53: abused

"So, um. Do you really want to hear one?" 

"Yes." Hizashi held Elly's hands in his. "I know you had a hard time when you were young, and I want to help heal you. Tell me about one of the bad times."

"That's sweet, but I mean... okay." She took a deep breath. "This will give you a quick example of what I went through. I was really attached to my mother, right? She had made me that way, probably because she didn't have a good relationship with her own mom and she had gotten divorced, so she wanted me to think she was 'the good one'."

"Mm hmm."

"She left with my stepfather one day to go eat, asked me if I wanted to come and I was, due to my mental illness, very indecisive. I finally said no, because they were going to a place I didn't like. I changed my mind as they started to leave and rushed to the living room, only to see the van rolling down the street."

"Uh oh."

"Yeahhh. I kind of lost it. I went to my room and started to cry really hard. After awhile the door burst open and my grandfather screamed, '<i>shut the fuck up!</i>' at me. I think he added that I had no reason to cry, but I'm not sure. He was terrifying and I swallowed back any more tears. I just shook, horrified, ashamed and afraid for the rest of the night."

Hizashi couldn't quite come to grips with this. "They knew you had a mental disability - so you were really sensitive."

"Yes."

"But they would <i>scream</i> at you to hold in all your emotions because it bothered them?!"

"Yes."

"Oh." He suddenly hugged her. "I'm sorry, princess. That's - and that's only a little story. I bet you have tons more..."

"Yep." She sighed and hugged him back.