A Knock At The Door

Screw It!

I’m done with all these visitors. This last one was the final straw. Apparently I wasn’t perfect enough for her. I love my life and my family, don’t get me wrong. I just honestly believe I have it harder than the average person.

For instance, my father is emotionally abusive towards me. He says he’s just trying to get me over my fears. Even so, he still scares me to death. He calls me stupid all the time. He seriously hates me. I think it’s just because he can’t grow hair, his wife gives me more attention, and on top of all that he’d kill for a coin. I remember once he practically stole from a museum to get rich. That plan didn’t turn out too well.

My mother on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Her personality is so kind. I love it when she rubs my back and hums a sweet tune until I drift off to sleep. I can trust her with all of my secrets. She just smiles. Sometimes she calls me good. I know I’m kinda old for that, but it’s still nice to hear different than father’s harsh words. Whenever father is mean and hurtful, she almost always defends me. Although there are a few moments when both her and my father either don’t believe me, or ignore me altogether. Those moments are the most critical times.

Like when my cousin came by for an unexpected visit. He has these… odd habits. He stared at me all the time… just smiling at me. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was either gay or just a creep. I will admit, I did my best to avoid him. But there was a point of time where I was accidentally locked into a room with him. I think it’d be best for your innocence, and whatever is left of mine, that I don’t repeat what happened in that room. Eventually he left, smiling the entire time. What a sick fuck!

And like the time my mom came into the house with a nasty bite on her arm. I kept on telling her that it looked infected, but she wouldn’t listen to me. No one listens! Eventually she started to act weird. She became extremely aggressive and mean. She practically bit my father’s face off. I became worried, so I called up the doctor. He came to our house, seeing as my mother refused to leave. He checked her out and said that there’s nothing to worry about. Man, was he wrong. I swear she was rabid or something. If only she would have listened in the first place.

But the visitors is what gets to me. They must love terrorizing children, because that’s all they do to me. I’m not sure if they mean to or if it’s just in their nature. Even so, I don’t trust a single one of them. It all starts with a knock. And my mother, bless her oblivious soul, just opens her home to them like it’s no big deal. I know that if they travel further on, despite that it may take a while, they’d hit a hotel or something. But no, they have to stop here! They just prance in like they own the place and my parents, who are too caught up in their own littler world, don’t even realize the consequences. So, like always, having to be the buzz kill, I cut their stay short. Usually having to use force. I don’t’ care if they hate me forever. It’s my home and my family and I’m not going to let them intrude.

The only person I would invite into my house would be my online friend. He’s a genius. He answers every question I could possibly throw at him. Although he’s usually in a bad mood and calls me mean names. But still, he helps me out. Although, I’ve realized that I usually only talk to him when I need help. I think he’s noticed as well, because lately he’s been responding with, “You’re on your own kid.” That’s when I log off and panic. Some of those questions needed to be answered.

Well, now that I’m almost finished with this rant, I realized that I never really spoke much of myself, but of the ones around me. Well, to sum myself up, I’m small, have short hair, have bags under my eyes, and big ears. Even though my father despises me, I’d jump in front of a bullet for him and my mother. I suppose…

…Eh? Did…Did you hear that? I swear I just heard someone outside. Or my name is Shligganhoffer… and it’s not. Oh well, let me finish up quickly, and I’ll check it out later. So, like I was saying, I suppose I have the courage of a dog and--

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

…The things I do for love…

100 Theme Challenge #5

Theme 33- Seeing Red

“It looks like blood.”

“It’s not blood, Noishe. It’s ketchup!”

“It still looks like blood.”

“Stop complaining and just eat it!”

“Hashiri, it smells weird!”

I turned away from the stove to face him. “Do I need to shove it down your throat? I made you this breakfast. So you ARE going to eat these eggs with that ketchup and you are going to damn-well like it!”

I saw the boy’s face contort into a pout. “I don’t want to.” He crossed his arms and turned his head up. At first, it was kinda cute what with his long hair all nappy and his clothes all wrinkly from sleep. He looked childish.

