How to Have a Heartbeat? (Book Two)

Extra::: Christmas Special

            The harps of the golden bells rang, making the snow almost vibrate under those who passed by. It was very cold and Sasuke could hardly feel his hands. All he had for warmth was a single thin blanket and nothing else.

            He sunk his head into his knees as more church bells rang. He hated that sound. When he was little and his mother used to take him out every Sunday he looked forward to those sounds and the pews where the pastor would tell everyone scary stories about a guy named Jesus.

            But now the sounds of church bells were only a constant reminder that his mother was gone. But not just his mother. Everyone he ever knew and loved was gone too.

            Sasuke's head sunk further into his knees.

            To everyone who passed by the young boy they took pity on him, but no one was to be bothered with raising a poor street boy who had nothing to offer them.

            He wasn't always a pitiable street boy. A long time ago he had a family, and he got everything he wanted.

            But Konoha wasn't very kind to the weak.

            Once again the church bells rang and small tears froze in the corner of Sasuke's eyes. His fingers were numb to the point where he couldn't even twitch them. He tried, oh how he tried, but he was so tired.

            Maybe if he closed his eyes he could never wake up. If he never woke up would he dream of a happy family once again?

            That doesn't sound so bad.

            Slowly coherent thoughts became mumbled and mixed to a point where even Sasuke didn't know what he was thinking. He tried to move again, but his eyes wouldn't open. He was so cold.

            The only time he wasn't cold was when he was sleeping. He couldn't feel anything when he was sleeping. He couldn't think about his screaming parents in the next room and how red their blood was. Or how their dead faces looked. He could forget about how he ran away from all of it. So maybe sleeping forever wasn't such a bad thing.

            He wanted to sleep.

            But another part of him wanted to stay awake. He wanted to fight off the cold and the welcoming slumber.

            Maybe Sasuke was too young to die.

            How old was he again?

            He didn't remember.

            The sound of sudden hooves moving across the pavement chimed in his head. It was an annoying sound. He wanted it to go away.