.1. Confrontation

WING ONE BEGINS.

"No one likes crying, but tears water our souls."

-Xinran

"So, now what? You're going to control who I make friends with too?!" Her shaking hands slammed onto the table. Water dripped onto her lap as her glass of water got knocked off to the floor.

"Yes! I have every right to." Her father shook his head and scoffed. "Who are you to question me when everything," he gestures to her clothes, and the food lying abandoned in front of her, "you have now because of me?!"

"Okay, thank you? Wasn't providing me with all that one of your responsibilities as a parent?" She picked up the glass from the ground. Her mom tried to interrupt, to calm her down. But really, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

Turning the glass around, she clenched her palms around it. "I know I'm supposed to be grateful but why do you..." her eyes stung, "...why do you always make it seem like a favour? Why are you so intent on controlling me that now I have no idea who I have become?"

She tried her best not to panic as her vision zoomed in on the glass in her hand. Everything except her father faded out. Her face and neck grew warm. Slightly lightheaded, she felt that impulse in her mind throbbing again. That impulse she was always terrified of. Bloodthirstiness? Violent urges? Whatever it was called she knew, she was going to do something horrible, something she would never do in her right mind.

Before she could process, she had pulled back her hand and hurled the glass right at her father.

Anticipating it, her father launched himself to the nearby wall. With a sickening crash, the glass shattered on the curtains behind him.

Stepping back, he quickly dialled on his phone."Fucking menace to society," he murmured, "I'm going to teach you a lesson so bad Auggie, you'll learn to never step out of line."

Hot tears warmed her cheeks as she glared at him in disbelief. There was no way she was going to watch idly as he picked up the strings to control her like a puppet.

If he is so hell-bent on giving me mental trauma, she hastily gathered the remaining glasses, then I might as well return the favour with some physical trauma.

Glass shards rained.

Time slowed down in her eyes.

She watched as her mom hurried to catch him as he collapsed down the wall. She watched as her mom wailed at her, at what she had done. She watched as her father's eyes rolled up, blood gushing out his forehead. She watched it all as if it were happening to someone else.

The phone lay abandoned.

Bringing her palms up, she stared at them as though she had never seen anything so peculiar before. She staggered back, slow steps leading her to the door.

And then she ran.

She ran out onto their street. Stopping short, she saw their obnoxious neighbours gathered around. The moment they saw her, whispers echoed in the otherwise quiet night.

Nauseous, she ran into the nearby alley. Twisting through many turns, she didn't stop until she found a place abandoned by society.

An old children's park.

With aching calves and a chest heaving in protest, she hauled herself across the metal chains that blocked the entrance. Barely registering the sign that said to keep out. She dragged herself to the one thing that managed to gain her attention.

The carousel.

Standing in the very heart of the park, she laughed. Hysterically.

Breaking inside, she wailed out loud. Not caring for once if she was attracting anyone's attention. She cried until she could no more. Until she couldn't breathe without hiccupping. She screamed until her throat went hoarse.

Everything hurt. Both inside and out.

When she stopped to breathe, she hurled out the contents of her stomach. Throat burning, her legs collapsed under her.

What was she going to do? She grabbed at her hair. There was no way her parents wouldn't find her. This time, she shuddered, there would be no way out. None of this would've happened if she didn't lose control in the first place. She knew she didn't intend any of it.

But they won't care. Her mind echoed. They only care about themselves.

She curled into a ball, the stones scraping against the soft material she wore. Her head throbbed against the ground. Tired eyes focused on the sand that swirled with every breath she took. Her wild heart slowed its erratic beating, however her mind raced.

What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? I've got nowhere to go. I feel sick. I feel terrified. I absolutely hate myself. I need help but nobody will offer help. I hate them. Hate them so much-

She clenched her eyes shut, trying to drown her thoughts. But try as she might she couldn't resist one from escaping.

I'm just so tired...

Against her will, her body went slack as it completely shut down.

But the thought remained.