“You’re acting like a five-year-old.” I teased, taking the… umm… burnt bacon off the stove.

“And the eggs have black in them.” He groaned, prodding it with his fork. He looked up at me through his stringy bangs. “You ruined it.” I watched as he continued to poke his food as if it were road kill.

I blushed from embarrassment and went into defense mode. “It is not ruined… just burnt a little.” I mumbled. ‘What a jerk!’ I set down the skillet after throwing out the bacon, and walked over to Noishe. “Just try it.” I pleaded.

He rolled his eyes, as if this were a game that he was growing tired of. “I’m not hungry.” He grumbled, pushing his plate away from himself. “Besides, judging from last night, your cooking sucks. I’ve had better tasting garbage.” He sneered. His entire personality just suddenly changed. It went from being childish to becoming a total douche bag for some reason.

I tried to brush it off and laugh at his attempt to crush my good mood. But as I locked eyes with him something in me snapped. His eyes were laughing at me. He thought he was so funny, trying to hurt me like that! I forcefully shoved him out of his seat, watching him fall onto this back. I glared at him while he stared back at me in shock. The same way as when he made me feel his chest that resonated nothing. I kicked his chair out of my way so I could have easy access to him. How dare he… how dare he! “How dare you!” I screeched. I pounced overtop of him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. The noise he made when I did that caused my anger to increase. It was so pitiful.

“Think your tough shit now?!” I got my face dangerously close to his, my light blue eyes digging into his black ones. “Who the hell do you think you are?!” I pushed his head back, hearing it hit the ground. I backed up and walked over to the stove. “What right do you have to be so rude, so… inconsiderate? You… You’re a monster!” I turned to him so I could see his expression. “I try so hard to be nice to you. But all you do is sexually harass me, break all my shit, and then you blow off my cooking after I worked so hard to make it! You are absolutely terrible!” I took in a deep breath and locked eyes with him once more. “I should have left you out there with the rest of your kind… the scum!”

I hit a nerve. I know I had. The look in his eyes told me so. He kept his glare in sync with mine as he stood up. “Get your facts straight, girly! You know nothing about me!” He began to walk towards me and, in slight fear, I backed up. This man could do anything to me. He was tall enough… strong enough… angry enough.

I stumbled over my own feet multiple times, trying to get away. “Stay back!” I meant to say in a firm voice, but it came out frantic. I swiped my hand at him, attempting to scare him off.

My mistake.

He grabbed my wrist and jerked me towards him, as if a way to show that he was in control. “Who do YOU think YOU are?!” He stared at me for a second. This his scowl slowly turned into a smirk and he lifted my head. “Just another cute face and another selfish, backstabbing soul.” He let out a snicker. “Maybe that’s why daddy left you.”

That was it! That was fucking it! He had crossed the goddamn line! Tears welled up in my eyes. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I hope you burn in hell, you monster!” I fought back with all my strength and eventually got out of his grasp. Frantically I glanced around the room… and found it! The knife on the table! Without hesitation or second thought, I reached for it, but Noishe got to it first and chucked it across the room. My rage increased and I tackled the man. He didn’t budge, didn’t move.

I punched his torso multiple times and scratched at him. He didn’t seem to react at all. When I looked up at him, he was looking… looking down at me… his black eyes digging into my skin. I backed up, an extreme feeling of dread growing in the pit of my stomach. Then, he spoke up. “Poor Hashiri. What kind of demon crawled into your soul?”

I stared at him. I let my anger build up. That comment caused it to increase even more. “The fuck is your problem?!” I screeched. “Get the fu—GAH!” He cut me short.

Red… there was red on the floor. Red from… from…

I closed my mouth, tasting metal. And that’s when the pain kicked in. I began coughing violently and gasping for air, clutching the lurching stomach that Noishe’s fist had made contact with. I looked at the floor. Blood red… red blood! I fell onto my side, vomiting from the increasing pain, my eyes wide open, tears still escaping.

