Silent Snow
In this deadly silent night
snow falls on my outstretched hand
and as the snow melts on my skin
you fade
Once more, only once
Say my name
Even if I scream now
my voice cannot reach you anymore.
Forever trapped in a world,
in which I cannot even say "I love you"
I quiet down as the snow falls down on me
like on this day
Wishing that I understood earlier,
that time is not endless.
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Hounded, the steps hurried through the thicket of the forest.
Driven by fear and uncertainty as to whether these might be the last seconds of his life, the boy ran through the darkness.
"There he is! Don‘t let him escape! "
Rough, harsh voices pursued him, coming closer with every breath.
Voices that promised him death, should they reach him.
The blond hastily jumped into the bushes, behind which lay a steep slope and an almost endless gorge.
He was trapped.
"Now we’ve got you, you monster!"
In panick, the boy backed away from the men, whose raised hoes and pitchforks were threateningly aimed at him. What did they want from him? What had he done to them? Why did they hate him? He did not understand it.
"I'm not a monster!" He screamed in tears. He had reached the edge of the ledge, the cold evening breeze swaying his slender figure.
A malicious, derisive laugh escaped the men, whose lust for murder was almost palpable.
"Not a monster? You are all the same! Seducing our women before the vengefulness devours you! Death is the only thing you deserve, fox demon! "
Startled, the blond backed away from the slash of the hoe, losing his footing.
Out of reflex, he clung to the hard edge, trying to pull himself up again.
He looked in panic into the abyss, its depths hidden by a dense fog. He would die. Now.
One last look at the men, who looked down at him with satisfaction and finally gave him a hard kick in the face, to let him fall into the depths mercylessly.
Black.
◊◊◊
Night, silence and the coldness that came with the onset of winter.
Actually, he should be home, cuddled up in a warm blanket and sleep. But rest was out of the question, so he walked restlessly through the darkness, as he often did, since that day.
Absently, the black-haired boy walked down the dark path along the river bed, pausing, as he had the metallic scent of fresh blood in his nostrils, a choking sigh directly following.
Pain pierced the blondes body, who did not know how he had survived the fall, did not know if he should be grateful to remain in this world, or desperate because the winter’s cold would kill him now.
The fox demon winced in fear when he saw another human staring at him. He could barely see him, numb with pain and exhaustion, his eyes already clouded.
Did he belong to them? Did he want to kill him? Was it not enough? Questions the blond had no answers to.
Exhausted and completely frozen, he lay in the icy waters of the riverbed, blood running across his pale face. Tired, the fox closed his eyes, felt the cold slowly spreading inside him. What was this human waiting for? He should just finish it.
Carefully warm, almost affectionate arms wrapped around the demons, who was lying on the ground, pulled him out of the icy water. Amazed, Naruto opened his eyes and studied the stranger, who threw a dry, warming haori over him in that very moment.
"You will freeze if you stay here. My house is close, come on. "
Still visibly puzzled, the blond let himself be helped, felt the pain in every single bone and still could not help but follow the stranger who supported him on the walk.
Why did he do that? Did he just want to trap him, hurt him? No, it did not sound like that. Something was different about him. He did not seem to hate or judge him.
The black-haired guy silently led the fox demon along the snow-covered mountain path to his hut.
A small, completely isolated wooden hut, in the middle of the forest.
Naruto looked sceptically at the house.
Why didn’t he live in the village? Were humans not herd animals? He wasn’t sure at all, had gained little experience with them so far.
He just hoped it really wasn’t a trap.
◊◊◊
Still fascinated, the fox demon gazed at the boy, who tended to his wounds, even offered him a warm meal, not speaking more than necessary.
Why?
Doubtful, Naruto looked at the tasty smelling soup in front of him. Was it poisoned?
No, why should he take care of him, only to poison him then? This wouldn’t make sense.
On the other hand, he had experienced it, the dark side of the people. The side that wished him death and hunted him as if he was a wild animal.
Blinded by hatred and murder, they had persecuted him, leaving no doubt that they wanted him to be dead.
Was this man the same?
"It is not poisoned," Sasuke countered, as if he had read the thoughts of the fox.
Naruto looked suspiciously at the boy, who seemed to be about as young as he was when he saw the dim glow in the grey irises of the black-haired.
"You ... are blind?" He asked surprised, for he had not noticed it at all.
Was it because of that that the boy did not judge him? Because he could not see that he was a demon?
"Does it matter? You can stay tonight, but you should set off at dawn. " Sasuke replied quietly, then set about eating his own meal. He had not always been blind, but the memory of those days was only vaguely in his mind. It was a long time ago, very long.
Naruto kept looking at the boy curiously, but finally began to eat himself, albeit a little reluctantly.
The soup warmed his cool body, slowly thawing his frozen limbs.
It was the first time he had eaten something like that, but it tasted good.
The two ate their meal in silence, the fire crackling softly under the cauldron.
It was strange, Naruto thought to himself. This boy could not see him, was completely alone and yet he seemed as if he was not afraid. Fear that crept up within himself, if only he thought of being in his position.
But it was none of his business. He would accept the offer of his saviour, spend the night in his house and disappear in the morning.
"I only have one futon. That's all I can offer to you. "
The Uchiha broke the silence once again as he put their used dishes aside. Confused, Naruto looked up. Had he just offered him his own bed to sleep in?
He could not accept that, not even considering his injuries.
"We can share it," he suggested, smiling before he realized that Sasuke could not see it anyway. Did he regret being blind? He would ask him, but it was none of his business.
At dawn, their paths would separate again. Sasuke was just a human.
Demons and humans could not be friends, even he was aware of that.