The Mark Legacy
Afternoon of broken feelings
We can escape most of our monsters.
But we can't escape our memories of them
It was a dazzling summer afternoon.
nae
It has been a while since I have been in out in the air.
nae
Hmm.. was afternoons always this bright?
nae
Well, I'll stand under that tree for a while..damn, I should've brought a cap....Ah, I couldn't because I sold it last week.
Nae shields her eyes from the light coming between the gap in the leaves of the tree.She lazily leaned against the dusty bark without hesitation. Because her outfit looked so worn, a little bit of grime wouldn't make it look worse.
nae
Heh, hardly fit for a job interview.....at Vidya no less...
She let her hand slide down and closed her eyes. Her head felt warm from absorbing the sunlight. She let out a small sigh.
Her pale hair shone bright golden in the orange dusklight and her eyes that peeked open slightly shone just as pale.
If it were...four months earlier...
That is what people would whisper.
nae
"Eyesore" Ha ha...they even have the same number of letters!
Daringly she lifted her chin upwards as if to challenge the aging sun above her. The smile left a pleasant aftertaste in her mouth.
Her face was open an across it starting from her left temple to the right corner of her chin, a white scar lay deeply etched,cutting her faint pink lips.
nae
I suppose it's lucky I don't need to worry about finding a fiance,huh mom?
Of course. there was no answer from the other side.
The dead don't talk after all...
Nae clenched her fists. Her golden eyes burnt as fiercely as the dying afternoon sun.
nae
Don't worry. I haven't given up just yet.
Her lips trembled as she muttered to herself.
nae
I will live on and do all those things you wanted us to do.... I 'll try to smile and love and....p..purr.r.rsuee...
Her voice was choking with stuck up tears.
She swallowed the lot in spite.
nae
I will live on as your legacy as the proud individual you wanted to see.
nae
I promise, I will not die while I'm alive.
She bit her trembling lips to calm down the sobs.
She felt pain that was incomprehensible.
But her eyes kept on burning with a strange fiery light.
Anyone who would see that light....
The librarian
Nae felt her legs becoming sore after standing so long.
she glanced at the screen of her smartphone.
The drifting thought shocked Nae. It shocked her to the extent that she abruptly stopped in the middle of her footsteps.
nae
No, that can't be. What a horrifyingly depressing thought...
passer-by
Ey lady, you're blocking the path.
nae
Ah, pardons. Right this way sir.
passer-by
Sheesh, what a weirdo.
... ..... ..... ...... .....
nae
Gd'afternoon mister librarian.
Luk
Cheers. It's nice to see you after so long.
Luk
when was it you last visited again... two months ago...or three..
Nae put on a very tight smile.
nae
Mister very well knows I was here last week. And the week before. And almost every week last month.
nae
(Is he doing this on purpose....but what good will it do to him. he's not the type to bully and he's been so nice to me ever since I started visited this place from middle school.)
Nae blushed as soon as she realized that she had scrunched her eyebrows unconsciously.
nae
Damn it. I'm so easy to read..
Luk
It's alright. I'm sorry for talking like that . You have all right to feel pissed.
nae
Huh?!He's apologizing?
Luk scratched his bald head and come up with a clumsy lopsided smile.
Luk
Well, actually things have been a bit rough with me lately....family issues you know.
Luk
I've been spacing out a lot these days..I'm truly sorry if I've hurt you.
nae
(Well, that you have but I'll ignore it since I don't want to be on bad terms with you...
nae
especially when you give out free points!)
nae
Please don't fret it,mister. I'm not someone to hold grudges on such trivial matters.
Luk
Ha ha! That's a breather then.
Luk
But I suppose I should do something to compensate for my slip up. Hmmm. Let's see.
nae
(yes. yes.gimme those points)
Luk
Ah I know just the thing.
Luk
How about a challenge exclusively made for you?Sounds great,right?
nae
Damn. I've an interview on schedule...and if I miss this one then I'm starving the next month
Luk
Don't worry. it won't take long.
Luk clasped his hands in a conspiratorial manner
Luk
(This is going to be fun. heh. I wonder if this old man's instincts are gonna turn out to be true after all...)
she glanced at the screen of her smartphone.
nae
Damn still over an hour to go..
nae
And this place is getting stuffy too.
Indeed the park was receiving more visitors since the sun was dying down.
And because of her face, several gazes fell on Nae, making her skin crawl every moment.
Pity,contempt,horror and even lust in some cases..
She had seen too much of these emotions.
nae
O we'd to escape...I am not wearing my hoodie today either.
nae
This town is inconspicuous enough but I still can't be too confident.
nae
I am unofficially a runaway prey..
She debated for sometime. But she couldn't think of anything better
nae
The library it is then.
She shook her loose mane letting her fringes naturally cover her face.
She could feel them stare at her back as she left.
But if her twenty two years in high society had taught her anything , it had made her immune to unwanted stares.
She nonchalantly walked along the pavement alongside parents with kids, some lovey dicey teen couple,a gang of high school buddies.
Most of the time she blended right in..
nae
This place is really peaceful.Much more than Centopia any day.
nae
Not that I can even think of living there anymore.
nae
.....Money is not the matter.
Nae's teeth grit on their own.
nae
That place is stained with my parent's blood.
Besides, there were those people..the ones who were responsible for all this.
A dark claw started to entrap her mind.
She shook her head firmly.
nae
I must lay undercover right now..The best I can do is to hide my existence completely while keeping tabs on intel as much as possible.
nae
That's why I must pass this interview.
nae
....But I also need to pass in order to avoid starving as well.
nae
If only I didn't waste my time purchasing points at the library..heh, to think that even reading has become a luxury to me.
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