Life-less Dolls

Chapter 3

          “Maiko…you can’t run forever.” I turned, looking into the shadows beyond where I stood. All around me was the quiet nightly SandVillage. Everyone was asleep at this hour and I stood alone. In front of me, I could see the gates of the village; quiet, unguarded…and now covered in shadows. They crept over the sides and down into the street pathway. Before I knew it, I could no longer see the gates. The shadows took over the few buildings near the gates as well and then his face became clear. The Zero tails had found his way into the village and was here to destroy it.

          I tried to move, to away or to wake the people and get them to flee and save themselves, but the shadows had anchored my feet to the ground. Ghostly images of the people appeared, screaming as they tried to run from the shadows, only to burst into a million pieces like a crystal as they devoured them. Among them were those who fought, but it still consumed them. People ran past me, all color drained from their skin and clothes. We all looked that way now; just hollow line on an uncolored drawing on a full background of life. Only he and the shadows had the color along with the world as they conquered the land without even trying.

          I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Kankuro standing there with a grin on his face.

          “Kankuro, run! Don’t come for me! Run!” I cried at him, trying to pry his hand from my shoulder, but I couldn’t. My hand just passed right through his and he seemed not to hear me at all.

          “Told you not to underestimate us.” He said, grinning wider. He’s talking as if we’re winning, when we’re being destroyed. Before I could say a word, he darted around me and stood o few feet in front of me. He held his hands up as if he was controlling one of his puppets and suddenly to my surprise and utter shock, Sho appeared in a ghostly form behind him. Though I was in shock, I smiled. There had to be no way we could lose now, right?

Wrong…

A shrill scream pierced the shadows and Sho’s form disappeared after cringing in pain. Shadows surrounded me on all sides and they were all I could see now. The Zero-tails face appeared, grinning darkly at me. He laughed just as evilly, his body coiling around me, “I may not be able to come after you when you’re hiding that pathetic village, but your mind and dreams are mine to control!”

His hand come out from behind his head, holding Kankuro there. He struggled to get out of Zero’s grip. He called out to me and sounded pitiful as he did.

“Maiko! Please help me!” He cried, reaching down to me even though I was so far away. I reached up for him too, a tear escaping my eye.

Zero laughed, “You wonder why I take everyone you love away from you so that all you have left is those lifeless puppets as family. Your family sold you out! Just to save themselves! Hahaha! You are MY puppet!”

I shook my head, “That’s doesn’t matter! Leave him out of this! It’s me you want, you just said so!”

He laughed again even more darkly than before, “The statement you just made proves that he’s a part of this. You want to know why? Because you love him!!”

My eyes widened in shock and my heart sped up. Was it true? Could that really be true? It had to because of how my heart ached to see him in danger. Zero chuckled darkly again, “Well, now say goodbye to your little boyfriend!”

“NO!!” The dream disappeared and the vision of my bedroom appeared again. I sat up in pure fear, waking to find myself in a cold sweat. My breathing was harsh and heavy and I was still shaking from the nightmare. I covered my face with my hand as a tear escaped from my eye. There was a thud from the hallway and then someone burst into through the door.

“Maiko, what happened!?” I looked up to see Kankuro standing there in a night shirt it looked like and a pair of sweat pants. The markings on his face weren’t there, as he had wiped them off for the night. He saw the look on my face and sighed. He came and sat beside me on the bed. He hugged me as the tears started to flow freely and the sadness following.

“Ok, one time was enough, but three times in one week? That’s going way too far.” He cradled me slightly as I cried, stroking my hair down that was now short. Yes, I had cut my hair short and made a few changes to my outfit, but it didn’t make a difference just like I knew it wouldn’t. Zero still haunted me and every day he grew angrier and the more I put this village in danger. I promised myself, however, that I would stay until I felt it was time to go or I had a very strong reason to.

“What happened this time? What did he do?” He asked, softly.

I shook my head, “I-I don’t…I don’t want to repeat it…I don’t want to remember.” I cried into him. If I told him about the dream, I’d have to tell him that I realized I loved him, but I was too shy to say so. Kankuro and I just started talking about nothing particular for a few hours. Some of the things he said made me laugh a little, and I knew that was what he was aiming for.

“Hey…Kankuro?” I asked after a while.

“Hm?” He had his eyes closed and was facing the ceiling as he laid beside me.

“Do you…still want to know about…my life?”

He turned his head to look at me with a grin on his face, “So, you trust me enough now?”

“Uh…” I looked away from him as I felt a blush begin to creep up my face, “Y-Yeah…you a-and the rest of this village haven’t given me a reason not to, so I think it’s time I told someone.”

“I don’t want you to be nervous about it. If you’re not sure-”

“NO! I-I mean, I’m not nervous. I really mean it. I’ll tell you tomorrow if you’d like?”

He chuckled, “Then it’s a date then?”

This time I couldn’t hide the blush and I sucked in a rapid breath. He grinned and laughed a little as he got up and came over beside me. As if I was a child, he pulled the cover up to my shoulders and kissed my forehead, “See you tomorrow love. ~”

He left and shut the door, leaving me to my red cheeks and the twisted dreams of him he left behind.