Kenny is dead.
I threw him off the cliff.
I watched as he fell.
I killed him.
.....didn't I?
"What's the matter kiddo?" Kenny growled out with his sickening grin. "Gotcha tongue twisted up eh?"
Tears pricked the edge of my eyes. Is this really happening? Is he really standing in front of me, alive and well? Was everything that happened all in my head?
Confusion. Fear. Uncertainty. All three emotions loomed over me, wrapping my arms, legs and body and dragging me down to their pit of darkness.
Kenny stomped forward and snarled loudly, making me flinch harshly. I barely managed to stifle a whimper from coming out. My reaction seemed to amuse the tall man, seeing as he roared with laughter until his body leaned backwards.
Somewhere beside me, Ziahra leaped to her paws, crouching down into a fighting stance. "STOP SCARING HER, ACKERMAN!"
"Oh please," Kenny spat, glaring at the angered white wolf. "I was only playing around."
Ziahra growled threateningly, ears flat and tail trashing. "Stop your games before I put an end to it."
Kenny flashed a toothy smile. "Ohohoh, (A/N: You're approaching me? Sorry lol) is that a threat? Well you flea-bitten mutt, how about we go for a round 2 hmm?"
"Silence!" the Moon Goddess ordered, her voice losing its usual softness.
Kenny and Ziahra immediately stopped their quarrel upon the order, heads lowered as the goddess walked past them. Authority, power, command and control seemed to leak from her body with every step she took.
"There will be no round 2." The Moon Goddess paused between the two opposing forces, giving a quick glance to each of them. "There will be no more fighting. Understood?"
Both of them murmured their agreements, keeping their heads low as the Moon Goddess began heading towards my direction.
I wasn't sure what I had just witnessed. I wasn't sure if everything or anything was real anymore. What was true and what wasn't? I hadn't an idea anymore.
I swallowed a nervous gulp as I watched the Moon Goddess near me, and my eyes widened in shock when she kneeled down in front of me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice regaining its calmness and smoothness once more.
I took a few deep breaths. "Truthfully... no."
"I can understand."
"Why's he here?" I glanced at Kenny past the goddess' shoulder, his eyes locking on me upon realizing he was the topic of the conversation. "I thought... I thought he was dead."
The Moon Goddess stared at me with her hypnotizing eyes, her hand run down my arm before gently grabbing my own.
"That doesn't matter right now."
She stood up and lightly tugged my hand, silently requesting that I do the same. I stood up, slightly shaking as my balance quivered.
"(Y/N)," the Moon Goddess began. "Are you ready to know the truth?"
"...yes." I slowly nodded. "Yes I am."
The Moon Goddess let go of my hand, tucking hers neatly into her long robe. "Very well."
I stood there in anticipation as the white-haired goddess looked away, her sapphire orbs deep with thought.
"Let's start with what you know," she announced, taking a few steps away so that her back faced me. "Tell me, (Y/N). Tell me everything you know. Everything you've found out. Everything you remember."
This is it. I clenched my hands, the pain fighting back down the uncomfortable swirling of my stomach. This is really it.
The Moon Goddess tilted her head to the side as she glanced at me. "Tell me everything."
This is it.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
"My name is (Y/N) (L/N). Daughter of (F/N) (L/N) and (M/N) (L/N). I remember being a human as a child. I remember living my life as a normal human. I remember having a human family.
One night, we were attacked. My memories are blurred, but I remember... smelling blood. Hearing screams. Seeing bodies. My parents' bodies. They were dead.
I remember seeing a tall, dark figure, with werewolf ears and a tail. I remember seeing that figure hold a knife in his hands. I remember watching as he walked towards me. I don't remember why he didn't kill me."
I opened my eyes and glared straight at the person that appeared in my memories, who kept a straight face and seemed unfazed by everything.
"Years later, I found out the person behind the murder was you, Kenny Ackerman. And I also found out that you were the one who killed my caretaker, Ms. Falida, my brother's father, Dr. Grisha Jaeger, the Wings Senior High graduate, Ilse Langnar, and who knows how many more."
