bi weekly task

“Take that dagger and stab her through the heart. If you don’t, I will.” The words seeped through her lips so effortlessly but the impact that that one sentence had on Mercedes felt like she had been punched in the stomach over and over again. Her heart had been shattered into a million pieces and she couldn’t breathe. She’d never experienced heartbreak before, but she didn’t think that feeling would even compare to how she was feeling at that moment. Her dreams were shattered and she didn’t know what she would do now. Turning her attention to her mother and sister, a tear escaped her eyelids and cascaded down her cheek, leaving a trail of mascara in its wake. “I’m sure that would hurt a lot less.”

Hearing Mercedes, her mother rushed forward to the hospital where her daughter was laying and wrapped her arms tightly around the 15-year-old. “Hey baby, you’re awake,” she smiled, pressing a gentle kiss against Mercedes’ cheek. “We can get a second opinion. Or even a third or fourth,” she tried to reassure the teenager, but Mercedes knew that it was all over. Her leg had been shattered in three places and at that moment, the thought of trying to even walk on it terrified her, let alone applying the amount of pressure needed for the balance beam. Her dreams of winning gold at the Olympics were over and she had no idea what she was going to do with her life now.

“No. It’s over,” Mercedes finally replied after a rather lengthy pause. She didn’t want to pretend that everything was going to be alright, not when she knew it wasn’t. Wiping another tear as it escaped, she took a deep breath and slowly rolled over. “I’m tired.” Mercedes loved her mother and her sister, and she knew that without their constant support, she’d never have even had a chance to compete as a gymnast, but now that her dreams were dashed, she needed some space. She needed some time to come to terms with what had happened and the direction her life now had to take. She needed to readjust and that would take time, but for now, Mercedes needed to cry, which she didn’t want to do in front of her mother.