Sweet Burden (3 page)

Hitomi adjusted her shirt, not wanting to share the new revelations with Kerry. The rest of the night, Hitomi searched for the boy. When Bradley had approached her later in the evening, she brushed him off and continued to weave her way in and out of people.

After Shane dropped Hitomi off at home, she rushed up to her room to strip off the goth gear and hide it. She put on her pajamas and then went to the mirror to inspect the handprints more. She gasped when she saw they were gone. She curled up on her bed with her laptop, but couldn’t help but think of the night. The boy’s hands hadn’t felt hot or cold. But she felt herself tremble in his presence. Maybe Kerry was right and he was some sort of spirit following her. She shook her head at the notion.

The sound of the car pulling in the driveway brought Hitomi away from her thoughts. Hitomi put her laptop on the floor and shut off the light only minutes before her mother came in to check on her. She had just arrived home and had no idea that Hitomi had even been out. Hitomi pretended to be asleep as her mother closed the door.  As soon as the door was closed again, Hitomi leaned over the edge of her bed and grabbed her laptop. Maybe there was something that could explain it on the internet.

The cavern was dark, except for a flicker of light emanating from a single candle. Outside the cavern opening, voices could be heard talking in groups. A figure rested on a makeshift bed, his head leaning against the cool grey rock. Someone pulled back the thick fabric covering the entrance and entered, letting in a stream of yellow and green light. The colors quickly faded as the fabric fell back down.

“There’s a new list,” the short portly figure stated. The small minion fidgeted stroking his white beard that seemed to glow in the darkness.

Slowly the figure on the bed opened his eyes revealing red glowing orbs. Any other features were hidden in shadow. He turned to the minion and motioned for him to come closer. He took apprehensive steps towards the silent figure. Once bedside, the thick paper was snatched from the minion and quickly he dismissed him with a wave of the hand. The small man bowed and scurried out of the room.

The figure stood revealing his lean muscular body. His crimson eyes scanned the list and he let out a yawn. Laying the list next to the candle, he relaxed back against the rock for a nap before heading out for the night.

****

The weekend had passed by with nearly a blink. Hitomi found herself up Monday morning late again. She dressed quickly realizing that she had slept through her alarm and Kerry’s horn honking. Even though her cell phone was dead, she threw it in her bag while slipping on her shoes. She rushed downstairs to find a note from her mother reiterating that she would be home late that night and had left early. Hitomi pulled on a jacket and remembered to grab an umbrella.

She practically ran the entire way to school and was surprised to find herself barely late. The first bell rang as she rushed towards the entrance. Not concentrating on her steps, she tripped on a crack splattering to the pavement as her back pack knocked her on the back of her head. Her head and hands scraped across the concrete.

Hitomi winced as she sat up. Holding her fingers to her forehead, she pulled her hand down revealing blood. She brushed the dirt and blood from her hands against her jeans and then noticed the gash in her jeans and her knee. Letting out a defeated sigh, she pulled herself up from the ground and went directly into the bathroom to attempt to fix herself up.

In first period, Hitomi got scolded in front of the class by Mr. Bardall for being late
again
. When she was finally able to take her seat, Kerry leaned over to her.

“You look like hell,” Kerry smiled.

Hitomi’s lips tightened and she gave Kerry a glance with the undertone of ‘don’t ask.’

“Where were you this morning? I sat outside and honked until your neighbor threatened to call the cops.”

“I couldn’t wake up,” Hitomi mumbled.

“Still being followed by a ghost?” she changed the subject.

“I didn’t really sense anything the rest of the weekend, but I don’t really think it’s a ghost,” Hitomi shrugged.

“Maybe you have a secret admirer,” Kerry raised her eyebrows.

“Ladies, since you are wasting my time, I will waste yours. Detention tonight Ms. Beaumann and Ms. Belden,” Mr. Bardall said loudly. Kerry and Hitomi both sunk down in their seats.

At lunch time, Hitomi avoided the lunch room and went to the school nurse. She was going to get her cuts cleaned up and bandaged, but upon the nurse’s observation, none of the cuts or scrapes looked to be bad. The nurse even asked her if they had happened over the weekend, instead of just a few hours ago.

After detention, Kerry drove her home and Hitomi sacked out on her bed. She pulled open her school books and started on homework.  Later she made dinner and put the leftovers in the refrigerator for her mother, then headed upstairs for a bath. She went into her room and started to undress when she heard a loud bang on the roof above her room. Hitomi grabbed her robe and pulled it on as she turned to the window. Realizing she had forgotten to draw the curtains, she walked over to the window and peered outside. The streets were practically empty. She closed the curtains and started back to the door figuring she had imagined the noise.

