Before the Rain Stops || Myoui Mina

Chapter 11

Your freshman year was the beginning of the end.

Your mother no longer showed you her warm smile. She no longer laughed with you. She no longer saw you as her child. She saw you as a tool. A tool to get her revenge—her justice. All because of him, your father. He left you both.

You joined the chess club in secret because your friends wanted you to. They didn't know, and still don't know, your circumstances. You don't want them to know. You don't want them to be in danger.

When you first joined the chess club, you had no intentions to actually play chess. Neither did the others. Joining the chess club was just an excuse to hang out with each other.

During your sophomore year, you sinned.

You found her secret, and she found your secret. That day, you let all your feelings out. Was it a mistake? You don't know.

Junior year was how you got your worse scar of all. She still doesn't know about your club and your girlfriend... or so you thought.

"You thought I wouldn't find out?"

"Wh-what?!" You were terrified. She stared down at you as you came back from school. Your mom dragged you to the kitchen.

The entire night, she tortured you.

Your cut-up hands that she slashed relentlessly. Your abdomen that she X-ed gigantically. Your swollen lips that she punched. Your bruised cheeks that she jabbed. Your hair strands that she pulled. Your sore thighs that she kicked. Your red ankles that she scored.

That night, all you could do was mutter two words.

"I'm sorry."

"You told her, didn't you? You told ______? Ha.. hahahaha..." She grinned as if nothing was wrong. Inside though, you knew she was planning horrible things.

You were shaking incredibly and were sore everywhere, but even with that you put both your hands on the now warm floor that had a pool of blood.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"

You banged your head against the tiled kitchen floor between each of your sentences, bowing to her. It went to the point your forehead started bleeding too.

"—I was wrong. Bu-but please! Let ______ go. She- she's done nothing wrong!"

You couldn't lose her. You couldn't afford it.  She brought light to your life. She's the only one who knows your true self, and she's the one who still loves you despite knowing your true self.

You snatched the knife of your mom's hand and pressed the tip against the side of your torso. You were also scared yourself, but this had to be done. This had to be done to protect her.

"If you- if you do anything to ______, or the others, I'll k-kill myself..!" Your hands were unstable.

Normally, people would be careful with their next moves. They'd console you. They'd comfort you. But she is no normal person. She is everything but normal.

"You don't have the guts. Do it then, that is, if you even can," Her witch-like laugh enters your ears.

Inhale

Exhale

It hurts.

Your next sight? The hospital.

You woke up terrified, Why am I alive..? There was a sprouting desire in you.

You wanted to die.