I tossed my gear onto the farthest couch and slumped down onto the other, bending over my knees to stare at the floor of the SeeD's cabin on the train back to Balamb. My hands hung limp as my wrists rested against my knees. I flinched, cringing as I pressed a hand to my forehead. Throbbing. Burning. I laid back and covered my face with my hands, drowning under the flames of memories--
...a child's laughter... "ring around the rosie; a pocket full of posies"... drawings and tea‑parties, doll houses and dress up...
...a small apartment in a bustling city... Deling City... Traffic sounds invade the small living room as a child with curls of brunette hair laughs and plays with a doll house made of shoe boxes, tissue paper, and marker‑drawn windows with curtains and blue skies. Her eyes are bright with innocence and laughter; her face is beautiful with the grace of youth.
There is a fumbling at the door. The child's laughter and smile fades as she looks over her shoulder to the door. Her beauty pales with fear. She turns away and scrambles with picking up her imaginary doll house and paper dolls. There is the sound of keys inserted clumsily into the lock. The child whimpers, tears glimmering in the wide eyes as she rushes to a back room and quickly deposits the imaginary world into her closet. She scurries out for the rest of her things--
The door is pushed roughly open, revealing a large man with a wrinkled uniform and a haggard expression of exhaustion and anger. The child freezes in horror; her small form begins to tremble. The man tosses down his things, muttering under his breath in oblivion of the terror on the child's face. In oblivion even of the child.
He looks up and stops. Anger flares to rage and he stalks forward, grabbing the child by the arm and ignoring her whimpered cry. "What the hell is this, you good for nothin'--" He pushes her roughly to the ground. "What have I told you about leaving your toys in the middle of the floor! Damn it, you little--" He grabs her up and gives her a rough succession of shakes. "If I ever catch you leaving your shit everywhere again, Ahndra, I'll break your face!" Throws her down. "Now pick it up!"...