Death was something most humans feared. The things that came after, the uncertainty of what was beyond. Anxiety plagued them in their belief that nothing came after this existence. Yet he held onto none of those fears. He did not get the fact that once he was gone from this world, he was gone forever. All he wanted was to be gone. It did not matter what came after. He was tired of the suffering, of the shame, and of the guilt, which slowly and painfully obliterated him. He had begged for death to come faster. To end all these with one single blow to his heart. If he were stronger and his limbs were not so weak that they no longer needed his calls, he would have prayed to death until they arrived at his door. But Eliana was faster. Ahead. It was because he was here, bedridden like this. If not, what was she to him other than an annoying fly that he could easily swat away? She could not have been faster, nor would she have had the thoughts of punishing him or putting those thoughts i
The festival had been a blast. After Sophie joined them, they danced and twirled till their eyes saw double, and they lost control of their bodies. Then they joined the rest of the villagers and continued the celebration till dawn. Rhys was the first to wake up from where they had crashed into the rock. He could not remember what time they had come back here. Memories of the night were foggy and broken, but he remembered the shouting as their bodies rocked each other, the eating, and the clapping. He stumbled to the sea and retched, discharging half of the food he had eaten yesterday into the water. If food would intoxicate someone, then that was what must have happened. Or perhaps it was the drinks. His head throbbed painfully, and he held it in his hands as though that would help him get rid of the headache. He looked around; Raul and Sophie were still asleep; she placed her head on his shoulder; and the clearing in which the festival had taken place was strewn with half-fini
Eliana threw back her head and laughed. There was something about Rhys that reminded her greatly of her youth. when she was young and not so uptight. It made her feel like she could be young and free again. She could throw all caution into the wind and just live, not minding the consequences. Tears had begun to appear in her eyes from all the laughter, and she cleaned them off with a finger. “What did I do?” She echoed his question. “It’s funny. I’m sorry, but it is really funny. For you to think that an old woman like me can do anything.” She smirked and corked her head to the side. “What did you think I did, Rhys?” Rhys stared at the woman long and hard. And she laughed again. He frowned. “Are you drunk? Did you take those pills again?” She narrowed her eyes. “What pills? How do you know about the pills?” He rolled his eyes and got up from his seat. “You took the pills. Get up; I’m taking you to bed.” “No,” she shrieked. “I am going nowhere.” “We have a guest in the ho
Rhys reclined on his foot. He watched the scene unfold with a mixture of guilt to and admiration. He heard her voice as it flew through the air. It was loud and clear. It showed him the ones she ran from, the ones she wanted to forget, and the ones she loved. It was the story that she struggled to tell him, and he understood her perfectly. She wanted the works to be seen, yet they were all ignored. As she sang, something shifted within him. With each verse, her voice grew stronger and more resolute, as if finding its footing on uncertain ground. It soared and dipped, rising like a dove from the pieces of her despair. Then there was a moment of pure clarity. The moment when he realised that her voice was her instrument—the melody and harmony of her soul. This was all she needed. Sophie was not mute; she was not disabled; each note confirmed that. She was strong and powerful, and her voice was the deadliest weapon she had. He smiled as he thought of Eliana. If she ever saw this, sh
Rhys tapped his feet as they waited for the therapist. They had driven a long distance to be here, and Sophie was anxious to go back home before her aunt noticed their absence. The receptionist, whom they had booked their appointment with and had received them as they came, returned with two bottles of chilled water. “Here please.” She smiled nervously, handing them one bottle each. “Vivienne would be here shortly. She doesn’t usually keep her clients waiting, but something came up last minute.” “No, it’s fine,” Rhys began saying, but stopped as Sophie punched his thighs. “Uhh, if there is a way you can let her know we are here and in quite a hurry,” he said instead. The woman took a step back. Rhys had the time to take a good look at her now—he hadn’t before. She looked like she was in her early or mid-thirties, chubby with a chinless face and fat legs that hid inside a pair of flat soles. “Well,” she began. “Ms. Vivienne is aware that you are here, and you do know that your
Rhys himself could barely explain how it felt to hear those words from her mouth. Those three words had evoked a lot of feelings in him all at once, and he could not react immediately. He had spent almost a half hour staring at her, unbelieving, yet he wanted to hear the words again. He had scooped her in his arms and kissed her until he felt all his feelings evaporate into thin air, and all that was left were their bodies. They are hot against each other. That day, he loved her back. He let go of everything that held him back—all his restraints—and gave her all of him. He could easily picture that day as the best day of his life. The day he had been free. They made love there in the meadow. Her favourite place. He would do anything to be there again, in that moment, with her. And then she returned to being mute. He did not know what happened; she did not know what happened, and now he really wanted to help her. So he called one of his buddies, and they recommended Vivienne. She
