Blissful Bite ─ Venti x reader

31. ; THE HARMONIOUS TUNE

After what felt like sourness and an arching back, I recollected my sight to focus on the walls around me, something steady.

Something secure.

Although as my gaze began to wander, they caught sight of a book beside myself.

The cover was darker with golden strings lacing the books edges and center. Before, I didn't think too much of this book. Now, all it did to me was mental anguish. There were things I wished to leave unexplored.

To tame a monster, you must gain their trust and faith in you.

Then next is their blind loyalty as they ought not to stab you in the back. Make them believe you can rely on them.

Finally, you are free to use them as you will.

"Finally, you are free to use them as you will" Whether or not that was an actual field guide to monsters, it gave me a feeling that it wasn't about monsters.

It wasn't about an animal per se, more likely human, a different kind of monster: me.

I recalled snippets of memories from my childhood.

The ones where I got caught up in between the pages of a book. It wasn't any book, "Wild creatures and how to tame them." was disguised by a dust jacket. I  frowned and noticed an odd wirling sensation in my chest. It wasn't excitement.

Between the few seconds, I stole glances in the forbidden book as though it was my forbidden fruit, my heart thundered in my chest, my ears throbbed so loud, I couldn't drown it out. I hated it.

In a moment of desperation that struck like a lightning through me, I tossed the book away. Mid air it hit a shelf, and I  When the realization sunk in what I had just done, my heart grew heavy as my gaze wasn't teared away from the book. Not only had I managed to crumple pages, but there was the teared dust jacket. Like our relationship, torn apart by faults were my virtues couldn't fix it. With age and experience, which gathered in my mind, I could articulate the sensation as fear and uncertainty.

All I could recall in front of me was a furious Lisa. I suppressed the memory of her stern face. The clenched jaw, the agitated posture, and her sharp inhale before she striked me past the cheek. The stinging, hot sensation burned into my skin as a reminder that I shan't snuck around anymore. All younger me could do was cower against the bookshelf into that little ball.

Hope.

That was all I gathered.

And hope that it was going to be all over soon. That the striking talons would turn back into the soft caresses. It would all be okay, 'she didn't mean it.' she—the decade younger version of myself chanted mentally until her limbs dropped from exhaustion. Until Lisa stopped after the second strike. However, then, inflicted a silent treatment for hours before the bottle placed in her hand found its way into my mouth, forcefully that was.

A bitter, sharp taste that left an insipid trail of iron in my mouth.

I don't remember if I tried to retch it up when the heavier caughing appeared, whether or not I vomited afterward wasn't clear, but my memory was done for.

"You're such a brat to deal with, ripping an unscathed, perfect shaped unique. Like my son.." she mumbled, "Raz— my son shouldn't have been killed unsolicited. Especially not by your inhuman parents. God complex personalities are such a hassle to deal with, " she mumbled. Then she took a trouselof hair and dragged my body across the floor as my mind slowly stressed in the opposite direction. More and more images fled and faded. Until there wasn't a flicker I could recall of the incident. The only reminder after no longer recalling were my bruises.