There was a minute of complete silence until suddenly. “BLOOD!” I heard Noishe scream. “OH GOD! SHE’S BLEEDING! Oh God! It’s all over the floor! God help me!” He cried. The silver-haired man stumbled into view, as I sobbed from wide eyes and coughed up more of the red liquid. He slid down the wall and curled up in the fedal position. I could hear his voice waver and see his own tears escape his eyes. For the next five minutes up until I lost conciousness, he only mumbled two words. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m--”

Theme 33- Seeing Red

A Hunter's Game

She must have been at least ten years of age when I first saw her. I couldn’t even explain how I felt. People believe it’s wrong for someone like me to have an interest in a girl so young. But that didn’t stop me. Nothing can stop me from getting what I want. She was a beautiful possession.

See, when I first saw her, I was hunting in the woods. The sight of her caught me in a daze. My heart skipped a beat and I began to feel weak. I hadn’t seen someone so innocent and… vulnerable in a long time. I wanted her. Something in me hungered for her. I was at a distance, so she didn’t seem to take note of me, and she looked as though she were lost. I would have taken her right then, but my game ran off and, in a desperate need of food, I had to hunt it down. I decided my next prey would be the child.

By the time I had caught the damn deer, the little girl was gone. I spent the rest of the day looking for her. When the sun had set, I decided to head home. She was long gone by then. I had lost my chance. All I wanted to do was see her… touch her… taste her. I could feel myself start to drool a bit.

The last child I had taken was not quite as stunning as this one. This girl… her brown hair dripped in two loose pigtails… her green eyes shimmered when the sun hit them. Besides, I believed this girl would last longer than the other girl I had taken. The other had only lasted three days under my care. At least I got the most I could out of her.

Two days later, I saw her again. AS soon as I saw her emerald eyes and fair skin, my body shuddered. Even so, that was not the time to take her. I needed to watch her. See how much I could strain her until she breaks. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t hurt her too badly. I didn’t want my new toy to ruin too quickly. I decided to follow her this time, but at a distance. I wasn’t going to let her get away again. Within ten to fifteen minutes, we came up to a shabby old house on the outskirts of the woods. I wanted to jump out and grab her before she went into the house… out of my sight again! But just before I could, an older woman came out. I dodged into the bushes and watched as she hugged the girl.

Something in my snapped. How come this woman is able to touch my toy, but I can’t even lay a finger on it? Was I being too shy? Is it that I’m scared this girl won’t be as good of a treat as I was hoping? My eyes narrowed as I saw the woman rush the girl into her home. I needed to get rid of that lady, that way, the child would be mine. I needed to get the girl alone. There would be no one for her to run to if she were to ever escape my grasp.  I will be all she will ever have. A tingle ran down my spine to know that I’d have her soon. A small chuckle left my lips. Oh, the fun I’d have with her.

By the time the sky had grown dark, I saw the girl blow out the candle in her window. I waited a few minutes to make sure she was asleep. When I felt as though the time was right, I crawled up into her windowsill and watched her rest. I was perfectly content with my visual of her and the excitement of my fantasies.

After a few days of plotting, I saw her again. But this time, I did something I never thought I’d do. I stepped out of the shrubbery in front of her, a grin plastered on my face. “Hello~!” I swooned, looking her over and taking a small bow. “What is a young girl like you doing in the woods all alone?” I smiled wide, showing her all my teeth.

The girl gasped and slightly backed up. She looked at me with terror-filled eyes. “I-I’m not s-supposed to talk t-to stranger mis-mister…” She stammered, fumbling with her dress. “I have s-someone waiting for m-me. I have to go now.” She looked up at me. “So please let me through.”

My smile slowly turned into a smirk. ‘She’s easy.’ I took a step towards the girl, wanting to badly to pounce on her and grab her! “Why not pick them flowers? Everybody loves flowers.” I suggested, gesturing to a flower patch. I needed to find some way to stall her, and this was the best way I could think of. “Aren’t they beautiful? I’m sure your… person… would appreciate them.” I swooned.

