Chapter Four

Ten years later

Time is running out.

Why are they taking so long? Everything is going well. Today is a day for celebration. I am aware of many conversations taking place inside. I was focused on the wall. For me, every second counts. Outside, there is a lot of rain, and the night is getting colder. Everywhere there is growing darkness. I have to board my bus. I don’t care whether someone is watching me because my focus is on the door. My one eye is filled with rage at me. Now, it’s a habit. Rose is popular, but not here. I am the one who hurts everyone for them.

I don’t care.

I’m not afraid.

Upon the door opening, a girl emerged. She has a list in her hand. Crossing my fingers that my name is there. My heart was racing.

“All right, everybody, I’m going to introduce names, so please stand with me.” The speaker said. All of them nod. I hold my breath as she begins to say the names one by one. It’s now or never. Everything I need depends on this work. In this place, where you get thrown out because you are the worst person ever to have been born, it is very difficult for me to find a job.

She keeps talking, and I find it numbing to see everyone. No crying, please. Everyone but me is standing next to her.

No

“Pardon me?” I yell out just as she is about to turn. She gave me a furious look while typing. Lady, calm down.

“Yes.”

“My interview went extremely well, and I was told I was the top candidate. Why then?” Another false dawn. Again, my heart is torn apart.

“Rose, you are quite aware of who you are. Please have mercy on us and depart. Please accept our gratitude for letting you into our building; we have no idea when you discovered your next victim. You’ve made news.” News? I am news, yes. Not for the first time have people insulted me. I received insults daily.

Badly

They believe I’m not the right one. But they are never informed of what took place that day. While I am the lone victim, no one pays attention to me. My reality is it. All around me, people were bracing themselves for a strike. I got my belongings and went outside without making eye contact.

Well, I arrived in the dark to a cold rain. Heavy showers make my skin numb. I’m wearing a light jacket. Due to my possessions, it’s the only jacket I have left. I stitched up a few holes, but the chilly rain is still hitting my flesh. My damaged boots are making strange noises now that they are damp. I have fifteen kilometers to walk as my final bus left five minutes ago and it is the last. I do it routinely.

But it’s hard for me to walk when I’m starving. A great piece of music is being created by loud noise in a silent setting. It is my life now that my parents have abandoned me. Mom abandoned me for another man, and dad was either dead or killed. After that night, everything was different. Every day I was plagued by the truth. The voices are still quite loud in my ears, but after that, the worst event happened, and I am still in pain. I was the person who was called a witch ten years ago, and here I am today.

Witch

Because of the event in my life, I was referred to as a witch. I find it hard to believe I’m still here. God help me if they don’t kill me. But right now, my life is worse than hell. Dark, void, and lost. The shore has now engulfed the Rose.

There is yet hope

I traveled miles to get to my location by walking. When I get home, I hear foul language again. For me, this is a new town.

I’m still old.

Slut, which is painted in black paint on the wall. Why not? Let the outdated terms disappear. There are lots of trees and grass surrounding my house. The trash is thrown here. I was never protected from the elements in the winter or summer by dirty walls with leaking plaster and damaged windows. But I draped some clothing over them. I had a broken bed and a single table with some cups and other items on it. As soon as I entered my home and took a deep breath, the smell of vomit hit me. Many tears flowed out along with a giggle. How absurd do I seem when I hold that name?

A smelless rose, who is helpless to control the foul scent that is ruining her life. There is a knock before I can change. I halt at the dead. My door didn’t get any knocks. Nobody gives it a second thought. I’m suddenly in a panic. What if they are pursuing me? I don’t have a knife or other form of defense. He located me.

No

“Who is this?”

“I’m here, child.” Father Anthony is here. I exhale deeply and open the door, but mother Kerry is there with him. Both of them enter. The only person who truly understands me is Father Anthony. On my bad days, when the entire community is ready to hang me from a rope, he stands by my side. He saved me. He reminds me of my father, but something is wrong today, Kerry, mum. My heart is receiving awful signals from my head.

“How was the interview?” I buried my face when my father asked how it went, and he knew.

“Don’t worry, kid, one day everyone will know who is right and who is wrong.” I nod, but he’s not the father I remember today. Mother Kerry remained silent throughout our discussion. Her cheerful smile was melancholy. There is a situation here. My depression was briefly lifted by a conversation with Father Anthony, but my empty stomach quickly got their notice.

“When was the last time you ate?”

“Umm..”

“Truth, my child.”

“Tuesday.” Both people exhale. Oh my God, save me. It’s Friday and I haven’t eaten anything. My eyes are beginning to tear up. Please let God destroy me.

“I’ll send you something to eat while you wait.” Standing and going outside both. I can hear them talking as I prepare to close the door.

“Why don’t you just tell her, Father Anthony?”

“I can’t, she looks like such a wretched, helpless youngster. My heart has never approved of me doing it. We can make it work.”

“She is currently a concern for us. People threatened us today; what will happen now, Father? She is going to cause us to lose our lives.”

“Don’t be so egotistical. What if she believes we are mistreating her? We are all she has. We cannot.”

“Bella, what about her? She suffered consequences only because of Rose. We now have a problem with her. She needs to be gone as soon as we can. What if what they are claiming about her is true?”

Get rid of the issue

They also believe I’m mistaken.