8 years, 9 months, 16 days, 18 hours, 16 minutes, 30 seconds.
A 7 year old Rin faced the wall, eyes wide as though stapled open as she laid on her side, buried under mountains of blankets. Sweat dripped down her temples but she paid no attention to it. Staring emptily at the blank blue before her, she did her very best to ignore the ticking of her clock.
Tick...tock...tick....tock....
Tock...tick...tock....tick....
But on and on it went, the noise slowly drumming into her skull, consuming her very mind. The house was too quiet and she was all alone. No one but her. No one, but her and the godforsaken clock. Where was her family when she needed them? She didn't know, but oh boy did she care.
Tick tock, goes the clock. How soon will Rin jump off the dock? Tick...tock (Where is Yukio?)...tick...tock, when she strides on the side walk... tick...tock...tick....tock, they all think she doesn't hear them talk....
Little voices whispered in her ears, taunting her as she closed her eyes. But little malevolent beings still dancing in her eyelids. There was no escape. Where was Daddy?
Tock...tick...tock...tick, life snuffed out like a candle wick.... tock...tick...(where was...everyone?) ...tock... tick, Do you hear how the gun clicks? Tock...tick....tock...tick How does Rin die, won't you pick?
Yes, alone in her room, staring blankly at her empty blue wall on her side as her eyes seemed stapled open wide, words molded and meshed into a symphony of agony birthed of nothing but pure and unadulterated fear. Lights, voices, feelings, and just everything scattered and dispersed into nothingness as her haunted eyes darted around, unseeing.
She watched motionlessly as images flashed before her eyes. Children dying, mothers crying, lovers lying, civilizations burning, the tables turning, and backsides turning. She writhed in silent pain and she screamed.
and screamed...
and writhed...
and screamed...
even as prayers and gunshots sounded, Holy water flew, and she was swept into the soothing warmth of her father,
Rin screamed.
Screaming until her voice gave out and she no longer made a sound.
Even after her voice healed and came back, Rin was too nervous to ever say something for fear of hearing a pathetic squeak and knowing for sure she'd never speak again.
And so, that was the last day Rin would ever utter a single word until after approximately 8 years, 9 months, 16 days, 18 hours, 16 minutes, and 30 seconds.
