Suffocating Reality
The walk back from the park felt different this time.
Her thoughts had been clear, and for a brief moment, she felt a sense of peace—like the old man had given her something to hold onto.
The idea that she didn’t have to fit into the world’s expectations, that she was worthy just as she was, filled her with a kind of quiet strength.
But when she opened the door to the house, that fragile sense of calm shattered.
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
Oh? You're here?
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
Be happy. I found you a match. *scrolling through her phone*
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
You’re going to meet him tomorrow
She says matter-of-factly, her voice cold. Too cold. As if she wasn't making her own niece's life decision.
Her aunt didn’t see her standing there. She didn’t notice the way her heart stopped beating for a moment. She didn’t hear the blood rushing in her ears.
The words were too much. Too final. Too absolute.
Her aunt turned and finally noticed her standing frozen in the doorway. Her eyes narrowed, her lips curled into a sneer.
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.
Astria Rodrigues (FL)
Marriage?
She asked not being able to even grasp what that meant. Was she being sold?
Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion, doubt, and panic.
Astria Rodrigues (FL)
(I don’t even know him)
Astria Rodrigues (FL)
(Why am I being forced into this? What if I don’t want this?)
She thought, but she couldn’t say any of it out loud. The words wouldn’t come.
Astria Rodrigues (FL)
But… I don’t… *trembling voice*
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
No more arguments *snaps*
Astria Rodrigues (FL)
*flinch*
She flinched hearing Mayra's loud voice, sharp, like a jagged edge cutting through the air.
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
It’s done. I’ve arranged everything. You will meet him tomorrow, and you will do this. There’s no other choice. It’s for your own good.
The words felt like chains. The idea of marriage, of being given away to someone she didn’t know, suffocated her.
Her chest tightened. The thought of being taken away again—of having no control over her own life—made her feel like she was falling into a deep hole.
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
You’re not like everyone else *cold and dismissive*
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
You’re not normal. So, this is your only option.
She could hear the words, but they felt distant, like they didn’t belong to her. Like she wasn’t even a part of the conversation.
Mayra Maverick (FL Aunt)
You don’t have to worry about anything. He’ll take care of you, and you’ll be gone from here. I’ll be free.
Her aunt turned away, leaving her standing in the doorway, her body trembling with the weight of everything she didn’t understand.
Astria Rodrigues (FL)
Tomorrow *thought numbly*
Astria Rodrigues (FL)
Tomorrow, I will meet him *murmurs*
She didn’t know who he was. She didn’t know what would happen.
All she knew was that the life she had begun to carve for herself—one where she could think for herself
Where she could find peace in the stars and in the quiet of the world around her—felt like it was being ripped away from her.
Her mind raced to understand the conversation. The idea of marriage, of someone taking her away from her aunt’s house, seemed like a strange solution.
It felt like another version of abandonment.
Her heart pounded, anxiety building inside her chest. She didn’t want to be treated like she was less than a person, less than a human being.
But why would anyone want to marry her?
She wasn’t like everyone else.
She wasn't "normal" by definition of others. She found it strange.
Who could possibly understand her when no one had ever even tried?
_____________________________
Comments
unicorn
I like the story but I think the pov of fl iss much starting feel like skip skip
try yo reduce that authy
2025-03-11
1