In the debris of a broken city, what retains its gleam when memories become the only polished fragments?
Fifteen-year-old Lily aspires to attain a higher status in a society dictated by the smudged patterns of "Wogy-Wdy's" beauty products. The promi...
The rare and comforting aroma of Samuel's cooking welcomed her. This unexpected touch of home made her day utterly complete.
He looked up from his culinary efforts, "Hey, want to help me with lunch?" he asked, a warm smile forming until his eyes fell upon her altered appearance. "What have you done to your face?” concern etched his features.
Lily beamed, unable to contain her joy. "Oh, uncle, you won't believe what happened! I met some girls, and they gave me the Wogy-Wdy experience. Look at me!"
“Lily..”
Excitement still in her eyes, she explained, "These girls, they're on another level! They helped me to be like them, in a higher class."
Samuel's fury, restrained but palpable, emerged. "Stay away from those girls, Lily. We are on another level."
"Why won't you let me be better?"
His response was stern. "You better stay away from them."
Infuriated, she fired back, "So you want me to stay alone!" With that, she stormed away, seeking solace in the small shelter, her workplace. Placing her video camera in front of her, she watched her family's fleeting moments, the frustration and loneliness intensifying with each passing second.
As the battery dwindled, she extracted the palm-sized object from the camera, and placed it on the charger. Her mind consumed by anger, she brought the naked end of the charging cable toward coiled wires. A spark erupted, accompanied by a sharp crackling sound that echoed in the desolate room. The acrid smell of burning electronics filled the air, signaling the dysfunction of the charging device. "No, no, no!" Lily's heart pounded in her chest. "It didn't just happen," she whispered to herself.
"Lily! Lily!" Samuel's voice called from outside the diminutive refuge, a space his body didn't fit in. Disheveled and distressed, she emerged into the open arms he had extended, the embrace she needed most. Tears streamed down her face, leaving a damp spot on his shirt as she melted into the warmth of his comforting presence.
"Lily, my dear, remember, you have me. There are those out there who don't have anyone at all." he reassured her, the weight of his words comforting her troubled heart.
Once her emotions had settled, he gently proposed, "How about we get a bite to eat?"
"I don't want to eat." Her gaze was fixed on the ground.
"Why? You must be hungry. Don't you want to eat with me before I leave?"
She remained silent, the weight of her emotions heavy.
Undeterred, he tried to lighten the mood, asking, "Well, what do you feel like doing, then?"
She hesitated before replying, "I don't want you to get mad at me."
He chuckled. "I won’t get mad at you, my precious little princess."
"Are you sure you won't be mad at me if I tell you what happened?"
“Yes, I promise. You can tell me anything."
With a sense of vulnerability, she opened up, "The battery died, and I was putting it into charging as usual, but the device is not charging anymore. The light is not lighting green." Her face retained hints of sadness, eyebrows arched downward, and lips slightly bumped.
Samuel, understanding her distress, took the battery charger from her. He connected it to coiled wires several times while Lily watched carefully, but there was no sign of improvement. "It's okay, sweetheart. I will try to find someone who can fix devices like this."
Though a bit relieved, the sadness still clung to her. Those videos had been her only comfort, especially when loneliness overwhelmed her. Watching their faces, hearing their laughter—it always soothed her. But now, with the camera lifeless, the frustration she once eased by their presence had nowhere to go, building inside her like a storm with no end in sight.
She didn’t know how she would endure the time ahead—waiting, until the charger was fixed.
~~~
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I'm glad to see you here.
Stay tuned for the next chapter: The Blue Powder
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"My uncle doesn't like it when I'm with you or using Wogy-Wdy makeup. He thinks it's not right." Lily shared as she met the girls...
