The Nightmare

Chapter 10

Today had been very productive, it was amazing how many talented people there were around town and it was very satisfying to see how most of them, fulfilled their dreams and reached high, however, there were some people I have not heard from, they probably left the state or even the country.

After earning nine hundred dollars that day, I was very happy to have almost fifteen thousand dollars saved to start a new life wherever I chose. I was beginning to like that town, but what terrified me most on the way home was meeting those creatures that were always on the prowl, apparently they were harmless, because no matter how much their cold stare or growls threatened me, they would not come near me. It was strange, but I was getting used to it.

As I got closer, I found someone sitting on the steps of my doorway. I could recognise that pink hair and that dress wherever I went, besides, her coughing could be heard a few metres away, it was peculiar but divine every characteristic that woman possessed, every minute that passed, I realised that I had even been slow to recognise my feelings towards her.

"Hey!" I greeted her cheerfully, the highlight of my day was lying watching TV on my couch, however, meeting Karen would always surpass the best of experiences.

She merely waved at me as she rose from where she was sitting.

"Hi, sorry if I stood you up yesterday but you know... I..." She tried to excuse herself, and I squeezed her arm lightly, letting her know it was fine. "I left all the materials you gave me in your living room, it was very rude of me, I know, not only am I not worthy of any of this and..."

"They're where you left them." I cut her off, before she said anything self-deprecating. "And you deserve everything good this world has to offer."

"Which is nothing." She laughed wryly.

I mentally slapped myself, of course I, at home, with nothing I could lack, could say that life had a lot of good things in it. But in my worst moments, I thought the opposite, I thought the same as she did, and that lasted very little compared to the years of torture my poor girl had probably gone through.

"Honestly... okay, let me repeat... you deserve very good things, wonderful things." I stammered.

"That's because I've let you see what I want you to see of me, otherwise you'd hate me. But I don't want you to, I want you to know the best version of me because I need... someone to appreciate me."

I would give anything to do something, anything, as long as Karen would see herself through my eyes, that way, she would just blurt out the kindest words about herself and have the most amazing self-perception possible. I knew the best version of her, and I didn't have to know the worst to say that she was still the most astonishing woman, no matter what.

"I appreciate you, no matter what you do, and if you want to talk about it, you know where to find me." I stroked her cheek adoringly, at which she flinched but immediately relaxed.

She shook her head.

"No, I don't want you to know anything, I need to protect you. I... I can't let this place corrupt you, I want you, when you leave here, to be safe and sound, and if that happens, I think it'll be the only good and best thing I'll ever do in my miserable life." She said, placing her hand above mine and kissed it.

If I didn't have self-control, I might have fainted right there. I had truly met a person who didn't possess a shred of selfishness in her being, and I didn't feel worthy of witnessing it, that someone like her believing that saving a broken soul like me was the best thing she could do in her life.