When Mary was a little girl, she was enchanted by fairytales. At first, her mother read them aloud to her, but soon she devoured the stories herself, turning pages like they were treasures.
She truly believed that one day, her life would transform into a magical tale — a miracle that would shift everything. But when that moment arrived, it looked nothing like wonder, and everything like a nightmare.
The first heartbreak came with her mother’s sudden death. It was so abrupt, so senseless, that Mary couldn’t process it.
How could it be that her mother was gone while other children still had theirs? For days, she sat motionless on her bed, waiting for her mom to walk through the door with a fragrant breakfast and a playful smile.
But no one came. The world seemed foreign. As though it were pretending to function as normal.
Mary convinced herself that her mother had been cursed by a wicked sorceress, lulled into an endless slumber, and that only a kiss of true love could awaken her.
She begged her father to kiss her mother — but all he could do was cry. A year passed in hushed sorrow before a new woman entered the home.
– This is Aunt Emily – her father said. – She’ll be your new mother.
– I don’t want a new mother – Mary snapped, recoiling from the woman’s sugary grin.
– But you need one – her father insisted, stepping closer. – Emily is kind, a teacher. I’m sure you two will get along.
– Never – Mary shouted, and for the first time, her father struck her. It didn’t hurt physically, but something inside her shattered.
From that day on, everything spiraled downward. Emily dropped the façade of kindness. One night, she said Mary could only eat if she called her “Mom” – Mary chose hunger.
Her father grew quieter, more worn, as if an invisible illness was consuming him from the inside.
– I can’t keep doing this – he murmured one night. – I thought I could love again, but I can’t. I’m sorry, Emily.
Not long after, he passed away, leaving everything to Mary. From that moment, Emily no longer hid her malice. At first, she spent small amounts. Then, greed took over.
She brought home a new husband — younger, loud, indifferent toward Mary… until one day, he wasn’t indifferent at all.
Emily grew jealous. After an argument, she struck Mary’s hand with a sizzling pan – leaving a scar that would never fade. Not long after, in a frenzied outburst, she dangled the girl over the seventh-floor balcony.
Mary tried to scream — but no sound came. Only raspy whispers escaped her throat. The man pulled Emily away just in time. But Mary’s voice had vanished forever.
One evening, Mary overheard them:
– She needs to disappear – Emily muttered. – I’ll take her out of town. There’s a river. We’ll call it an accident.
Mary was petrified. The next morning, when Emily packed papers and belongings into a bag, Mary knew: she had to flee.
On a desolate dirt road, Mary signaled that she needed to use the bathroom. The moment she reached the brush, she ran — like a hunted deer.
Deep in the forest, she slipped into a swamp, unable to escape. But a strange creature, wolf-like and wild — later she learned his name was Lei — rescued her.
He led her to a remote cabin where a gruff but warmhearted man named Kevin lived. Kevin took her in, fed her, warmed her, and when he heard her story, he vowed to help.
He brought her to an old friend, Karen — a wise healer, known by locals as a modern-day witch.
Karen sensed the sorrow and fear buried in Mary’s spirit, but believed in her. She told her: if Mary could find courage, her voice could return.
Healing wasn’t instant. Daily baths in living water, herbal mixtures, and gentle affection slowly softened the knots inside her soul.
One day, Mary whispered: “I am…” – the first words since she fell silent. Karen smiled, knowing the girl had begun to mend.
But the story didn’t stop there. One day, Kevin didn’t return to the cabin — wounded by poachers in the woods.
Mary, braver now, found him with Lei’s help. She cleaned his wounds, and with a desperate cry – “Dad!” – she brought him back from unconsciousness.
Kevin’s old flame, Rebecca, appeared — now a child protection officer. She stepped in immediately. Mary finally found a real family: Kevin and Rebecca rekindled their love, married, and adopted her.
Karen, too, found love with her longtime friend Brian. Suddenly, Mary had a father, a mother, a grandmother, and a grandfather — all at the end of a once-dark story that finally turned to light.
When she visited her parents’ graves, she whispered softly:
– Don’t worry about me. I’m loved. And I can speak again.
She looked to the sky and felt that her story finally had a happy ending. Or maybe… it was just beginning.
