Perpetual Rain ✓

Torn

Your mother's scream robbed you of your breath, you felt your heart being torn apart by the pain you could hear in her screams. All you did was touch her shoulder... 

"Mom! What's wrong?" You frantically questioned as your fear was banished to the back of your mind. Quickly stepping forward you let your body drop to its knees beside the bed, trying to get on a less frightening level, anything to get her to look at you. 

"Did Dad... He didn't..." You tried to say, but finding the words to vocalize your question only caused the ache in your heart to amplify. "Did he hit you...?" You finally managed to question. You couldn't see her body well, not in the dark room where only light from the hall seeped into the cavern of darkness. 

"Mom, talk to me. Did Dad hurt you?!" You questioned, grasping at the comforter and giving it a soft tug, trying to get her attention without touching her. The sound of ruffled papers caught your attention. You could see paperwork scattered out in front of her curled toes as if she was trying to shield herself from the words written on them. 

You didn't like poking your nose into your parents' business, but you needed answers. You grabbed the first piece of paper you could see, but it was just an empty envelope that had been very carefully sliced open with a letter cutter. Reaching further, you found the paperwork that had been inside, whatever your mom was crying about, maybe this had the answers. 

Pulling the letter to yourself you looked it over. It was official government documents. You could see the elaborate blue border surrounding the light pink sheet of paper. 

'Office of Vital Statistics'

'Certified Copy'

'Clark County'

What? You squinted your eyes, trying to read the old typewriter style print on the thin piece of paper. You let your body lower down, sitting on your legs as your knees pressed into the carpet. The sound of your mother's screams had calmed, and she curled back into herself as she began to sob again. You scanned the paper a bit faster, trying to understand, wanting desperately to understand what was happening. 

'Certificate of Death'

You felt your blood run cold. Who? One of your Aunts? Your mother only had sisters. But, as far as you knew they weren't that close. But still - they were family. 

'Place of Death: Clark County - Spring Canyon' 

'Usual Residence: Clark County - Spring Canyon' 

'Street Address: 495 Peatree St. Spring Canyon 29472'

You could feel your hands begin to shake, rattling the fragile piece of paper in your hands. No, this couldn't be... 

'Name of Deceased: Bowers, Y/N'

"What is this?" Your trembling lips uttered as you looked up at your mother with desperation in your eyes. "Mom! What is this?!" You screamed, crawling up from your knees to stand. "Is this some sick joke? Did Dad send you this because I disobeyed him?! Mom, I'm right here!" You screamed, dropping the paper by your side as your fingers wrinkled it in your fist. 

You grabbed her shoulder, letting your nails sink into her skin clothed only by her nightgown as you tried to shake her. 

"Mom! I'm here!" Your voice was hitting such high levels, your lips just a foot away from her ear, but she didn't budge. Not a single movement, not even a flinch. 

You could feel pools of water welling up behind your eyes, glossed over and hazed as you desperately wanted her to look at you, to acknowledge you, but you got nothing. Spinning back around you began to book it for the living room, someone had to explain this to you - anyone. 

You rushed into the living room so fast you didn't even remember running there. Things were moving at the speed of light to match your heart rate but your vision seemed a few seconds behind. 

"Dad!" You yelled as you rushed back in front of the couch. He was still just sitting there, though this time his tattered and rough hands were laced into his hair as he hunched over, hiding his face away just like your mother. "Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke!" You demanded, taking your place back on the coffee table as you uncrumpled the paper and held it up to him, showing him what you had just read. But, again, he wouldn't look at you. Why wouldn't anyone look at you?! 

"Dad!" Your voice mixed with anger, exploding from your throat despite the tears that threatened to choke you. "For fuck's sake, look at me!!" Tears began to stream beyond your control. You just wanted him to look at you, you'd give anything just to have him look at you. 

"He can't hear you, Y/N..." A voice whispered from across the room, standing in the archway that separated the living room from the hall. 

You shot your head up, eyes wide. For a split second, you were grateful, that someone finally acknowledged you, but you were met with a sight you didn't want. 

"Why?!" You yelled in reply, your eyes darting over your father's shoulder to see Taehyung standing there in your living room with a remorseful look in his eyes. 

"You know why..." His tone dripping with dismay. But the breaking look in his eyes brought you no comfort. 

"NO! No.. This is some crappy joke. Or.. Or... I'm finally having a psychotic break, this isn't real. This can't be real!" Your voice screeched, breaking apart through the tears that relentlessly poured from your eyes like the falling rain. 

"Y/N..." Taehyung whispered, his raspy voice sounding regretful to even have to keep speaking. He took a step forward, letting his long stride carry him just a few feet before you quickly jumped up from your seat. 

"NO!" Raising your hand to point at him - to make him stop. "This has something to do with you. This is your fault isn't it!?" 

"I'm not behind this." Taehyung said, his voice almost starting to sound mechanical as if his words were lines of a script he had rehearsed a thousand times. 

"Get out..." You hissed, clenching your jaw tightly in attempts to silence your own screaming. 

"Y/N, you really need to listen to me, pl--" 

"GET THE FUCK OUT!"  Your voice belted from your throat so loud that the neighbors were likely to hear, if they even could. Your eyes, filled with fire, shot across the room, burning holes into his face as you conveyed your sensitivity. 

And just like that - right before your very eyes - you watched his body begin to fade into nothingness. Like a cloud of smoke carried away with the light breeze created by the venation, he dissipated, leaving not a trace. The last thing you saw was his eyes.  He stared at you through burnt sienna hues that once had been your salvation, but now they brought only the unfounded accumulates of wrath and torment.