Bitter Sweet
A series of short chapters about how Anna became the woman we know her to be through loss, love and heartbreak.
"Anna, sweety, what's wrong?" Anna's mother asked, staring down at her daughter's tear streaked face. "Oh my goodness! What happened?" Her mother noticed the bruises that were beginning to show around Anna's eye and face.
"Well, I-I was just playing with the other kids and being real nice like you always told me," Anna sniffled, "But then th-they started calling me mean names and s-saying that I wasn't normal. They called me a-a freak."
"Oh, my baby," Anna's mother cooed, scooping the six year old into her arms as she began to see where this was going.
"So then I- well, I hit one of them, momma. I didn't mean to hurt them too bad I just wanted them to stop being so mean. But then they all got mad and started hitting me back. I ran away, momma, I just turned and ran as fast I could!"
"Anna-" Her mother began, but Anna recognized the tone of her voice and quickly jumped in.
"I'm sorry, momma. I know you told me to never hit anyone, but they were so mean! Please, don't be mad at me!"
"Anna, I'm not mad," her mother soothed. "As long as you learn from this. You are not a freak, but you are special. You must remember that. And sometimes other people become jealous when they are around people who are special. You have a power, Anna, and you must control it. You are stronger than those other kids. It is much easier for you to hurt them. One day, you will find people who are more like you, but even then, you will be unique. Today, you had a right to be angry. But you should not have acted the way you did." Anna blushed and buried her head into her mother's shoulder. "Look at me, Anna, and promise me this. It is okay to get angry, but you must never let it change who you are."
"I promise, momma," Anna said, wrapping her arms around her mother and pulling her into a hug.