The Mark (^_^メ)

Damita woke up, shivering. It felt as though there was a sudden coldness in her chamber, she sat down on the bed and curl her legs together. She had not dreamt of this for many years now, why now?

She recalled that she used to tell her mother about her nightmares and her mother used to pray against any evil and downfall but she never told her mother about this certain dream. Then, she mostly dreams about running away with a white-haired boy. That was the short part that was often revealed to her when her mother was still alive. Her mother died when she was just about to enter her first year in senior high school.

She had shed her eyes off and done everything to kill herself but every time, there was someone from nowhere taking her to the hospital so that she lives again. She was alone with no parents. Some women came to her house, help her out with delicacies, give her some money and do all sorts of things in order not to make her feel alone but all these were nothing to ease the pain that she was feeling deep down.

The principal of her school sponsored her education until he got tired of her. She knew all the promises of staying by your side, helping you, and all the rushed comforts were nothing that would wear off in time, she was not too much surprised that they all stopped showing affection to her. People were not machines, they get tired, even machines get tired too, when they do so, their efficiency would drop gradually till it completely wears off.

The principal who sponsored her education did not know from the beginning that the person he intended to help was going to be a spoiled brat. She grew to be spoilt just after her mother's death. Maybe she was overshadowed by darkness and loneliness or she just was overruled by the fact that there was no one to guide and monitor her, she joined bad gangs. Drank to clear off her frustrations. She had no relatives, she was alone, and she found no joy in the world anymore. Her mother preaching about keeping herself holy till her marriage had disappeared from her ear in flash.

The principal who stopped sponsoring her because of her lackadaisical attitude was the one she broke her virginity to. Well, she did not care about purity, and as she had bribed him, she continued schooling.

She could not forget that day. That day Professor Cameron had told her to come to his house when she previously begged that he should continue with the sponsor. Not like she valued school, she just wanted to earn the hell called a certificate while she kept doing what she loved. Smoking, bullying, and all crazy stuff made her forget that she was alone in the world.

"Dr. Cameron, Please reconsider and help me. I know it's all my fault but please I would change." She knew it was a lie but she just wanted the principal to continue with his help. "I will do anything you want." Her 17-year-old brain did not think that her teacher could ask her about intercourse, what she had in mind was helping him deal with some guys or whoever tries anything against him. She had guys who could handle the job and get their heads rolled off a second, that was all she had thought. Things she had heard and watched in movies.

Dr. Cameron smiled at her as he served her the glass of milk that she had requested. He cleared his throat before proceeding, "You are a very brilliant and beautiful girl since junior high. I have watched you grow until now, how did you change so drastically in twelve months?"

Damita dropped the glass on the table, she was not that girl one could speak against anymore but she still stood, trying to show the best of her behaviour.

"How do you expect me to keep paying your fees? It tells me to support students the school is against. You are a drug addict, I know that a few of your classmates have complained and many of your close friends had been withdrawn, it's your time to withdraw and why don't you make it such a way? Life is hard. Since your mother's death, you have been cut off from the world, I have tried my very best to bring you back but what did you do? You intend to make a shame of me?" Dr. Cameron said.

Damita's eyes grew wide and she immediately composed herself. She had never heard this principal talk as long as this and he informally did this. But no, she wanted to graduate from high school and own the heaven-forsaken certificate.

She pretended to be tearful as she knelt, "Please sir, I would change my behaviour. It's hard for me but please do not send me off this way. I will do anything, please."

Dr. Cameron shook his head and stood up, instinctively, Damita stood up. "You can have your way." He motioned her to walk outside from his apartment with a stern face.

"I...please. I can repay you. I can help with these odd chores."

"Do you think the salary I pay the housemaid is enough to pay your school fees?"

She looked sad and shook her head.

"I will help you."

Her eyes jolted up, relief digging its grave in her chest, "Thank you so much, sir!" She acknowledged, her hands shaking. She needed to celebrate it. She needed to smoke it all out!

"But on one condition."

"I will no matter what."

"We will discuss it later when you come tomorrow. I will speak for you, resume to school next week Monday, okay?"

***

"My princess, are you okay?" Damita's handmaiden questioned her and she looked up at her. She did not even know when she came in.

"I'm fine."

"Is it the dream or nightmare, my princess?"

"It's...it's the dream."

This time, Priscilla, Damita's maid sat down on her bed to comfort her. "It's going to be okay, my princess. It's hard but it would be fine."

Damita shook her head in tears. It was not going to be. It was never going to be. "I...I just saw the full version of that dream. It appears It is also a nightmare." Damita tore her gown immediately as she stood up to look at herself in the mirror.

Priscilla stood up in surprise and also walked to the mirror. "My princess, what's wrong?"

Damita looked at her fully naked body. She had halfway torn her gown to check something. She looked at Priscilla after the full examination. "This time, I saw how I acquired this mark." She pointed at the big red long mark that was on her tummy. She faced back to the mirror and pulled her torn gown completely out of her body so she could check her back if there was any mark there. And there it was, the same big, red, long and this time, round mark.