seemed to be surrounded immediately led her to believe the events of the past night had been but a nightmare, one which had taken its toll on her.
However, she was yet again not alone in the room.
"Wondered how many days it'd take for you to wake up," Temari commented as she sat cross-ledged on the farthest chair. She noticed the wary expression on the younger girl's face and huffed. "What?"
Rei frowned. "Why are you here?"
"Because I can."
An uncomfortable silence grew between them.
"How easy it is to strike up a conversation with you," Rei grumbled after some seconds, sarcasm on point.
"Time does matter in the end."
The pun was as intended as clear was its meaning. Yet Rei was in no mood to argue with her, so she ignored it and stopped beating around the bush.
"What are you doing here, Temari?"
YOU ARE READING
Solitude
Fanfiction"He's not that boy anymore; now he's a bloodthirsty monster. And you're not his friend either; you're his main target." An uncovered secret. A mysterious clan. A girl who has the power to change the ninja world as it's known. Between dealing with a...
