Tony's Room - Glass
Warning: There is no sexual content in this story, but strong language and mature themes are used. Read with caution and enjoy :3
Six Years Ago...
Tony sat on his bed, hugging his pillow. Somewhere downstairs, something smashed against a wall.
His mother's voice, filled with pure rage and hate, "FUCK you, you lazy SHIT!"
His father retaliated, but Tony couldn't hear what he said. He thought he heard his name.
"You leave them out of this! They aren't responsible..." His mother said.
Tony's body shook. He was shaking from terror and sadness, because he knew that somehow, it was always his fault. Some way or another. Maybe he forgot to do a chore, or get a better grade in school. All he knew was that his very existence was putting a strain on his parents marriage.
He heard more unintelligible talking, then his mother shouted, "GET YOUR FUCKING PAWS OFF ME!!"
There was a struggle downstairs and that was all he could take. He hid his head under the pillow and started crying quietly. This wasn't the first time in his life he wanted to die and just cease to exist and never feel anything ever again. It wouldn't be the last time either.
With every muffled sob his heart, his spirit, and his innocence broke into a million glass shards.
The door downstairs slammed. Something else broke, it sounded like the TV. The sound of the car revved into high gear and screeched out of the driveway and sped down the road. Tony sat up on his bed, wiped snot and tears from his muzzle, and looked out the window. His heart plummeted. His mother's car was gone, and she had left him with...
"TONY!! TREVOR!!" His father bellowed.
His legs shook and his heart pounded as he approached his father in the dining room. His father stood there, like an angry bull that was ready to charge. Trevor was already there, and cowering under the angry glare of their father. He thrust a hand broom and a dust pan at Tony and Trevor.
"Start cleaning!" he snapped.
On the floor was a shattered vase. It was white and yellow with bright green stripes going diagonally down them, but now it was just shattered pieces of colored ceramic on the floor. It had never really meant anything to him until now. Something about seeing it set off an emotion in Tony's mind. That vase had always been in the family, since as long as he was walking and making memories. It wasn't until now that the vase meant something to him, now that it was broken and irreparable. He would never see that colorful vase again.
He started crying again and his father smacked him. Not hard enough to leave any mark, but it stung. Tony stopped.
"Clean it! Now!"
Trying not to sob, Tony did as he was told. Trevor, who was also wet from tears, held the dustpan while Tony swept the pieces into the pan. Their father loomed over them until they were done. Then he made them clean up the TV in the living room. A huge hole had been punched into the screen, and a few shards of glass and dust were on the floor. Tony and Trevor looked at each other with defeated looks, and started sweeping up the mess.
When they finished, they were sent back to their rooms.
There was silence all through the house. The silence was unnerving and heavy with tension. The minutes ticked by on Tony's wall clock. There wouldn't be any dinner tonight. It didn't matter though; neither Tony or Trevor was hungry. Tony just sat in the darkness and waited for something, anything, to happen.
"Tony?"
Tony glanced towards the door. His brother stood there, looking at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen.
"Yeah?" Tony said. His voice was broken and croaky.
"I'm scared..."
"Me too..."
"Can I sleep in your room tonight?" Trevor asked.
"Sure," Tony replied.
Trevor climbed on his bed, leaving a red paw mark on the sheets.
"Oh no, you're bleeding Trev..."
Trevor looked up at Tony and then down at his bloodied paw. There were a couple slivers of glass from the TV in his paw, but it was bleeding heavily. Trevor just stared at it as if dazed. Tony helped his brother to the bathroom and held Trevor's paw under the water. He then used tweezers to get the shards out and put nearly half a package of superhero bandages on Trevor's paw. Trevor didn't cry or wince the whole time.
"That better?"
"Fank you..." Trevor mumbled.
Tony hugged his brother. There wasn't any awkwardness with this hug, like the times he was made to give Trevor a hug if he hit him or teased him. There was nothing but brotherly love in it. Tony felt like they needed it more than anything else, to feel like there was still some love in life. Trevor hugged him back.
For so many years after that, and the divorce which followed a couple months later, Trevor would sleep in Tony's bed. Trevor would usually sneak in the middle of the night and cling to his brother while they slept even though their mother would try to keep him in his own bed. Trevor only felt truly safe and loved when he was in his brother's bed.
Present...
Trevor snapped awake in a cold sweat. He nearly panicked when the last remnants of his nightmare slowly gave way to the waking world. He stared at the blank ceiling above him and thought about the dream. In his dream, he was running away from his father. His father was bellowing angrily and chasing him with a paw full of broken glass. When Trevor recalled this detail, his paw twitched involuntarily.
He glanced over at the clock mounted on the wall. It was only 11:30pm. He clicked his tongue dryly in his mouth. It tasted like dried blood. Quietly, he got up to get himself a cup of water. On his way back upstairs he looked down the dark hallway. He froze.
A large, looming figure stood in the closet. For a terrified moment, he believed it was his father coming back to get him. For what, he didn't know.
As his eyes, adjusted to the darkness, he could make out a large coat in the closet. He sighed with relief, but his heart was still pounding heavily. He had nearly wet himself over how terrified he was of the coat in the closet. He silently laughed to himself and thought about how foolish and babyish that was.
Part of him was still shaking though.
He looked over at Tony's room. Usually he would be up at this hour with the TV on or doing homework, but his door was closed. Trevor tried the handle and it opened with ease. He went in.
All the lights were out and Tony was in bed and under the covers. Trevor smiled and wagged his tail. He knew Tony wouldn't mind if Trevor crawled into bed with him, even though he had stopped doing it frequently.
He pulled back the covers and stopped. Tony was turned with his back facing him. He was completely still and something smelled funny.
"Tony?" Trevor asked quietly.
Tony didn't respond.
"Tony, is it ok if I sleep with you?"
No response.
Trevor shook Tony's shoulder and Tony slumped limply on his back. Trevor's heart lept. Tony's fur had gone from red to grayish red. Foamy saliva and vomit caked the sides of his muzzle and all that was visible of his eyes were little white slits.
‘Oh god, oh god, oh god,' Trevor thought. His heart was racing again. He screamed, "MOOOOMMMMM!!!!"
Then he saw the medicine bottles, all neatly lined up and empty, on his dresser. Most of them were painkillers, others were random allergy and depression medication. He was told that you shouldn't take more than one pill at a time because it could be dangerous. And they were all empty.
Trevor screamed again, just as his mother and stepfather ran into the room.
As always, feedback and criticisms are always welcomed. Sorry I took so long, I was busy trying to score a second job and as well as getting back into college. And no, Tony is not dead. Don't worry.
Stay tuned, more on the way.