𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 | 𝑇𝑆𝑉 𝐹𝐹

1 | The Disappearance of Brett Yang

Eddy remembers his mother's funeral when he was only a young boy.

He remembers walking up to her open casket with small, slow steps, and looking down at her face. They had applied some light makeup to her face to make her look at least a bit alive, her cheeks were tinted with a bit of pink and her skin was glowing slightly from the lights of the church.

The presence of his family watching him disappeared bit by bit as he stared down at her for maybe the last time in his life. Although he had prepared himself a million times over and over in the bathroom that morning, he no longer had any control of his emotions as he brings a hand to her cheek.

"Mommy... I'm so sorry." Eddy whispers, leaning his head down to place a small kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger for a few seconds. He'd never hear her play again, she wouldn't be there at the end of the school day to pick him up, she wouldn't be the one cooking for him with loads of love, she wouldn't watch him grow up. His small sobs filled the silent church hall, and he takes ahold of her stiff hand, pulling it close to his body and crying into her skin. "Come back. I need you."

But the moment with his mother is ripped away when his father comes stomping to stand next to Eddy. He grabs at Eddy's wrist and pulls him away from the corpse, just as they close the casket. Eddy's screaming, trying to get out of his father's right grasp. He wants his mother, he wants nothing more but to feel her fingers through his hair or for her to sing him another song for bedtime. They still had many adventures to go on, they hadn't even gone to Italy like they had promised.

"No!" He screams even louder, attempting to kick his father but to no vail.

That's when his father hits him.

For the first time.

The slap echoes throughout the church, and Eddy could hear some people gasping, he could almost imagine them sitting at the edge of the benches as they watch the scene unfold before them.

"Shut the hell up Eddy!" His father yells, pulling his ear towards the exit of the church. Eddy yells and screams in protest, but no one comes to save him. There's no one worth saving. His mother left behind a broken boy who doesn't know how to communicate. Sure, he's fine with talking with himself and being his own best friend, but the doctors suggested him to be put into clubs so he could be around other people his age. That idea was shut down when he managed to get into a fight within twenty minutes of being in an art club where they did pottery. His mother was patient with him, she'd slowly push him to the edge while also holding his hand tightly.

"You can do it Eddy." She'd be saying often.

His father is pulling him outside, and when he lets out another scream he stops and turns to Eddy. Smacking him across the face once again. "Men don't cry Eddy. You're the reason your mother is dead."

It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a complete lie either. His mother had fallen ill after having Eddy. Her leg muscles became relatively weak, and the only way she could get from one place to another was through a wheelchair. Eddy knew his father wasn't like the man he was now. He had once been kind and understanding towards Eddy, and he had never laid a finger on him (or maybe it was because back then he had no reason to). Devastation was everywhere in the household, everyone was only trying to stay strong. All Eddy wanted was to make his mother proud, since she had given up absolutely everything for his happiness.

Eddy rips away from his fathers hold, wiping his tears angrily away. "I hate you!" He yells, the words leaving his lips for the first time ever. The monster inside him sprung alive in that moment, he was no longer the cheerful boy his mother had taught him to be.

However,

When Brett died...

Eddy sat in the front bench of their hometown, looking down at his hands while whispering his prayers just as he had been taught to. Of course he said them halfheartedly, he wasn't one to be very religious.