1 I

Painting and drawing were my hobbies, most of the time I would find a peaceful place where I could pursue these hobbies. But whenever I tried, those people would always stop me, they were cruel and merciless creatures. Forcing me to do their bidding, trying to reshape who I was. But no matter how hard I tried to resist, it was futile, their power was far greater than mine.

Me along with those people lived in the same house. I had no way of escaping their grasp. I was bound by their indestructible chain that was invisibly tied to my neck. Despite that, a time would come where I could pursue my hobbies, on a specific day they would leave the house until the evening. And when that day comes I would always make sure that I would be able to do what I want.

"Phil, we're leaving. Take care of the house, okay?" A woman spoke from the living room downstairs. That woman was never this cruel to me before, she was really kind and would help me draw before, but when a certain day came she changed.

She would always demand for high grades and whenever I couldn't meet those standards of hers she would tear my artwork in front of me. I had no other way of releasing my emotions except to cry. I never ever thought of fighting back, she was someone who was dear to me before everything changed.

"Remember Phil to stop wasting your time on those stupid drawings and study the business industry!" A man spoke outside of my room. That man was the person I looked up to when I was younger, I had always thought of him as someone who would rescue me when I was in trouble. But what happened was the opposite, whenever I got into trouble he would strike me with the belt on his waist.

I had always hated them for changing, every night I tend to wonder why they changed. When I was younger I would always get what I wanted. But now, whenever I ask for something they would decline my request in an instant. Was I cursed to have these people in my life?

"Was I cursed to have them in my life?" is the question that would stay in my mind for hours without uncovering an answer.

The sound of a car starting would always get me excited. I would eagerly listen from my room waiting for the sound of the vehicle to disappear into the distance.

"YES! The time has come!" Screaming in joy, I scurried to grab a pen and paper stashed in a drawer under my bed. Having enough of them tearing up my artwork, I decided to hide my materials from them. But this anxious feeling would linger around me whenever they cleaned my room. What would they do if they found out where I hid my materials, it was terrifying to even think of what they might do.

I rushed towards the balcony at the back of our house and stared at the sky; it had a light blue color and had a darker hue as it stretched towards the horizon. Whenever I was alone I would try to recreate the beauty of the sky, but in the end my time would not be enough. Hours would pass and I would not be able to draw a single thing on the paper, I was clueless on how to recreate such a splendid view. God was an artist that was not bound to any kind of imperfection; his art was thoroughly created with the most well defined details any person could ever see.

But despite that some would ignore that beauty and carry on with their life. I wonder how much time has passed since I sat here and stared at the sky. Slowly pulling myself up from my seat an enchanting scenery enveloped the sky. Its blue color slowly shifting to orange and red, the clouds illuminating its hue, this sight would never fail to amaze me.

Deep down I knew that whenever the sky would change color my time would be up, with the sun setting I hurried to my room to hide my materials. I brought out a book pertaining to business and rushed towards the living room. Because they would be coming home sooner or later, they were cruel beings who would hurt me when I do something wrong, scold me whenever I fail to do the task given to me. But despite that I still love them whole-heartedly.

I opened the book as a vehicle's engine stopped in front of our house. They have arrived. I would always wonder what kind of face they would have once they entered the house, but in reality that really didn't matter. Despite all the pain I received from them, the love that they gave me was something I could not replace no matter what I do.

As the man always told me "This world is a terrifying place filled with people who view things differently. They are capable of dealing much more pain. What we do to you is not entertainment for us, we do this because we want you to have a better future. Remember that we will always be on your side"

They may seem evil creatures from our point of view, but in their eyes they're looking at the person they love and care for the most. That's why no matter what happens I would always welcome them with open arms.

"Welcome Home! Mama, Papa!"

--THE END--