[They slide down the length of wall with a faint thud. They should get up. They should get up and do something about this but the blood is drumming away in their veins and be good be good be good be GOOD is still shrilling away, somewhere. If you hold still it won't hurt as much. If you just listened the first time you wouldn't be in this situation now, would you?]
[Distantly, the child registers that they've ended up on the ground. That they've been let go. It doesn't make any sense.]
[They make another mistake. Namely, they look up.]
[They look up and aren't quite fast enough in veiling their expression of absolute desolation.]
[They drop their head once more with a shudder.]
Go ahead. [Speaking is - an effort. Speak anyway. Torque the tremor in their thoughts, the ache of memory in the back of their throat, into something tenuous. Into laughter, strangled and insincere.] Finish it. You - want to, right? Do I not deserve it?
no subject
[Distantly, the child registers that they've ended up on the ground. That they've been let go. It doesn't make any sense.]
[They make another mistake. Namely, they look up.]
[They look up and aren't quite fast enough in veiling their expression of absolute desolation.]
[They drop their head once more with a shudder.]
Go ahead. [Speaking is - an effort. Speak anyway. Torque the tremor in their thoughts, the ache of memory in the back of their throat, into something tenuous. Into laughter, strangled and insincere.] Finish it. You - want to, right? Do I not deserve it?