Yearning of a Broken Child: A Birthday from Ashes (Chapter Two)
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A Birthday from Ashes
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Elora's small body trembled as she backed into the dark corner of the room, her hands shaking, her tearful eyes disbelieving what was happening...
And the leader approaching her with cold steps, as if crawling from the heart of hell.
She said in a broken voice, barely coming out of her small throat:
"Please... don't kill me... please... I'm still young..."
He stopped for a moment, stared at her with empty eyes, then whispered bitterly:
"And I was young too... Did anyone ask me? Did anyone save me?"
She clung to the last remaining hope, and whispered:
"Today... today is my birthday... I don't want to die..."
He let out a laugh that sounded like the creaking of an old door in an abandoned house, then said:
"Me too... I had a birthday, when I was your age...
But no one brought me a cake, no one sang to me..."
He stepped closer, his eyes burning with the fire of hatred,
then with a faint voice like poison:
"Don't be afraid... I won't kill you... I will do to you something worse than death..."
Elora screamed, cried, ran looking for a corner to protect her,
but there is no protection in a wolf's cage.
She screamed:
"Dad... Mom... they are waiting for me... please, let me go back to them..."
He froze for a moment, his gaze changed, then his features tightened, as if a mirror broke inside him,
and he screamed angrily:
"You will go back to them... don't worry... but they won't recognize you anymore!"
Then he lunged at her, like a beast breaking free from its chains.
She screamed... she fought back...
but her small hands could do nothing.
She saw nothing but grim shadows... then she glimpsed that tattoo on his chest,
a strange, small tattoo, resembling half a dragon, engraved next to his heart...
Then...
Then a strange, distorted song started playing from an old radio in the corner...
a song her memory immortalized forever, becoming a part of her pain.
Time froze,
the light died in her eyes,
and in that moment a broken child was born...
who will grow up to be a woman who does not forget... and does not forgive.
They were not satisfied with her tears... nor her pleas... nor her blood on the floor.
Instead, they took out their phones, as if filming a joy...
as if what they did to her was an achievement to be immortalized.
Their laughs filled the place...
"Look at her... a child! Crying like a little kitten!"
"Everyone will see her... she will become famous!"
"Publish it... let the world know who she is!"
The sound of the record button...
the camera flash...
and the echo of her trembling scream from which everything was stolen.
In Elora's family home, the decorations were hung, and the party lights danced on the walls.
Flowers flooded the tables, and gifts were lined up, waiting for their owner.
Marissa was making sure everything was in place, Ziad proudly watching the huge cake decorated with the name "Elora".
The guests arrived, children running around, and laughter echoing... but Rami was in a corner of the garden, checking his watch for the tenth time.
He said in a shaky voice while looking at the gate:
"Elora is late... this is unlike her."
Marissa approached him, gently placed her hand on his shoulder and said:
"Don't worry... maybe she had an extra lesson, or stayed with her friend and lost track of time. You know her, she always loses track of time when she's happy."
Ziad raised his head and said with a small smile:
"Yes, Dad... don't worry, she will definitely come."
But that hidden anxiety did not leave Rami's features.
And suddenly...
whispers began to rise among the attendees.
The party guests who were laughing minutes ago,
were now looking at their phones...
then at each other...
then at Marissa and Rami.
Disgusted, tense looks, carrying a thousand unspoken questions.
One of the women stepped forward and whispered in Sabiha's ear,
handing her her trembling phone.
Marissa opened the phone...
as soon as she saw the picture, her voice choked, and she almost fell.
"Rami..."
she whispered in fear, and handed him the phone.
Rami stared at the screen,
then his face changed... turned red, then pale,
then he screamed at the top of his lungs:
"Kick everyone out of here!"
"Everyone get out! The party is over!"
Marissa followed him, screaming emotionally:
"She disgraced us... our daughter disgraced us!"
Ziad stood stunned, not understanding what was happening,
and the people's whispers became public,
"Is this Elora?!"
"Oh my God!"
"What is this shame?!"
Marissa sharply turned off the music, and raised her angry voice:
"Get out, all of you! Get out!"
And amidst this chaos,
the sound of a car stopping in front of the house was heard...
heavy footsteps approaching the door...
then... light knocks.
Everyone froze, and turned towards the door in heavy silence.
Rami reached out his hand, and slowly... began to open the door.
She was there...
Elora, lying on the ground...
They had thrown her in front of the door.
Her small body curled up at the door of her house,
like human trash...
as if she was nothing but a passing moment in their sick instinct.
They fled in their cursed car, leaving her there,
in the silence of the morning...
and in the midst of her birthday.
Minutes passed like a whole lifetime.
