"I want to be home, but I can't," Lilly said.
"Me too Lilly," I said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jasmine waved goodbye as we walked out of the delightful cafe. We waved goodbye back, and closed the door.

"Summer, how far are we from Phoenix Drop?" I asked.

"A month's journey."

"A MONTH???" I asked, aghast.

"I'm sorry Aphmau. Phoenix Drop is three regions away. Plus, the ports are closed off because the village of Falone, our major city here is taking over the control of the waters. It's complicated, but if we go anytime soon, we will have to go on foot or horse, which will take even longer. Not only that... But... Phoenix Drop is at war with Okasis again. Lord Garte heard that Garroth was back, and he is after him. It's for the best Aphmau. We should stay here and wait. Even our neighbor city of Asleni is being on the lookout. I'm really sorry Aphmau," Summer explained as we walked along the stone path.

"It's fine. I just really want to get back."

"Aph, they survived without you for 15 years. You can survive without them for a month or two. I know it sounds blunt, but it is the truth," Summer said, kicking a small pebble down the path.

It felt like the silence went on for years. We just continued to walk and walk and walk. We didn't know where we were going, we just kept walking, taking in the sights of the beautiful village. Some of the times, we went in circles or retraced our steps.

Then, the silence was broken when we heard the sound of children yelling, and one sobbing nearby. Our attention was drawn towards the noise, and we quickly ran over to where the commotion was coming from.

"You're such a weirdo!" One of the big kids said.
"And look, you are crying! You are such a big baby! Wha waa waaaa!" Another one said.

On the ground, was a young girl, about 10 or 11 or so, sobbing and begging to be released from the grip of a teen who had his hand gripped on to the collar of her shirt. The young girl had long hair that was tangled at the bottoms, and heterochromia eyes. One was green and one was grey. I noticed that the grey one had a large cut over it. She was bony, frail, and small. It looked like she hadn't eaten much for a long time. One of the bullies kicked her hard into the rib, as another kicked her back.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!" I yelled furiously as I stomped over to the group of bullies. I swooped down, and put myself between the young girl and the bullies, like a shield.

The bullies were on their feet, ready to run away like cowards, but then Summer caught up to me and saw the sight.

"Not so fast you four!" Summer said, her voice booming with authority.

"You aren't our mom," the biggest one pouted. Summer burst into laughter.

"Ummm, excuse me? You better show me some more respect young man, because I'm the Lord, and I'm an adult," Summer explained, glaring into the teenagers' eyes.

"Shut up! You are like 3 years younger than all of us! You aren't an adult!" The red haired female yelled.

"I am not your age. You don't know anything about me. I have been through more than any of you twats have, and I am definitely more mature. I'm not letting this go, and I'm not going to let it slide. This is unacceptable and this is a crime. This breaks the law. You are all old enough to go jail. You guys are 17 and 18 for crying out loud! It's time to start acting like it. Be more mature. I'm ashamed of your behavior, and you should too," Summer snapped.

"You can't talk to us like that. We will tell our parents," the one in the red hoodie said.

"And I'll put you in jail for assault. This is disgraceful!"

The red haired one spat at Summer. "Whatever."

"I'm going to be having a very long discussion with your parents, and I'm going to have to set up some sort of punishment. If this is how you want your life to be, than so be it. Just know that your life is going to be horrible, sad, and empty if you do so. Stop going down the wrong path kids. Now, don't go anywhere. I'm sending in some of my guards to walk you to your homes and hold you at your homes till I can speak to you and your parents," Summer said, still enraged.

"Are you on your period? Oh your first one? That makes sense you f****** stupid ugly girl who hasn't even gone through puberty," the biggest one muttered.

"I have no time for your petty insults. I don't waste my time talking to idiots. Guess my age," Summer said, calming down. I wasn't going to stop her from saying that though, cause it was true, and they should be mature enough to not bully at this age.

"12," the quiet yet buff one said.

"615. I'm 615. I died when I was 6. I became a ghost. I watched my best friend died. He became a ghost. I was tortured with horrors and so much else. So be quiet, and think about what you have done. You could have been so much more, but you chose to be a bully. Try being nice. It is really rewarding. I can't even. You could have been a nurse, a vet, a guard, a lord, a baker, anything, but you chose to be this. Make better choices kids. I hope that the next time I see you, that it isn't like this," Summer said as a few guards came up, escorting the teens back home.

I turned to the young girl, who was curled up in a ball, with her legs tucked in, and her face in her tear stained knees, in a fetus position.

"Excuse me sweetie, are you okay? My name is Aphmau and I'm here to help," I said, kneeling down beside her.

The young girl slowly sat up to face me, but she still kept her face hidden by her knees. She stayed silent.

"Are you hurt? We can go get help if you need it," I whispered.

Tears still streamed down the girl's round cheeks, silently. Finally, the girl straightened her legs, so that I could see her torso. Blood seeped through her white dress.

"SUMMER! We need to get her to someone who can heal her right away! I think she may have a broken rib!" I screamed as I tried to scoop the child up into my arms. The child flinched though, and she scooted back up against a tree, shaking in fear.

"It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help. Can I carry you to safety?" I asked.

"Y-yes you can. M-my n-name is L-Lilly. Thank y-you," she stuttered. I strode over and scooped her up into my arms, giving her a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you Lilly," I said to the sweet child. Then, Summer rushed me off to the Healing Magick's user in town.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well guys, I hoped you enjoyed!
Please note: Bullying is unacceptable and it is NOT okay. Any shape or form is a horrendous act. Do not bully. Be kind. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. You wouldn't want to be bullied, and no one else wants to either. Stick up for others if you see them being bullied. Don't be a bystander. Do what is right, and go down a good path of life. Live, love, and try to make someone smile every day. I hope that the world can one day become bully-free.

Love ya guys!
Question:
1.) Have you ever been bullied? (I have)