fourteen hours

eighteen

But prayers aren't always granted.

"Come with me Aria." Aria tried not to wrinkle her nose as her mom wrapped an arm around her, the perfume applied once too many times. "We can pick out your new pet."

Aria stiffened, her mother still talking gibberish in her ear.

trigger warning

please be careful

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Aria screamed as her head was forced in the water of her bathtub, her father's hand clenched around the back of her neck tightly, shouting nonsense words in her ear. She couldn't hear. She could only hear her screams and the sound of violent water.

She couldn't breathe.

Nora bit her father's hand, barking several times as Aria was able to fall onto the ground, her eight year-old self cowering against the wall as she watched her father's blood thristy eyes land on her dog of six years.

Nora stood her ground, growling lowly at the monster.

Aria screamed as Nora's head was forced under the water, much like how her's was moments before.

"No! Dad you're killing her!"

And he only pushed harder.

Her mother came up from behind her, holding her tightly, squeezing her cheeks tightly as she angled her head to the tub. The tub where her poor dog was thrashing around, dying.

"Watch Aria. This is what happens when you love something." Her mother growled into her ear, Aria unable to blink, breathing heavily as water trickled down from her hair. Nora stopped thrashing. "They get destroyed, leaving you alone forever."

Aria couldn't move as Nora's body was thrown in front of her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from her open ones.

But she could tear away from her mother.

Because Aria loved more than she feared.

She loved love.

"Nora." Aria hugged her dead dog tightly. "I'm so sorry Nora." Her father shoved her head against the tub, Aria falling to the ground, Nora still in her arms.

"Stupid girl."

"We can get you another one of those bunny things." Her mom rolled her eyes, swaying her hips as she stood beside her father. "You still have that cage right?"

"Don't hurt him!" Aria cried, trying to pull her father away from Kookie's cage. "Please! Hurt me! Not him!"

Aria was shoved, her back slamming into the wall, eyes opening to a horrifying sight.

"We talk about this Thing. Love only hurts you." He held Kookie by the throat, the poor little bunny's feet kicking the air desperately. "Love dies."

Crack.

Aria picked up Kookie's corpse with shaking hands, her lip quivering as she held her dead bunny.

"Put it down."

"I won't!" Aria screamed, closing her eyes tightly as she held Kookie tighter to herself, trying to give him peace as he left. "You killed him!"

"And I'll kill you!" Her father screamed louder.

Aria froze, staring up at her father. No, staring up at the barrel of the gun. She slowly lowered her eyes, her head following.

"Do it."

Aria blinked, air finally crawling up her nose once more. 'No, I can't. I can't let another animal die because of me.'

Aria shook her head, not even daring to look at her parent's feet.

"Use your words!" Was the barked command after the slap from her mother.

Aria swallowed.

Yoongi's eyes focused once Aria walked back into the room.

Walked back into the room limping.

Because prayers aren't always fulfilled.

Not yet, at least.

i'll be doing a q&a later on in this fic