The brown haired man raised a brow at my words.
"That's everything," I finished firmly, keeping my gaze locked on Kenny, who looked away with a loud click of his tongue.
"Would you look at that," he grunted out, rolling his eyes. "It's still working."
Kenny's words caught me off guard. "What? What's working?"
The Ackerman turned to face me and opened his mouth to speak, but the Moon Goddess stopped him by raising a single hand.
Ziahra stepped forward instead, her eyes solemn and her shoulders shrugged. "(Y/N), I am Ziahra, the wolf of the Ziahara Lord. I have existed for thousands of years and stood by many lords. From my very first vessel, and up until you, I remember them all. Their names, their stories, their lives, and their deaths."
The white wolf stood in front of me, and closed her eyes, the front of her body lowering until her head grazed the grass below.
"My 104th vessel, (Y/N) (L/N). Months ago, I promised you the truth. And now--"
Ziahra rose from her bow and looked at me straight into my eyes. "I'll give you the truth."
I stood frozen in bewilderment. The amount of respect and sincerety I felt from Ziahra's words and actions were by far the most I had felt from anyone in my whole life. It was by far the most formality anyone had ever adressed me by.
Ziahra turned to the side and began to walk towards the lake, followed by the Moon Goddess who gestured me to come as well. I hesitated for a second, glancing back at Kenny who remained still in his position before quickly walking towards the goddess.
The Moon Goddess led me to the edge of the lake. The water was clear and perfectly reflected the starry sky, not moving by the slightest. If a person wasn't observant enough, they could've thought that this was a mirror.
"What's going on?" I looked up at Moon Goddess, who only nodded towards Ziahra.
The wolf kept her gaze fixed on the still lake. "To tell you the truth with just words is far from enough. The only way to give you what I promised... is to show you it."
Ziahra glanced at me. "Look at the water, (Y/N)."
I obeyed, looking down at the clear, deep water of the lake, seeing my own reflection on it.
Through the image casted on the still water, I watched as Ziahra sat down and close her eyes for a moment, before throwing her head back and letting out a long, loud howl into the sky.
So loud that it caused ripples to echo on the water.
In the reflection of the swaying water, the stars moved. They formed a wide circle and slowly moved. With each second that passed by, the circled quicker, to the point where it felt like a tornado was sucking me in.
With Ziahra's howl reverberating in my ears and my eyes enchanted by the swirling stars, I was left dazed. And when I felt a hand push me forward, there was nothing I could do but fall into the vortex of glittering water.
There was no splash when I made impact. No sound. No feeling of falling into water. I'd argue if there even was any water. It was just dark.
My eyes didn't sting despite them being open and after a quick test, I realized that I could breath as well. There was no ground beneath me, I was floating. Millions of starts surrounded me like a school of fish, circling me faster and faster while shining brighter and brighter.
Since falling in, my ears had been deafened this entire time. But now, I was beginning to hear things.
Laughter.
Cries.
Giggles.
Yelling.
Brief flashes of small clips began to fill my mind, a compilation of random memories that I never knew I had. If I had to describe it, then it would be similar to a broken DVD. It keeps on spinning, playing wrong audio from wrong video clips, the sound of static and scratching of the disc, with no control of what comes next.
The visions began to overlap each other, becoming a messy, dirty, jumbled mess. The laughter turned into mixed and sharply-cut screams that chilled my bones. Blood began dripping down from the sky, turning everything around me red. The clips were over saturated. All I saw were wide eyes, lifeless bodies, decapitated limbs. I could hear the sound of a knife being sharpened, its light temporarily blinding me. The screams got louder, their pitches going up and down like crazy, now mixed with terrifying gurgling and squelching sounds--
Everything stopped.
It was silent.
I let go of my ears and squinted open my eyes, feeling a soft breeze brush my skin and the sound of birds chirping somewhere from above.
