17 This is just the beginning
I reach my room and start pacing. Everything was crashing in on me and I didn''t know what to do. My
lungs felt constricted. I couldn’t breathe.
Why was this happening to me? I thought that after I got free everything would be good. Everything
would be perfect. I was so fucking wrong. Everything was out of control and I felt like I was drowning.
“Karma is a bitch, isn’t she?” Raya says,ing out of her hiding hall.
“Shut up, I don’t have time for you” I scream in my head. “Especially after you abandoned me when I
needed”
The events of the night were catching up to me. I can’t believe that Iris is here. Can’t believe that I
almost died today. I especially can’t believe that Raya abandoned me to die. That she had hoped that
the beast would kill me.
“How could you Raya? After everything we’ve been through…how could you just leave me like that?”
She gives me what I presume is a shrug. She has no regrets and doesn’t feel bad.
I was on the verge of tears. My heart was tearing apart and I had no way of stopping it. Everything
inside me hurts. Seeing Iris reminded me of all I went through and how it seems the goddess is against
? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.
me.
Did she hate me that much? Even after sending someone to rescue us, I was still in misery. I was still
in pain and everything seemed to be against me. Haven’t I been through enough already?
“No you haven’t…this is just the beginning, trust me, there is more toe and I can’t wait to see you
suffer” she gives me an evil smile before slinking off.
I fall on my bed in a heap and cry. I’m unable to hold back the tears. The paines rushing out of me
like an avnche. I feel like I’m being buried alive. Being buried under theyers andyers of pain and
agony.
I just want all of it to end. The pain and the heartache.
I want to be happy. To be free. To be whole. I don’t want to wake up each day with nothing but
emptiness and fragments of myself. Was that too much to ask?
“Please goddess, whatever I’ve done wrong please forgive me, and take away my suffering and pain.
Please.” I beg, my words clogging my throat.
There is no answer from her. No reassurance. Noforting inner soft voice. There is nothing but
silence and that speaks more than words.
I don’t know for how long Iy there crying when my door opens and someone enters. I have no
strength to lift my head up and check who it is.
“Mayra…” she calls, her voice soft.
I don’t look up. She is thest person I want to see. I just want to be alone.
She doesn’t get the hint. Instead I hear her soft footsteps then I feel her weight on the bed. She gently
lifts my head and ces it on herp. It is a difficult and weird position given her baby bump.
“I’m sorry May. So sorry for judging you. I know your character, we’ve bonded through your pain. I
should have trusted your heart because I’ve seen it and I know that you don’t have a single mean or
selfish bone in your body”
Her words make me cry more. I just feel so lost right now.
I grab her hand and hold it tightly in mine. Right now she’s my anchor to the present. Without her I feel
like I will copse into a thousand pieces.
“It’s okay, Mayra…everything will be alright, you’ll see. Just trust in the moon goddess’ n” she
whispers, hugging me close.
I internally scoff at her words. The goddess’ ns concerning me have never been good. In fact it’s like
she has something against me.
When I’ve finally run out of tears, I lift my head from herp and sit up. I wipe the remaining tears from
my face and face her.
“Thank you Ren”
She pierces me with her eye before answering. “Anything for you Mayra.”
“I’m going to take a shower. I feel so dirty after running through the forest.”
She nods her head and stands up to leave. After she has left, I head for the bathroom. Stripping, I jump
into the shower and allow the hot water to rx my tense and tired bones.
Thirty minutester I’m clean and in myforting onesie pajamas. I sit on my bed and scroll through
my phone, finding a message from Darren.
(I’m sorry about today darling…I promise I’ll make it up to you)
I sigh and put my phone down without replying. Him judging me hurt more than Ren and Sebastian
judging me. I never expected he would look down on my like that.
I was about to sleep when my door opened again. Ren walks in but this time she’s with Iris.
“I know this is a lot to ask but she has nowhere to sleep. All the bedrooms are upied and Colton’s
bed is too small to fit both of them” she says with a guilty look on her face.
It''s on the tip of my tongue to yell at her. To tell her she should have thought of that before telling Grace
that Iris could stay here but I hold back. Ren never does anything maliciously.
I simply nod my head in eptance that I will be sharing a bed with Iris.
“Go on sweetie” Ren tells her, giving her a gentle push further into my room.
She looks at Ren then at me. She’s unsure, after all I didn’t give off any weing or loving vibes.
“Go on” Ren urges her again.
She steps further into the room and slowly walks towards my bed. Once she gets near it she stands still
and looks up at me.
The sad look she has on tugs at my heart strings. Without meaning to, my hands reach out and lift her
onto my bed. I remove her shoes and shove the nkets off so she could get into bed.
She gets the hint and does so.
After sheys down, I gently cover her and make sure that she is warm and cozy.
It’s when I feel Ren’s burn stare that I realize what I just did. I snap my head in her direction only to find
her smiling with tears swimming in her beautiful eyes.
“Goodnight you two” she tells us quickly before leaving.
I’m left a bit mystified by my actions. Shaking myself out of the stupor, I switch off the bedsidemps
and burrow deep into the nkets.
“Goodnight Mayra” her voice is so small that I almost missed her words.
A part of my heart and mind wants to ignore her words. They want to snub her but I can''t, no matter
how much I want to distance myself from her
Against my better judgment I find myself replying.
“Goodnight too Iris”