Childhood Terrors-Original

As we crawled underneath the bed, the flower crown fell from her head, and we held our breaths.He slammed the door open and shuffled inside the bedroom.

We saw his shoes stop at our direction.

We stopped breathing at this point.

But then he retraced his steps and went out of the room.

We both exhaled.

"C'mon Zak" she nudged me.

We just up from the bed when the door slammed open again.

My body froze.

And so did Devlin's.

"YOU ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN!"He yanked our arms and dragged us out of the bedroom.I whimpered as his dark hair whipped on my face as we went down the stairs.

"AAUUUUGGHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Devlin bit him hard on his arm and tried to run but he caught her then threw her to the dreaded room.

"You dumb brats!" He hissed.

His ice-blue eyes glared at me as if he was a predator catching his prey.

I cringed as he faced me, and saw the details of his scar that was on his cheek up to his chin.

His image reminded me of my father so much that I can't help but cry.

He grabbed a fistful of my collar and threw me at the same cage Devlin was.

He locked us in.

The torture was about to begin again.

. . . . .

It felt like I was staying there for hours.

Listening to Dev's screams tortured me.

My beating didn't last too long,but hers seemed to last for hours.

All I can do as I listen to her screaming was sit on the corner and bury my face on my knees.

Why am I crying?

Why can't I control my tears?

They won't stop falling.

I'm so pathetic.

A groan echoed in the room.

I heard the gate close loudly.

Her beating was done.

Devlin began to wrap her arms around herself as she winced to the pain she felt.She tried to sit up but she failed and remained lying on the cold floor.I need to help her.But my body wasn't responding.

I don't wanna cry anymore.

I'm not the one who needs help.

Devlin does.

She needs my help.

Devlin needs me.

I slowly stood up despite feeling the throbbing pain course through my body.I tried to take a step forward but ended up falling on my knees. The rocky surface of the floor ended up scraping my knee.

I flinched.

"Zak?" Dev croaked. She was somehow still concious.

"Wait for me, Dev."

I ignored the pain I felt as I crawled to her direction.

I finally reached her.

Gently lifting her head, I placed her on my lap as I rested against the brickwall. I sighed as I wiped my sweaty forehead.

I looked around me.

Four walls.

A cell gate.

A ceiling.

And a tiny barred window, that was on the edge of the pavement of the the outside world.

Who knew an orphanage had this prison as a basement?

"Hey Zak."

"Yeah?"

"You got lucky this time, didn't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you didn't get beat up that bad this time."She smiled sadly."Yeah...lucky.." I mumbled. Lucky. Like I'd know what that word actually means for us.

"And Zak?"

"Yes,Dev?"

"What time is it?"

"Around nighttime, why?"

"I guess that's why I'm exhausted and hungry."

"Wait, I think I had some stale bread in my pockets."

I shuffled through my pockets and found it.

"Here."

I gave her piece of bread, although it wasn't much.

She took it but broke it in half."Dev,that's only meant for you."I was hungry as well, but she needed it more than I did.She placed the other half on my palm.

"Zakael, the reason you got in trouble was because you stole food for me, wasn't it?"

My eyes widened.

"H-how d-did yo-" I stuttered."Who else would put bread or cherries underneath my bed when I get in trouble?" She grinned at me. Although my cheeks were pink, I stared back at her chocolate-brown eyes that reflected the moonlight.

"B-but still!Y-you need this more than I do!" I tried to give her back the bread but she simply refused."Zakael, I promised you,we would help each other."

"B-but I am! I'm trying to help you!"

"Then help me by eating that to nourish yourself."

"I couldn't- I just can't!"

Her hand suddenly caressed my cheek. "Zakael, your worried face really doesn't suit you, can't you smile a bit more for me?"

My tears dared to fall but I kept them in. I held the back of her hand that was still touching my cheek.The moonlight shined brighter on our direction and I saw the faint outline of her arm. She's so pale and thin.

"Do I really have to eat this?"

"You know nothing else would eat that right?"

I chuckled weakly.She's still as stubborn as ever.

"See? That looks better on you" She grinned.

As we both munched on our bread, a thought entered my head.

"Devlin, why were you punished?"

She stopped munching and just swallowed slowly.

"It's because..I stole some tools."

"Tools?" I was confused. Why would she need tools?

"Listen, look at the bars of the window."

I glanced at it but noticed nothing."What about it?"I asked."Haven't you noticed that everytime we get punished, we stay at this room?"She asked me."Yeah..I just noticed." I replied. "Why?"

"After they leave me alone, I file the edges of the bars, so that one day we would be able to escape."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"It is, they soon noticed I was stealing tools, so they punished me more severely than you were."

"Why?" I cried. "Because I never told them what I used it for, and besides it's already done." She smiled triumphantly at me."Dev, I know you're doing this for us but please, look out for yourself more." I pleaded.

"Zak, if I don't do this, we have no future."

"But I don't mind! As long as it's with you!"

"I don't want that future for you."

Her words caught me by surprise.Devlin was content with my silence and soon fell asleep.

As I spaced out, silence filled the room.

I sighed.

I'm so tired yet I can't fall asleep.

I exhaled.

I cupped her cheek and whispered to her ear,"I promise you we would have a future together."

At the stillness of the night, I just watched the lamp post outside give up on making any light that it died out.


"That would never happen to us." I whispered to her as I gently stroked her hair.


"I promise you Dev, we're both getting out here.


We will leave this hellhole together,no matter what.


I promise you that, my guardian angel."