Kaito and Hana had a bad day.

TRIGGER WARNING: child abuse, implied rape, dunno storms? poverty?

Honestly it is not that scary or overly descriptive, but you might be a bit uncomfy reading it.

Chapter 4

The room was dark and cold; only weak candlelight illuminated the space. The child was sitting at the table legs dangling back and forth in the air from the highchair. His small back looked particularly lonely and miserable at that moment.

Accompanied only by a flicker of the flame his tiny form was entirely engulfed in the darkness like a small boat roving in endless see during the night.

Kaito's body was burrowed in his mother's worn-out sweater that he wore over his pajama when the weather got colder. Putting on numerous layers of clothing to keep himself warm was not unusual occurrence to Kaito. Honestly, having heating in their home more than two months in a row was more of an abnormality and something more than that was considered a luxury, because most of the time they simply did not have enough money to pay for it and had to prioritize more important stuff.

Kaito allowed himself to give a little sigh as he hunched down on the table snuggling further into his crossed arms. Exhaustion from being awake past his bedtime was slowly creeping in on him, he had to pinch himself multiple times as to not fall asleep. He stretched his sore muscles and squinted his eyes when he yawned. Then Kaito slumped once again on the table and put his head in the crook of his outstretched arm, right cheek squished against the fabric of the sweater nose slightly itchy from the fibers.

He looked at the clock hanging on the wall trying to find out the exact time which was quite difficult as he laid in a rather tricky position.

'She is late again.'

The sound of ticking clock was getting on Kaito's nerves his hands felt itchy to throw the damn thing away.

Tick-

He anxiously drummed his fingers on the table and bit his lip faint taste of iron filled his mouth, but he did not notice. Those were the habits he picked up from his mother.

Tock.

But soon all his sleepiness disappeared because of the anxiousness. From time to time his mother would be late for a couple of hours but she had never been that late.

Tick-

He did not know what to do except quietly wait for her.

Tock.

Kaito knew that he would not see his mother through the window but still his gaze wandered to the night scenery; only a few vague silhouettes could be seen through the impenetrable darkness. Suddenly something moved at the garbage site. For a second he thought it was his mother but then came back to his senses. It was probably a cat or some trash flying around. Or maybe he was too tired and started hallucinating.

The sound of the wind rustling and swaying the trees to the breaking point resonated throughout the room. This haunting melody could be heard even with the windows closed.

Suddenly the rain pounded down on the rooftops with even greater intensity like Kuraokami was showing its displeasure to the mortals.

The merciless storm was raging on the streets of Konoha. Good thing he listened to granny Nana about her aching knees and gave an umbrella to his mother.

It was amazing how her weather predictions were always correct.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The droplet of something fell on his face from above. He jumped up from the scare almost falling from the chair and nervously searched around the room with his eyes.

Slowly he raised his head and looked up.

New leak appeared in the ceiling. Kaito took a random bowl and put it right under the falling droplets of liquid.

Sigh.

'It is already the third one.'

They lived at the top floor right under the roof of three-story building. It was the cheapest option available in the neighborhood that was not considered to be that dangerous but no one in their right mind would call it good or safe either.

You get exactly what you pay for.

So not much.

It was always too hot during the summer and too cold in the winter. Dirty wallpapers with suspicious stains of all colors, creaky floorboards that made noises even when no one even stepped on them, the holes in the walls that weren't even hidden for propriety's sake by some poster or picture, awful water pressure that sometimes ran boiling hot or icy cold water depending on its mood, and beautiful scenery on the heaps of the garbage that exuded intoxicating aroma all year round.

That was why many people ran away after staying there for a short amount of time. But the property owner decided that the cost of the rent that she would receive from the tenants wouldn't compensate for the amount of money and time she would have to spend to fix many problems and remodel. It was not like there was a shortage of people who wanted to rent it even if they stayed only temporarily.

The small price of the housing was appealing to many.

