Tsubaki used to be a moderately happy child. After his parents went through their disastrous divorce, things were never really bright and cheerful for him. When he was eight, his older sister, Ran, picked him up and took him away to live with her, deciding once and for all that their father and mother were not capable of caring for them. They went to Florida in America. Being so much older than him, his sister was already in a career as a police officer. She rose up through the ranks and Tsubaki focused on his studies. After a few years, Ran became highly recognized as a platinum grade officer. She decided to make a big change for her career and went into being a vice cop in a major city. Little did brother and sister know that Tsubaki was being closely watched. And when she left for her second assignment, he was abducted.
Tsubaki was imprisoned in a tiny room. It was always very hot in there, and many times, he almost died of dehydration. He became very sick very fast. It didn't help that the sick freak who kidnapped him often tortured him too. His favorite form was trapping rats in a small box with him as well shoving nails and railroad spikes through his bones. If ever Tsubaki wanted something, he would have to first let the man break one of his bones without crying or screaming. He would often starve and go without water or sleep for days, trying to meter out these punishments. After several months, the tortures became less and less, but increasingly worse.
He was accidentally rescued when Ran was doing a simple patrol (she dropped vice cop after his disappearance). She noticed a man exhibiting very strange patterns, and often following little kids home. She confronted him, and he acted very, very bizarrely, even tried attacking her. He was arrested for this and she got a warrant to search his place. When they opened up an unused meat freezer in his basement, they found Tsubaki.
Two years of neglect, abuse, and torture had left him pretty much a shell. His body was the sort one sees on documentaries of starving children in Africa. He was in the hospital for months, constantly going in and out of surgeries to correct all the damages done. Many times he almost died. Death became something of a friend in the latter half of Tsubaki's life. His legs were too deformed to really repair. The doctors said he would never walk again. They eventually were able to send him home, but he was confined to a wheelchair.
Tsubaki would often wake up night after night screaming his head off from the horrific nightmares that plagued his mind. He slept less and less. His pain meds caused a variety of side effects. He tried going back to school and was bullied often. He would never tell about his experiences. He hated their pity, but he craved it too. He functioned poorly in society as he had not the time to really adjust.
Finally, their cousin came over from Japan. He was a biomed scientist and decided to help out by making leg braces for Tsubaki, insisting he could walk with them someday. Tsubaki refused to cooperate. Ran and the cousin eventually gave up on him. When their cousin said he was going back to Japan, Ran made the decision that they were going too.
They couldn't leave just yet. Ran had committed to a contract and she would see it through. They drove the cousin to the airport with promises that they would see him in a few months. On the way back from the airport, Ran said they could go visit any place Tsubaki wanted to before they left. He chose Sea World, cause they used to go there before he was kidnapped and he liked the place. They watched some shows, and it was all pretty cool. At the end, they were allowed to feed the dolphins. Unfortunately, Tsubaki fell in.
At first he thought he was going to drown, unable to swim and all, but the dolphins saved him. It was such a bizarre experience for Tsubaki, though he wasn't sure why.
Sea World had always been just a mile away from home. So every night after that, Tsubaki would wheel down to the park. He would sneak in through a gate that wasn't locked, and he would swim with the dolphins.
He started getting very good at swimming, imitating the dolphins moves. He had issues on land, but being light and quick in the water surrounded by animals who feel rather than speak to communicate, he found something there he'd never known before. For the first time since he was little and his parents started fighting, he felt like he could breathe again.
One night though, a girl stopped to watch him. She worked a snack stand by day, but she'd come back cause she had left her cellphone in her locker. She saw him swimming. At first, he was scared he'd be arrested or something, but she wasn't going to call the cops. They talked for a while. She learned just a bit about him. Not the kidnapping thing or anything. And they became best friends.
She took him everywhere. They hung out a lot. She got him to do things he'd never think of doing before. Silly games like Dungeons and Dragons or pull all nighters watching stupid youtube videos or walk in the park, or take pictures of her while she posed. She was very creative and always had ideas. They could just be themselves when they were together.
But one day, while they walked down the sidewalk singing along to their favorite song, she stepped off the curb and into the path of a car. Tsubaki hardly had time to react. She died in his arms in the middle of the street.
He went to her funeral. But he never cried. He decided he was going to be like her. He would carry her spirit of strength and perseverance beyond the grave. She and the dolphins had taught him how to live.
He got a tattoo. It's on the slope of his neck, right on the left side a little ways under his jaw. It's a dolphin, and in there are the words free.
