Status: Done.
Salt in the Wound
Midnight rendezvous.
Stepping out of the tree line, I walked into what I believed was the old schoolyard. Barren and wasted. The dirt was rather soft here, strangely softer than the dirt I had been walking on for the past week. A small creaking on the wind floated over from the single swing that had long since been unusable. It surprised me to see how different everything looked to me. When I was a kid, it had seemed so much bigger. It was a little smaller than Suna, but it wasn’t an odd size back then. Come to think of it, we were a threat because of our size.
I shuffled slowly through the schoolyard, trying to avoid looking in those black, broken windows that almost seemed to call me forward. This place gave me a bad feeling. Walking on to the main stretch of road, houses came into view. If they could even be called that. There was a gaping hole in the first house, allowing me to see into what I was assuming was once a living room. Tattered furniture, layered in dust and dirt, were tipped over and destroyed. Nothing was intact and it made me sick to think of people coming through here and touching these things.
Normally, some greenery would have returned, but not here. The air almost seemed grey, desolate and washed out. Even the light from the moon made it seem even more morbid than before. I continued walked, glancing left and right between broken house and crumbling store. No wonder people came here to pray, this place looked like hell itself. Turning down familiar streets, I stopped at one house in particular. The door was gone and the bricks were charred. No doubt this was a hazard for anyone to be near, the roof was barely intact, threatening to collapse at the first sign of human life. But I went in regardless. The living room had been destroyed, our chairs and tables smashed and obliterated. Out of the corner of my eye I could swear I caught sight of an empty bottle of Sake too. I turned my attention to the door way to my old room, it was dangerously lopsided. The main two beds sat against the walls, their blankets torn and filthy. There were signs an animal had been living in her before as well.
My eyes got wet when I caught sight of the closet door. It was evident that flames had once licked up the doors, burning through the wood like a midnight campfire. My hand touched the broken door and peeled it open, almost scared to look within it. There were twisted metal hangers but no clothes, nothing else seemed here. No bones, no body, no sisters. And for that I was grateful, they had been buried with the others after all. I re-closed the door and went to leave, until my foot stepped on something soft. Eyes widening, I froze. Slowly I removed my foot and shut my eyes, suddenly squeamish at the thought of stepping on anything dead. I peered down at the grey lump on the floor, it was furry and small, but bigger than any rat I had seen. With the tip of my kunai I pushed the object over and clapped my free hand to my mouth.
It was that damned cat Kimiko carried with her everywhere. A button eye had been removed and it was matted with unknown liquids, but it was obvious what it was. My kunai hand dropped by my kneeling leg and my hair fell over my dead pan face, hiding the small tears that were leaking out. They landed on the dirt, creating a small circle of moisture that was darker than the rest. “Kimiko…Sumiko, I’m so sorry.” I whimpered helplessly. I stood up against my will, my body moving on it’s own accord. I couldn’t even take in my surroundings anymore. The hot tears blurred my vision and I fell into the dirt outside my home, shoulders shaking. In the distance I heard the sound of soft foot steps, maybe they were out for blood a sick part of me had hoped. The steps stopped, hesitating, then started advancing in my direction. I didn’t move because of fear, but the extreme lack of concern for this person.
They could harm me in no way that would ruin anything good I had going.
Their footsteps stopped a few feet from my shuddering shoulders, examining me I assumed. In habit, I pulled a kunai from the holster around my thigh, letting the moon shine off its point to let whoever was behind me know I was armed.
“Why are you here?” Their voice broke the quiet air, it was the only sound within miles now. I didn’t answer, more or less just stared angrily into the ground in front of me, my hand tightening around the handle to the point where it almost hurt. The person behind me took a step back as if they were turning to look around, “This place is abnormally soundless, a good place to be away and alone from all your struggles. But you’ve been alone for awhile, so I don’t understand why you would feel the need to come back.” I turned my head, trying to catch a glimpse of the person talking to me without having to move. I just didn’t have the energy to turn myself entirely around.
“This was my home.” I muttered, angry at myself for responding to this intruder’s antics. I turned my head back around, moving my eyes up towards the twisting road I was sitting in.
“No,” whoever was talking stood still momentarily, “Suna was your home.” I froze, my eyes widening and my mouth parted open. Now I recognized that voice, why would he be here at this time of night? I turned around in the dirt, looking up into his pale face, his arms crossed and eyes glued to my pathetic figure.
“Why…why are you here?” I stuttered stupidly. He turned his face upward so that his skin was splashed in the moonlight, making him look almost ghostly.
“The alliance has been broken, things are getting difficult. You of all people know what it feels like to need to be alone once in a while. I can’t understand what you see in this place, but it’s empty. And that’s all I need at this time.” His face turned back at mine and I almost found it hard to believe this was a mere coincidence. “Why are you really here?” He asked coolly. His voice was soft as if he didn’t want to interrupt the peaceful night like I already had.
