The Indifference of a Man Forgotten (BOOK I)

Chapter 24- Fall from Grace

--Dahlia POV--

Why? That was all I was able to ask myself as I made my way to the ice rink. 

The ringing in my ears drowned out the reporters' questions, the announcer's commentary, and the audiences screams, but with that ringing, I couldn't get the monstrous face of my birth mother out of my head.

I had thought she was amazing. The whole story she made up; I believed every bit of it. I must've looked like a joke to her, she probably failed in stifling her laughs when I wasn't there.

I was so pathetic.

How could a person have everything and yet feel so utterly helpless? I tried to be optimistic, but how could I when the world was so damned cruel? There are people out there suffering worse than me, but does that mean I'm just weaker than them? They can endure, but me, I just want to disappear from everything.

Never before have I been so scared to skate. Never before have I been so scared to live.

"Dahlia's got some amazing jumps planned for this routine. With her theme of first love, she'll be dancing to-" They kept speaking, but my ears kept ringing. I want to finish this routine and just go home.

Home? Oh, right... Now that I found out the truth, I'll have to question my dads' about what I found out from that woman. I can hope for it all to be a big misunderstanding, but I already know that hope can't take me anywhere anymore.

Instead of hoping for something that I know won't come true, it'll be better to just prepare myself for the cold, hard truth.

Standing at the centre of the rink, I got into position as I waited for the music to start playing, glancing over the two men in the distance who had concern written in bold across their faces. They couldn't have been making their worry any more evident than it was.

But they had nothing to worry about. Even now, after finding out the truth of my mother, figure skating is here to embrace me; It's the one thing I know that will never betray me, my only comfort, and despite my fear, I didn't want to disappoint anyone.

I don't remember why I skate anymore, it's definitely not for the audience reaction, that's the only downside to skating professionally since I hate socialising, but it doesn't matter why. All I know is that when I skate, I can forget about everything else, and for now, that's enough.

Propelling myself forward, I jumped up, feeling the wind whip around my body before landing back on my feet and continuing with the sequence. Now for the combination jump, the triple lutz, the Euler jump, and then the triple axel; Once again, I landed perfectly, moving onto my step sequence as the crowd cheered.

But apparently, I'd gotten big headed.

As I danced around the ice, my eyes caught sight of a shadow lurking in the distance. 

I knew then that whatever delusions I had forced myself to believe, the only person that fell victim to it was me.

That shadow in the distance was nothing but a figment of my imagination, I knew that with certainty, I didn't need anyone to tell me.

And yet, it was enough to frighten me down to my core.

That money hungry mother of mine had succeeded in drawing me over the edge. I was going to lose everything to her, my mental stamina was nowhere near strong enough to endure until the match ended. It had already ended from the moment I learnt the truth.

But I was ignorant, unwilling to believe the plain truth. I lost.

Jumping up to perform my next spin, the last thing I was able to see before the blur of my surroundings took over was that same shadow, the looming threat that was my mother, mocking me, and laughing at me for the mess that I was.