I blinked my eyes a few times to get used to the light, and when it did, I finally saw where I was.
A backyard.
No. Not just any backyard. My backyard. My old, family house's backyard.
My mouth was left agape as I looked around; my heart aching in longing as I gazed upon the place I used to call home. It is my home sweet home. Well... it was. Ever since the tragedy, I was never able to see this place the same way again.
But now... I'm given a chance to see it once more before that horrible day. I could feel the tears beginning to form the more I looked around the familiar surroundings.
"(Y/N)!" I turned around, hearing someone call my name from inside the house.
That voice.... that soft, soft voice... could it be..
"I'm coming!!" Another voice piped up happily behind me. I turned around, watching a small, young girl run towards the backdoor.
Time seemed to slow down as the girl ran past beside me, allowing me to study her glimmering face.
That child... running happily with shining eyes and the brightest smile... was me.
The door slid open, and out came a woman who was almost identical to the small child.
"Mama!"
She crouched down and caught the running girl, lifting her up and swinging her around with a light laugh. "What have you been doing hmm?"
Another person popped their head outside, (e/c) eyes curious to see what the commotion was. The man looked like he had slightly aged, but anyone could see that he was incredibly handsome during his prime. His eyes visible softened when he saw the two most important people in his life, a small smile appearing on his face.
He stopped by the woman, who was holding the child in her arms, and greeted her with a quick kiss on the cheek, before scrunching up his nose and ruffling the little girl's hair, earning a protest and a flurry of hands swiping her father's away.
The man chuckled, opting to wrap his arms around the woman and half-carry his daughter instead. All three of them had bright eyes and wide smiles as they stared lovingly at each other.
I couldn't keep the tears from slipping down. My family. They were my family. Cradled in their arms is me, their daughter. They're my parents.
Tears began flowing freely as I stumbled a step forward.
Let me join you. Please.
I gasped for air, blinking away as much of the tears so that I could see them properly.
I want to hug you both. I want to remember what it was like to be hugged by you both. I want to feel your warmth.... I've missed your warmth.
Please.
"Mom.... Dad...." I croaked out sadly. "I'm here...."
My mother and father glanced towards me with smiles dancing on their lips, their eyes focused on mine, as if they were able to see me. Both of them looked at me longingly, a sorrowed expression on their faces.
I stopped my steps. Can they see me?
The little girl, my younger self, was the last to turn around to face me. My heart dropped when she did.
Her eyes were black holes and the stupid grin was etched into a deep frown as she stared at me, blood dripping from her eyes like tears, falling down and staining my parents arms and clothes.
The ground under me crumbled, and I fell down into the dark ground, the light from above slowly fading away. I landed sloppily in the middle of a staircase, my feet nearly slipping.
It was dark. The house was dimly lit. It was late at night.
From above the stairs, I could hear faint sobbings. From below the stairs, I could hear two people arguing. Mom and Dad?
A part of me knew I should check on my younger self, but I wanted to see what my parents were arguing so fiercely about.
I crept down the stairs, keeping a safe distance from the quarreling couple while trying to make out what they were saying.
"We have to tell her!" My dad said angrily, trying to convince my mother who seemed to refuse his words.
"No (D/N)! You don't understand the pressure of knowing those things at such a young age! I don't want to put that kind of stress on (Y/N)!"
I tilted my head in confusion. What are they talking about? Pressure on me? What pressure?
My father ran a hand down his face. "(M/N), please! Listen to me! We have to tell her as soon as possible! The longer we wait, the more it becomes dangerous for herself and everyone else!"
I frowned at the argument happening in front of me. I don't understand what they're fighting about.
My heart told me to go upstairs to check on... myself, and I followed its command, treading up the stairs and listening carefully to find out which room the soft sobbing was coming from.
The crying was clearly heard when I passed a door on my left, closed shut. I glanced at my hand, wondering if I could open it. I reached out, only for it to pass through the doorknob when I tried to grab it.
