The mother, Kagamine Yumi, had mentioned who that man was a few times. A 'father,' or in simpler terms, the person who Yumi claimed as the man she "would always love." And for a long time, Rin believed her. They were such a loving couple, always hugging, kissing and saying "I love you" at least once a day. The household would always stir with joy when her mother made an especially delicious dinner and her 'father' brought home small presents for her and Rinto. A very, very big white bow to wear on Rin's head, and a wooden toy train that Rinto could call all his own. Everybody loved each other back then. They lived with love and good hearts.

Unfortunately, those blissful times never lasted.

Rin felt uneasy. It was the first time Father came back late. Everybody was so worried, especially Mother. She was especially concerned, being the one who loved him the most. So much, that she allowed Rin and Rinto to stay up and wait with her. When she was placing the bow on Rin's head, and Rinto was rolling the train on the living room table, Father came home. She yawned and looked up at the clock and asked her brother the time. According to him, it was around midnight, which was much, much later than their usual bed time of nine o'clock. That didn't matter to them though. Father was safe and sound. They didn't need to wonder whether he was missing or not.

Rin sniffed and rubbed her nose. Father reeked of something thick and disgusting, with a bit of a sour scent thrown in the mix.

"Good evening, Yumi..." he muttered in a low, relaxed tone. A wide grin started to spread on his face.

"Where have you been?" she questioned, her anger evident in her voice. Even when she was worried, she could still shout and shriek with fury. Rin and Rinto quickly ran over to him before Yumi could stop them. They both wrapped their arms around his legs, being just a little on the short side. Father ruffled Rinto's hair and picked up Rin, hugging her tightly.

"Sorry, I was out with some of my old friends, and we were catching up," he told her. He turned to Rinto, then to Rin. She tried hard not to cough when he breathed at her. "How's my kids doing?"

"Good, Dad!" Rinto chirped happily.

"Good, Daddy," Rin said. She ignored how Father seemed to be just staring, as if he was daze. He rested his head on her tiny shoulder, feeling slick with sweat and heavy from his fully-grown head.

Suddenly, she was out of his arms, and Rinto was quickly dragged away. Yumi had a protective hold over them, away from Father. She glared at him.

"You're drunk!" she shrieked in a horrified voice. "How could you, in front of your own children?"

You're drunk, Rin repeated, not understanding the term. She looked over to Rinto, who seemed to be just as confused as her. Rin silently mouthed the words, "What does 'drunk' mean?"

"...I don't know," Rinto quietly said. "I think it's a bad thing."

Rin felt herself shiver. She didn't want for there to be bad things in the house. It meant that they wouldn't love each other anymore, and everybody would start to yell at each other. Just like how their mother was, right now.

Yumi placed Rin on the floor.

"Rin, Rinto, go to your room," she told them. Seeing the fear on Rin's face, Yumi gave her a soft smile. "Mommy and Daddy are just going to talk, Rin. It's going to be all right. Just go to bed, okay?"

Rin nodded, feeling relieved. "Okay." She took Rinto's hand, and he led her down the hall. The two walked silently down the long hall. Occasionally, she tugged on Rinto's hand when they slowed their pace, reminding him that he needed to stay up to get into bed. They sleepily rubbed their eyes as he opened the door—

SLAP!

They both immediately froze, the sharp sound still lingering in their ears. They turned to each other, with fear reflecting both on their faces. With great speed, the two of them ran back, still tightly holding onto each others hands. Rinto was ahead, and when he saw the scene in front of him, he quickly tried hiding it from Rin.

"Rin, get back!" he hissed, standing in front of her. Rin kept trying to look to the side, but it was no use. He was blocking every which way she turned.

"But why?" she asked. Rinto started dragging her back, determined. Rin saw her chance and turned back. She widened her eyes at the sight.

"No, Rin—"

'Father,' with a tinted green glass bottle in his hand, had begun to hurt Mother. He slapped her across the face, going on and on. He yelled things she couldn't understand. All of this, he did unrelentingly. Refusing to look at him any longer, she slowly turned to the floor. Yumi laid still there, unmoving. Rin felt tears start to well up in her eyes.

"Rin..." Rinto quietly said. Rin turned around, looking at the ground.

