Aoi sat on the park bench, gripping her head, trying to steady her breath. Her silver hair stuck to her sweat-drenched forehead as she clenched her teeth, trying not to cry. The echoes of laughter still rang in her ears.

"Freak."

"Ghost girl."

"Monster."

They never stopped. Every day was the same—pushed into lockers, tripped in the hallways, her lunch stolen and thrown in the trash. Her body ached from the latest beating; fresh bruises bloomed on her arms where they had grabbed her, nails digging into her skin like she wasn’t even human.

She wasn’t always like this. There was a time when she laughed, when she spoke freely. But now? Now she barely even lifted her head. The moment she made eye contact with anyone, it only got worse.

She tried to fight back once. They made sure she regretted it.

Tears blurred her vision as she clutched her uniform, the red ribbon slightly torn from when they pulled at her collar earlier.

"Why me?"

she wanted to scream

.

*But no one would listen.No one ever did *

The cicadas screamed in the distance, drowning out the sob she finally let escape. She wanted to disappear. To be anywhere but here*