Kronos (Book Two)

Therapy Pt 1

Raindrops patter on the windows. The crackle of lightning flashes near the apartment of where he used to live. Takashi finds a 9-year-old version of himself sneaking to watch TV with his samurai superhero action figure in hand.

Harmonia's grip on his hand allows him to continue. He can't be powerless anymore....

He tiptoed past his mother's room, avoiding the usual spots where the wooden floor would give him away. A single step would awake her and her boyfriend who was sleeping over. The man was very nice to him. He even gave him the toy in his hand. He wouldn't mind if the man became his new dad.....

However, he didn't know why Hikari wore sweaters even on the hottest of days. Why she kept a shirt over her bathing suit while swimming. He and his mother noticed some bruising on her arms and legs.

"I bumped into my nightstand." "I banged my knee on the door." "I fell and landed wrong on the floor."

Nightmares plagued his twelve-year-old sister. She couldn't sleep without a nightlight on.

The adult Takashi feels rage for not knowing his older sibling was in trouble. Things pause as if someone hit a button on a remote.

"Do you want to continue?", Harmonia asks out of consideration.

Her kind words and tone help him to nod his head.....

Kid Takashi kept sneaking his way to the large TV in the living room. He noticed Hikari's door was half open. He knew where to stop to avoid causing any creaks. Stepping close to the door, he almost made it past her room--

Sniffling. 

The sound made him stop. His heart dropped upon hearing his sister's crying. He peeked through the big crack of the door to check on her.

He blinked numerous times. The flash of lightning revealed something he didn't know about at that age. His mother's boyfriend seemed to be comforting his sister. He was sitting close to her with a hand on the holster of his gun, but where was his other hand?

"Please....stop."

"Shh. You're so beautiful."

Kid Takashi felt his stomach flip flop several times. Something was wrong.

The man kept doing something to Hikari that made her squirm. She whispered for him to stop his actions.

"I promised their safety just for you. I've waited long enough. Don't you want to be a woman like your mother?"

The young Takashi stopped his breaths from leaving his lips. The way he spoke was worse than the monsters the heroes used to fight on TV. He thought about running straight to his mom but was afraid for her safety. He was larger. He had to do something quick. The police may not make it before his sister got hurt.

He quickly snuck past to head to the kitchen. His hand trembled, but he pushed through to grab the large knife out of the wooden block. The lightning flashes again, making the blade almost shimmer.

He left his toy behind to focus on saving his sister. His heart wanted to leap out of his chest, but he reminded himself of what his favorite superhero would say.

"A hero's bravery means doing the right thing even if you're scared."

Staying close to the wall, the nightlight showed the man was getting on top of his sister. Her hands gripped the blanket, but he took it away. Each step forward scared him, but he decided to become a hero.

The knife plunged into the man's left shoulder blade!

The man stifled a yell of confused pain. In that moment, Taki tried to grab his sister's hand to run to their mother's room. The backhanded slap sent his small body to the floor. The stinging pain shook his head.