The building owner said that they would fix all issues to appease his mother but as was expected not a single thing came out of her promise so their little flat stayed in constant state of disrepair.

His mother was woman of many talents but anything to do with any tool was an automatic bust.

He still had nightmares from the time when she tried to put a nail in the wall to hang a picture. It seemed easy in theory but somehow when she actually tried to do it, the hammer almost crushed her fingers then rebounded and flew into his direction only centimeters away from his face. He saw his short life flash before his eyes.

After that, his mother was banned from such dangerous activities.

The growling of still faraway thunder could already be heard in the distance promising the weather to turn even more uncomfortable.

Kaito hoped nothing happened to his mother. Today she was hired as guqin* player for special celebration of some important person. She rarely had a chance to do something she genuinely enjoyed as a work and gain a lot of money from at the same time, so she was really happy today. She even wore her favorite dress on this rare occasion, which was passed down to her from her own mother his grandmother.

The rain pounded on jolting the windows that thudded against each drop.

A loud creak ran throughout the room as the door opened the sudden gust of wind blew out the candle their flat lost its only source of light and was instantly enveloped in a blackness.

Right as Kaito was about to cry out from the unexpected scary situation lightning flashed across the freezing sky brightening the room out of its darkness for only a single moment.

And in that moment, he saw familiar silhouette.

'Finally… she is back.' He breathed a sigh of relief.

Kaito took a box of matches and lit up the candle. Suddenly he felt something was wrong. The door was still opened.

'Why didn't she close it?'

He felt coldness of the wind seeping into his bones the wave of goosebumps momentarily shook his body causing the hair on his arms to stand up.

His mother wasn't all over him hugging crushing his ribs and squeezing the air out of his lungs like she usually was every time she came home.

'Why was she so quiet?'

She would talk his ear off about how much she missed him and squish his head cuddling him against her chest until he couldn't breathe.

Kaito turned his head to look at her and his eyes widened.

Her thin white dress was soaked through water dripping on the floor creating small puddle. Disheveled wet hair was hiding her face away only one eye shone with menacing light through the thick black curtain.

The most striking thing was patch of scarlet blood blooming like a red spider lily just below her bellybutton, at the place where her legs met. Numerous scratches and bruises were shining on her arms, bare shoulders, and legs, some of them reminded Kaito of handprints. The second part of the dress that covered her upper body to keep the modesty was nowhere to be seen.

'She is hurt.'

"Mother!" he shouted and ran up to her in a hurry stumbling and bumping into furniture along the way.

Bang.

The door closed on its own because of the draft. Hana was standing still not moving an inch seemingly not understanding where she was lost in her own head.

Kaito was horrified he had seen her sad frustrated and angry but never like that. He did not know what to call the expression that she had on her face.

"Mommy?" he looked up at her in confusion lower lip quivering.

She did not react to him at all still staring in the space with dazed expression. He reached her and carefully hugged her left arm that was motionlessly hanging at her side. Tears were streaming down his face body shaking from chocked sobs.

"Mo-…mommy… -hic… We ne-need to go," Kaito could barely breathe through the hiccups. "To the…hospi-…hic- ho-hospital." He tugged at her hand slightly scared of her state but mostly worried.

Finally, she looked down at him, her empty eyes focusing on his face. She roughly grabbed his chin to the point of bruising. The unfamiliar expression of disgust mixed with crazed anger was directed at him. Kaito stood still not daring to move his body was trembling from the fear, shock rendering him immobile.

Something was wrong with his mommy beside the wounds on her skin.

Hana painfully dug her fingers into the side of his face holding his jaw in a death grip. Her other hand was gently caressing his features- from his smooth forehead down to his pale cheeks- the gesture was done so affectionately that the previous rough treatment seemed like an illusion. This weird combination of love and hate that can be seen in her actions made the whole situation even more hair raising.

She bent down and brought her face closer to his, it was so close that even a drop of rainwater slid down from her hair and fell on his face diluting his tears that were streaming down his cheeks.

