MY ENTRY FOR THE TRIPLE CHALLENGE COMPETITION.

TITLE: BEYOND SCARS

"I'm depressed, I just want to end my life!" I screamed.

"What do you mean you're depressed? You can't be depressed," Barbs responded with an assured tone.

"I said that I am depressed, Barbs," I replied again, this time with tears in my eyes.

Barbs looked up and held me close. "But how can you be depressed? You laugh and play a lot. You don't seem like someone going through anything. If you were, you would have told me about it."

"I... I... wanted to..." At this point, tears were rolling down my cheeks like a waterfall.

**********

My friends call me Pweety Sims because of my beauty. My name is Jewel Ihuomachukwu, at least that's what my guardian told me. Madam Christy, my guardian, is the woman who picked me up from the streets.

Growing up, I was always surrounded by laughter and love. Madam Christy made sure I never lacked anything. She was more than a guardian; she was a mother to me. But beneath my smiling facade, I was battling deep emotional scars.

No one knew the pain I carried. The scars from my past haunted me every day. The memory of being abandoned, of struggling to survive on the streets before Madam Christy found me, was a wound that never healed. Every night, I would lie awake, the memories playing in my mind like a never-ending film. The fear, the hunger, the loneliness, were my constant companions before Madam Christy rescued me.

Despite her kindness and the new life she offered me, I couldn't escape the shadows of my past. I felt a need to hide my true feelings, fearing that revealing my pain would make me appear ungrateful. So, I wore a disguise, a beautiful, smiling mask that everyone around me saw. They saw the happy Jewel, always laughing, always playing, but no one saw the broken girl inside.

I felt I couldn't share my pain with anyone. Everyone saw the beautiful, happy Jewel, but inside, I was crumbling. When I finally broke down and told Barbs, it felt like a dam had burst. The tears I had held back for so long came pouring out.

"Barbs, I feel so lost," I whispered through my sobs. "I can't keep pretending everything is fine."

Barbs held me tighter. "Jewel, you don't have to pretend anymore. You are more than your scars. We'll get through this together."

Her words were like a balm to my wounded soul. For the first time in a long while, I felt a glimmer of hope. I realized that sharing my pain was the first step towards healing. My scars were a part of me, but they didn't define me. Beyond the scars, there was a future waiting to be lived.

With Barbs and Madam Christy by my side, I knew I could find my way out of the darkness. It wouldn't be easy, but I was ready to start my journey toward healing. My story was just beginning, and it was a story of strength, resilience, and hope.

Days turned into weeks, and I slowly began to open up more. I started seeing a counsellor, who helped me navigate my feelings and confront my past. Barbs and Madam Christy were always there, supporting me, and reminding me that I was loved and valued.

I began to understand that it was okay to have scars. They were a testament to my survival, to my strength. Each day, I grew a little stronger, and a little more hopeful. I started to see a future where my past didn't define me but empowered me.

Beyond the scars, I found a new sense of self, a new purpose. I decided to help others who were struggling like I had. My journey had taught me the importance of compassion and understanding, and I wanted to be a beacon of hope for others.

In the end, my scars became my strength, and I learned that beyond them lay a life full of possibilities and hope. My story wasn't just about pain; it was about overcoming, about finding beauty in brokenness, and about the incredible power of love and support.



#the_triple_challenge