Promise Of Vengance

One tear after another

The wind makes the tears slide off my face. I just slap them away. I'm already fed up with the situation.

It's enough!

Then, I realize that I must put all kinds of weaknesses aside. I lean against an old and rough wall, the only one near me, to find an answer to the question that hammered in my head.

But there was nothing, just a bleak emptiness to which I couldn't find any more meaning to feel alone.

I brush off my hands, which are covered in dust and a few scratches. The air begins to become sour, unbreathable.

I start to run, several minutes go by, which seem so short that I lose count. In the distance, I can see my objective, and only then do I stop my flight.

I take short steps and end up crawling into a huge house with miniature windows and unkempt flowers, totally worthy of a horror movie. I open the door and start to feel like I'm suffocating. I stop breathing.

Upon entering the house, all the memories come to me like a bullet: they go through me, and without my being able to avoid it I let out a scream that leaves me hoarse. I start to shake, feeling helpless. Then I hit the ground like a scattered sack.

And so ...

I see his smile full of evil as his companions drag me to the bridge, I see the satisfaction in his eyes when he sees my fear and despair, I see that his fist is directed at my face ...

No. I can't keep torturing myself with that, I can't keep doing it.

I bury my nails into the skin of my arms until they leave purple marks and lean against the wall, sobbing unconsciously.

The world begins to be very strange and changing for me. You can never control your destiny as you would like, you always become something other than what you yearn for if you let yourself be carried away by what people want you to be.

I know that many things tend to change over time, but my situation does not change, it just gets worse and worse with each passing day. I am beginning to fear that it will be impossible for me to escape if I don't do something right now. I start to shake again, I don't like the idea at all.

A small change affects everything, even your life. You want to run, escape, be free, without realizing that you are born a slave to the actions of others and yours.

That change in my life was the arrival at the school of Charlize Moore two years ago.

I can't help but wonder why all this happens to me and I know it's selfish, but ... Why not someone else? Why?

I get up as best I can and run to my room.

My parents are not here. They went on a trip almost a month ago and the unique news that reaches me from them is accompanied by a call from them every week. They spend very little time at home, but I understand that they have a pretty busy job managing various businesses they own.

Even so, their constant absences make me think that they do not pay much attention to my existence, that they forget me easily.

They hired a kind woman to take care of her in her absence. Her name is Lidia, and she is the only person who keeps me company at home. Most of my conversations are with her since no one has spoken to me at school since Charlize showed up.

She is also not in the house now. On afternoons like this, she goes out to buy food to supply the kitchen.

Unintentionally, I stumble across my image in the mirror when she walks into my room. I see long blonde hair that falls to the middle of my back, blue eyes that are surrounded by huge dark circles, and on the right side of my face there is a large red spot that in a few hours will turn black.

Then, without my being able to control it, everything repeats itself. I scream again, terrified, no one can save me now.

Flashback

The wind tangled my hair and blocked my vision, but it didn't bother me, I was sure that that was the price of reading the book I had bought that morning outdoors.

It was in the park that was a few blocks from the school. This was the perfect place to read or do whatever you wanted without being disturbed, as it used to be empty most of the time.

I heard numerous footsteps in the distance but did not pay attention to them because the plot and the characters had caught me. Big mistake.

A papery white hand tore the book out of my hands.

When I looked up, fear began to run through every inch of my being. The black painted nails were the key to knowing it was her and I wanted to escape, but my legs were not responding.

They had found my hiding place.

"Reading again, Jade?"

I didn't answer, that grim smile on her face indicated that she was in danger.

My legs finally seemed to react to that gesture. I stood up and backed away, but couldn't go more than two steps forward. A pale-skinned, dark-haired boy was blocking my way.

An amused grin crossed Charlize's face.

It was not the first time something like that had happened and I knew perfectly well that it would not end well for me. I had to escape now. I tried to push my way around the side, but several guys got closer until I was trapped in a circle of them.

The elite.

"You can not escape. You can never do it" she said as if the situation seemed funny to her, but those words had tortured me since she appeared.

I never knew why she hated me, but by now, I didn't care anymore. I just wanted her to leave me alone, I wanted to escape whatever it was.

I scanned the place for a possible exit, but it was too late.

Hell started, they started pushing me from side to side like I was a rag doll. I fell to the ground several times and got scratches that burned like fire on my hands, arms, and knees. My uniform got muddy and started to tear.

Charlize just laughed, everyone laughed. But I was fed up. I decided that their happiness wouldn't last that long this time.

Without anyone seeing it coming, I pushed a boy with dark hair. He ended up falling to the ground, totally dumbfounded, while I began to run with all my might, away from that group that had made my life torture.

I could feel their looks of hatred on my back and the exclamations and angry shouts indicated that I had done something that they would not let go of.

My vision was clouded by the tears that had begun to flow and my skin was on fire as I listened as they ran after me.

I went into the bushes that surrounded the park to hide, but that slowed me down. If he managed to escape from it, he would never go back to that school again.

But, in the middle of my flight, I tripped over the root of a tree and that was enough for them to catch me. In my attempt to avoid being taken with them, I hit Charlize in the face. She held her cheek and saw me in such a horrible way that if looks could kill I would be ten feet underground.

They had me. I tossed back and forth and yelled for help, but no one seemed to hear me.

"To the bridge guys," Charlize said approaching, "Now!"

And there, I felt fear pierce through me like the sharp blade of a sword.

No-no-no. Everything but that.

I kicked a few to no avail but received yells and several laughs in response to my attempt to break free. How is it that something that caused me so much pain could amuse them?

