Chapter 20
My phone rang on the table next to me that night as I sat on the veranda with my laptop and watched the stars glitter above. Half expecting another message from Ellen, I picked it up.
However, it wasn’t.
It was the unidentified number.
“You assume you’ve gotten away, but you haven’t. You don’t comprehend how near I am.
Fear took hold of me, forcing the vision to fade as my breath caught.
They wouldn’t let me move on, whoever this was.
Furthermore, I was uninformed about their goals and their willingness to go to any extent.
The forest floor was striped with gold as the early morning sun filtered through the trees. My hands were warmed by a steaming cup of tea as I stood on my cabin’s porch. There was a little smell of moist dirt and pine in the cool air. Something new seemed to be starting
I could still remember the note from last night, its enigmatic warning prompting a mild unease. However, as I glanced at the horizon, a feeling of tranquility replaced it.
I was no longer under the influence of whoever had sent those texts or was attempting to draw me back into the shadows I had so frantically fought to leave. Not at all.
I was too far gone to give in to fear.
My bare feet padded softly on the wooden floor as I returned inside, laying my cup down on the porch railing. The cabin was now a representation of the life I was creating, not merely a somewhere to retreat to.
Prints of my sketches graced the walls, and books that had renewed my passion for reading lined the shelves. On the kitchen counter, a simple vase of fresh wildflowers served as a daily reminder of the small pleasures I had rediscover.
My journal was open on the table and I reached for it. Though the page was blank, my ideas were already beginning to take shape.
“Letting go gives you a certain measure of freedom. Learning to bear the past in a different way, with less weight and more awareness, is more vital than forgetting it. I’ve resolved to bear it lightly today
My phone buzzed on the table next to me as I was writing. Half–expecting another message from the unknown number, I peered at the screen. However, it wasn’t.
Ellen w
was the one.
Her message was simple but uplifting “Nora, keep writing. Your voice is required in the world.
A little smile tugged at my mouth’s corners. Ellen’s unshakable faith in me had been the incentive I required, and her words now sounded like a gentle push toward the future I was at last
prepared to accept.
I made the decision to trek one of the longer paths near to the chalet for the day after breakfast. As I headed out, the woodland was alive with the sound of distant songbirds and the rustle of
leaves, and the air was cool.
I reflected on how much had changed since I parted ways with Liam as I was strolling. Once an unbreakable wall, the grief of his betrayal now felt more like a stepping stone, a reminder of what
I deserved and what I would never accept again
I came at a clearing where I could see the valley below, the green area reaching indefinitely to the horizon I sat on a flat rock and allowed the tranquility of the moment to wash over me while I
caught my breath.
The silence was disturbed by my phone vibrating once more. This time, it was a notification from the publication that published my essay.
“We would like to feature a follow–up piece for our next issue, the email added. If you’re
interested, let us know!
Even I was astonished by the sound of my low laughter. I typed my response without hesitation:” I’d love to. I’ll be sending something shortly.
It no longer seemed intimidating to write another essay or to share more of my tale. It was empowering.
By the time I arrived back to the cottage, the porch was shrouded in deep shadows as the sun started to set, I sat down with my laptop and studied the essay I meant to write while my fingers hovered over the keyboard.
This one would not be about betrayal or loss. It would be about maturing–about the courage to go and the delight of finding yourself again after the journey.
The words came naturally, and each one indicated my development.
I read a book while warming up on the couch and making a modest fire in the fireplace later that night. There was silence in the cabin, but it was a reassuring silence, not a lonely one.
I reflected about Liam, Isabel, and the version of myself that had stayed too long in the hopes of an unreal love.
I was now appreciative for the lessons I had learnt and no longer furious.
I grabbed my phone as the fire crackled gently, I wasn’t waiting for the unknown number to do
Chang 20
anything, even if they hadn’t talked all day.
I deleted the threat from my life forever simply opening my contacts and erasing the number.
As I put down the phone, I thought, “You no longer get to occupy space in my head.”
As I stepped outdoors, the night sky was clear, with stars dispersed like small pinpricks of light throughout the darkness. I sat on the porch, allowing the calm of the moment soak in, and put a blanket around my shoulders..
I had made this life for me, away from the grief and betrayal of the past
A honest, unguarded smile came to my face.
I felt ready for the first time in years.
All geared to continue expanding
All set to write more
All geared to take on the next task.
Jdetected a little disturbance in the woods in the distance. I squinted into the darkness and my smile slipped, but I saw nothing
Although the unease reappeared, it didn’t linger this time
I would confront whatever–or whoever–was out there.
I no longer felt terrified
And there was the distinction.
