Bound By Scars

CHAPTER 1: “The Trap and the Wolves”

I woke up that morning already knowing something was wrong."Not the kind you could explain.”

The kind that sits inside your chest like a weight you carry without permission. My eyes opened slowly as I pushed myself up, my body already aching. I swung my legs off the bed and let my feet touch the cold floor.

A sharp reminder of reality.My reflection in the small mirror caught my eye. My reflection showed faded bruises and scars I quickly covered with my sleeve.I dressed quickly in my school uniform. The fabric felt stiff against my skin, like it didn’t belong to me.

I tied my shoes carefully,"pulling the laces tight.”Then I left the house.Outside, the morning air was cold and sharp.

But that wasn’t what made my chest tighten.It was the thought of school.My old bicycle waited by the gate, rusted and slightly crooked. I got on and started riding.

The road to school was always the same. Long and quiet. Cars passed, people talked, and students laughed like life was easy.

I lowered my head and kept pedaling.But the feeling followed me anyway.That tight, uneasy pressure in my chest grew stronger the closer I got.By the time I reached the school gates, I already knew.Something was waiting for me.

Students filled the entrance, laughing as I walked past with my head lowered.

I stepped off my bike and walked forward slowly, keeping my eyes down. I had learned that looking too long at anyone only made things worse.

But I still heard them.Soft at first.Then clearer.“She’s coming.

“Marcus, look, she’s actually here.”My steps slowed for half a second.Then I forced myself to keep moving.

The hallway ahead stretched long and crowded."I wished I were invisible.”I felt it before I saw it.A sudden shove from the side.Hard enough to knock me off balance.I stumbled back, catching myself against the wall.

My shoulder stung instantly.A girl stood in front of me, staring down at me like I was something beneath her shoes.“Trash like you walks after me,” she sneered. “Ariana.”

Then she turned away without waiting for a response.I followed behind her into the classroom.Because that’s what I always did.But something felt off.The air inside the room was different. Too quiet.

Like everyone was waiting for something to happen.She reached the door first.And pushed it open.The moment her foot stepped inside, everything changed.Her heel slipped instantly.Her body tilted forward.And in the next second, she fell straight into a hidden pool of muddy water.

"The splash echoed through the room.Mud covered her clothes and face. The room went silent before chaos followed.She screamed.

A sharp, broken sound of shock and humiliation.“No NO! My clothes!”She tried to step back, but slipped again, falling harder into the mess."She stared at herself in disbelief.”

And then I understood.That prank wasn’t meant for her.It was meant for me.I stood still at the doorway, watching as laughter slowly spread through the hallway. "Students recorded and laughed.”And she wasn’t the target I was.But I didn’t react.

I simply walked past the scene and entered the classroom.My usual seat was at the back.Near the window.I sat down quietly.Head low.Hands still.But I felt them watching me.Marcus was already there.

So were his friends.Their eyes locked onto me like I was something they had unfinished business with.A girl from his group stood up and walked toward me.

She stopped in front of my desk.Then shoved me.Hard.My back hit the chair with a dull impact.“What are you laughing for?” she snapped. “You think today is different?”I didn’t answer.

Her voice dropped lower.“We’re getting you at lunch.”Then she walked away.The rest of the morning dragged painfully."The lessons dragged on."

By the time lunch arrived, my stomach was already tight with dread.

The cafeteria was loud as I sat alone.At a small table near the edge.Waiting.And I didn’t have to wait long.Marcus came first.Then his group.

Walking like they owned the space around them.Before I could even react, my tray was flipped.Food scattered across the floor.The sound of metal hitting tile echoed in my ears.Laughter followed instantly.

“Look at her!” Marcus laughed.I bent down slowly, reaching for what I could salvage.But someone grabbed my arm.Pulled me back.Then a slap.Sharp.Fast.My head turned slightly from the impact.The cafeteria went quiet for a moment.

Then laughter returned louder than before.I didn’t cry.Not because it didn’t hurt.But because I had stopped expecting anything else.When it was over, I sat alone again.

School eventually ended.The hallways emptied.And I found myself walking through a quieter part of the building.

There was a door.Old.Heavy.Almost forgotten.I pushed it open.Stairs led upward.I climbed them slowly, step by step, until I reached the rooftop.The wind hit me instantly.Cold.Clean.Real.For the first time all day, I could breathe properly.

The city stretched far beyond the school grounds. Distant. Unreachable. Beautiful in a way that didn’t include me.I sat near the edge.Let my legs dangle over the side, staring down at the concrete far below.I pulled my knees close to my chest, resting my chin against the rough fabric of my uniform.

I closed my eyes and let the silence wash over me.It was different up here.Downstairs, silence was a weapon used against me.But up here, the silence felt vast.It felt empty.And empty was better than painful.

I reached down to touch the strap of my worn bag, tracing the frayed threads with the tip of my finger. I wondered how much longer the fabric would hold before it finally tore apart completely.

The sun began its slow descent, painting the distant horizon in deep shades of bruised purple and pale orange. It looked like the marks on my skin.

I didn’t want to go back down.I didn't want to ride my crooked bicycle back to that massive, empty house.

The mansion that my father called a home, but where the walls only echoed with my own quiet footsteps.A place where nobody asked why my clothes were stained or why my face was red.

I stayed on that ledge until the first stars began to pierce through the darkening sky.

The cold crept into my bones, making me shiver.The cold meant I was feeling something.

Even if that something was just the harsh reality of another night alone.I finally stood up, my legs stiff from the position, and walked back to the heavy iron door.Tomorrow would come.

The wolves would be waiting at the gates again.But for tonight, I had survived.I pushed the door open and stepped back into the shadows.