Mia's voice was steady, but her body betrayed her. "No thanks, I'm perfectly fine," she said, forcing a smile as she stood up from the bench. Her legs wobbled beneath her, and before she could regain her balance, her body crumpled to the ground with a sharp thud. The world tilted, the pavement scraping against her skin as a surge of pain shot up her spine.
A voice interrupted her self-inflicted silence. "Are you—"
But she didn't need to hear more. With an effort that made her chest ache, Mia shoved herself up, her hands shaking as she planted them against the rough concrete. Her breath was shallow, but she forced herself to rise, standing shakily on her feet. She turned toward the stranger—a man she had barely noticed until now—and her lips pressed into a thin, strained line.
"Please, mister, I'm okay," she said through gritted teeth, taking a shaky step away from him. She could feel the burn in her legs, the weakness in her body that she hated. Her thoughts clouded with bitterness. I hate when people pity me like that.
She tried to ignore him, to make her legs work, to move away from the well-meaning stranger. The last thing she wanted was to be treated like some fragile, broken thing. Her mind screamed at her to keep walking, to keep moving forward, but her body was betraying her, every step a reminder of the physical limitations she struggled against daily.
But then, without warning, something changed. A sudden pressure on her back—strong arms enveloping her body—halted her progress.
For a heartbeat, Mia froze. Her body stiffened, her mind racing, panicking. What the hell?
Before she could react, before she could comprehend what was happening, she felt herself being pulled toward him, his grip firm, unyielding. A sharp, instinctual panic surged through her veins, and in an instant, she shoved against his chest, her voice breaking through the shock.
"Let me go!" she screamed, her hands pushing against his chest with desperate force. "Who are you to hold me? What the hell? Leave me!"
Her pulse was a thunderous beat in her ears as she struggled, pushing against the stranger with all the force she could muster. The air around her seemed to freeze in that moment, the world narrowing to the touch of his arms around her, the firm grip that felt like a trap.
But then, just as quickly as the shock had overtaken her, Mia's mind snapped into focus. With a final burst of adrenaline, she twisted her body free, breaking free from his hold and stumbling backward, her heart hammering in her chest. She barely registered the way the man had stepped back in response, his face a mixture of confusion and concern.
The air between them hung heavy, tense. She was still breathing too fast, her legs trembling from both the exertion and the emotional rush. Her eyes shot toward the ground, unwilling to meet his gaze.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice quieter this time, less sure. She wasn't even sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.
He didn't speak right away, but she could feel his eyes on her—eyes that were full of something she couldn't place, something that felt too much like pity. She didn't need that. Not now. Not ever.
With a final glance at the man, Mia forced her legs into motion again, this time more cautiously. She walked away, every step heavy with the weight of the encounter. She could feel his gaze lingering on her, but she didn't dare look back.
As she walked, her thoughts were clouded with frustration. Why couldn't people just leave me alone?
Her steps faltered again, but this time, she didn't fall. Instead, she pressed forward, determined not to let anyone see the weakness she carried within. I'll show them all, she thought fiercely. I don't need their help. I never have.
Mia's voice trembled with rage and fear as she struggled to break free from the stranger's grasp. "What do you think of yourself?" she spat, her eyes blazing with indignation. "I'm going to call the police. Leave me!"
But the man remained unfazed, his grip unyielding. Mia's anger turned to desperation as she fought, yelled, and cursed, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he whispered, "Cry, Mia, cry," his voice dripping with an unsettling calmness.
Mia's words turned to sobs as she realized the futility of her struggles. "I will never trust anyone again," she wailed, her body shaking with convulsive sobs. "Hope it was worth it! AAAAAAAH. Money, money, money, hahaha. Friends, my foot." She ranted on, her words a jumbled mix of pain and betrayal.
The stranger enveloped her in a tight embrace, and Mia's sobs intensified. "I truly hate it when anyone feels sorry for me," she protested, trying to push him away. "Stop it already and let me go. Who are you to help me? Who called you? No one, right? Get lost."
Despite her resistance, the stranger held her fast, his silence a stark contrast to Mia's emotional turmoil. As she continued to cry and rail against him, he remained a steady, calming presence, his arms a refuge from the storm of her emotions.
Mia's world was shattered, her voice barely above a whisper as she spat out the words: "I hate you, Sara. I hate myself, and I'm so annoyed with myself. Hahaha, why money, why? It hurts." Her body crumpled to the ground, overcome by the weight of her emotions. She sobbed uncontrollably, her cries echoing through the silence until exhaustion consumed her, and she slipped into a fitful sleep.
