Inner Universe
(A is for…)
Abattoir
He liked it. He liked hearing the thud of someone's heartbeat, so alive and vibrant in a way a smile never could be. Thud in apprehension, fear and the preparation for a coming death. He liked the sound of the steady beat, escalating like a horror film's violins and guitars and drums. He liked hers, hadn't heard such a sound from a human's heartbeat before.
She was like the human rabbit or deer, because unlike others, she knew the gaze of eyes in the back of her head, knew the prickle of fear on the back of her neck meant a warning sign and knew the silent, slow, stalking strut of a predator. Gaara had watched her fall during her Chuunin exam, that sepia blood spread all over like grotesque paint. He had watched her rise and fall again. Stubborn as an ox but weak and fragile as a baby sparrow. He wondered how it must be for such a weakling as her fight against her place in the food chain, like a rabbit trying to devour the meat of a wolf.
She had coughed up so much when her relative's fists flew in a flurry to hit key points in her body. Her heartbeat must have been so loud and erratic, beating its wings or hooves against the cage that was her protective and more than likely frail ribcage violently in a hysterical manner. When she'd fallen, there was a fear that she would die. He watched them cart her away, droplets of blood still lingering. God. She made the arena smell so good – so much like a wondrously and freshly used slaughterhouse. There were smears of blood left, even when Gaara was fighting, he could smell her all around him and Shukaku had purred his appreciation.
That was then. This, right now, right here, outside the door she was staying in, this was now. The nurse had stuttered the girl's room number when all color had left her face as he'd glared impatiently at her. He only needed to know the level number because the scent of her blood carried, fiercely and sweetly – like a siren's song. He stood firmly, arms crossed over his chest, outside her door with his nose almost touching the wood.
He listened to her breathe sharply within her hospital door. His form slowly dissolved and he poured through the cracks beneath the door and through the key hole.
She lay still, utterly still and quiet save for her occasional harsh intake. A machine attached to her wrist was taking her pulse and overseeing it. Her chest moved up then down in a rhythm.
She still smelled the same though they had quickly washed the blood from her with water – like a slaughterhouse. The room that had gathered her scent just so – collectively and heavily. Gaara nearly felt his eyes roll to the back of his head.
He heard Shukaku murmur in a sing song voice, Little lamb, little lamb…who will find you now that you're so far away?
Gaara turned his head when he heard someone coming footsteps that were not silent and quick enough to be a shinobi and a squeaky wheel of a cart. Out of the corner, he heard her sigh in her sleep. Her breath smelled like her blood.
Little lamb, little lamb….little lamb…
His form dissolved once more and he was whisked from the room via an open window and wind. Fresh, warm and clean air caught his nostrils as he reformed into a body once more, crouching on a tree outside her window and he hated it. He wanted that scent again – the scent of a slaughterhouse up for grabs. He stood and watched the nurse enter with a tray of medicine. He watched her frown and brush something from the girl's pillow in a motherly manner. He inhaled sharply when the wind hit just right and discreetly, like a secret subliminal message; there it was – that scent. Slaughterhouse of the lambs.
Grains of sand washed down the tree and the nurse looking right at the redheaded boy outside the injured girl's blinked as he vanished.
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O.O I know, I know. I have a ton of other crap to do but STFU :/…. Read and Review. Next chapter, it's going to be B is for…and if you want, send in the word and I'll try to work around it if I like the sound of it. Hint: if you want to send in a word; it has to be something not commonly used. :D I'm going to be using weird words and I'm not posting the definitions unless people would like me to, because like my friend, are too lazy to look them up. Now. The price is to review –points floppy plastic sword at audience- Oh yeah. I'm ready to kick ass now. XD Seriously though folks. -.-