uoıʇıɹɐdsıᗡ

ꜱᴇꜱꜱᴀɴᴛᴀᴅᴜᴇ : ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛ

Ten more months had passed before I knew it. Visiting the creek had become a daily routine, it was a medicine for me. A therapy. A place I could call my own, somewhere nobody knew about and that nobody could take away from me.

11th July 2017, that was three years ago to this day. Engraved into my mind like a code. 11th July 2017, the day I long to forget; the day my downfall began.

Nothing strange had occurred since that mysterious appearance of the rose. It was as if it was all a memory, everything had resumed to the way it was previously. Like a blur in time.

A sharp tap suddenly echoed through the room, snapping me out of my regular gaze. Steadily, I opened my window; the wind whistled through and there it lay: a small piece of paper. Cautiously, I unfolded it and there, written elegantly in perfect cursive, were seven words I had dreaded to read ever again.

The seven words that confirmed that year was not just a blur in time, that my defence mechanism of repressing my memory was all an illusion. He's real.

La mia Leonessa, ti ho trovato - V.M. Written entirely in Italian, I knew it was him.

"Dinner's ready Valentinia!" I heard Katy call from downstairs.

Over the past ten months, Katy and I had drifted apart. Though I still considered her more to me than my primary caregivers, we had become more acquaintances opposed to being friends. I was not the same person she used to know, and I guess she did not know how to act around me anymore. She just gave up trying and I just let it happen. It was easier that way. I wanted to move on, and she was still focused on the past. Trying to uncover what happened. On the other hand, I did not. I shut her out and she let me.

Sometimes people are temporary - they make you happy for a duration of time and then the world moves on and then you do also. That is just evolution for you.

As expected, when I walked into the dining room, my parents were absent.

What did I expect? I scoffed.

I took a seat arranged opposite to Katy and moved my food around on the plate whilst we sat in silence. I hated small talk; it was just an excuse to be invasive.

We sat in silence for around ten minutes, before Katy noticed I was not eating and asked,

"You have not touched your meal. Is everything okay, Nia?" A faint look of concern plastered adorned her face.

"Headache, I think I am going to lie down," I replied, rubbing my head, all the whilst avoiding eye contact.

Lies. When in reality, I had lost my appetite when I had noticed the note.

"Okay, then you go and rest. I will preserve your food for later." She said, whilst collecting my plate.

I nodded, and just as I was going to remove myself from the table, she interrupted.

"Oh, and don't forget tomorrow; your parents are holding a business event to promote their new business associate. You are expected to be there." She added, dismissively.

Wonderful, just what I needed to hear. Not knowing tomorrow would determine my future.

I took that as my cue to leave and scaped my chair across the floor in an obnoxious manner, before quickly returning upstairs to my room.

***

The next evening rolled around quickly, and before I knew it I was stood before the mirror, examining my appearance. The emerald silk-like material clung to my figure like a second skin, a slit travelled up the length my thigh emphasising the expanse of my legs. My blue eyes shone in the moon-lit evening light, the cat-like eyeliner and crimson lips adding to the mirage of a sensual look. My hair was slicked back and straight.