"Your face…" her eyes were scaring him. Kaito whimpered from the pain he could not understand why his usually kind mother was like that. "- you look…- so much like me," she said her thoughts out loud.

"No?…hmm. May-maybe?… No-! It can't be…" Hana started mumbling to herself like a crazy person, it almost seemed like she was having a conversation with an imaginary person.

Kaito tried to take a step back, but she strongly gripped his shoulder pinning him in place.

"No!" She shouted abruptly the crazed glint in her eyes intensified. "It can't be like that. Not him. I won't allow it."

Suddenly she forcefully grabbed his hand and tugged him in direction of her room. His short legs were not able to keep up with her large strides and soon he fell down on the floor with a loud thud. Hana did not notice or did not care just continued to drag him to her room.

Everything hurt the arm that was about to be yanked out of its socket, his back and legs that were trailing on the hard wooden parquet, bruises and scratches were already forming on his pallid skin.

"Mo…- hick," Kaito cried to the point that he had difficulty breathing but still tried to bring his parent back to her senses. "Mom!"

Unfortunately, his mother was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to pay any attention to him still mumbling incoherent words to herself. She was limping on one leg, even if she was far from being in a good condition she still had enough strength to overpower a small child.

On the clattered table laid numerous minuscule things they were scattered all around the place making it look like someone spilled the contest of trash can on it. The ribbon with footprint on it, discarded skin of banana that turned dark yellow almost black long time ago, several brushes of different sizes and the red rouge ripped pieces of some cloth ,half broken flower top, accessories that his mother decided not to wear that day.

And the object for which she came for.

The scissors.

Big sharp scissors that were used to cut cloth, they shined menacingly with the cold glow that reflected the moonlight on the tip of its silver blade.

Hana unceremoniously shoved a small child on the chair and carefully scanned his features. Her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of fog, whomever she saw in him at that moment it definitely wasn't her son.

Maybe herself.

Maybe his father.

Maybe someone else.

Kaito was a beautiful boy with shoulder length navy-blue hair and azure eyes. His skin as white as milk seemed to glow even in the dark. His gentle eyes just like his mother's, a tall nose resembling his father's and soft pink lips created a beautiful harmony that has never been seen in the world before.

Hana fell in a trance, the voice in her head screaming at her that she needed to protect him at all cost. At that moment she did not notice how his small body trembled from the fear because of her, how his tears were like never ending waterfall, how his eyes were jumping from place to place trying to find a way out as if he was a small animal cornered by the predator.

All she saw was danger.

Kaito chocked out the words. "Please... hick. Mommy I m-am ss... scared."

"Shhhh," she shushed him in affectionate tone. "Mommy knows best. Right?! Right…- I am right." She dived in her own incomprehensible thoughts again.

"It is all for you. Right…- for you. You are the most important person in my life you know that?" Her words were so kind, but her eyes shone with cold crazed glow.

Hana stroked his head with one hand in the other she held long wicked scissors. She brought them closer to Kaito's face he shrinked back in fright heavily breathing from the panic, heart beating so fast like it would break free out of its confines in his chest any second now. He could barely hear what she was mumbling to herself past the roar of blood in his ears and his brain pulsing with its own heartbeat.

She tugged at the hair that was previously tucked behind his ears. The blue tresses were pulled in front of his face blocking his vision.

Snap. Thud. Snap.

The sound of cutting and his locks falling on the ground reverberated throughout the room. The candlelight from the kitchen was so weak that his mother might have as well hacked blindfolded.

Kaito tightly shut his eyes so he wouldn't see the sharp blade snapping crazily mere millimeters away from his face nails digging in his palms to the point of drawing blood, as if doing so would ease his growing panic and despair. He tried awfully hard not to move; he was just so scared and confused. He wanted her to stop.

"Like that-! You will be safe… "Hana cut with no technique or consideration to the recipient carelessly destroying his hair with single mindless goal of covering his face. "You won't have to experience what I have-" With every snap the smile on her face was getting wider and wider contrary to her bloodshot eyes that were overridden by madness.

