Past with Scars.

The little girl trembled in bed, clutching her teddy bear, as she listened to her parents' familiar bickering in the next room. Tears welled up in her eyes as their angry voices echoed in Spanish, and she wished she could block out the noise.

As the argument escalated, the shadows of her parents on the wall grew larger and more intimidating. The little girl felt helpless as fear pounded in her chest.

She whispered, "Papa, mama, don't fight," but her words were lost amidst the slamming doors and shattering glass.

The little girl closed her eyes, hoping it would all go away, but the fighting continued relentlessly. She felt powerless against such rage and violence.

Suddenly, Maria's memories faded, and she found herself standing at the supermarket counter where she worked. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering feeling of fear and powerlessness from her past.

Eric, a co-worker, interrupted her thoughts. "Maria, are you okay?" he asked, noticing the worry etched on her face.

Maria forced a smile and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just lost in thought for a moment."

Eric nodded, sensing something was bothering her. "Is everything alright?"

Maria hesitated, not sure if she wanted to open up to him. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, trying to sound more convincing.

Eric looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, if you need anything, let me know."

Maria nodded gratefully. "Actually, could you grab me a bottle of water?"

Eric smiled. "Sure thing, I'll be right back."

As Eric walked away, Maria couldn't help but feel a sense of hopelessness wash over her. She knew she couldn't change what had happened in her past, and the memories of her childhood continued to haunt her.

She tried to push the thoughts away, but they lingered in her mind, and she felt trapped in her own pain. She wondered if she would ever be able to escape the memories that had haunted her for so long.

Maria took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, but the feeling of helplessness was overwhelming. She felt like she was drowning in her own thoughts and emotions.

Despite her attempts to push the memories aside, Maria knew that they would continue to resurface until she confronted them head-on. But the thought of facing her past was terrifying, and she didn't know if she had the strength to do it.

As the day passed and night fell, heavy rain poured down, driving away all the customers from the supermarket. Eric approached Maria before leaving for the day, opening his umbrella as he spoke.

"Maria, I'm going now. Do you need anything?" he asked.

Maria, who had been absorbed in the sales book, didn't look up as she replied, "No, please go safely. I'll be alright."

Eric hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, fine. But just go home early, okay? You seem down today," he said with concern.

As Eric left, Maria was left alone in the store. The sound of the rain tapping on the roof and windows added to the already lonely atmosphere. She continued to work, feeling the weight of her past still lingering in her heart.

Suddenly, the door opened with a jingle. Maria, without looking up, apologized, "Sorry, we're closed."

The person approached her table and tapped it casually with a "Yo." Maria looked up to see her roommate Ashley standing there. Maria stood up with a huge grin and exclaimed, "Oh, it's you! How are you?"

Ashley, with her cold expression, replied, "Hmm, good."

Maria was disappointed with Ashley's dry response, but she knew it was just how she was. "What brought you here?" Maria asked.

Ashley fidgeted with her keys and leaned forward a bit before saying, "Beers."

Maria looked at her for a moment, trying to process what she said. "You want beer?" she asked incredulously.

Ashley rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, shawty. Beers."

Maria had a look of annoyance on her face for a split second, which she quickly hid behind another grin. "Ah, well okay," she said. As she was about to leave the counter, Ashley stopped her with a hand and said, "Finish your work. Take it when you're done, then we'll go home together."

Maria smiled, this time genuinely, and said, "I'm almost finished. Thanks, but you can go."

Ashley looked out the door at the rain, which was still pouring heavily. "Nah," she replied.

Ashley added, "I'm waiting here, you do it fast." Maria sat down and started working on the sales book. Meanwhile, Ashley started counting candies from the jar. In 5 minutes, Maria finished her work and said, "I'm done." Ashley replied, "OK. I'll grab the beers." she dumped all the candies she had counted back in the jar and went straight to grab cold beers.

They got in the car, and Ashley drove off without saying anything. The rain was pouring down heavily, and the sound of raindrops hitting the windshield was deafening. Maria tried to break the awkward silence and asked, "So, Ashley, how was your day at work?"

Ashley replied with a single word, "Fine."

Maria attempted another conversation starter, "Do you like the rain?"

Ashley drove in silence and didn't answer. She sped up the car, and Maria felt the car move with the wind. Maria settled into her seat and gave up on trying to converse, as she wasn't liking the so-called romantic weather. The rain kept pouring down relentlessly, and the car moved on the wet streets, the sound of raindrops hitting the car creating a sense of gloom in the car.