Dream ЖЖ 011
He had been standing still for minutes now, but the flash had yet to spark. He didn't want to continue to stand, his legs not tired, but his body thrumming with energy that he wasn't allowed to use. Father would be proud.
Mother was too busy trying to get Sasuke to sit still long enough to take the picture.
"Please Sasuke-chan...sit still for Mommy..."
She didn't sound distressed or annoyed--Mother never did--but he could feel the tension building up behind him from Father, who did not like having to wait.
"If he can't behave himself then give him to someone until we're done."
"Oh, no, dear, he'll be fine. This is our first family portrait since Sasuke was born..."
"He's almost six months old." The unsaid "he should behave himself" is easily heard.
"I understand dear, he's just excited."
"Kaa-kaa! Chichi!!" The childish laughter is so misplaced, the man behind the camera keeps adjusting it, as if he is not listening in.
The hand on his shoulder tightens and Itachi wonders if Father realizes--wonders what he'll do if Sasuke doesn't calm down.
"Sasuke-chan..." There's more jostling behind him to the left, a little foot kicks him in the back from where Mother is sitting. That hand tightens even more.
This can't go on, he starts to turn around, but the hand on his shoulder stops him. He asks anyway. "Mother, could I hold him?"
The hand loosens.
"Oh Itachi-kun..." she pauses. "I'm not sure if he'll listen to you either. He's such a energetic boy today."
"It's all right, I promise I won't drop him." His eyes are already moving away from the man and the camera to where his mother sits behind him, his brother wriggling excitably in her lap.
"Chichichichichi..." The call gets louder.
"All right," a little exasperated laugh escapes her. "He seems to want you more anyway."
The hand on his shoulder finally lets go and Itachi turns around, hands outstretched to take Sasuke from Mother's arms--
And instead finds himself staring at her bloodied body slumped over the chair.
Her eyes are wide, her mouth open and blood dripping from it.
Itachi stares in shock.
This...
What is this?
"M-Mother...?"
She doesn't move.
His eyes move slowly, sliding to the side. "F-Fath--"
Father is slumped over where he was sitting, a kunai sticking from his back.
They're not moving.
They're bleeding and Mother's just staring upward at nothing and they're not moving and Itachi knows they're dead. Just like the shinobi on the battlefield.
Why are they dead? Who...Who would do this? Why--Why---
Sasuke is no where to be found.
He spins around, eyes searching for the little baby who loves to crawl everywhere, always running off.
"Sasuke! Sasuke, where are you?!"
He's not there. The man with the camera is gone. They're all alone in this room.
There's a creak and a gruff sliding sound.
The door. It's open.
"Sasuke!"
He hurries out the door and sees nothing, but the sound of pattering feet comes from around the corner of the house. He can feel his blood pumping and pounding in his ears, the fear, the need--
He has to find his little brother.
He rushes around the corner of the house, almost sliding from the porch, but catching himself on the wooden pillars that hold up the awning. "Sasuke plea--!" His breathe chokes in his throat.
There everywhere. His aunts, uncles, cousins, laying all over the ground. Bloodied, dirty, dead.
All dead.
"No...No..."
He drops to his knees, staring at the limp, discarded.
He hears the sound of a child crying--loud, echoing, the fear in that voice making him feel as if someone has just punched him in the stomach. But he's moving, on his feet and rushing forward, trying to find out where it's coming from, even though the sound is all around him.
"Sasuke!"
The cries gets louder. Sasuke can't answer him. Sasuke is crying and scared and Itachi has to find him. So he keeps running, keeps turning down corners and through the little allies in the district, through the main street, and back to the square.
Running, running, running, running.
He has to keep running. He has to find him.
Every time he turns a corner and goes too far he somehow finds himself back in the center of the district, stumbling over the bodies and still he can't find where the crying is coming from. The tearful wails are like knives in his ears, getting him mixed up and turned around, unsure of where he's come from and where he's been. His eyes sting and his face burns--he's crying, when did he start crying?--but he doesn't stop running.
"Sasuke! Sasuke, where are--?!"
He slips, feet sliding from beneath him so quickly he only realizes once he's landed heavy on the ground, body jarring with a painful thud. His hands go out to catch his fall, but can't find purchase in the thick liquid on the ground and lands in it, his face getting splattered.Itachi lays there, eyes staring off into nothing for a moment as he tries to understand what just happen.
The crying suddenly stops.
Slowly, he pushes himself up to his knees, and can finally look down at what slid in...only to find himself in a dark pool or red.
The smell, the taste in his mouth that he can never wash away--
Blood. It has to be blood, right?
Everyone is dead so the blood is everywhere. Everyone is dead and Sasuke was crying and he can't find him.
"Sasuke...Sasuke..."
He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know what to do. Where is Sasuke? How could he lose his little brother? Everyone is dead and he lost his little brother.
Where is--
[Itachi sits up in bed, hand clutching his chest, and tears in his eyes as they immediately look around the room. But he's alone. He's alone andSasuke is gone. He's on his feet immediately, not bothering to pay any mind to the Hitomi as it records him moments until he's out of sight.]
