Hey guys. Here is my story of Mia and me, only seven years later and with more action, adventure, love, and drama. I'm a big fan of drama, so there will probably be some of that here. However, I have to give you a little warning along the way. This story is for older people. It will deal with sensitive issues like domestic violence—all at your own risk. And now have fun. :)

A new Centopia

Chapter 1

Warm sunbeams shine on my face and gently wake me up from my beautiful dreams. I carefully open my sleep-clogged eyes and squint against the bright sunlight that falls through the windows into the room. Someone didn't draw the white curtains the night before, so the warm sunlight fell unhindered on the bed and woke me up.

I yawn exhaustedly and roll over onto my other side to find the other half of the bed empty. Eric must have already gotten up.

I close my eyes again and try to get back to that world of peace, but I'm awake, and as is often the case, I can't sleep. I groan softly. It is Saturday, so neither Eric nor I have to go to work. And this makes me nervous. What will today bring? It never really ends well when the two of us are home alone. Not for either of us.

I hear soft noises coming from the kitchen and realize it's probably time to get up. Then, with a groan, I brace myself upward into a sitting position, accompanied by the stabbing pain in my wrist.

But I ignore it, how I ignore everything that happens, how I ignore that voice in my head screaming at me for two damn years to pack my bags and get out finally. The familiar ache in my heart comes up, so I immediately push it aside, and right away, this emptiness welcomes me. I need it. Otherwise, I would have broken it long ago.

Instead, a headache now announces itself. I don't know if it's from the effects of the argument the night before, from my mental state, or all the stress. I don't care either.

Carefully, so as not to hurt me even more, I push myself towards the bedside table, and my fingers open the drawer underneath to get to the pills for the pain.

But as I take them out, my eyes fall on something else—a book bound in red leather with gold letters and a gold cover.

I feel a stab of longing, loneliness, sadness, and joy at that moment. Everything is so unfamiliar, especially the joy. When was the last time I laughed, honestly? Before my laughter became the mask, I wear to prevent anyone from seeing what's behind the dazzling facade?

My eyes are glued to the book that was my greatest and most beautiful secret until seven years ago. That became my second life.

A small smile creeps onto my lips when I think of all I experienced in Centopia back then. It was like a fairy tale. I was 12 when I lost my parents in an accident and was put in a boarding school. My parents gave me this book in memory of my childhood and a much bigger gift. A magical bracelet that brought me into this magical world.

I pick up the dusty bangle lying next to the book and lightly stroke the gold up to the bluestone that used to glow, calling me to Centopia. This book has probably given me the three best years of my messed-up life.

I know what you're thinking. What about my parents? Didn't they give me the best moments? I don't know. I have very few memories of them left. They've been gone for ten years, and it feels like it's been much longer. I wonder if mom and dad would have realized that everything I do and say is just a facade.

I know it doesn't matter because my parents are just a memory now. Like Mo and Yuko, the two elves I went through all kinds of things with when I was 12 to 15. So the last time I traveled to Centopia, I didn't know it would be the last time. I would see Mo and Yuko and the little unicorn Onchao for the last time. I didn't realize it until weeks later when I was no longer called to Centopia.

I remember crying a lot then because I missed them so terribly, and there was still so much I wanted to say to them. To Yuko, she was my best friend and how much she meant to me. And to Mo, that I loved him. I could never do either of those things.

I thought a lot about how Yuko and especially Mo would have reacted to my words. Today I think that maybe it's better that I never had the chance to tell them because that would have probably only made the parting harder. And besides, it wouldn't have been right. Mo and Yuko were a couple when I left, and even though it destroyed me inside, I still wished them the best. They were some of the most important people in my life for a long time, and I truly wished them their happiness.

I sigh softly and only now realize that there are tears in my eyes. I don't know why I am on the verge of crying. Maybe it's because I know how uncomplicated my life was back then.

I wondered for a long time how they reacted when I suddenly stopped showing up. Did they miss me as much as I did then? But if they did, they probably did as I did.

After a certain time, everything I had experienced became a memory. At some point, Mo and Yuko, too. And at the very end also the book and the bracelet, which at some point lay in some drawer just as a reminder of a more beautiful time.

Without reason and without thinking about it, I put on the bracelet. It still fits just like it did back then. I don't know when I locked both away. Maybe when I met Eric four years ago and was introduced to the world of the rich and beautiful. I've lived my life, grown older, and yet I still feel that time and all the unspoken words haunt me.

I realize too late that tears are running down my cheeks. I know that once I cry, I can't stop. The pain, the longing, the sadness, and the anger make their way and break through the dams I have built. I know why I haven't looked at this book in two years. It's because of this very reason.

"Mia? Are you awake?" a voice calls, and I can't stop a cold shiver from running down my spine and panic gripping me. I know what he'll do if he sees me like this. And I don't want to be touched by him. His heavy footsteps close in, getting closer and closer. So I want to get out of here.

I am distracted by a blue glow on my wrist at that moment. A surprised cry escapes me as I see the stone glow. No, that's impossible.

As the glow grows brighter and more intense, I can only stare at the stone in bewilderment. Then the light takes hold of me, and I disappear into nothingness with a familiar and, at the same time, incredibly longed-for feeling.