Serial Hearts

Chapter 3: The Cursed Angel

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia in any way shape or form.

"You're just as sane as I am."

Sanity. I don't claim to have it. In my opinion I believe that sanity is a mere illusion. We all have problems and we all have a past. It's human nature to lie, cheat, and steal.

Here's a brain teaser.

Who is more sane? The bouncy blonde haired girl without a care in the world, smiling as she's handed her diploma, whispering to her friends about a girl she saw wearing some drab outfit, marrying your average joe, and having kids. Whatever that means. Or, the boy who's lived his life in heartache. His father left, his mother became an alcoholic, his little sister became the school whore, he was poor, he suffered from depression, and his entire life he was mercilessly bullied.

Here's the answer.

Neither are truly sane.

The girl, the one who's had her entire life going for her, is going through a continuous loop of expectancy. Day by day she does the same thing over and over again, never changing, never faltering and always smiling. That's suburbia.

The boy, the one who's never had a hint of luck in his life expects only pain and sorrow. So he goes through the same thing. Everyday. Wakes up, takes care of his mother. He quit school so he could pay the bills and now he works in the same dead end job as before. His sister disappears every night only to return in the morning without her panties.

Do you doubt my theory?

Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is the doing something over and over again and expecting different results. Like a scientist doing the same experiment but never changing a thing.

But the cruel thing is when Fate decides to intervene and in an instant insanity becomes sanity. All it takes is open eyes.

The girl, she loses her husband and one of her kids in a car accident. Her entire life is torn apart but her eyes are open. She sees how pretentious her friends are when they give her pitying stares and talk about how terrible she looks behind her back. She realizes that her husband was cheating on her when the mistress comes to the hospital. She knows that life isn't what she planned it out to be. But, throughout the tragedy and the pain she finds herself becoming stronger and a more fierce mother. She becomes independent and she takes life by storm. Even if on the inside she's still mourning the loss of her old family.

The boy, every night before he goes to bed he takes out a notebook and he writes down whatever is on his mind. He never writes about himself, oh no. He writes about amazing things like warrior princesses, clumsy magicians, goofy talking sheep, and thief with the heart of gold. One day he decides to send to a publisher and after that it's not long before he's one of the most famous authors in the country. His mother begs him daily to buy her beer and materialistic things but he soon realized that she was poison in his life. No longer was she a mother but a leech. So he casted her aside. Realizing what she's become she gets help with the vow that she'll become the person her son had always wanted her to be. His sister became pregnant in the tenth grade. She was forced to quit school and now she's married with the man who impregnated her in the first place.

Her insanity led to clarity, that her life was never truly going to make her happy even if she expected it to be.

His insanity led to personal wealth through imagination, all it took was leaving his past behind and changing his own future.

Ask yourself this, are you truly sane?

The Cursed Angel, aka Allen (last name unknown).

He was born in the late nineteen thirties in a religious family. HIs father refused to show any affection or love towards his children because it was a sign of weakness while his mother showered them with all the attention needed.

Early on his mother knew that he was different from the rest of the children. He would come home with dead animal carcasses and claim that the voices in his head told him to do it. She tried to keep it a secret from her hard bearing husband but all secrets come out one way or another.

His brother, James, was never truly scared of him. They shared secrets, they climbed trees together, and they waded in creeks while fishing for imaginary fish. Even when he found out about Allen's other activities he still loved his brother to death. But that was childhood. That was before papa had come to know Allen's little secret.

His father, already intolerant of Allen and his juvenile ways, locked him up in his bedroom on his fifth birthday when his son came home drenched in blood. He built in a slot so they could pass Allen his food through the door until he repent from his sins. He never did. For years he stayed in that tiny bedroom. His clothes went through the chute, the one Allen couldn't fit through and escape, and his mother would give him books and harmless toys behind her husbands back. Sometimes he would scream like the devil possessed him and sometimes he was as quiet as the church during a moment of silence. Sometimes he would eat and sometimes he would starve himself.

Every day his father would walk up to the door, knock with his knuckle three times, and then ask, "Do you repent from your sins, Son?"

And every day he would answer, "No, Father, I have not."

On Allens fourteenth birthday the family had treated it like it was any other day. They didn't celebrate his birthday anymore. Not until he repented.

Some say that it was the mother or James who did it but one day a knife fell through the slot. A sharp butcher knife. It clattered against the floor and Allen was in shock. But then a Devil's grin spread across that wicked face and he picked it up and he hid it until the next day.

At the same time, as always, his father asked, "Do you repent from your sins, Son?"

And this time Allen's answer changed, "I do repent, Papa."

Pleased by his sudden change his father opened the door and-

"Oi! Ye, little shit! Get downstairs mum's got take out!" Alistair called up the stairs which startled Alfred and I.

Well, mainly Alfred. I don't scare easy.

I shouted back, "Piss off you wanker!"

"Language!" My mother shouted, loud enough to rattle the house. I flinched, okay perhaps my mum is a tad frightening.

Alfred seemed to agree by the look on his face. I sighed, "You should go. If my mum finds out about this she might give you a lecture and I don't want you here longer than necessary."

Alfred pouted, all fear gone, "Awww, come on, Artie! I was just getting to the good part!"

I rolled my eyes, "Then another time?"

Alfred perked up, his rebellious cowlick bounced and the way he seemed to bounce back reminded me of a light switch. One minute pouty and with a flick of a switch instantly bright. "Really? That means I get to see you again?"

This threw me. He wanted to see me again? Me? Arthur Kirkland who's never had a single friend in his life nor a date. What was so interesting about me? Apart from my secret lifestyle there was nothing. Well, nothing that other people considered interesting. I mentally shrugged and thought, "Oh well. Mate might get bored of me after our next meeting and everything will go back to normal."

I sighed, giving in for the sake of setting myself up for inevitable disappointment. "Sure, why not? Now, how did you get in? And where do you live?" I said, standing up. Pain shot through my backside from landing on it quite roughly and I bit back a grunt.

Alfred, like the cheerful little puppy he is, grinned like he was given a treat and he pointed out the window, "There!" He said, his finger aiming for the next door neighbors house.

My jaw dropped. Are you serious?

"Well, bye Artie!" Alfred said as he walked over to the window and opened it up. One minut he was there and the next minute he was gone.

After recovering from the initial shock from the realization of having an idiot for a neighbor my eyes widened. Did that moron just jump out of the window?! And did he just call me Artie?!

I ran over and looked out. My bangs fell over my face as I caught sight of Alfred, on his feet, perfectly okay. He looked up, flashed me a million watt smile and waved, "Bye, Artie!" He shouted with the exuberance of a child.

I rolled my eyes and shouted, "My name is Arthur!"

He laughed, "Okay, Artie!" He then fluidly walked away. Without a single injury. What kind of bloke is he?! That wasn't a deadly drop but it was enough to at least break a bone or two!

"Arthur!" Alistair yelled.

"I'm coming!" I screamed in frustration before slamming the window shut and storming downstairs.

XXXxxxXXX

I know this chapter may be short but I wrote this while I was half asleep so please be gentle. Review!

P.S. I'll make the chapter longer next time, promise!