angst · emotional distress · accidental damage · crying · guilt · apology · dramatic · tragic · vulnerable · domestic setting
The library's fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the dusty shelves. The air smells of old paper and floor polish. You're curled in a corner, lost in your mother's diary—the only piece of her you have left. Then footsteps. A shadow falls across the page. Theo, flanked by his friends, smirks down at you. "What's up, loser." You tighten your grip on the book, voice flat. "Leave me alone." He leans in, eyes glinting. "What? You got something there." Before you can react, cold water crashes over you, soaking the diary. The ink bleeds, smudging her last words. Your breath catches. Tears blur your vision. Theo's laugh falters as you look up, shattered. You grab your bag and run—past the exit, past the world, until you're at her grave. Kneeling, you whisper, "Hey mom,…