Wishing You Were Here
Chapter 3 – Dying Alone
A/N This is a very angsty chapter. It's also very short but it needed to be to make a point. I think the quality makes up for it though. Thanks for the reviews! *Violence warning*
Yamato reached out and softly touched the glass photo frame. His expression was hard to read, longing and wistful. The picture was of him and Tai, Tai had his arm around his shoulder and he was half-scowling.
He smiled. There had been no reason for the scowl, it was an appearance thing, he hadn't wanted anyone to guess he was bursting for joy underneath it all. He continued gazing hungrily at the picture, almost as if he could leap inside. Tai...
The door suddenly slammed open and Yamato's head jerked up, his whole body freezing. His father was standing in the doorway, his eyes wide and unseeing, a beer bottle swinging madly in front of him.
Yamato's breathing came rapidly as he backed away slowly into the wall, still clutching the frame. Maybe if he tried hard enough-
"Yam-hic-ato! Come 'ere!" His words were slurred and his voice deafening. Yamato flinched and darted quickly into his room, cowering behind the bed.
"Come 'ere!" came the call again. Yamato blocked his ears and gave a soft whimper. His eyes widened as he realised what he'd done and he clamped a hand over his mouth.
Too late.
His father lumbered heavily into his room, his footsteps loud and foreboding. Yamato watched fearfully as he neared, he could almost smell the alcohol in his breath. He screwed his eyes shut.
Please no.
"Gotcha!"
His father jumped out at him and Yamato's eyes snapped open as he took him violently by the collar and slammed him repeatedly into the wall. He cried out in pain as he was lifted into the air by handfuls of wrenched hair and thrown out carelessly into the hallway. Tears streamed down against pale cheeks as he was held against the wall by the throat and he gasped as the world started to darken. The photo frame slipped from his fingers and splintered into a million pieces. His father let go. Yamato landed hard and spread-eagled on the ground and he bit down on his lips to stop himself from screaming as the broken shards cut into his skin. Blood.
Someone help me. Please. Anyone.
He could see and hear his father's boots clunking on the floorboards. He shivered as they came up to his side. One boot pulled back. Yamato's eyes widened. A shriek escaped his lips as it hit into his ribs and he choked, groping blindly for something, anything, to end the agony. He let out a sob as more pain shot up his side and the boot made contact again. He felt something crack.
Tai...
His father began kicking out relentlessly at him and he curled up into a fetal position, wrapping his arms around his stomach.
"Stop. Please," he whispered.
But it didn't stop. The throbbing blurred together until he couldn't tell when each blow ended and another began.
He opened his eyes a fraction, reaching out with a trembling hand. His fingers shook as he picked up the picture.
A black heel smashed down on his palm.
Yamato felt an instance of unbearable agony, and he closed his eyes as the blackness closed in.
Tai, where are you?
~