"I'm tired, Rinto," she said simply. She allowed Rinto to pull her back down the hall. When they were back in their bedroom, she pulled off the headband with the bow and put it on top of the toy chest. She slipped under the cold covers and shivered. Tonight would be full of nightmares, she could feel it. Rin closed her eyes and shifted to the side.

Rinto climbed into bed with her, laying by her side. She turned to him.

"Rinto, I'm scared," Rin whispered in a small voice. Rinto pulled back the covers and held her close.

"Me too," he whispered back.

"Will Mommy be all right?"

"Yeah, she will."

"What about Daddy?"

Rinto took a moment to think before answering.

"...Maybe."

.

.

.

For a little while, things went back to the way they were. Even after what happened, Yumi still claimed that she would always love him. She kept making delicious dinners, and Father still brought gifts for them. A white hair clip for Rin, and a charcoal-colored paperboy cap for Rinto. Everybody was back in good spirits. They still laughed together, smiled together, and enjoy each others company. Rin and Rinto could stop worrying. They weren't afraid to sleep in separate beds again. The matter had been forgotten.

Until Father started to bring home those glass bottles, full of unpleasant liquid. Late at night, when Rin and Rinto were in bed, lying awake, the grown man would drink himself drunk. Yumi began to yell at him, for his selfishness and indecency. He would start hitting her again, and shrieks of pain could be easily heard from their bedroom. The sound of slapping slowly turned into kicking, words Rin still didn't understand, and glass bottles breaking. Rinto started sleeping beside Rin again, and the two would close their eyes and pray for the night to pass. Rin had nightmares every time it happened. Rinto held her close, promising her that things would let up soon. Everything would go back to the way it was, and they could stop being scared.

The beating still continued, with no signs of it letting up any time soon. Changes were made around the house. Rinto stopped reassuring Rin, knowing that it was pointless. They both understood that their 'father' would keep up the malicious acts. Yumi, who was now covered in bandages with blood seeping through, began to stop making dinner. Their father no longer brought home gifts for them. Then, one night after another brutal beating, Rinto refused to mention him.

"Rin, he's not our father anymore," he declared. Rin sat on her bed, tightly clutching a stuffed bunny.

"Yes he is," Rin stated. "Mommy said she's married to him."

"He's not our dad to us anymore," Rinto explained. "We can't him call him 'Dad' or 'Daddy' or 'Father' now. That guy doesn't love us or Mom. He's hurting her too much, and she won't do anything to stop it! You remember, don't you?"

"...Yeah," she muttered sadly. He picked up Rin and cradled her in his arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she buried her face in the bunny's ears. Her face grew hot.

"I'm sorry for bringing that memory up," he comforted quietly. She sniffled, her nose feeling clogged. "I forgot how much that scared you."

"I...want...Mommy," she cried. "I don't want her to be sad anymore!"

"Mom's strong, even if she doesn't seem like it," the older sibling told her. "I believe that she'll stop this soon enough. You know that, don't you?"

She nodded solemnly. "If we can't call him our dad anymore, what will we call him?"

"That man," Rinto answered. "He's a stranger to us now."

.

.

.

That was when she was just four-years-old, Rinto was six and a half, and their mother was twenty-nine. Now, she had aged to four and a half, and Rinto would soon turn seven. Rin looked up to her mother and brother. Yumi stood strong, refusing to back down. Her hands were at her sides, curled into fists. She spoke in a manner that the little girl never heard before. Her mother oozed toughness and bravery as she seemed to finally stand up for herself. Rin turned to Rinto, who glared at 'Father' with all of his might. He tightly held onto her tiny hand, as if she would disappear the moment he let go. Occasionally, her older brother nodded with their mother's words. Rin didn't understand what to do. All she knew was that the man was getting kicked out, and things maybe, just maybe, start going back to normal.

.

.

.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking apologetic. He placed a gentle kiss on Yumi's forehead. "I'll always love you."

"Don't touch me," she hissed at him.

He ruffled Rinto's hair, who immediately fixed his hair. If the man was hurt, he did not show it. Instead, he kissed the top of Rin's head and patted it. He smiled when the little girl blankly looked at him. He left the three, setting out on his own.

"He's gone," Yumi muttered to herself. Rin looked up at her. Her mother's hands were curled into shaking fists, as if desperate to punch him, something, or anything. "He's finally gone."

.

.

.

When the man had left, her mother and brother stared to tear up. Rin tilted her head and stared questioningly to them. She tugged on Rinto's sleeve.

