Just One Night

Harsh Reality

The two siblings stayed in their embrace, not wanting to let one another go. After ten long years they had finally been reunited. Frisk's heart broke with every cry that passed her sister's lips, the anguish in her wails twisting her stomach like a knife to the gut. She clung to her elder sister tightly and collapsed to the floor, slowly rocking her in a soothing manner, the entire time wishing with all her heart that she had never had to endure whatever had clearly caused her so much pain. She glanced up at San and mouthed a silent 'thank you'. He nodded and went to make some tea, figuring it would help calm their nerves.

Frisk held her sobbing sister until she finally calmed enough to speak, albeit it only came out in a jumbled mess of words that Frisk didn't understand. Chara refused to let go of Frisk, clutching her as if her life depended on it. Frisk smiled softly and waited until she had calmed completely before pulling away to look in her eyes.

"Chara, please, what has happened to you all these years?" She silently pleaded for her sister to open up. She wanted to take away the pain.

Chara sniffled and wiped her eyes in a futile effort to save face, but that was all gone since she had literally broke down not even five minutes ago. "Frisk, you have no idea what has gone on with this city in the last ten years. I-Its been horrible, but I've managed to get along just fine I suppose. I guess we should start with Mom and Dad.." she paused to see if Frisk knew their parents.

At her nod, Chara continued,"Mom.. our poor mother, she..she never recovered from the fall you took. It took all her strength that day to keep me from jumping after you, but a part of her died that day. She withdrew from us little by little until she would no longer speak a word. Her mental health deteriorated to the point where.. well she has delusions of you and I can't go to her.. she sees you in me. Dad after that day changed from the kind, loving man to a cold stranger.. he never acknowledged me after the accident, too far gone in his grieving. On the off chance he did pay attention to me, it was to beat me. He turned to drinking and he pushed the blame onto me for your fall, seeing me as the reason he lost a daughter that day. 'We shouldn't have wandered away from the path' he would tell me."

She paused to take in a shaky breath, not bothering to look at the younger sister. "Frisk, I don't want you to be scared of me. I've done things I'm not proud of, but I don't regret it. I'm alive because of my actions, but I need to know... are you prepared to hear the truth? No matter how gruesome?"

Frisk shivered slightly at the feeling of dread that sunk into the pit of her stomach. She felt herself being pulled into a bony embrace and she held onto his arms tightly, fearing that if she left his support, she might actually break. She gave a silent nod and watched as Chara merely scooted back to look at the two before her.

"Frisk, I-I killed dad."

Frisk gaped in shock but Chara didn't pause.

"He came one night, drunk off his mind. He barely even knew I was alive. He just came in and saw me working on my homework in the living room and took off his belt. Beating me for something I had no control over. He didn't stop until I was lying on the ground shaking in terror and my back was bloody and torn to shreds. He eventually got bored, I suppose, guess I wasn't screaming enough for his liking. He punched and kicked until I couldn't even feel the pain anymore. But when he finally wrapped his hands around my throat, I felt my determination grow. He would kill me. His own flesh and blood, he would kill me without any remorse. So I did what I could. I reared back and drove my skull into his forehead as hard as I could and scrambled away while he was distracted. I got as far as the kitchen before he came after me again and by then I ran out of options, so I did what I had to. I grabbed the biggest knife I could find and held him off."

"He kept coming closer and closer telling me how I was weak and pathetic. That I was a demon in disguise, my eyes the proof to his claims. He told me how I was better off dead and that I was nothing but a burden and a curse. He wouldn't stop coming closer even though I begged and screamed at him to leave me be. He came at me once more and I swung down.. right through his chest. He cried out in shocked rage and cursed the day I was born. Told me I'd be burning in hell. But he died after that and I fled. Fled from the scene, fled from my life, and fled from the memories."

Chara looked up into Frisk's eyes now. Both were crying softly and looking at one another with a mixture of pain and sadness.

"I lived on the streets for months, half starved and sick, until a kind woman decided to take me in and care for me. She nursed me back to health before I told her I had to leave. When I finally left, she gave me a bit of money for my travels and gave me a tearful goodbye. It wasn't long before the cash ran out and this time I wasn't so lucky. I became a criminal, a thug, a.. a whore.." she whispered brokenly, "I did what I had to do to survive. But it ended the same as always, fighting until only I was left standing. I am no longer the sister you knew. Nor will I ever be the innocent, kind, little girl that we once were. I'm a killer, a mercenary for hire."