❪ 𝟏𝟐/𝟏𝟑 ❫

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐖 𝐇𝐀𝐓

༘⋆↪𝐈𝐈.
THE MAN IN THE
STRAW HAT !
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You were sitting beside in a boat, the stars above twinkle like diamonds on velvet and reflect off the glassy surface of the water below. the night air is chilly but comfortable as you take in all that surrounds you— there's an almost magical feeling to be so far from land yet still so close to home with your dad by your side. he hands you a rope, you take it, feeling its rough fibers slip through your fingers.

"Here, you have to go." your father says as he hands you a bag of food, probably enough that you would survive off for a few days.

You felt confused and overwhelmed. your father had seemed so eager to make you leave the house, he hadn't even given you a chance to think about it properly or ask any questions. you weren't sure why your father was in such a hurry, but there was an urgency that could not be ignored; something wasn't right here.

"Why are you in such a hurry to make me leave? did I do something wrong?" As you sat there, your sadness seemed to weigh as heavily on your chest as the fear that kept threatening to consume you. you had no desire to leave now; not when all these emotions were too fresh and raw within you. you could feel the wetness of tears and sweat on your cheeks, but something else too— a sticky dampness which spread over one side of your face like an unwelcome embrace. It was only then that it dawned upon you— it was blood from where someone or something had struck out in blind violence.

You could see it in your father's face, a terror like you had never seen. his hands trembled and his eyes were searching desperately, making sure nobody was watching. he was gonna help you leave unscathed despite his fear because he wanted to protect you at all costs, even if that meant putting himself in harm's way. he loved you more than anything else and he would do whatever it took to keep you safe.

Tears began to stream down your face, the pain inside spilling out in a torrent. you sniffled and hiccuped, not understanding why it had come to this. It hadn't been intentional; you just wanted her to leave you alone for once. with each sob came an overpowering wave of guilt that engulfed you like a stormy sea.

"I didn't mean to hurt her. but she kept bothering me, she only did it because her father- I mean I didn't hurt him bad right?" You found yourself in a situation that was far beyond your control and the truth felt blurred.

your memories were hazy, like half-remembered dreams, and you couldn't tell if what you remembered was real or imagined. the reality of it all seemed washed away in a fog of confusion and uncertainty— that wasn't how it went down at all...

You can feel the weight of your father's surprise, and his gaze on you is like a heat lamp. he lunges forwards in disbelief, “You don't remember?” his words are slow, almost fragile as if he had to carefully place each one down before continuing. no matter how hard you try though, there’s only blankness behind your eyes; no recollection of what it is he expects from you.

"You didn't kill her, [name]. you killed her father." You stand still, staring ahead as though time has stopped. the moment stretches on impossibly long and the realization of what you've done hits hard in your chest. you had killed the chief—someone far more powerful than yourself. and yet you couldn't help but feel strangely triumphant about it, a strange power that was foreign to anything else coursing through your veins. how could someone so young be capable of such strength?

now, you blame yourself. it was obvious this was your mother, she wanted you out of the house anyway, she despised you.

anything you ever tried to do— she was never proud.