To Bloom Again

Chapter 1: Given a second chance

A/N: Content warning for depression, anxiety, self-deprecation and thoughts of suicide. Don't read if you're triggered by these topics.

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"It's over, isn't it?"

Marina laid upon an old, worn-out mattress, staring blankly at the ceiling fan above her.

She could barely move a muscle, let alone pull herself out of bed. Her skin looked so pale that it looked completely lifeless. Her heartbeat was dangerously slow and shallow, almost like her heart could give out any minute and the dizziness so severe that she thought the world around her kept spinning uncontrollably.

Yet, all she could think about these past five years. It was fine for the first year living on her own, isolating herself from the world, but as time went on, Marina eventually ran out of money, unable to pay the bills and to buy food for herself.

Getting a job was out of the question, due to her lack of social skills and her now developed fear of being around people.

With no funds left or haven't eaten a meal in such a long time, she felt like a failure. A failure who couldn't feed herself. A failure who couldn't get a job. A failure who was unable to take care of herself.

Because of this, Marina just wanted to give up on life entirely. The desire to live was no longer in her veins and didn't give a shit if she didn't wake up the next morning.

Even taking a short glimpse of a family photo from 1998 didn't sway her away from the thought of death. "I'm s-sorry for being s-so weak." she whimpered, weakly. A single tear slides down her cheek. "I-I d-don't d-deserve you at a-all. Y-you're better o-off w-without me. P-Please f-forget I-I ever e-existed."

There was no love, no affection in her sentences. If her family heard those devastating words, they would be torn apart, completely heartbroken, but Marina stopped caring at this point.

She was no longer eager to live anymore.

She slowly shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep, praying for the sweet release of death to take her away from this shitty world.

__________

Finally, after many, many months, Steven and Wallace arrive at the small, quiet area known as Littleroot town. Both men have searched high and low, checked every hotspot, every nook and cranny across this region.

And yet, they were empty-handed every single time and it grew tiresome.

Steven, however, stayed positive as much as he possibly could while he and Wallace continued to search the area in the hopes that this Marina girl is found.

"She's here. She has to be here." Said Steven, fists clenched with determination. "This is the only place left."

Wallace nodded, gleefully, remaining just as determined as his best friend, "Surely, this time will be successful. I just know it."

Steven filled his lungs with the fresh, clean air, easing his nerves, "Let's go check the neighborhood, starting with that house first. We don't have much time left."

They spend the next two hours knocking on doors and asking the locals if any of them have seen this girl. Most of which said no.

Then, it was off to Professor's Birch's laboratory, but he wasn't there and neither were his assistants. A note attached to the door simply said 'Vacation time' in bold ink.

This was getting frustrating, a little too much for their liking. Both men took a quick breather under a shady tree, plopping their bodies down in the soft, wet grass, appearing as if they just came back from running a marathon. A very long one.