My hand passes through objects. Does that mean my body can as well?
I closed my eyes and held my breath, stepping through the door and passing through it like it never existed. It was a weird feeling, but it didn't feel uncomfortable.
With a slow exhale of breath, I looked around the dark room, quickly spotting the girl - me - seated at the corner of the room, her legs tucked up to her chest and her arms wrapping around it tightly, her small body shaking with each sob.
As I neared closer, I realized she was talking in a small voice.
Confusion racked my brain. Who was she talking to? There was nobody else here.
I made my way closer until I stood in front of her, careful to not step on the plate of uneaten food placed near her. The arguing downstairs was starting to quiet down, and I sighed in relief as the growing silence helped me be able to hear the little girl's words.
"I-.. I don't want to..."
I narrowed my eyes, blocking out all my other senses and only focusing on my hearing.
"You can.... help m-me..?"
Help you? What do you need help with? And who are you asking help from?
"....Th-that's it?"
What's it? I stared at the little girl, who was staring blankly at the floor. What's it??
"I... just.. have to... listen to your voice?"
Thud.
My eyes widened. My jaw dropped open.
Thud.
"A-alright..."
Thud.
Thud.
No...
Thud.
Nightmare.
"NOO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "STOP! DON'T LISTEN TO IT!"
My hands reached to grab her shoulders, but they traveled through her like wind. I took short breaths, panic overcoming me. I watched as the girl close her eyes, her lips tugging back in a painful wince.
"STOP!!!" I yelled until my throat ached. "KID! (Y/N)!! DON'T DO IT!!"
I glanced around her. "ZIAHRA! MOON GODDESS! ANYONE! HELP HER!!!"
A low groan came from the small girl, and I turned back to her to see a grin stretching her lips.
"No. No no no no."
The young girl slowly fluttered open her eyes, and I froze in horror. Her eyes--... my eyes were no longer (e/c)... they were blood red.
The moon was full tonight.
They were ready to hunt.
"...(Y/N)," I muttered out, stupidly hoping that she could hear me.
The small girl, now fully controlled by Nightmare, glanced at the plate of food beside her, and picked up the metal fork with a thoughtful look in her scarlet orbs.
"...Stop."
A cunning smile formed on her lips, her light voice distorted with a dark growl. "This'll do."
I wasn't prepared when the girl abruptly stood up, strolling casually to the closed door while twirling the fork in her hand.
"No, wait." Sweat dribbled down my forehead as my emotions sank with all the dread in my stomach. "Mom... Dad..."
I gritted my teeth, springing up and sprinting through the wall, cutting in front of the younger me and flying down the stairs.
The first person I saw was my father, who was sitting down on the sofa with his head resting back tiredly.
"DAD!!!" I screamed, trying to shake him, but failing again. He seemed to be asleep. "DAD, WAKE UP!! YOUR DAUGHTER-- I GOT CONTROLLED BY NIGHTMARE!!"
A snore was my response.
"DAD!!!!" My throat burned painfully as I let out the loudest scream I could muster up.
It was no use.
I turned around, seeing my younger self already reaching the bottom of the stairs and silently creeping towards my mom, who was slowly making herself a cup of coffee. My legs sprinted to her, shouting out a warning.
"MOM!! WATCH OUT!!!"
I skidded to a stop beside her, gazing at her beautiful but tired face as she focused on stirring the coffee.
"Mom? MOM!" I waved a hand in front of her face. No response. Dread crawled through my every vein. "ZIAHRA! ZIAHRA I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!! TURN AROUND!! TURN! AROUND!!!"
The girl was getting close.
"No! Stop! Not like this!" Panic overwhelmed my being as I stepped behind my mother, spreading my arms out in futile attempt to shield her from what was about to happen. "STOP!! (Y/N) DON'T! FIGHT IT!!!"
The little girl tightly clenched the pointed fork, aiming it at my mother's exposed legs.
"STO--"
My throat stung, and my voice disappeared. I stumbled to the side, holding my neck.
