When We Are Older

MarinaI sneak out of my tent when I’m sure everyone else is sleeping. The entire town is quiet when I wander down the street. The army has even turned off the torches to illustrate the time for sleep has come.Luckily, it’s easy to navigate because of the light illuminating from the angel’s weird tattoos. Faint light is glowing in the dark, and since the tents around our town aren’t massive, it’s easy finding the tall creature.He is still lying in the same place, roped to the ground. It seems someone has wasted nutritious food and thrown tomatoes on his back. He smells exactly like fresh tomatoes and yuck, something resembling juice is dripping from his back.I grimace at the smell. “Hello?”There isn’t an answer. Figures. They covered his mouth.Cautiously, I take a step closer to the enormous creature.He is absolutely enormous, and Jesus Christ, it blows my mind how much he resemble

MarinaAfter Gustav has returned me to my parent’s tent, I search for my mother. My father tries to place his hand on my shoulder, but I push him away.My father can punish me later. I’m boiling with rage, close to flipping tables. Finding my mother is the only thing on my mind. She might be the only one able to clear the fog inside my head.“Marina!” My father roars, clearly upset with me. “Is it true that you removed the muzzle from the angel? He is a prisoner, for god’s sake!”Ignoring him, I rush out of the tent and enter another. My mother is brushing her hair inside. I detect her eyes admiring her own reflection. She was always pretty, way prettier than me, with defined cheekbones and shining hair.“Marina?” She turns around with an astonished expression. “Is something the matter?”My father stops by the entrance to the tent. Like always, he will let my mother take care

MarinaThree years later.I wish I dared to escape from this dreadful life. There is no purpose, no life left in my eyes as I wash the dishes from our dinner in the sink.Smile and never open my mouth, that’s my life in a nutshell. Routine is the law, and so are the chores my husband gave.Husband.I accidentally drop the plate I’m holding in my hands and cut myself on the pieces. Blood color the water red, and I inhale at the pain dicing through my chest. The physical pain is not as bad as the mental one burdening me every day.“You can do this,” I whisper to myself. “Keep on fighting,”The life I’m living is not the life I wanted, and every morning it gets a little harder to open my eyes and meet the streetlights outside our house.These days I no longer live with my parents but in a luxury house. I live together with Rain, the rich man my mother forced me to marry the day John left m

MarinaFor the first time in ages, I end up dreaming about John. He is running away from me, and I'm chasing him. Laughter erupts from his throat."What's the matter?" He stops briefly to flash me his teeth. Somewhere deep inside, I know he shouldn't be this young. Neither should he be a human. "Can't catch me?""Wait!" I'm panting as I pass trees while squinting at the sun. "Stop running!""I'm not running. I'm right here, sourpuss,"Tear-stained cheeks and shaky hands; that's how I wake up. It's bright outside, not super bright since canopies are blocking out the sun, but the light is still way intenser than any light found under the mountain.My mum always used to describe the sun as life. But even if the light is beautiful, it burns like a thousand spread fires over my eyelids.Bothered by the light, I sit up with a building headache, freezing in motion when I spot Beast pulling down his pants further away.What is he doing

MarinaStaying away from the middle of the cage is easy. Remembering the earlier scene is all it takes to shudder and wish I was back in my fluffy bed at home.Life was less complicated under the mountain, while the surface is chaotic. I never know what’s going to happen next. And yet, I think I prefer being in the actual world rather than hiding beneath my mountain.My eyes haven’t adjusted to the sun yet. Luckily, our cage is like a tiny forest. It’s a habitat for us humans, with trees and bushes shielding my eyes.Most of the trees are laughably small, though, but there is one tall oak standing in the middle of the cage. It’s probably strong enough to let a human climb to the hatch directly above it, but I’m guessing someone already tried and failed.Everyone must avoid the middle of the cage for a reason. Maybe Dave and Adam eat the people who dare to challenge fate by trying to escape?I shudder uncontrolla