It seems like so long ago…

A soft shriek ripped Link from his dreams. In the instant between sleep and wakening, he recognized the voice as his mother's. Link leapt from his bed and ran to the door, stumbling through the dark room. He nearly tripped over something along the way, but managed to catch himself on the doorknob and pull it open.

Link ran into the hall after the sound, searching. The shadows were nearly full, cut only by a pale bar of moonlight. It came through the window and fell across the floor, faintly illuminating something on the ground.

As Link approached, he became aware of the faint quivering movements that wracked the thing. He moved even closer, and he heard the whimpering sobs that were being mostly suppressed by gritted teeth. It wasn't until he was just inches away that Link recognized his mother lying on the ground.

Her eyes shot open as he neared and Link saw heavy tears in them.

"L-l-link…" she groaned. She sounded hurt and weak, like she was sick. As he looked closer, Link saw mottled patches of bruised flesh across her face. Link felt a stab of sadness as he saw the bruises, but that wasn't what disturbed him the most or made him pull back in horror. The bruises had almost always painted her face, a constant reminder of the looming presence of whom they both lived in fear. It no longer surprised him to see them.

But what did shock him was the knife hilt sticking out of her middle. In the pale light Link could see dark blood glistening over the hilt and the quivering hand that held it.

Link tried to say something to his mother, but the words wouldn't come. His jaw clenched up and then just as suddenly it felt as though it was liquid. Link started crying, blubbering uncontrollably.

"L-link…" his mother began again in a pained groan, "I love y-you, but…"

Link heard a door swing open and a soft glow revealed the outline of his father in the hallway. His mother's eyes swung in that direction quickly and they widened.

"I'm sorry, son…" she murmured, softer now. Without warning, Link's mother let out an agonized groan.

Creaking floorboards announced his approach. "I love you, but not… I can't…live with him…" She spat the word "him" with the last of her energy and with that, his mother shut her eyes and let out a long slow breath. She was still, not breathing.

Link sat there sobbing, his eyes locked on his mother, sliding back and forth between the knife and her face. The cold air got to him and Link began shivering.

"What did she say?" a hard, stern voice said from behind him.

Link spun around to see his father standing there, staring coldly down at his him. For a moment the man glanced over at his wife's body, then back to Link. Looking up at his father, Link could feel the entirety of the world pressing down on him.

He glanced back at his mother quickly and swallowed. His throat was dry, and he felt ready to sweat despite the cool air.

While he was looking away, something took hold of Link's arm and forced it painfully behind his back. Link could feel his shoulder straining in the socket. Letting out a cry of pain, Link's legs gave out and he fell to his knees.

"What. Did. She. Say?" his father said menacingly, pronouncing each word with equal intensity. Link felt his father move and the pain skyrocketed.

His tears now coming from pain instead of grief, Link said quickly, "She said that… she didn't… love you. And she couldn't live with you."

Link sat in paralyzed fear for a moment as his father remained silent. Then Link heard his father growl with rage and jerk Link's arm upward. Link screamed and fell as his father dropped him. The pain was excruciating and Link's vision began to blur.

All he could see was his mother, laying still and pale. Suddenly a foot swung into his vision and connected with his mother's body. It skidded a foot and rolled onto its side. Link could see a pool of blood glistening where she had lain, and he wanted to throw up.

Footsteps and angry grumbling faded into the distance as Link's father left the kitchen. Link lay there, coexisting with the pain that threatened to burn him away. His fingers were completely numb, but waves of agony flowed from his shoulder.

Waves of a different pain were stabbing into his heart. Link couldn't stop staring at his mother's body, couldn't move his head or his eyes. She just lay there, unmoving.

Tears flowed from Link's eyes but he couldn't feel them. All he could feel was pain, pain and fear.

His consciousness left him and Link faded away.