Courage chapter 3
Link stared out at the rain. The droplets falling, the pitterpatter, was soothing to his tortured mind. Rain was so normal, so comforting. He could blank his mind and just be, listening.
Zelda came up behind him. "How you doing?" she asked softly, concerned, placing a hand on his shoulder. He just grunted, lost in thoughtlessness. She sighed, sitting beside him.
"I'm not that great either." He turned, mutely, to look at her, as she continued. "Impa's vanished. Hyrule Castle Town is lost. The plains are dark now, night and day. And the evil.... it's eating at my soul, making me weary."
He turned back to the rain. "I'm sorry, Zel." Softly. "Sorry I couldn't save this world..."
She whimpered a little, hurt. "No, Link, it's not your fault... Link, it's been a month, you need to at least try to get over it..."
He stared out at the rain, silent. She sighed. "I... I'm leaving here. It's not safe, with him looking for me." He didn't seem suprised, just resigned. His whole body sagged. He knew this was coming, knew they'd be parted. He felt... empty, inside. My life is over, he thought to himself. This is it. I've lost everything worth anything to me now.
Zelda sighed. "I'll miss you..." she whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek gently, a friendly guesture. Then she wrapped her face in the last of the bandages, and stole out into the rain, leaving Link alone to think in the small house.
Link looked down at the small object he clutched in his hand. Why? he thought. Why bother fighting it anymore? There's nothing left for me now. He slowly uncurled his fingers, to reveal a small blade. He turned from the window, sitting on his cot, and removed his tunic and leggings. Taking a moment to glance at the almost-healed cuts from the last time he had cut, nearly a month ago, he let himself succumb to the temptation, smiling faintly. A sadistic smile, but the most smile he'd given in a long time.
He began by slashing at his lower arm, frowning a little. No blood? He wanted the blood, wanted to see it welling slowly from his arm, wanted to lap it up, savor the taste. He could picture the skin on his wrist splitting open like a sausage, blood spilling out, himself greedily lapping it up. A demon, he thought. That's what I am. No better than Gannondorf....
He continued slashing at his arm, frowning more as no blood came. Could it be... the blade had dulled, in a month of no use, being in his belt pouch. Angry, he pressed harder and harder. Maybe he was just fat from sloth, maybe that was why he wasn't drawing blood. He pulled his leggings to his knees and began slashing at his thigh. He tried to carve Navi, tried to carve Zelda, but the letters were only half formed, and still no blood. Scowling, he began to slash like a madman at his stomach, his thigh, his arm.
He set the blade down, going for a rather dull pocketknife. He flicked open the blade, pressing the tip to his chest, above his heart, and pressed hard. Is this how it felt when you died, Deku tree?, he thought. This pain? Or more? I can dish it out, I can take it! He pressed until he couldn't take it, then pulled it away, panting a little. Then pressed it again. The blade was so dull, he didn't even draw blood, but it hurt like hell. He smiled a little in satisfaction. Then he spied his arm.
Oh! He HAD drawn blood on one of those slashes! It was bleeding a very little bit. He took the blade and pressed the corner of it to the cut, tracing it exactly to open it more. Then he licked a little. The taste.. repulsive, but addictive. So faint.. he needed more, to get it truly. He slashed again, pressing hard, flinching a little from the pain. No, he told himself, no flinching. No weakness. He lapped up the blood, and then reopened it again and again. Then he began to suck, drawing blood from the wound. He swished it around in his mouth. Slightly salty, tasting repulsive and awful, but at the same time addictive, attractive. He kept at it until it became all repulsive, then stared at his arm in horror.
How COULD he? Like a... a vampire or something! Why had he been lusting for blood, his own blood? For he had, he realized. Had been wanting it for a week or so. Why... confused and suddanly scared, he put the blade down and went into the other room, where Zelda had set up a little house for Navi. He paused to pull his tunic and leggings on first, then knelt to peer into the terrarium where she dwelled.
"N...Navi?"
She popped her head out of a small window, yawning some. "Yes Link?"
"I.... I cut again." She blinked, looking at him, as he began to babble. "I just lost it, went nuts, I can't take life without Zelda, she left, and I just didn't know why I should bother fighting it anymore, just started slashing everywhere, arms, legs, stomach some..."
"Link, that's not good. How much are you bleeding?" she asked, really scared. But her little voice was lost as he continued to babble.
"And I pressed the knife to my heart, and I was asking the Deku tree how much it hurt to die, and I drank my blood, and..."
"Link! Seriously, how much are you bleeding!?" Her tiny eyes searched his body over for any signs of major wounds.
"Not a lot..."
"Thank Din! Link.." She flew out of the terrarium, going to hug his thumb. "Link, don't scare me like that...."
He curled into a ball in a large armchair, sobbing, as she continued to try her best to comfort him.
"Link... please don't do it again..."
"Navi... I'm not strong enough..."
"You ARE! You're the Hero of Time!"
"I'm bad..."
"You're good. Good Link. My Link." She whimpered some, worried. He curled his finger around her in a little hug, smiling some through the tears.
"Th..thank you.. Navi...."
She smiled a little, flying off and tugging a blanket over to him, covering him as he trembled some, and snuggled up to him, comforting him until he fell asleep.
disclaimer: I am NOT advocating cutting. Please please don't. It's honestly one of the worst things because it's addictive and quickly gets out of control, like in Link's case. Thank you.
