TW abuse/violence, slight gore.
Sob...sob...
It was a child of 7 or 8 years old, doe-eyed, trembling with a pleading expression. The child's clothes were dirty, torn along the back.
"Mom, I'm telling you...Shuu-nee spoke ill about you! I couldn't stand it..." the child bawled, tears dampening the pale cheeks with red marks all over the face oozing blood.
A rugged voice said in reply, "And that made you hit her with a hammer?!"
The child wiped its tears. This only made the blood seeping out of the wounds smear over the entire surface. Snot covering its nose, scratches all over the child's face burning and itching. "Mom! I wasn't in the wrong!"
"Izumi..." the mother's eyes were red in fury. She spoke in a heavy tone, purely enraged.
"There are things you musn't do at any cost...what have you done! oh heavens, I..you have dissapointed me. SO DISAPPOINTING! I spent 9 months carrying you. I left behind everything that I held precious. MY PRESTIGE. MY YOUTH. ALL THOSE YEARS OF HARDWORK!
Yet, all you do is stand there and cry as if you were the one who suffered, as if you were the victim!
You.
YOU RUINED IT. It went all wrong when I conceived you...
There hasn't been a moment where I never regretted giving birth to you...I should've killed myself then, I should've taken you with me..." The mother ran her hands over the kitchen drawers searching for something that would ease up her frustration. She continued to mutter in displeasure without a stop. The little creature quivered, leaning against the sink. Eyes fixed on its mother's silhouette.
The water tap dripped, the clock ticked.
The mother's hurriedness came to a stop. That's when she took out a silver tin. This tin was filled with red powder till its rim. She opened it and took out a pinch of the red substance. The child could make out that it definitely wasn't brought out to get added to the food she was cooking. The mother inched closer, the hand that held the pinch of the red chilli powder motioned towards the child's eye.
"MOM I'M SORRY I WON'T DO IT AGAIN....MOM PLEASE FORGIVE ME PLEASE..." The child's cry got louder, it hugged its mother's leg in an attempt to stop her from moving forward. The child begged, tears overflowed, the whimpering constant. However, the mother didn't find the child's plead as a hindrance at all. She forced opened the child's eye, stuffing it with the red substance.
"Izumi, I wish you would just disappear..."
"I wish..."
The child howled and wailed in pain struggling to free itself like a fish caught by a fishnet. It didn't stop uttering its mother's name even in this torment.
"MOM IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS SO MUCH MOM-"
And at that instant, a tall silhoutte appeared behind the mother witnessing the scene play out.
"AKANE!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER? HAVE YOU GONE INSANE?!"
-
Gasp!
My eyes flicked open in horror.
{Pant...pant}
Clenching the t-shirt around my chest, I tried to suck in a few breaths. Covered in cold sweat, my body didn't stop trembling even after an incense of time.
Having a couple of nightmares every week wasn't an uncommon occurance for me. The things that happened in the past get replayed over and over again. I should've gotten used to it.
At least, that should've been the case. But it never gets better, it just gets...worse.
I switched on my phone to check the time. Seeing how it was still 5 in the morning, I decided to cook something for myself and leave early for school. Of course, the school gates won't open until 7 but I'll wander around and get some fresh air till then. This what I do everytime when I wake up early, mostly from nightmares. You could consider this as a coping mechanism of mine.
CLASP CLICK!
I closed the door, turning around to be greeted by a rainy weather. I didn't have to worry about getting my clothes wet, not with the blue parasol I was carrying. However, after striding for a few minutes, the winds grew stronger and the clouds turned darker. I realized that I wasn't so fortunate as to take a merry walk in the neighbourhood. Even with the storms approaching I didn't want to go back to that place. Because if I did, I would encounter a face I despise the most.
I continued to walk towards the direction of my school. The rain poured in heavily, the clouds colided and the sky sparked. A roar came from above. I was scared, drenched halfway, feeling cold all over. I paced up my steps till I could faintly see a board which read "Slow Down School Ahead".
As expected, the schools gates were shut closed. Unknowingly, I zoned out for quite some time, my gaze fixated on the wide barred gate when someone gently tapped on my shoulder.
"Izumi?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Akane (あかね) 'deep red' Izumi's mother
Hello readers! I'm sorry for the late update. I was planning to release new chapters every week but as my finals are approaching, it seems like I wouldn't be able to follow through it. . If you're not aware about already this novel is going to be a slowburn even though there's a romance tag. In addition to that, there will be a bonus update on February 14th. Thank you for reading, I hope you have a great weekend! <3333