//------------------------------// // Verse Two // Story: Sonata's Poem // by Hoshii Niisan //------------------------------// Sonata sighed, listening to her mother's warning tearfully. She turned to her wrist, now moist with tears. Sonata felt she had no other choice. She sighed once more, and sliced her wrist. She whimpered, but not loudly, she didn't want to disturb the people outside. *** Soon after she visited her new apartment, Sonata learned how to drive. It was a bit shaky at first, but as she advanced, she started smiling to herself, recalling memories of her sitting in her mommy's lap and idling the car along the driveway. She was gone, but the memories were still there. She bumped a few cones here and there, but she hit less and less as she became a better driver. *** Sonata's whimpering should have been a sign for her to stop cutting, even if it was just one cut thus far. "Stop," a voice cried in her head. "Please!" Sonata didn't listen to the voice as she sliced again. It hurt a lot more this time, she had cut into her skin. Blood started to ooze out, and she cut yet again, in a vein this time. She managed to cut right through the vein, making her lightheaded. Sonata cut once more, her tears blending with her blood. She didn't care. She kept slicing and slicing, hating herself for every second. This is what Adagio wanted, she thought. Still lightheaded, she stumbled over to her desk, and scribbled her next verse, however sloppily Adagio wanted me dead, Now I am. Sonata wants me dead too. She started crying loudly. She couldn't control herself anymore, and was oblivious to the people outside knocking on her door, asking if she was all right. She continued to write. Now, my arm is the carrot I wanted to cut As a child. Now, my arm sheds my false happiness I had As a child. I won't be a punching bag anymore. No one will hurt me again. Now, I am dead. Nobody can get to me now. Sonata fell to the ground, staining the rug with blood. Her last vision was of the guards bursting in, asking if she was all right once more. *** Sonata woke with a start in the hospital. Her mouth was dry, and her cuts had formed scars already. The pain was unbearable, even with the dose of morphine she had been administered. She rose her head up to see an empty room. She had hoped her parents dying was just a dream, and they would give her a big hug when she awoke, never letting go until they helped her get through it. The only person in the room now was a short bespectacled woman with glasses, looking at her clipboard as she said, "Sonata Dusk." She looked up, smiling. "How are we today?" Sonata cowered, afraid to talk. However, the nurse put a warm hand on hers. "I know what happed to you," she said in an understanding voice. "I'll help you through this of it's the last thing I do." She smiled once more. "Th-thanks," Sonata uttered sheepishly, smiling back. The nurse ran her finger across her scars, which seemed to have stitches in them. They stung a bit at first, but then they lost feeling. The nurse gave a nod of approval, obviously content with how the procedure went. "Your vein cut caused you to bleed internally a bit, so we had to fix it. Otherwise, it looks like the surgery went well." She continued with a sentence that scared Sonata. "I've also scheduled a meeting for you with a psychiatrist to discuss your cuts. It looks like you'll be at the hospital for a bit." The nurse could see tears form in Sonata's eyes as she turned away. "I promise I'll be here for you... always." Sonata sobbed, almost involuntarily screaming, "DADDY SAID THAT ALL THE TIME, AND HE KILLED HIMSELF." "I... I'm sorry," the nurse replied, embracing Sonata. "You can call me Viki," she said, letting go of Sonata. "Get some more rest, your appointment is in a few hours." *** Sonata stared, exasperated, at the tall, blonde woman with purple streaks in her hair. This is a doctor? she thought. "So," she started to break the silence. "how are you today?" "Okay I guess," Sonata said meekly. She looked at her left forearm, but it only caused emotional pain to look at. Tears fell on top of the cuts, making it sting. "Sweetie..." said the doctor, putting a warm hand on her shoulder. "It's OK. I'm here to help." She gave her a sternly hearty look. "But we can only do this if you tell me what's going on. Can you do that?" "I can... try," she stuttered, raising her head up a tad. "So," she asked. "what happened?" "It started when we lost our magical power." The doctor gave her a knowing look, aware she was a former Siren. "Adagio told me to... kill myself." She made the useless effort of holding back tears. The tears gathered on the tile below her. "But the next day, I got into a fight with her and Aria, and... and then I got suspended to my dorm... and then I cut myself with the knife and..." She trailed off, and cried some more. "Both my parents were dead by the time I was thirteen..." She squeaked as she cried harder. Suddenly, she burst out, "WHY CAN'T I JUST DIE?!?!" The doctor threw a melancholy look at her. Without thinking, she leaned in to give Sonata a hug, rubbing her back. "It's.. it's OK," she said, her own tears ruining her eye-shadow, but she didn't care. "We will help you get through this." *** Sonata was to stay in the hospital for at least two weeks so they could make sure she was improving. They gave her an antidepressant and anxiety pills that she was to take in the morning and at night. *** "Don't worry," said her mother warmly, "you'll make friends one day, and I promise you they'll be the best friends ever!" She pecked her head as she sent her off to bed. "Sleep tight," she uttered warmly as she went to sneak some of Sonata's stomach pills. *** Sonata sat down in the hospital's cafeteria. She was surrounded by no one, but it was the only available table. A boy with red hair and yellow skin came up to her. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, "everywhere else is full." Sonata didn't give a reply, but the boy was understanding. "Tough day, huh?" he asked. "You could say that," Sonata replied, tearfully showing her cuts to him. He didn't reply either, but showed his cuts to her. There was one less than hers. Awkwardly, and at the same time, they both sympathetically said, "It's okay."