Sorry for the late update. Well... here you go :D

I don't own Naruto.

Please tell me what you think :)

Chapter 14

It's difficult to try and run away from the truth especially when you are caught red handed. It was obvious as Kiki moved about the room that there was no way for me to even attempt an escape. She has been waiting for this moment for quite a while now and I bet that she wouldn't allow me to easily slip right through her fingertips.

"It's a beautiful mask", she spoke to me frightening me a little. Her voice was filled with grace and composure. It calmed my tense body. For a second, it was as if she had forgiven me for my mistake and had moved on.

But once she spoke again, that all changes. "Don't be so relaxed, sweetheart", she spoke knowingly as if she could read right through my expression, "You're in a lot of trouble."

It was hard to stop that throbbing pain in my chest. In fact, I couldn't glanced into her eyes without feeling faint and unsteady. This girl was crazy! But I couldn't help realize the dreading fact that she could recognize me even when I was concealing my identity.

"How did you know that it was me? How could you recognize me?" I asked her with a courageous voice that sounded a lot braver than I felt.

"It's not hard to know a traitor", she retorted firmly then laughed. "Well in actuality, your hips don't lie", she spoke in mere mockery.

By my hips?! At first, I was baffled by what she had said to me then I realized what she truly meant. It was my figure that gave me away. The thing that I couldn't hide or run away from no matter how hard I try. It has given me away! My own body betrayed me! Sometimes I curse myself for such luck, but it didn't matter now. I sighed in disgust.

Once her gaze fell upon me with her fixated blood red dagger eyes, she admitted calmly, "I haven't been able to sleep lately because of you. I demand an apology for all the trouble and lack of sleep you caused me."

She was bitter and cold. Even the way she required an apology, she spoke with a sour dead tone. I didn't want to provide her with no words of remorse. She just didn't deserve any. But as the silence between us grew, and it was obvious that I couldn't leave her waiting for too long, I felt a stinging rage well up inside me. This rage force my tears hot on my face and caused my eyes to burn. But, in the end, I stood on my feet then spoke with the most regretful voice I could possibly have, "I'm sorry."

It didn't seem to please her. She didn't look satisfied. And when I didn't know why, she told me with clear brutality why. "On your knees, take off that mask, and apologize like a good little girl."

It was hard for me to keep myself contained. I wanted to say 'no', but I was afraid of her and what she was planning. The disgrace I felt washed over me like the wave of an ocean on a small seashell. I was the seashell and, by far, she was the mighty ocean.

The poor little seashell, I thought, fell to its knees when the ocean was present and took off the mask that it hid behind. "I'm sorry", the poor seashell spoke with hate pouring within its small hollow body.

Yet even every attempt the poor seashell took, the ocean remained angry and displeased, never content with the pleads the poor seashell tried.

"That's not enough", the ocean roar with disappointment, "It's okay. We're going to continue the game", she decided firmly with a wicked smile, "We're going to play this game my way, my little ducky", she smiled shrewdly with an evil intent evident in that grin. "Three days to quit. Three days till I take action. Three days to protect the people around you", she lifted three fingers and made sure I saw them. "In exactly three days, the game will be over and the winner will have what they sought to gain in the first place. The loser will have lost something precious", she spoke in riddles before turning her back to me and heading to the door. "Once I walk out that door, the game will start. You have exactly 72 hours to win on me. And just so you know", she glanced at me with a devilish eye, "I have never lost so far and I play to win so don't expect me to go easy on you."

As she was heading for the door, a strong urge welled within me. It felt like it was simmering the blood within my veins and it only grew hotter. And before I knew it, I ran up to her with a fist ready to hit her. But I couldn't strike her, not even close. She spun at me; her eyes focused into mine then pushed me away from her skillfully. It would have been nice to fall onto the ground after that, only to think in humiliation and fear about what I had done, but all that happen from my impatience and rage was the traumatizing crash that ended with me in the mirrors of the dance studio. My body hit them, but they couldn't support me and so they cracked from my weight and I slipped through them onto the hard, cold ground.

The glass shattered upon me and cut me and forced me to bleed. It wasn't nice on me and I could feel the pain from it as the glass fell on my head then my arms and legs. It felt like a nightmare that had just ended, but it was one that just begun.

The sound of the shattering glass rang through my head over and over again. As it shattered, it took away my hopes and dreams along with it and left me alone and pained. The glass cracked and crunched underneath me and when I attempted to move, the glass shards lodged themselves into my skin, my hands, and in my hair. It glittered and shone lethally while some shimmered red from the blood they took from me without question.

By the time my mind caught up with my body, she was gone. Not even asking me of my well-being. She left with no apology or concern as if she was captured by the wind and silenced to leave.