The hell was not quite as hot or brutal as Rhys thought. Sophie’s aunt had no choice but to agree with Sophie’s note. She was old enough to go wherever she liked without coming back home to answer questions, but her aunt still had to remind her that she was living under her roof and eating her meal. Sophie, at one point, was tempted to ask whose fault that was but decided it was better to let her aunt have the last laugh rather than drag this out longer than they both wanted. After the loud bickering and the passing of the storm—again, Rhys’ thoughts—Rhys decided to go through Sophie’s note book again. It had been so long since he had a glimpse into her past. He stole the book from Sophie’s room—she had taken it back sometime ago without his knowledge—and retired to his room and sunk into bed. Yesterday, he received a letter from the ‘new owner’s stressing that they had closed down their shop for more than three months and this was affecting his businesses. He was going to prop
You know, I can’t find her book. Uncle had gotten two of the same kind of books and given us one each. I can’t find hers. Ever since she went missing,. Rhys shut the book and laid it to one side. He hated how the book made him feel, but he was thankful for the things the book showed him. Sophie’s past, which he now feels connected to in some way. Eliana had been wrong; his relationship with his mother had been strained, especially towards the end of her life, but her family, the one she tried to hide from the world, was the absolute worst. He could not imagine a father who killed his own daughter, scared his wife’s niece so much, and a mother who tried to protect that man. It was obvious that she did not love him. Then why did she do it? Why was she so bent on making everyone believe her family was okay? Why did she not report him for his crimes? Was the opinion of society and how she appeared to them all that mattered to her? How could it be all that mattered? He got out of bed
Sophie sat in the bridal suite. The full-length mirror reflected an image she barely recognised—an elegant, poised woman clad in a stunning lace wedding gown that hugged her curves and flared out into a beautiful train. The dress, meticulously crafted, seemed to shimmer with each breath she took, and the delicate veil added an ethereal quality to her appearance. Her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted her veil, but a reassuring smile from Vivienne steadied her nerves.Vivienne placed a comforting hand on Sophie’s shoulder, her eyes brimming with pride. “You look absolutely radiant. Today is your day, and you deserve every moment of happiness.”Sophie turned to face her, tears threatening to spill. “I can’t believe this is actually happening. Sometimes, it feels like a dream.”Eliana could not hide the pride she felt or the joy; her eyes were misty with emotion. “You’ve come such a long way, sweetheart. Your strength and resilience have brought you here, and we couldn’t be prouder
Rhys and Sophie stepped out of the building, a sense of accomplishment in the air. Sophie had faced her past head-on, and Rhys couldn’t help but feel proud of her. “You see, it wasn’t that hard, and you handled it quite well,” he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.Sophie glanced back at the building, her heart still racing. “Hey Rhys, would you mind waiting a minute? I need to see my mom before she leaves.”Rhys nodded, his eyes softening. “Of course. Take your time.”Sophie spotted Veronica walking out and hurried towards her, with Rhys following at a slower pace. The sight of her mother, the woman she had yearned to meet since she was a little girl, brought a flood of emotions. Veronica turned at the sound of Sophie’s voice, surprise and hope mingling in her eyes. “Sophie...” she exclaimed softly. For years, it had always been “Mrs. Veronica.” The simple word “mom” now seemed to hold a world of promise.Sophie took a deep breath. “I just wanted to say that I don’t hate you.
Five years later “Come on, Sophie, we’re going to be late.” Rhys called.“Be out there in a minute.” Sophie answered from inside.“Yeah, that’s what you always say." Rhys muttered under his breath; a light shuffle behind him caught his attention.“Sophie,” but he couldn’t get himself to finish the sentence; he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say or what the right words to use should be. You look beautiful, or you look stunning. No, those were not the right words to use.“Rhys, are you alright?” Sophie asked with concern written all over her face.“Yeah, sure, I’m fine,” Rhys stammered. “I just got something in my eyes.”“Let’s get going already; we are going to be late.” Sophie said that and moved away.Rhys sighed and followed her. Adrian died five years ago, and they had moved on. She moved on so smoothly that he wondered if maybe it wasn’t too fast. Still, he did not want to talk to her about it for fear that he was going to upset the balance that she had already found inside her.
