Colored Full of Trauma

❤️ A Tormented Mind

A man of average height leans against a guardrail, checking his phone as he wipes sweat from his very short charcoal hair. The black arcade shirt over his torso matches the eastern sky in front of him, while the western sun to his back fights off the approaching darkness.

A faint beep from his cell phone vibrates his pocket.

From Mother:
[Before you come home, pick up some bread. The kind I like, white.]

Cars drive in each direction in front of his face. The man grits his teeth, looking to the right. And as one pulls off the bridge, it turns into the nearby supermarket.

Sigh.

10 Minutes pass, and he's back to the bridge, holding a loaf of bread surrounded by plastic in his right hand.

In his left, the noisy device.

From Mother:
[Where the fuck are you, you little spic?]

I'm only a few minutes late.
He pleads to himself, looking at the displayed 7:16.

The treatment makes him want to sit on that uncomfortable metal railing forever. Alas, he stands.

Slinging himself around quickly with the bread swinging quicker than his body, he barely resists throwing it into the lake below.

Breathing heavily, he steps back from the edge.

The breeze from a car narrowly passing on the road behind him interrupts his anger. Instead, he drops the bag of bread, walking away.

From the end of the bridge, he looks back to the loaf. It leans on the curb, retaking shape and gathering dirt as it lys there.

Hopelessly pacing back to it, Quiere picks up the bread, and begins walking home.

                                   ❤️

The same sunset follows Alex and Milly home, as their hands grasp each other's. His eyes meet hers, with suspense of what to say next, pearls shrinking as he grins.

"So... That was certainly a uh.. neat ability back there." He spills out, right hand on the back of his head.

Milly's cheeks fill with air, like a chipmunk who feeds off of oxygen instead of nuts.

A small chuckle escapes Alex before he speaks again. "Can't say I've ever seen one like it."

The mild compliment followed by a gentle stroke of his thumb in her palm, soothes her.

The air leaves her mouth in the form of words. "I... Um... It's a little complicated."

He looks over to her, their height being nearly the same, just the smallest lack on her end.

"I think I understand it. But, do you mind telling me more?"

Milly's once O2 filled cheeks turn pinkish red upon that direct question, as eye contact is broken.

Wow, would you look at that sunrise.
She thinks to escape it.

That's... A sunset, Milly.

Alex's eyes face forward, not nearly as intimidating as they were before.

"Okay I'll tell you."

I like pain. It's not hard to say. A lot of people are into that. He won't think you're weird. This is normal.

*Ahem*

"Pain... It's pretty neat, huh?"

Moments of confusion pass as looks of puzzlement are directed to her.