One Step, A Million Nightmares, a naruto fanfic

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One step, ten blows
Ten blows, a hundred kills
A hundred kills, a thousand flashes
A thousand flashes, a million nightmares
And it all took that one step.

o----o

One Step, A Million Nightmares

You don't become insane in just one day. There's steps towards it. Just like there's steps to everything else.

October 10th, a dark figure of a man approached a house. A large shiny object is held in his hand. He moved his hand slightly, and the object reflected off the light of the front porch lamp -- a sword. He went around the house, in search for an open window. When he did, he peered in, and faced the back of a man. Too easy, he thought, but stuck his sharp weapon through the other's upper back. The attack was surprising, no time to yell or scream. There was no breath left for it. The man's eyes glinted, showing no remorse for what he had just done. Instead, he smiled . What fun! he realized this was. He entered through the window. Time for the next!

Ring around the rosy
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down

We all fall down

We'll all fall down...

Red.

It's that same color again.

Dark.

That same color of his hateful eyes.

Blood.

Same color of that room...

So long ago, I had wanted to hurt him. His eyes. His mouth. His face. Everything about him bothered me. His voice, when he opens his mouth and speaks, it irritated my ears. And that smile. That damn smile of his torments me. Haunts me as each passing day comes and goes as I'm left with my thoughts. I can't leave. I'm trapped. Reminders of him are trapped along with me. Images come every once in a while. Sometimes, for years they don't come. When they do though, they stay for what seems like forever. Playing, over and over. Repeatedly... unceasingly, without exception. The border line between sanity and it's opposite is within my reach. I try to grasp it, but it pulls away from me.

Even when they aren't playing in my head, I'm still stuck in the same place. I still can't leave. I'm still trapped.

There was a knock on the door. "Are you awake dear?" A woman. This is perfect. He didn't even have to find the next. Door opens. "Dear?" And of course, the woman saw what had happened. She opens her mouth to let out a sound, any sound. The man, in a flash, was in front of her body, head unseen above the neck. Second scream stopped tonight. One more to go...

Deceit.

Like photographs...

Despise.

...flashing through...

Deception.

... my mind.

But that was long ago, when I had wanted to hurt him. Let him endure torture unimaginable. Ache with unbearable pain. Via dolorosa... except with shame and humiliation. I wanted to make him experience ignominy. Maybe more so than he already did. Watching him suffer was thrilling. Yes, I did want to. Now, I have hurt him. Now, I have shamed him, degraded him, sabotaged his dignity.

And now... what happens next?

"Ne, ne! Guess what?"

"Hm?"

"It's my birthday today!"

"It is? Why didn't you tell me before, I would have gotten you a present."

"Oh, must've slipped my mind, sorry. Heh, heh..."

"Well, what date is today? I'll remember it next year."

"Today's the 10th! October 10th! Remember it forever!"

Everyone thinks I'm crazy.

His hands. They were bleeding. I didn't get it, why were they bleeding? We were only at the playground that time. I was talking to him, and his hands started bleeding. He looked down at it himself, and smiled. "Don't worry, don't worry. That was my present." What? His head turns up, I see his face. Scars, slashes across his cheeks. Dry blood, no bruises though. "Your face! There's..." I stop when I noticed he smiled again and starts running away. "Where are you going? Stop!" He runs, I run after him. Where's he heading? I wondered back then. Where... where... His legs, I see them go up and down. There's blood there too, deep gashes. Blood was seeping through his clothes, surfacing.

I stopped when he stopped running forward halting in front of a house. That house... it was that house. He turned to me, I can hardly recognize him, I still see his eyes. I know it's still him. High walls surrounded the house, with huge gates for the entrance. He pushed it open, and smiled at me once more as if telling me to come with him. He entered halfway. I slowly stepped towards the entrance. I couldn't see him anymore from the side, he was all the way in. I reached the gates. He was waiting. I didn't step in. He wasn't smiling as much anymore. "Come in, come play!" He extended his hand and grabbed my wrist. The hand... all bloody, the bone... no.. no skin. Too shocked, too horrifying. His whole body was paralyzing. "Come play with me! Come in and play!" With sudden force, he pulled me all the way in.

Screams were heard.

"Don't you want to play with me?"