Kodomono norowa re ta Tsukimono Kara
"Sasori dear?" my grandmother asked confused, wondering why I had suddenly stopped. For a minute that seemed an eternity I was silent. "Sasori?" she repeated concerned.
"Chiyo-baabaa, who's that?" I asked, pointing in front of us.
"No one's there Sasori" she replied, following my gaze. "It's just a pile of rags."
"No, no, look closer" I said, my voice a light whisper. She crouched to my level and narrowed her eyes.
"Hmmm... I don't see-" she began, but then she stopped falling silent, her eyes widening.
"Baa-baa?" I asked, puzzled at her change of facial expression.
"Come Sasori, lets go home, I promised I'd buy you candy and the shop's the other way" she said taking my hand and turning away. There was a slight tremor in her voice that sparked my interest.
"Demo baa-baa, that's the long way"
"Demo it's getting late, so it's the safer way", she said, her pace quickening. I looked back to see the blankets shift slightly, revealing two hauntingly beautiful eyes, peeking through a rip in the old cloths. I wanted to go back for a better look, but Grandmother Chiyo had already pulled us round the corner, the bundle disappearing from sight.
"Here you are Sasori" Chiyo-baabaa chirped, handing me a white paper bag with sweets in. We'd only just made it in time as we'd gone the long way.
"Chiyo-baabaa who was she?" I asked.
"Who was who?" she asked, seeming a bit nervous again.
"The girl under the rags" I said, as I popped a sweet into my mouth. She sighed a long sigh, and looked over at me.
"You're too smart for your own good, just like your father was" Chiyo-baabaa said. "Very well Sasori, though I'm afraid not a whole lot is known about her. She's known as the 'cursed child' and supposedly brings about bad luck. I saw her the day I got news of your parents' death." Chiyo-baabaa's face became bitter.
"She's called Tsukimono Kara. Her mother died giving birth, and her father died on a mission the day after."
"So she's an orphan like me?" I asked looking up. Chiyo-baabaa's face softened.
"In a way, but you still have me" she said a smile lighting up her face. I wanted to see that girl again. No... I needed to see that girl again.
"Sasoriiii, Sasori where're you going?" Chiyo-baabaa called. Since Okaa-san and Otou-san had passed away, I had been living with her. Though I did adore my Grandmother, I couldn't deny she was rather annoying. But then again she is old, and old people usually end up going batty. Or maybe she was still being over protective, I don't know. But I'm quite capable of looking after myself, I may still just be a kid, but I'm not stupid.
"Just for a little walk baabaa!" I called back.
"Don't be too long! I have to go to a meeting later and I don't want to leave you locked out!"
"I'll just go to the park if that happens baabaa don't worry!" I replied. As I opened the door. I closed it behind me and started walking along the streets of Sunagakure.
Where could she be?
Better not ask anyone. After the way Chiyo-baabaa talked about her, even if I asked they wouldn't tell me. No, they'd go straight to Chiyo-baabaa and I'd get a huge lecture the minute I got home.
I went to the place I saw her yesterday. She wasn't there. There was nothing except a few strips of dirty cloth and a silver chain half buried by sand. I lifted it up. Maybe it belonged to her? At least now I have an excuse to go find her.
But... how? I looked round, hoping for some sort of clue in the direction she could have gone. Sunagakure was a big place. It wouldn't be easy to find her. I pouted slightly in annoyance.
Where in the dessert did she go?
After searching for three hours with no luck, I headed back home as I was very thirsty. Only to find Chiyo-baabaa had already gone to her meeting and had indeed locked me out.
So with nothing else to do, I went to the park. It was surprisingly empty, usually quite a few of the local kids came here to play. But today there was no one. How peculiar.
My attention was caught by the sound of light sobbing. I followed the noise over to the slide, but couldn't see anything. Where was that noise coming from?
"Konnichiwa?" I said, hoping for an answer. I heard a frightened squeak, as something dashed out from underneath the slide. "Matte!" I cried my eyes widening in recognition.
The tattered rag was wrapped tightly round her as a cloak of sorts, covering her head. She tripped on the long cloth, falling onto her front with an oomph.
"Anou... Doushita?" I asked. She looked up at me and went to scurry away, but I grabbed hold of her cloak. No doubt it was her, I'd never seen eyes like that before. Silvery, blue I'd say, even looked a little lilac.
"Is this yours?" I asked holding up the chain. She shook her head, seeming scared as she stared at me.
"Are you Tsukimono Kara?" I asked. She faltered. Well if I was hated by everyone, I wouldn't admit my name. "I saw you yesterday" I said.
"That's bad luck!" she squeaked. How can a person bring bad luck? It doesn't make sense to me.
"Nande?" I asked.
"Bad things happen around me" she said hiccoughing as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"How's that you're fault?"
"Everyone says so!" she said.
"That doesn't mean it's right" I said. Most of the things baa-chan comes out with are a load of gobbledegook.
"Douzo! You can't know me! It's forbidden!" she cried. Her hood slipped.
"Yare!" she cried pulling it back up.
"Why do you-?" I began shocked.
"I have to go! Pretend you never met me! Sayonara!" she cried hastily running into the shadows and disappearing from sight.
Why did she have animal ears?