Abruptly feeling an overwhelming sensation she was not alone, the hairs on the back of her neck stood and she spun back around. Everything was in its place. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Hitomi shook her head and went to take her bath convinced she was losing her mind.

****

The dark figure paced back and forth on the roof of the white house. Pushing his shaggy black hair from his face, he took a seat and pulled the paper from his pocket. Black lines were drawn across names, only one name visible at the bottom.
Hitomi Beaumann.

He stuffed the list back into the pocket of his jeans and lay back on the roof resting his hands behind his head. Staring up at the sky, he waited to hear the girl re-enter her room. The sky was a vicious black and faint cracks of thunder could be heard in the distance. It wasn’t long until a car pulled into the driveway. He sat up in a crouch and watched a woman wearily walk into the house. Leaning over the edge of the roof, the girl’s bedroom light went out.

Waiting until the woman went to bed, he entered the house. Picking locks was something he had become accustomed to. He silently shut the door and crept up the stairs, stopping to examine a few photos. Calculating exactly which door was the girl’s, he carefully twisted the handle and stepped into the room. He was immediately filled with her scent and the overload caused him to take a step back. He could taste honey and vanilla pouring from her skin.

He swallowed hard and entered the room. The girl lay silent and motionless in front of him. He took a few steps closer and saw the slow rise and fall of the blankets. A few more steps and he heard the sound of her breathing. He felt himself being drawn towards her as if she had her own gravitational pull. Now standing over her, he couldn’t look away from her. Her golden hair cascaded around her face. She had prominent rosy cheeks and full cherry lips. He knelt down next to her taking in another deep breath of her scent. No one had ever had such a compelling smell to him before.

He continued to watch her sleep as he sat back and rested his chin in his hand. Confusion flooded his mind. He had never been drawn to human before. Without even considering what he was doing, he reached up and meant to brush a wisp of hair away from her face. The second he touched her, he felt a shock of heat burn his fingertip. He pulled his hand away as the heat traveled throughout his entire hand and started up his arm.

The girl let out a small sigh and he rushed from the room.

Arriving back in his cavern, the warmth had moved through his entire body. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his hands as they shook. He wasn’t sure what the girl had done to him or what power she possessed. His stomach turned and knotted. He dropped his head into his hands and tightened his fingers in his hair.

His room lit up as someone pulled back the fabric and entered.

“Done already?” a boy asked.

“She did something to me,” his voice waivered and he lifted his head. “Guri, I don’t feel right.”

Guri stepped closer and took off his grey beanie revealing a mass of silver hair. He attempted to smooth out his knotted hair and knelt down in front of him. “Her, who? What happened?”

His chest ached with a raw burning sensation and he couldn’t even bring himself to say her name out loud. “I feel like my insides are ripping in half.”

“What happened?” Guri asked with more demand.

“All I did was touch her. She was sleeping and I touched her. I couldn’t stop myself.”

He noticed a hint of a smile cross Guri’s mouth, but quickly it was gone. “Just get some sleep. You should be alright. You can take care of her tomorrow.” Guri forced him to lie down.

“But the council? The list?”

“Tomorrow,” Guri repeated. “Get some rest Obsidian.” Guri left the room and Obsidian thought he heard Guri mutter. “You’re going to need it.”

He shook his head and rolled over in his bed.
What have you gotten yourself into Obsidian?
His insides continued to wage war until it finally subsided and he was able to drift off to sleep.

When he awoke hours later, the girl was the first thing he thought of. He needed to take care of her immediately, but more he just wanted to see her again.

****

“How’d you do on the math test?” Kerry asked as she and Hitomi walked out of school.

“Terrible, I’m sure,” Hitomi sighed rubbing a spot on her forehead that had hurt all day. She had checked in a mirror in the morning and nothing was there, not even a mark. But it felt sore and she had been exhausted all day.

“How could you do terrible? All you do is study,” Kerry nudged her as Hitomi let her gaze drift up to the sky.

The clouds had parted for the day and there was even a slight glimpse of the sun. She smiled as the sun hit her face and she closed her eyes feeling the heat. When she opened her eyes back up, she saw a guy sitting on the ledge of the school roof.

“Kerry.” She looked over at her friend and pointed up. “Do you see…?” Hitomi peered back up and the guy was gone.

“See what?” Kerry tilted her head back.

“It was nothing. Nevermind. It must just be my imagination,” Hitomi said unconvinced and smiled at Kerry.

“Maybe it was your ghost,” Kerry wrapped her arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “Do you need a ride?”

“Um, no. I think I’ll walk.”

“Call me later,” Kerry kissed her cheek and hurried off into the parking lot.