The memories of the day she lectured us poured into my mind. That bloodcurdling laugh rung through my ears like the first day I met her.

Now my blood is ice cold and my body limp on the ground. Everything seemed to return to its usual order. I was the beggar and she was the one we had to beg and plead for mercy. This was our circle of life. It will always end this way. It will always be cruel to us, never welcoming us in warm hands.

More tears fell as I thought of the bitter world around me. Why couldn't I live with the one who will love me and I will love him back without having a murderer on our backs? A quiet chuckle escaped me as I remembered Lilly's hopes of true love. I wonder what she would say now. I'm sorry Lilly, but love isn't available for a beggar. It's only provided for those who deserve more. I love him, I confess, but nothing I could do will make him closer to me and farther from her. It just wasn't meant to be. This incident shows how true that is.

The torture that came from my decision just crushed me. Kiki's previous warning began to flood back, "If you decide not to obey, you might be jobless tomorrow… or missing a family member". If only I could turn back time!

Glancing at my bloodstained hands, the blood slowly trickled its way down my arms and through my sleeves. It dripped onto the ground as if there was nothing on its mind, no concern for my struggle or the trouble it will bring upon me once I am caught by the rest of my masters. Madam Temari would destroy me for what I had done to her dance studio! Lord Gaara would be quite disappointed!

Sobs formed in my throat choking me slowly. What have I done?! Not only will I surely lose my job, but I have just endangered the lives of the people around me, including Lilly and her future! It would be my fault if she got expelled from school! We couldn't return to being lonely beggars again! Not after we found a new home and family! The silent sobs turned into muffled cries and I couldn't stop the salty tears that flew from my eyes, and when I placed my hands on them to wipe my face, the cuts on my hands burnt and stung from the salt, smearing my face with blood.

Slowly, I scrambled onto my feet glancing at the mess I had done. It was horrible! Some of the mirrors were shattered, while the others that stood the pressure of my body, had been cracked! The studio was ruined! And it was entirely my fault!

The guilt gripped me tightly by my chest forcing it to be difficult to breath. When I try to breathe, the guilt only fed and tore onto my insides forcing a wail of pain to escape my chapped lips. How was I to confront master Kankuro now?! He probably would never want to talk to me again!

The thought of me being alone again only forced more cries out of me. After I had warmed up to him and felt him getting closer to me, everything had to shatter and break. Does the world not desire my happiness to last?!

I couldn't stand seeing my reflection in the mirrors anymore. It was hard for me to even glance at my face, but I couldn't avoid it for long. The glass fragments were scattered across the ground forcing me to take quick glimpses of myself every now and then. I fell on my knees helplessly as the tears began to fall harder. I grabbed onto the shattered pieces of glass, trying to put them together again. But all it formed was a deformed image of myself. It was a horrid image of monster who was not scary enough to push away her enemies nor strong enough to protect herself from them.

In the end, I abandoned my attempt to fix the mirrors and just laid there on the ground beside them. It felt right to just lie near the broken pieces. They made me feel whole again. Like those pieces could fit perfectly within my soul and repair the damage that had been done to it. Well, maybe it couldn't do that for me, but, in a sense, I felt complete.

It felt like ages as I lay on the ground before I heard the doors open and my master entered again. "It turns out that a fuse blew, that's all", I could hear his voice say with merriment before he realized what had happened while he was away. His voice was distressed while he asked in sheer panic, "What happened?!"

I couldn't speak. There was no voice within me that could tell him what had happened. Not even a slight whimper or a sob was released. I just laid there, motionless, thinking of the horrors that I was going to be subjected to.

When he came to help me up, his touch was warm and tingly on my cold skin. And when he gazed into my eyes, he could see that I was distressed and upset from my red cheeks and puffed eyes. His eyes scanned the room in disbelief while mine followed blankly.

"I'm sorry", my voice cracked lowly. It sounded broken and weak as I let it crook those words. But he seemed to accept them.

"Did you fall in the dark?"

His question was reasonable, but in actuality, I didn't. I wish it were that simple.

It was hard to breath when he lifted me back to my feet and brought me close to him. Everything went hazy.

"It's okay", I heard him sooth as he petted my hair gently, "It's not your fault." His reassurance was meant to rest my mixed feelings of pain, but it only forced my guilt to grow even larger.

Burying my face into his shirt, I tried to calm myself down, but all I could think of was the mirrors that broke, the studio I ruined, and my death slowly approaching me with every passing minute.

He could feel the little sobs that I tried to contain in my chest then he rubbed my back slightly with his hand.

"I'm going to die", I mumbled briefly hoping for no one to hear but myself. Unfortunately, he heard.

"No, you're not!" he tackled, "They are only flesh wounds!"

