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Once upon a time there was a Queen who had a beautiful baby daughter. She asked all the fairies in the kingdom to the christening, but unfortunately forgot to invite one of them, who was a bit of a witch as well. She came anyway, but as she passed the baby's cradle, she said:
"When you are sixteen, you will injure yourself with a spindle and die!"
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I was tired.
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Sweat dripped over my forehead, over my neck, my long dress was sticky and uncomfortable.
I was picking various herbs for hours now, my back hurt, my eyes burned, my feet passed the stage beyond agony a long time ago.
Frustrated I looked at my companion. Though Chiyo-baa-sama must have already passed her ninetys -nobody really knew how old she truly was- she still moved with the ease of a young girl.
„I can't walk anymore, Chiyo-baa-sama, let's go home. I had enough for today."
Chiyo let out a scournful snort and turn her back at me.
I guess, I could consider this as her answer.
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Deciding to demonstrate in silent stoppage, I let my exhausted self fall to the ground. The long grass moved with the soft breeze and brushed my arms and legs, as I watched my mentor pick up herbs and put them in her already full basket.
I' ve known the old granny for years now, and though many people in our village disliked her for her often eccentric behaviour -they believed that she was a witch, which wasn't that wrong- I liked her.
She taught me everything she knew. She was the only one, who understood my problems.
To be different...
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Suddenly something -I didn't know what it was- made me look up. When I saw the forest, still a few miles away, I got an odd sensation deep down my chest.
Since I was a kid, the forest had fascinated me.
Whenever I looked at the forest, with the old, huge trees and the gnarled branches, I got this strange feeling and I didn't know, if it was good or bad. Mabye I liked the wood, because it was forbidden. Cursed. Deathproof.
People love the forbidden, the danger, they say.
I knew very well, how dangerous the forest was. My mother told me often enough.
I rememberd, the first time she warned me, was on my seventh birthday:
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Happily I played with the beautiful doll I had gotten from my parents. After a while, I decided to show my new toy the 'world'. After all, my little doll needed to know, what was going on beside the life in the house. Of course I didn't tell my parents, that I was going outside.
This was the first time in my life I walked outside the village.
This was the first time in my life I saw the wood.
This was the first time in my life I heard it.
And this was also the first time in my life, my parents got really, and I mean really, angry with me.
I never experienced this before, because I was my parent's everything. The only child. The little princess. The sun they revolved around.
My mother grabed me and pulled me away from the forest. When we arrived home, she sat me forcefully on a chair, then she bent down, right to my eyelevel, her usually gentle brown eyes hard and cold, her voice dangerously quiet:
„Do you know what happened to Yuki-chan, Mrs. Konoko's daughter?"
Fearfully I shook my head, my doll pressed thightly to my chest.
„She went into the forest. And now she'll never come back. Because nobody can ever come back, when you're dead, killed, eaten, or worse."
My mother took my littel hand in hers.
„This is why you're not allowed to go there. Nobody is. It's forbidden."
Shyly I looked up. „But it sounded so pretty."
My mother froze.
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It's forbidden. I heard these words so often, it could last a lifetime.
I sat there in deep thought , when suddenly a hand grabed my shoulder. Chiyo-baa-sama's old, lined face greeted my sight. Her gaze followed mine. For a moment we sat there, staring at the wood, comfortable silence between us. Chiyo never forbid me anything. She always said: „Rules are for the foolish."
„Time to go.", her raw, yet sharp voice cut through the wind.
I followed her in silence.
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It's forbidden...
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„Where were you?"
My mother sent me an interrogative glance, when I entered the house.
„Out with Chiyo-baa-sama.", I replied softly.
My mum didn't seem pleased at all.
„You know that I don't like her."
„Yes, I do. But I want to spent time with her. Isn't it the duty of the young to learn from the old?"
With that answer I always outsmarted her. She never knew how to counter. Most of the time she changed the subject. As she did now:
„Could you please set the table, sweety? Your father is coming home today and I want to cook his favourite food."
After I heard that, happiness floated through me.
My beloved father was coming home.
My dad with his gentle eyes, who read my favourite stories to me every night, my dad with his huge heart and wide smile. There was only one thing I hated about him:
His work.
He was a merchant. Travelling was the main part of his job, so I didn't get to see him as often as I would have liked to. When he returned he had always a little present for mom and me. It was almost a tradition. Though that wasn't the best thing he brought with him. For me, the fantastic stories of his travels were the most precious treasures I could ever wish for.
I longed for his stories. Mother always said, that this was the reason I have too much imagination and I'm way too dreamy.
I didn't care. For my mother, the only important thing was the money he brought home:
Do tales make you saturated?
Do they protect you from the harsh cold of the winter?
Can they dress you?
We have already enough magic here, there's no need to know about more wizardy!
Oh, she did have countless of such phrases. It wasn't like my father and I listened to her anyway.
