A chilled October breeze rustled the leaves and caused the fruit to sway. It seeped into Gaara's sweater and bled through the shirt underneath. It blossomed over his skin and coaxed each hair on his body to stand on end.
Didn't they say it would get in the low sixties tonight? Why did it feel like they were on the verge of forties weather? Gaara shivered and flexed his fingers to ease the stiffness from them.
A few more.
Only a few more apples and he could go home, drink a warm cup of tea, curl up in his bed and pass out until his alarm went off. "Just a few more," he repeated as he held up his flashlight to examine the apples.
The grass made a soft sound beneath his boots, but aside from Kankurou's whistling it was silent. He understood that Nara Farms was in the middle of nowhere, but did it have to be so quiet?
He pushed that thought aside, walked around the tree to inspect two apples that caught his eye. One was bright red and faded to yellow and the other was dark red. He checked them for bruises and when he found none, reached out to touch them.
They were firm.
He held the flashlight between his thighs and rolled onto the balls of his feet. It was a bit of a stretch for Gaara's five feet and four inches but he somehow managed. He took an apple in each hand, gave a few twists and they broke free. He lowered himself back onto his heels and checked the apples again. They weren't bruised. He took care when he placed the apples on top of the others already in his bag.
"Two more should be good."
He pulled the flashlight from between his thighs and held it up. While there were plenty of apples to choose from, he needed more yellow apples. Temari adored them and refused to bake without them. To Gaara, an apple was an apple, but if her Majesty wanted yellow apples, she was going to get yellow apples.
Gaara supposed one of the perks in being the only girl meant, to an extent, her brothers went out of their way to spoil her. He chuckled at the thought as he scanned each tree to see which one had what he needed.
Red.
Red.
Combination.
Red.
Owl.
Re-
Gaara paused then focused the beam on the branch a few feet away from him to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Sure enough, perched on the branch was an owl. It watched Gaara as Gaara stared at it.
Ah, that's right. Shikamaru did say something about animals roaming the orchard at night. Nara Farms ended at the edge of the woods, and as far as Gaara knew, the animals that lived there were harmless.
Gaara gave the owl a small nod. So long as it didn't bother Gaara he had no plans on bothering it.
The owl flew away, another breeze tickled the back of Gaara's neck and he stiffened. He needed to get out of this weather as soon as possible. That snapped Gaara back to the task at hand.
Apples.
Yellow apples.
It didn't take him long to find what he needed. He stepped over the bag and made his way to the tree. He plucked a few yellow apples free, made his way back to his bag then placed them inside.
That should be more than enough.
He crouched to zip the bag and took care when he slipped it on. A backpack wasn't the most ideal container for apples, but given how last minute this trip was it was the best Gaara had. He kept his steps light so he didn't jostle the bag more than necessary.
He hoped Kankurou had finished too so they could get out of here. The muscles in his face were stiff from the cold, as were his joints. Don't even get Gaara started on his nipples…
He followed Kankurou's whistling and called out beforehand so he didn't scare him when he approached. Given Shikamaru's warning about the animals it never hurt to take precautions.
As he stepped from behind the trees, he saw Kankurou. He was crouching in front of his bag. Though he didn't look up, he made a noise to let Gaara know he heard him as he placed the apples in his arms inside.
Gaara stepped out of the shadows and stood in the moonlight. While it wasn't as warm as sunlight, it was warmer than standing in the shadow of an apple tree, "Done?"
"Just need to zip up and we can go," Kankurou zipped his bag and slipped it over his shoulders.
Gaara rubbed his arms as Kankurou approached him. He grinned, "Thanks for tagging along with me. I know how much you hate the cold."
"I only agreed to come out tonight because it wasn't supposed to be this cold. Wasn't it only supposed to be sixty-four degrees? Why does it feel like forty-four?"
"It's not that cold," Kankurou dropped an arm over his shoulders as they started towards the car. "It only feels like it's freezing because the wind was blowing earlier."
