𝑀𝓎 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝒶 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁

• 6 •

My body flinches as the long ruler connects with my back. The pain shoots threw my arm and I hiss at myself trying to keep the trey up. Taking a deep breath my body felt relived as I managed to stay still. He grunts from behind annoyed at how my posture stood the same. "Glad you have some talent."

He moves on to the next correcting the others and I couldn't help but let out a deep sign from within. The worries of the trey falling flooded my mind. I focused keeping my thoughts and his harsh comments away.

"maldito idiota"

He spat

"Is that the best" he says laying another hit on my back. I bite my tongue keeping the groan away. The hot tears that flood my eyes wash away faster than the sting. I stare at the painting. Stare and stare at it for hours. It wasn't nothing new. I've seen it every day. It's a painting. Nothing but an object. But every day. Every night where my blurry vision occurs it haunts me. It stares back and judges me.

I clamp my teeth together as another blow hits. But I say nothing and hold back. He was doing it for fun at this point. His fun. My eyes twitches as he hit the same spot over and over again. Never missing an inch. My eyes followed the lines on the outer painting. Getting every detail of it. Reading and observing it as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. But it wasn't... it was a nightmare and I had to stare at it.

A head peeks out from the rows of ladies next to me and my eyes for once looked away. She stares and mouths a sorry, but I quickly change my view.

Painting

Look at the painting.

He grabs my shoulders pushing them down roughly

"You can't do shit right" his rough voice burst my ear. His accent laced behind his words making them feel more violent. I couldn't admit but I needed too. I was the one standing straighter than the rest, yet I took the most punches. The most hits. The most stings.

Finally, it stopped

As always, he rushes out the room cursing and screaming about what a terrible job I've done. Ms.
Kindle clamps her hands together with shoulders high and chin up always smiling as if she didn't just see my back get the fucking absolute beating. "The day is due" and with that everyone in the line breaths out. The quiet room wasn't so quiet as the ladies' huddle and and begins talking. Of course, I was the main subject.

"Dren..." a hand meet mines but I slid them away. I breath as I get ready. The sympathy begins. "Are you okay" she continues, and I nod. My eyes look up at the painting and I glare at it. Glare at it as if my eyes had lasers and I would burn straight threw it.

But it wasn't. I had no superpowers. The painting would never burn.

I smiled. And with that my eyes finally met the perfect shade of green ones.

•Afra Pov•

"Why can't it be that I want to stay?"

She says nothing but looks at me with a dull stare. The coldest and most hurtful type. It made someone want to run. It made me want to run. They held nothing but a soothing grey. A color that felt unknown and mysterious and God, it pulled me close. I felt dirty as her hands roam my body. I felt dirty that I enjoyed her hands roaming my body. This woman that I've known for a couple of days made me feel.