História Camera - Single chapter

Naruto’s POV

When I was younger I used to work at a security company. My job was to sit at a chair and watch security camera live videos and pay attention for any crimes and stuff like that, so basically I spent all day looking at tiny televisions. Every day was pretty much the same, so I eventually got bored of it. But one day, that girl showed up.

The first time I saw her was a chilly winter day. She looked up at the camera and waved. Nothing special until then, a lot of people waved at the camera. But the next day she came too, almost at the same time, and she stood at the front of the camera and waved again. That’s when I started getting interested on her. She was so… spontaneous. It was like she just saw someone she knew at the street and greet them.

For 2 or 3 weeks she did the same, till one day, when she looked somehow upset. I saw her looking up to the camera and raising her hand up to wave, but then for some reason she stopped and looked down again. That moment I froze. For the past week I started waiting for her to appear, and all the work day was worth all because I could see her once more. I panicked. I looked everywhere to see if I could do anything, and then I remembered the handle. “That’s it!” I thought, and slowly started moving it. I saw the camera image move too, and I could see she looking up again, somehow surprised. I moved it one more time, and she smiled and grinned, and that was the moment I knew all I wanted was to make her smile like that again.

The weeks went by and turned into months. Winter, fall, summer, spring. Every day, at the same time, I looked at the screen and I saw her there. Until one day I didn’t. I remember it well. I looked at the clock and it was almost time for her to show up, so I looked to the screen and watched lazily as people passed by, but time passed and she wasn’t there. “Where is she?” I thought, looking anxiously from the clock to the screen. “Where is she?” I asked myself again, getting nervous. I then took a deep breath. “Okay. Calm down. She probably had something important to do. I’ll wait until she gets there”

That day ended, and the next one, and the next one… “Where is she?” I couldn’t stop myself from wondering it. “Is she out of the town? Is she sick? Did she move? Where is she?!” The days became weeks that became months. I got fed up with my work, and, why not to say, with my life. My reason to get out of bed was gone, but a small flame of hope inside me made me wait for her every day, and I couldn’t let go of it.

It was a rainy day. Cold, dark and humid. All I wanted was to stay home and maybe even die of natural causes, but I got myself up and went to work. “I could kill myself. Who is going to miss me anyway?” I thought once more, but, like all the times I did it before, I remembered her and her smile. I couldn’t die without seeing it one more time. So I walked with my umbrella in the umbrellas sea, and arrived at the security camera’s televisions room again. I looked at the screen but couldn’t see anything. Then, her usual arrival time came and passed, and, about an hour later, I got a glimpse at the corner of my eye.

Her hair was messier than usual. It was wet, as every other part of her. The rain drops dripped down her face, looking like tears. Her arm was covered in bandages, and her eyes were red-ish, but I didn’t notice any of that. All that I could thing about is that it was her. And I wouldn’t lose her again.

I stood up and ran. As fast as I could. I left the room, jumped down the stair steps and went outside, heading the direction the camera was. The slippery floor made me stumble and almost fall a couple of times but I didn’t care. The raindrops fell on me like little needles as I ran and I couldn’t see well, but I didn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop for anything in the world. I could feel my veins fill with adrenalin, and my heart was beating so fast I swear it’d jump out my chest, but all I did was keep run.

I finally got to the place. I saw the security came I looked at every day, but she was nowhere to be found. I looked around; tough at first I couldn’t see her. I was starting to panic, looking everywhere, but all I could see were all the umbrellas passing by, but then I finally found her. She was standing at the other side of the street, looking directly into my eyes. I was breathless and hyperventilating, and for a moment I just stood there, unable to move.

Our eyes were glued, and she started to walk closer. I finally got out of the sudden paralysis and started walking too. My steps accelerated and I soon I was running towards her, and when I finally reach her I held her tightly, and I didn’t think of anything else. Not about all the people looking at us. Not about what she might think about me. Not about all the rain falling. The only thing I could think about was to hold her close and never let go of her.

HINATA’S POV

While he was holding me, I knew he was the one on the other side of the camera. I could feel it deep down in my heart, and slowly I started to embrace him back. In no time I was already hugging him tightly and I let it all out.

I started crying my eyes out, and I just couldn’t stop it. It had been 2 years since the last time I waved at that camera.  When it moved back was the only time at the day I felt noticed by anyone. And, God, I missed it. All the time I spent without it was like going through hell.

He finally let go of me, and looked deep into my eyes, holding my shoulders.

“Hi. I’m Naruto. I’m the… the guy from the camera”

I smiled.

“I know. I’m Hinata” He smiled back, and it was like the whole world changed. It became colorful and bright, and I felt like I was seeing the sun for the first time. And just like that, life wasn’t that terrible anymore.