A comfortable silence fell over them as they walked. Gaara didn't mind. It was nice spending time together like this. Kankurou had other ideas, "I never got the chance to ask, but what do you think about Temari's new boy toy?"
"Shikamaru?"
"Yea, you've hung out with him right?"
Gaara nodded, "A few times."
"And?"
Gaara shrugged, "He seems like a straight up guy. I don't have a problem with him, but I prefer to keep my distance."
"Why's that?"
Gaara made a face as he looked at Kankurou, "Because he's dating our sister. On principle we kind of have to be suspicious of the guy."
Kankurou gave a slow nod, "I suppose that makes sense."
Gaara waited for Kankurou to continue. When he didn't, Gaara did, "While we're on the subject, remind me again why we had to come all the way out here for apples?"
"Temari likes them."
"I know that, but why did we have to come out here so late for apples. It's almost two am and I need to be up for work by six."
"Yea," Kankurou rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, "sorry about that. I'm glad you agreed to come with me though. We haven't spent a lot of time together lately so I thought-"
"Kankurou?"
"Yea?"
"Why did you really drag me out here?"
Kankurou's arm fell from his shoulders when Gaara stopped walking. Kankurou turned enough to look at him and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
Gaara counted heartbeats until Kankurou spoke, "Have you heard the rumors about this place?"
Gaara tilted his head. Should he have heard rumors about this place? Aside from Nara Farms growing some of the best apples in Shadowmount, he hadn't heard anything. Shikamaru's great grandfather started the business years ago. It did well, it's doing well and soon it would be up to Shikamaru to keep it running.
Kankurou tried again, "Do you know what happened to Shikamaru's last girlfriend?"
"Should I?"
"Yes," Kankurou frowned. "No one's seen her in over a year. The police questioned Shikamaru, but they let him go. They didn't find any evidence tying him to her disappearance. The strangest part of it all was how calm he was after everything happened. His girlfriend up and vanished and what's he doing? Playing shogi with a family friend."
"Kankurou," Gaara sighed. "You should know as well as anyone that people grieve in different ways. You don't really think Shikamaru has the motivation to kill someone, do you? He's sloth personified. I don't even think he has the motivation to climb on top wh-"
"Gaara!"
He raised his hands in surrender, "My point is that he's, hands down, one of the laziest men we know. Sure he's smart enough to plan and get away with murder, but do you think he would actually go through with it?" Gaara almost laughed at the idea.
What would Shikamaru do? Snore them to death? He chortled.
"Our sister could be dating a murderer and you're laughing?"
The corners of Kankurou's lips wouldn't stop twitching. He was trying so hard not to laugh. It's okay if you want to, I won't judge.
Kankurou sighed and his lips curled into a smile, "Fine. You got me."
"Of course I do," Gaara gave Kankurou a weak punch, "But what does that have to do with the farm?"
"This is going to sound crazier than Shikamaru being a killer." Kankurou dropped an arm over Gaara's shoulders again as they started towards the car. "Rumor has it, the farm does so well because it's enchanted."
Gaara made another face and Kankurou laughed, "Right? Apparently, great grandpa Nara made a deal with some supernatural creatures. They helped his business boom and in exchange, he would supply them with prey every so often."
Gaara blinked in disbelief.
Who-
How-
Gaara was at a loss. Kankurou was about to add more, but stopped when the leaves started to rustle. Gaara waited for a breeze to come but when it didn't, Kankurou's arm stiffened a bit around his shoulders. Gaara looked around and found nothing amiss.
He supposed it was a small animal, but didn't miss the chance to tease Kankurou. "Think it's Shikamaru coming to feed us to the Boogeyman?"
"I liked you better when you didn't have a sense of humor."
Gaara chuckled, "It's probably an animal. Shikamaru did say they come out at night."
Kankurou let out a breathy laugh then cleared his throat, "Right. Well, we should get a move on. Don't want you to be late for work."
Gaara laughed but walked faster to keep up with Kankurou.
"I'm glad you came with me," Kankurou confessed, his voice was so quiet Gaara almost missed it.
