I'm in a dark mood, let's take it out on some IZ characters, shall we?

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone in here.

Lithe fingers caressed the smooth metal of the blade, running along the edges, up to the tip, and back down to the handle.

"So easy..." he thought, bringing the edge closer to his pale wrist. "...To end the pain..." A thin red line appeared, from hand to elbow, deep, but not deep enough to do any permanent damage, yet. The knife's holder bit back a hiss of pain, no good waking the house, not that any would care.

"No more fear..." he thought, slicing another gash, this one a little deeper, across his other wrist. Burgundy liquor welled beneath his fingertips as he applied pressure, making tears spring to his eyes, tears that could represent his pain, his suffering, his sorrow, his trepidation, his life up until this point. A quick movement and another line appeared, and another, and another...

"No more torment..." blood trickled from his arms in rivulets, staining the carpet an evil red. Tears finally released coursed down his face and racked his body with their silent sobs.

"No more pain..." more wounds appeared, his arms a road map of hurt and despair. A noise in the hall, a figure in the doorway.

"Hey, could you be quiet in..." the words stopped as she saw the blood, the wounds, the tears...her big brother with a knife. "Dib?" She winced as another line was drawn, the stark contrast almost too much to accept. All she could do was stare at his handiwork, the bloody drudgery of torment her brother had created. The thin red lines mere threads in his beleaguered tapestry of life. "Dib, what are you doing?" A slow step forward. He cringed away, slashing himself again. "Please, stop..."

"Why..." he trailed off, voice faded with blood loss, and Gaz took another step forward. She hated to admit it but it hurt to see her brother like this. It showed only how much he had been neglected, by both her and their father. She would never be able to forgive herself if he died. But, she did admit, he wouldn't have to suffer anymore under the harsh, unwritten laws of the skool. He would no longer be the crazy one, or the one others could beat up on, he simply wouldn't be there. Gaz wondered deep inside if the other children would even notice he was gone...

"Please Dib, stop." Another step, another injury, another sob. "You don't have to do this. Drop the knife." Another step, almost there...

"I don't?" The knife didn't drop but another line appeared. "Don't you get it Gaz?" Another step, another gash. "I won't have to suffer anymore." Another hand on the knife. "I won't have to...I won't have to..."

"Give me the knife."

"I can't, Gaz..." the words were lost in tears, the knife dropped from his weak grasp to lie in the puddle around him. Gaz kneeled, mindless of the blood, to sit beside her ill brother.

"Everything's okay now." Her strong arms pulled him into a tight embrace, a free hand brushing back his dark hair. His blood soaked into her nightgown, turning the light fabric dark. Gradually his cries decreased and he closed his eyes, relaxing deeper into the warm hold. Already the blood flow was stopping and the ugly wounds were healing themselves but the scars would always be there. "Are you going to be okay?" Dib shook his head slowly.

"No, but I will try to be. Just not right now..." more tears, substantiation to what had happened that night. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes, smearing his glasses and face with the deep red liquid staining them. "No more tears..." Gaz nodded, holding her brother closer.

"No more tears."

Okay...that was...interesting. Sorry I had to put you all through that but I was feeling sad so I took it out on poor Dibby. Please read and review, it would make me happy! ^-^