I watched in despair as the girl thrusted the fork with unbelievable power, piercing through the outer layer of skin and sinking deep into the muscle and flesh underneath.
My mother shrieked out in pain, but the girl was quick and strong with her moves, pulling down the fork so that it ripped open the leg.
The woman fell to the ground, and that's when the girl saw it. The knife on the counter, from when her mother cooked dinner, and forgot to put it away.
(Y/N) swiftly snatched it, aiming it at her mother's heart, red eyes briefly flashing to the wound that was healing itself.
"You and your annoying healing abilities. But that's fine. A knife to your heart will kill you immediately."
My mother gazed with confused and surprised eyes, her mouth formed in a low cry as she witnessed the last moments of her life.
"STOP!" I tried to scream out, but only air passed through my throat. Tears flowed down my face when I realized I could do nothing to stop this.
To stop myself from killing my caring, loving, my one and only mother.
"STOP! I wheezed out painfully. "STOP IT (Y/N)!"
My hand darted out to cover the left side of my dear mother's chest right before (Y/N) plunged down, the knife whooshing past my hand and straight into her heart.
"NO!!!" I rasped out, watching as her body jerked violently, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
"(M/N)!" A shocked voice called out. The girl turned around to meet the frozen eyes of her father, tugging out the knife from his wife's chest, blood overflowing from the wound and flooding the floor.
I glanced at the pale face of my dad. "Dad! NO! JUST GET OUT OF HERE!"
The small girl cocked her head and licked her lips, speaking out in her dark and distorted voice while swinging the knife in her hand.
"Too late."
Rage burned in my father's (e/c) eyes when he saw his daughters bloody irises, claws forming on the edge of his fingers as he turned into his werewolf form. "NIGHTMARE!"
The bedevilled girl reached for the fork embedded in her mother's leg and took it out, throwing it towards her advancing father.
It hit him square on his right eye, and he hissed in pain, stumbling in his steps.
"NO!" I desperately wheezed out. "RUN!!"
The girl rushed forward, running low and circling around the man to slash both the tendons of his knees in lightning speed. My father fell to the floor almost instantly, rolling to the side to avoid a diving knife to his head.
The girl growled, harshly stomping down on my father's fingers, earning a low groan of pain from him.
(Y/N) lunged for his throat, only to be stopped by his other hand, gripping the knife to stop it from cutting his throat.
"(Y/N)... I know you're in there. I know my little girl's still in there, somewhere."
The possessed (Y/N) kept a poker face while hearing her father's last desperate attempt to bring the girl back. She leaned down to his ear, and whispered, "She's gone."
I scrambled over to my dad's side, placing my hand over his broken one, holding it despite not being able to touch it.
"Dad," I cried out, looking through tear-filled eyes as the child pushed the knife down, slicing through his hand and through his throat.
"I love you (Y/N)," he gurgled out, keeping his eyes fixed on his daughter. I rested my head beside my dad's, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry."
"Mama and Dada loves you. We... will... al..ways... lo..ve... yo..u..."
"Help," I whimpered out weakly, hearing the knife slowly go down deeper. "Please. Anyone. Help me..... please--"
My prayer was answered.
The door slammed open, and a person wearing a long, leather coat stepped in. "Yo! (L/N)s--"
Everyone stopped, startled by the sudden intrusion. The man took off his hat, observing the house recently decorated with fresh blood with piercing silver eyes and a deep frown.
Both present me and past me stared at him, muttering out the same thing at the same time.
"Kenny."
Kenny turned to look at the sight before him. A small girl pinning down a full grown man, holding a knife that was slicing halfway through his throat. Kenny's eyes narrowed, noticing the abnormal color of the small child in the dim room.
The girl huffed, taking out the knife from her father's bleeding throat and aimed between Kenny's eyes, throwing it as hard as she could.
Smoke erupted from Kenny and silver flashed in his eyes as he held up a hand and caught the knife as it was about to hit him, his fingers clenched around the sharp blade and drawing blood.
