Infinite Gravity (Zero Rises)

FF (1)

Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of child abuse, bullying and semi-graphic scenes.

The promise of a better life was a few kilometers ahead.

Fifteen-year-old Bill Cipher fell asleep relieved at that thought. It's been a few hours since he and his twin brother, Will, hopped on a bus and fled not looking back — not like they wanted to. It was still somewhere between two A.M. when they managed to flee and sneak into the bus with the very few belongings they managed to get: blankets, some extra clothing (most wintery), stolen money (from their parents) and one or two hygienic products like soap and toothbrushes.

Their reason for running away was to be free from the pain and suffering that was the Cipher household. What they heard and endured everyday was draining their strength, physically and mentally.

"Abominations!" their father would call them as he spanked the twins with a belt to the point they were bleeding. "You'll never amount to anything in life!"

"I should have aborted you both." their mother would say. "You both were big mistakes."

And home wasn't even the only place they had to deal with that. School wasn't a place of saints either.

"Look at those eyes! So creepy." a kid would whisper.

"What's with that kid? So weird." another would say. "They're freaks."

And one time or another, Bill would find his brother doing homework. But not his alone. He'd done others' homework as well. When Will tried to stop, Bill had to intervene because the guys were beating him, so he paid them with the same wounds they gave his brother. Nobody did anything to stop them from hurting his brother, but when it was him who did something.

"Monster!"

"He's insane!"

"Somebody call the police! He's gonna kill us all!"

"Maniac bastard!"

"Freak!"

At the end, their parents were called, and the kids who messed with Will got out as victims. Their father would turn to the twins and say: "To the car. Now." and those words alone, in that phrasing of order, were enough to scare them both. Bill learned to not be as scared anymore, he just accepted the beating. But that wouldn't go for long. He told Will he was fine, and grinned from ear to ear, promising that one day, this would all end. They wouldn't get hurt anymore, they would restart and live a normal and happy life.

Before they got to the bus, they packed some stuff and planned on staying at home. But curse their other relatives who started suspecting on their one-week disappearance and got the police involved. They were caught, sadly, thanks to Will's kindness and soft heart. He trusted the police officer and told him where Bill was hiding with Will, in return, that same police officer took them both to the station and was close to bringing the twins back to their parents. They should've known that their parents would have friends in the police, and of course, he wouldn't believe them when they told him about the all of the abuse.

So they fled, once again. This time, to a bus station. The first bus that came they sneaked in and stayed hidden, until the bus left the city without their trace. Once the "Now leaving Piedmont" sign was on sight, they both stopped hiding, hugged each other and laughed with tears of joy. It was a dream to come true. A new life, a new restart. No more suffering. To that happiness, they fell asleep on their seats, the moon still in the sky.

It has been one or two hours when the sun rose in the sky. The light of the sun made Bill frown and blink, opening his eyes. He rubbed them, and later, looked at the window where his head was leaning on. His hair was messy, so he brushed it up with his hands, leaving their spikes to all sides. A grin was formed on his face and he shot himself a finger gun. The sound of a snore made him turn to his side, seeing Will sleeping on his shoulder, mouth opened and. . . Drooling. His nose wasna bit smashed. He sighed, pulling out his phone and taking a picture of both of them. Perfect blackmail.