Lationna's extras

Love story

The weather set the mood, with gray clouds crawling across the sky, leaves breaking free of the branches as the wind clawed them away and dragged them across the dying grass on the ground.

Running, she was running as fast as she could down the streets of the small town that was supposed to be her home, supposed to be her safe place. She was running like her life depended on it, like if she stopped her fears would grab her by the ankles and drag her away.

Her name was Anna, a name given to her by her mother, the person that was supposed to be her protector, the one that was supposed to comfort her and whisper sweet nothings in her ear when she was in need, the one that was supposed to hold her when tears stained her cheeks, the one that was supposed to do anything and everything for her, the one that just stood there and let it happen.

Her cheeks were a bright red from the cold, unforgiving wind that stung her skin as she ran past the few houses in the neighborhood. She stopped at a small park at the edge of town by the woods, it was far from the house she lived in. That was where she always went to get away. It was a place David nor her mother knew about.

A place she felt the most at home.

The rust growing on the metal slides that took years to form was like pictures on the walls of a home to her, the swing set was the comfort of a warm welcoming couch, every time she looked at the worn down roundabout it reminded her how no matter how many times she tried to stay strong she'd run back to her safe place, it was an endless loop. She was safe there in that little old park.

She was panting heavily as she looked up at the sky, where there was no trace of the sun. She ran her hands over the various cuts and bruises along her arms. David always beat her, but it had never gotten this bad. His drinking problem was getting worse and worse with every passing day. Anna's mother did nothing to stop it, he never laid a hand on her mother and she didn't want to change that. So she let it happen.

The purple bruises hidden by her shirt were scattered across her stomach like a disease. She bared the bruises so that her mother didn't have to.

Anna decided to spend her night at that deserted park all alone. At least she thought she would be all alone, she wasn't the only one that knew about the small abandoned park that had vines devouring anything they could reach. A young man around her age arrived later that evening.

They both stayed at the park in a strange silence that swallowed their surroundings like a hungry lion that hadn't eaten in days. They threw glances at one another from opposite sides of the park every now and again that dared the other to break the silence first.

Over the hour that they had been there the stranger gradually and drew closer and closer to Anna, curious of the girl.

He was a few inches taller than her, his features were rough and intimidating. He had a rough look to him that made him look older than he was, looking into his eyes were like looking deep into a dark never ending forest.

Anna studied his expressionless face trying to figure out what was going on in his head or what his intentions were or even a reason he might be at the abandoned park so late in the day. He was also studying her, maybe it was the way she kept rubbing her arms to soothe the throbbing pain, or the way every time she moved she winced from the pain that stabbed her in her abdomen that finally made him question her, who knows.

She gave him the same implausible excuses she had learned to memorize and repeat over the years, like a programed robot. He didn't seem convinced, but he didn't push any further.

Eventually, he introduced himself as Brandon. Anna and Brandon talked for hours, until the dazzling light of the stars dispersed across the sky. The more and more they talked Anna found herself trusting this stranger she just met.

Every time Anna would return she would hope to see Brandon sitting on the old worn down bench of the park. Sometimes he would be there, other times she would sit at the park all alone counting the minutes, waiting for the hours pass her by.

Brandon made the park feel even more like a home to her, he was the only person she ever really talked to, and that was the only place they would ever meet.

Over the many encounters they had Brandon never missed the new bruises that would pop up on Anna's skin. Inevitably, Anna told him the truth after he kept questioning it. He didn't seem to surprised, it was pretty obvious to him.

He offered her to run away and live with him, a way to get away, a way to actually live her life, and escape from the horrors that lied under the roof of the small two bedroom house that she grew up in. Anna thought about it for a while, she trusted brandon, why not go?

So she did.

After she ran away with Brandon they lived together in a town miles away from David and her mother for many years, her tan skin flourished and was no longer covered in a blanket bruises.

They fell in love and later in the years of their time together, Brandon proposed to the girl he saved from suffering terrible beatings.

It happened at an old looking park, similar to the one where they met, on a hill that overlooked the place they now called home. Beautiful lights could be seen throughout the streets and the stars danced in the sky, celebrating what was going to happen on top of that small hill at the tumbledown park that sat on top.

He got on one knee and the words fell from his lips, "marry me?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This one is so touching, I love it.

Hits me right in the feels man 🤧

Also, I could MAYBE write an entire story based on these little story things if you guys would want it.

👀 no promises.