Author: BebePanda401
Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, death of a child.
Rating: 'M'.
Insparation: Concrete Angel
Note/s: Okay. This is my second 'M' rated story, but for a few reasons. I was listening to 'Concrete Angel' the other day, and it inspired me to raise awareness for the thousands of children living with abusive parents.
-Forgotten Smile-
With natural teal hair, cat-like golden eyes and a beaming smile, at first glance people would think she was the apple of her Mother's eye. She did well at school, got good grades and always encouraged others to do their best. You'd think she was loved, right?
Wrong.
She walked to school everyday, wearing the same clothes as the day before. The clothes were a little stained with tomato ketchup, (or so people assumed) but she was a child- typical, right?
Nobody really knew her name. She was just background noise that occassionally was a nit-pick in the playgroud teasing fest. Well, her name was Ruka Sagara, aged eleven years old.
She was the twin that had survived, as well. Yes, she was a twin, but her twin (who's name was going to be Rua) had died due to complications.
And that is where our story begins.
It was that fateful day that everything would change. Forever.
As she awoke that morning, she got out of her bed fully clothed, and opened the door. The familar smog of the tobbacco was always a distasteful reminder that she was not a normal child living a normal life. She lived in a life where her tears were her best friend.
And she also recieved the complimentary sayings.
"I hate you! You ruined my life! Because of you, your brother died and my husband left me! What do I have to show for my life when I leave? You! A little discusing hore!" Those words were always hurting her, echoing her ears.
But that was a typical day for her. Along side the violent shakings.
Ruka decided to rush out of the door as quickly as she could, the tear lines still visible on her cheeks. She didn't have time to eat. She never did.
Unless a knuckle-sandwitch counted as her breakfast.
As she walked, she could still hear the teasings from the other children. It was totally normal for her to hear abuse. It was part of an everyday life. She eyed the other children, knowing full well what happened behind the whispers.
"Wasn't she wearing that dress yesterday?"
"I think your right."
"What a scab."
"What a looser."
"Does she get her clothes from the bargain bin at the charity shops or something? What a total hore."
"I heard she scavanges them out of the bin!"
"What a freak. Is she like, homeless?"
"Ssh! I think she can hear us!"
It was always the same, day in and day out.
-In Class-
"Alright class, today we are going to go over the basics of times tables, just to warm things up a little bit. Okay?" The teacher had short hair, and was quite old. Ruka always thought she was a history teacher.
"Hai, sensei." They all sat down, including Ruka whom then took off her jacket. Her school, unlike many others, did not have a custom uniform, except on special occassions.
"Please take off your jackets." But as she took off her jacket, the teacher dead-panned at what she saw.
Purple markings.
Her eyes widened, but she did not ask. Ruka knew that she knew about her markings, and was actually begining on the inside that she would ask. So all the years of her being abused and down-graded would finally come to an end.
But she did not ask. Because she did not want to get involve. Nobody did.
But that was okay. It was just part of her everyday life. Get noticed, but not talked to.
Have people stare, but nobody ask.
-In the Playground-
She sat on a bench like usual. Nobody to talk to. Nobody to care about her well-being, or to play a game with. She was alone, like pure usual. Ruka sighed, combing her teal hair back and letting it fall loose.
Kind of like her life. One minute it was all together, and then it would all go haywire.
"Hi!" Ruka jolted around, to see a boy sitting next to her. He had a hood over his hair, but she could still make out his kind golden eyes.
"H-hello." She stammered, replying back.
"Why are you by yourself?" He asked with genuine concern. Something that was normally so foreign to Ruka Sagara, aged eleven.
"I...don't have anyone." She confessed. He look a little puzzled, but then a huge grin was present on his face. Which confused Ruka alot.
"I know! I'll tell you a joke!" He decided. Ruka smiled lightly and nodded. "Okay. What do you get, if you cross a clown with a microphone?" Ruka pondered for a minute.
"Umm...I don't know. What do you get?" He smiled.
"A jack in the box! Get it? Because a box is another name for a speaker and...your laughing?" She was. She was laughing for the first time. The boy smiled and laughed.
They were being normal children.
Ruka was laughing. That was not part of her everyday life. It was a part of her everynight dream, however.
-In Ruka's room-
Ruka was trailing her thumb over the small golden bracelet that the boy had given her earlier that day. He said it was his baby bracelet, but did not need it where he was going. She admired the carvings on the golden wrist accessory, smiling even more.
"Ruka-san! You there?" She knew that voice...Ruka went to the window to confirm her suspisions. And they were right.
"Hey, your that boy from earlier! The one that made me laugh with the joke!" She realized. He grinned at her.
"The one and only." She leaned against the window, smiling at him.
"So, you live next door?" He then went a little sheepish. His hood was still over his hair, hiding it from her view. It made the teal-haired girl wonder why he hid his hair from view- it was quite weird.
"Kind of." She was a little perplexed, but simply shrugged it off.
"Hey Ruka, would you like to come and meet some of my friends with me sometime soon? Maybe tommorow?" He asked, sounding a little too hopeful. Ruka's smile faded.
"I don't think I'll be allowed, my Mum doesn't let me out to play with friends." He's smile also diminished.
"Oh.." Suddenly, Ruka's door widened, revealing an angry blonde woman.
"I thought I would find it here!" Ruka's eyes dilated, and turned to her new friend for help. But all he could do was look on, with a distant look in his cat-like features.
"Why? Why did you take the last thing I have of Rua? Wy? You selfish little brat! Why would you be so horrible?" Ruka was confused as her Mother shook her violently.
"Mother! The bracelet was from the boy over there!" Her Mother looked out of the window, only to see nobody.
"There's nobody there! You little fucking liar!" She shook her even more violently, her nails digging into her skin and bursting so many veins of the small child.
"Mom! He's right there!" She pointed, but again, her Mother saw nobody. The boy then felt a tear slide down his cheek, which represented his sadness and empathy for the young girl.
And as he watched the young girls own Mother take her life in such a cruel way, which involved her steppin on her own child's face, breaking every bone in her body and going as far as tearing her ear off, all the small girl and boy did was cry.
That, was the ending to that typical day.
And so, there was a small memorial service held that very next week. It was a Monday, the start of a brand new day.
The skies weren't morning the loss, the sky was sunny and bright. Clouds dotted the blue sky, as if to decorate this truly sad day.
But was it sad?
The small hooded boy looked on at the grave, and walked away. WHere he smiled as he met a familiar face.
"Ruka." She smiled, and took down his hood.
"Rua." She realized.
"Come on, time to go." He then out-stretched a hand, which she gladly accepted, beaming like the innoccence that was cruelly ripped away from her that very last week.
"Hai!" However, she stopped as she realized something.
"Wait." Rua looked around, confused.
"What is it, Ruka?" Her hair covered her eyes, as if to be ashamed of what she was about to ask of him to do for her.
"C-can...I see my Mum?" Rua looked shocked at her request. However, Rua just placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting look.
"Sure."
And so, when the two twins saw their Mother, they gave her a look. Not of anger or rage, but of pure pity. Pity for a Mother who took her anger out on her own children, and blamed them for the wrong-doings of their lives.
And when they finally went to play with their friends, they gave a thumbs up. And gave everyone a special message:
You are never alone.
A/N: You are never alone. Ever.