“Adrian is dead.” Those three words sent a chill down Sophie’s spine, but they were not what made her pause or caused foreign emotions to creep up her chest, clawing at her heart. It was the look of freedom in her aunt’s eyes. The music in her voice as she announced the death of her husband. The bounce in her step as she approached them, arms wide, and a smile on her teary face. It was the fact that Eliana was happy about this and did not hide it that surprised Sophie. Her aunt’s body collided with hers, and Sophie sank into her embrace. The tears fell from her eyes, but just like her aunt, they were not tears of sorrow or mourning but tears of joy and celebration. For the first time in years, they both felt free, and they wanted the whole world to know. “I am sorry.” Eliana said it over and over again, pulling Sophie deeper into herself. If she could jump and touch the sky, she would. She felt as though she was on top of the world, as though a weight had been lifted off her sh
The meadow was still there when they arrived. Eerily quiet—the only thing that could be heard was the chirping of crickets and the lullabies of the birds. Every other thing stayed still; even the leaves seemed to join in the gloominess that had fallen over Sophie and Rhys. Gently, he set her on the stone beside the water and lowered himself beside her, his hand clasping her small ones. She was far away from here; he could see that. Her mind was elsewhere, perhaps relieving the traumas of the past. She bit her lips every now and then, and a throaty gasp emerged from her pursed mouth. Although her eyes were misty, she did not shed a single tear. He could not tell how long they sat there in the forest, him watching the water while she tried to make sense of her life. But after some time, he began to hear the song again. It was the same bird song that he had heard that night. It filled the night, enveloping all of his senses and shrouding him in a world where only he and her existed.
They had reached a point of no return. The truth had been bared for all to see, and the worst had been found out. Sophie thought of the photo of her mother, which she had always carried around, and the part that was torn off. The father, whom she had always wanted to meet, turned out to be the same man who molested her. She was ashamed, embarrassed, and repulsed by everything. There were no words to describe the things she felt—the thoughts that clouded her head, numbing her entire body and rooting her to the spot. Veronica herself could not believe what she heard. The fact that the first words she heard her daughter speak had to be something so atrocious, so vile. Words like that had no place in the world; they were to be sent to the deepest parts of hell, where every other bad thing was sent. Her eyes turned to her sister, Eliana. Judging her, questioning her—she would face Adrian later, maybe kill him—for now, she needed to understand if her sister did not see the monster they
“I struggled under his grip, all to no avail. When I realised he had already overpowered me, I pleaded with him with all the remaining strength in me, but he was far too consumed. All my pleas fell on deaf ears, and he defiled me brutally, traumatising me ever since.” There was a moment of unsure emotions in that instant. The wall clock chimed the hours of three in the morning, but none of them felt sleepy; this was a time of resolution, a time to settle matters, and no one wanted to be left out of it; this was way beyond one person’s issue now. “He had his way with me, his eyes widening as he reached orgasm. Even after that, he was not done; he went in again and again, turning a deaf ear to my pleas. When he was satisfied, he stood up, adjusting his trousers, while Eliana walked in; the door had been unlocked. “She saw him and instantly ran to where I was crumpled, my body covered in a pool of my own blood. I was crying uncontrollably, regretting why I had come home for the break,
He took a deep breath, his breathing ragged like stones dragging on the jagged side of rocky mountains. He rolled his eyes in his socket, not focusing his gaze on anyone in particular before speaking out. “This isn’t enough punishment for my sins; I’m just hoping that hell wouldn’t be hotter if you just found a way in your heart to let it go.” Sophie and Rhys wondered if it was still the abuse she reported to Veronica that spurred this palpable tension in the air, or had he done something worse than he did to her? Sophie tried to take her mind off it, daring not to even think in that direction. Veronica faced Eliana and said, “Now that we are all here and the eyes are complete, I was regaling Sophie with stories of our childhood, and I was just arriving at the point where Adrian came in. Since you’re here and you’re always accusing me of feeding Sophie false stories, if I say something off-the-point, correct me here and now. And then,” she said, facing Adrian with mocked anger on he
“Despite the football guy being the handsome guy and the nerdy guy being a little below average kind of guy, Eliana was still jealous of our relationship. Her boyfriend was like a guy that was specially carved by God; his features were extraordinary, and his skill set was amazing; he was everything a woman ever wanted. “My guy, Drey, was just the perfect type for me. He was not too nerdy or too naughty; he was just standing somewhere in between, but when talking about looks, he wasn’t really the one, but where he lacks in looks, he makes up for it in brilliance. “Drey, my guy, and Fontaine, Eliana’s guy, were both friends from middle school; they lived in the same neighbourhood and were like impossible twins; but when Eliana’s jealousy started to manifest, she instigated Fontaine to pick fights against Drey. “Fontaine, being gullible, readily believed anything she spewed out of her mouth and acted on it, including picking a fight with his best friend. When I learned what happened,