14 I hate myself!

Stewards Leo witnessed Sara diligently washing some veggies in a big bowl under the flowing water of the kitchen sink. He frowned.

[What is this girl up to? Is she prepping for a veggie katana (1)?]

"What are you doing?" Steward Leo stepped forward. By then, the girl had done the washing and putting the apron around her slender torso.

"Oh, I am preparing soup from my mother's recipe", said Sara as she was tying the apron around her back.

"Better put on some comfy clothes", Steward Leo said softly, in a way different from his stern tone.

"I am okay with it. I will change once I go upstairs."

"Okay, call me if you need something", Sterwd Leo said glancing at the veggies, "Those are from your Dad's garden."

"I know", Sara nodded with a smile.

"I get going", The old butler as he turned to leave. But as soon as he reached the door, the villa began to shake. He turned back in fright, "Sara!"

Sara was startled from the sudden arrival of an earthquake before she collapsed and the world turned black...

---

She opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of nowhere. Her clothes were covered in blood, her hands were bloody... Everywhere she saw, she could see darkness seizing over her. She was cold, every part of her was feeling cold. She could not see anything beyond this huge sea of darkness.

"Sara!" she heard a familiar voice coming from not so far. She turned to face it. There, she saw her six-year-old self running into her Mumma dearest. The next moment, her Mumma dearest lifted her and hugged her as she swayed her gently.

She found herself moving slowly as she murmured, "Mom..."

She extended her arms to touch her, to feel her warmth. But...

Woosh...

Everything turned into dust the moment she tried to touch. Everything vanished.

"Mom!" she yelled into nothingness. She felt the cold sweeping through here again. She looked at her bloody hands and screamed into them. She wanted to cry but her eyes felt dry.

Very soon, she heard faint footsteps approaching. She turned and looked around warily. She saw a familiar figure not too far in the distance.

Dad!

It was her dad!

She ran towards him in happiness. But, he brushed past her and instead took the little Sara in his arms. She felt helpless and alone. For a moment, she began hating her childhood self. She hated...herself. Desperately, she ran ahead to hug her Dad. Even if it means, just once.

But it happened again!

It!

Freaking!

Happened!

Again!

Woosh

Everything turned to dust the moment she tried to touch them. Everything was in her grasp, but she lost it one by one. Everything! She lost everything!

"If I get lost someday, you will find me, right?" the young girl in two pigtails asked the cute, smiling boy beside her.

"I will find you. I promise, I will", the boy smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek.

The girl blushed and smiled as she fidgeted with her fingers. With a tiny smile on her chubby face, she asked, "Promise?"

"Promise", the boy grabbed her palms as a peck landed on his cheek. His face broke into an adorable smile.

"How childish", Sara blurted out, "I wish you have forgotten me. I hate myself! I don't want you to find me anymore."

But, why the heck!

She loved him all these years!

She chose to hide, so as not to bring any harm upon him!

She loved him!

Yeah!

She!

Freaking!

Loved!

Him!

And she was a fool, to begin with! An ingenuine fool! Knowing how deep her feelings were, she chose to nurture them, instead of brushing them away!

As a child, she was never afraid of anything. She was someone who would tease a poisonous snake until it became her pet.

She didn't want to disturb the beautiful picture. But it collapsed into dust and vanished into thin air again. She wanted to cry but the tears really seemed to have dried. No matter what, she failed to shed any tears.