THE TOWER OF HOPE
By Faith Enero
Deep in the mountains, there existed a small village where a girl named May lived. She was known throughout her village for her kindness, her bright eyes, her lovely laugh.
One day, May went for a walk in the forest to pick berries for her family. As she made her way deeper into the forest, she noticed that the trees were denser and the leaves were darker. She couldn't shake her feeling that she was being watched. Suddenly he emerged from the shadows. It was a tall, thin man with piercing blue eyes and a sharp nose. His hair is as black as charcoal and his skin is as thin as the moon.
Her mind exercised a little! "Who are you?" she asked, summoning her courage. The man didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled her deeper into the woods. May struggled, but his grip was too strong.
After what felt like hours, they landed in a clearing. In the middle of the clearing stood a tall stone tower. The man pushed May inside and slammed her door shut. Isolation and fear as she surveyed her surroundings. It was dark and damp, with no windows, and only one burning candle. I heard a man's footsteps outside.
Days turned into weeks, and May grew weaker and weaker, she had no food or water, her air was full of mold, she was certain of her death.
One night, as she was lying shivering on her stone floor, she heard a faint scratch at her door. She assumed it was just a guess and tried to ignore it, but the scratching became louder and less persistent.
So, with all her might, she crawled to the door and opened it. On the other side was a small bird with bright red feathers. It flew into the room and sat on May's outstretched hand. The chirping of birds gave May a glimmer of hope. Weeks turned into months. May survived on small food brought by birds and rainwater seeping through gaps in the walls. She spent her days talking to birds and imagining the world outside the tower.
One day, the man finally came back, but this time May was ready. She straightened her back and looked at him with great determination. "You can't keep me here forever," she said. "I am stronger than you think."
The man looked at her in amazement at her sudden confidence, he unlocked the door and let her go. May left the tower while narrowing her eyes in the bright sunlight. As she looked around the world she had long denied, she felt a wave of joy in her heart.
From that day on, May lived to the fullest. She has traveled the world, met new people and experienced new things. She never forgets the lessons she learned in the tower: "That even in the darkest of times there is always a glimmer of hope and we are all stronger than we believe".
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