The girl gave me a hesitant look. “I really should be getting…” She seemed to be talking to herself more than me now. She glanced over at the flower patch. “Well, I-I suppose I could…” She let her voice trail off as she walked towards the patch.

I let a silent snicker slip off my tongue and I ran off. It wasn’t hard to find her house. It was obviously the same one as before. I walked up to the door and took in a deep breath. ‘Just one hit oughta put’em out.’ I boldly knocked on the door. Then I quickly heightened my voice, imitating the girl. “I’m here! I’m here! Please let me in!”

That’s when I heard a feeble sound from inside. “Little Red Riding Hood? Is that you?”

My tail began to wag and I could feel my mouth start to drool. “Yes, it is, Grandmother. I brought you some treats. Will you please let me in?”

100 Theme Challenge #4

Theme 81 – A Place To Belong

The room was completely black. I didn’t know where I was… but it was so cold and lonely. “Daddy?” I called out. I knew he was here and I needed to find him! I didn’t want to be without him anymore. “Daddy!” I yelled. All I got in response was the silence of the empty black. Who knew what was lurking in that darkness. “DADDY!” I screeched, tears welling up in my eyes. “You said you’d keep me safe! You promised! You promised!” I screamed. Tears ran down my face. I fell onto my knees and put my head in my hands, silently sobbing.

In the quiet, I suddenly heard a soft and low humming noise. I looked up from my dripping hands and saw a small light up ahead. I stood up slowly and began to walk towards this light. The closer I got, the warmer I became both inside and out. I began to quicken my pace, eager to see who… or what had created that brightness in the dark. Within seconds, a figure came into view. A figure I knew all too well.

I couldn’t contain the laugh of relief that escaped my throat. I began to run. “Daddy!” I cried out, just feet from the man. He slowly turned around, showing me that he was indeed my father. His black, slicked-back hair and lab coat helped confirm it. As soon as I stepped into the light an unexplainable joy bursted within me. I jumped into the man’s arms and clung to him. “You came to find me! You came for me!” I murmured, my head in his chest, tears escaping once more.

His warm arms wrapped around me, keeping the cold and darkness at bay. He kissed the top of my head. “I promised, didn’t I?”

And that’s when I woke up.

~X~

The bed was a lot warmer than usual, so comfy. Keeping my eyes closed, I nuzzled my pillow and snuggled deeper into my covers. I was far too comfterable to get out just yet. But then I realized something. Someone’s arms were wrapped around me! Only one person would do that! My daddy! I snuggled up to him and sighed happily. I was finally with my father again.

My dad… my dad? Reality hit me like a brick wall. No! This can’t be… my daddy is… THIS IS NOT MY DAD! My eyes shot open and I saw a pale face with silver strands dripping over its features. He had me wrapped in his arms. My first instinct was to push him off my bed. Why was he here anyway? I stared at him for a few seconds.

“Noishe.” I hissed.

No response.

I gently nudged his arm. “Are you awake?”

No response.

I still wanted to push him off my bed. I was slightly ticked that he’d invade my privacy so carelessly. His calm look caused me to rethink, though. After how he’s lived his entire life and after how people probably treated him, that bed might’ve been his first luxury. To us Lunars, he was nothing but slime and mud rotting in that alleyway. This was probably even his first time in a house.

I took in a deep breath and finally took note of the sterling locks sprawled all over his face… a soothing face. Wait, what was I thinking?! I realized that I was smiling like a dork, so I quickly shook my head. I decided to let this whole “crawling into my bed” thing slide. After all, I’d think it’d be best to let him stay here. I’m not going to allow him to go back out where he’s a worthless shadow.

I got up and managed to climb over the sleeping boy and tiptoe to the bedroom door. Looking at him, I smiled like a dweeb once more.

I was going to him the best breakfast he’s ever had.

Theme 81 – A Place To Belong