Link stared out at the rain. The droplets falling, the pitterpatter, was soothing to his tortured mind. Rain was so normal, so comforting. He could blank his mind and just be, listening.
Zelda came up behind him. "How you doing?" she asked softly, concerned, placing a hand on his shoulder. He just grunted, lost in thoughtlessness. She sighed, sitting beside him.
"I'm not that great either." He turned, mutely, to look at her, as she continued. "Impa's vanished. Hyrule Castle Town is lost. The plains are dark now, night and day. And the evil.... it's eating at my soul, making me weary."
He turned back to the rain. "I'm sorry, Zel." Softly. "Sorry I couldn't save this world..."
She whimpered a little, hurt. "No, Link, it's not your fault... Link, it's been a month, you need to at least try to get over it..."
He stared out at the rain, silent. She sighed. "I... I'm leaving here. It's not safe, with him looking for me." He didn't seem suprised, just resigned. His whole body sagged. He knew this was coming, knew they'd be parted. He felt... empty, inside. My life is over, he thought to himself. This is it. I've lost everything worth anything to me now.
Zelda sighed. "I'll miss you..." she whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek gently, a friendly guesture. Then she wrapped her face in the last of the bandages, and stole out into the rain, leaving Link alone to think in the small house.
Link looked down at the small object he clutched in his hand. Why? he thought. Why bother fighting it anymore? There's nothing left for me now. He slowly uncurled his fingers, to reveal a small blade. He turned from the window, sitting on his cot, and removed his tunic and leggings. Taking a moment to glance at the almost-healed cuts from the last time he had cut, nearly a month ago, he let himself succumb to the temptation, smiling faintly. A sadistic smile, but the most smile he'd given in a long time.
He began by slashing at his lower arm, frowning a little. No blood? He wanted the blood, wanted to see it welling slowly from his arm, wanted to lap it up, savor the taste. He could picture the skin on his wrist splitting open like a sausage, blood spilling out, himself greedily lapping it up. A demon, he thought. That's what I am. No better than Gannondorf....
He continued slashing at his arm, frowning more as no blood came. Could it be... the blade had dulled, in a month of no use, being in his belt pouch. Angry, he pressed harder and harder. Maybe he was just fat from sloth, maybe that was why he wasn't drawing blood. He pulled his leggings to his knees and began slashing at his thigh. He tried to carve Navi, tried to carve Zelda, but the letters were only half formed, and still no blood. Scowling, he began to slash like a madman at his stomach, his thigh, his arm.
He set the blade down, going for a rather dull pocketknife. He flicked open the blade, pressing the tip to his chest, above his heart, and pressed hard. Is this how it felt when you died, Deku tree?, he thought. This pain? Or more? I can dish it out, I can take it! He pressed until he couldn't take it, then pulled it away, panting a little. Then pressed it again. The blade was so dull, he didn't even draw blood, but it hurt like hell. He smiled a little in satisfaction. Then he spied his arm.
Oh! He HAD drawn blood on one of those slashes! It was bleeding a very little bit. He took the blade and pressed the corner of it to the cut, tracing it exactly to open it more. Then he licked a little. The taste.. repulsive, but addictive. So faint.. he needed more, to get it truly. He slashed again, pressing hard, flinching a little from the pain. No, he told himself, no flinching. No weakness. He lapped up the blood, and then reopened it again and again. Then he began to suck, drawing blood from the wound. He swished it around in his mouth. Slightly salty, tasting repulsive and awful, but at the same time addictive, attractive. He kept at it until it became all repulsive, then stared at his arm in horror.
How COULD he? Like a... a vampire or something! Why had he been lusting for blood, his own blood? For he had, he realized. Had been wanting it for a week or so. Why... confused and suddanly scared, he put the blade down and went into the other room, where Zelda had set up a little house for Navi. He paused to pull his tunic and leggings on first, then knelt to peer into the terrarium where she dwelled.
"N...Navi?"
She popped her head out of a small window, yawning some. "Yes Link?"
"I.... I cut again." She blinked, looking at him, as he began to babble. "I just lost it, went nuts, I can't take life without Zelda, she left, and I just didn't know why I should bother fighting it anymore, just started slashing everywhere, arms, legs, stomach some..."
"Link, that's not good. How much are you bleeding?" she asked, really scared. But her little voice was lost as he continued to babble.
"And I pressed the knife to my heart, and I was asking the Deku tree how much it hurt to die, and I drank my blood, and..."
"Link! Seriously, how much are you bleeding!?" Her tiny eyes searched his body over for any signs of major wounds.
"Not a lot..."
"Thank Din! Link.." She flew out of the terrarium, going to hug his thumb. "Link, don't scare me like that...."
He curled into a ball in a large armchair, sobbing, as she continued to try her best to comfort him.
"Link... please don't do it again..."
"Navi... I'm not strong enough..."
"You ARE! You're the Hero of Time!"
"I'm bad..."
"You're good. Good Link. My Link." She whimpered some, worried. He curled his finger around her in a little hug, smiling some through the tears.
"Th..thank you.. Navi...."
She smiled a little, flying off and tugging a blanket over to him, covering him as he trembled some, and snuggled up to him, comforting him until he fell asleep.
disclaimer: I am NOT advocating cutting. Please please don't. It's honestly one of the worst things because it's addictive and quickly gets out of control, like in Link's case. Thank you.
