Too Good To Be True (2)

I was quick to scramble back on my feet despite the stingy pain I felt.

We were in an isolated part of the community surrounded by trees and abandoned houses. I was familiar with the area, so I used it to my advantage by ensuring my figure disappeared behind bushes and giant trees.

I heaved a sigh that I was able to lose my bullies that were chasing me.

As I caught my breath, I realized that I had wandered deeper into the woods than I had intended, but I felt safe knowing that my knowledge of the area had helped me escape. However, I knew that I needed to be more careful in the future to avoid stumbling upon those good for nothing again. I needed to stay there for as long as I could. And I did!

I hid behind those shrubs for a long while, ensuring there was no sign of Lance or his friends looking for me before deciding to come out.

A relief sigh left my throat to have indeed managed to lose those damn ruffians and I could finally head home. I was wrong though, because the jerk had concealed himself somewhere to capture me when I thought I could eventually sneak back home in one piece.

My heart leaped as I realized that I could never be careful enough when it came to this jerk. I realized never to let my guard down even for a moment – to always remain vigilant.

Lance pounced on me with a roar the second he saw me, the impact throwing me off my feet and my back met the harsh surface.

I winced and groaned due to the collision.

I tried struggling to free myself from his clutches and get back up, but a deafening sound followed by a stinging pain immediately dominated my senses.

He slapped me. Hard. And I could swear my upper lip was broken because I felt a familiar metallic taste in my mouth. I felt humiliated, angry, and scared all at once.

Seeing me lying helpless at his mercy must have given him joy as he shot me a cold and sadistic grin before forcing my hands above my head.

"You stupid little bitch! Did you honestly think you could hide from me?" he growled at me, spit flying from his mouth and hitting my face as he held me down.

I was mad now! This oppression was too much for one to bear—especially when I have done nothing wrong.

I clenched my fists and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down before I did something I would regret. But the anger inside me continued to boil, and I knew that I had to find a way to fight back against this injustice.

His grip on me tightened and his fingers dug into my skin.

That was it! My patience snapped. "Get off me!" I screamed at him with rage. He had been invading my personal space for far too long and I was done with it.

"How dare you tell me what to do, huh?" he shot back at me with equal rage. "I am the son of the most powerful man in this town, and you are nothing but an ugly little freak abandoned by your parents and cast away by the townspeople. NO ONE WANTS YOU! I'd be thrilled that an important figure such as myself is paying you attention," he added with a sneer.

His words stung me like a thousand bees because they were nothing but the truth. I had been fighting this truth for years despite knowing my denial would lead me nowhere. I was abandoned, unloved and unwanted, first by my own parents and then by the town folks.

I had been deceiving myself all these years, thinking this wasn't the case even though the candor was apparent. They never concealed their disdain and hatred for me because it was written all over their faces whenever they saw me. Their actions also said it all.

I felt hurt and alone, but I knew that their behavior was a reflection of their own insecurities and prejudices.

Despite my best efforts to win the fight, hot tears began to well up in my eyes.

All this agony... It all started when the townspeople first noticed my oddity at a young age. I was stronger than their daughters and more competent than their sons. Sometimes I would move so fast that everyone around me would stare at me in shock. I was far better than them, which didn't sit well with them. They seemed to be threatened by my abilities and felt compelled to bring me down.

My misfortune began as simple jealousy by people who couldn't stand seeing others succeed more than themselves until I was labeled a 'FREAK' who should never have been in their company.

I was only 9 years old at the time. I slept in the cold for two days before being discovered and taken in by a kind older Samaritan. The experience left an indelible impression on me, and I will be eternally grateful to Nana for showing me kindness when I needed it the most.

My Nana was the sweetest, most reserved old lady I'd ever met. She lived alone in a cozy little cottage on the outskirts of town, between the people and the Humdrum Forest.

Nana's cabin received no visitors due to its proximity to the dark and vast land hedged with giant trees and perpetual fog. None of my bullies dared to go to this part of town because nothing that went in ever came back.

Nana had always warned me about the dangers I would face should I ever be foolish enough to venture inside the forest, yet I couldn't help but be curious about what lay beyond the trees. As I stood outside her cabin, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me from within the darkness.

She often told tales of how many had gone into it looking for treasures or adventure, men and animals alike, but no one ever made it back. None except one brave young man who believed the story about the forest was no more than a hoax to scare children off. But his little adventure didn't end well because he came back a different person.

Leo, now known as 'crazy Leo, was a regular overconfident man. He had been sane until the day his ego pushed him on a mission impossible together with his group of friends six years ago.

Nobody slept well that night because they were all waiting to hear what news would come their way the next day. They were anxious to know what indeed lurked in that forest, and the only way to find out was if Leo and his group of friends made it back alive.

A renewed terror enveloped the people as Leo returned with gashes and broken limbs the next day.

When asked what he had seen, he started screaming "Monsters," which was the last sane word he uttered because everything after that was gibberish murmurs and hysterical laughter.

Whatever he had seen in the forest that day had clearly traumatized him beyond belief. No one dared to venture within ten miles of the forest after that. Well…no one except me!