Strings and Buttons

Chapter 32: Home

He gets to the mantel piece and yanks the snow globe off of it, putting it into the pocket of his sweatpants. All the while, Shoto is fighting for his life, sinking his teeth into the other mother's cheek and continuing to scratch. 

Shes flailing at it, her hands up as she tries to tear him off. Blood seeps out of her many cuts and gashes, but the color is all wrong. It's a thick black liquid and it looks like tar is going down the cracks of her face. 

Katsuki runs to the door. He yanks the key out of the lock and turns back to Shoto, blood pumping and chest hammering so hard against his ribs he feels like he might pass out. 

"Leave her ass, come on!!" 

Shoto must have decided to take this fight personally, because the cat begins to scratch and bite her harder. With one final swoop of his paw, he ribs off the other mothers button eyes. Blood splatters all over him as the other mother yowls in agony. 

Shoto launches himself off of her via her head and Katsuki catches him swiftly. The other mother is too occupied screaming and holding her hands to her face.

 "My eyes! My eyes! You scratched off my fucking eyes you piece of shit! I'll kill you! I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you!!"

 Katsuki isn't going to stick around for that mess, so he goes through the hallway, running as fast as he can with Shoto in his arms. He turns around and grabs the handle of the door, seeing the other mother quickly recover from her injuries, her head tilted upward as she listens for him.

 "Fuck you bitch!" 

He yanks the door, but right when it's about to shut, he feels her on the other side, trying to pull it open just as hard. 

"Katsuki! I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry! Don't leave me! You can't leave me like this! I have no one! I'll die! I'll die if you leave me Katsuki!" 

"Good!" 

The sudden force of the other mother begins to get too strong, her desperation to feed, to live, giving her strength that Katsuki didn't know she still had left. His body shakes as he feels himself slipping and he yells to no one in particular, 

"Come on fucking close! Slam it shut!"

 He feels people behind him but doesn't bother to look, too busy trying to keep the door more closed then open. 

"You got this Katsuki."

He hears the voice of his mother. His real, bitchy, beautiful mom. Suddenly, it feels lighter, and with one more strong push, the door is slammed shut.

 "No! Katsuki, you can't do this! Please! I love you! Please don't leave me child!" 

The screaming sounds less and less like a human the more it goes on and Katsuki turns his back to the door. Shoto is sprinting towards the exit and Katsuki follows suit. Well, he's about to, but something snatches the back of his shirt. 

He yells, feeling bony fingers digging into his skin. 

"Fuck, stop it! You lost; fucking give up!" 

He slams his back into the wall, slamming it again just to try and get the hand off of him. The hand thuds onto the floor of the hallway and Shoto, already at the exit, yells, 

"Come on! It's about to close up!" 

Katsuki runs towards him. His hand grazes the walls of the hallway. It feels warm and wet, and it constricts slowly, as if breathing. Katsuki realizes then that this place, whatever the hell it was, was a lot older and greater than the other mother herself. 

He runs faster, and the two of them burst through the door. Katsuki slams his back against it, closing it with the loudest and most satisfying bang his ears have ever heard. He pants against it, his throat raw and his chest stinging from running so fast. 

The hallway had felt like it had gone on forever, way longer than a hallway should ever be. It was like it was trying to keep them in there but failed. Katsuki quickly flips around and puts the button key into the hole, locking the door. 

Taking a slow breath, he turns back around and collapses into one of the chairs of the drawing room, thankfully lacking eyes like their insect counterparts. Shoto looks at him and jumps up to the arm rest. 

The cat stares at him before leaning his head forward, his ears pointed in Katsuki's direction. The blonde looks at him confused, before he puts his fist up and softly bumps it with shotos head.

 "Nice job. We fucking did it." 

Shoto puts his head up and meows, Katsuki getting the feeling he's agreeing. He looks around himself. The sunlight coming from the window was actual sunlight. Real fucking sun. The birds he hears chirping outside and the warm air he feels is real. 

Not some creation or ploy to get him to stay. It's all so normal that Katsuki feels like it's the best thing he's ever seen in his fucking life. He sinks into the uncomfortable chair and closes his eyes. He falls asleep, and Shoto jumps down from the armrest, only to curl up at Katsuki's feet, purring softly as the vent brings up warm air. 

After the best sleep he's had in what feels like forever, he feels someone shaking his shoulder. He furrows his brows and tries to turn away from them, letting out a small groan. It feels like he just got back from dealing with all of that bullshit.

 For now, he just wants to sleep and try to get some energy back. That is until he hears the voice of the person shaking him awake. 

"Katsuki! Katsuki, why are you sleeping in here? Did i buy a fucking bed for nothing or something?" 

His eyes open up and he bolts to sit upright, looking right at his real mom.

 "Mom..."