My Dear Annabelle

Chapter - 5 Lost In The Dark

The next morning, Kuea woke up with a heavy heart. His body ached from the previous day's emotional turmoil, and his face was still tender from where his mother had slapped him.

He had cried himself to sleep, and now the dull ache in his chest was joined by an emptiness in his stomach. He hadn't eaten dinner the night before, but fear and sadness had kept his hunger at bay.

Now, as the sunlight filtered weakly through the curtains, his stomach growled, reminding him that he needed food.

Reluctantly, Kuea slipped out of bed. His steps were slow and hesitant, like someone walking through a minefield, unsure of when the next explosion of anger would come.

The house was eerily quiet, except for the soft clinking of dishes from the kitchen. He could tell his mother was there.

For a moment, Kuea considered staying in his room, but the hunger gnawing at his insides forced him to move.

He took a deep breath, trying to gather the courage to face her, but the fear of her anger twisted his gut into tight knots.

As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw his mom sitting at the dining table, her back straight, sipping her coffee with an air of detached composure.

Her face was unreadable, but Kuea could sense the tension in the room. It felt like walking into a storm about to break.

"Good morning, Ma," he mumbled, his voice small and hesitant, as if testing the waters.

Riya didn't look up from her coffee. "Morning," she replied curtly, the word cold and clipped, lacking any warmth or affection.

The sound of her voice alone made Kuea's heart race, a wave of anxiety crashing over him. He hadn't felt this small in a long time.

He stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do. His feet felt glued to the floor, his mouth dry as he tried to find the right words.

He wanted to explain... no, he needed to explain what had happened yesterday, but every word that came to mind felt inadequate, useless. Still, he had to try.

"Ma... about yesterday..." Kuea began, his voice trembling slightly. "I don't remember everything, but I swear they started it. Sand and the others... they were the ones who attacked me first."

His mother's hands gripped the coffee cup a little tighter, but she still didn't look at him. The silence in the room grew thicker, suffocating. Kuea's heart pounded harder in his chest, but he continued.

"I didn't mean to fight back, I... I don't even remember hitting them. It just happened, but I promise, Ma, I didn't start it. I..."

"Enough," Riya interrupted, her voice low but sharp, like the crack of a whip. Kuea flinched as she slowly turned to face him, her eyes burning with anger and disbelief. "I'm not in the mood for your excuses, Kuea. You think I don't know when you're lying?"

"I'm not lying!" Kuea protested, his voice cracking under the weight of his desperation. "They've been bullying me for years, Ma. You don't understand. I didn't..."

But his mother slammed her coffee cup onto the table, the sound echoing through the quiet house like thunder. Kuea's breath hitched, and he took an instinctive step back.

"Still, you've got the nerve to lie to my face!" she yelled, standing up from the table. Her eyes blazed with fury, and Kuea felt himself shrinking under her gaze. "You think I don't know what kind of trouble you've been causing? Getting into fights, failing your exams, slacking off in your studies! And now this? Attacking other students?"

Kuea shook his head frantically, his hands trembling as he tried to find his voice. "Ma, please, listen to me. It wasn't like that. I swear, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'm telling you the truth!"