May These Noises Startle You In Your Sleep

And where are we now? Are we living happily in our cozy little, Victorian house? Yeah. Sure. Seven years in this fucking house. Seven long-ass years. I'll admit something though. The first two years were fantastic. Victor took us home, cooked us a homemade meal and showed us to our rooms. They were awesome; a nice window for us to look out into the neighborhood, enough space to host a damn mini party in there and comfy beds. He showered us with (false) love and affection. It was nearly like how grandpa was. Nearly. Life was turning out to be all rainbows and daisies and for a long time, I began to smile. Even Ludwig began to talk more and smiled. Victor got us truck load of toys and clothes. Life was great.

My dumbass self didn't feel like anything was wrong. I never noticed the little hints that just didn't prove right to me. After a while, I never even noticed how Ludwig began to get quiet again. He was always the sharper one out of the both of us, I will admit; sensed shit when I couldn't. Unlike me, Ludwig would notice when Victor wasn't around for days on end. I thought hell! Finally some independence around this damn place. He would also notice when Victor would bring random chicks' home and always reeked of alcohol. A guy can have a little fun, right? Basically, the kid noticed everything I couldn't while I was off goofing around. Bright kid I was. Anyways, after that short two year mark, shit hit the fan. Something snapped in Victor and I'm not sure I'll ever know what it was. Or why it happened but that's beside the point.

A couple days after my twelfth birthday, Victor came home in the middle of the night. How I knew was because my ass was up watching anime and jumped when he slammed the door shut. I quietly left my room and peeked into Ludwig's room. He was sleeping peacefully with a small smile on his face. He was a heavy sleeper at the time. Smiling myself, I nearly jumped out of my skin once again when I heard Victor bellow out my name. Furrowing my eyebrows in confusion, I took a look downstairs. My stomach was twisting and turning in unimaginable ways. I felt like I was going to puke. He bellowed out my name again. Cringing, I made my way down the dark steps. It was beginning to pour outside as I heard the thunder clap loudly. My heart was racing a marathon in my chest and it was beginning to hurt. Victor was standing near the fireplace to dry off. Little puddles were seen from the door to where he was now.

"Gil-" He began to yell but I quickly interrupted him.

"Y-Yes Victor?" I said shakily. Turning around, he blinked at me. For a second he looked as if he was surprised to see me. His dark eyes focused on me and then he smiled. It was sickening and at the moment, it made me scared for my own life. Victor made the "come here" hand gesture and I hesitated for a moment. My body refused to move until he did it again. Beckoning me closer and closer to his little spider trap. As I stood there, he continued to stare into the fire.

"Gilbert." Victor rolled my name off his tongue. I shivered. This wasn't going to end well. I just know it. Grabbing my wrist, he pulled me closer to him. I completely stopped breathing. "You know…" He whispered close to me. I smelled the last vodka shot he took before coming home mixed with the cheap cologne he wore. The smell was making me dizzy in the wrong way. "You have the most intriguing eyes I have ever seen…" Smiling, he leaned even closer to me. My eyes widened in shock when I realized he kissed me. My brain froze and I didn't know what to do. Oh God. This is wrong. This is so fucking wrong. I screamed in my head. Pushing him with all my might, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" I tried to growl but my fear only caused me to sound like a scared little boy. Ignoring me, he tried to kiss me again. I quickly moved out of the way. Tears were coming to my eyes and I couldn't stop them no matter how hard I tried. "Why are you doing this?" I asked. He grabbed my arm once again and growled.

"Just shut up and let me." I yanked my arm away and pushed his face away.

"S-Stop!" I nearly yelled. Victor stopped and stared at me with his cold, dark eyes. Who was this man? This wasn't the guardian I knew…Where was the one that would buy me and Luddy gifts and give us homemade food? More tears fell down my eyes. This wasn't happening…I didn't see his hand raise into the air. I didn't even feel the slap across my face until I realized I was staring at the white wall. My eyes widened in shock. My brain was trying to process what just happened. Before the process was even half way done, Victor grabbed my hair and threw me onto the floor. I felt the air get knocked out of my lungs.