"Rinto," she said, looking at him now. "Hey, Rinto."

He sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "What is it, Rin?"

"Why are you and Mommy crying?" she asked. "Are you both sad?"

Rinto paused, confusing Rin. He allowed a few tears to drip onto the dirt ground before continuing.

"Actually, not at all," he said, choking up. He suddenly bent over, coughing and choking all at once. His tears trickled down his cheeks and quickly splattered to the ground. Rin slowly patted his back and turned to Yumi.

"Mommy, are you sad?"

"Oh...Rin, dear, I'm not sad," her mother said in a quiet voice. She loudly blew her nose and ushered the two siblings into the house. "I'm just so happy that he's gone."

Rin flinched as the door behind them slammed shut. She turned to Rinto, who seemed to be unaffected as he allowed a steady flow of tears stream down his face. Rin tugged on his sleeve. He wiped his eyes and turned to Rin, a small smile on his face. Together, they both slowly moved through the hall. She opened the door and led Rinto inside. From there, he quickly dived onto his bed and buried his face into the pillows. A loud, muffled cry was heard. Rin felt a small tug in her chest and quickly stepped back. For some reason, she felt as though she wasn't supposed to be here at all. Watching Rinto cry, witnessing their mother cry... There was too much sadness and grief in this household. So Rin left the room and quietly closed the door, letting Rin have some time to himself. As she turned, she faintly heard the wailing sounds from Rinto. Rin felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Her heart slowly started to accelerate its beating.

"Why..." she heard her mother snivel from the kitchen. There was a pause as she heard the older woman whimpered. Rin silently tip-toed over to the wall and peeked. She impatiently brushed away a stray tear. "Why did you hurt us? Do you hate your family that much? I wish I had never met you..."

Rin watched with wide eyes as her mother stood up and walked to the cabinet. She sniffed and smelled the distasteful stench of that funny stuff the man occasionally drank. It was too thick, with whatever he added made it sour-scented as well. In her mother's hand was the same thing: A tall, tinted green glass bottle with its contents swishing around. The woman popped off the cap and held it up to her lips, slowly tilting the liquid towards her.

Rin turned away and dashed down the hall, heading straight for her and Rinto's room. She entered inside, where Rinto had finally calmed down and fell into a deep sleeping. She switched her skirt for a pair of grey shorts, put on socks and boots, and took Rinto's charcoal-colored paperboy hat. Rin then left for the room where she and that man slept in. She swung open the door, somewhat caring about the slightly loud volume, especially since it was near Yumi. Her eyes quickly zoned in on the fluffy white rug to the right of the large bed. Seeing it triggered a small memory in her head...

.

.

"Daddy, what's that?" she asked, pointing to a wooden trap door under the rug. He quickly placed it back and pressed a finger to his mouth, the universal sign to keep a secret.

"It's Daddy's secret hall under the house," he told her. "Don't tell your mother."

.

.

She turned it over, revealing the same wooden trap door. Rin was about to open it until she remembered the darkness and dampness of the hallway. Rin walked over to the side of the dresser and pulled on the secret compartment, pieces of wax with bits of wick rolling down. A golden candle holder slid on the top piece. Inside the holder were two rocks. She pulled it out, along with the tallest candle. Rin carefully placed the candle upright as she walked back to the trap door. She put the candle holder on the floor and hit the rocks together, hoping for a spark.

Clack, clack, clack!

Sizzle...

Aha! The candle was burning now!

Rin picked up the rocks and tossed them back in the compartment. She closed it, picked up the candle holder, and was careful not to blow out the burning flame. She placed the rug on the trap door before she pulled the door over her head.

SLAM!

Now, she was encased in the cold, dark hallway under the house. The small flame was all she had left for a light source. Hopefully, it would be enough.

Drip... Drip... Drip...

Rin dragged her fingers on the stone-covered wall. She clung tightly to the handle, wishing for something to fill the silence. She felt herself shiver as her mind whirled back time, remembering how the man would get in a fitful rage after he drank the stuff. She didn't know what was in it, but she assumed it was a drink that made people cranky. (Although, why people would want a drink like that, she didn't understand herself.) Rin didn't dare to close her eyes, knowing that more darkness would bring the memories to life. The glass bottles crashing to the floor, the furious slaps to Yumi, Rinto and herself holding each other close as they tried to ignore the painful resounding voices. The bloody wounds on her mother's arms and legs, the thick, red substance that seeped through the bandage cloths...