Mother was too busy trying to get Sasuke to sit still long enough to take the picture.
"Please Sasuke-chan...sit still for Mommy..."
She didn't sound distressed or annoyed--Mother never did--but he could feel the tension building up behind him from Father, who did not like having to wait.
"If he can't behave himself then give him to someone until we're done."
"Oh, no, dear, he'll be fine. This is our first family portrait since Sasuke was born..."
"He's almost six months old." The unsaid "he should behave himself" is easily heard.
"I understand dear, he's just excited."
"Kaa-kaa! Chichi!!" The childish laughter is so misplaced, the man behind the camera keeps adjusting it, as if he is not listening in.
The hand on his shoulder tightens and Itachi wonders if Father realizes--wonders what he'll do if Sasuke doesn't calm down.
"Sasuke-chan..." There's more jostling behind him to the left, a little foot kicks him in the back from where Mother is sitting. That hand tightens even more.
This can't go on, he starts to turn around, but the hand on his shoulder stops him. He asks anyway. "Mother, could I hold him?"
The hand loosens.
"Oh Itachi-kun..." she pauses. "I'm not sure if he'll listen to you either. He's such a energetic boy today."
"It's all right, I promise I won't drop him." His eyes are already moving away from the man and the camera to where his mother sits behind him, his brother wriggling excitably in her lap.
"Chichichichichi..." The call gets louder.
"All right," a little exasperated laugh escapes her. "He seems to want you more anyway."
The hand on his shoulder finally lets go and Itachi turns around, hands outstretched to take Sasuke from Mother's arms--
And instead finds himself staring at her bloodied body slumped over the chair.
Her eyes are wide, her mouth open and blood dripping from it.
Itachi stares in shock.
This...
What is this?
"M-Mother...?"
She doesn't move.
His eyes move slowly, sliding to the side. "F-Fath--"
Father is slumped over where he was sitting, a kunai sticking from his back.
They're not moving.
They're bleeding and Mother's just staring upward at nothing and they're not moving and Itachi knows they're dead. Just like the shinobi on the battlefield.
Why are they dead? Who...Who would do this? Why--Why---
Sasuke is no where to be found.
He spins around, eyes searching for the little baby who loves to crawl everywhere, always running off.
"Sasuke! Sasuke, where are you?!"
He's not there. The man with the camera is gone. They're all alone in this room.
There's a creak and a gruff sliding sound.
The door. It's open.
"Sasuke!"
He hurries out the door and sees nothing, but the sound of pattering feet comes from around the corner of the house. He can feel his blood pumping and pounding in his ears, the fear, the need--
He has to find his little brother.
He rushes around the corner of the house, almost sliding from the porch, but catching himself on the wooden pillars that hold up the awning. "Sasuke plea--!" His breathe chokes in his throat.
There everywhere. His aunts, uncles, cousins, laying all over the ground. Bloodied, dirty, dead.
All dead.
"No...No..."
He drops to his knees, staring at the limp, discarded.
He hears the sound of a child crying--loud, echoing, the fear in that voice making him feel as if someone has just punched him in the stomach. But he's moving, on his feet and rushing forward, trying to find out where it's coming from, even though the sound is all around him.
"Sasuke!"
The cries gets louder. Sasuke can't answer him. Sasuke is crying and scared and Itachi has to find him. So he keeps running, keeps turning down corners and through the little allies in the district, through the main street, and back to the square.
Running, running, running, running.
He has to keep running. He has to find him.
Every time he turns a corner and goes too far he somehow finds himself back in the center of the district, stumbling over the bodies and still he can't find where the crying is coming from. The tearful wails are like knives in his ears, getting him mixed up and turned around, unsure of where he's come from and where he's been. His eyes sting and his face burns--he's crying, when did he start crying?--but he doesn't stop running.
"Sasuke! Sasuke, where are--?!"
He slips, feet sliding from beneath him so quickly he only realizes once he's landed heavy on the ground, body jarring with a painful thud. His hands go out to catch his fall, but can't find purchase in the thick liquid on the ground and lands in it, his face getting splattered.Itachi lays there, eyes staring off into nothing for a moment as he tries to understand what just happen.
The crying suddenly stops.
Slowly, he pushes himself up to his knees, and can finally look down at what slid in...only to find himself in a dark pool or red.
The smell, the taste in his mouth that he can never wash away--
Blood. It has to be blood, right?
Everyone is dead so the blood is everywhere. Everyone is dead and Sasuke was crying and he can't find him.
"Sasuke...Sasuke..."
He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know what to do. Where is Sasuke? How could he lose his little brother? Everyone is dead and he lost his little brother.
Where is--
[Itachi sits up in bed, hand clutching his chest, and tears in his eyes as they immediately look around the room. But he's alone. He's alone andSasuke is gone. He's on his feet immediately, not bothering to pay any mind to the Hitomi as it records him moments until he's out of sight.]