"Me too."
As they walked, a shadow loomed closer to them. It started small, then stretched as it hovered overhead. Gaara assumed it was a cloud drifting by, but when it didn't move on, when it stayed looming above them, Gaara looked up.
Wide, soft purple eyes stared down at him. Had Gaara not seen the animal attached to them he would've mistaken them for stars. Its large wings gave a lazy flap as it drifted in the sky above them.
It never flew ahead.
It never fell behind.
It never took its eyes off Gaara.
Gaara looked away and pursed his lips. Weird ass bird.
He tried not to let it get to him. Tried to occupy his mind with small talk, but the weight of the owl's eyes bore right into Gaara's core. He felt exposed and wished he was anywhere, but here.
The sooner they got to the car, the better. Speaking of the car, how far away did Kankurou park? He didn't think they went too deep into the orchard but this walk was taking an eternity. The cold wasn't helping matters either.
Just then, a creak then thud filled the air. The silence that followed unnerved Gaara.
Creak. Thud. Scratch. Crunch.
A car alarm sounded. Kankurou swore. He moved his hand from Gaara's shoulders and pulled out the switchblade he kept in his back pocket.
There was a loud whine, something broke and the alarm was silent.
It was almost too quiet now that the alarm stopped. For the first time that night Gaara realized how quiet the orchard was. No crickets.
No bugs.
Not even the wind dared to make noise now.
The stillness made the owl's quiet 'hoo' sound louder than Gaara knew it to be. Gaara looked up once more. The owl was still overhead. It still stared down at him with those unnerving purple eyes, only this time, it was smiling.
Gaara looked away, Kankurou jogged towards the car and Gaara followed. The owl's shadow no longer hovered over them and Gaara wasn't sure if he should be grateful or worried.
The end of the orchard was in sight and through the trees he caught glimpses of the car. Gaara was so relieved he almost missed Kankurou stopping in front of him. Gaara managed to slow himself enough keep them upright, but not enough to avoid running into him. Gaara started to ask what was wrong, until he looked at the car.
The car door was wrenched open, crumpled and bent at an awkward angle.
Claw marks dug deep into the door right where the wrinkles started. While the state of the door was a cause for alarm, it was what was behind the door that made them take a step back. Gaara could only see part of it, and what he saw made his blood run cold.
Those weren't human legs.
The shape was wrong.
Muscles rippled beneath the white fur as it moved to steady itself. It pressed forward, the car creaked and whined in protest as it tipped on two wheels. When the creature sat back, the car flopped back onto all fours. Snarls and sniffs escaped the creature as it shoved its head deeper into the car. Was it looking for something? Or was it looking for someone?
Gaara didn't plan on sticking around to find out.
He took a step back and was glad when Kankurou did the same. They kept their eyes on the beast as they made a slow descent back into the orchard.
Shikamaru's house was just on the other side so if they could reach it, they would be fine. All they had to do was get far enough away so the thing didn't see them, then make a mad dash through the orchard to safety.
They were almost out of sight.
Another three or so steps and they could hide in the safety of the apple trees.
Fate, Gaara learned, was a cruel bitch as a breeze picked that time to blow.
Gaara closed his eyes. Kankurou went rigid in front of him.
When Gaara opened his eyes again, his knees almost gave out.
The creature stood to its full height and looked at them with two dark slits. They looked even darker compared to the white of its fur. It took one step and moved from behind the car door.
Gaara and Kankurou took one step back.
Its nose twitched at the end of its long snout. His tongue flopped out, it panted then slipped to all fours. If Gaara wasn't on the verge of hysterics he would've been in awe at how graceful something so large could be.
It took two steps forward. They took two steps back.
It slid its front paw forward. They slid their feet back.
The creature licked its lips as if it found something delicious. It shifted his gaze to Kankurou and grinned.
It was toying with them.
Gaara didn't hesitate when Kankurou told him to run. He dashed into the trees, Kankurou was close behind him and that thing was hot on their heels. Gaara hoped weaving through the trees would slow it down long enough for them to escape. With a body that huge, it must be difficult to maneuver through the gaps between the tree trunks.
