Shinji: The Disastrous

Ren's shoulders shook as sobs tore through him. His body folded in on itself, shielding him from memories too painful to bear. Shinji gripped Ren's shoulder, keeping him steady. "Ren, we're here. You're safe."

Hana knelt beside Ren, her expression tight with worry as she took his muddy hand. "Breathe, Ren. We're not leaving."

Ren struggled to calm himself, eyes darting between Shinji and Hana. His voice came in broken bursts, barely audible. "I I needed to see it."

Shinji felt dread tightening his chest. He kept his voice firm. "What did you see?"

Ren nodded, tears leaving clear streaks through the dirt on his face. "They met in the village square, and I I followed them"

Hana and Shinji were quite waiting for Ren to continue.

Ren took a breath, trying to control his shaking. "

"There was a lot of fog I could barely see anything."

"Did they know you were there?" Hana questioned.

"No," Ren answered. "They stopped near the old cedar grove, and started doing stuff"

Ren swallowed hard, eyes wide. "The bells rang and then the creature attacked.

Ren's hands tightened, knuckles white and slowly looked at them. 

He exhaled. "They trapped it near the brook with fire and wires."

"They trapped it?" Shinji asked urgently.

Ren hesitated, his voice weakening. "At the brook, yes, but it was still fighting."

"What else did you see?" Shinji asked, pressing further. "What about my father?"

"Your father was injured, blood soaking his side, yet he kept fighting with the beast."

Shinji felt sick, his heart pounding painfully at the thought. Hana tightened her grip on Ren's hand, her own face pale and drawn with fear. "Then what happened?" she urged, her voice barely a whisper.

Ren shook his head vigorously, his tears mingling with the dirt on his cheeks. "I don't know, Shinji! Everything happened so fast, I couldn't follow clearly."

Ren's voice rose in desperation, grief spilling out unchecked. "And what did I do? Nothing! I hid, I watched from behind a tree like a coward! I didn't help, I couldn't help. I was so scared, Shinji. I thought I was strong, brave like my father, but I'm not!"

His shoulders shook violently, the weight of his guilt crushing him. "Your father, they all needed help, and I abandoned them."

Shinji felt his own heart tighten painfully, watching his friend crumble under the weight of unbearable guilt. He reached out firmly, gripping Ren's other shoulder. "Ren, listen to me. What you saw was terrible, frightening. Any of us would have been scared. You can't blame yourself for being afraid."

Ren lifted tear-filled eyes, meeting Shinji's gaze uncertainly. "What can I do now? I abandoned them. How do I face them again?"

Shinji took a deep breath, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "You tell them exactly what happened. They'll understand Ren."

Ren's sobs eased slightly, though his breath still came in shuddering gasps. "Do you really think so? Even after I ran?"

"Yes," Shinji said firmly. 

Hana squeezed Ren's hand reassuringly, her voice gentle. "it will be oké Ren, they will understand, they would probably have gotten angry at you for following them."

Ren drew in a ragged breath, his trembling easing slightly as their words sank in. He nodded slowly.

The three of them sat quietly for a long moment, each lost in their own thoughts, the heavy weight of the day's horrors pressing down on them. The silence was broken only by Ren's gradually calming breaths, the soft whisper of the wind through the trees outside.

Eventually, Ren spoke again, his voice still hoarse but steadier than before. "What do we do now? Should we tell someone else what happened?"

Hana stood up, straightening her shoulders decisively. "We should tell mother what happened. She'll know how to help."

Shinji nodded, as he helped Ren to his feet. Ren moved sluggish, exhaustion evident in every movement. They walked back toward Shinji's home.

Their mother greeted them with anxious eyes, worry etched deep into her face. She listened closely, heartbroken at their account but resolute. "They'll return," she whispered. "Your father won't abandon us, just wait for him to return."

Shinji tried to speak, but his throat felt tight. Mother's words `He'll come back` hung in the air, yet fear pressed against them. He pictured his father bleeding while fighting some monster.

Hana stood close, holding Shinji's sleeve with a shaking hand. Her eyes stayed on the doorway. Each breath seemed to wait for their father to step inside.

Ren lingered near the wall, shoulders hunched. His face was pale under dry streaks of dirt. He kept wiping his eyes, as if to clear the scene he had seen.

Mother knelt by the hearth and stirred the weak fire. The crack of wood broke the hush. She set a pot of water over the coals, then turned and touched each of them, Shinji's arm, Hana's hair, Ren's shoulder. 

"Sit," she said. "Drink something hot."

When steam rose, she poured three cups of bitter tea. Shinji sipped and burned his tongue. Hana held her cup but did not drink. Ren stared at the surface, then took one quick swallow and coughed.

A subtle silence hung in the air until it was broken by Hana, with watery eyes. "What if they don't comeback"

Mother met her gaze. "If dawn comes and he's still gone, we bring the elders and search the woods. Until then we keep hope. It is the only thing we can do."

Ren looked up, guilt heavy in his eyes. "I'm sorry I left him."

Mother shook her head. "You came back to warn us. You did great Ren."

Shinji slid an arm around Ren and another around Hana. They sat close before the hearth, sharing the hot cups. Fire popped and tea steamed, and they counted slow breaths together while the night stretched toward morning.