Pit, pat, pit, pat. Pit, pat, pit, pat.

She felt her tears splash onto the stone ground. Her face was burning hot, and suddenly, it was getting harder to breathe. Rin carefully placed the candle holder on the floor and sat across from it. She sniffled, her nose now clogged. She wiped her face with her sleeve and put her cheek against the wall. It felt freezing cold, but soothing to the touch. Rin slowly closed her eyes, trying to think of a better memory. Unfortunately, her mind refused to let matters slide. Her stomach flipped around as the memories slid into her thoughts. But, instead of the moments of pain she recalled, Rin started to remember the times when Rinto left the house to go play, or when that man got to eat out every once in a while. Strangely enough, there was a feeling associated with these memories she remembered. What was it called?

….Ah yes.

She remembered the small, disparaging feeling of jealousy that hid inside her heart. She didn't know why she felt this way, all hot and burning up. It seemed to burst through any weather barriers, even if it was a cold winter's day and the wind was a little strong. Rin knew that seeing Rinto go outside to go to a place called school, or the man getting to leave while she and Yumi stayed home always seemed to trigger this. She didn't understand why. It was a feeling unknown to her, and because of that, she felt so scared, so frightened.

Rin did know this: While Rinto and the man left daily, she and her mother seldom left the house. And when they did, it was usually to buy food for meals or cloth for sewing and so on.

.

.

-Several minutes later-

.

.

"Ah..." Rin breathed. There was a small, shining light near the end. She would be gone from this dank and dark world in just a few moments... But not soon enough. Her feet, as if acting on its own accord, began to speed up, refusing to stay here any longer. She covered the flickering flame with the palm of her hand, even if the outside world was just out of her grasp.

Step step step step step step—

"Hello..." Rin whispered, opening the trap door. The afternoon sun shined in her eyes as she blew out the candle. She tossed the candle holder and the shrunken bit of candle to the side. The ground below her feet were covered in green, green grass. Trees, thick with green leaves, surrounded her, and in the distance was a river and a stone bridge. Farther ahead, there was a large building that she never saw before. I think I will go and explore now, she decided. Rin put on the hat and tentatively took a few steps. The dirt felt uneven and lumpy.

Rin loved it.

She ran around to the front of the house. There were dirt paths and other houses and other kids her age playing around. There was an occasional man or woman walking by. A brown cat meowed and quickly scattered. Rin widened her eyes, trying to take in her surroundings. No matter how many times she entered this large, outside world, she never stopped being amazed by it. Things were so different in this place outside her home. There were more people, different kinds of people, and they all seemed to be content with their lives. All of the kids looked as if they were friends. Would they let her join in, or would they turn her away?

"Hi," a voice suddenly said. Rin jumped and fell on her behind. She looked up to see a boy, probably around her age. He had blue eyes like hers, and blond hair too, except his was tied into a tiny ponytail. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you."

Rin slowly nodded, aware of the sudden tension in the air. The blond boy held out his hand, and Rin did not hesitate to take it. He pulled her up, and she saw that he was just a little bit taller than her. She took a good look at his face and couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity... Was it just her, or did they both look alike? If there was one thing she was completely sure of, it was that she only had one brother.

"Are you new here? I've never seen you before," he asked. Rin shook her head, noting how calmly he spoke. "My name's Len. What's yours?"

"Rin," she simply replied. Remembering her manners, she added, "Thank you for helping me up."

"It's no problem," Len told her. He looked over to the house behind her. "Is that your house?"

"Yeah," Rin said.

"My house is down there," he explained, pointing down the road opposite of the river. "It's kinda far, so I guess that's why I haven't seen you before. I'm on this side of town because my parents are talking with my friend's parents."

"Oh," Rin said, somewhat dejectedly. Len tilted his head in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"...I don't know, really. It's kinda weird."

"Well, if you find out, you can tell me," he told her. "I'll listen."

And for that reason, Rin decided to trust this boy wholeheartedly. She nodded her head and gave him an honest-to-goodness smile.

"...Okay."

Len nodded as well. "Okay."

A smile slowly widened on his face.

