To Live On

Settling In

  "I hate you! I hate you! Hate you hate you! Hate you!" A loud slap can be heard through the otherwise silent house. Nine year old Mavis was now cupping her stinging cheek. Her grey eyes look on her Uncle with a glare.

  It's all his fault after all, he said she couldn't visit her mother in the hospital from here on out. Visiting her mother was the only escape Mavis had from her Uncle. Her Uncle was mean, she didn't like living with him.

"Stay put." She snarls at him but stays stood in the living room. Mavis knew listening just made it all the more easier. She hears her Uncle before she sees him, stomping from the dark hallway. She about screams when she sees her favorite stuffy held tight in his right hand.
Fizz, her black and white stuffed kitty, the one she always slept with. The one her mother made for her.

"Why do you.." Her Uncle shushes her quickly and stands once again in front of her. He holds up Fizz by a paw and Mavis clenches her teeth.

"I'm taking this...thing from you. You're too old for these things anyways." Mavis goes still, her body taunt and no longer shaking. Before her Uncle can register it, Mavis has Fizz quickly in her hands.

"No!" She hates the fear that takes over the second her Uncle's facial expression changes.

"The fuck do you mean, no?!" Mavis tries to dodge his hand, but he ends up getting ahold of Fizz's head. She shrieks and continues to scream at her Uncle as he yells profanities and tugs on her stuffy.

  Neither see it coming as the stuffy's head and body suddenly aren't attached anymore. Mavis lands painfully on her shoulder and her Uncle lands loudly on his ass. Two different pieces of Fizz in both their hands.

  Once Mavis realizes what happened she sniffles and silently cries while holding the body of her stuffy. She hugs it tightly to her chest and flinches when she hears her Uncle stand with a groan.

"God, fucking stupid shit!" She flinches once more as she feels something hit her curled up legs. She doesn't dare move until she hears her Uncle's heavy footsteps leave the room. Mavis pulls her head from its hiding place and finds Fizz's black cat eyes staring deeply into her own.

  More tears falls down her face as she silently grabs Fizz's head and stands up. Down the hall in her room, Mavis throws the two uneven halves of her favorite stuffy into the back of her closet.

  Mavis groans lowly as her eyes blink open. She doesn't even remember falling asleep. Sadly she does remember the dream she just had. She never did pull Fizz from the closet again, it was for the better. Less things for her Uncle to hurt her over.

  It was months later that Mavis had finally put two and two together. Her Uncle had never forbade her from seeing her mother before. What other reason would he suddenly not allow her to visit her mother? Other than the obvious.

  She stretches and sits up, seeing 5:32 am on her bedside clock. Mavis takes a hand through her taupe hair and cringes slightly. She'd only really gotten sponge baths while in the hospital, and she was fully cleared for a full shower. She gets up and searches through her dresser for anything.

  Thankfully it seems there were a few pairs of pants and shorts already in there. 'Probably more of Sang's old clothes.' Mavis grabs some black tights and keeps the pink sweatshirt from before. A warm shower is just what she's been needing.

  Dressed and hair no longer dripping, Mavis leaves her bathroom. She about shits herself when a knock sounds on her door.

"Come in." Kota eases open the door and awkwardly stands there. He clears his throat and Mavis pretends to focus her attention elsewhere. 'Fucking shy puppy...'