CHAPTER :05

Brixton's life was a symphony, each note perfectly tuned, each instrument playing in harmony. Her parents were the conductors, guiding her through the melody of life, while her siblings were the chorus, adding their own unique voices to the song. 

Together, they created a masterpiece, a life filled with love, laughter, and endless possibilities. But one day, the music stopped, when she lost her family in a plane crash when she was around 11. The notes faded away, and Brixton was left with a deafening silence. 

She searched for the melody, for the harmony that had once filled her life, but it was gone. She was lost in a sea of sorrow, struggling to find her way back to the music.

Brixton's life had become a nightmare, a never-ending horror after she moved to her abusive uncle's house. Her aunt and uncle were cruel, their words and actions like knives that cut into her skin. She was trapped in their house, a prisoner in her own life. But Brixton refused to let them break her. She held onto the hope that one day, she would be free. 

And when she turned 16, that day finally came. She packed her bags and left, her heart filled with both fear and excitement. She found a small apartment, a place of her own, and for the first time in years, she felt like she could breathe. It wasn't easy, of course. She had to work hard to pay the rent, to put food on the table, to keep the lights on. But Brixton was determined to make it work. She was determined to create a life for herself, a life that was free from the pain and suffering of her past.

Brixton had thought that her life was finally beginning to fall into place. She had a job she loved, a small but cozy apartment, and a few close friends who cared about her. But then, the nightmares started. They were always the same, a dark, twisted version of her past that she couldn't escape. She tried to ignore them, to push them away, but they only grew stronger. 

It was a secret, a secret that she had kept buried deep inside her for years. A secret that, if exposed, would destroy everything she had worked so hard to build. Brixton was trapped, caught between the darkness of her past and the fear of what the future might hold. She knew she had to keep the secret safe, to bury it even deeper than before. But the weight of the guilt was crushing her, suffocating her. She was alone, lost in a world that was closing in around her. And the nightmare, the nightmare that had followed her all her life, was still there, waiting for her.

Brixton knew that she couldn't keep living like this, that she couldn't keep carrying the weight of her secrets on her shoulders. So, she made a decision. She would become someone else, someone who was nothing like the person she used to be. She would wear a mask, a mask of goodness and kindness, a mask that would hide her true self from the world. And so, she began to change. She softened her voice, her words became more thoughtful, and she started to smile more. 

She was careful, always careful, to never let anyone see the darkness that lay beneath the surface. She became the good girl, the girl who took care of everything, who was always there when someone needed her. There were times when she wanted to scream, to let the world know what she was really feeling. But she held it all in, burying her secrets deeper and deeper until they were nothing but a distant memory. And slowly, over time, the mask became a part of her.

NOW !
8:30 pm 

Augustus had always been there for Brixton, through thick and thin. He knew her better than anyone else. And so, when he saw her crying, saw the tears streaming down her cheeks, he knew what he had to do. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, and whispered words of comfort in her ear. "I'm here with you, Brixxie," he said, "and I'll always be here for you, no matter what." Brixton couldn't help but cry, couldn't hold back the pain that was tearing her apart. 

Brixton's past was like a dark, tangled web, a web that she couldn't escape. It was a puzzle that she had been trying to solve for years, a puzzle that had haunted her every waking moment. And so, when Augustus asked her to share her story, she couldn't do it. She couldn't bear to unravel the threads of her past, to expose the wounds that lay beneath. It was like a Pandora box, a box that she knew was better left unopened. 

Her body shook with sobs, and her voice was barely audible as she spoke. "Sometimes, some puzzles should be unsolved," she said, "and kept the way they are." Her eyes were red and puffy, like two swollen suns, and Augustus could see the pain etched in every line of her face.

He knew that he couldn't force her to share her story, that he had to respect her boundaries. He simply held her close, his embrace a shield against the darkness.

When Brixton said that she didn't want to share her story, he didn't push her. He didn't try to unravel the threads of her past, to expose the wounds that lay beneath. Instead, he simply said, "You don't have to say anything, if you want the puzzle to be unsolved. Let the puzzle be unsolved, Brix." He cupped her pink cheeks, his touch gentle and tender, and placed soft kisses on her forehead.

And then, he hugged her again, holding her closer to his arms. Brixton's hands clutched onto his chest, like a drowning person clutching a life raft, and she slowly let her eyes shut. She felt safe in Augustus's arms.

AFTER A FEW HOURS 

With Brixton safely tucked in bed, Augustus sat beside her, lost in thought. He knew that he couldn't let Brixton continue to suffer in silence. He wanted to help her, to find the secrets that she had been hiding so deeply inside her. He felt a sense of urgency, a need to act quickly before it was too late. 

He knew that Brixton was a strong person, but he also knew that everyone had their breaking point. As he sat there, his mind raced with possibilities. He thought about all the things he could do to help her, all the ways he could get her to open up. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to try. He would be there for her, no matter what, and he would do everything in his power to make sure she felt safe and loved.

As Augustus sat there, holding Brixton's hands, his mind began to wander. He knew that Brixton was a psychology student, and that as a psychology student, she was always writing down her thoughts and feelings. He wondered if she had a secret diary, a place where she poured out all her innermost thoughts and emotions. 

And then, as if on cue, he remembered a conversation they had once. "I love to write everything down," Brixton had said, "whatever happens in my day-to-day life." The memory made Augustus smile, and he felt a sudden urge to find that diary. Maybe it would give him some insight into Brixton's past, into the tangled web of her life. 

He gently placed Brixton's hands on the bed, making sure not to wake her, and reached for her bag. As he unzipped it, he saw her lavender body lotion on top, and he couldn't help but smile. It was such a Brixton thing to have. 

His hands roamed around her bag, searching for the diary, and finally, he found it. It was a small, leather-bound book, with the words "My Thoughts" etched on the cover. Augustus couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement as he opened it up, eager to read the words that Brixton had written.

Augustus opened Brixton's diary, feeling a sense of trepidation as his fingers grazed the rough ivy pages. He flipped through the book, scanning the chapter names until his eyes settled on one written in capital letters: "The Secrets I Keep." Despite the messy handwriting, Augustus managed to read Brixton's thoughts as he turned each page. Atlast he reached the end of the chapter, his eyes widened and he felt a lump form in his throat. He couldn't believe what he was reading. 

His mind struggled to accept the truth, and he felt a swirl of emotions. At that moment, he realized that Brixton was not the same girl he thought she was. She was more fiery and unstoppable than he could have ever imagined. 

Augustus immediately closed the diary and carefully placed it back where he had found it. As he looked up at Brixton, his eyes were filled with a mix of emotions - curiosity, confusion. He couldn't help but wonder what else Brixton was hiding, and what other secrets lay within the pages of her diary.

His mind was racing with questions, and he found himself struggling to process everything he had just read. As he looked at her, he couldn't help but wonder what else she was capable of, and what other secrets she might be keeping. 

"Let's leave it here and pretend I don't know her secrets. I'll keep them to myself, just like Brix did." Augustus thought to  himself and took a deep breath and headed outside, leaving Brixton to rest in bed. 

Brixton's eyes opened the moment Augustus left the room. She had been pretending to be asleep, but she had been watching him the entire time. She knew that he had read her diary. She watched him move around the room, wondering what he was thinking. 

Brixton sat up in bed and stared at the door. She was angry, but she didn't say anything. She knew that Augustus had made a grave mistake. She had trusted him, but he had betrayed her trust. She furrowed her eyebrows and took a deep breath. "You've made a grave mistake, Augustus," she said, her voice low and serious. She knew that there would be consequences for what he had done.