Echoes of deceit

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 1

𝘼𝙑𝘼 𝙋𝙊𝙑

I stood frozen, my eyes locked on the target as Ms. Hailey's voice cut through the air.

"Eyes on the target, Ava." Her words were a familiar mantra, one that had been drilled into me since I was old enough to hold a gun.

The smell of gunpowder and sweat filled my nostrils, transporting me back to the countless hours I'd spent in this training room.I took a deep breath and raised the gun, my hands fidgeting slightly as I aimed. My heart pounded in my chest, and my mind began to wander.𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑? 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑? 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑠 𝐻𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑦'𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠.

Her voice snapped me back to attention. "You think too much, Ava. You need to stop that. No emotions." Her words were a harsh reminder of the lessons she had taught me. Emotions were a weakness, a liability in the world we lived in.

I squeezed the trigger, and the gun fired with a loud crack. I missed the target by a mile. Her expression was a mixture of disappointment and frustrations

"I'm sorry," I muttered, feeling a familiar sense of shame wash over me.

Her expression softened slightly. "Ava, I need your A-game in this, okay? In order to make that monster pay for what he did to you, you need to bring your A-game. Now go and prepare for your morning classes." The mention of the monster sent a shiver down my spine. I nodded, feeling a rush of emotions as I left the training room.

As I stepped into the shower, the warm water cascading down my skin, I felt a lump form in my throat. I shut my eyes, and suddenly I was transported back to a different time, a different place. Memories of my parents flooded my mind, memories that I thought I had long buried.The images of their funeral, still etched in my mind, flashed before my eyes again. A sharp pain pierced my chest, and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. The water poured down my face, mixing with my tears. I felt lost in my sorrow, like the pain and sadness of my past were consuming me.

As I got out of the shower, a thick fog of steam surrounded me, casting a gloomy shadow over the room. But what caught my attention was the smoke seeping from the walls. I shivered as I grabbed my favorite tracksuit, its soft fabric and a small comfort against the chill.The wind outside howled, its mournful sighs echoing through the room. I felt a sense of foreboding, like something was warning me of the storms brewing inside me. A gentle knock came through the door.

"Come in," I said, and the door swung open.

Ms Sue entered, carrying a tray. "Ms. Ava, your breakfast," she announced, setting the tray on the table beside my bed. The smell of scrambled eggs and toast wafted up, making my stomach growl with hunger.

"Thank you very much," I replied, biting my lower lip to signal that I had a follow-up question. Ms. Sue's eyebrow arched, as if she'd read my mind. "You want to know if she's gone yet?" she asked, her tone knowing.

"I'm trying so hard, but it's just too much," I said, staring out the window, my reflection a blur. "I don't want to disappoint her." Ms. Sue's expression softened.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," she said, her voice gentle. "You're doing the best you can, and that's all anyone can ask for."

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Sometimes I wish she'd never adopted me," I said, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Maybe I'd be better off alone at the orphanage."

Ms. Sue's gentle reprimand cut through the air.

"Hey, don't even think that!" she said, her voice firm but kind. "Ms Hailey loves you just the way you are. She's just... guarded. Her past was tough, and she's being hard on you to protect you from the same pain."

Ms. Sue smiled warmly. "You belong here, okay? This is your home, and you're loved. Now, eat your breakfast and get going, or you'll be late."

She disappeared through the door, leaving me to my thoughts. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the doubts. Ms. Sue's words had always been a comfort, but it was hard to shake the feeling that I wasn't good enough.I sat down at the table, staring at the breakfast Ms. Sue had laid out. The eggs were scrambled, just the way I liked them, and the toast was crispy. But my appetite was gone.

I took a bite of the toast, savoring the sweet aroma that satisfied my taste buds. Ms. Hailey, my adoptive mother, had made it for me. After my parents' tragic death, she had taken me in and taught me everything I knew about how the world really works.

But Ms. Hailey's past was complicated, marred by a betrayal that had cost her dearly. The person she had trusted most had sworn to protect her, but instead, they had hurt her in the worst possible way. The pain of that loss still lingered in her eyes.

I suddenly glanced at the clock, which had just struck 7. I quickly rose from the chair, grabbed my bag, and hurriedly ran down the stairs. In my haste, I forgot to close the door behind me.

"I see we're late today," Dave, our driver, chuckled as I jumped into the car.

I chuckled as I positioned myself in the car, the soft leather seats enveloping me in comfort. The sound of the forest filled the palpable silence that filled the car, the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves creating a soothing melody.

As we drove away from the house, the dense foliage of the forest gave way to a winding road that snaked through the hills. The morning sunlight cast a golden glow over the landscape, illuminating the mist that rose from the valleys below.

I stared out of the window, watching as the scenery unfolded like a canvas of greens and browns. The trees grew taller and closer together here, their branches tangling overhead to form a canopy that filtered the sunlight.

As we rounded a bend in the road, the trees parted to reveal a glimpse of the valley below. The campus came into view, its buildings a cluster of modern structures that seemed to grow organically from the landscape.The car wound its way down the hill, the engine purring smoothly as we descended into the valley. As we approached the gate, I felt a sense of trepidation wash over me. Another day, another chance to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Dave, our driver, caught my eye in the rearview mirror. "You okay, Ava?" he asked, his voice low and gentle.

I nodded, forcing a smile onto my face. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Dave's expression was skeptical, but he didn't push the issue. Instead, he focused on navigating the car through the campus gates and into the parking lot.As we pulled into our usual spot, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. We'd made it to campus in one piece. Now all I had to do was get through the day.

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