Hyuga of the Sand. [ Naruto ]

Ch. 4 ; The Change.

I was suspended in mid-air. What stopped me? Why didn't I hit the ground? Something caught me, but what?

I wiggled in the substance that felt like a hard shell of..

Sand?

"..Are you okay?"

I gasped and looked in the direction of the voice.

"Gaara?" I breathed as the sand placed me on the ground gently.

His foot steps stopped in front of me, "Are you okay?" he repeated himself.

I blindly stared at him before my face creased into a frown, "You saved me?"

His hand extended in front of me, offering to help me up, "Did I do wrong in saving you?"

I crossed my arms, refusing his hand, "You did actually. I didn't want to be saved!"

"But you fell off a building. You could have died."

"It's what I wanted!"

He seemed to be taken back by my outburst, because he took a step back. I don't blame him. If someone told me they wanted to die, I would have thought they were mental.

I let out a shivering sigh and stood up, dusting myself off, "Sorry. I told you before, I'm weird."

"I don't think you're weird."

"Oh... You think I'm crazy."

I heard his shoulders shrug, "Not even that."

"I just tried to suicide and you don't think I'm a lunatic?" I asked.

I sensed him shake his head.

I whispered a small 'oh' and my gaze drifted somewhere else.

"Usually when people harm themselves, or others, it's for a serious reason," he then said. I cleared my throat and bowed my head.

"Why did you do it?" he eventually asked.

I shrugged, unable to form words.

"You can't just not know."

I didn't answer.

"Are you not happy?" he then asked.

I shut my eyes and shook my head, trying my best not to let my forming sobs escape, "I want the pain to go away. I thought that maybe if my heart stops beating.. it won't hurt this much."

"Ending your life doesn't make the problems go away," Gaara said, making my teary eyes to look up, "It just stops any chance of it getting better."

I shook my head, "My blindness is forever, Gaara," I covered my eyes when the tears started falling, "My mother knew that and.. she didn't want to deal with it anymore either."

Gaara hesitated, "I'm guessing your mother.."

I nodded while sobbing softly, "She left me because I'm too pathetic."

Gaara sighed and started to open up a paper bag he had in his hand, "Here. Maybe this will help you a little."

He extended his hand out with something in it.

Sniffling, I took the warm substance, "A-a dumpling?"

"Some woman dropped it when she saw me walking behind her through the alley," he said, "I just happen to be going the same direction as her. She got scared and ran, I guess."

I gave a little giggle, "It's her loss. You got the dumplings," my smile faded when I realized what that meant, "Why are people afraid of you?"

He seemed hesitant, "You don't know?"