Suffocating.
That is how she felt. Emma felt she was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. Her eyes were covered in darkness, and she wasn't able to remember anything.
Who was she?
What was happening?
Soon enough, she found herself unable to breathe. She gasped for air and tried to move herself. The will to survive made her struggle harshly.
That's when, her eyes opened, and she sat up, breathing heavily. Bullets of sweat gathered on her forehead, travelling down her cheek. Her complexion was pale, and her body was shaking.
Emma stared around the room. There was a sense of unfamiliarity yet it felt familiar. That is when her memories started to pour in, and she clenched her hand into a tight fist.
She thought she died.
Could it be that they caught her?
The thought of that made her fall into panic. She clenched her hand into a tight fist, her nails digging into her palm. Her heart pounded against her chest loudly as she hastily got up.
As she stepped down from the bed and ran, her feet slipped, and she fell down on the ground, hurting her knee. This only made her breathe harder.
Her complexion contorted due to horror as she got up to run towards the door, and she pulled it harshly. Seeing how it didn't budge made more sweat well up on her forehead, and she applied more strength, trying to break the lock.
The suffocation overwhelmed her, making it unable to her to breathe. Tears clouded her eyes, and her senses were getting blurry. She was almost about to break down when she noticed the lock on the door.
It was locked from inside.
This made her sit down. Her expression became relatively calm as she looked around the room.
This room.
It was back from when she had it all.
What was going on?
Was she going through delusion?
Pulling her hair, she rested her head between her knees. Tears streamed down her eyes.
That's when, she heard the knocks on the door.
"Open the door, Emma. No excuses from you today. You have been skipping classes for a week now. If you keep on doing this, you will have no allowances for a month," came a strict voice from the other side of the door.
That voice.
Dad?
Emma slowly raised her head. She quickly stood up and opened the door. Her eyes widened when she found the middle-aged man standing in front of her, wearing a frown on his face.
This was her father.
Why is he alive?
"D-Dad?" she stuttered out heartbreakingly.
The distraught expression on his daughter's face shocked the man. He spoiled Emma from a young age, giving her everything she wished for, and never had he seen her so sad and miserable.
It was as though she harbored all the sorrows in the world.
Obvious concern was shown on his face, and the creases between his brows deepened.
"What happened?"
Emma extended her hand and pulled the man into a hug. His warm, beating chest gave Emma a sense of comfort and security. She broke down into sobs, realizing how real the feeling is.
"I missed you, Dad, so much. It was so hard without you. Please don't leave me alone again," Emma begged desperately.
The man sighed. "Look at you. I can't even bear to scold you a little. Fine, you can do whatever you like as long as you don't keep on crying so hard."
Emma pulled away from her dad and wiped her tears.
"Only you say that to me, Dad. No one else ever did," Emma expressed.
Her dad lightly patted her cheek. "Silly. How many people do you want to have to spoil you like this? Wouldn't you be completely lawless then?"
°°°
As odd as it sounded, after the entire day had passed, Emma already concluded this was no dream.
It was very much real.
She travelled to the past.
How was it possible?
She didn't know.
Why did it happen?
She had no clue about it.
Standing on the balcony, she stared at the starry night sky. The full moon brought her sense of serenity and clarity when her mind and emotions were a tangled mess.
What did the fate want her to do?
Did she have to go through the tragedy again?
By bringing her back to her twenty year old self, when she was living her best life, then pushing her into the depths of suffering?
Was she that horrible she had to go through it again?
A trail of tear fell down her cheek.
She was already too tired.
She didn't know whether she wanted to live again.
She readily gave everything up only for the life to play a joke on her.
Her nails dug deep into her palm, creating a wound, but she was unable to feel the pain.
Just as she was sinking deeper into the depression, a thought hit her, and her eyes instantly brightened up.
Although she was too exhausted, there was her dad.
Maybe she could repay him for everything he did by letting live a long life this time.
Yeah, maybe it was a chance for her to make it up to him.
Although this would be barely enough to compensate for all that he had to endure for her.
She was truly a burden and trouble to all.