Elora opened her eyes with difficulty...
everything hurt her...
the street, the air, the echo of laughter in her ears...
everything in her screamed "Why?"
She raised her head with difficulty...
she saw him... her father.
For a moment, she thought salvation had come.
Her tears preceded her words,
"Dad... Dad, help me... I... they kidnapped me!"
She ran to him with all the spirit left in her,
but... what met her was not the embrace she wished for.
Instead...
A slap.
An angry palm crashed onto her cheek like a whip.
He screamed at her with all the fury of the world:
"You shameless girl!
You ruined our reputation!
You dragged the family's name into the mud!
Your pictures are posted everywhere!
You made us a laughingstock in front of people!"
She trembled, almost falling from the shock.
"But... I... am a victim..."
she barely whispered.
But no one heard the whisper.
It was only moments before her mother Marissa's voice came, with anxiety and confusion:
"Rami, people will talk... we must leave here immediately.
We can no longer bear their looks, they all saw the video... the scandal has spread!"
Elora said as tears bled from her soul:
"I'll come with you... take me with you..."
But Marissa said with death-like coldness:
"To where?
You are the reason for everything that is happening.
The clan will not forgive us if we take you.
They will make Jawdat pay the price."
Elora screamed brokenly:
"I am your daughter! How can you do this? I am scared, I can't stay alone!"
She looked at Jawdat,
her eyes begging, calling for help, pleading,
Ziad approached with angry steps, in his internal struggle, his gaze swinging between pity for his sister and his anger at what happened.
But Rami cut his hesitation with a strict tone that accepted no objection:
"We have no time! Come on, pack your things. We are leaving now!"
Everyone moved quickly.
No one turned to Elora.
No one offered a hand.
Not even a farewell glance was cast upon her.
They left her... they left their broken child crying at the doorstep as if she was never one of them, as if she had never called them "Mom... Dad".
She stayed there, curled up on herself, crying with indescribable burning, and the sound of her screaming echoed throughout the place, but no one heard her...
or maybe... they heard, but chose silence.
They left her at the doorstep...
and she hadn't even reached fourteen yet.
Elora...
in her torn dress,
with bruises on her heart, not just on her skin.
With her buried childhood,
and her dignity crucified on the doors of cowardice and shame.
She shrank into herself, crying bitterly,
as if the whole world had gathered against her.
Elora stood up.
With heavy steps, as if the earth groaned beneath her from the weight of the betrayal and wounds that child carried.
Her face pale, and her eyes swollen from crying,
the air slapping her as if to remind her that there is no warmth in this world.
She went out to the garden...
and froze in place.
Colorful lights hung.
Pink balloons.
A table full of cakes and sweets.
"Happy Birthday Elora" written on a decorated banner.
Everything seemed... beautiful.
Fake.
Poisoned.
As if she was in a bad play,
and the audience laughing at her moans behind the scenes.
Suddenly, the volcano exploded inside her.
She screamed with a voice that tore the silence:
"Lies!
It's all lies!
You never loved me!"
She ran towards the table,
overturned it with trembling hands.
Juice spilled, plates flew, candles scattered.
She kicked the balloons, tore the decorations,
screamed, cried, shouted:
"Where were you?!
When I was screaming and crying?
When I was begging you not to leave me?
You left me alone as if I am worth nothing!"
Her tears were mixing with her voice...
a child bleeding with unbearable words.
The scene was as painful as the sight of a flower being crushed under merciless feet.
But in that moment...
in the midst of pain and betrayal,
something new was born in Elora...
A woman was born, from the ashes of the broken child.
A woman who will not forget... and will not forgive.
And the day will come... and she will reclaim everything stolen from her, and more.
Elora remained on the ground, hugging her small, trembling body in her arms, dust covering her torn dress, and tears falling in painful silence on her cheeks. The ground was cold... but it was not colder than the hearts of those who left her.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but one thing she felt strongly... loneliness.
And suddenly...
"Tick... tick... tick..."
The sound of elegant high heels began to approach slowly and steadily. Confident steps, different from those she was used to. It wasn't her father, nor her mother, nor anyone from the clan... this sound was strange.
Elora raised her head heavily, tears still obstructing her vision. And from behind the foggy curtain of her tearful eyes, she caught a glimpse of an elegant woman, wearing an expensive coat, and a strict look examining her from top to bottom.
Elora felt something strange sneaking into her tired heart...
for the first time, the look of the person in front of her was not full of blame or shame.
Instead, that look was... steady, cold, but devoid of judgment.
Her lips trembled and she whispered in a barely audible voice:
"Don't leave me..."
End of Chapter Two