The stranger, Jake, gazed upon her fragile form, his heart aching with compassion. "I wish I could take away all your pain," he whispered, his voice laced with regret. "You don't deserve this. I know one thing: you will surely change, only because of one person." He paused, his thoughts drifting to Sara. "I hope you reconsider what you have decided, because many people care for you, but she just used you from day one. I wish you saw it in the beginning."
With gentle hands, Jake scooped up Mia's limp form and carried her to his home, cradling her as if she were a broken bird. He settled her into the first room, tucking her into bed with a soft blanket to ward off the chill. As he gazed upon her pale face, he couldn't help but think: "I wish we had met sooner than this. I want to protect you, but I think I have lost the chance because of her."
Jake's mind raced with conflicting emotions, his thoughts torn between his desire to shield Mia from harm and the knowledge that she needed time to heal. "Sara, if only you had waited a little longer," he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. "But no! Ah, Jake, leave it. She needs time alone. Wait, okay? I have to wait."
With a heavy heart, Jake retreated to his own bed, his mind whirling with questions and doubts. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had lost his chance to protect Mia, and that Sara's influence still lingered, a constant threat to Mia's fragile heart.
As the first light of dawn crept through the windows, Mia stirred from her slumber. She quickly bathed and dressed, her movements swift and silent. Descending the stairs, she found the stranger fast asleep on the couch. She gazed at him for a moment, her expression unreadable.
"Hey," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thanks...make sure we never see each other again." Her words hung in the air like a mist, fragile and ephemeral.
The stranger stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he sat up with a start. But Mia was already heading towards the door, her hand reaching for the handle.
"When we do," she continued, her voice firm and resolute, "don't act like you knew me." With that, she shut the door behind her, leaving the stranger to ponder her enigmatic words.
As Mia stepped out into the crisp morning air, the sun's golden rays danced across her face, casting a warm glow on her features. The world was fresh and new, full of possibilities and promise. She took a deep breath, feeling the cool breeze fill her lungs, and began her journey anew.
The stranger, Jake, watched her go from the window, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of their encounter. He couldn't shake the feeling that their paths would cross again, and next time, things would be different. Little did he know, Mia's words would haunt him, a constant reminder of the mysterious girl who had walked into his life and disappeared just as suddenly.
Jake's world crumbled around him as he felt like his heart was pierced by a thousand needles. He was paralyzed with grief, unable to move or speak, and all he could do was fall to the ground and sob uncontrollably.
Three weeks passed, and Mia was nowhere to be found. Her classmates scoured the campus, nearby cafes, and girls' dorms, but she seemed to have vanished into thin air. Sara attended all the lectures, but she was just as clueless as the others. The lecturer was frustrated, berating Sara for not knowing her best friend's whereabouts. "How can you not know your best friend's dorm? What kind of friend are you?" Jake's accusing stare made Sara squirm, as if he knew something she didn't.
Sara tried to approach Jake, but he rebuffed her, his annoyance palpable. She couldn't shake off the feeling that he was hiding something. "Why is he always staring at me? When I try to talk to him, he seems so annoyed. Am I overthinking? I don't even know how Mia is doing. Did she...no, no, she's strong. She can't...Stop thinking negatively; she'll come back soon." Sara pushed aside her dark thoughts and headed to the coffee shop to clear her mind.
Meanwhile, Mia had been holed up in her room for three weeks, a shell of her former self. She barely ate, bathed, or cleaned, only venturing out of bed to grab food or use the restroom. But on the fourth week, something shifted inside her. She woke up at 5:00 PM, got ready, and set out into the unknown.
As she arrived on campus, she ran into Mark, who was overjoyed to see her. "Mia, you're here! Where have you been? I thought something terrible happened to you!" He sobbed, relief etched on his face. Mia tried to reassure him, making a joke to lighten the mood. "Mark, are you crying because you didn't want me to come back alive or what?!"
Mark rushed towards her, embracing her tightly. "You fool, come here! How dare you say that?" Mia handed him a bag, a hint of a smile on her face. "I made something special for you. Enjoy, I'm late." With that, she took off towards the hallway, leaving Mark in tears. "Thank God you're well. I was so worried that I opened a missing person case at the police station." He chuckled, wiping away his tears. "Now I'll go and withdraw it."