Maria and I

Dear Maria 23

Hey Maria,

I...uh....I got rejected. Yeah...I actually tried confessing to someone...and I got a no.

My brown eyes trained ahead as I emptily walked through the rows of books. Their big shadows looming over my small body.

I feel so small...I feel ...rejected. Turned down. Useless. Unwanted and Hopeless.

I walked up to one of the bookshelves and looked through the small spacing between the books, my breathings slow, almost as if I could stop breathing. Wanted to.

Two figures falling over each other, in a blur of heated embrace.

My lips parted with wanting, my irises expanding. The room was still dark, in fact it was darker than grey. There was light... colors but I didn't care. All I did was watch the figures doing so many passionate things. It makes me wonder how anyone could show so much emotions.

"I love you." I could hear him say but I never heard a response. My eyes dimmed and I looked away, turning sharply, my black hair following my sudden motion, sweeping and brushing against my bare back.

My eyes widened and that was when I realized, I had nothing on. I was naked. Stark. Unprotected. Vulnerable and weak. But there was no time for me to respond, I didn't cover myself, didn't try to hide. I just moved ahead, the path between the bookshelves getting narrower, tighter. My breath quickened, but my legs still thrust forward taking another bold step. Almost as if it had a mind of its own. Something I couldn't control. Something I had to-no-need to do!

"Don't hurt me." I whispered, to no one. My eyes narrowed with cautioned and my pace slowed as I watch the arm stretch out languorously to grab me. To hold me. Reach towards my arms. A scream filled both my ears, and I watch in horror at the huge arm dived out from midair for me.

"No!" I growled, my legs thankfully allowing me to retreat a little with caution. Tears threatened to pour out of my eyes, my vision blurring on impulse. Fear had swallowed the stability in my legs and I shook as hard as a frail leaf in a storm. My breathing quickened and all I saw was red, all I smelt was caution, all I felt was fear. My back slammed softly into a bookshelf and my nails curved into the wood as my palm held the edge. The arm stopped advancing, as if something was stopping it from moving forward. Protecting me from it.

Then all I saw was black, the lights shutting out.

Huff! Huff!

My lungs felt constricted, tighter than usual. Louder pants echoing off my surroundings.

Then I heard it.

"It's alright. Good girl. There's my good girl." A soothing voice whispered. I relaxed immediately, my muscles loosening up. "Shhh...don't be scared. There's a good girl."

The voice continued to coax, and I felt a wash of coziness and fireplace warmth seep into my mind. Intoxicating me to sleep. The darkness disappeared and I was staring into the pale chest of a woman. I tiredly lifted my head, my arms dead by my side. My whole body enveloped into her arms that held me tightly. She was hugging me close, as if I was something precious.

"There there ol' girl. Smile for me. Smile for yourself." I stared back into a pair of familiar looking eyes. Eyes I've seen. Eyes I knew. Eyes I loved and admired. But whose?

"Come on. Stand up." She encouraged and I did as I was told. My eyes wandered past her shoulders and I saw the hand still there. I felt the tears threaten to pour out again.

"Shhh darling." She soothed in an angelic, calm voice. Her fingers caressing my head, through the strands off my hair. In a motherly fashion. "Don't cry. Don't show your fear."

I looked into those tranquil eyes again, mesmerized, then slowly nodded.

"Sweetie, you mustn't let anyone in again. Look at what it did."

I looked and saw turned bookshelves, books destroyed, broken wood. I saw a mess, chaos. Things all sprawled onto the floor, as if someone had deliberately ransacked the place. My breath trembled, shook slightly, and I opened my mouth.

"What happened?"

Her lashes lowered, a flash of hatred behind her gaze. "It was those things that you let in. Them."

Then she looked into my eyes, sadly. With so much pain and hope it nearly killed me.

"My baby girl, listen to me and don't trust anyone. Or else-"

A loud crash made me leap, and I watched terrified at the hand that was moving towards me, lunging at me, as if it could smash me into pieces against the wall. Hurt me. Kill me in one swift motion.

"GO AWAY!" I screamed and watched as the shelves closed in before me, in front of me protecting me from the creature. The place shook and shudder, Things groaned and moaned like the whole place was alive. The thing was pounding against the bookshelves that protected me. A large slab fell and chips flew in all directions. I fell weakly onto my wobbly legs, as tears ran down, the stray pieces leaving cuts and marks on my flesh. Blood oozed out and I yelped at the pain. My face was twisted with agony, scrunching at every pound the creature made as it slowly shoved, killed and smashed everything aside.

A shadow fell onto my figure and I craned my neck, only to freeze as the bookshelf that flew through the air, got ready to crush me. Time stilled, my breath hitched, my mouth letting out the last breath of hope as my eyes stared on with anger, fear, darkness, pleading. My heart broke then.

All I wanted was... to be safe. Don't break me...please?

There was a squashing soundfollowed by a sort of splat.
And then there was silence.

Blood spattered onto the cold stone ground and black hair lay beneath the furniture.

"Honey? Sweetie? Answer me! My baby! Where are you!" A lonely voice cried.

Why hurt me? Oh Maria...why kill me? My emotions didn't deserve to die like that...All I did was try to accept and be accepted.

Yours faithfully,

The imprisoned princess