Shattered

That sudden scream didn't come from my mouth. Eyes swollen from the open faucet I turned my head around to the sound.

It was my father. He had his arms wrapped around his head and writhing in agony. Audible sounds of pain screaming out of every pore in his body. A slight swirl of dark red mist circled around him and stuttered each time he yelled.

"AUGHH!"

He fell to his knees and slumped creating a bit of force pushing away the mist. The mark on his head dimmed and started to fade as the pupils in his crazed eyes started to form.

"Dad?"

The aura around him sort of calmed and disappeared as he raised his head to look at me.

"W-what have I-"

He shifted his weight and jerked towards my Mom. I held her tighter in my arms. Crawling and grasping at the floor he got in range as he placed his hand on mine that I had on top of my Mother.

"What have I done?"

Tears just like mine flooded his eyes. Shaking from the emotions. Seeing him cry for the first time, was sad, but I began to forgive him for being him.

"Wei... Could you ever forgive me?"

I looked down at my Mother's peaceful face. The rose-red color on her lips began to wither and take on a pale shade. The bright red hair she had before now had a dull sheen like the broken brick walls covered in dust all around us.

"Ask Mom."

Why does it have to be her?! Why couldn't I do anything to help her?! Why am I so WEAK?! If only I wasn't so needy and naive like a baby!

"Wei... I-"

"Enough with the sappy family reunion already!"

The creepy dark man from my nightmare stepped closer and closer to us. Without any audible sounds of his footsteps that could be heard. 

"Freaking bastard you'll pay for this!"

My Dad started to shout curses at the man through all the pain in his eyes and with spit spewing everywhere.

"Gosh, you're annoying. Shut up"

A glimmer and a flash of light lit up in front of me. Without any time to react, I just sat there stunned. 

"Ugk!"

The last moment all I saw was my father's face of anger. The next moment a dagger pommel was sticking out of his face. His expression is the definition of despair. No No NO

"Oh, don't you start screaming too!"

My mouth was stretched wide open. But no sound came out only the tears flowing down my cheeks and filling the cracks on my lips. With the final gasps my father, he spoke these words.

"I'm sorry..."

The lights in his eyes cut off and his body limped on the floor. Dark red blood trickled out of his pain-filled face. I scrambled as I scooped both of their cold bodies into my arms and unleashed all hell as I buried my face into their clothes. 

Suddenly I felt a powerful yank on my scalp as I was pulled away from my parents. No, please just let me die with them at this point!

"When did these two create a crybaby boy?"

He cupped my mouth with his other hand muffling my screams and calls. I wanted to bite his freaking hand off, but he started to put pressure as if he was trying to pop my head like a ball.

The pressure kept growing and growing.

"Ack!"

I couldn't breathe either. This bastard! 

crack

I heard audible cracks as a pain in my head exploded and I scrunched up my face closing my eyes and every essence of me trying to block that pain, but it was just too strong and overwhelming. 

crack

I wailed my arms and legs, but it felt like striking against the air. It was as if he didn't even exist, but the crushing pain in my head only grew.

crack

AHH, I can't take it anymore! This freaking demon is going to get my wraith!

"HAH!"

I screamed so loud I lost my voice and my eardrums burst from the shockwave. I felt the cold hard floor as it crashed against my back. 

The taste of iron filled my mouth and I tried opening my eyes only to see the world with a film of red.

Looking up I see the demonic man holding his hands a bit of purple smoke fizzing off his hands. Is this my magic?

I tried to lift myself up and failed only able to sit up on the floor. My legs are in the shape of a W with the sides of my feet on the ground I try and lift my head. The pain was so unbearable trying to stay awake took every ounce of strength I had left in my body.

My lungs working overtime to try and breathe. Gasping for air my lungs burned and my heart raced all I heard was the blood pumping in my ears and the river of blood draining from my mouth.

The man was saying something to his dark soldiers behind him, but I was too tired and in pain to care. 

The dark soldiers all walked closer as they drew out their swords. 

They circled me and raised all their blades.

Is this how it all ends?! I'll get revenge for my parents! I need to!

Indescribable pain shoots through my chest as one of the soldiers slides their sword through my chest.

It hurts It hurts It hurts It hurts so much!!

Shing

another one

Shing

still another one

Shing

The pain now destroying my vision slowly. As all my view disappeared and my body ravaged with pain all I had in my head was revenge.

---

"Wei.."

I'll Kill him!

"Wei..."

I'll make him suffer!

"WEI!"

GAsp. Where am I?!

Looking around I see that I'm in a small room made out of mud and there's this very familiar person standing over me.

"Wei you were having a crazy nightmare are you alright now honey?"

"Mom?!"

She had a pale complexion and was wearing a ragged rustic dress. But her hair was still sort of red and her eyes a darker shade of red, but still red.

"You're- ALIVE!"

I immediately collapsed into her arms and bawled out crying. My chest heaved up and down with each gasp of air that was so hard to swallow. 

"There There Wei, It's all going to be okay now." Her soft and gentle hands stroked against my head and my back.

Instantly my relief overruled my pain and agony. She was alive, but she looked a bit under the weather.

And am I smaller?

Through a few studdering sobs I looked at my hands and sure enough...

"Why are my hands smaller?"

I looked down and besides from me wearing basically a smaller version of Mom's dress my body had shrunk down to what it was when I was ten years old.

"What do you mean Wei?"

I looked up at her puzzled look.

"Mom it was my sixteenth birthday yesterday. Why do I look ten right now?!"

Her look didn't change as she placed a hand on my forehead.

"You're burning up from that nightmare Wei. I don't think you have fully recovered from your nightmare."

Huh, what is this? What does she mean?

"Ugh!"

Suddenly a sharp pain coursed through my head as thoughts and feelings rushed through my brain.

What are these things? Are they memories? But these aren't memories that I had...

Wait they are... I was born here with my Mother and my Dad is also here, but we are living in the slums on the bank of a river. I grew up in this mud house with Dad bringing back whatever he could find as food.

What the heck is happening? I "remember" all of this now, but I still remember what happened yesterday...

"Wei, are you okay?" 

"I t-think so..."

I rubbed my temples as the headache subsided, still had a light fever. 

"Here lay back down."

She gently lowered me back onto the itchy fabric on the ground and lay beside me. With her left hand, she softly patted my stomach. And her voice as if it was magic began to flow in the air. A beautiful melody resounded through the mud house and made my eyelids flutter.

Is everything from yesterday over? Is my family safe? Why am I a child again?

I had so many questions, but as my eyes closed I could only think of one thing.

Kill Him