Sweet Burden (24 page)

“What do you mean?” Obi asked turning back to him.

“From what I’ve gathered, you were created for her. You were meant to protect her. I don’t know anything about your creation though.”

Obi grumbled. “Who put Hitomi on my list?”

“Everything was arranged by someone within the Juydisu. One that does not agree with Laebosu and apparently has never agreed with him since he came to the afterworld. There is another in the Savetto too. And don’t ask me to tell you who they are. They will not reveal themselves until they are ready.”

Obi thought back to his appearances in front of the Savetto. There had been one among them that seemed to be on his side. He wondered if that was the one working against Laebosu. However, Guri still wasn’t answering any of his questions.

“But, why was I meant to protect Hitomi and who is she?”

“All I know is that your true self was hidden until the time she needed protecting. Well, I guess that time came and you were sent to her. I don’t know her importance. But it has something to do with the Heavens.”

“Is
she
some sort of angel?” Obi glanced over at her. She definitely looked like she could be an angel. At least she looked like how he thought an angel should appear.

“The angels were said to be exterminated or taken to serve in the afterworld. I assume some hid and survived,” Guri sighed. “And healing is one of the traits of angels.”

“How did you know she could heal me?”

“I sensed her powers. I can get inside other’s minds, remember? That’s how I immobilized Domitori on the roof and that’s how I know that you’re upset…”

“I’m not upset,” Obi snapped whipping his head around. 

“She’s not going to reject you.” Guri tapped his forehead. “Senses feelings. Did you suffer a head blow? Because if I have to tell you that again I’m going to get worried.”

“Just shut up Guri. And get out of my head and her head.”

Guri smirked. “I just took a peek. Your mind is much more interesting lately.”

Obi let out a slight groan. “You said I was meant to protect her. What does that make me?”

“We’ll get into that later.” Guri got up and started digging in his pockets.

“Later? No, you’re going to tell me now.”

“Nope. You need to rest. I told you enough.” He pulled a bunch of change out of his pockets and started counting it out.

“I need to know more.”

“I’m going to get some onion rings.”

“What?” Obi replied irritated.

“Onion rings. They’re sliced onions with breading stuff on them. They’re tasty. I’ll be back in a little while.” Guri shook his head as he walked to the door.

“I know what onion rings are. You need to tell me…”

“Yah, yah,” Guri interrupted and dismissed him with a wave. “You need to heal up quickly. Go get some rest. I’ll be back.” He hurried out the door and it shut with a thud.

“Irritating,” Obi mumbled and got up from the chair. He flipped the lock on the door and went into the bathroom. The light flickered when he turned it on and he lifted his shirt up. Pulling back the bandages, he examined the gash in his abdomen and then covered it back up. He looked up into the mirror at himself as he lowered his shirt.

He stood there staring at his face. Who he was for the past 17 years was no longer who he saw in the reflection. His need to protect her had changed him. But he didn’t want to just protect her. He wanted to touch her and hold her. He wanted to be the cause of her smiles. He wanted to make her laugh.

Obi rubbed his forehead and walked out of the bathroom after flipping off the light. He watched the sleeping girl in bed and then moved to the empty side of the bed. He carefully laid down so not to wake her. The wound was throbbing, but he instantly seemed to feel better being next to her. He closed his eyes exhausted and was on the verge of falling asleep when she started moving.

His eyes shot back open and he turned towards her. He rolled onto his side as he noticed her visibly shivering. Obi tried to fix her covers, but she continued to shake. He sighed to himself and then maneuvered one arm under her pillow and the other arm over her. Slowly he pulled her to him tucking her against the curve of his body. She let out a slight hum, nuzzling her head into the pillow. His entire body relaxed and he closed his eyes.

Hitomi stretched her body and rubbed her eyelids. Her eyes opened to a grey room slightly lit from light creeping through the curtains. She glanced around the room recognizing it as a hotel room by the tacky patterned curtains and generic nature paintings. It could have easily been the same room that her mother and she shared when the heat went out in their house a few winters ago.

She let out a yawn and rolled over towards the door. Suddenly the events of last night flooded her mind and she shot up. She looked around the room searching for any signs of the winged boy or Obi. As soon as she thought of Obi her stomach ached. She had passed out after her hands had been illuminated. Hitomi wondered if Obi was still alive or if something awful had happened while she lay sleeping. And if he was alive, she pondered where he might be.

