BBS

sho[p/rt] - pt. 2

here's part 2, which I actually wrote while on a road trip :D i believe it's slightly abrupt, but i'm not exactly writing a novel, so sometimes it's better to cut straight to the chase instead of dragging the story till i lose interest in it :o

<3, icykiwi

-

Evan was not having a good day.

Repetition yields consequences, but one mistake could ruin it all.

How ironic was it that his mantra could almost sum up his entire life? Evan lets out a cold chuckle, coal black eyes somewhat glassy. The polaroid in his now rigid fingers has been smudged with thumbprints, from late nights of attempting to patch up their relationship. But no matter how blurry his vision is, how clouded his mind is with alcohol and torn memories, tracing their figures on a picture is useless. Even in his sober state, Evan's finger still trembles as he traces the silhouettes in the polaroid absentmindedly; he's completely unaware of the infuriated fist pounding on the counter until he feels tight hands shaking his shoulders.

When he looks up, to his disappointment, it's not Lui. Of course it isn't. Instead, it's a pair of dark eyes glaring into his, the bluish glow in them slightly hypnotic. Evan stares blankly at the man before him, unable to register what's happening.

"Wake up. WAKE UP!" It's a ferocious roar that marks the end of his day. Do you not see what you've done? I've been trying so hard to keep everything together, but what do you do, other than bring debt and misfortune-"

"I'M TRYING AS WELL!" Evan surprises himself as he responds in a blind, white hot rage, pushing himself upright against the counter. "I can't do everything you want me to do. Don't you dare say that I don't do shit, when all you do is disappear and return whenever you please! I wasn't the one who brought that fucker here-"

There's a shriek from the corner of the shop, and Evan can only feel his patience dissipating. Both men turn, and he's about to silence that scream with a piece of his mind when he halts.

For it's Lui who's huddled in the doorway, blood on his minuscule figure seemingly blending into the red walls of the shop. Evan turns his head sharply, and like he guessed, the man he was arguing with has completely disappeared. As if the mist of the night has completed shrouded him in its shadow, his entire being non-existent. And suddenly, everything comes crashing down. Of course Lui wasn't just a boy from the streets. He had seen Lui before, but his memory had failed him. But was it really his fault, given that he had only caught a few glimpses of the boy before he was kicked out days later?

Evan lunges for Lui, a blabber of "I'm sorry"s and "Listen"s tumbling out of his lips. But Lui's hazel brown eyes have a hollow, empty look in them, their almost unique bluish glow replaced by terror and a strangely unfamiliar look.

"Daddy has those too." Lui manages to mumble as he squirms out of Evan's reach. "He shouts at everyone all of a sudden and starts punching and throwing things. You're a monster. You're just like Daddy!" 

"I am NOTHING like him!" Evan surprises himself with the roar that escapes his lips, but he can't contain that fury that's been boiling up in him for months, years. "What has he been telling you, huh? That I walked out? That I didn't want you anymore? Or did he finally decide to tell you the truth, that he was busy sleeping around and becoming a temporary part of other families? I..."

He finally falters as Lui shrinks further into the corner, tiny hands scrambling for the door handle. Lui leaves a bloody handprint on the glass door, and Evan can't help but cringe at it. It almost feels like Lui's tiny fist is squeezing his heart, and it hurts terribly. But it can't possibly hurt more than what Lui's experienced, both physically and emotionally. How could his pain even compare to the pain of being thrown around, from orphanages to foster homes, and eventually even out of the house? Rubbing his eye, he notices that his fingers are wet.

"I've always wanted you, Lui."

But his plea seems invisible to Lui, who has gone frozen. After all, how could someone who's experienced broken promises and hurtful lies possibly give his trust away yet again?

Did I fuck up again? Evan wonders, his mantra suddenly popping up in his mind. I tried to make it work, but did I ruin it all?

Lui drags his tiny feet towards the door, but Evan grabs his hand. "Lui, does Daddy shout at imaginary things at home? And does he.." Evan's eyes flick to Lui's open wounds, blood on his stuffed monkey, and he finally understands that they're not from accidents in the streets.

A child could never be so traumatized by a series of irate yells. Not unless it triggered terrifying memories.

Before he can react, Lui shoots out of the door, his tiny feet bringing him further and further away from the store. And Evan does the only thing his brain can come up with — chase.

But Evan doesn't get far, for his heart almost stops when he hears the skidding of wheels, an unfamiliar scream, and a thud on hard cement.

•

"I can't do this, Evan."

his eyes are filled with pity, sadness, and slight fear. evan gives him a sad smile in return, before returning his gaze to the children playing with the toys scattered on the ground. but only one catches his eye.

"Hey, what do you think of that kid over there?" evan gestures towards a small boy under the christmas tree, a decoration which should have been taken down months ago. the boy is barely 4 years old, his small figure sprawled on the ground as he fails to pick himself up after a fall.

"His eyes."

a bare whisper escapes his lips, and evan too lets out a small gasp. for under the light, there's a faint blue glow in them, and evan can't help but glance back into his eyes before letting out a faint laugh.

"I guess you aren't the only one in the world with those then. He even has my black hair and hazel eyes. It's gonna be him?" evan laughs, and he nods in response, and the rest of the day is spent filling papers.

"I can sew it up for him," evan volunteers, and both him and craig chuckle lightly.

all the way home, the little boy clutches his stuffed monkey, unaware that the gaping hole in its chest is about to be patched up.

•

.. i guess i ended up cutting to a literal chase after all :> hope yall enjoyed that short story!

now, here's a bit of a lengthy author's note; the story is indeed over, so if you want, you could drop a vote and leave a comment :p

i haven't been writing for so long because i never really understood why i was writing fanfiction, which is often degraded and disregarded by many for not being 'real' writing, especially since the characters have already been built for you in a sense.

but a few months ago, my english teacher actually praised one of my writing projects (despite me getting quite a pathetic mark, but she blamed it on the rubrics) and asked me if i wrote a lot, and she also encouraged me to keep writing. i didn't really know how to tell her that i wrote fanfiction, so i told her that i indeed did write.

and later on, i also found a website for new authors which advised people just starting out in the writing industry to write fanfiction, as the characters are already well-known — you understand their personality, speech, you know what they would say and how they would respond — and you can thus focus more on building better, engaging plots.

so i just wanted to say that for all fanfiction writers out there/fanfiction readers, fanfiction is useful in a way. don't let others' views affect what you think of fan fiction! but of course, if you like reading fan fiction with poor grammar, word choice and spelling, perhaps you shouldn't be learning from it :p

i apologize for not putting a space between "fan" and "fiction" but i was a little lazy. anyway, thank you for joining me on my 'fan fiction-writing' thus far, and i hope that you'll consider investing some time into writing as well! :>

(btw, i'm currently thinking about writing a short story collection and am learning the ropes of the writing industry. though my writing may not be up to standard yet, i sure hope that one day, my efforts will pay off! follow your dreams ;p)

<3, icykiwi