Decaying Flowers

Forget Me Not

Haruto stirred awake, slitting his eyes open enough to observe his room. He let out a small shakey breath and sat up pushing his hair back out of his face, his silky blue blanky still held in his other hand. The boy rubbed his eye with a fisted hand, another night filled with heavy dreams. Haruto yawned and looked at his blanket, shrinking his shoulders down knowing what laid under him. Slowly Haruto crawled out of bed, cool drying urine left behind on his sheets and pajama pants. Haruto rubbed his arm softly, it lingered in pain tracing over fresh bruises from the night before. Haruto went to his door pushing a chair up under the doorknob, it gave him the time to try and clean it up. Starting with the sheets he pulled them off the bed to reveal a heavily urine stained mattress making him grimace in embarrassment. Haruto bent down and pulled out a rubbish bag from under his bed and put the sheet in the bag, the smell coming from the bag made him shiver before he stood up and stripped himself of the urine soaked pajamas. He put them in the bag tying it up and shoving it back under the bed out of sight, it was easier to hide the sheets until he had the chance to wash them when his stepfather wasn't home than try and take them out and get scolded most morning's. Haruto got himself dressed in his big brothers clothes, he was running out of his own since he hadn't had a chance to wash and he found comfort in the bigger clothing items reminding him of his brother. Haruto smelt the sleeves on the sweater, closing his eyes taking a deep inhale with his sleeves pressed to his nose. They still smelled like him, he missed him every day feeling his protection ripped right from his grip. Harutos brother had been admitted to a ward for self inflicting behaviours and 'violence' when it was really self defense for himself and Haruto, since Haruto never had the heart to fight back for himself and just took it as it came. Haruto crawled under his bed and grabbed the last fitted sheet he had stocked up, making his bed he put the blanket back on and hid his blanky under his one pillow he had. Once in the clear he took a breath and took the chair away from the door, he hadn't heard anything so he was sure he was in the clear. He opened the door and looked up, gripping the door handle tightly he felt his knees almost buckle in on themselves. It wasn't clear at all, he took a step back from the door and put his shakey hands up infront of himself before taking another step back. His stepfather walked in and glanced the room, he looked at Haruto in complete disgust "it always, ALWAYS! Smells like piss in here. Nothing has changed about you.." He said harshly, Haruto opened his mouth only to let out a small whined sound taking another step back. His eyebrows furrowed in fear, he felt helpless and wanted his big brother to step in and stop it. Harutos stepfather came in and pulled the boys hair down, tugging Haruto to the ground. All Haruto could do was cry out and hit the floor fisting his hands in to the carpet. The stepfather looked down at the boy and scoffed, he was weak unlike his brother who wasn't scared to fight to death. There was a loud knock to the door, he kicked the boy "shh! Stay in your fucking room and don't come out" he told Haruto sternly, Haruto yelped as he got kicked in his side nodding through tears. The stepfather slammed his door shut, Haruto suppressed his sobs as they almost escaped his lips through every breath he took. Haruto laid on the ground rubbing his side, ribs aching through throbs of pain. His stepfather opened the door to child safety, lucky for him it was one younger lady. "I'm here to check the living conditions for Haruto, we had a call from a concerned neighbour." She told him, he looked away and rolled his eyes before letting her in. Taking a step in she could smell the place lingered of cigarettes and other smoked substances. Taking her clipboard she slowly started to walk the house, there was rubbish all over the ground making her less hopeful. Entering the kitchen there was mold growing on the plates in the sink and it smelt horrible, the food cupboard was filled with expired cans and she didn't dare open the fridge already knowing it would smell of rotting milk. "Where is Haruto now?" She asked adding crosses to her clipboard, she hoped he was doing better than the condition of the house. "He's in his room, doesn't come out much nor talk that often" he said crossing his arms over taking a seat in the kitchen, he knew she was going to be taking him today already. Haruto heard a knock on the door, he glanced over his book he was reading. He pressed his lips together and put his head back down, he didn't know who it was making his heart pick up a bit. "Haruto, I'm coming in now." She said calmly, opening the door she saw the young teen sitting with his back against the wall on his bed. Haruto shot a look over his book, she looked friendly but he couldn't trust everyone just on looks. She came in slowly and stood infront of the bed, Haruto felt his palms of his hands sweat slightly gripping the book tighter. He was in long pants and had a sweater on so all his bruising was covered, she gave a warm smile to the boy observing his behaviour. "Can I sit with you Haruto?" She asked nicely, Haruto gave one small nod and sunk low against the wall. Sitting on the bed she could smell the urine lingering making her heart beam with sympathy, it wasn't uncommon for the children she visited to smell of sweat and urine but his room smelt very strongly of it now she sat with him. "Hey, I'm from child safety and my name is Addison. I've come just to have a look around and a little talk" she told the boy in a soft tone, Haruto felt like tears could find thier way up but pushed them down. "How are you feeling darling?" She asked him, Haruto gave a small shrug. She remembered the father saying he didn't talk much, she looked at the book Haruto had in hand and smiled. The book read 'The complete language of flowers: a definitive and illustrated history' "ohh what an interesting book, do you like flowers Haruto?" She asked kindly, he nodded and bit the inside of his cheek. Flowers were his weakness, it was the only thing he could find himself talk about out loud to other people. "Can you show me a flower that you feel you relate to?" She asked curiously, Haruto gave a small nod and flicked the pages. He took a shakey breath and pointed to a flower, the name of it reading 'forget me not'