Who Was She?
Kushina woke up with a gasp, sweat pouring down her skin. She heaved deep, pained breaths, but kept silent.
Climbing out of her bed, Kushina made a break for the ink, completely ignoring the bright colors at a closer distance.
Sheets and sheets of paper were used, ink splattered.
Kushina did not stop, she couldn’t, she would forget, and she would regret.
This was something that needed to be remembered. She needed to be remembered.
Her parents had found their daughter passed out amongst dozens of ink filled pages.
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Kushina woke up again.
All she did was open her eyes and stare at the ceiling above her.
Holly
That was what she remembered. Who she remembered.
Kushina understood now. She understood where all of that knowledge was from now.
That unnatural knowledge.
Kushina felt slightly out of place now, not that it wasn’t a familiar feeling.
At least to Holly it wasn’t.
The naive little girl with too much knowledge on her hands was gone.
Another girl of the past was back, but also long, long gone.
Kushina was Kushina but Kushina was Holly too.
Kaa-san– yes, Kaa-san– had come in, looking to her form with worry and puzzlement.
Neither had said anything, but Kushina could not bring herself to smile.
So, she cried instead.
Kushina bawled, sitting up to palm away her tears. Kaa-san briskly walked over and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Kushina gave in and melted.
“Nightmare?” Kaa-san asked with that soothing, soothing voice of hers.
Kushina sobbed a little harder.
They sat in silence after that, not a word was spoken.
She mourned. Kushina mourned for Holly. Holly with no last name to be recalled. She mourned for who she used to be.
But, that gave way to who she was now.
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Her birthday had started out rough.
Maybe she was set up for this all at the beginning. Was 2 some promised age or something?
But, it was fine, better late than never she supposed.
Overall, Kushina was happy she remembered Holly.
The rest of the day was fun. It was a nice memory she knew would stick for the rest of her life, all things considered.
Tou-san and Kaa-san were there, Ren too. They had a small cake and she received a present.
A small stuffed monkey.
Kushina was happy.
“Oh, yes, Kushina?” Tou-san had called. She turned. “What did you want to do with those drawings?”
Holly had been sad, but that didn’t mean Kushina had to be sad too.
She smiled. “Could we make a book!?”
Kushina would be happy where Holly wasn’t.