The park was a very large, tree-filled place. It had a bridge that crossed over a small river and connected it to a recreational space for children. They pulled me there, without having to try too hard. I was dragged to one of the edges of the bridge while I tried to push my body as far away as I could, without much success.

The water from the river made the stones that protruded on the surface creak. It roared as if that stream of water was waiting for me to fall to swallow me. I held my breath, I felt that everything was coming to an end.

The metal railing was wet from a few drops of water, making it difficult to grasp my hands that prevent me from falling. The river was a few meters below, it wouldn't hurt too much if I fell.

"Jade, Jade. I thought your blonde head had some brains, but I think I was wrong" Charlize approached me, whispering in my ear "Don't mess with a Moore, much less if it's me"

She grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pushed me to the point that half of my body was about to fall into the water. I screamed, without realizing it, without really having done it, because only a moan escaped my lips and I felt my soul floating in the air.

"Apologize for what you did," yelled the boy I pushed, Frederick, followed by Charlize.

He didn't understand anything. She had only defended me. Despite all the fear I felt, I thought apologizing was absurd, Frederick did not deserve anything from me.

I looked up to see them and said something that surprised me

"I don't have to do it"

Shortly after I finished saying what he had to say, I felt my cheek burn followed by a hazy vision. Charlize slapped me once more and dug her nails into my jaw until it hurt me.

"Don't you understand?" she said angrily at my challenge "Don't mess with me"

I felt that I was floating while the drops of the river splashed my feet. Two members of the elite had lifted me in such a way that if they let me go, I would fall to my death.

"What are you waiting for? Beg for forgiveness, silly" Charlize yelled as I watched the river, terrified. Several sharp rocks protruded from its surface like blades.

I couldn't help but think that if they let me go, they might be doing me a favor because I was a coward. I couldn't defend myself.

Still, he wanted to live. Clinging to life and my existence, however cruel and deceptive it may be.

"I beg your pardon! I shouldn't have done what I did, I was stupid. I'm ... I'm very sorry" I said without strength as if I were saying it to the wind and not to her, a complete monster.

Charlize smiled, satisfied.

"How ridiculous you are, Jade. I hope you are aware of it" many scoffed at that insult, but her words did not matter to me, I just wanted her to let me go "You are worth nothing!"

Charlize raised her fist and smashed it in my face, I entered the cheekbone and the eye.

That area began to burn in seconds and I felt as if thousands of tiny thorns had stuck into my skin and buried themselves to the bottom, despite this, I did not let out a single grunt. She was not willing to give him that satisfaction, even knowing that it was worse to keep the pain inside me: she was going to destroy me inside.

"Let you have a lesson, pretty girl" she mumbled before releasing me to the floor of the bridge and walking away with the other members of the elite.

I had only defended myself. I had only done something to protect myself and it had ended up that way. Was sated. I didn't want it to happen again, I didn't want ...

End Flashback

Without realizing it, my hands are fisted, but it helps me suppress the urge to cry. Shortly after, the shards of glass in my mirror fly through the air with a thud, I have smashed it.

Soon the blood came out of my left hand. I fall to my knees and let the tears flow freely down my face.

I hate what is happening to me. I hate not knowing what to do.

My hand burns, but that was the least of it now. I grab the scissors from a drawer and hold my hair between my fingers, rich and beautiful. Too bad, because I decide it's just a hindrance.

The scissors make a beautiful sound when cutting and the strands fall to the ground in a golden circle like the sun.

Seeing the blood combined with the gold in my hair, I realize that I can't take it anymore. That all this has exceeded my limits. I knew it was time to go.

I cannot continue in this hell, I would end up more destroyed and broken than I already am.

I pack a few things in a blue suitcase that I pull from under the bed. I do it as fast as I can, Lidia could arrive at any moment and I don't want her to stop me.

I fill the suitcase with random clothes and a few books, including a dull, old-fashioned photo of Adele, the only friend I ever had who was taken away from me by fate. I try to carry everything I need in my suitcase, because I know I won't be back for a long time.

I break my piggy bank and take all the money. I know that I have enough for what I want to do since I have been saving for more than five years.

I write a quick note for Lidia and another for my parents, explaining what I will do and why I am leaving. I put them on the dining room table, without looking back.

When the door to the house closes I feel relieved. I run like never before, feeling that I am flying, feeling freedom. I can still escape, I can still get out of this hell.

I drag the suitcase down the street looking everywhere, afraid of meeting Lidia. Despite this, I realize that this is the first time in years that I feel a shred of happiness.

My destination was France, where the only person I could trust lived: Aunt Laurette. He had visited her a couple of times and she had visited me, even so, we kept in touch frequently and she was very fond of her.

Laurette might bombard me with questions when we got to Orleans, but I didn't care about her. She was determined, she would not return until she was someone else, one who can defend herself, even herself.

A new city.

A new life.

An opportunity to start over.

To start from scratch.

Three years later...

The room is a mess.

Clothes everywhere, shoes, headphone vines ... the only thing that remains in an unalterable order is my little bookcase. I'm sure that makes it clear that I'm not a number one fan of order.

I had struggled to keep my room tidy since I arrived in France, yet I had an amazing ability to turn my room upside down in just a few days.

And, that had happened again when I decided to start packing my suitcase.

I pick up some shoes from the floor and place them in an orange suitcase, on top of a neatly folded pile of clothes. But, something gold, metal, that stands out from the rest, things catch my attention.

It is a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower that glows on my nightstand. Aunt Laurette had bought it for me last year when we visited Paris.

I go over and take it in my hands, it's cold as an ice cube. The breeze coming through the window is what has cooled the metal object, but that doe