“Hello? Anyone else here?” She eyed every corner of the room and pulled the covers back. She realized she still had her dress on as she got up. As she poked around the room, she discovered a bag on the table. Reaching to pull back the zipper, she noticed the dried blood covering her hands. Obi’s blood. Filled with nausea she ran to the bathroom and immediately started scrubbing her hands. She glanced up in the mirror finding blood caked in her hair and on her face.

She turned on the shower and stripped off her clothes. The hot water was a welcome relief to her tired body. She ran the provided bar of soap against her skin and in her hair trying to get rid of any trace of Obi’s blood. She closed her eyes remembering how much blood there had been. The knot in her stomach tightened as she thought of Obi. She had been so scared to lose him. Obi had become so vital to her. He influenced every single one of her emotions. But what was he?

She sat down in the bathtub and let the water beat down on her as she curled herself into a ball. Hitomi knew that Obi was not human. She also knew that he had been sent to kill her for reasons she didn’t know. But he hadn’t killed her. He had watched over her, shielded her, and became the most important part of her life. Hitomi’s body trembled as the water cascaded over her skin. She had let herself fall entirely and utterly in love with him without even knowing who he was.

He had tried to keep her away from him. He insisted he was not a good person. But she had taken his actions with a grain of salt. Hitomi now realized that she had no idea what she was dealing with. She had no clue who she loved. And she gritted her teeth at the thought that she loved a being sent to kill her.

Her body shuddered again as she heard the creak of the door over the water pounding on her head.

“Hitomi?” Obi’s voice was suddenly in the bathroom.

She looked up startled and saw a blurry version of Obi through the shower doors. She noticed that he quickly turned his back to her, but she pulled her knees closer to her anyway.

“I’m sorry. I knocked.”

“I’ll be out in a few minutes,” Hitomi stuttered.

She watched him walk out and shut the door. Her body shook as she stood up and turned off the water. Instantly she felt cold and quickly wrapped herself in a towel. She really didn’t want to put her dress back on.  She could smell the caked on dried blood all over the material. She pulled the towel tighter and cracked the door open.

“Obi?”

“Yes?” His voice sounded far away.

“Are there any other clothes of mine?”

She listened to him walking around and then unexpectedly he stood in front of her. Obi held a bag in his hands out to her. His eyes widened at seeing her and she swiftly shut the door.

“I’ll leave it by the door,” he mumbled.

Hitomi’s skin quickly covered in goose bumps. She hadn’t been ready to see him quite yet. And she really hadn’t been ready for him to see her clad only in a towel. Her back pressed firmly against the door, she tried to calm her rapid pulse. She could still feel him on the other side of the door waiting for her, but after a few minutes she listened to his steps walk away.

She cracked the door open again and leaned down grabbing the bag. She pulled it into the bathroom and shut the door with a thud. Propping it up on the sink, she dug through it and found everything she needed. As she was slipping on her jeans, Hitomi wondered if it had been Obi who had gone through her drawers and riffled through her belongings to gather the items. After pulling on a long sleeve t-shirt and v-neck sweater, she found socks and her black Converse.

She towel dried her hair trying to put off the fact that she needed to leave the bathroom. Hitomi was curious, but scared at the same time. She let her hair fall down her back as she threw the towel onto the toilet and placed her hand on the door knob. Her heart raced as she opened the door and stepped out.

Obi was standing across the room with his back to her peeking out the window through the curtains. She took another step out into the room and he quickly turned around. His face was a combination of fear and sadness. He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets and took a step back.

“How are you feeling?” he asked lowering his head, but still keeping his eyes focused on her.

“Alright,” she shrugged. “Where are we?”

“I’m not exactly sure. Hitomi, I…” he took a step towards her.

Hitomi panicked and moved back holding her hands up. “Stop. Don’t come any closer.”

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

She crossed her arms across her chest. “But you were sent to kill me?”

“Yes,” Obi sighed.

Hitomi bit her lower lip as she prepared to ask the inevitable question. “What are you?”

“Hitomi, please know that I was going to tell you. I just didn’t know how.”

Her chest rose and fell heavily. “What are you?” she asked again.

She watched Obi’s face contort to his own amount of panic. “I don’t want you to be scared. I promise I will never hurt you.”

Stopping her overwhelming urge to stomp her foot, she unfolded her arms letting them drop to her sides. She curled her fingers around the edges of her sleeves. “Obi, tell me what you are.” Her heart felt like it was pounding its way up her throat as her body quivered. She was scared to hear the answer, but she needed to know. She needed to know who she was in love with.