CRAAAACK!
FOOMP!
THUD!
Gaara started to turn his head, but Kankurou yelled for him not to look. There were more cracking sounds, things slicing through the air then slamming hard against the ground. Gaara's heart almost stopped. The thing wasn't weaving through the trees; it was smashing right through them.
Its footfalls were getting closer.
Its snarls grew louder.
Its breath was on the back of his neck. Gaara ran faster. He could hear Kankurou behind him. He tried to pull him beside him but Kankurou told him to focus on running.
It was still a ways away, but Gaara could see Shikamaru's house. They were almost there, just a little longer and-
Everything slowed as the house rose higher and the ground grew closer. Falling was an out of body experience and Gaara didn't snap back to his senses until he gasped for air. Kankurou hopped over his fallen body and slid to a halt.
He grabbed Gaara's arm and hoisted him up without missing a beat. Gaara tried to run, but found he couldn't. He looked down and made a strangled noise.
Something was grabbing him.
The more he struggled, the more it tightened. He grabbed for it and tugged. It was cold and slippery. It felt like flesh but stretched like a rubber band.
The creature knocked over another tree and crawled towards them. Kankurou stood between it and Gaara. He grabbed some apples that fell during the beast's rampage and chucked them at it. One hit it on the shoulder and another hit it right on the snout. It let out a startled, high-pitched whine as it stopped in its tracks.
Gaara tugged the thing grabbing his ankle. Kankurou turned and sliced it away with his blade.
They looked up as the creature growled and narrowed its eyes at Kankurou. They weren't black any more. They were red.
Kankurou shoved Gaara in front of him again and told him to move. Before he turned, Gaara caught a glimpse of the creature bulldozing its way towards them.
They ran.
The house came closer. They were almost there. If they could hold out a little longer they would be okay.
Gaara wheezed as he was shoved aside. He lost his balance and collided into a nearby tree. Adrenaline dulled the pain in his right arm as he dropped to his knees.
He heard a bark then Kankurou screamed. His turned his head towards the sound, saw Kankurou hold up the knife then a flash of white fur.
Kankurou.
Gaara tried to get up, but found he couldn't. Something wrapped around legs and crept up his thighs. The ground shook and he fell onto his hands.
Roots sprouted from the ground and wrapped around his wrists. Gaara tugged and struggled as footsteps came closer. Someone stopped, crouched and Gaara looked up.
Long dark strands spilled over his shoulders and framed his face. On his forehead was a tattoo unlike anything Gaara had seen. His eyes-
Those eyes.
Those eyes! They were the same as the-
"Owl," Gaara breathed.
They curled into crescents as the man grinned. He reached forward and Gaara tried to pull away. The man's hand froze for a moment, then resumed its previous course. His fingers were surprisingly warm for someone not wearing gloves. His touch was light against Gaara's skin as he brushed away some dirt, "Shikamaru asked me to deliver a message."
His tone was dull despite the smile on his face.
Gaara's heart dropped into his stomach. Shikamaru was behind this?
The ground beneath Gaara cracked, the roots began to pull him under. He struggled as he sunk deeper and deeper into the soil. The man brushed Gaara's bangs from his face, "Welcome to Shadowmount."
Gaara sank. The ground closed and everything went black.
A/N: It's been ages since I've posted here. Sorry about that. Life got in the way, but I'm back now and I'm dying to know.
What did you think? Did you like it? Not like it? Am I being too needy? Sorry...It's just, this is so much different than what I'm used to writing. This was a challenge, but it was so much fun! I'm curious to hear what you guys think Neji is in this story. I described him with one idea in mind, but I would leave to hear your thoughts on the matter.
There's so much I want to say, but I don't think this is the place for it. I plan on posting more notes on my blog so feel free to check that out if you want to hear me ramble. Also feel free to come bug me on Twitter or Tumblr :)
Links are on my profile.
Thanks so much for reading until the end!
Mimi