SEQUEL TO BLACK BEAUTY
Their lives were never meant to cross paths, but they were brought together for a 'good' cause. Their love was never meant to be, but a child was created from that 'love'. Eric and Penelope were never meant to miss one another...
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THE rain hadn't stopped since it first started five days ago. Puddles were everywhere, and no one was safe from them. Winds had picked up during those days, so a draft would often usher everyone inside the nearest sheltered place. My shelter at the moment was the roof of my porch.
My eyes drifted around the wooded area, often falling on my clothesline. I gritted my teeth, silently fuming over the sight of my newly damp clothes. They hung lowly; the weight of the water absorbed weighing them closer to the muddy ground below.
I sighed loudly, pulling the wool blanket tighter around my body. The thick, light brown material scratched parts of my skin that were exposed, but I needed something to keep me warm. It would've probably been smarter to go inside and sleep the day away, but there wasn't an ounce of exhaustion in me.
The place was too small, and spending too much in there didn't help either. My room was okay-sized, with my own personal touch. On days where the sun would break through, it would light up my room brighter than ever. But that wasn't the case at the moment.
I leaned against the wooden chair, and while it was uncomfortable, it was good enough. It was the one spot I'd stuck to since it started raining earlier that week. There was only so much I had done with the rain stalling my work. Often times, I was sent home if the rain proved to be of no help.
However, I couldn't deny how calming it was. Sitting out there, the wool blanket like a cozy cocoon around me, was blissful. The pitter-patter of the rain might have been obnoxious to some people, but it became a sort of comfort to me. If I wasn't in the mood for reading, the sound of falling rain became my temporary escape-way.
The last couple of rainy days had dragged on, limiting activities to entertain me. Normally, I spent hours out in the fields, doing what I should've done years ago as a member of Amity. After years of sitting back and watching others take on my work, I was finally able to do what my parents denied me. I'd given myself the freedom I craved for years.
Mostly everyone thought I was out of my mind. They questioned how giving my part in Amity was freedom by my definition—they would never understand. My parents weren't exactly happy, but I was no longer their little girl. I'd grown up so fast, matured, and I had to with everything I endured since the year I turned eighteen—just last year.
Strangely, I held little resentment towards every single person that hurt me in any way—made me grow up. Being alone in the last month, there in my little cottage house, left me to think of a lot of things. I played back every single misfortune in my life—and I concluded with my stay in Amity three years ago. That was where it all went wrong for me.
I should've left Amity, but not to follow Charlie. Maybe I should've started maturing the day I found out Dauntless was for me, even if I never felt that fearlessness in me. Looking back at all the people that controlled me and often times talked down to me; I never showed fearlessness. I let everyone break me—mold me into the perfectly passive girl they wanted.
I'd fallen victim to so many unfortunate things, and a part of me wondered if all those terrible occurrences were my fault. Had I done something to bring those misfortunes upon myself? No. I'd been abiding by everyone's rules for years. Then I continued abiding by his rules.
I did as he asked. I let him push me around—break me down—all so I would do as he asked of me. He made me fear him, which wasn't hard with how he treated me since the night of our engagement. But a part of me told me I should've been stronger. I should've been fearless, how my aptitude test results concluded. Then again, maybe my results were a mistake.
However, now I believed I should've been just that—fearless. It didn't matter if I was Amity. I could make of myself whatever I pleased, and being fearless is what I wanted to be. I would take control of every little thing I did. No one could tell me what I should and shouldn't do, because it's what I decided now. I would finally have control over my life and earn the respect I'd always wanted.
My parents—protective as always—weren't keen on my independence, but I gave them no choice. They'd already done enough with my life, so it was time to do what felt right to me. I told them what my wishes were for the time being, and they accepted them. They listened to my terms and realized I wouldn't be their little girl anymore. Maybe it was a little too late, but I would decide the next step in my life—as small as it may be.
They'd already decided what my future would be, over a year ago. They blindsided me with a crafted peace settlement determining my marriage to Eric Aggripa. I had no choice in it, of course. And as much as I still held some resentment towards every person involved in that settlement—I came to terms with everything that happened.
I accepted my sealed fate to Eric. I accepted to be with a man I hardly knew—and our brief encounters in the past didn't matter. Eric had been a stranger since day one but I came to know more about him with time. His true colors were unveiled, but only for me to see. None of it was pretty. The things he did to me; They left a scarring memory in my head.
But now, I came to terms with every tragedy that happened. I played back every single thing that went wrong from the start, slowly beginning to learn and grow from those terrible happenings. They pained me so much but I was learning to grow from them. I would never forget about them, but I knew dwelling too much on it wouldn't help either.
I forgave Eric. I actually forgave him for every wrong he'd done to me. And he wasn't aware of my forgiveness yet, but he would know in time. For now, I would stay where I was. I would spend time with myself, even if it became a nuisance at times, and learn to continue forgiving. Not because they—or he—deserved it, but because it was what helped me.
In the long run, it seemed to me that I would benefit more from that forgiveness. It wasn't for them but for me. That is what I needed to do before taking the next step in my life. It was what would gradually determine what my life would be like, and if Eric would continue being a part of it. I would decide if Eric would remain with me—in the future.
Everything sounded stressful, but that wasn't the case for me. The last couple of rainy of days were a pain in the ass but they helped me a lot. Things were slowly falling into place and I couldn't feel. .more at peace.
"Maybe you should take these down and hang them to dry under the roof of your porch?"
I jerked towards the edge of my seat, letting the blanket fall around my waist. My eyes furtively glanced at every direction until I located the person speaking. I found a pair of blue eyes looking over at me. I pursed my lips, frowning a little.
