Anchor

Choosing Me - Ishverse

What if something happened differently in your life, changing who you are and what you believe in? This is my version of Ishverse - a multiverse containing a character from the Land of Ishness

TW: 18+. Dark thoughts, mentions/hints to domestic abuse/SA, manipulation. Non-spicy

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What if DZ was never part of Zyggy? What if the torture broke him and turned him into something else?

I awoke with a start, just two minutes before my alarm would wake me. Quickly I turned it off, hoping not to wake my sleeping boyfriend in the bed next to me. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and slid out of bed. As quiet as I could, I tiptoed to the bathroom, closing the door behind be before turning on the light. It was the fourth night in a row that my dreams were visited by this creature. Boots that appeared to be too big for his body, skinny legs in dark, ripped jeans. Black shirt with holes, long jacket. But that face. That was the thing that struck out most. It was the face of a skeleton, yet oddly filled with so much expression. He appeared to be shy yet inviting at the same time. White eyes that curiously observed and drew you in. He looked like a safe place, and my dreams appeared to be quieter with him around.

I threw cold water in my face, before brushing my hair and quickly getting dressed. A quick touch of makeup to make me seem less tired. With my clean socks stuffed in my back pocket, I turned off the light and tiptoed barefooted out of the bathroom and down the stairs. Breakfast time.

A creak on the stairs told me he was close, so I carefully scooped his breakfast on a plate and set it on the table when he came in. A fresh cup of steaming coffee awaited him as well. He didn't say anything as he sat down and dug in. He wasn't much of a morning person, but neither was I. I turned around and quietly did the dishes. He didn't like noise in the morning, but I still needed to get it done. I didn't have too much time in the morning, and he didn't like coming home to dishes all over the counter. I learned that the hard way...

"I'm going to drink with the guys tonight. Don't wait up." I froze as I heard him stand up from his chair and walk towards me. He slapped me harshly on my behind, while he placed his plate in the dirty water. I heard him grabbing his bag and slamming the door shut behind him. Just seconds later, his car started, and he drove off. My shoulders finally relaxed, and I slowly blew out a long breath I didn't realize I had been holding. Quickly I finished the dishes, grabbed some food for lunch, and packed my bag.

It wasn't always like this. He treated me like a queen when we first met, but something changed along the way. He became distant. Short tempered. I knew he was manipulative, but I couldn't just leave. I had nothing, nowhere to go. My parents passed years ago; I was barely an adult. He picked me up, dusted me off and we moved to the other side of the country 'to get away from the bad memories'. I let him. And now he was all I had, the only one to love me and care for me, even if it was in his own way.

Work dragged. I always hated the days when he would drink with the guys. Being home alone was not something I looked forward to, even if it was better than being with his drunk ass. Yet I was glad to be back after the long and tedious hours of mindlessly filing invoices. I had a quick and easy dinner and decided to clean the house. At least he couldn't blame me for that if he ever came home. As I was cleaning the windowsills, I had the feeling of being watched. I peered through the darkness to the tree line behind the house, but there was nothing. No movement other than the wind. Just shadows and trees. I shrugged and kept scrubbing, but the feeling wouldn't leave. I glanced up several times, but there was nothing. Until there was. It was only fleeting though, but I could swear I saw a face in the shadows. And for that one second, I could swear I recognized it, but I just couldn't put my finger to it.

I had hoped I exhausted myself enough to drift off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, but my thoughts kept racing. That one face, in the shadows, kept popping up. Suddenly I sat up as the puzzle pieces clicked. The face, THAT face, belongs to the being in my dreams. My god, why didn't I think of that? I stepped out of bed towards the windows, curios if he would still be there. The moon was bright tonight, illuminating the grassy patches until I reached the tree line. And there he was. I could see him clearly now, even though he was hiding just behind the first line of trees. And he was staring right up at me. I froze, I could not move and hide. He was luring me in. Beckoning me to come. For a second I hesitated, every fiber in my body screamed I should be there, with him. Just as I was about to put on a sweater and go down, I head the front door slam shut. Crap! Quickly I dived back into bed, turned my back to the door and shut my eyes. Maybe he would be nice this time, leave me alone as he thought I was asleep.