Inspired by the song, Concrete Angel by Martina McBride

Welcome to An Angel's Memories, my 3rd story. Please enjoy~

'Why am I here?'

Thinking back, it probably wasn't the best idea to go camping in the mountains during winter. The forest floor was covered with a blanket of white powder, echoing beyond the trees. The air was crisp and freezing. It feels like the wind is blowing through me, chilling my bones to the core.

"Naruto! Dude, where'd you go? It's not safe to go off on your own up here. You could get eaten by bears."

'Oh, right. Kiba.' The closest person I have to calling my "best friend". He invited me to go on a camping trip with him and Gaara during winter break. Knowing that I didn't have any plans, I immediantly said yes. 'Stupidest thing I've ever done.'

"Ya right, Kiba. Like a bear would go after me. If anything, it would go after you. It might think you're a dog that's invading its territory, and attack you. Damn, now I wish I brought my camera."

My face met a snowball. "Whatever, man. This is what I get for inviting you along on my precious camping trip. See if I invite you out again!"

I roll my eyes at Kiba's dramatics. Of course he invited me. Who else would put up with his overly-dramatic tactics?

Without a warning, I'm attack from behind, my back bombarded with snow-missiles. Surprised, I fall forward, covering myself head-to-toe with white powder. The frosty projectiles don't let up until I'm completely buried under the snow.

Angry, I whirl to face my attacker, only to meet yet another snowball to the face. Grimancing, I wipe the unwanted frost of my face.

"Gaara, you traitor!"

Gaara just stands there, smirking. Shrugging, he throws a neatly-made snowball up and down, as if meaning to test my reflexes. A couple feet away, Kiba is kneeling on the ground, laughing and choking at the same time.

"Ah, come on, Naruto. Lighten up! It was just a little snow," he said, managing to force out words through his wheezing and gasps for breath.

I glare, looking down at my body. All I could see was snow. Snow here, snow there. Snow everywhere. All around for everyone to see. But nowhere at all for the people to be.

Frustrated, I stomp off, trying to shake off the snow as I go. Behind me, I can hear Kiba shouting, probably about how he was sorry and it was just a joke. I can feel Gaara's eyes on me, bearing into my back, though. As if they're measuring me, seeing if I can take another hit before I explode. Too late.

'I hate snow.'

With dark clouds over-head, I walk back to the campsite. Our tent looked like an igloo, with all the devil-powder on it. I have no idea how we're going to keep warm in that, tonight. With the thought of the other two, a rush of anger ran through me. How dare they? Do I look like I want to be covered in snow? I could barely keep warm before, when I was still dry? How the hell did they figure I wanted to be soaked with snow? I made it pretty obvious that I didn't want to get wet, if my triple layers of clothes, thick boots, and fuzzy hat had anything to say about it. 'They're just idiots like that.'

'Why am I friends with them again?'

I stand still, thinking over the question. Why am I friends with them? I mean, they're fun and all, but it's not like they're the only people who are fun to be around. Gaara's weird and intimidating, and Kiba's just... Kiba. So what's so special about them?

Unable to come up with an answer, I walk away, hoping to get some time to myself before I have to see the idiots again.

As I walk, I'm not really paying attention. All of the trees look the same to me anyways. It feels like I just watching a nature documentary on replay, over and over again. The snow sees it all. Again, and again. They eat and talk. But the snow knows now, within snow, they can't walk.

Coming to an edge, I stop. Looking off into the distance, I can barely see the setting sun, falling behind the white mountains. Eventually, it became only a blur behind the clouds and rock. 'How nice it must be to be able to hide from the world.'

Taking a step, the world spins. With the sky and snow all being white, I can't see anything. Nothing but white. A sea of white.

'I hate snow.'

And with the white powder comes pain, and aches everywhere. And then there's nothing but a snow surrounding me, as I lifted withing a cloud of falling snow. Around me, there's nothing but snow.

'I'm falling.'

With only that thought in mind, I reach out, hoping to grab something, anything, that'd stop the spiraling. With a tree root in hand, I hang on tight, clinging for my life. I watch as the avalanche of snow passes me, falling down and down beyond where I can see.

'Where'd it go?'

Still unsteady from my recent lack of gravity, I hang on, not knowing anything else to do. I can feel pain everywhere, like a thousand needles are pricking me all throughout my body. My head feels like it's going to explode from the pressure.

'Why don't you just let go?'

Let go. I almost did that. But at the last second, I stopped, my mind battling within itself.

'No. Stay.'

I tighten my grip.

'Just let go. The pain will go away. You'll feel nothing anymore. You'll be free.'

Freedom. Freedom from this place. Free from the snow.

'Stop. What would you friends say, if you left them in a place like this?'

Friends. What friends? What are friends?

'Just let go. Go to sleep, and you'll be free.'

Vaguely, I hear a small voice, shouting in the back of my mind, but I push it away. I need the darkness. The darkness will let me sleep, without any white snow to bother me. Slowly, I leave the light and embrace the darkness.

The moment I let go and touch the curtain of shadows, my world explodes in light. Somewhere, far away, I hear a voice, a whispered shout in my mind.

"Don't. Don't you dare let go."

To Be Continued

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