“I caught word of what was happening to your village, I needed to be closer that’s all, and I haven’t paid my respects to the dead yet. It was the least I could do.” My legs were weak as I tried to stand up, I hadn’t realized how much I had exerted myself just trying to get here. His hand wrapped around my arm suddenly, helping me stand up. Silver eyes met turquoise and fittingly, my heart skipped a beat. “You didn‘t have to do that.” I said quietly as I pulled my arm from his grasp. I turned to walk away from him, find the graves and leave as soon as I could. It had been a mistake coming here evidently.
“Where are you going now?” He asked, unmoving from his spot behind me.
“To find those graves,” I turned my head back, a small smile on my lips, “you’re welcome to follow.”
Wordlessly, we walked forward. Comfortably silent and yet a tension hung over us that I could not explain. I was about to start conversation when rows and rows of white headstones came into view. My mouth opened and my hands clenched, there were so many of them dead. I stepped in between them, looking for the letter H. Finally, I came across the Hitomi family site, my knees dropped down in front of them when I read the names back to myself in my head. Hiroshi, my father and Ami, my mother were set next to each other. And to the left of my mother was Sumiko and Kimiko. My eyes grazed past Kimiko’s stone and fell upon my own name. Ishiko Hitomi, it read. Nothing more than an empty grave. His eyes looked over at my face, watching me struggle to keep in those threatening tears. Politely, Gaara turned and walked away, examining the other stones that surrounded me. I took this moment to let my feelings show, trying desperately to remember every moment I had lived with them. Nobody deserved this fate. After praying and pulling my face into a calm mask, I stood up and walked over to Gaara who was staring down at a broken stone with interest. “Thank you Gaara.” I said quietly, his eyes never shifted from that stone. “It’s best I leave now, I wish you and your village the best of luck.” I placed my hand on his cheek, trailing it with my thumb. He cut his eyes up towards mine, a startled look on his boyish face. He didn’t say anything only settled his eyes back on the ground to avoid my own gaze. Sighing, I let my hand drop and allowed my mind to drift off into happier places.
I cast one last sad look at the graves and stiffened. From where I was standing I could spot five exploding tags, slyly hidden behind the growing grass. My eyes narrowed at the sight, those were tags specially designed by the hidden light village, a special bomb that held the power of five tags in one. We needed to leave. I turned to warn Gaara who was walking away from me with stiff shoulders. Panic set in. “You need to run!” I yelled. He turned towards me, obviously confused as I darted towards him with my eyes wide and terrified. Too late.
The tags went off right behind me in a cloud of purple smoke and I could feel the shrapnel from the grave stones cut into my back and legs. A piece of jagged rock lodged itself deep within my calve, not allowing me to move any further. With a startled yell my leg gave way and I fell into the smoke ridden dirt, watching Gaara’s sand rush towards me before I closed my eyes and tried my hardest to block out the all too familiar sound of fire and the smell of burning brush.
I shuffled slowly through the schoolyard, trying to avoid looking in those black, broken windows that almost seemed to call me forward. This place gave me a bad feeling. Walking on to the main stretch of road, houses came into view. If they could even be called that. There was a gaping hole in the first house, allowing me to see into what I was assuming was once a living room. Tattered furniture, layered in dust and dirt, were tipped over and destroyed. Nothing was intact and it made me sick to think of people coming through here and touching these things.
Normally, some greenery would have returned, but not here. The air almost seemed grey, desolate and washed out. Even the light from the moon made it seem even more morbid than before. I continued walked, glancing left and right between broken house and crumbling store. No wonder people came here to pray, this place looked like hell itself. Turning down familiar streets, I stopped at one house in particular. The door was gone and the bricks were charred. No doubt this was a hazard for anyone to be near, the roof was barely intact, threatening to collapse at the first sign of human life. But I went in regardless. The living room had been destroyed, our chairs and tables smashed and obliterated. Out of the corner of my eye I could swear I caught sight of an empty bottle of Sake too. I turned my attention to the door way to my old room, it was dangerously lopsided. The main two beds sat against the walls, their blankets torn and filthy. There were signs an animal had been living in her before as well.
My eyes got wet when I caught sight of the closet door. It was evident that flames had once licked up the doors, burning through the wood like a midnight campfire. My hand touched the broken door and peeled it open, almost scared to look within it. There were twisted metal hangers but no clothes, nothing else seemed here. No bones, no body, no sisters. And for that I was grateful, they had been buried with the others after all. I re-closed the door and went to leave, until my foot stepped on something soft. Eyes widening, I froze. Slowly I removed my foot and shut my eyes, suddenly squeamish at the thought of stepping on anything dead. I peered down at the grey lump on the floor, it was furry and small, but bigger than any rat I had seen. With the tip of my kunai I pushed the object over and clapped my free hand to my mouth.
