𝓒𝓱𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓾𝓶 (𝚁𝟷𝟾 - 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢)

𝓔𝓷𝓽𝓻𝔂 #1

"Help!" I cried out in desperation, my voice echoing across the empty playground.

But instead of helping, the other kids just laughed at me. their cruel laughter piercing through my heart. They ignored my pleas and walked away, leaving me stuck in the treehouse.

My throat got sore from shouting, but no one came to help. Panic set in as I realized how serious my situation was. The treehouse felt like it was closing in, triggering my fear of small spaces.

I wished my mom was there, hoping she'd rescue me from this dark and scary place.

Despair overwhelmed me, and tears streamed down my face as I kept calling for help. But the bullies didn't care; they were heartless.

And then, in my darkest moment, a sudden quiet fell over the playground. The treehouse door swung open, letting in a gentle stream of light. A figure stood there, reaching out to help me, a beacon of hope.

"Are you okay?" he asked with genuine concern. The bullies had disappeared, and I struggled to find my voice, amazed someone had come to rescue me.

"I... I think so." I stammered, looking at the stranger. He seemed warm and kind, a welcome change from the cruelty I'd just faced.

He knelt down, his hand resting gently on my head. "Hey kid, are you alright?" His touch and soothing voice took a moment to register.

Slowly, I nodded, trusting him a bit more.

"Yes. Thank you, I'm fine." I whispered. I kept looking at him, feeling like he was a hero saving me from darkness.

"Come with me." he said, extending his hand again. Curious and a bit scared, I placed my small hand in his, allowing him to lead me away from the playground

I wondered where we were going, imagining an adventure with castles and magical creatures.

As we walked, the landscape transformed, and we stood under a tall tree on a hill. It was beautiful and peaceful, the sounds of birds and rustling leaves soothing my troubled soul.

"I knew you would love it here," he said, smiling genuinely. "It's my favorite place. Promise not to tell anyone about it, okay?" His eyes showed vulnerability and trust, like he was sharing a secret world with me.

Eagerly, I promised to keep it a secret. "Yes, I promise!" I said, smiling like him.

There was something special about this place, something that made us feel connected.

"Wait, I don't even know your name." he chuckled, breaking the spell. Embarrassed, I introduced myself.

"I'm Massie. And you?" I asked, my voice filled with curiosity and anticipation.

He extended his hand, a gesture of friendship. "I'm Cedric. Nice to meet you, friend." He said, his words leaving me speechless.

Friend. The word held a gravity and significance that I had never experienced before.

"Are you sure you want to be my friend?" I asked, hesitating because of past experiences.

Cedric's eyes softened, and he knelt down to my level once more, his gaze unwavering. "Of course! We just moved here, so I don't have any friends either. Besides, I can't stand bullies, so I'll protect you from now on." He proclaimed, his voice filled with determination. He stood tall, resembling a superhero ready to defend the innocent.

I laughed, feeling happy. "Alright, we're best friends now. Where's your house?"

"Just across from the playground. And yours?"

"Really? Mine too!" It felt like fate brought us together.

"That's cool! Which school do you go to? Maybe I'll join you there." Cedric said, excited about the possibilities.

In that moment, under the warm sun, I felt a sense of belonging. Cedric's presence filled the void that had haunted me, and I wondered if this was the start of something amazing.

"You have a beautiful smile." Cedric said, his eyes reflecting admiration and sincerity.

"When we grow up, I promise I'll win your heart."

My heart skipped a beat, surprised by his words. Even at our age, it felt like destiny had brought us together, setting the stage for a friendship that would last a lifetime. In that moment, I knew Cedric Bernardino would always hold a special place in my heart, the memory of our first meeting etched into my very being.

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𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝙵𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.

𝙽𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜, 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜, 𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛'𝚜 𝙸𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝙵𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢. 𝙰𝚗𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜, 𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜, 𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚣𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝚘𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛.

𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂 𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙴𝚁𝚅𝙴𝙳.

𝙽𝚘 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖 𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜, 𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚌 𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕, 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚖, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛, 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝙻𝚊𝚠.

𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚖 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙼𝙴!

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𝙲𝙾𝙿𝚈𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃 © 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹: 𝑴𝒊𝒚𝒖𝒌𝒊𝑱𝒆𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊 🌸