"Get out of her, Nightmare," Kenny growled lowly, bringing the knife down to his side and glaring at the red-eyed child.
(Y/N) chuckled, rising from her position. I chose to remain by my father's side, gazing at the two remaining people in this room.
The girl smirked. "How about, no."
She rushed forward, her fingers turning into black, ragged claws that tried to strike through Kenny's thick clothing. The Ackerman swiftly dodged the attack, but didn't fight back.
Kenny kept on avoiding the fierce blows, twisting, turning and ducking left and right to avoid every single one of them, while never striking his own. Even when I saw a few perfect openings for him to counter-attack.
I sniffed, wiping away my tears as I wondered why he wasn't fighting back.
It seems the younger, controlled me also thought the same question. "Too old to fight back huh?"
Something snapped in Kenny, his eyes glowing for a heartbeat before suddenly grabbed the girl's arm and easily pinned her down with his much bigger frame. "If I attack, I'll hurt the kid."
"Heh, you care about her, don't you?" (Y/N) glared behind her, still smiling even though Kenny had her in a position where he could easily snap my arm.
The brown haired man snarled viciously, putting down more pressure, up to the point where the girl hissed in pain. "Get out of her."
She struggled against Kenny's deathly grip, small drops of tears forming in her eyes the more he pushed down. The Ackerman stopped his threat after a second, an uncomfortable look on his face.
"Make me."
Make it? How? From where I was sitting, I saw Kenny take a deep breath and close his eyes for several seconds.
Without realizing it, I also held my breath as I waited for something to happen. The silence was deafening, and all I could hear was the thudding of my own heart as it pounded anxiously against my chest.
The Ackerman opened his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. I watched in silent astonishment as a faint trail of black smoke rose from my body and wisped around the man, before dissolving into him.
Kenny let go of the child, grunting in pain as he brought a hand to hold his head, standing up and leaning against the wall.
Beneath him, the girl gasped loudly, panting breathlessly and letting out soft whimpers.
"(Y/N)..." I whispered out, unable to raise my voice anymore.
The young girl cried out loud, screaming and shrieking as she saw the damaged she had done. She stood up and fell, eventually dragging herself to the closest body there was: her father's.
"DADA!!" She screamed in pure agony. I could hear the sadness and regret from her voice as clear as it was shown on her face.
She took short breaths, tripping her way to her mother's cold body that was surrounded in a lake of blood. "MAMA! MA!!"
The girl hugged the bloodied body of her mother, the blood deeply staining her clothes and arms.
I sat down defeatedly, watching the younger version of myself, my past self, crying in utter regret for everything that's happened.
The girl's breaths kept getting shorter and shorter, and soon enough, she was hyperventilating, choking on tears and breathing improperly. I wanted to help her, but I knew I couldn't do anything.
Kenny walked over to her and crouched down, placing his hands on her small shoulders and giving a rough shake. "Oy, calm down."
The young (Y/N) looked up at Kenny with wide eyes overflowing with tears, and hugged him, crying into his coat and holding it like she was about to fall.
Kenny sighed exasperatedly. "What the hell did you do, you damn brat."
"I-I didn't mean to!" She wailed into his coat, tugging it harder. "I didn't mean to-.. to do this! I d-didn't want this!"
I forced myself to stand up and walk towards the two hunched figures, standing beside them and looking down at the sight I never in a million years could have guessed.
Unlike what most adults would do, Kenny didn't try to sooth her. He didn't pat her-- or my back. He didn't try to calm her down in any way.
He simply allowed her to cry feely into his torso, with both his hands remaining on his side. Kenny glanced at the night sky through the transparent door that led to the backyard, watching as the clouds parted to reveal a glowing, full moon.
"I'm-.. I'm a bad p-person," small (Y/N) sobbed out through short breaths. "I did-... bad things. I-.. I don't want to... live with-.. without mam..ma and dada."
