𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍

vii. young boy

It was the mid-nineteenth century, and I was a witch, one of the last surviving members of my clan. Witches like me were hunted and persecuted for centuries, and my family was slaughtered on my 19th birthday. Since then, I had been in hiding, always on the move, always masking my identity to avoid being captured.

As a witch, I had the power to create potions and perform miracles, but we had to be careful not to use our powers too much, as it could lead to unpleasant consequences. Humans despised us, and the word "witch" was synonymous with abomination and monstrosity.

Despite the danger, I longed to be loved and accepted, so I decided to try my luck as an actress in 1990. Thanks to my beauty, I was immediately accepted, and my celebrity status soared after my appearance in several movies in 1992. But my downfall followed in 1997 when I lied to my then-boyfriend, Elijah, about being pregnant, and people started digging into my private life and background.

After disappearing, I spent my days in solitude, with only my dark humor to keep me company. One day, as I stood on the edge of an abyss, contemplating death, a young boy with big brown eyes and short black hair approached me. He was dressed in clothing fit for a privileged child.

"Hey ajumma, are you going to jump?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"Ajumma? Do I look like a middle-aged woman to you?" I retorted, trying to stifle a chuckle. "I mean...i am, but still doesn't feel right since I look like this." I mumbled.

I stepped back from the edge, and the boy rushed over to support me.

"Won't you thank me that I helped you?" he asked.

"No," I replied without hesitation.

"Why?"

"Because i don't need your help," I said, brushing off the dust from my clothes.

The boy followed me as I walked away, refusing to leave my side. "Get back to wherever you came from. Your family must be worrying about you right now," I said, hoping to discourage him.

"Oh, don't stress yourself over them. They wouldn't care, unless they saw me dead," he replied, his voice heavy with sadness.

"Does your family love you?" I asked, sensing that there was more to his story than meets the eye.

"I don't think so, no. I think they will only love me once I meet their expectations," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

We walked in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of nature around us. When we came across a bench, we sat down, and I asked him about his formal attire. "Is the...formal attire really necessary when going out?" I inquired while pointing to his suit.

"Oh, this? I guess? When we meet a new client or when they bring me to their company, my mom and dad insist that I dress up like this at all times. They told me that it will soon be mine, so I should prepare myself for it," he said, his eyes downcast.

I felt a pang of sympathy for the boy. What kind of parents would force their child to dress up in a suit and meet potential investors at such a young age?

"Your parents are controlling?" I asked gently.

He nodded, and tears welled up in his eyes. "I hate it. I hate pretending to be someone I'm not. I hate having to meet their expectations all the time. I just want to be myself," he said, his voice cracking.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at me, his eyes wide with surprise.

"You don't have to be someone you're not. You don't have to meet their expectations. You can be whoever you want to be," I said, my voice soft.

He smiled at him. "What are you doing here alone? Did you escape from your them? Or what." A small smile appeared on his face. "No, they're here with me. They actually bought a huge land close by to build a new building. I just can't stand being around them right now."

"Okay." my simple reply. "How about you? Do you reside in this area?" he queried."I'm no telling you."

"That's not fair, hey! I gave you the exact responses to your questions. Answer mine in a proper way." I sighed. "You know you shouldn't trust people that easily. What if I'm a witch?" My words made him giggle. "Even better. Witches are my favorite creature. They can all cast spells and are all amazingly powerful. They come across as cool and courageous, in my opinion. My nanny used to tell me tales about them..."

"Master!" A distant shout from an unknown voice interrupted him as he was ready to add another sentence in his words.

"Aw, man. I guess that's my cue to leave..." He pouted but quickly smiled. I chuckled as I saw him stand up.

As he gazed at me with his innocent eyes, he asked in a soft voice, "Since you won't tell me if you really live here or not, might I have the honor of knowing your name, at the very least?"

My heart fluttered at the sight of this pure soul. With a warm smile, I replied, "Victoria. That's what they call me."

A fleeting moment, yet it left an indelible mark on my soul. Little did I know that this ephemeral encounter with the young boy would become a cherished memory that I would hold close to my heart.

Time passed by and life went on, but my thoughts often wandered back to that sweet, little boy. I thought that our paths would never cross again, but fate had other plans.