Of Salted Soil and Scorched Earth: All on My Own. You Used to Know Me

Reports were filed and it finally came to light how much bullying had been occurring at the orphanage. No charges were pressed but Hazuki was disciplined like the rest of them. Weeks of labor and cleaning were to be his penance. He didn’t care.

The elation of exacting some form of retaliation and justice on those cruel boys had given him more happiness than anything else in the last several months. It was with that feeling he had laid down that night.

Sleep arrived and Hazuki drifted off into dreams. Once again, he dreamt of her.

Flashes of drifting blossoms.

The scent of plums.

Strands of chestnut hair swaying in the breeze as golden sun highlighted the ends in warmth.

I U S E D T O K N O W Y O U

iusedtoknowyou

Silent words were spoken but he didn't hear.

Her face was a streak of light and imprecise form.

Her laugh echoed from a distant world.

Why do I feel only sorrow and longing when I see you?

I used to know you uoywonkotdesuI

I used to-

It was while Hazuki was dreaming that he found himself being ripped out of bed and thrown onto the floor.

Consciousness had barely returned before the blows started. This time it was not just in hidden areas. Hard-packed pillow cases and clenched fists struck him in the head, face, crotch, stomach, everywhere.

“Take that you bitch! You think you’re cool standing up for the fat kid?!” screamed one of the bullies.

Knuckles met temple. White lights erupted in the corners of Hazuki’s vision.

She was alone again as the blossoms fell.

shealwayslookedsadwhentheblossomsfell

Hardened bars struck teeth and mouth.

He was once a child. He as running. Run. Runaway. Runfaraway.

“You think you’re tough?!’ screamed another as Hazuki’s lip tore open once again.

Confusion, shock, terror, and rage flooded into his body and overwhelmed the chemicals that were placating him.

Fingers ripped at his hair and pulled him to the ground as his scalp began to bleed.

Eberythingwaswhiteandgold. She was fading away. S H E W A S G O N E

.forgetitallyouwilldiewithinthesewalls.

“Nooooo!”

Hazuki screamed out as he tried to fight back but he was too stunned from the strikes to the head. He clawed for their hand but it was no luck. Then they were on top of him and Hazuki saw one of them remove a pair of craft scissors. Terror soaked him.

“You’ve always liked your stupid hair haven’t you?” asked the bully as he snapped the scissors.

“No! No!” screamed Hazuki as he tried to fight.

They were too much.

“Hold him!” they screamed.

Scissors were at Hazuki’s head now. Snips tore through his hair and he felt clumps of it falling around him.

“No!!!” he screamed.

The plum tree flashed in his thoughts. A white and golden figure veiled in pink sat beneath it. His very being called out for that figure and begged to save his hair.

His hair was all he had left.

Hazuki screamed with all of his might and swung at the nearest boy, striking them in the throat. The boy gasped for air in horror and Hazuki used that moment to flip him over. Hazuki began to gather himself and stand but another boy jumped on his back. Hazuki wrestled him down and head butted him. The strike caused his eyes to water and a taste of rust flooded his mouth, but he didn’t stop.

Ravenous hands ripped onto Hazuki’s throat and a forearm pressed into his mouth to muffle his screams.

T H E L E A V E S W E R E FALLINGaway

Desperation drove Hazuku to bite down onto the arm as hard as he could. Teeth tore into skin and muscle and his attacker let out a scream of terror, but Hazuki clamped down even harder. Blood filled his mouth as he shook his jaw and removed a chunk of the boy’s arm.

Still it wasn’t enough. There were three of them and only him, and they swarmed him with even more rage now. The strikes came from all directions even as Hazuki tried to stand. Then the stomp came.

His leg had been extended as he tried to brace himself, and in a brief moment it seemed like he might be able to hold them off. In desperation, one of the bullies looked at his leg and identified his opportunity. As Hazuki wrestled with the others, the boy stood over him and raised his own leg. His foot came down in full swing, and stomped into Hazuki’s knee, snapping it downward.

The tree burst into flames. The pink burned away and no one was left beneath the burning trunk.

Hazuki let out a blood curdling scream and fell to the ground. His screams continued, unable to be contained as it felt like his leg was being sawed off at the knee. The boys continued to strike, and by the time the adults arrived, his leg had been permanently damaged and he’d suffered a concussion, a cracked orbital socket, scissor blade lacerations to his face and chest, and four broken ribs.

After that night, Hazuki did not dream about her, or the tree, or Inabe City, or anything at all.

The earth had been scorched. The soil was salted, never to grow again. The trees turned to ash and fell away until there was nothing left. Darkness tore through space and time and the abyss opened to consume the boy that was once Hazuki.