"Come back! Where are you going?" I was running after her as fast I could. My heart and ears were pounding but I was slowly catching up to her. "Stop running!" I reached out and my arm wasn't there. I was so shocked I stumbled and fell, allowing her to get away. "Come back! Blake!" I shot up in bed, waking from my nightmare. It was incredibly dark and the shattered moon was hanging in the sky. Light came from my left and I looked over and saw dad.
"Are you okay Yang? I heard you yelling." I sighed and put my head back on the pillow. "Yeah dad, I'm fine." I rolled over and faced the window. A light weight pressed down on my feet and I looked to see Zwei. Dad must've let him in. I heard my door close and his footsteps in the hallway. I sighed again and tried to go back to sleep.
The sunlight coming through my window woke me up. I flipped the cover off me and shifted my legs over the side of my bed. I didn't want to get up. I wanted to lay in bed but I knew dad would come get me if I didn't come downstairs. I heard a snort to my left. Zwei was rolling over to standup and hopped off my bed. He turned and yipped at me, wanting me to follow him. I stepped into my slippers and followed him down the stairs.
I stepped into the living room and sat down on the couch. Zwei jumped on the couch next to me and sat down before laying on his back and quickly falling asleep again. "I'm heading out for a trip. I won't be back until tomorrow. Do you want anything for breakfast before I leave?" I looked over and dad was poking his head out of the kitchen. "No thanks, I'm not really hungry." I knew he wasn't going to take that as an answer and sure enough. "Okay toast it is then."
A minute or two later and he placed a plate with four slices of toast in front of me. "Thanks dad." He ruffled my hair and kissed my forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow." He left leaving me alone with Zwei and my toast. I turned the tv on and absentmindedly ate my toast. I didn't pay attention to the screen; it was all just background noise and distractions anyway. Everything is background noise and distractions.
It had been a couple months since Ruby left. Dad was worried at first, then furious, then I think he figured out why she left. I didn't care. Let her leave just like everyone else. Mom, Blake, and now Ruby too. Everyone leaves me… eventually. I took my plate out to the sink and washed it. The least I could do to help dad was clean up a bit. I took my time and slowly went to work on cleaning up the house. I think dad purposefully lets stuff get dusty to give me something to do. I started in the living room by dusting the mantle. I stopped at our family picture. It was of dad, Qrow, Ruby, and myself. Looking at it made me so angry. What good am I now? I closed my eyes and heard a loud shattering. When I opened my eyes my arm was outstretched and the frame was laying shattered against the wall. I collapsed onto the floor and started crying. Zwei nudged me and climbed into my lap.
I don't know how long I was lying there. I eventually got up and walked over to the frame. I gently pulled the picture from the splinters and glass shards. "Come on Zwei, we need to go into town." Zwei trotted along as we left the house and went to town. I went into a little knick-knack shop that had a few picture frames in the window. "Ah Miss Xiao-Long, how may I help you?" She must know dad. She was about half my height with graying hair. "I was hoping you had a picture frame that would fit this." I handed her the picture and she looked at it from behind her half-moon glasses. "One moment please." She walked around the shop briskly and scanned the shelves. Zwei trotted behind her happily waking his stumpy tail. She pulled a box from one of the shelves near the front and opened it. She pulled a nice looking silver frame out and placed the picture neatly inside.
As I was watching her I realized I didn't have any money on me. She handed me the new frame. "You have a nice day now." I didn't move. "But what about-" She smiled and lightly pushed me towards the door. "It's okay. I owed Tai a favor for some work he did. Go on home now." I stepped through the doorway and turned around. "Thank you ma'am." Zwei followed me outside and we went home.
I placed the picture right where it was and cleaned up the remains of the old frame. I went back to cleaning the house as Zwei slept on the couch. By the time I finished it was getting dark. I made sure the door was locked and went upstairs to go to bed. I got in bed and as soon as I got comfortable Zwei jumped up and nestled into his spot. I rolled over and stared out the window at the shattered moon. Shattered just like me. I sighed and tried to go to sleep.
