Manipulated By Fake Love

I walked in a manner that seemed so effortless; it was as if I had just graced everyone with my presence. I navigated my way along the maze of rooms. A familiar sound of soft footsteps padding behind me filled my ears. It was my brother, but he was not alone; my sister was tagging along as well. I said nothing to acknowledge their presence, but there was a sense of understanding in the air. They knew what was going on in my mind and sympathized with me, but I knew better than to fall for their traps.

I opened the door to my desired room. It seemed that I had walked in on an intense debate of some sort. My father was dressed modestly; he was sitting on the floor with someone I knew very well. Shock vibrated throughout my body when I recognized her. She was a close friend of my family and someone I thought of as a second mother. She just had that type of air of authority and sense of caring around her. My father stopped talking and looked at us. At the sight of our impassive faces, he got up and left. My brother took his place, but did not speak a word. My sister closed the door and sat down next to my brother. I stayed in my upright position, afraid to move or talk, especially in her presence.

She did not meet our eyes. In fact, it was as if we weren't in the room at all. Why couldn't she understand that she was hurting us? That she was hurting me? Her silence was worse than any poison. Finally, she stood up, indicating that she would leave soon. Once she got to the door, I was freed from my prison and I sat in her now empty seat. She turned around and looked at my siblings. They met her gaze, just as I would, but the only difference was that they had a comforting look on their faces. She had broken their icy mask just as she had done to me in the past. I knew that there was no way my siblings could outsmart her and not fail for her tricks. In the end, they were going to get hurt. They were going to feel the same pain I felt and there was nothing I could do to help.

To my surprise, she walked over to me. I lowered my gaze, pretending to be more interested in the floor. She put her hand on my shoulder in a manner that seemed comforting. I wanted to shrug it off, but I couldn't. I was so worried about my siblings that I forgot that she could play her tricks on me. It didn't occur to me that she could once again manipulate me with fake love. Her hand was warm and it was as if her strength was transferring over to me. I felt safe for once in my life. It was so relaxing and I would have fallen into her arms if she didn't remove her hand so suddenly. It reminded me that I shouldn't give her the satisfaction that I fell for her trap. She walked away slowly and I watched her. Thoughts were spinning in my head, but I dismissed them. Nothing mattered to me anymore. All I knew was that everything was going to be alright.