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„Sakura?"
I snaped out of my thought. My mother looked at me, a frown evident on her face.
„Did you take the new pot? You know the one father brought me as a present from his last travel? I can't find it anymore."
„No, I didn't. Shall I help you searching?"
She let out a deep sight, while shaking her head.
„No, sweety. A goblin must have took it, searching for it would be a waste of time. They just love shiny things."
Annoyed she began to cut vegetables into tiny pieces.
„The third pot already and the year has just begun."
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Dad came about an hour later.
His greyish brown hair was tousled, his expression tired and worn-out, yet his eyes still looked brightly. When I saw him entering the room, it hit me for the first time in my life:
My dad was old.
Of course he wasn't an old granny like Chiyo-baa-sama, but still...
I turned around in order to watch my mother, and I saw the same: She was old, too.
And I wondered, why I never realized it before.
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It was midnight and I still wasn't asleep. I didn't know why not, because my body surely wanted to sleep, I felt tired and exhausted. But my mind refused to follow my body's wish to fall asleep. I just couldn't. Maybe it was because of my father's return. We stayed awake longer than usual, too much was to tell and speak about.
I rolled around in my bed until my gaze fell on the musical clock, my dad presented me. It was very pretty and had a nice melody. I watched the small gift for a while.
I really did have a good life. My parents loved me more than anything. Though we lived a simple life and weren't rich or even wealthy, we never had to suffer from hunger or cold, like many people in our time. We had a nice little house, good clothing, a small garden, which was my mother's pride. The village I lived in was quiet and peaceful. The habitans were maybe a bit weird, but friendly. One would say the only stain in this perfect picture was the forest. And I didn't even agree on that.
Then why, why, wasn't I happy? I was supposed to be happy, right?
Why did I feel so... sad?
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„Don't you think it's time to tell her?"
His soft words let his wife froze, her hands, which had been busy washing the dishes, stopped. It took Mrs. Haruno a while, before she catched her breath again and continued her work. She choosed to ignore his remark, but her husband didn't leave it.
„Minako."
Just a word,her name, yet so powerful in the way he spoke it. Even after fourty years of marriage, he still had that effect on her. Slowly she looked up, meeting his gentle gaze.
„No.", she whispered.
„I don't think so."
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„Sakura-nee-chan!"
Tiredly I looked up from my breakfast, as I heard the well-known voice from a certain little kid call out my name. Seconds later, the little boy entered the kitchen, greeting my mother, who gave his muddy shoes a dirty look.
„Konohamaru, don't you dare to walk any further into my kitchen in those shoes!"
Said boy grinned sheepishly and took of his shoes. Then he turned around and stormed at me:
„Sakura-nee-chan, read us a story, pretty, pretty please!"
I sighed. Not again.
„I'm busy right now. Can't this wait?"
My answer didn't satisfie him, for he began to pout.
„But you're one of the few people, who can read! We don't know whom we should ask instead!
He looked at me with puppy eyes. Damn him.
„Okay, I'll come around later, tell this the other kids. And now, lop off and let me eat."
Konohamaru nodded happily and left. Immidiately my mother naged:
„You're seventeen years old, Sakura. It's time for you to look for a husband and not after some brats and read them silly fairytales."
I ignored her comment and continued to eat.
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After I had done my part of the housework, I decided to go outside. The weather was great and I was bored, perfect conditions to take a walk. Slowly, without any hurry, I headed to one of my favourite places: A huge field, full of flowers and void of any human. Well, most of the time. Happily I strolled through the high grass and enjoyed the feeling whenever it brushed against my bare hands and arms, while the wind was playing with my hair. Without realizing it I began to hum the song, which invaded my mind ever so often. I was so deep in thought that I didn't realize, that someone was behind me.
„Uargh!!"
I shrieked at the sudden outburst and began to lash about me, when I felt a pair of hands on my dress. And I hit. With a painful grunt my attacker fell on the ground. When I saw, who it was, I began to laugh.
„Serves you right, Inuzuka. You sneaky little idiot."
My best friend looked up at me, frowning.
„You have such a damn hard punch for a girl, Haruno."
Still giggling I sat down beside him.
„Where did you leave Akamaru?"
Kiba just grinned. At the same moment I felt two heavy paws on my shoulders and a wet tongue on my cheek.
„Uh."
I gave him a angry glance, while I cleaned my cheek from the sloppy salvia. With my other hand I stroke the pelt of the huge dog.
„You tricked me."
Kiba laughed.
„Let's say we're even."
I nodded. Then I let myself fall into the grass. For several minutes we lay there in peaceful silence, watching the clouds above us.
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Outside the village, the wood stoud proudly in his majesty.
Though the wind was quite strong, not a single leaf of the gnarled trees moved. If you listened closly you could hear the faint melody of a song...
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...come to me children...
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