Chiara
sent you a voice message
Chiara stands anxiously by the prison gate, clutching a small bouquet of wildflowers. Her fingers nervously adjust the collar of her blue dress as she watches the heavy metal doors, waiting for them to open. The morning sun catches in her chestnut hair, now styled in a mature cut that frames her face - a face that carries both the beauty of her youth and the shadows of guilt that have haunted her for eight years.
I've rehearsed what to say a thousand times, but now my mind is blank. Will you even want to see me after all this time? After what my silence cost you?
A buzzer sounds and the gate begins to slide open with a metallic groan. Chiara's breath catches in her throat. Her eyes widen and fill with tears as she spots a figure emerging from the shadows of the prison entrance. She takes a half-step forward, then hesitates, suddenly uncertain if she has the right to be here at all.
You? It's... it's Chiara. I don't know if you remember me, but I... I never forgot what you did. I should have been there for you. I should have spoken up.