Little White Lines

The Dreamlands

Both Mila and Tobirama were shocked speechless. The deep purple bruising around Aroka's eyes and the trails of blood running down her face... for a moment he wondered if he was asleep and this was all a nightmare. His hands were shaking, he noticed, as he lightly touched her cheek, almost as if he thought she might flicker and disappear.

"What happened?" his voice was barely above a whisper.

"I had to..." Aroka moved to rest her head against the wall once again, a shadow falling over her face as she curled into herself, "...sorry..."

"Should we get the medics?" Mila turned to Tobirama, a grim fear in her eyes.

"Don't," Aroka spoke.

"They must able to help, I think-"

"...it's not safe..."

"Not safe? Did the doctors do something to you?"

"...it's not safe... here... "

"W-What do you mean? Is someone trying to hurt you?"

"...we have to go..." her words were unclear, she seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness, "...my parents... safe... there..."

Tobirama pressed a finger to her wrist and, fortunately, found her pulse to be slow but steady.

"She's asleep."

He would have been relieved had the situation been different, but he was no longer sure.

_______________________________________________

"What in the world happened?!" Kinuyo asked frantically upon seeing her eldest daughter at her doorstep, unconscious and being carried by a stranger.

"We'll tell you later, can we come inside?" Mila barely managed a polite smile, pulling her coat tightly around her.

"Yes! Come in, come in," the older woman quickly ushered them inside, closing the door behind them.

"Upstairs," she pointed, leading them to an unused bedroom.

Tobirama carefully set Aroka down on the low bed. They had cleaned her wounds and dressed her properly before escaping the compound; white bandages now concealed any signs of torment and not a trace of blood was to be found. A single strip of white cloth was tied around her eyes but, all in all, she appeared disturbingly normal.

They could almost convince themselves of it, too.

_______________________________________________

"Say something, Mila! I'm boreeed!" a young Aroka complained, pushing away the book in front of her and sprawling across the table.

"Um, s-sorry, miss."

"You're always so quiet. You don't have to stand outside all the time, you know. Come here!"

"I-I think I'm not supposed to..."

"Don't worry! You haven't been here for long but Yuto-sama never visits at this time of day, Toru said this is when he meets with the weavers. You won't get in trouble, come here!"

"Ok..."

"Yay! Hey, Mila, what's it like outside?"

"Huh? Outside?"

"Yea, what does it look like?"

"W-Well the weather is nice today, the sky is clear and there's a few clouds."