Instead of being depressed, he decided to turn away from his depression. He and Ran went to Japan. He made himself walk using the braces. He still needs crutches at times, and he still gets bullied for his strange limping, but he just keeps his head up and moves on. He stopped screaming from the nightmares every night. He decided they didn't matter anymore. Instead he got up, woke up, and breathed again. He still has a lot of issues, but he won't let them hold him back anymore. He's not going to cower and cry and hate the world anymore.
His heart is beating and that is all that matters.
He's not a prisoner anymore. He is free.
Tsubaki was imprisoned in a tiny room. It was always very hot in there, and many times, he almost died of dehydration. He became very sick very fast. It didn't help that the sick freak who kidnapped him often tortured him too. His favorite form was trapping rats in a small box with him as well shoving nails and railroad spikes through his bones. If ever Tsubaki wanted something, he would have to first let the man break one of his bones without crying or screaming. He would often starve and go without water or sleep for days, trying to meter out these punishments. After several months, the tortures became less and less, but increasingly worse.
He was accidentally rescued when Ran was doing a simple patrol (she dropped vice cop after his disappearance). She noticed a man exhibiting very strange patterns, and often following little kids home. She confronted him, and he acted very, very bizarrely, even tried attacking her. He was arrested for this and she got a warrant to search his place. When they opened up an unused meat freezer in his basement, they found Tsubaki.
Two years of neglect, abuse, and torture had left him pretty much a shell. His body was the sort one sees on documentaries of starving children in Africa. He was in the hospital for months, constantly going in and out of surgeries to correct all the damages done. Many times he almost died. Death became something of a friend in the latter half of Tsubaki's life. His legs were too deformed to really repair. The doctors said he would never walk again. They eventually were able to send him home, but he was confined to a wheelchair.
Tsubaki would often wake up night after night screaming his head off from the horrific nightmares that plagued his mind. He slept less and less. His pain meds caused a variety of side effects. He tried going back to school and was bullied often. He would never tell about his experiences. He hated their pity, but he craved it too. He functioned poorly in society as he had not the time to really adjust.
Finally, their cousin came over from Japan. He was a biomed scientist and decided to help out by making leg braces for Tsubaki, insisting he could walk with them someday. Tsubaki refused to cooperate. Ran and the cousin eventually gave up on him. When their cousin said he was going back to Japan, Ran made the decision that they were going too.
They couldn't leave just yet. Ran had committed to a contract and she would see it through. They drove the cousin to the airport with promises that they would see him in a few months. On the way back from the airport, Ran said they could go visit any place Tsubaki wanted to before they left. He chose Sea World, cause they used to go there before he was kidnapped and he liked the place. They watched some shows, and it was all pretty cool. At the end, they were allowed to feed the dolphins. Unfortunately, Tsubaki fell in.
At first he thought he was going to drown, unable to swim and all, but the dolphins saved him. It was such a bizarre experience for Tsubaki, though he wasn't sure why.
Sea World had always been just a mile away from home. So every night after that, Tsubaki would wheel down to the park. He would sneak in through a gate that wasn't locked, and he would swim with the dolphins.
He started getting very good at swimming, imitating the dolphins moves. He had issues on land, but being light and quick in the water surrounded by animals who feel rather than speak to communicate, he found something there he'd never known before. For the first time since he was little and his parents started fighting, he felt like he could breathe again.
One night though, a girl stopped to watch him. She worked a snack stand by day, but she'd come back cause she had left her cellphone in her locker. She saw him swimming. At first, he was scared he'd be arrested or something, but she wasn't going to call the cops. They talked for a while. She learned just a bit about him. Not the kidnapping thing or anything. And they became best friends.
She took him everywhere. They hung out a lot. She got him to do things he'd never think of doing before. Silly games like Dungeons and Dragons or pull all nighters watching stupid youtube videos or walk in the park, or take pictures of her while she posed. She was very creative and always had ideas. They could just be themselves when they were together.
But one day, while they walked down the sidewalk singing along to their favorite song, she stepped off the curb and into the path of a car. Tsubaki hardly had time to react. She died in his arms in the middle of the street.
He went to her funeral. But he never cried. He decided he was going to be like her. He would carry her spirit of strength and perseverance beyond the grave. She and the dolphins had taught him how to live.
He got a tattoo. It's on the slope of his neck, right on the left side a little ways under his jaw. It's a dolphin, and in there are the words free.
Instead of being depressed, he decided to turn away from his depression. He and Ran went to Japan. He made himself walk using the braces. He still needs crutches at times, and he still gets bullied for his strange limping, but he just keeps his head up and moves on. He stopped screaming from the nightmares every night. He decided they didn't matter anymore. Instead he got up, woke up, and breathed again. He still has a lot of issues, but he won't let them hold him back anymore. He's not going to cower and cry and hate the world anymore.
His heart is beating and that is all that matters.
He's not a prisoner anymore. He is free.