Shatter Me - A KotLC Story

Coping

⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️ (self-harm & suicide. Don't feel obligated to read it.) Sections marked. (⚠️)
Talia stood defiantly as her father screamed at her. She stood in front of her mother, refusing to let her take the heat of her father's drunken rage.

Her father had turned to alcohol after her brother's death. It had gotten worse since then, making him irritable.

She glared at him. She wouldn't speak. She didn't want to make things worse.

Finally, her father gave up and left the room.
Talia released a long breath and turned to her mother.

The woman had tears running down her cheeks as she looked her daughter over. "You shouldn't do that."

Talia took her mother's hand. "I can't just let him get away with this."

The woman rose and wrapped her daughter in a warm embrace. "Thank you. The world doesn't deserve you."

Talia leaned into the hug.
⚠️
Talia felt the warm blood slowly drip down her arm. Her hand quivered as she set the knife on a red handkerchief.

She took a deep breath. The pain, sorrow, anger, and grief still swirled through her mind.
Wiping the blade clean, she stashed the knife in a drawer and picked up the cloth. She dabbed the blood off of her skin before it could drop to the ground.

Holding the cloth to her cut, she ran a finger along the thin scars trailing up her arm. It was the only way she could deal with the storm of everyone else's emotions.

She sighed as she stood and walked to the bathroom to clean out the rag.
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Talia glittered onto the front lawn after school. She paused. It was quiet. Too quiet. She approached the house, listening for the sound of her father screaming, but there was nothing.

Talia clenched the strap of her bag tighter as she entered the house. She stumbled upon her father slouched in a chair, drinking. That was unusual. Normally, he was yelling at her mom by now.

"Where's mom?" Her voice shook.

He didn't even look at her as he took another long drink.

"Where's mom?" Now her voice was hard.
⚠️
He finally looked at her and glanced out the window to the cliff outside.

Her eyes widened. "No." She dashed outside and skidded to a stop at the edge of the cliff.
Looking down, she covered my mouth. All she could see was a distant red mark and a dark mangled form.
(End of triggers)
Talia dropped to her knees, unable to move.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and she was breathing hard.

Her mind flashed to all of the emotions that she had felt from her mother. Something inside snapped and she stood, turning and walking back to the house.

She smacked the bottle out of her father's hand. "What did you say to her!"

He growled and looked back at her. He was completely stoned.

"You don't even care!" She screamed. "You never have!" She clenched her fists. "She's dead because of you!" Red rimmed her vision.

Her father grunted then cringed. Soon, he was screaming as Talia let loose all of the emotions she had felt from her parents for the past two years. The feelings rolled over him like a flood.

Talia finally stopped, dropping to her knees and panting.

Her father was curled in a ball on the floor, cradling his head in his arms.

Talia rose to her feet. What had just happened? It felt like what an Inflictor described when they used their ability, but that was impossible, wasn't it? She already had an ability. She had heard of elves with two abilities. Could she be an Empath AND and Inflictor?