I could feel exactly what she felt. After witnessing what happened, I felt weak. I felt no will to live. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Alone. Suffering a cruel death. Because that's what I feel like I deserve for everything.
Kenny let out another sigh, staring at the moon and closing his eyes for a few heartbeats, letting the moonlight bathe over him and the small child hanging onto him.
Silence fell over the three of us, with not a single person uttering a single word. It remained that way, until Kenny decided to break it.
"Great Moon Goddess," he muttered under his breath. "Lend me your power."
Kenny pushed the child away from him, staring at her wet face with a straight one. After a quick study, I noticed a lingering hint of red that tainted the Ackerman's usual clear silver orbs.
Kenny covered the girl's eyes with his hand, earning a weak cry of confusion. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, ears pricked and tail resting on the floor.
"With my power as an Alpha Lord and the blessing of the Moon Goddess, I speak. I, Lord Kenny of the Ackerman clan, hereby lock your wolf and all its memories, so that this day may never haunt you in the years to come. Forget your life as a werewolf and live as a human without the burden of the crimes you were forced to commit."
I gazed in shock as the younger me fell to her knees, with Kenny still keeping his hand firmly on her face and another hand keeping her from falling back.
He wasn't finished.
"With the Moon Goddess' blessing, I, Lord Kenny of the Ackerman clan, hereby alter your memory of this night, so that the guilt of your actions may never haunt you in the years to come and so that you may never blame yourself for what has happened. I give this command under the position of the Alpha Lord and with the power lent by her greatness, the Moon Goddess."
When he finished his words, I felt a jolt of lightning surge through me. Like my life had become a full circle. Like all the dark rooms and unanswered questions were finally given what they asked for.
Every chain broken, every lock opened, the untold truth revealed.
Kenny let go of her face and slowly lowered the girl's limp body on the ground, next to my mother's cold and stiffening one, before sitting down beside the child with a tired sigh. He glanced at the lifeless eyes of my mother with a sad glint in his own, extending his hand to close her eyelids for the last time in her life.
"Is this what fate had planned out for you, (M/N)? To be killed by your own daughter? How pathetic." Kenny was split into talking to the corpse beside him and to himself. He ran a hand through his messy hair, combing it back so that it didn't fall in front of his face.
"I wonder what your fate would've been if I hadn't made that choice years ago," he muttered lowly, staring at the ground.
My heart ached with sorrow and guilt as I stared at Kenny sitting slouched on the bloody floor, looking as hopeless as I was.
The truth... isn't what it seemed. It wasn't as simple as I thought it'd be. It wasn't about getting revenge from old grudges, it wasn't about hating another person. It wasn't anything I would have ever thought. It was dark, it was scary, it was traumatizing... and it made me realize why everyone had been so adamant to keep me from knowing it.
A faint gargling sound caught the attention of both me and Kenny, and we watched as the tip of my father's finger twitched. I jumped to my feet, making my way over to him with owl-like eyes.
He was still alive! I realized in shock. Dad!
"K--nny..." My father weakly spoke out, his eyes half-lidded as he called for the tall man sitting a little ways away.
Kenny got up to his feet and cautiously walked over to the dying man, his ear slightly twitching back. "You're still alive? Impressive."
My father struggled to take his breath, blood squirting out the more he tried to. "Take... car..e.. of... her...."
"Hah?" Kenny growled with annoyance. "She's your kid and you want me to take care of her?"
"Pl...ea..se..." He pleaded, the light quickly dying from his eyes. I trembled as I witnessed my father's breathing getting weaker and weaker, with him using every last strength to plead the tall man standing beside him to take care of his daughter.
To take care of me.
Kenny glanced at the small unconscious girl, before turning back to the man to give his answer, but it was too late.
I watched my father's chest fall one more time, before it stopped moving completely. My throat choked back a sob, but barely any tears came this time.
I had ran out.
