Awakening Hearts

The journal told the story of a girl named Layla. It was written from a third-person point of view, as if someone else had penned it. The journal seemed to call to her, as though she somehow knew the person who had written the story. In a trance, she opened the first page, only to find it blank. Lyra frowned and flipped to another page, then another—all the pages were empty. But in the middle of the journal, the writing suddenly began.

"Layla sat in front of her parents, her eyes downcast. She didn't want to face them because she knew they wouldn't believe her. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, but she had hoped each time that they would believe her. However, her hope shattered once again.

She met her parents' accusing gaze one last time before getting up and going to her room. Her mind was completely blank and numb. She couldn't believe that something like this could happen to her."

It all started when new people moved into their neighborhood. Since their community was warm and welcoming, they greeted the newcomers with open arms. When Layla's mother heard about them, she said to her daughter in an enthusiastic tone, "Let's visit them with some homemade food. They're new here, so it must be hard for them to adjust at first. They need some friendly neighbors."

Layla didn't want to go because she didn't feel like meeting new people. She would get nervous and self-conscious around strangers. Her mother had always wanted her to come out of her shell, but she hadn't succeeded. However, when she heard about the new neighbors, she thought this might be a chance for Layla to overcome her shyness.

When her mother insisted, Layla got ready to meet the new neighbors. Now sixteen, she had begun withdrawing from everything, which worried her mother, especially since Layla was their only child. Unknowingly, her mother was forcing her to do things she didn't want to do, suffocating her own child. Layla wanted to play games with the other children in the community, but her mother insisted it wasn't safe. When she wanted to wear a specific colour, her mother would tell her it didn't look good on her. Layla often felt stifled by these restrictions but couldn't complain, as her father was usually working and too tired when he came home for her to disturb him. She grew more silent by the day, only coming out of her room when her parents called for her. The emotional distance between her and her mother increased with each passing day, and she wasn't emotionally attached to her father either.

So, when she met the new neighbor, Mrs. Stewart, she was pleasantly surprised, as Mrs. Stewart wasn't like her mother. Mrs. Stewart had two daughters, Tania and Lora, and her personality had the warmth that was missing from Layla's life. In their first meeting, Mrs. Stewart even told Layla's mother to call her by her first name.

"Oh, Catherine (Layla's mother), please call me Eve. I don't like being called Mrs. Stewart; it makes me feel old," she said, laughing at her own words, and Catherine joined her.

Tania was Layla's age, and Lora was three years older. After their first meeting, they started getting together almost every weekend. Their fathers became friends and would discuss everything, but Layla remained emotionally distant from her own father, as he rarely addressed her directly. Their dinners were often silent, as if no one was really present. Layla eagerly awaited the gatherings with the Stewarts, as it was the only time she felt free.

On one such weekend, when their families met at Tania's house, Tania told Layla to come with her. They went up to the roof and sat on the chairs. It was the beginning of autumn, so the wind was a little chilly.

"Um, Layla, is something wrong? Please don't take this the wrong way, but I have a feeling that you don't always follow your own will. It seems like your mother influences you a lot. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but after meeting so many times, I consider you a friend. Whenever we wanted to go on a picnic or shopping and I asked your mother, she always refused, saying she didn't want to go. When I insisted on asking you, she wouldn't let me. Are you not getting along with your mother?"

Layla was speechless for a while, as it was the first time someone had asked about her own will. Her eyes moistened; she didn't want to hide anymore. After enduring so much for so long, she wanted to tell someone.

Lyra was so engrossed in her reading that she didn't realize the empty pages were no longer blank as she turned them. Completely absorbed in Layla's story, she failed to notice the change.

"Well, my mother..." she paused, then started again, "my father is out working most of the time, so my mother gets lonely, and all her attention is focused on me. It's like she's afraid I will leave her. My father, well, let's just say he's obsessed with money. Even though we live comfortably, it's still not enough for him. They've fought several times over this issue, but after that, my father will leave for weeks, so my mother has stopped bringing it up. And I don't know, sometimes I feel like they..." She paused again, and this time she didn't continue, but Tania didn't interrupt her.

"Like they don't want me in their lives. Not my mother, though, because obviously, who would she control then? But my father... he never speaks to me on his own, never talks to me, never even acknowledges my birthday. I don't know, it's like I'm just a puppet. If this continues, I don't think I'll last long, you know," she said as tears began streaming down her face.

Tania, who had been listening quietly, got up and hugged her tightly. Layla's parents, who had come to call her home, overheard the conversation and were stunned. They looked away from each other, unsure of what to do in this situation they had created for their daughter.