"I dare ya to scream more little Gil." He pulled me up by my hair. "You just want your little retarded, mute brother to wake up and see this, don't you?" Victor growled. Biting my lip, I managed to shake my head despite his tight grip on my hair. The smile grew on his face. "Good." He purred. "Instead of letting me go like regular people, he tossed me down the basement stairs. The edge of the stairs knocked the air out of my lungs as I tumbled further and further down. If you never fell down the stairs in your life before, I must tell you, it hurts like fucking hell. While I lay on the concrete floor trying to gain some damn air in my lungs, I heard Victor's footsteps coming down the staircase. "Get the fuck up." He said coldly. Rising up on all fours, I tried to stand but I couldn't since the asswipe decided to kick me in the ribs. Whatever air I managed into my lungs got knocked back out forcefully. Landing back onto my face, I tried to hold the tears back as my ribs and stomach ached from the pain. Trying to clutch my stomach, Victor began to kick me in the ribs several times. I know I broke something. I heard the slight little snap and felt my whole side scream at me. Fuck trying not to cry, I really did begin to cry. Victor must have noticed my tear droplets on the concrete floor and picked me up by the shirt collar. "Stop fucking crying!" He screamed at my face. I felt some spit land on my cheek. "Are you a freakin' man or what?" I didn't know how to react. The shock wasn't registering in my mind. I tried to stop crying by blinking rapidly. My torso felt like it was being set on fire from the inside out. Fear was making me mute as Victor smiled sadistically at me. "Oh, the wee lamb." He said affectionately as he raised me higher to punch me in the face. I was back on the floor but honestly, I don't remember much after that. Must've pushed that very first incident out of my mind.

Honestly, I don't remember when it ended or how I even got to my own bed. I just remember the next morning, waking up to the small annoying alarm clock. A new day has started but was the night before reality? I realized it was when I couldn't open my swollen, black eye. Fuck. I thought to myself. How am I going to explain this to Ludwig? Changing into casual house clothes, I realized all the bruises I had on my body. My ribs still hurt like a fucker and I didn't know how I was going to manage this. I had to go to the doctor and get some help for this somehow. An endless string of lies that will be woven into a delicate story. Lovely. This definitely wouldn't be the last time I do that either. As I walked downstairs, which to tell you, it hurt so much just to breath, I saw Ludwig eating his cereal silently. I didn't make eye contact since I knew I would slip up and reveal the truth.

"What happened bruder?" He chirped. I froze before the fridge and gripped the handle tightly.

"N-Nothing Luddy." I forced a chuckle along with a smile on my face as I turned to him. "I managed to get this sucker while trying to play videogames at night. I slipped and rammed myself into the corner of the table. Imagine that!" I laughed nervously once again. Victor came into the kitchen looking like nothing happened.

"Morning Ludwig." He ruffled his hair and then saw me. A smug smile crossed his face. "Good morning Gilbert." My stomach was doing flips inside. Walking near me, he brushed his hand against my cheek while he made a grab for some juice. "It'll never end." He whispered in my ear. And he kept his word ever since. For nearly every night for five years, I have been beaten in the same damn basement that started it all. I always had an excuse for each new mark that revealed itself to Ludwig. I fake that smile, I fake that laugh and keep all my emotions locked in. I also learned how to make myself go numb and let my mind wander while Victor beats me.

Now, I'm just over seventeen. To be honest, the guy you know today is because Victor shaped me into the fucker I am now. Ludwig's already thirteen years old and nearly my height. Tall mother fucker too. Though he's still quiet, still doesn't know anything and of course still serious as hell too. We don't talk as much as we're supposed to but I guess it could be the age difference right now. Oh well. I was reading my calculus textbook for the big test coming up soon when I heard the familiar sound of the door slamming. Here we go again. I put my notebook in my textbook to hold the page and sighed. What shall it be this time? Will he spice things up or shall it be the same old shit? Walking out of my room, I checked into Ludwig's to see if he was sleeping. Dear God I hope he was.

"What do you think you're doing?" Victor yelled next to me. I jumped and nearly banged against Ludwig's door. When did he come upstairs? Trying to calm my racing heart, I tried to answer but he wouldn't let me. Simply, he pushed me near the edge of the stair case and pushed me down. The first couple seconds were peaceful. I felt like I was flying but of course, I felt the stairs hit my backside. This was normal. Staring at the ceiling above me, I tried to go to my happy place. As stupid as it sounds, it really is the place I go to when Victor beats me. For some reason, it wasn't happening. While I lay there groaning, I heard Victor coming down the stairs. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I tried to sit up but it was hard. He was already near me. "Going to check on little Luddy Gil?" He smirked. I managed a nod. "Too bad." He picked me up like I was nothing but a ragdoll and threw me against the wall. My head hit the hard wall and I felt like I was going to black out. My vision was going in and out and all I could see was him coming closer and closer. Laying nearly on top of me, he began to punch the living shit out of my face. Sometimes he cared whether or not people saw the mark and sometimes he did. Odd fellow. After a while he began to stop and my face was looking at the staircase.

My biggest fear came true. Ludwig was there at the top of the stairs watching in horror. His bright blue eyes just stared at what a mess I probably was.

Hello, hello~! How are you guys? I updated pretty quickly for this since I written most of it down on loose leaf x'D Go me! Graduation is done and over with so now I have more time. Yay! Please review! I love some of the reviews I heard when I first started and I would appreciate more :3 *hugs all*