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The following morning unfolded just as I had anticipated; a group of unfamiliar men barged into the house, armed with straight jackets and a harness. There was no point in resisting; I resigned myself to the inevitable, fully aware of the grim destiny that awaited me.
As the men went about their business, efficiently restraining me, one of them turned to my estranged mother, who had never been a pillar of support in my life. "Would you like to say any last words to her, madam?" I avoided eye contact with her, focusing instead on the meticulous process of being bound in the straight jacket.
The strained relationship between my mother and me had unraveled ever since my father's departure, leaving behind a fractured family dynamic. "I don't need to say a word to such... MONSTER!" Her voice cracked into an unnatural cry, tears streaming down her face, a performance designed to elicit sympathy. It worked, as the men exerted a tug and a push, escorting me into a dull, musty van.
At that moment, I managed one final glance at my mother. I searched her hazel eyes for any sign of regret or sadness toward her own daughter, but my hopes were dashed as a smirk played on her lips, accompanied by a swift wave of 'bye-bye.'
Once inside the van, a man, presumably one of my captors, attempted to reassure me with an unsettling tone. "Don't worry, kid. You are going to love this new place... Everyone does."
His venomous words did not escape my notice, and I couldn't ignore the disdainful glances he shot my way. I clung to a glimmer of hope that perhaps in this new place, I could find solace and perhaps even make my first true friend. The uncertainty of the future loomed large, but I braced myself for the unknown, hoping for a fresh start amidst the shadows of my past.