A helpless titter escaped my lips. Those wounds are far deeper than just skin deep. It felt like a dagger was plunged into my chest and I was to try and take it out. This Kiki of his had hurt me farther than mere skin and she will continue to cut deeper into my soul each day for the next three days. But I nodded to reassure him. And when I gazed into his eyes, all my worries and troubles were gone. They were carried out of me with the chilly breeze of the Sand Village.

His features were calm and peaceful. When he smiled, it felt like I was looking straight at the blinding sun. He was beautifully put and I wish for him to be mine. Yet I am sure he would not settle for a dancing beggar.

He examined my hands then spoke in disappointment, "Tsk, those pesky pieces of glass must be bothering you", he smiled a bright smile that warmed my heart.

I nodded. "Are we going to wake Lord Gaara?" my head fell. If we were, then there will be no escape.

"Nah, Gaara's probably up, but I'm sure you don't want to bother him... So...", he drawled as he gazed into my eyes, "let me take you to my room and I'll help you get them out."

Without even considering my answer, he grabbed my arm, helped me dust off the pieces of glass on my clothes and hair then took me to his room.

His grip was strong and firm on my hand. Everything was starting to feel right again. Everything began to feel warm. And my heart began to beat to a rhythm of affection, not fear.

As he opened his room door and I walked in, I froze. Paralyzed by the drilling truth that was hiding behind those doors. His room was full of bodies! Limbs! Everywhere! On the walls! On the table! It was horrendous! I was wide-eyed with my voice caught in my throat and when he saw me about to scream for help, he clamped his hand upon my mouth forcing the scream back in.

The force he had on my body was unbelievable! Even with my strongest attempts to move from under his grasp, I wasn't even successful in moving an inch. He was able to prevent my whole body from moving and I was like the stiff bodies he hung around his room.

The cruel reality hit me hard. I thought I loved this guy! But in the end, he was a cold blooded murderer. More tears fell and my muffled screams couldn't be heard. Why? Why?! WHY?! Why was it always like this?! He was only trying to lure me into his trap! Kiki must be a part of this! He is going to cut me then hang me as a souvenir on his wall!

His face looked pained as I struggled to hit him with my loss hands. But his body was hard and my hits only seemed to force a longer frown on his face. As he reached his hand toward something behind my head, I only hoped that he wouldn't hurt me. 'Please don't cut me!', was the breath depriving thought that poisoned my mind. But once I heard a click, the lights of his room turned on and he forced me to glance at the disgusting bodies on the wall.

"They're wood", he tried to calm me down, but my breathing only grew heavier, "They're not really." My eyes shot from his, on to the dummies, then back to his. He appeared to comprehend my finally slowing breath then he released me from his grasp allowing me to inhale from my mouth. I was panting for air and it sounded like I had been running a marathon.

When my eyes focused on the THINGS he had hanging in his room, I could see the chipping wood coming from them. When I looked at him, I couldn't help but yell, "Are you crazy?!" but once I saw his hurt face, I closed my mouth and looked away. "They just scared me", I confessed with my face turning red from humiliation, "I'm not used to seeing that stuff."

Before long, his hand gripped mine tightly, "Let me see your hands." He escorted me to his bed, which surprisingly, was the same size as mine and Lilly's. Even his room was smaller than ours! And here I thought that he was going to have a fancy room, but compared to the house, his room was average... or below... That was so weird!

He fascinated me the way he lived his life. He didn't seem to care whether he lived a rich life or just a regular, non-fancy, life. But why?

"Ow", I unconsciously said as he used tweezers to pick out the glass shards, but he failed miserably and shoved it in slightly.

"Sorry", he spoke with an upset tone.

He still seemed troubled about what I said earlier. I don't blame him. It is painful when people don't accept you for who you are. "You know", I began with a cheery voice, "I would love to know more about those...", I didn't know what to call them. Dolls? Dummies? Things? That left us in silence again and I was too embarrassed to try and attempt to cheer him up.

"They're puppets", he broke the silence as he removed the last shard from my hand, "You should go wash your hands and face in the bathroom over there", he pointed toward a door with his eyes.

Listening to him with no arguments, I entered a bathroom that was, to my surprise, identical as ours! It felt odd to me how his room was smaller and the bathroom was similar. I thought he was going to have a golden bathroom, and a furnished room with flowers and colors beyond compare. Sure it upset me that I didn't get to see more fancy living, but he exceeded my expectations. He has a simple life style.

A smile curled its way up on the corners of my lips. Glancing at my face in the mirror, it was a mess... a bloody mess! But I washed my hands, and they stung a little, then I washed my face and dried them on a small towel. When I dried my face, I couldn't help but breath in the scent that was covering it. It smelt like cologne. It was nice, momentarily, for I couldn't keep my nose on it for long.

