Darkness again. Deep as where he'd fallen, like swimming in the quarry at midnight, with the glow of the moons to guide them. Laughter. Back when mother was still ok, and papa...well, papa was never ok. Teaching Magenta...
//"Here, like this...come on, it's ok. It's only water, Magenta! Just like a bath, you silly goof."
"'Iffy, me no like da baths!"
"Come on Magenta!"
"No, 'Iffy, I don't like it...'Iffy, it's scary, the dark 'Iffy, it's scaring me, no...!"//
He woke, his heart wrenching like a caged bird. His muscles were spasming again, making him want to cry. But how could he cry? Wasn't Magenta scared? Magenta...
He looked around. She wasn't there. The bed beside him was cold. He lay back. Probably just went back to her own bed...
But no. He heard...
"No, papa! No, please don't! Papa, stop, papa don't...'IFFY!"
His sister. Dearest, most beautiful...'Genni...
"IFFY!" A shriek, high and wavering, full of confusion and terror and pain. Despite his protesting body, he leapt out of bed, landing with a hard whump to the floor. Again, his back howled, but Magenta was screaming louder.
"'Genni!" He yelled out for her. There was his father, as he had always seen him, angry, drunk...and stupid. Didn't think Riff was a threat. Stupid mistake, papa, he thought. He leapt with all his gathered young fury and landed on his father's back, screaming wordlessly, the world gone dark to all but his anger, and the safety of his beautiful, beloved sister. I will help you, 'Genni, I will make so you won't be scared, I'll love you 'Genni, I promise, I'll never let the darkness hurt you, oh 'Genni, I promise, I love you...
He did not feel it when his father slumped beneath him, or when he himself his tenuous control on consciousness and the adrenaline slipped away to leave him in dazed exhaustion on the floor.
//"Here, like this...come on, it's ok. It's only water, Magenta! Just like a bath, you silly goof."
"'Iffy, me no like da baths!"
"Come on Magenta!"
"No, 'Iffy, I don't like it...'Iffy, it's scary, the dark 'Iffy, it's scaring me, no...!"//
He woke, his heart wrenching like a caged bird. His muscles were spasming again, making him want to cry. But how could he cry? Wasn't Magenta scared? Magenta...
He looked around. She wasn't there. The bed beside him was cold. He lay back. Probably just went back to her own bed...
But no. He heard...
"No, papa! No, please don't! Papa, stop, papa don't...'IFFY!"
His sister. Dearest, most beautiful...'Genni...
"IFFY!" A shriek, high and wavering, full of confusion and terror and pain. Despite his protesting body, he leapt out of bed, landing with a hard whump to the floor. Again, his back howled, but Magenta was screaming louder.
"'Genni!" He yelled out for her. There was his father, as he had always seen him, angry, drunk...and stupid. Didn't think Riff was a threat. Stupid mistake, papa, he thought. He leapt with all his gathered young fury and landed on his father's back, screaming wordlessly, the world gone dark to all but his anger, and the safety of his beautiful, beloved sister. I will help you, 'Genni, I will make so you won't be scared, I'll love you 'Genni, I promise, I'll never let the darkness hurt you, oh 'Genni, I promise, I love you...
He did not feel it when his father slumped beneath him, or when he himself his tenuous control on consciousness and the adrenaline slipped away to leave him in dazed exhaustion on the floor.