"Where are you, Drea? I'm not gonna hurt you." Antonio sang in an amused voice. Shivers started to run down my spine as a single tear escaped my eyes.
--------------------------
Drea Ricci has met many monsters in her life. But the biggest monster...
Just as I was about to settle down and take a breather thinking to myself that Antonio couldn't possibly get to me anytime soon, Antonio somehow spotted me and pointed his crossbow at me.
I stood frozen with fear, unable to run to safety due to the conflicting paths that I didn't know which to follow.
He did a slit-throat motion and began to charge toward me. Running over the needles like they were clouds.
He stepped through the trap like he was Jesus walking on water without any expression on his face.
"You're mine, you bitch." Just as soon as those words left his mouth, he fired a shot at me and the bolt missed just past my head.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
My feet stayed rooted into their place as my eyes were unable to leave the bolt that was right in the middle of the oak tree.
The bolt was strong enough to pierce the tree to the point where there were cracks surrounding that singular weapon.
In some way, I and the tree were similar. The oak tree was symbolic of my experience with being with Antonio.
Like the oak tree, I was once beautiful and flawless. Pure skin, pure heart, and pure soul. But then one small thing that held so much power ruined me. My once soft skin was scarred, my kind heart was broken and my fresh soul was crushed.
Antonio is one of the billions of people on earth yet he had such a negative effect on me to the point where I was convinced he killed me and I was in an endless hell. Just like me, the tree was damaged by a single bolt that pierced through the oak like a knife and left it cracked and scarred.
However, the tree was bigger than that tiny bolt. It was stronger and was still standing after a brutal attack. And although the tree was scarred and might keep those scars forever, it was only one part of the magnificent tree that was harmed. And the rest of the tree that remained untouched appeared more beautiful side by side with the scar that the tree bore.
The tree will remain to grow despite its mark and soon the mark will fade and it'll no longer be prominent.
The hurt that I have been through will always be there but I only keep growing and although that pain will never fully go away I will grow more and more and learn to cope with my pain.
Flashback...
"What's your favorite book, Ant?" A young Drea questioned the awfully quiet boy next to her. Ant had just come back from his vacation in Italy and the once cheerful boy looked as if he had seen a ghost.
Drea was more than ecstatic to see her best friend after suffering from separation anxiety for a whole week but his feelings failed to reciprocate.