Kenny clicked his tongue at the dead man, pulling out an old rusty phone and dialing a number. "Hello? Police? I think there was just a kill and run at (address name). You guys should check it out."
He turned the phone off before the person at the other end of the line could respond. I stood beside Kenny as he cracked open the back casing and took out the sim card, crunching it with his bare hands, before dropping the phone on the floor and stomping it until it was fully crushed.
"I can't take care of a kid." He gazed at the dead man by his feet and crouched down, staring straight into his closed eyes. "But I know someone that can."
Kenny shuffled away, picking the broken device and stuffing it in his pocket. He stood up and walked around, bending down to take the fork before reaching for the bloodied knife.
He paused his movements, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he studied the silver blade with glinting eyes. The Ackerman stepped over to the small girl, and gingerly cut her skin in a few random places. The cuts weren't too deep, but they were enough to draw blood.
Those cuts were the exact same one I remember having when I was treated by a doctor after being rushed to the hospital. I thought I had put up a fight with the attacker or something, but the truth was so different in reality.
Kenny purposely made those wounds so the police would believe I was a victim as well.
Not the culprit.
He made the last cut and wiped the knife on her clothes, standing back up and twirling the knife in his hands skillfully while looking around again. It seems that the cutting was quite painful, because the younger version of myself let out a small groan soon after it.
Kenny and I both turned around, staring at the small girl as her eyes blinked open. Static filled my own vision, as the sight of from two different angles filled my eyes.
I blinked, a different sight coming into view.
It was dark. The smell of blood filled my nostrils. And standing in front of me was a tall figure with werewolf ears and a tail, holding a knife in his hand.
I blinked again.
I was standing as an invisible person, looking at Kenny staring down at a small girl who had just regained her consciousness, scared and confused out of her mind.
My memories were aligning. They were connecting, becoming as one.
I watched as Kenny took a deep breath, and flashed his signature grin, holding up the knife threateningly.
At once, I my sight was brought back to my past self, gazing up at this person towering over me. It was just like in my visions.
I could feel the fear coming back as I whimpered out, "Wh-who are you? What did you do?"
The dark figure wiped his knife, keeping up his terrifying smile. "I just had to take care of a few things," he growled, voice low and drastically different from his usual one.
I was pulled once again, now seeing everything through my present self. Seeing as Kenny stalk towards the wide-eyed girl, spinning the knife in his hand and swinging his tail from side to side.
"No, no! Go away!" The girl started to scream out, tears falling down her cheeks as she desperately tried to back away, her hands and feet slipping on the thick pool of blood. "Stop it!"
I could feel the fear I once felt surge through my body, making my legs weak and hard to even stand.
"Should I kill you too?" Kenny snarled.
On one hand, I felt scared out of my mind. Having this strange, unknown person holding a knife, wondering whether he should kill me too. That's what I felt from the younger version of myself.
On the other hand, I knew the story behind all this. I could see past Kenny's act, and I could see how much effort he was putting to make this as believable as possible.
"Stop it!!" The small girl shrieked out, holding back sobs while cowering in fear. "Please stop! I don't know who you are! Just stop!"
"You don't know who I am?" Kenny repeated, aiming the tip of the knife between her eyes. "Well then I'll tell you, and you best damn remember it."
The small girl trembled, too afraid to move since the knife was barely an inch away from her face. She let out a whimper and stayed deathly still.
"I'm the person who killed your parents."
The words echoed in my ears, bounching off the walls of my drums and fading away into the distance.
My sight glitched once more, this time combining what my present self and past self saw at the same time. Hearing it from both sets of ears at the same time. Both of our emotions mixing into one.
In one eye, I saw Kenny, the person who I believed to have murdered my parents. The murderer.
In the other, I saw Kenny, the person who saved me from falling further into Nightmare's trap. The savior.
"I'm the person who ruined your life."
I will never forget this moment.
"And my name?"
Not the moment my past self was experiencing, nor the moment my present self was witnessing.
"My name is KAM."
.
.
The moment I was told a lie and given the truth.