"Leeeen~!" Rin heard a high-pitched voice yell. She turned her head to see a girl with blond hair as well, but it was longer and tied high up into a side ponytail, barely just below her shoulders. Instead of blue eyes, hers were a golden yellow. She stopped at Len's side and plopped down, breathing heavily.

"This is Neru," Len explained. "She's my best friend."

"Hi...nice to meet...you..." Neru huffed. "Sorry...just kinda...tired..."

Rin nodded, avoiding her gaze at the cuts on Neru's legs, the angry red marks on her face that slightly puffed up. She couldn't help but feel curious though. What had happened to this girl? Was there a man who hit her mommy too? Did he start hitting her as well? She couldn't help but feel sick to the stomach, her mind tempted to relive those memories.

"I'm Rin," she said, keeping her tone at a normal level. Neru finally managed to catch her breath and looked up at her. Rin gave a shy smile.

"Hey, I'm Neru, like he said!" Neru exclaimed brightly, shocking Rin for a moment. She could be so happy, despite the wounds on herself? "What's up? How are you?"

"Um...not much," Rin answered. "I'm feeling fine."

Neru nodded, as if understanding this. She was about to continue, until two voices from far away beckoned them to come back. Len and Neru looked at each other with disappointed looks.

"Aw, what? We were just making a new friend too!" Neru whined loudly.

"We can see her again," Len said. Neru nodded, but she pouted anyway He patted her shoulder consolingly before she started to stomp back. He turned to Rin.

"I guess you have to go now," Rin stated, her face void of expression.

"Yeah," Len agreed, "but I'll see you some other time, right?"

...I would see him again? Rin questioned. I can see him soon? She knew that the possibilities were highly unlikely, especially given the circumstances at home. It would be impossible now, and she would never see them again, maybe forever. They might go away, just like that man did. Never to be seen again.

But that didn't mean it would happen.

"Right!" she suddenly exclaimed. "It's a promise!"

"It's a promise."

The two shook right hands and repeated their promise. Len then quickly ran off, following the side ponytail girl. Before he was completely out of sight, he turned back to look at Rin. The two smiled at each other one last time before he was no longer to be seen. Rin looked at her hand, then looked up into the distance, where Len's receding figure had disappeared. They made a promise, and Rin would keep it, no matter what.

"It's a promise," Rin repeated. She turned back and headed straight for the front door. It was no use going back underground. She had nothing to produce a spark with, and the candle had been reduced to a mere stub. She turned the door knob, and surprisingly, it opened. she walked inside and quickly closed the door behind her. When the little girl turned back, she was shocked by the scene in front of her.

The glass bottle was held in Yumi's hand, but she did not raise it. In fact, it wasn't even near her face at all. Instead, its contents were spilling into the sink, going, going...gone. The liquid had disappeared into the drain, never to be seen again. She turned to the door, placing the bottle beside the sink. Rin examined her mother's face. Her eyes were red from crying, and her cheeks were tear-stained.

"Rin, why were you outside?" the mother asked. "I didn't notice you walk out earlier."

"I was making a friend," she answered. "Mommy, what are you doing?"

"If you're going to be outside, you have to tell me first," Yumi said. "I don't want you disappearing."

"Okay, Mommy," Rin said. "What are you doing?"

"Oh...I'm throwing out these drinks," the mother told her. She took out two more bottles from the cabinets, opened them, and started dumping the liquids down the sink. "We don't need them anymore."

"I see," Rin replied. "...Mommy?"

"Yes, Rin?"

"Do you still love Rinto and me?"

Yumi placed the bottles beside the sink and turned to her. Rin looked up at her with big eyes, silently pleading for an answer.

Now that that man is gone, will you stop making delicious meals for us? Will you stop loving us because he's not here anymore? Are you going to end up like him too and leave us?

"I'll always love you and Rinto. I promise. Now, what do you think about spending the day outside?"

Rin smiled. "Okay."

YO, READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE HERE.

YES, PEOPLE, THE TRUTH HAS ARRIVED! This is Skeleton Life...REWRITTEN!

I'll be honest, I was very worried about putting this up. I knew that I had left you guys at the WORST POSSIBLE STAND STILL IN THE ORIGINAL STORY. To be frank though, I hated how the original story was going, and so, I have decided to rewrite it.

All right, you may start yelling at me now. -drops head in shame-

Also, please review?