If anyone was to see it such scene would make one's scalp numb.

She heard a constant stream of voices whispering in her ears: of that man complimenting her beauty and skills in playing an instrument, slowly they turned into low threats and grunts mixed together with her own screams, of her friend who recommended this job with a gentle tone to her telling Hana to keep mum if she what was good for her or her son. She could still his disgusting touch all over her body.

She was no stranger to unwelcome advances of others, but it had never reached that point. She felt so helpless she couldn't even seek justice for herself.

Suddenly Hana got so worked up and distressed that her arms started shaking. She was lost in some nightmarish memories that were slowly breaking down her mind piece by piece. With the intent to cause herself pain she viciously fisted her own hair ripping couple of strands away. Anything to stop those horrifying images. Because of her crumbling metal state, the hand that held scissors slid down scratching the face of her son.

"Ahhh! Stop… just stop. It hurts-hick," Kaito cried out with tears hanging on his lashes.

The child's scream woke her up from her state, she looked in front of herself in horror her mouth kept moving but no sound came out. Her lovely son looked like a victim of torture- red line near his mouth was dripping with blood. Kaito's previous flawless skin was now marked by her own hand. Chopped hair hiding away his eyes and nose, it looked like it was bitten by a crazy dog rather than cut by a human with scissors. Her entire being was frozen in horrified silence.

She reached out her hand to him, but he flinched backing away from her, moving himself further and further in a corner of the chair where there was already no more space.

'Oh gods… she did it- she did it to her own son.'

Hana fell to her knees. "Mommy is so…- so sorry." She let out a gut-wrenching wail that heartbreaking sound was akin to a child who cried with wild abandon in the arm of their parent, the sound was so heart wrenching and raw with pain it was as though it came right out of the depth of her very soul.

She could not stop the flood of emotions as she cried so hard that her body shook, the tears were falling like rain due to the amount of pain, regret, and self-blame she felt at that moment. As she collapsed to the floor, she hugged her knees laying down in fetal position burrowing her face into her hands.

"Sorry, so sorry. It is all my fault." As she struggled to breathe clawing at her scalp, she started repeating apology again and again.

"Mommy?" Kaito said tentatively.

He cautiously approached her lying form. Hana felt sad, guilty, and angry but at the same so numb and tired. She did not know how it was possible to feel so much and not feel anything at all at the same time. Maybe her body and mind couldn't bear the brunt and just shut down.

"Honey?" She said in a small voice.

"Are you okay?" Hana raised her body to look at him with concerned expression. "Oh gods. Of course, you are not." Her eyes were lost in a haze again for a moment.

The small child ran straight into her arms. "Mommy!" Hana instinctively hugged him.

Kaito nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck letting out a small sob. Hana pulled him into her protective loving embrace. It was ironic considering the fact that the one he needed to be protected from was her. Carefully she drew soothing circles on his back trying to calm him down.

"Don't be like that anymore, okay?" Kaito whispered.

"I promise," she choked out the words she didn't know whether she would be able to keep. She would try her damnest not to hurt her son ever again.

It was incredible how pure and forgiving children were. She didn't think she deserved it. Just by holding him in her arms she felt like she was tainting him.

But only by hugging him she was able to forget about that horrible man and his disgusting touch. She remembered the reason she was working so hard for. To make sure her son would have a happy life never losing smile on his face.

'Ah one hell of good job she did.'

She felt like a failure of a mother woman and human in general.

That night both Kaito and Hana drifted off into an uneasy sleep only when the sun illuminated blue sky with its golden light.

That day something broke in both of them.

Author's Note

* Kuraokami or Okami, is a legendary Japanese dragon and Shinto deity of rain and snow.

*The guqin (qin, ku-ch'in) is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument. It has been played since ancient times.

I had to write it at night listening to spooky music. I wanted it to be horror, gore, thriller, but somehow it is drama drama feelings.

But oh well...