equal {karlnapity}

perrywinkle

⚠ Bullying, physical abuse ⚠

Karl's point of view

"Okay, I might be a fourth-wall-breaking vigilante but I didn't start out like this. I mean, which wanted person doesn't have a super touching backstory, I mean boo hoo."The man walked around the house he was in. The place was taken over by plants and moss. The cottage seemed at the point of falling apart, but somehow it was still standing strong. The man inside the room walked to a crusty old picture book. "My dad had the power to talk to animals and control their minds. My mother could speed up plant growth. And out of those two comes me." He laughed. "A wanted vigilante that has more social contact with plants than with actual people." The cheesy smile on my face dropped as I was thrown back in old thoughts that I had buried under years of dirt. "Hey, Jacobs! I'm taking my girl out! Be useful for once and make me a bouquet, will ya?!" a voice sounded as I was pushed to the ground. I landed on the school's floor, blood already dripping down my nose. "I- I can't." The bully stood over me. "Aw, boo hoo," he whined sarcastically. He kicked me in my side. "S-stop, please," I pleaded.

"What are you gonna do, huh? Tell your little plant friends? Ooh, I'm so scared!" he said in a mocking way.As he walked away I could feel my hands tense together and my blood rushing through my veins. I put my hands on the ground and stood back up, feeling my balance wobble for a second. I wiped the blood off my face, small patches of grass and moss forming around my feet. I sighed and looked at all the people that had trooped around me. I ran away, not even caring about what stuff I had left behind. My feet tapped over the stone tiles as tears threatened to fall.

I ran down the school stairs and into the main hall. I pushed open the heavy doors and started to slowly walk away from the school into the park. I walked over the path, coming across a giant spruce tree. Standing in a field I smiled, silently pulling my shoes off, my feet not wearing any socks. I stood barefoot on the path. I stepped on the cold, damp grass and walked over to the tree. I saw there, under the morning sun, goosebumps covering my body as a breeze trailed over me. I put my hands near the ground and pushed my tongue between my teeth as I concentrated. On the ground below me tiny daisies and small leaves slowly grew.

I smiled a little as one of the daisies grew bigger and bigger. I started to pull my hands towards my body, tiny green sparkles forming at the tips of my fingers. The daisy grew and grew, and after five minutes the plant towered a few inches above my head, its thin stem barely able to support the tall flower. I smiled to myself . This had been my most successful try. I didn't care about the blood dripping down my nose and the blackened mark on my cheek. It was only the unstable daisy in front of me.I was happy. I stood back up walking back to the path, picking up my shoes. I didn't bother putting them back on. I walked barefoot over the sandy road of the park and out onto the road to my house.

The smooth pavement felt cold under my feet as I walked home and opened the side gate into the garden, where my mom was sitting. "Oh my!" she said as she noticed the blood dripping from my nose. "My sweet tulip, what happened?" She ran towards me, putting her dirty hands on my shoulder as a sign of worry. I just looked at the floor. "Don't give me the silent treatment Karl, I want to know what happened." Her voice was still worried but now stern. Tears filled up my eyes again as I sobbed into her gardening apron. "A- a guy at school p- punched me b- because I'm weak," I said as I finally opened up. "Oh my tulip, you're not weak..." she smiled and took her hand off my shoulder. Her other arm wrapped around my neck and shoulder.

"You're just like your father. He also tells me stories about having no control over his power when he was younger. You're not weak or anything, you're just a late bloomer." She smiled and wiped her hands on her apron. "Come, I was just making some tea, let's talk about it."

She smiled lovingly and guided me inside our tiny family home. God, I love my mother. She supported me so much in everything I did. I still haven't forgiven myself for what I did a week after my little... interaction.

I remember sitting in class, the guy that punched me had been sick from school for a couple of days, when a doctor in a white jacket entered the class. "Hello, I am here to tell you about the sad news that- that-" I snapped out of my flashback. "What was his name again?" I asked the potted plant next to me. I was sitting at an old rotten picnic table with a potted rose next to me. The rose said nothing, also drowning in thoughts. "Well that won't help me," I sighed. Long story short: The fucker died.

And that's when I broke. 'Cause I remember the doctor saying "because of death hanahaki". I felt all eyes on me, I was the only person in the school with a plant-based power, so flowers growing inside of someone's lungs was suspicious. I felt everyone, even the teacher, judge me.

So I slid my chair back and stood up, storming out of the classroom. I walked the long way back to my house. No one was home, so I had to find a way in.I looked at the balcony connected to my bedroom window. I sighed, taking a deep breath. I closed my eyes and pulled my hands over my head, tiny green sparkles forming at my fingertips.

I could hear the ground ripping open as a big, spiked vine picked me up off the floor. I giggled proudly as the plant dropped me on the floor of my balcony. I smashed open my window and walked inside my empty room. I grabbed a duffle bag and started to stuff clothes inside.

Black and white bleach dyed overalls, another set of purple overalls, different types of colored hoodies and a pair of kitchen scissors; I pushed it all in a duffle bag. I ran downstairs and pulled the family picture album out of our bookshelf. "They won't miss this, right?" I said softly, even though I knew this was best for me and my family.

I could feel tears fall down my side onto the floor. I walked back upstairs into my room. I opened a cabinet in my desk and grabbed a pen and paper. God, even after five years I still remember what I wrote on that paper.

'Mom, please don't cry and dad, if she does, comfort her. I am safe, I think. I don't know yet. I still have to decide where to go but I want you to know I'll manage. I mean look at the plant outside! It's better this way. I love you, but I can't take it.Xxx Karl Jacobs :D'

And that's what I did. I ran to nowhere, started a life of crime, and never, ever talked to my family again. It was hard at first but overtime I have it a place in my heart.

{ thanks to the wonderfull ImTryingToReadShutUp for doing all the hard work of fixing the punctuation for me they where an absolute life saver, so yeah thank you so much :) -9}