Ethereal Hope

Aurelia

I couldn't take it.
It was hard holding my tears in, that were ready to fall anytime. I could feel the pain inside me like something choking my heart.
I was a disappointment.

My older sister was shouting at me, dumping her anger on me as if I were the sole repository for her frustrations. 'It's always about you, never about me,' she accused, convinced that I was too sensitive, too prone to overreact. But she, like my parents before her, didn't grasp the weight I carry within me. Their relentless expectations, the pressure to conform—it's all crushing me from the inside out. In their eyes, I'm a problem to be fixed, a burden they can no longer bear. I feel like I'm drowning, suffocating under the weight of their disappointment.

I couldn't cry properly, no matter how badly I wanted to. Exhausted, I reached my breaking point. With trembling hands, I grabbed my phone and fled, desperate to escape a place that never felt like home. Under the night sky, I walked, a flicker of hope burning within me. I wanted to burn it down, to emerge stronger.
Quietly, I approached a lone figure by the pool—a guy, radiating calm and peace. Intrigued, I peeked, my curiosity gently pulling me closer. His presence was like a serene melody, a tranquil oasis in the chaos of my world. The soft ripples in the water mirrored his tranquility. In his black hoodie, with messy hair and a subtle glow, he seemed otherworldly. Before I was called away, I cherished the simple yet profound beauty of that moment, where calmness wrapped around him like a comforting embrace.