First edited try: August 11th
Finished: September 9th
"I have seen many strange things, but such a monster as this I never saw. I shall need help to survive and flee."
TW: Abusive relationship, slight violence, mentioned threats of harming animals, threats of forcing abortion and mentioned sexual assault (Dream did consent but with how coercive, controlling and uncaring Ink was it fits that category. Also, does not go into detail on what happened; just slight mention.)
~~~
Fear blazed through me the second I was awake, my soul pounding, deep intakes of breath and wings tightly folded, my eyelights shrinked and sweat pouring out of me. As it turns out, I was alone in my bedroom, and I knew it was going to be one of those days.
It felt like an endless loop, and it almost was. But I find out, day after day, it wasn't on reset. There's always something different. A new name for me, stronger grips and harder hits. Different circumstances, different day, different hour. But I still had the same previous unhealed injuries, I still saw the same scowled face, and as it turns out though I didn't know it, the same patterns of his abuse.
I winced as I tried to move out of bed, sore pain shooting up my femurs, hips and pelvis. I grit my teeth though and force myself up, limping to the bathroom to troubleshoot the problem and perhaps take some medicine.
Once inside, I locked the door behind me. I didn't want a repeat of last time. Flashbacks came into my head, but I tried to push them away. There wasn't any use trying to think about it today.
I figure out that there isn't any injuries there, but just soreness and pain. I dry swallow two painkillers, feeling awfully nostalgic. I take a look at myself in the mirror for the first time to morning, just to find a bad bite mark on my shoulder and a few gashes on my ribs, but whatever pain I felt there was nothing compared to the place between my legs, and even that was fading. I felt my skull, feeling for the place where he cracked my skull, and finding that it was almost completely healed. Good. I couldn't give out public speeches about safety if I was hurt, right?
I relaxed my wings and spread open one, just to inspect for a few blood feathers and bald patches. Thankfully, most of the bald patches from when Ink yanked out feathers after feathers were hidden, but I had gotten a few questions from employees to acquaintances to even kids from the orphanage asking about them.
"Where did you get those bald patches?" Someone in the hospital once asked. "Overgroomed", I lied, avoiding eye contact and hoping they didn't catch on.
"What happened?" One of the kids asked me, a grey-and-red bird monster, touching my many feathers. "Oh, it's nothing", I replied, patting their own feathered plumage and made me feel guilty that they believed me so easily.
I didn't tell them the truth.
I never could.
For my own safety.
The multiple featherless places had no such luck in growing back yet. I sighed in defeat, checking my other wing but it was quite similar, except I winced as pain tingled there. Every time his voice rised and he raised his hand, I would cover my head with my wings and arms. Whenever that happened, he loved doing nothing more then damaging my head, arms and wings the most.
I was just trying to stay alive.
I heard a door open. "Dream?"
"In the bathroom!"
I heard a few footsteps before I saw Ink trying the door to the bathroom. He banged on the door for a second before I unlocked up, slightly shaken up and afraid. However, he didn't seem angry. Yet.