As I exited the bathroom, master Kankuro had brought bandages with him. With a weak smile on his face, he glanced at me then patted on the bed next to him telling me to join him. Once I sat on his bed, he grabbed my hands gently then began to wrap them with bandages.

"Do you still want to know?" he asked quietly.

I closed my eyes. "Of course I do", I told him happily, "If it's something important to you then yes I would love to know."

"Then I'll show you", he spoke with passion and enthusiasm burning within him.

They were glorious! Sure, they were weapons, but they moved from glowing strings that come out of his hands!

"Wow", I spoke with fascination as I was allowed to touch the blue glowing strings. When my hands reached his fingertips, I cringed away. "That's so weird. But its amazing! How could you do that?!"

He laughed and that cheered me up. I loved it when he laughed. It made my stomach swarm with butterflies. "Training", he answered simply, "You like?"

"Yeah. Can your brother and sister do that?" Just speaking their names, I began to remember what had happened tonight.

"No, they have other special abilities."

"Hey, Kankuro", I hesitated as I spoke, "If anything happened to me would you protect my sister?"

A dumbfound expression formed on his face then he looked at me suspiciously with a furrowed brow. "You're not planning on doing something you'll regret, are you?"

"No, but I just wanted to know. Would you protect her?" My eyes held tears that were ready flood.

"With all my life", he spoke with strength and a soft smile that reassured me.

I knew that I won't last more than those three days, but I was planning to make the rest of it last long enough for me to make the people around me happy. Surely, my life is coming to a cruel end. I only hope that it's not on HER hands.

For a moment, I knew I forgot something. Remembering Lilly's upset mood, I hustled off of his bed and headed for the door. "I remembered", I told him before leaving, "Lilly was upset for some reason. I'm sorry, but I have to go talk to her." His expression was concerned, but he approved my departure with a nod and a grin then I rushed through the gloomy halls until I came upon our room door. For some reason, the atmosphere that radiate from within the room terrified me. It felt dark and depressing.

Quickly, I tried to place the key into the keyhole, only to miss it every time. Once I calmed down and took my time, the key fit and I opened the door hastily to find Lilly asleep on her bed, uncovered and in one of the dresses we had in the closet. She looked beautiful and, from afar, she even looked at peace. As I closed the door, the weak slam that emanated from the door hitting the wall woke her up.

"What time is it?" she asked me with a yawn.

Looking at my wristwatch I told her, "Around three in the morning. You should go back to sleep." I began to walk to my bed, taking off my shoes as I did so, and leaving them in the middle of the room.

"How was your night?" she asked me curiously watching my every move. She appeared to be waiting for some sort of sign, but I told her what happened... everything but the moment that we were about to kiss.

"So you danced together?!", she asked with a flushed face and a wide grin. "No way! I can't wait to tell Rini!"

"Shh!", I tried to hush her, but her excitement hit the roof.

"And Kiki?", her voice went glum.

I frowned. "She found out that I know stuff on her and she's out to get me." When I gazed at her, I saw her sob. "It's okay. She won't hurt you because she doesn't know about what you know." I tried to comfort her.

She shook her head violently side-to-side. "That's not what's bothering me", she told me with a mumble.

"Don't worry about me, Lilly. I can take care of myself", I got up and sat by her. She let her head rest onto my shoulder then I placed my head on hers.

"Do your hands hurt?" she asked quietly.

I smiled gently at her, "Not much. Master Kankuro helped bandage them so they don't hurt badly."

"Dominique, please listen", her tone changed from tired to troubled. "I had that dream again before you came", she informed me with a slight shiver creeping up on her. I felt her body shake slightly in my arms. Lilly has been having weird dreams lately, but she hasn't been shared them with me. It was odd since she usually spoke to me about everything.

"What is it?" I wondered.

"My dreams have been warning me to leave this village", she confessed as she looked at me with her now watery eyes.

I gazed at her in disbelief, "Lilly, it's just a dream", I tried to relieve the conflict within her.

She shook her head. "It feels far too real and I've had it more than once."

"Don't over exaggerate Lilly", I demanded from her.

She jumped off the bed in disappointment. "I've been warned Dominique! You have to believe me!"

I sighed. "Of course I believe you. I'm sorry, I'll listen. Tell me what happened in your dreams."

She nodded. "Well, it always is in this room", she said while trying to remember what happened and how to put them into words. "This guy usually comes into the room and talks to me. He's the one who warns me." I couldn't help but furrow my brows as she spoke, but when she glanced at me I would release them from their tension. "He's sweet, but he's super creepy!", she added with a grimace. She pointed at her face then exclaimed, "He always has this orange mask on and I can never see his face."

"Orange mask!" I panicked. Could it be the same guy?

Thanks for your patience!