Rei yawned and stretched, his long lashes fluttering open to the weak rays of the early morning sun. A glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand told him it was only seven on a Saturday morning. He yawned again and snuggled back down against Lee, who would be getting up soon to leave for his karate class.
Ever since he was little, he had always wanted to take karate with Lee; it looked like fun. But Nai-Nai insisted that ballet was Rei's art. She had taught him since he was three years old. Every Saturday morning at seven thirty sharp she'd give him private instruction before her classes began for the day. It had been their special time together, just the two of them, as Nai-Nai pushed Rei harder than she did any of her other students; and none performed better or more natural than Rei. He had been the envy of the local ballet community; he had the perfect body, long, lean, finely sculpted with delicate features, and he had the moves to match his physical perfection. He was as soft, fluid, and elegant as a swan, moving with an innate grace that came from nature alone.
But now.....now, he'd never dance again; he'd be lucky if he ever took another step with out the aid of crutches or braces. Even if a miracle did happen, he'd never walk with such gentle precision again.
Rei stared blankly at the aluminum crutches leaning against the head of the bed as visions from the nightmare that had plagued him for six months tore through his head. It had been the last day Rei had ever danced. He'd won the competition as usual, Nai-Nai beaming proudly at him. He'd come home, and his father attacked him for the laundry not being done, claiming that his dancing was getting out of hand and in the way of his chores. Rei had replied that ballet was his life, then his father had...........
Rei shuddered and the unconscious Lee's arm snaked securely around his waist, holding him against him. Rei held his breath, forcing the images away, then, much calmer, he manuvered his unbraced legs out from under the light flannel sheet. He pulled his extra long, loose sleep shirt up a bit and stared down at the deep, jagged scars from the knife that had tore the tendons and small bones on the insteps of his feet. Equally vicious were the scars on his calves, his father's blade having severed the calf muscles to the bone.
Even surgery couldn't repair the damage. He still had feeling in his feet, but the beautiful young neko couldn't point his toes downward, nor flex them upward. They were stationary, which was why he dragged them when he walked. He had discovered last week, however, that he could wriggle his toes.
As if to prove he still could, Rei scrunched up his face in concentration, then smiled and laughed softly as his toes wriggled. Just then, the faint sound of a piano beginning to play reached his ears, and his laughter immediately stopped.
It was exactly seven thirty, the special time Rei had always spent with Nai-Nai. Now his grandmother was busy teaching his replacement. He held his breath, listening fervently as that ungainly cow, Hilary, leaped, landed, and twirled. He could hear her feet thudding off of the floor, and see her in his mind's eye. Her timing was wrong; she was off beat with the music, she arched her back too much, and she listed slightly towards the left.
Rei scowled in jealousy. That was HIS special time with his grandmother; they had always spent early Saturday morning before classes together, but not for the past six months. He hardly got to see or talk to her; it was as if she wasn't a part of, or didn't want to be in, his life anymore. And he had moved in with her and Lee soon as he'd gotten out of the hospital. Lee wasn't around much, but that was because of his busy schedule of karate and friends. But Nai-Nai.....
It was like she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. She no longer spent time with him, telling him stories of her childhood and her own success at ballet, like she used to do after they would finish Rei's private lesson. She didn't take him to church with her and Lee on Sundays, and he no longer accompanied her to her friends' houses for tea or bridge.
'Maybe she's ashamed to have a cripple in the family.' That thought pushed Rei over the edge, and tears sprang to his eyes. He reached out, groping over the pillow, then hugged his stuffed tiger to his chest tightly, burying his face in the baby plushy's fake fur. "Oh, Driger, I just want to walk again. I want to dance, be free, my spirits soaring. I want- I want......I want Nai-Nai to love me again......." He brokedown, crying quietly in fear of waking Lee up.
tbc.........
Ever since he was little, he had always wanted to take karate with Lee; it looked like fun. But Nai-Nai insisted that ballet was Rei's art. She had taught him since he was three years old. Every Saturday morning at seven thirty sharp she'd give him private instruction before her classes began for the day. It had been their special time together, just the two of them, as Nai-Nai pushed Rei harder than she did any of her other students; and none performed better or more natural than Rei. He had been the envy of the local ballet community; he had the perfect body, long, lean, finely sculpted with delicate features, and he had the moves to match his physical perfection. He was as soft, fluid, and elegant as a swan, moving with an innate grace that came from nature alone.
But now.....now, he'd never dance again; he'd be lucky if he ever took another step with out the aid of crutches or braces. Even if a miracle did happen, he'd never walk with such gentle precision again.
Rei stared blankly at the aluminum crutches leaning against the head of the bed as visions from the nightmare that had plagued him for six months tore through his head. It had been the last day Rei had ever danced. He'd won the competition as usual, Nai-Nai beaming proudly at him. He'd come home, and his father attacked him for the laundry not being done, claiming that his dancing was getting out of hand and in the way of his chores. Rei had replied that ballet was his life, then his father had...........
Rei shuddered and the unconscious Lee's arm snaked securely around his waist, holding him against him. Rei held his breath, forcing the images away, then, much calmer, he manuvered his unbraced legs out from under the light flannel sheet. He pulled his extra long, loose sleep shirt up a bit and stared down at the deep, jagged scars from the knife that had tore the tendons and small bones on the insteps of his feet. Equally vicious were the scars on his calves, his father's blade having severed the calf muscles to the bone.
Even surgery couldn't repair the damage. He still had feeling in his feet, but the beautiful young neko couldn't point his toes downward, nor flex them upward. They were stationary, which was why he dragged them when he walked. He had discovered last week, however, that he could wriggle his toes.
As if to prove he still could, Rei scrunched up his face in concentration, then smiled and laughed softly as his toes wriggled. Just then, the faint sound of a piano beginning to play reached his ears, and his laughter immediately stopped.
It was exactly seven thirty, the special time Rei had always spent with Nai-Nai. Now his grandmother was busy teaching his replacement. He held his breath, listening fervently as that ungainly cow, Hilary, leaped, landed, and twirled. He could hear her feet thudding off of the floor, and see her in his mind's eye. Her timing was wrong; she was off beat with the music, she arched her back too much, and she listed slightly towards the left.
Rei scowled in jealousy. That was HIS special time with his grandmother; they had always spent early Saturday morning before classes together, but not for the past six months. He hardly got to see or talk to her; it was as if she wasn't a part of, or didn't want to be in, his life anymore. And he had moved in with her and Lee soon as he'd gotten out of the hospital. Lee wasn't around much, but that was because of his busy schedule of karate and friends. But Nai-Nai.....
It was like she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. She no longer spent time with him, telling him stories of her childhood and her own success at ballet, like she used to do after they would finish Rei's private lesson. She didn't take him to church with her and Lee on Sundays, and he no longer accompanied her to her friends' houses for tea or bridge.
'Maybe she's ashamed to have a cripple in the family.' That thought pushed Rei over the edge, and tears sprang to his eyes. He reached out, groping over the pillow, then hugged his stuffed tiger to his chest tightly, burying his face in the baby plushy's fake fur. "Oh, Driger, I just want to walk again. I want to dance, be free, my spirits soaring. I want- I want......I want Nai-Nai to love me again......." He brokedown, crying quietly in fear of waking Lee up.
tbc.........