Her Son

Something Was Off

Nagisa was walking home today, like most days. For the past few days it's been unbearable hot, but now the weather was just right, breezy and even. A fine day to walk. He had considered getting a snack, but his phone had unfortunately died and he didn't want to face the consequences of coming home a bit too late without notifying his mother.

Nagisa approached his house and nearly fell flat on his face due to a crack in the walkway leading up to his house. If it weren't for his new assassin reflexes he would have, but he was more concerned about the fact that he didn't remember it being there before.

He shrugged it off. It was just a crack, but his toe was stubbed pretty bad and it hurt. It wasn't broken but hurt nonetheless.

He soon reached the door with a groan for his toe, and found it to be locked. This was strange because the door was often unlocked for his arrival. It wasn't locked all day but before his mom left for work, which was just a bit before he got home.

Nagisa got his keys from his bag begrudgingly and unlocked the door. If the door was locked then she must be home. She's had moments where she forgets to go to work, or perhaps it was that she did not care enough.

She done this at least five times, he was surprised she hasn't lost her job. If it weren't for her ties she wouldn't have it.

But whenever the door was locked Nagisa knew she'd be there, and he knew she'd be in the mists of one of her outbursts.

It's been like that ever since the news broke. Nagisa's father, and Mrs. Shiota's ex-husband had recently remarried about a year back.

Mrs. Shiota wasn't angry, and she certainly was out right crazy at that time, she was just upset. She'd get lost in thought, or randomly cringe or grimace solemnly.

But that's not what drove her off the deep end.

What has made her the more impulsive nervous reck that she is today was the fact that her ex's new wife had recently given birth.

...to a baby girl.

The thing she wanted most in life, what she's longed for, and prayed for in the night. What she had pretended to have,

And to add insult to injury the name they have officially given to their newborn is Inari. One of the top names on her list for a little girl of her own. It said so on the list of girls' names on the refrigerator that was hung up in Nagisa's face... Every. Single. Day.

Inari was #4 on her list.

Nagisa saw this as a fresh off the brain incident. Since the name list had been sitting up there for so long, maybe the name was just fresh in the mind.

His mother thought otherwise. She saw this as a direct attack, some plot to spite her, to disrespect her. It made her genuinely angry he could tell. But it's not like he could do anything about it, speaking out against his mother was a death sentence, especially when she in such a bad state of mind.

Nagisa was certain that she was an undiagnosed something he just didn't know what. Based off of her 0 to 100 reactions.

Nagisa huffed before actually opening the door. He did so as quietly as possible so he could sneak by and hopefully go unnoticed.

He caught a glimpse of her for a moment, she was in the living room backed turned. This was a good time to sneak off.

...but something was off. Some was very wrong. So wrong that his enhanced fight or flight responses were kicking in.

He chose flight.

Nagisa quickly but quietly attempted to sneak pass to his room leaving the door wide open,