Page 64 of Us Deadly Few
Serene knew something was wrong.
After Marissa had grilled her with questions for taking so long, Serene whispered several times, asking Khalani if she was okay.
She said she was fine.
She lied.
At night, she retreated to a quiet corner of the house, clutching Ana’s journal, needing to write her scattering thoughts.
But her mind kept circling back to Takeshi.
In that final moment, Takeshi hadn’t looked at her like a protector in her story.
He stared at Khalani as if she were the villain in his.
Do you see me?
Therealme?
The me no one knows?
The me hiding behind scars?
The me with a heart too big for my chest?
I think I hid for so long
Because I didn’t even want to see myself
Wearing skin that wasn’t my own
Smiling through the invisible tears
Moving when I didn’t know where to go
There was a brief moment
When you lookedintome and notatme
And you poked the walls I carefully crafted
Like tiny dots in the night sky for you to explore
Because you saw the light that created me
When I only saw the darkness that forged me
I forgive who I was
And accept the person I am
But in the silence of a fading night
A truth whispers for no one but me to hear
My darkest parts miss being held
By the deadliness of you.
