The Fire Within (Ongoing)

Mysterious Man

My parents picked me up from the hospital and drove me home. They let me sleep all day and night. I woke up, slowly walking towards the balcony of my room. It was four o'clock in the morning. I don't know why I am here, standing out in the cold, shivering from head to toe. I turned my head to look, and a tall, lean man was standing under a yellow streetlight, staring right at my face. Pushing myself away from the rail, I slowly and awkwardly ran to my room and cuddled myself into my thick blanket as my heart thudded loudly in my chest. To calm my nerves and avoid getting panic attacks, which I'm pretty sure I will be getting very soon, I put on some music and slept peacefully.

The very next morning, my parents were sitting for breakfast with my sister, who was playing with her newborn son. Upon my entry, their cheerful expression was immediately replaced by concern.

"Good morning to all!" I greeted them. My face was smiling, but my body was protesting as I walked towards the dining table for some food. The doctor did some miracles, but it is still sore, and my every movement needs careful calculations just so I don't twist and cause permanent damage. I don't have a miserable life when I could do good out in the world.

"How is your pain now?" "Are you able to walk?" asked my dad. My parents' concern was clear as day. I hated that they had to see me at the weakest point of my young life. More importantly, they are relieved that I didn't go murderous on my dirtbag ex-boyfriend. They fear that one day I will turn out to be a killer. Truth be told, I have had the same fear hovering over me for a very long time. Also, I will slit and slash his body in a heartbeat. For what he did to me is unforgiving, and I will bear its scar even when I am with another man.

I nodded my head, liking that special attention was given to me, but my day was getting ruined because, at the same moment, my ex-boyfriend's pathetic voice was taunting me in my head.

"This is what you want, you pathetic cheapo." I hate these words. He was constantly using such words to demoralize and degrade me whenever I felt there was little hope in me.

"No, I am fine, please." Don't worry. "It was my fault that I was not careful in my movements, and anyway, I am taking a rest for two days as it is a holiday and then continuing my studies," I informed them, which was a lie, for I didn't want to worry more than they are right now.

When my ex-boyfriend hit me and caused extreme damage to my back, I immediately called up my parents to take me home. They began asking many questions, but only lies came out of me. I told them I hurt my back when I was climbing down the stairs, and the falling impact caused dreadful harm to my spinal cord. At that moment, I knew there was a darkness in me that would bloom every day moving forward. the darkness, which was pure evil.

They agreed; my mother prepared breakfast for me. I played with my nephew and went to the living room to watch some good shows on television. After a while, my phone started ringing, disturbing my Tom and Jerry show. I decided to ignore the number blinking on my phone screen and continue watching the show without wanting any more drama or chaos. My phone started vibrating again, but this time, when I checked, it was my ex-boyfriend who started messaging me and begging for some help. I thought about it, but being a person who believes in karma and is a very unforgiving person, I settled on deleting his message and switching off my cell for good.

I couldn't sit still and enjoy the show because I was agitated. It is hard to explain, but I wished the man could rescue me, but not in a literal way. Because it was his voice that soothed me when I wanted to leave this world forever. Yes, he is not real, yet the feeling inside of me haunts me, and there is a strong urge screaming at me not to give up. Yes, I agree that it sounds silly.

I don't know why, when watching the show, I escape into my thoughts, but one thing kept bothering me a lot: why do I know that person? And suddenly I remembered the guy standing outside my house. Shit! How stupid of me to have forgotten everything! There is some connection between my classmate, who aided me when I experienced another lash of pain, and the stranger outside my house last night. Alas! I can't walk to class anymore to find out who that delicious-smelling guy and the mysterious stranger were. For now, I will keep it out of my mind.

I suddenly felt completely depleted. Now I want to sleep, but the anxiety within me is too much to bear. I had sleeping pills, ate a fully loaded plate of food, and knocked myself out for a long sleep. The nightmare didn't stop—being kicked in the stomach at one o'clock at night by my ex-boyfriend while some men watched to rape me, or my ex-boyfriend slapping me on the street, or getting banged on the head by the floor. Other good things were happening at the same time, such as the cab driver apologizing and dropping me off at my house; I began crying in my sleep; my phone started to ring; I picked it up, half asleep, when a smooth melody of music began to play and a soft voice whispered to me.

"My dear Safina, I am sorry; please go to sleep now and don't cry." "I wish I could have arrived earlier." I heard his regret, and then I slept like a dead man, lost to the world for that particular night.