It was that damned cat Kimiko carried with her everywhere. A button eye had been removed and it was matted with unknown liquids, but it was obvious what it was. My kunai hand dropped by my kneeling leg and my hair fell over my dead pan face, hiding the small tears that were leaking out. They landed on the dirt, creating a small circle of moisture that was darker than the rest. “Kimiko…Sumiko, I’m so sorry.” I whimpered helplessly. I stood up against my will, my body moving on it’s own accord. I couldn’t even take in my surroundings anymore. The hot tears blurred my vision and I fell into the dirt outside my home, shoulders shaking. In the distance I heard the sound of soft foot steps, maybe they were out for blood a sick part of me had hoped. The steps stopped, hesitating, then started advancing in my direction. I didn’t move because of fear, but the extreme lack of concern for this person.
They could harm me in no way that would ruin anything good I had going.
Their footsteps stopped a few feet from my shuddering shoulders, examining me I assumed. In habit, I pulled a kunai from the holster around my thigh, letting the moon shine off its point to let whoever was behind me know I was armed.
“Why are you here?” Their voice broke the quiet air, it was the only sound within miles now. I didn’t answer, more or less just stared angrily into the ground in front of me, my hand tightening around the handle to the point where it almost hurt. The person behind me took a step back as if they were turning to look around, “This place is abnormally soundless, a good place to be away and alone from all your struggles. But you’ve been alone for awhile, so I don’t understand why you would feel the need to come back.” I turned my head, trying to catch a glimpse of the person talking to me without having to move. I just didn’t have the energy to turn myself entirely around.
“This was my home.” I muttered, angry at myself for responding to this intruder’s antics. I turned my head back around, moving my eyes up towards the twisting road I was sitting in.
“No,” whoever was talking stood still momentarily, “Suna was your home.” I froze, my eyes widening and my mouth parted open. Now I recognized that voice, why would he be here at this time of night? I turned around in the dirt, looking up into his pale face, his arms crossed and eyes glued to my pathetic figure.
“Why…why are you here?” I stuttered stupidly. He turned his face upward so that his skin was splashed in the moonlight, making him look almost ghostly.
“The alliance has been broken, things are getting difficult. You of all people know what it feels like to need to be alone once in a while. I can’t understand what you see in this place, but it’s empty. And that’s all I need at this time.” His face turned back at mine and I almost found it hard to believe this was a mere coincidence. “Why are you really here?” He asked coolly. His voice was soft as if he didn’t want to interrupt the peaceful night like I already had.
“I caught word of what was happening to your village, I needed to be closer that’s all, and I haven’t paid my respects to the dead yet. It was the least I could do.” My legs were weak as I tried to stand up, I hadn’t realized how much I had exerted myself just trying to get here. His hand wrapped around my arm suddenly, helping me stand up. Silver eyes met turquoise and fittingly, my heart skipped a beat. “You didn‘t have to do that.” I said quietly as I pulled my arm from his grasp. I turned to walk away from him, find the graves and leave as soon as I could. It had been a mistake coming here evidently.
“Where are you going now?” He asked, unmoving from his spot behind me.
“To find those graves,” I turned my head back, a small smile on my lips, “you’re welcome to follow.”
Wordlessly, we walked forward. Comfortably silent and yet a tension hung over us that I could not explain. I was about to start conversation when rows and rows of white headstones came into view. My mouth opened and my hands clenched, there were so many of them dead. I stepped in between them, looking for the letter H. Finally, I came across the Hitomi family site, my knees dropped down in front of them when I read the names back to myself in my head. Hiroshi, my father and Ami, my mother were set next to each other. And to the left of my mother was Sumiko and Kimiko. My eyes grazed past Kimiko’s stone and fell upon my own name. Ishiko Hitomi, it read. Nothing more than an empty grave. His eyes looked over at my face, watching me struggle to keep in those threatening tears. Politely, Gaara turned and walked away, examining the other stones that surrounded me. I took this moment to let my feelings show, trying desperately to remember every moment I had lived with them. Nobody deserved this fate. After praying and pulling my face into a calm mask, I stood up and walked over to Gaara who was staring down at a broken stone with interest. “Thank you Gaara.” I said quietly, his eyes never shifted from that stone. “It’s best I leave now, I wish you and your village the best of luck.” I placed my hand on his cheek, trailing it with my thumb. He cut his eyes up towards mine, a startled look on his boyish face. He didn’t say anything only settled his eyes back on the ground to avoid my own gaze. Sighing, I let my hand drop and allowed my mind to drift off into happier places.
I cast one last sad look at the graves and stiffened. From where I was standing I could spot five exploding tags, slyly hidden behind the growing grass. My eyes narrowed at the sight, those were tags specially designed by the hidden light village, a special bomb that held the power of five tags in one. We needed to leave. I turned to warn Gaara who was walking away from me with stiff shoulders. Panic set in. “You need to run!” I yelled. He turned towards me, obviously confused as I darted towards him with my eyes wide and terrified. Too late.
The tags went off right behind me in a cloud of purple smoke and I could feel the shrapnel from the grave stones cut into my back and legs. A piece of jagged rock lodged itself deep within my calve, not allowing me to move any further. With a startled yell my leg gave way and I fell into the smoke ridden dirt, watching Gaara’s sand rush towards me before I closed my eyes and tried my hardest to block out the all too familiar sound of fire and the smell of burning brush.